Page 58 of Frost and Venom

“I don’t know a thing,” Stella said. She shrugged. “I tried twisting Sam’s arm this morning on the way into town, but he was strangely tight-lipped.” She made a face. “He was also slightly angry, which you know isn’t a Sam trait.”

It wasn’t. Sam didn’t seem to have a temper at all. If he was upset at whatever was going on, it had to be bad. Before she could reply, Rush walked in through the back door. Shabina held it open for him as he carried Raine inside and set her gently on the lounge. Harlow studied Raine’s posture. She didn’t look embarrassed at Rush carrying her in front of everyone. In fact, the two of them appeared very natural and in sync.

Rush looked around the table, and then his gaze settled on Harlow. He indicated Raine.

“Don’t even,” Raine protested. “I’m not two. I don’t need a babysitter.”

Rush didn’t change expression as his gaze drifted over Raine’s stubborn pixie face. He was a man who looked powerful, his body all flowing muscle. He was incredibly good-looking, something Harlow had honestly never noticed. He was also intolerably brilliant—at least that was how Raine often described him, which made Harlow laugh. If anyone had asked, she would have described Raine the exact same way.

“You are my treasure, which means when I’m not with you, someone else is going to be assigned to see to your safety, health and comfort. We’ve had this discussion, and we’re done with it.”

“Rush,” Raine said, tilting her head to look up at him. “Do you understand the actual meaning of the word discussion? Because I don’t think you do. Perhaps if you look it up in the dictionary, that will refresh your memory.”

He ignored her comment, leaned down and brushed a kiss on top of her head. “Behave yourself today. I know it’s a stretch, but I think you can do it if you put your mind to it.”

She rolled her eyes at him and waved him away, but Harlow noticed Raine followed him with her gaze as he sauntered to the back exit and disappeared. Her eyes remained glued to the back door for nearly a minute before she took a deep breath and turned to smile at Harlow.

“He likes his way in all things.”

“Does he?” Stella asked. “Or does he insist on his way when it’s a matter of your health?”

“I don’t think you need to be practical right now, Stella,” Raine said. “When I find him annoying, you don’t get to defend him.”

“How is that helping you?” Stella asked.

“By validating that I’m right and he’s wrong.”

Harlow burst out laughing. “You’re sounding far too much like Zahra right now to take you seriously.”

Zahra sat up straight, crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her. “You should always take me seriously, Harlow. I’m a very serious person.”

Shabina joined them, sinking gratefully into the remaining chair. “What did I miss?”

“Zahra being serious,” Stella answered drolly.

“That’s new,” Shabina said.

“Don’t rise to the bait, Zahra,” Raine advised. “I’ve learned silence is priceless in some situations.”

“What’s going on?” Harlow asked. “Shabina? You called the meeting. What’s happened?”

“Four people died of mysterious circumstances,” Shabina answered without hesitation. “Those people weren’t connected in any way. Well, two of them were, but they were in the same car when it crashed. The sheriff, ever the vengeful jerk, found out that all of them, not at the same time, mind you, but all of them ate at my café within a day of dying.”

“What?” Harlow could hardly believe her ears. “Paul Rafferty implicated your café in the deaths of several people?”

Shabina’s eyes turned liquid, and she hastily looked down at the tabletop. “He did. He closed us down for a day and had inspectors come through. I don’t know what they were looking for, poison maybe. But those people’s deaths weren’t consistent with food poisoning.”

“What people?” Harlow asked.

“Definitely wasn’t food poisoning,” Vienna confirmed.

“I’ve looked into each one who died,” Raine said. “Rainier asked me to the moment the sheriff made it public that the only connection each of the victims had was that they all had eaten here at some point.”

“Everyone eats at the Sunrise Café,” Stella said. “Seriously? Rafferty tried to imply that Shabina’s café had something to do with their deaths?”

“Bale Landry is Rafferty’s nephew,” Shabina informed them, as if they didn’t know or wouldn’t remember. “He once called the cops and accused me of trying to poison him. Maybe it’s a family thing.”

“I want to hear about the dead bodies,” Harlow insisted. “I feel like I’ve got half the story and it isn’t making sense.”