Wild and Free (The Three #3)(45)

I got behind the closed door and dressed, deciding to take care of some other pertinent business while I was in there, doing this as I heard Abel open the door.

“Special delivery,” Wei said as greeting.

“We’re gonna hang tight outside, give Lilah some privacy,” Abel returned, and I heard the door close, knowing from the silence they were on the other side of it and feeling that settle in my belly. There was a door to the toilet but no ceiling, and even though I didn’t have a ton of hang-ups, taking care of business while two guys could hear it wasn’t something I was hankering to do.

I got it done and left the bathroom, calling, “All clear,” knowing at least Abel would hear me through the steel and cement (which meant he could probably hear the other parts, but…whatever).

The door opened.

I had a loaded toothbrush in my hand when it did and I moved back, shoving it in my mouth and lifting a hand to wave to Wei.

“Yo, Lilah,” Wei greeted.

I waved harder and smiled through building foam.

The men walked in, both carrying coolers. I went to the sink but did it turned, watching them move to the kitchen.

Also listening.

“All’s clear on the home front,” Wei reported as he put his cooler on the floor. Abel went to the fridge and opened it, setting his cooler on the floor also, but he kept bent and slid the lid open.

He then commenced loading bags of blood into the fridge as I felt my eyes widen.

“Good,” Abel replied.

“You think they got a load of us, then turned tail and ran, thinkin’ whatever beef they have isn’t worth it?” Wei suggested with what I figured was more hope than realism.

“I’m thinkin’ they got a load of us and they’re off for reinforcements and a strategy session,” Abel replied, his eyes sliding to me.

I shrugged to show him that I wasn’t freaked about his likely correct assessment of the situation and turned back to the sink.

“We need a get together, without Jian-Li. Can you call that?” Abel stated, and I turned back to them, surprised.

“Without Ma?” Wei also seemed surprised.

“Yeah,” Abel said, moving the cooler out of the way with his foot just as Wei shoved the other one toward him with his.

“How do you think you’re gonna get anything past Ma?”

“Have it at lunch when the restaurant is in full swing and she’s too busy to come,” Abel told him.

“Ma’s a part of this, Abel,” Wei said quietly.

“Yeah, and what I gotta talk to the men about I’ll talk to her about, but privately.”

I saw Wei’s body tense, and due to it being imperative considering the amount of foam in my mouth, as well as to give them a hint of privacy, I turned back to the sink, spit, and turned on the faucet to rinse.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Wei replied.

“Thanks, brother,” Abel muttered, now loading the blood bags from the other cooler into the fridge.

He finished this, snapped both coolers closed, and handed them to Wei, all while I watched through the mirror, rinsing the wash from my face.

“Later, Lilah,” Wei called as he headed back to the door.

“Later, Wei,” I called back as I dried my face with a towel.

Wei disappeared behind the door and I turned to Abel to see the microwave whirring, a bag of blood inside, but he was making coffee.

I tossed the towel to the sink, walked that way, and got close.

The microwave dinged.

“You know,” I said softly, leaning my hip against the counter, “I liked it when you drew from me.”

Abel’s eyes, now back to brown and blue, making me wonder which way I liked them better, came to me. “Got that, *cat,” he replied quietly, turning to open the door on the microwave.

“So you can, you know, do it again,” I told him.

He turned back to me, bag of blood in hand. “Want that, ’preciate you offering, and will take it, baby, if you ask for it. But you only got so much blood. I can enjoy it, get my fill, but gotta give it time for you to replenish it.”

Of course.

“Right,” I muttered.

“Have a look to see what you want for breakfast while I do this,” he ordered, jerking his head to the fridge.

“Do what?” I asked.

“Drink,” he answered.

I felt my brows draw together, thinking this was a little strange, as I replied slowly, “Oh…kay.”

I moved to the fridge. Head in it, I called, “Well, in here, our choices are eggs and bacon or bacon and eggs.”

“Got pancake mix,” he replied. “Bread, milk, and eggs for French toast. Other shit on the shelves.”

I looked beyond the door of the fridge to see him sucking back the last of the blood and toeing open the blue trash can.

“You could have told me that without my head in the fridge,” I stated, and his eyes turned to me as he quickly finished with the bag and tossed it in the bin in a way that looked almost ashamed.

What the f*ck?

“You pick, or I can ask one of the boys to go out and get donuts or some other shit you want,” he said, dropping the lid on the bin and moving my way.

“What was that?” I asked.

“What was what?”