Out on the sidewalk, I breathed in the cooling night air and the sweet hit of dessert pizza when Midas opened the lid on his.
“I had fun.” He passed me a slice of his treat. “This was nice.”
Answering before I took a bite required iron will, but I managed. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
“That’s the carbs talking. Wait until after you see your food baby, then we’ll see.”
We had to walk past Choco-Loco on our way back to the Faraday, and we came to a stop together as if we had planned it.
All that remained was a charred husk, but despite the temperatures required to do that sort of damage, no other buildings had been harmed. That, paired with what Gray told us Aubrey mentioned to him, had me convinced the coven was behind this.
“We have plenty to keep us busy tomorrow.” I forced myself to walk on. “We can’t do a thing tonight.”
The majority of the restaurant staff was human and would have gone home when the store closed at five. That didn’t give them a pass, it just meant waiting until daylight to make calls, secure their alibies, and question them about Chef Daaé’s last-known whereabouts. The after-dark crew would be mostly paras, and better informed, but we had to get our hands on a full list of employees before we started eliminating names.
Usually, I left potential arson up to the sentinels, but this case hit too close to home for me to ignore.
“We have enough time for a movie.” A smile twitched his lips. “I noticed a copy of It Came from Under the Kitchen Sink arrived.”
“You don’t have to watch.” I snorted. “I know you think it’s lame.”
“But you don’t, and that’s what matters.”
Hank watched our approach from his position before the front doors of the Faraday. He kept his eyes on me, suspicious as always. Or maybe he was just annoyed. Sheesh. I hadn’t antagonized him in days.
“Ford was looking for you,” he greeted Midas. “He mentioned a fire?”
Proof word traveled, and fast. “Ford knew where you were taking me?”
“I ran the idea past him. He told me to let him know how it went. He was thinking of taking Lisbeth.”
The two of them had been getting closer, but their relationship was none of my business. I was too happy to have my friend back to ruin it with poking into his love life.
Hand on Midas’s arm, I asked, “Do you need to check in with him before we go up?”
“He might worry if I don’t,” he admitted. “We’ve had a bad run with fire lately.”
“True.” I scrubbed my palm over his scalp. “Go fill him in, and I’ll start the popcorn.”
Leaning down, Midas brushed his lips over mine. “One day—”
“—we’ll go on vacation far, far outside the city and leave our phones behind in our apartment.”
“That’s not where I was going, but I like your idea better.”
“Give me your pizza.” I smirked when he eyed me with suspicion. “Where’s the trust?”
“Ask the pulled pork plate that vanished from the fridge last week.”
“Do you think your pizza is in greater danger from me, who just ate and has another whole pizza, or Ford, who has been on shift all night and probably missed his lunch after he heard about Choco-Loco?”
“You have a point.” He handed it over then placed his palm on the box top. “Don’t eat it all.”
“Shoo.” I slapped him on the butt. “The faster you find him, the quicker you come home.”
Home.
Our apartment.
I liked the sound of both.
With a spring in my step, I entered the elevator and mashed the button for the top floor.
Already debating if I had room in my stomach for another slice, I let myself into the apartment. All the lights were on, which was weird. Midas and I never did that. But Remy was weird about, well, everything. She didn’t have a key to the apartment, but that didn’t stop her from popping in when the mood struck her.
About to drop the pizzas on the kitchen counter, I noticed movement on my periphery and summoned Ambrose in a blink. Tossing the pies aside, I lashed out with my foot. A gratifying oomph rang out, and a body smacked the floor.
“What in the…?”
Whirling toward the familiar voice, I yelped, “Boaz?”
“Freaking hell.” Sitting up, he rubbed the back of his head. “Who else would it be?”
Boaz was taller than me by several inches, but I held the advantage now. Milk-chocolate irises striated with lighter bands, like swirled caramel, glared at me. White scars, more than the last time I saw him, stood out against his tanned skin. His platinum hair, baby fine and impossible to style, was shaved on the sides and longer on the top. It was also currently hanging in his eyes thanks to his tumble.
Feminine laughter spilled from the loft, and I dropped my head back to find Adelaide sitting on the edge, dangling her legs. “I told you surprising her was a bad idea.”
“You guys are here early.” I pasted on a smile while my brain played catch-up. “Wow.”
“We have a hotel across town.” Addie stood and tread the stairs. “We’ll be out of your hair in a minute, but the oaf wanted to let you know we made it in.”
“The oaf has a concussion.” He lowered his arm then shoved to his feet. “I’m seeing stars.”
“You’re fine.” Addie pressed a kiss to his boo-boo on her way past. “He’s such a whiner.”
“This I know.” I walked into her open arms. “It’s good to see you.”
Not to be left out, my brother wrapped us both in a bear hug that lifted us off our feet.
“I missed you too, doofus.” I kissed his cheek. “A lot.”
“Savannah isn’t the same without you.”
“Like you would know.” I pinched his ear. “You’re never home.”
“She’s not wrong.” Addie slipped away from the huddle. “He’s barely around enough to annoy me.”
“She’s desperately in love with me,” Boaz told me behind his hand. “It’s embarrassing, really.”
A ballet flat hit him in the head and bounced off the wall behind him.
“I can tell.” I smothered a laugh. “She’s obviously smitten.”
The knob twisted behind us, and the front door opened, transforming Boaz’s smile into a frown.
He nodded a curt welcome to Midas then turned to me. “Did you leave the door unlocked?”
“I don’t know.” I scowled at him. “I was too busy being accosted in my own home to remember.”
Midas paused between the door he shut behind him and me, and it opened a yawning pit in my gut.
Fear he would refuse to claim me in front of my family left a sour taste in my mouth. He could play this off easily as doing a security check on unannounced guests or wanting to touch base with me on city matters. With the locked status of the door in question, he could invent any excuse and leave.
As if reading my mind, Midas closed the distance, hooked an arm around my waist, and tucked me against him. Leaning down, he murmured in my ear, “Do they know?”