Page 39 of Shrouded in the Dark

These guys were silly. A little, or a lot, depending on how you looked at it, bossy. I didn’t mind. It had been a long time since I’d been comfortable so fast with someone not family. Even with Felicity, it took a little longer to be comfortable with her.

Speaking of Felicity, I sent her a quick text.

I’m fine. Was asleep when you sent texts. I’m staying in the house unless I absolutely have to go out. Axel and his friends are staying too.

The email from Gary came through a few seconds later. I’d look at it after I got the guys settled in. My stomach growled. And breakfast. Right after breakfast.

The weather was still beautiful outside. The temperature gauge over the sink read that it was only sixty-two degrees out. It was a little warm for it, but I wanted some cream of rice. I wasn’t a big cream of wheat fan, but give me real cream of rice? I’d do anything for it. Well, within reason. I pulled the ingredients together before tossing them into the pot together.

Just as I turned on the burner on the stove for the pot, there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” I put the burner on medium after placing the pot over it.

“Your knights in shining armor, fair maiden! We are here to lay at your feet in servitude!” Cody called out.

What started as a snicker had transformed into a full chortle with snorting as I opened the door to find Cody on one knee in front of the door with his opposite arm thrown upward in a dramatic fashion. I laughed so hard, my sides started to ache.

Cody’s eyes twinkled wickedly as he grabbed my right hand. “Fair maiden! Say you’ll accept us as your servants to forever protect you!” He kissed my fingers, which, even though I still couldn’t stop laughing, gave a pleasant feeling up my arm to my chest. He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Yes?”

The other guys were leaning against the front of the SUV, watching the scene. Jasper was shaking his head with a large smile. Seth just stared at me, but I could see the tiny smile he was fighting to keep off his face. Axel had his hand over his face, as if he were embarrassed on Cody’s behalf.

“Yes, fine.” Those were the only two words I could form as I tried to stop laughing. His next words didn’t help, they set me off again.

“Huzzah, sweet maiden! We are now your servants. Protectors. Sex slaves. Food bringers. Clothing washers!”

“Oh my God!” That was it, I was going to pee myself if I laughed any harder.

Seth took pity on me.

“Cody! Stop galavanting. Come grab your stuff.”

Cody’s shoulders slumped as he stood. “No fun.”

I felt a little bad. He looked like a kicked puppy. He’d just turned around to go help the others but I placed my hand on the middle of his back, making him look back at me.

“Thanks, Cody. You’re wonderful.” I had to stand on my tip toes, but at least I was able to kiss his cheek. Unlike with Seth or Axel, I’d probably only get their throat, possibly their chins if I jumped a little. Cody’s cheeks flushed red as he grinned widely at me before running to the SUV.

Jasper, with Axel, went to help Cody grab things out of the back of the SUV. That left Seth leaning against the hood of the SUV, looking back at me. I swear his eyes looked like they had something moving within them, but it was probably just my stupid eyesight issues. He tilted his head as I walked over to stand in front of him, my eyes trailed his hair that he left down. It shone in the morning light. His smile spread slowly.

“Hey, girlfriend.” There it was again. The voice that just danced over your whole body.

“Morning, boyfriend.” My smile matched his before we both snickered. “It’s really sweet of you guys to come stay with me. You know you don’t have to.”

The bang of the trunk closing had Seth standing straight. His hand reached out to ruffle my hair into a mess, he ignored my ‘Hey!’.

“Yes, we did. So, don’t feel guilty or whatever girly feelings you have about it. We couldn’t let a woman be alone when there’s some kind of… thing… out there killing people.”

He’d called the killer a thing like Gary had. It had to be either a rabid predator animal or a psycho axe murderer. I just hoped that whatever it was, the cops caught it before someone else suffered the same fate as the guy from the pictures.

“We brought sustenance!” Axel came around the other side of the SUV to stand next to me. His grin was infectious.

“You mean it’ll last maybe two meals before you’ve finished it?” I’d had to tilt my face all the way up to look up at him since he was so close.

“Oh, the small female has jokes.” He threw three of the four bags he had in his arms at Seth, who caught them easily, even though I could tell they were heavy. Axel kept the last bag under his left arm.

“Small? Sir, you need your eyes checked.” To prove the point, I moved my hands down my body. “This is all fluff and jiggle. Nothing small about it.”

There were growls from all the guys as Cody and Jasper rounded the other side of the SUV to stand with Seth. They were all logged down with their luggage. Glancing between them, my eyes furrowed in confusion.