Chapter Seventeen #2
When she’d opened the door at seven sharp, there’d been a line outside.
Some had come to gossip about how she’d landed in the hospital.
Most had shown up to offer support. Both he and Georgia had been flat out the first two hours.
When things had tapered off, she’d gone back to the kitchen, leaving him to handle the shop on his own.
The one person he’d expected to see had been conspicuously absent.
David obviously didn’t want to appear overeager, even though he’d had to be desperate to break into Georgia’s home.
If she was going to be around long enough for it to matter, he’d have found a laptop and dug into the man’s finances.
While he’d had little experience with cash registers, Kieran was no stranger to computers and unearthing people’s secrets.
It had been a mental exercise, an amusing game.
He’d never had cause to put the skills to work for another.
The blunt reality that it didn’t matter one way or another blackened his already sour mood, making it difficult to maintain his outward pleasant demeanor.
Maybe he’d do it anyway. If David was into anything shady, he’d make sure the information landed in the right hands.
One way or another, he wouldn’t allow the man to take advantage of her again for the remainder of her life. Or after.
He ignored the tiny voice in the back of his head that whispered that would be interfering in a human’s destiny. Then there was no time to brood about it as traffic picked up again. Another dozen coffees, two iced teas, a latte, and a mountain of baked goods later, he was finally alone in the shop.
About half of what Georgia had magically produced overnight was already gone, including two of the three intricately iced cakes.
He needed to let her know so she could change the display case to highlight something else.
He didn’t want to believe she was hiding in the kitchen, but other than the early rush, she hadn’t shown her face.
Not that he blamed her. For the past few days, her life had been fodder for the town’s gossip mill.
The bell over the door chimed, bringing with it a rush of grim pleasure. Finally, the prey had come to the hunter.
David’s lip curled into a sneer. He removed his sunglasses and casually tucked them into his shirt pocket. “I should have expected to find you working behind the counter.” The implication being he wasn’t skilled enough to do anything else.
Taking his time before acknowledging him, Kieran wiped a coffee spill off the counter. “Tips are decent.” He pointed to the half-filled glass jar beside the register. “And I don’t need much.”
“So I see.” Kieran knew the man had noted his jeans and T-shirt—neither of which was designer—and dismissed him as unimportant.
David was decked out in pressed dress pants and an expensive linen shirt with the sleeves artfully rolled back to showcase the Rolex strapped to his wrist. Appearance and money were important to this man. He mentally filed the observation.
The bell chimed again, and two more men walked in. Well, hell. The last people he’d expected to see were his brothers. Their timing sucked. He wasn’t about to leave Georgia alone with her ex. Whatever they wanted would have to wait.
David glanced over his shoulder, turned halfway back around, and then swung his head back.
Their reaper powers might have been stripped from them, but Sam and Alex were an intimidating sight.
They strolled up to the counter without as much as a glance in David’s direction.
At the last second, he angled his body in front of them to ensure he was first in line.
The three of them surrounded Georgia’s ex. Sam stared down at him as if only just noticing him. Alex smirked. “Morning, David. With what you ate for breakfast at the inn, I figured you wouldn’t be hungry until at least lunchtime.”
“Breakfast was more than adequate.” David emphasized the last word, and the corners of Alex’s mouth tightened at the not-so-subtle dig.
David did like to live dangerously. As if he hadn’t insulted Alex and his woman, he studied the coffee menu.
“Get me a venti iced cappuccino. Then tell Georgia I’m here to talk business. ”
Kieran itched to grab him by his expensive shirt and drag him over the counter.
If this was an indication of how he treated the people who worked for him, it was a wonder he kept staff.
Keeping his face impassive, he nodded. “Coming right up.” Rather than take his time, he did the opposite, making it swiftly and competently.
“You want a brownie with that?” he asked when he placed the cup on the counter.
There! The telltale tightening around his mouth and eyes.
Oh yeah, she was right. The bastard wanted her recipe.
“I’ll pass. Georgia?”
Rather than answer, he rang up the sale. “That will be four-fifty.”
When he looked as though he might argue, Kieran simply raised a questioning eyebrow. Did he honestly think he was getting it for free? Movements jerky, David withdrew his wallet and pulled out a fifty. “It’s the smallest I have.”
Kieran plucked it from his fingers. “No problem. It’s been a busy morning.” To be a dick, he purposely counted out the change in one-dollar and five-dollar bills. David’s face was red as he snatched up his change and jammed it in his pocket.
“Georgia?” he snapped.
“I’m right here.” Arms crossed, she stepped through the doorway. “And if you can’t speak to Kieran any better than that, you can get out.”
It was Kieran’s turn to smirk. David wasn’t happy about being called out in front of them.
No doubt he wanted to tell her to go to hell, but he couldn’t because he wanted something from her.
Rather than seeming impatient, his brothers silently watched the mini-drama unfold.
Sam appeared amused, while Alex was more thoughtful.
Georgia offered a smile to his brothers. “It’s good to see you both. I hope Adrianne and Cilla are well.”
“I promised Adrianne I’d bring home brownies.” Sam glanced at the case. “Did you sell out?”
She shook her head. “I have both white chocolate fudge and double chocolate fudge in the kitchen. The ganache is setting. If you don’t mind waiting, they should be ready when I’m done here.”
“I’ll wait.”
“Cilla said to tell you she’ll be by tomorrow,” Alex said.
Not liking being ignored, David took her by the elbow. “I need to speak with you.” Grabbing his drink, he motioned her toward the kitchen. “Alone.” He sent Kieran a pointed look.
Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. Didn’t matter what he wanted. Don’t interfere. Everything was riding on him staying out of her business. That, unfortunately, included any interaction with this idiot. Both his brothers were watching him, wanting to see what he’d do.
“Here’s fine.” She motioned to a table in the corner.
Kieran mentally sighed with relief, glad the decision had been taken out of his hands. “Can I get you anything, Georgia?” She been up all night and showed no signs of stopping. He’d forced her to sit down for a half hour and eat something before they’d opened, but that was hours ago.
She sent him a smile that heated his blood. “I’d love something cold.”
“Iced coffee coming up. You don’t mind, do you?” he asked his brothers.
“Take your time,” Alex told him. “We’re in no rush. When you’re ready, we’ll have two regular coffees and a half dozen cookies, assorted.”
To aggravate David further, when he delivered the iced coffee to the table, he’d added one of her famous white chocolate fudge brownies. He’d detoured to the kitchen to grab it and set it in front of her with a flourish.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he murmured.
David was practically frothing at the mouth. “Do you mind? This is a private discussion.”
“Don’t mind me.” He sauntered back behind the counter and filled two takeout cups for his brothers before bagging half a dozen cookies. As interested as he, they blatantly sat at the table next to the pair and waved Kieran over to join them.
He wanted to laugh at the expression on David’s face. “You don’t mind if I take a break, do you, Georgia? I’ll handle any customers that come in.”
She waved her hand at him. “Go ahead. Spend some time with your brothers.”
“Brothers? I should have seen the resemblance, not to mention that they share similar taste in clothing and, from what I can tell, ambition.”
Kieran wanted to laugh. As immortals, they’d amassed a shit-ton of money and property all around the world.
He and his brothers were loaded. Or rather, they had been.
Their father’s game had stripped them not only of their birthright, but also of the wealth they’d accumulated.
Fairness had no place in their world where their father’s word was law.
It was only a matter of time until everything was restored… provided he didn’t screw up.
His gut clenched. Not for the first time, he admitted that he wasn’t nearly as certain as he’d been when he’d landed here. Ignoring the bead of sweat rolling down his back, he grabbed a bottle of water and joined his brothers.
Alex shoved the open bag of cookies toward him. He selected a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie and bit into it. Kicking back in his chair, he saluted his brothers and waited for the show to begin at the next table.