Love's Cruel Redemption (The Ghost Bird #12)(93)

The cold room fridge was open, some of the boxes already set aside to make room for the new stuff coming in. Each box was marked and inventoried, some in red for likely suspects of what was bad, since most of the comments from students had been about the hamburger option, but it was unclear what exactly it might have been, hamburger or toppings, that might have been contaminated. And who knew out of all the other food what else might have been bad as well.

Victor was in the kitchen, leaning over one of the long metal prep counters, writing out something in a laptop, and monitoring some cameras around the school for anyone who may come by.

I leaned over his shoulder, not really paying attention to whatever he was doing, just wanting him to know I was close.

He jerked back the moment I touched him and widened his eyes. “Oh. It’s you.”

I smiled at him. “A lot going on.”

He smiled and motioned to what he was working on. “No kidding. I’m probably not getting any sleep tonight.”

“Maybe you should. We all should.”

He nodded slowly. He glanced over at the door, but no one was within eyesight. We could just feel the breeze from outside sweeping in. He leaned close to me, giving me a quick kiss on the corner of my lips. “Do me a favor?”

I agreed to it before even knowing what it was. For Victor, I’d do anything. “Absolutely.”

“Spend some time with Nathan?”

The question had me curious. “Any particular reason?”

He glanced back at the open door and then back at me. “Just...trust me? He might not be showing it, but...he needs it.”

I did trust him, but it made me wonder what was going on. I’d spent days with Mr. Blackbourne and with school issues. Did something happen while we were busy? I didn’t ask. Instead, I tried to think of how to make what needed to happen, happen.

They didn’t need me here. Not right now.

I gave a quick kiss to Victor, squeezing his hand gently. I was grateful he was aware enough, even through all this, to let me know when I was needed.

I walked back to the open door, and when I did, I yawned, a little loud.

Nathan immediately picked up on it. “Tired?”

“Mmm,” I mumbled, rubbing at my eyes. “I can stay up a bit longer.”

Mr. Blackbourne turned his attention back to us during his monitoring of the food being loaded into the trolley. He took one look at me with a questioning glanced.

I silently motioned to Nathan with wide eyes, and hoped Nathan didn’t notice me doing so. I needed Mr. Blackbourne to know I needed to talk to Nathan. No one else.

“Mr. Griffin, I think we can spare you a few hours if you wouldn’t mind driving her somewhere that she can sleep.”

“Taking her home?” he asked. He glanced quickly at Uncle, who could easily hear them.

“Wherever she can get undisturbed sleep.”

I was proud he knew exactly what I needed. Alone time with Nathan for as long as I could get.

“Yeah,” Nathan said. “Sure. I’ll take her.”

When Nathan turned to go inside, I waved shortly to Mr. Blackbourne, silently thanking him.

We returned to the kitchens. Victor noted us coming in. He waved to Nathan but then spoke to me. “We’re having to work in shifts now. Maybe we need more people on the team.”

Nathan stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “Why are we doing this delivery so late, anyway? Can’t we do this in the morning?”

“We need it done before anyone else is notified about the food,” Victor said. “Better to do it now.” He paused as he typed at something on his computer. “Luke should be in the car now.”

“Oh he’s coming along?” Nathan asked.

Victor finally looked over his shoulder at him, an eyebrow raised. “You can just drop him off at the diner or the security office... We’ll probably need him later. That okay?”

Nathan shrugged a bit. “Sure. Yeah. Why not?”

The awkwardness in his tone was strange to me. Why wouldn’t it be okay for Luke to come with us?

Nathan started heading toward the front of the kitchen, where we could cut through the school through the courtyard to get to the lot on the other side. I pause by Victor, putting a delicate hand on his wrist to get his attention. He immediately looked up at me.

“Get Mr. Blackbourne to get some sleep tonight, too,” I said. “He has exams tomorrow.”

“I don’t know if I can get him to do anything,” he said, “but I’ll try.”

“And...” I said, recalling something else, “sometime this weekend, let’s do something. For your birthday. Do we have time?”

Victor groaned and mumbled. “I can’t. My parents are doing a birthday thing for me. But you can come to that?”

I smiled. I didn’t like the idea of possibly facing his parents again, but I wanted to be there. Maybe I’d deter a fight between him and his dad at this get together. “Yes,” I said. “I’ll make sure I’m there for that, okay?”

He brightened. “On it.” He turned to Nathan. “Do you want to come, too?”

Nathan inhaled and then let out his answer with his exhale. “Sure. Yeah.”

My lips twitched at his answer, the same tone he’d had about Luke going home with us. What was up with him?