10. Dangerous
South
The door opens and I take in the man in front of me.
His skin is dusky, his hair black and pulled back into a tail. His brown eyes are squinted at me and the scowl on his lips is a vague threat.
Must be Max.
When I don’t react to his ‘welcome’ his brow furrows and his expression turns wary. He slides out of the way and I walk in to look around. He needs to work on his intimidation game. He gave in way too easy.
It’s a nice place. Settled in and homey with little bits of Tera and her men thrown everywhere. It’s a peaceful setting to relax after a hard day. Tera more than deserves this.
Max walks around me, giving me a wide berth to stand next to the two other men in the room. Both are standing and eyeing me with caution.
The blond covered in flower tattoos pays attention to Max for a second before his eyes return to me, his expression turning hard. Asher. He settles his feet back into a fighting stance subtly but I recognize the signs. He teaches a class and it shows. I slowly move my eyes up from his stance to meet his gaze. When I raise a brow he frowns.
The one with dirty blond hair is scowling with his arms crossed over his chest as he takes me in. His right leg is cocked at an odd angle as he stares. Trevor.
“Southie?”
Tera’s voice calls my attention away from the stilted silence in front of me. All three of them go on high alert and I frown at her wobbly tone.
“Could you cut this up? The smell… it’s-”
Her words are cut off by a gag and she rushes out of what I assume is the kitchen with a hand over her mouth as she heaves. She disappears through a doorway and all three men are after her like their asses are on fire.
I walk into the kitchen and take a look around. A simple four seat table and the normal setup. The onion she was chopping only has two slices in it.
I drop off the bags I’m holding and poke around until I find a plastic zipper bag to toss the offending item into. Once it’s sealed up I take it to the trash can on the sidewalk so she won’t be tempted to try again.
I find cleaning products under the sink, lined up how Tera likes them, and scrub the counter down until the smell is gone. I poke around more and find a baking pan for the biscuits I bought and get them started, setting aside what she had been working on. She won’t want to eat it now.
I’m pulling out the rest of what I need when they all come back in.
I glance over my shoulder to see Tera wavering on her feet and looking a little green. She’s braced up by Asher of the tattoos. He’s watching me with a scowl. Tera said the kitchen is his space and I’m invading it. Too bad.
“Sit down and prop your feet up,” I turn back to what I’m doing.
Tera weakly says, “Good call. Thanks for cleaning up.”
Like I would keep something that makes her throw up hanging around on the counter.
The other two come in, just as silent as the third guy. I might be able to get through this night without bloodshed. Pity.
There’s a cup of coffee by the sink and I narrow my eyes on it before I dump it down the drain. I know she feels like shit because she doesn’t protest and her obsession with coffee is almost fanatical. I pull out a cup and the bottle of ginger ale I brought, pouring a glass and setting it in front of her. She’s in Asher’s lap and sweating a little. Still feeling nauseous then.
I grab a towel from under the sink and soak it in cold water, ring it out, and hand it to her.
“Back of the neck.”
She gives me a weak giggle and does it, sighing in relief. “Your old school fixes are amazing.”
They’re all silent for a minute as they watch me cook.
Tera jerks up and I turn quickly, ready to watch her run for the bathroom again. Instead she looks shocked and her cheeks are flushed. “You know!”
I get back to work.
“How? We haven’t seen each other in weeks! We just found out! Is this a superpower?”
“Mom.”
“Oh,” she sounds disappointed that I don’t have a mystical psychic ability, as usual. “I’m the same as her? Or did you ask?”
“Same as her.” My mother wouldn’t pick up if I called. I wouldn’t even try it.
“So all the stuff you brought is for me? To help?”
I nod.
“Bring me my offerings, peasant,” she says solemnly and I huff a laugh as I bring her the bags. I like this new twist on the old Tera. Her humor has a bite to it I can appreciate.
She oohs and ahhs over her favorite things. Gushing over the saltwater taffy and the fudge she loves. Making everyone try it all. When it gets to the things that will help make her pregnancy easier she gets quiet.
“How do you know all this?” Asher asks. I turn to see him holding the bottle of folic acid and reading the directions.
I point at the book Tera is pulling out and she starts to cry. I stand there in confusion as she hugs the pregnancy book to her chest. What about this is making her cry? At least she isn’t doing the sad/smile with it but this is just as disturbing.
“You’re the best South! I love you so much!”
“Drink your ginger ale.” I watch her with a confused head tilt. Asher is watching me like he’s seeing something. I don’t know what it is and I don’t care. He should be focused on Tera.
“There’s even a box of tissues bebé,” Max laughs and Trevor smacks his arm hard enough to bruise.
“Is that Mama South’s recipe?” Tera asks eagerly, her tears suddenly drying up, and I nod. It’s like she’s possessed and I’m not sure what to do.
She starts talking about my mom and all the wonderful food she taught me how to cook, assuring them that they’re going to love whatever I make. I don’t really care if they do or not. All that matters is it might be something Tera can keep down.
I go back to cooking, keeping a wary eye on the sudden demon she’s become. I think I’m going to enjoy the pregnancy hormones. It’s going to be complete chaos. I can already tell. How fun is that?
I don’t have to do any talking. Tera fills my silence beautifully. She introduces us halfway through a long explanation about having breakfast for dinner while they stare at me like I’m here to burn their house down. As if I would make Tera lose her possessions. Them included.
I plate food for each of them and sit at the table to begin cutting my portion into tiny bites. They all watch with morbid fascination until Tera snaps at them.
“Partial paralysis equals sometimes choking. Stop looking!” Then she calmly turns to me with a sweet smile. “Would you cut mine up too please?”
I blink at her, my knife frozen in the air. The sudden break into rage disappeared in a blink. It’s fascinating. I slide my plate over and take hers to start the process over again.
“Eat that one,” I tell her. If she waits too long it will get cold. With how slowly I have to eat, cold food isn’t abnormal to me.
All in all it’s quiet. Tera is enjoying her food. Maybe the pregnancy is helping her with eating.
“So, how was your date with Shade?” Max gives me an innocent look that seems wrong on his face.
“There wasn’t any food,” I deadpan.
Tera giggles while he flounders, unsure if I’m joking or not because of my flat tone. I wonder if Tera would mind if I played a little game with this one. He seems sassy enough to like a good game. Maybe that’s what the intimidation was about. If so, I won.
“Really, how was it?” Tera looks hopeful. I frown over it. She stopped being invested in finding me friends a long time ago. She said they just weren’t enough, whatever that means. Why is she back into it now? I don’t think he meets her mysterious high criteria.
“He doesn’t like me,” I tell her honestly. It’s not a surprise, I just expected better from him based on my obsession.
“Really?” She looks so shocked my fork pauses on its way to my lips. “Why?”
“I destroyed their shit. He didn’t laugh about it. They’re blaming him. Why wouldn’t he be fucking pissed?”
She gapes at me as Trevor chokes on a bite. Max starts to smile. It’s slow to cross his face but it gets so wide he starts to look demented.
“Why does she get to cuss but I don’t?” Max asks Tera sweetly.
“Southie can cuss as much as she wants because it’s her way of expressing herself. She can’t yell or scream like we can. What else happened?” She sounds confused, her main attention on Shade’s reaction to me instead of Max’s complaint.
“He asked a lot of questions like I was applying for a job. Is that normal?”
They all stare at me in surprise. The unified expression makes me tilt my head in confusion.
“It isn’t normal.” I say based on their looks of disbelief.
“What did he ask about?” Max leans closer to me to ask.
“I thought you said he was quiet,” I raise a brow to Tera who gapes at me.
“He is. But then he starts talking and he’s a complete jerk.”
“I’m lucky to get three words out of him,” Max looks like he’s pouting over it.
“Serves you right,” Tera grins and does a little shimmy in Asher’s lap that he grins at.
“What did he ask you?” Trevor speaks up for the first time. His tone is mildly concerned and it makes my eyes narrow on him.
“What I do for work. How did Tera meet me. What I would say if I wasn’t behaving. He didn’t like that I don’t carry my phone.”
Tera sucks in a sharp breath and begins shaking her head vehemently. “Never let him see or touch your phone. He’ll clone it.”
I sit back as my eyes narrow. “Your big bro does it too? It must be hereditary.”
Her mouth works and she starts to blush before she wads up her napkin and throws it at me. I swat it away before it hits my forehead. This game never gets old.
“If both of you got the gene your baby should have it too. It’s good odds,” I give her my feral grin, anticipating the corruption of her children’s youth already.
“You stop it,” she points at me and giggles. “I don’t have any more napkins to throw at you.”
I stand and grab her a handful of paper towels to drop them in front of her.
“I will win this game eventually, Southie. I’m going to get you one day,” she warns me. The threat is ruined by her laughter.
I flip her off and go back to my food.
“Do you think he was interrogating me?” I ask idly. I don’t mind it. The questions were a little boring but he could spice it up for next time. If there is one. He didn’t tell me to go away so I can do whatever I want. I could follow him again. If I don’t want him to find me, he won’t.
Tera pauses with her fork halfway to her mouth. “I think he was trying to talk to you and doesn’t know how.”
“Why?” If he’s frightened of me it doesn’t show.
“Ask Shade?” She seems helpless to find a good response.
I debate on that. Does the answer really matter? In a way it does and that spells trouble. Mainly for him.
“You should date him.”
I give Max a blank look. He’s advocating for me to kidnap Shade and keep him? I accept. I might get along with Max.
He takes in my resting bitch face and leans back. “Or not?”
“She wants to know what you’re thinking,” Tera says offhand and takes another bite of food. She’s half done with it. Asher sees it too and nods at me as if he’s thanking me.
“I’m thinking that Shade needs to shake things up. If nothing else it will piss the assholes off. They were super jealous of Tera and you weren’t even dating.”
“A jealousy play,” I tilt my head. It might work. I don’t want it to but it could be an in for me to get closer.
The problem is if it does work, will I let the assholes survive long enough to enjoy it. What rankles the worst is the knowledge that if Shade asked me for this I would give it to him. Maybe I could seduce him through it all until he gets addicted to me. It doesn’t seem very likely to happen.
“Or maybe a new beginning,” Tera says with a tiny smile. “Either way you’re my number one pick for him Southie. You’ll never change my mind.”
“I’m psychotic,” I remind her.
“He can certainly dish it out,” Trevor says with a smirk. “Maybe it’s time he received a little.”
“You’re not scared of him?” Max taunts with a raised brow.
I roll my eyes toward him without expression. He leans back as if he wants to run but the realization he might be making himself prey freezes him. Instead he chooses to sit still and get quiet.
Tera clears her throat and regains my attention.
“Stop playing with Max and give me an honest opinion.”
I can’t. My honest opinion breaks several bans and she’ll put me back on no contact. I might just break them all anyway in my pursuit of him. I’m not risking it. If there’s a chance I can spend more time with my statue without alienating Tera I’ll take it. I’m enjoying the pure strangeness he’s bringing into my black and white life. He’s all color.
“You’ll spoil him rotten, I know it. He would have a wonderful time with you,” she gives me a beaming smile.
“I can’t see anyone having a wonderful time with me,” I tell her. I can at least be honest about that. I don’t want to think of him trying to get away from me out of fear.
“You promised you’d take care of him on my birthday, right? What’s the difference between that and really dating?”
“Fucking.”
Max spits out his drink on the table.
“South!” Tera squeals in horror, recoiling from me. “That’s my big brother!”
“Am I the only one who thinks that’s the difference?” I look around the table to check expressions and put Tera’s extra paper towels over the mess.
“Go for it,” Trevor offers with a grin. “Maybe he’ll relax a little.”
Maybe I judged these men too harshly. Things seem to be going well if they’re promoting this.
“Oh my gosh,” Tera says weakly.
“I’m not going to hurt your big bro,” I remind her as I take the sopping towels to the trash.
She looks at me and slowly starts nodding. She’s getting an idea. As interested as I am to hear this I don’t think I’m going to like it. Max looks smug and he’s nodding right along with her.
“You know, I don’t think he’s mad at you at all,” she says coyly with Max beaming at her in mischief.
She’s definitely plotting. I drop back into the seat to watch her agile mind work over everything without speaking.
“Shade called Andi about the property damage and took the blame for it.”
“Excuse me?” My voice gets gritty in a snap. Her eyes widen as my expression drops to nothing.
“I think he wants to protect you,” she rushes to add. “He doesn’t want them to retaliate.”
Retaliate. I hope the fuckers do. I lie awake at night wishing they would stop by. Waiting for an excuse to wipe their plastic carcasses off the face of the Earth. I’ll do my own recycling.
My statue has made a big mistake if he thinks I’m going to let him go down for this. I own my shit and he better get on board with it fast.
“Andi is upset with him. I was hoping you could meet her and let her know you’re real so she’ll apologize.”
She’s definitely going to grovel. Shade lies and one of his supposed reliable friends who’s been MIA during his emotional vacation thinks she can step in and act like a bitch to him? Over a bunch of pathetic pieces of garbage. If she’s that hard up for revenge she can talk to me.
“Where is she,” I demand in a soft tone.
Tera gives me a wary smile, her eyes darting to Max and back to me quickly. “The best time to catch her is at her restaurant. She’ll be there tomorrow at six. It’s their family dinner slash meeting night.”
“Fine.” The word comes out as a hiss.
Tera relaxes back and her smile becomes real as she watches me. “It’s a public place so remember to mind your manners.”
She means obey my bans. I can’t hurt this chick anyway. She’s Shade’s friend as well as Tera’s. Shit.
“I understand.” If my voice is absolutely toneless as I answer, Tera chooses to ignore it.
“Yay,” Tera squeals. She and Max nod to each other with happy grins.