AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He immediately embarks on a tickling attack, which has her squealing, but as cute as they are, my eyes drift to the door, waiting to see if someone else is going to appear.
My heart is in my throat and I’m about to go in search of her when she emerges.
She stands in the doorway like a figment of my imagination.
“Kristie,” I whisper, ensuring everyone turns to look at her.
Her shoulders drop and I instantly regret the move. This must be hard enough for her as it is. The last thing she needs is having more attention on her.
But thankfully, no one makes any kind of big deal about her appearance.
“Kristie,” Griff says. “Come and sit down. How do you take your coffee?”
She stutters but gives him her order before shuffling closer and dropping into the chair next to him.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, but she doesn’t have any interest in talking about herself.
“Did they do it? Did they—” Her eyes dart to Daisy. “Un-alive him?”
I chuckle. Of all the things Daisy has probably already overheard and will overhear in the coming years, it’s pretty tame.
“Yeah, KK. They did. It’s over.”
All the air rushes from her lungs as hope fills her eyes.
“We’re going to put an end to it,” I promise, reaching for her hand and squeezing.
Within minutes, Griff has delivered Kristie’s coffee, Daisy has talked Ezra into giving her a sweet—which he gets told off for allowing—and everyone has fallen into an easy, natural conversation. Laughter rings through the air as happiness fills what I always thought was a dark and depressing manor house. Man, how wrong was I?
“We need breakfast,” Ezra announces.
“Probably a little late to line your stomach now,” Mav points out, earning him a scowl.
“I’m perfectly fine, thank you very much.”
“Did someone say breakfast?”
All eyes turn toward the voice at the door.
“Where the fuck did you come from?” JD asks, looking a disheveled Aubrey up and down with mild curiosity.
Aubrey smirks with accomplishment.
“We left you at the destruction site and we’ve been up all night. There’s no way you slipped in unnoticed.”
“There’s not?” she asks, jutting her hip out and resting it against the doorframe.
“She ain’t been upstairs sleeping all night, look at the state of her,” Devin points out.
“Who me?” Aubrey gasps, covering her heart with her hand.
To be fair, he’s got a point, she looks like she’s been mauled by a bear.
“Is that a hickey on your neck?” Mav asks, happily joining in.
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,” she says without a care in the world. “Now, someone said breakfast.”
Reid pushes his chair back. “I’m on it, although I’m not sure if?—”
