Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
“Burn!” Donovan clapped. “No! Get that thing off there. Put it somewhere else.”
Kayla picked it up again and put it out of the way on the ground. She stopped by the island, waiting for a comeback.
Bria narrowed her eyes in thought.
“No?” Kayla asked. “Nothing?”
“It’ll come to me…” Bria bit her lip.
Donovan chuckled as Kayla relieved Bria of the cutting board. “I assume this is waiting for a home.”
“Yup.” Bria inclined her head.
Kayla enjoyed chopping, cutting, slicing—anything involving a knife. She said it gave her practice. Which…it probably did. Daisy still hated cooking.
Tarian entered the kitchen with a smile, holding a couple bags. As usual, his gaze hit Daisy before anyone else, lingering on her and sending butterflies throughout her middle.
“Hey, dewdrop,” he said softly, stopping behind her.
She leaned back into his warmth. “Hey. How’d it go?”
He snorted. “I hate it when you’re right.”
“Told you! Did you get anything for her?”
“We did.” The bags crinkled. “I just need…to figure out…what…”
Bria and Daisy both erupted in guffaws.
“She has good height,” Daisy said, “a good bust, average hips—clothes off the rack should fit her. Yet…somehow…”
“She always looks like a clown,” Bria finished. “It should fit her, but stuff always ends up looking like Bobo’s painting frock and you have no idea how or why the transformation happened.”
“Oh my god, are you serious?” Lexi asked, walking in with a couple bags. “Are you talking about me? Listen, he has good taste, I’ve said that. We all know that. And yes, the stuff he picked out was nice, but it just… I wasn’t…”
“It was Bobo’s painting frock,” Bria helped. “We get it.”
“We’ll find more,” Tarian said, not leaning away from Daisy. “We’ll get it. Some tailors, maybe…”
Bria and Daisy started laughing again.
More of the Fallen filed in, Lennox with a very impressive suit, trimmed hair, and still all that shit in his beard.
“I really wish you’d shield more of your thoughts,” he groused as he passed through the kitchen. He lifted a bag-laden hand and pointed at Donovan. “I’ll be back in a minute to help out. I need to change.”
“He’s hot,” Bria said when he was out of earshot.
“You always say that.” Kayla grabbed a peeler. “Why don’t you do something about it?”
Bria shrugged, pushing off the stool and going to the fridge. “I’m just noticing, is all. I’m…seeing someone. Kinda.”
“Wait, what?” Daisy turned to her. “Who?”
Bria put up her hand, grabbed an invisible chain, and tugged. “Toot, toot.”
She’d boarded the train of bad decisions. The person she was seeing was bad news. Obviously, that wasn’t stopping her.
Zorn and Boman entered, freshly showered and in casual clothes. They’d all be staying in tonight for a big family dinner. They couldn’t all fit at the table anymore, so they did buffet style and roamed around the house, eating and talking and having a good time.
“He’s the hot one,” Kayla murmured, glancing up at Zorn.
Zorn pretended not to notice. His dating life was kept very private, and he didn’t seem open for business. He nodded to Tarian and took a seat at the table.
Daisy grabbed the cutting board and knife and got ready to hand it back to Zorn.
“Nope,” Zorn said.
Daisy smirked and put it down.
“How’d it go, Lexi?” Boman asked with a cockeyed smile. He had been training instead of shopping, and now he was poking the bear.
“I just do not understand why I can’t use a professional.” She pushed the hair out of her face, dropped her stuff in the corner with Kayla’s, and sat at the table. “No offense, Tarian. I know you are very knowledgeable about human fashion…despite your only living here for six months and hopping in and out before that—”
“She is talking so much shit right now, you don’t even know,” Donovan murmured gleefully under his breath as Jerry and Dylan came in with Niall and his brother, Darryn. Both of them had gotten stylish haircuts and stylish clothes, and taken on a posh demeanor. Despite their humble appearance, they were a hit with the ladies.
“She’s not the only one,” Niall said, his brow furrowed as he spied Daisy.
Whoops. She should’ve thought that one in the darkness.
“No, no, it’s fine.” Niall flicked a speck off his very cute jacket. “I can take it. Because yes, I am a favorite. Thank you for noticing.”
Bria rolled her eyes. They’d all been studiously practicing with the devices to keep their thoughts to themselves, and everyone but Daisy employed the training. She was just too used to thinking out loud at this point and didn’t much care if people “heard” anymore.
“I wish you would,” Darryn muttered.
“It’s just—” Lexi started.
“Show them what you got,” Tarian pushed, putting his bags down. “Just show them and see what they say.”
Lexi made a disgruntled sound and went to get her bag. Kieran, Gorlan, and the rest of the crew came in as Lexi was pulling out the first dress. They were also freshly showered and dressed. These houses had turned into community property, always available for showers and food and gatherings, and no longer just a home that Daisy and Mordecai often stayed at. For one, Daisy and Tarian had gotten their own place farther into the city. They could walk downtown hand in hand, freaking people out or disgusting them and laughing about it. Mordecai had gotten a place fairly close to Daisy and spent a lot of time over at Daisy’s. So did the Fallen, who had also all gotten places close by and came and went as any family might.