Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
“ W hat has you smiling at this God-awful hour of the morning?” Larry’s gruff voice had Kile’s smile growing.
“Good to have you back, Larry.” Kile waited for the older man to catch up. “How are you feeling?”
“Well, my ass ain’t on fire, so I’m doing pretty well,” Larry grunted as they continued to the trailer. “I swear that woman who Gemma hired to cook is trying to poison me. I’ve never shit so much in my life.”
Kile chuckled at the old man, who Kile had grown fond of. “I don’t think Gina is trying to kill you, Larry.”
Larry snorted. “You get sick?”
“No,” Kile replied, his eyes scanning for Sadie, wondering if she was up yet. He had walked her to her tent only a few hours ago. Kile had lain awake until he couldn’t take the thoughts of her running through his mind anymore. He got up and headed out to start the day before he did what he really wanted to do, and that was pull her out of the tent and kiss her senseless, among other things. Yeah, it was best to get his day started and keep busy until he saw her again tonight.
“And neither has anyone else I’ve talked to, so I’m telling you she is out for me.” Larry fumed as they continued their walk. “I’m so hungry I could eat the ass end out of a skunk, but I’m terrified to put anything that woman cooks into my mouth.”
“You might be right, Larry,” Kile smirked, glancing at the older man. “Did you tell Gina her fried chicken was bland?”
“I did, and it was.” Larry nodded as if he had every right to tell a woman her fried chicken was bland. “It tasted like paste. Had to drink three glasses of water to get the damn taste out of my mouth.”
Kile laughed, shaking his head, as Gemma headed toward them. “Are you feeling better, Larry?” she asked, and Kile noticed her tone was a little off.
“Well, my damn ass ain’t on fire, so yes, I’m better.” Larry huffed, making Gemma roll her eyes.
“Good,” Gemma said, but didn’t sound happy. “Now I can chew your ass out. Gina quit on me.”
“Ah, well, that’s a shame,” Larry said, but his words and smile didn’t match up.
Gemma threw her arms out. “Have you been telling everyone that Gina is trying to poison you?”
“Hey,” Larry pointed at her. “Don’t go getting all riled up at me, Gemma. When no one else but me gets the fire shits after eating her concoctions, you tell me what I should think.”
“Ah, I don’t know, Larry,” Gemma growled. “Maybe you had a virus. Did that ever cross your mind?”
“I ain’t ever had a virus in my life.” Larry boasted with a huff. “I’m too manly for that kind of nonsense.”
“You are fortunate that I need you, buddy.” Gemma poked him in the shoulder. “And that I have someone who can cook and stepped up.”
“As long as this person’s food doesn’t give me the fire shits?—”
“Dude,” Cole, walking by with a plate of food that smelled and looked amazing, glared at Larry. “Chill with the fire-shitting talk when I’m getting ready to eat.”
“Let me tell you something, boy. You get a case of the fire shits, you’d be talking about it too.” Larry shot back but was staring at the food. “But that sure does look good.”
Kile and Eric walked up and Eric had his own plate of food. His stomach rumbled. “Who did you find on such short notice to cook?” Kile asked, ready to get his own plate but would make damn sure to stay the fuck away from Larry while he ate.
“Sadie,” Gemma replied, still glaring at Larry. “She was here when Gina quit. She even tried to talk her into staying, but Gina refused. I mean, honestly, I didn’t pay her much, so I can’t blame her for quitting after taking the abuse.” Gemma finished glaring at Larry.
“This is my second plate,” Eric said, taking a bite of bacon. “It melts in your mouth. You should see all the unmated males lining up in there. I’d say by lunch, Sadie and Lily will be mated.”
“Yeah, we’ll fucking see about that,” Kile mumbled as he passed Eric missing his brother’s smirk.
Rounding the back of the trailer, he saw the line that had formed, all unmated males waiting to enter. The first thing the Jackson brothers did when they arrived at the Sanctuary was build a large kitchen, equipping it with state-of-the-art appliances. One thing about Shifters is that they liked to eat a lot. Pushing past the men, he walked through the door with Larry behind him. A few of them grumbled until they saw it was Kile who didn’t look fucking happy.
Once inside, his eyes searched for Sadie, whose back was turned as she worked at the long open grill they had installed. Lily was on the other end, pulling out biscuits from the double ovens, with Alex standing beside her, glaring at a few men who were doing their best to talk to her.
A few guys passed, eating off their plates before they even made it outside. “Damn, to have sisters who look like that who can cook like a dream makes my cock twitch.” One of the younger males said as he passed.
Kile grabbed him by the front of the shirt, almost knocking his plate out of his hand as he pulled him close. “You best watch yourself, boy.” Kile’s warned growl had all the men looking their way. “Or I’ll rip that little cock off and shove it down your fucking throat. Respect is all I want to hear come out of your mouth when it comes to women. You got me?”
“Yes, sir.” The boy’s eyes widened in fear as he stared into Kile’s angry face. “That goes for all of you.” Kile’s eyes made it a point to look directly at every motherfucker within hearing distance. He knew word would spread which was fine by him. Kile pushed him away and then watched as he rushed out the door.
“Well, that wasn’t over the top.” Larry snickered. “Think you scared the shit out of the kid.”
“Good,” Kile mumbled, still eyeing a few men who might want to challenge him. Yeah, they could fucking try. “And will you stop talking about shit, Larry?”
His gaze returned to Sadie, who was still busy at the large grill. She turned to take a plate from Dan Beason with a smile, but her smile quickly faded when he leaned toward her and said something. Kile walked across the room, around the island, stepping in front of Dan, separating him from Sadie.
Neither man said a word as they glared at each other. Finally, Dan looked away from Kile and then leaned around him to look at Sadie. “Thank you, Sadie, " he said, then his gaze narrowed as he looked back at Kile. “See you at dinner.”
Kile’s gaze followed Dan as he walked away, then met that of the next man who held out his plate to him. “You need a plate?” Samuel Leland grinned knowingly. He was an older man who had already mated.
“I’m good, but thanks,” Kile managed a smile as he stepped out of the way, then gave the rest of the unmated males behind Samuel a grim warning with his glare.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Samuel said to Sadie, who gave him a sweet smile. “Heard the food was delicious.”
“It’s Sadie,” she replied as Kile’s body reacted to her soft-spoken voice. “I just hope we have enough. I’ve never seen anyone eat as much as these guys. I think a few of them are on their fourth plate.”
“I don’t think it’s the food as much as who is cooking and serving it,” Larry said from behind Samuel. “Hurry up, Sam. I don’t have all day. Stop flirting with the girl before I tell Susanne what you’re up to.”
Samuel laughed at that, giving Sadie, who was blushing at Larry’s comment, a wink. “If any of those boys bother you too much, just tell the Jackson brothers. They will make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Samuel smirked at Kile as he walked by. “Isn’t that right, Kile?”
Kile only nodded to Samuel, his eyes still on Sadie. She looked beautiful, her hair braided down her back, and her face flushed from the heat of the grill. His mind started to go to other ways he could witness that gorgeous flush on her face, which had nothing to do with the heat from the grill. Hearing the word, fire-shits, stopped the course of his thoughts.
“Dammit, Larry!” Kile groaned, shaking his head. He missed everything that was said except fire-shits but grinned when Sadie’s head fell back, laughing loudly.
“You must be Larry,” Sadie said, still chuckling. “I’m glad you are feeling better, but are you sure you should be eating all this so soon after being sick?”
“Why? Are you using Gina’s recipes?” Larry frowned, then leaned closer to her and whispered. “She tried to kill me. That’s why she quit.”
“I don’t think that’s what happened, Larry,” Sadie whispered back. “She quit because you said her food was bland, and someone telling her you said her food almost killed you. Never disrespect a woman’s fried chicken, and never tell others that her food almost killed you.”
“So you want me to lie?” Larry frowned, handing her his plate when she reached for it.
“If one day you don’t want a skillet upside the head, then yes, that is what I’m suggesting.” Sadie grinned as she put bacon, sausage, and two fried eggs on his plate. “Enjoy.” She whispered, giving him a mischievous glance.
“You’re a firecracker, aren’t you?” Larry looked up from the plate of food she gave him.
“I’m more of a sparkler.” She shot back, then patted his arm. “You’re safe, Larry. No poison for you...today.”
The respect and desire to know more about this amazing woman hit Kile like a brick to the chest. She had just put Larry in his place, something that everyone tried to do at least once on a daily basis, but she did it with ease. Larry’s look was classic as he turned to look at Kile.
Larry strolled by with a sly wink. “She's a real catch, kid. You better lock her down before I throw on my best suit and show you young bucks how it's done."
As Kile watched Sadie smile at the men she was serving and their looks of hunger that had nothing to do with food, Kile agreed. He was ready to step up his game. It was crazy that he just met this woman a little over twenty-four hours ago, and he was prepared to kill any man who looked at her. This mate shit was no fucking joke.