I laughed and Feish giggled a funny warbling laugh that only made me grin wider. The smell of bacon tugged at me and I limped toward the kitchen. Every step reminded me that not only had yesterday been one of my longest nights in a long time, but it had also ended up with all of us sleeping on the floor.

“Why didn’t you answer the phone sooner?” I asked as I stepped up next to Crash and shooed him from the frying pan. “You chop the stuff for omelets.”

Corb moved to stand across from me and Crash as we prepped breakfast. “The phone was off. I was on a job that couldn’t be disturbed.”

“Delicate,” I said. “You don’t get many of those. Or was this something for Davin?” I wasn’t intentionally poking at him. But I wasn’t going to avoid the subject either. Crash’s muscles flicked like a fly had landed on him, and then he relaxed as if I’d said nothing.

“It was a job, pertaining to the O’Seans and the mess they left behind,” Corb said. “And the remainder of the details are confidential.”

Crash shot him a look. “Their sister causing grief?”

Corb’s jaw ticked. “Something like that.”

“Be careful, she’s quick with a gun,” Crash said.

Damn it, they both knew? And I couldn’t know, of course, not. Jerks.

I nodded. “My new job is like that too, delicate and confidential.” I couldn’t help but lock eyes with him. Because yesterday he’d been all about honesty and transparency, but here we were, less than twelve hours later, and he refused to be honest with me about a stupid job. Okay, maybe that wasn’t fair. Work was work, but in the shadow world, work had a nasty habit of showing up at home and trying to kill you.

And no, I did not feel bad for not telling him about the whole goblin situation.

Clearing his throat, Corb offered with a motion of his hand to take over the eggs, as if that would win him points. Well, it would, but not enough. I let him take my spot, stepping back with a flourish that would have made Vanna White proud. “Go right ahead. Far be it from me to say no to two gorgeous men cooking me breakfast. But maybe you should take your shirt off, too, so I can really compare.” Laughing, I turned my back on them as Suzy and Eric stepped into the kitchen. Kinkly fluttered in above Eric’s head and then she shot down to me.

“Do you like the braids?”

“They’re great, thanks.” I put a hand to them, already knowing that getting all the miniscule braids out was going to be a massive pain in the ass. But I wasn’t going to burst Kinkly’s bubble. Feish was the last to enter the room, and she was still giggling, whispering under her breath, “I’m a good kisser.”

When I turned around, it was my turn to catch my breath.

Corb had stripped off his shirt and tucked it into his back pocket.

Both men were naked from the waist up, and I wasn’t sure if I could breathe anymore. Kinkly shot forward and plastered herself to Corb’s back. “I call dibs on this one.”

He jumped and looked over his shoulder. “You’re a bit tiny for me.”

She bobbed her head. “Yes, agreed. If Bree is your type, you like ’em big.”

I sunk into a chair and lowered my head to the table, mostly because I wasn’t sure I could look without drooling. And I definitely couldn’t look away.

Suzy sat next to me. “You did tell him to take his shirt off.”

“I was joking. I mean, kind of.” I lifted my head, grinning wide and not blushing a bit. “Maybe I should have a harem.”

Crash twisted around first, but Corb was right behind him. Corb looked at Crash. “I could share. But I don’t think you could.”

Crash shook his head. “Not the way she means.”

The sound of skeletal feet on the wooden floors turned me around again. Robert shuffled in, and when his head swung toward the two shirtless guys making breakfast, he growled.

“Oh, Robert, you’ll always be my favorite,” I said, and for just a moment the swaying slowed, and I saw him as he had been when he was alive. Icy blue eyes that locked onto mine. But the image faded and he was just Robert again, swaying.

The two guys served up a big breakfast, and amid much ribbing, laughter, and side eyes around the table, we were . . . happy. That was the only word for it. In that moment, contentment filled my heart, and I felt more at home than I ever had before.

Because I was with the family who’d chosen me, and I’d chosen them.

Unexpected tears pricked at my eyes and I stood. “I’m going to shower.”

My plate was only half empty and I knew the others might wonder if something was up, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to try to explain out loud how I was feeling.

“Don’t want to jinx myself,” I said as I pulled myself up the stairs to the second floor.

“You called?”

My eyes shot up to the oversized black spider waiting for me on the landing. “What in the hairy legs of hell now?”

12

Jinx the trickster spider stood on my second-floor landing, rubbing her long hairy legs against one another, a nervous tic if I ever saw one. “So is the boss here?” She shuffled forward, and I put a hand up stopping her.

“You told me about Grimm down at the Marshall House,” I said softly as I hurried up the last few steps, which effectively pushed her back. “What do you know about his situation? The goblins are up to something, aren’t they?”

“Grimm isn’t there anymore.” She rubbed a back leg against another back leg and squirted out a bit of webbing. Her many eyes all blinked closed at once. “That’s embarrassing.”

“Getting old, huh?”

“You have no idea,” she whispered.

“I have a pretty good idea,” I said. “I pee when I laugh too hard. Now tell me what is going on.”

She did a funny little tap with all her legs at once, like she was drumming on the hardwood. “I can see the goblins were here already. I came to warn you that they were talking about paying you a visit. They passed under me and didn’t see me. Grimm does not want Crash to know.”

“Why would they come after me? You’re the only one who knew I was going to see Grimm.” I found my hand dropping to the handle of the knife strapped to my right thigh. “What did you tell them, Jinx?”

“Nothing, I swear it! Please don’t kick me in the lady bits!” She hunkered low to the ground, like a dog cowering. “I watched them come down Factors Row, and they sniffed around and then started talking about you. They didn’t even see me.”

I crouched so that we were eye to eyes. “Anything else?”

“They want to kill you, I think. They said something about setting the siren loose on you,” she whispered, then her eyes flicked to look at someone behind me. “Boss, I really came here to warn you.”

Crash stepped onto the landing with us. I was impressed that he hadn’t made a sound on the steps. “I believe you, Jinx. I also think you probably took your time as you tend to do.”

She lifted two front legs in what could only be called a shrug. “But I still came. I didn’t want to interrupt those two goons—they looked almost human. And they were wearing all black.” Her eyes did this rapid blinking thing that reminded me of a crowd doing the wave at a baseball game, and it really made my stomach roll.

“You can guard the front yard,” Crash said. “Stay in the oak tree out of sight. Don’t bother the fairy that lives there.”

She scuttled forward, ducking past me with a cringe that about pinned her to the wall—strike that, she climbed the wall and ran across it to the window Crash had broken with Robert.

She let out a weeee as she leapt through the open space, spitting a bit of web out of her ass as she flew.

“Corb left, and he took Suzy and Eric with him. He wants to see if he can help Suzy with her new abilities, and Eric doesn’t seem inclined to leave her side,” Crash said. “Feish and Kinkly are headed to Death Row to see if they can suss up any information. Feish has apparently decided she is a flirting fool.”

I thought about the romance books she’d bought. “Well, maybe she’s lonely.” I paused. “Thank you for everything, but I really do need to shower.”

He reached out and took my hand. “You look like you’re about ready to fall down, Bree. Even with that bit of sleep.”

I shrugged. “I took some Advil with breakfast and a hot shower will do wonders.”

“I can help with that,” Crash said, and gawd in heaven, the man blushed.

Crash blushed and that only made me go all hot, my own skin answering with a flash of heat so strong, I wondered why it didn’t light my clothes on fire and burn them right off into a pile of ashes.

Now, just a warning, this is a moment where those of you with prudish tendencies might want to flip ahead a few pages. In fact, it might be best if you mosey along to the next chapter.

I’ll wait for you to go.

Go.

Seriously.

Okay, I assume those who are still reading are all in for this next bit.

I tightened my hand on his and took a step back, drawing him with me. “Why are you blushing, Crash? Worried I won’t be impressed with what I see? ’Cause let me remind you, I’ve seen it all.”

He chuckled. “You make me feel young again, Bree. Like I haven’t seen centuries pass, like I’ve never been with a woman before. Like I’ve never been hurt. I can’t explain it.”

I kept backing, walking through the open door to my bedroom heading toward the ensuite bathroom. With every step, my heart pounded a little harder. Should I have been trying to figure out what was happening with Grimm and hiding what he’d given me?

Yes.

Or making myself open the contents of that envelope with the information about what had happened to Gran and my parents?

Also yes.

Or figuring out how to stay safe from the goblins that were now gunning for me?

You bet.