Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
There it went. Her grandpa’s bakery. All of her things that she’d left in there.
But they were just things. She couldn’t get upset. As long as no one was hurt, that was the important thing.
Maxim opened the car door and slid in next to them. Regent still wasn’t mobile enough to be out and about comfortably, so he’d stayed home with warnings to keep him up-to-date.
“I tried to talk to someone, but all I got out of anyone is that the bakery went up first. And that they won’t be able to determine more until later.”
“We should just go home then,” Victor said, rubbing his hand up and down her thigh. For once, it wasn’t turning her on. “It’s doing no good just sitting here and watching.”
“No,” she whispered. “I guess not.”
Someone must have told Regent they were on their way home, because he was waiting in the kitchen with mugs of hot cocoa on the kitchen counter when they arrived back.
“You made cocoa?” Maxim asked in disbelief. “Do you even know how to make cocoa?”
“Obviously, since I just made it. Bring them over to the table, will you? I couldn’t carry it.”
“I didn’t even know that you were aware of how to operate the cooktop. Or where the cocoa was,” Maxim stated as he carried the mugs over.
Regent glared at his youngest brother before turning to her with sympathy in his face. “I’m sorry about the bakery, Gracen.”
“Thanks,” she said, sitting. She rested her elbows on the table with a sigh. She was so tired. Sad. Drained. “I don’t know why it’s hitting me so hard. I wasn’t planning on going back there to work. That chapter had already closed.”
“But maybe you hadn’t said goodbye yet,” Maxim offered.
She managed to give him a small, sad smile. Of all the Malone men, he was, surprisingly, the most sensitive. Sometimes she wondered if he played up the playboy image to hide what was really going on with him, but she’d let him keep his secrets.
“I guess that could be it. There were still things in the bakery I wanted to take with me. I mean, I know they were only things . . . but they had sentimental value. There was this old egg mixer that Grandpa always swore made the best meringue even though we had a newer industrial mixer that did five times the volume. It’s silly, but I wanted to keep that.”
“It’s not silly,” Victor growled, leaning over to lift her into his lap. “There’s nothing wrong with being sad or sentimental.”
Both Regent and Maxim stared at him in surprise.
“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” Maxim said quietly.
“What does that mean?” Victor asked.
“Nothing.” Maxim held his hands up. “I’ve just never known you to be sentimental over anything. You’re usually quite, uh, pragmatic.”
“This is different,” Victor said.
Maxim met her gaze with a wink. “It certainly is.”
Victor grabbed a cup of cocoa, handing it to her.
“Thank you.” She wrapped her hands around it. She took a sip and nearly spit it back out.
Holy. Crap.
“How is the cocoa?” Regent asked, almost looking anxious. But that couldn’t be right. He was always super confident. Was this really the first time he’d made cocoa?
Actually, she could totally believe it was the first time since it seemed he’d forgotten a key ingredient.
Like sweetener.
“Oh, it’s really nice. Well done.”
Maxim eyed her skeptically then grabbed a cup. She widened her eyes, trying to shake her head without Regent seeing. But Maxim either didn’t see her, or he’d decided to ignore her because he took a long sip. Then his eyes widened. He swallowed it hastily.
“Shit! Regent, how much cocoa did you put in this?”
“Uh, I don’t know. About a cup. Why, isn’t it enough?”
“No, no, it’s plenty, and how much sugar?” Maxim asked.
“You’re supposed to add sugar?” Regent frowned. “That doesn’t sound very healthy.”
“Cocoa isn’t supposed to be healthy, that’s the point,” Maxim told him with a shake of his head. “Your education is sadly lacking.”
“I’m sorry, Gracen.” Regent grimaced.
Reaching over, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. His eyes widened in surprise. She got the feeling people rarely touched him.
“I appreciate the thought.”
Regent sighed while Maxim rose to make a new batch of cocoa. “I fear this might be my fault.”
She gave him a surprised look, aware of Victor stiffening beneath her.
“How could this be your fault?” Victor asked in a low growl.
Reaching down, she rubbed the side of his thigh soothingly.
Regent ran his hand down his face, looking exhausted. He carried so much on his shoulders. More than she thought he ever let anyone know.
“You know that we’ve been making things difficult for the Ventura gang.”
She nodded.
“We’ve been hitting them where it really hurts—their cash flow. And we haven’t been subtle about it. Victor has been working to cut off their supplier. We’re slowly destroying them. What if they found out that you are part of our family now?”