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I saw the cake stand, lifted the lid, and sliced a piece of last night’s gingerbread. Damned if I hadn’t worked up an appetite.
“Ahhh,” Ethan said quietly. “Finally.”
I couldn’t say much with all that cake in my mouth. I washed it down with a gulp of the coffee. “Finally what?”
“You’re starting to act like this place is your home,” Ethan said. “You’ve been acting like a nervous guest. Unsure of your welcome.”
I swallowed the cake with difficulty. “It takes time to let it all in.”
“Yeah? How about with the hot redhead? Seems like you let her in, from the looks of it. Or she let you in. Looks very playful. I actually saw you smile when you walked out of the room. It vanished the minute you saw me, but still. Baby steps.”
I chose not to acknowledge that small dig. “Yeah, she took me by surprise,” I said. “The girl is incredible. Brave, smart, gorgeous. And she saved my ass.”
“Weird time to initiate a hot love affair,” Ethan said.
“I know that,” I said sharply.
“Not criticizing. Just observing.”
“We know that it’s risky,” I said. “But it was inevitable. It started back when I was in the dungeon. She sneaked down to visit me. Reminded me that I was alive.”
“You don’t have to be defensive. I don’t blame you. I actually had my own smoking hot babe rescue me from a horrible fate just a few months ago. That kind of maneuver really gets your attention. Believe me. I get it.”
“Did you think that Kat was too good to be true, back then?’
“God, yes. I couldn’t believe my luck for the longest damn time, I thought she had to be the hottest honeypot anyone ever saw on this earth. But I kept her close to me until we had time to calm down, get the facts straight. And I also managed to resolve some of her long-standing problems. That’s key, for making a hot mysterious babe relax joyfully into your arms. I highly recommend it as a tactic.”
“Uh… about that,” I said slowly. “Her long-standing problem is the little sister’s health issues. She’s hoping we’ll use SmokeScreen to penetrate Halliwell’s security. That’s one solution.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Fuck me,” he muttered.
I nodded. “I know. I know.”
“You know what happened last time. The only reason I haven’t erased it is because I was using it to look for you. I should have set it to self-destruct the minute I had you in that helicopter. I knew that thing would bite my ass. One last time.”
“I’m sorry about that,” I said. “I was stupid.”
“Me, too. We both paid for it. But you paid more. I’m sorry, Shane. But I can’t.”
“I understand,” I said grimly. “So we try everything else. We see what Rose comes up with. I already told Red that SmokeScreen wasn’t mine to give.”
“Fuck, Shane,” Ethan said, his voice tormented. “She gave you back to us. She deserves the best we have. But I don’t think anything on earth is worth that risk.”
I nodded. “Don’t get all wound up yet. So far, the kid seems fine. Maybe she’ll stay fine.”
Ethan just looked at me. “You really think Halliwell will let Cass off that easily?”
I shook my head. “Nope,” I said, staring down into opaque black depths of my coffee. I looked up at Ethan. “Fuel up,” I suggested. “The gingerbread is great with coffee.” I cut him a slice and held it out.
Ethan stared at the cake in his hand, and took a bite, savoring it. “Damn,” he said.
“Yeah,” I agreed, lifting my cup. “Here’s to small pleasures.”
And large ones, I added in my mind as our mugs clinked together. That night with Red was no small pleasure. It was vast, all-encompassing.
Worth fighting for.
CHAPTER18
