Parker rounded the corner, nose tipped down like he was known to do while reading a comic. My heart jerked in my chest, unable to stop the crash. Parker smacked into Zane. The comic fell to the floor, and Parker’s glasses slipped down his nose, green eyes brimming with surprise.
He scrunched his nose, nudging his glasses back into place. “Uh, sorry.” He bent and gathered his rumbled comic. As he straightened up, his eyes passed over me and landed on Zoe. His whole expression changed. “Hey. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Just got here,” she grinned.
I was getting more comfortable with the idea of them dating. It didn’t make my insides all topsy-turvy.
“Oh.” He shuffled his feet. “Something going on?” He glanced to the small party behind me.
“Parker, what are you doing up?” I asked. Parker had always been a morning person, but this was early even for him.
He shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I would read, and then I got hungry. What’s this all about? A reaper convention?”
“Better,” Zoe beamed. “They got married.”
Parker was rendered motionless. They only thing that moved was a stray piece of straw hair slowly falling over his forehead. I thought he was going to go into cardia arrest. “Married?” he echoed.
Zoe nodded vigorously.
He shook his head as if he was clearing the cobwebs. “What? When?”
“Last night,” Zoe sung.
“It just happened,” I clarified. “There wasn’t time to tell anyone. Zoe and Zach only just found out. I’m not even sure if it is safe for you to know.”
His peepers not so disoriented anymore flashed to mine. “That’s something you tell your best friend, no matter what time of the night.”
Zoe slinked between us to stand beside Parker. “That’s what I said.”
“Whatever. Who cares?” Crash interrupted.
My eyes narrowed in his direction, and Zane’s jaw clenched. How hard was it to go and grab a bite to eat?
Zach laid a hand on Crash’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I got my eye on him.”
Crash snickered, clearly not worried.
Zoe weaved her arm through Parker’s. “You hungry?” she asked in an enchanting tone that suggested something other than food.
“I guess,” Parker replied, his head still reeling over my marriage.
Crash thumped Parker on the back of the head. “What do you mean, you guess? When a lady asks you if you’re hungry, always say yes. We’re going to need to work on your game, man.”
Zane snorted.
Poor Parker. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into. Breakfast with reapers. It should be a movie.
Zoe laughed, her heels tapping along the hardwood as she led Parker along. “You’re too cute for words. I could just eat you.”
“I’m about to lose my appetite,” Zach groaned.
Since there was no need to work in the dark, I flipped on the kitchen lights, and the large room came to life. As expected, it was as orderly as the rest of the rooms in the manor, excluding TJ’s and mine. Stark white floors shined under the soft lights, looking so clean I could see my reflection. The dark granite counters were speckled with flecks of silver, sitting on top of ivory cabinets, identical to the ones lining the walls. The appliances were top of the line and no doubt industrial. Zane headed for the fridge to take stock.
“Can I help?” I asked. Zane was an exceptional cook, when he had the time. I lucked out in that department, but I wasn’t half-bad. The last year feeding TJ had been stretched my skills. I couldn’t care less if I ever made mac-n-cheese again. TJ would agree.
Zane glanced at me over his shoulder. “I got this. You take a seat. Eggs? Or French toast?”
“Both, pretty please,” I grinned.
“Coming right up.” He reached in the fridge, grabbing eggs, milk, and an armful of other ingredients.
“So, when am I going to be aunt?” Zoe asked, making herself at home in the kitchen beside Parker.
Zane’s head whipped around so fast, I thought he was going to pull a muscle.
I choked. The thought of getting pregnant never crossed my mind, but after the things we done last night, anything was possible.
Zach slid a cheeky grin, rocking back on his heels. “Uncle Zach. Hmm. It has a nice ring to it.”
“Uncle Parker, huh. I like it.”
My mouth dropped. Parker too? When did he become Team Zanper? “It’s been like six hours,” I reasoned.
“Plenty of time to get a bun in the oven,” Crash supplied, grabbing two cans of soda.
“Girl, I missed your wedding. There is no way I am missing the birth of my niece. Got it?” She pointed a pretty fuchsia nail in my direction.
I leaned my hip on the counter and rolled my eyes. “I pinky swear you will be the second person I tell.”
Zane was shaking his head as he cracked eggs into a bowl. Bacon was already sizzling on the stove, flooding the air with salivating scents. “No more talk of babies. Not until my stomach can handle it. We have more pressing matters, anyway.”
Coffee. I needed a caffeine kick. Pushing off the counter, I went to the cabinet to pull down the coffee. We were going to need an econo-size pot. “And we will get to them as soon as I’ve had my caffeine jolt,” I said.
“You got dark roast?” Crash asked.
“I’m a coffee connoisseur. Asking is an insult.”
The kitchen began to fill with all my favorite scents of breakfast. There was something homey about having a full house of people. It made the manor feel less cold and formal, more like a home. Conversation was kept light while Zane finished cooking, and it made me wish it didn’t have to end. I sighed. The only way I could ensure there would be many more breakfasts like this, was to find the relic…if it existed.
There was so much wrong with everything, but sitting in the kitchen, eating a French toast and bacon with family and friends was the only good thing in my life. A dose of reality was a bit sobering.
Since everyone was here and I was on my second cup of coffee, it seemed as good a time as any to devise a battle plan. Zane, Crash, and I caught the group up to speed, mostly. “Okay, so now we need to figure out what our next step is, what we’re going to do.”
“Simple,” Crash smirked, forking a piece of French toast. “We search the manor from top to bottom, leaving no cushion unturned, no room unscathed, and no panty drawer untouched.”
I snorted. “You go anywhere near my panty drawer and I’ll zap you.”
Zane cut Crash a dark look.
“Then we grab the relic, re-energize with a shot of Red Bull, and save the world. Boom.” Crash threw his hands up in a makeshift explosion.
“What I think Crash is trying to say,” I said, shooting Crash a frown, “is, we need to start by finding the relic. Then we can worry about what to do with it.”
“Is it powerful? Will it really restore the veil?” Zoe asked, taking dainty bites off her plate, unlike her twin who wolfed his food in two minutes flat.
“Let’s find it first. We can figure the rest out later. If this thing is real and at the manor, we have to find it.” Zane voiced, again casting doubt Crash could be trusted.
Crash leaned back in his chair. “Okay, but there is one problem, sunshine. Where do we start? Have you seen the size of this joint you live in?” The manor was like a museum. It would take hours—days even, to leave no room unturned. We didn’t have hours or days.
“You’re the expert.” Zane pinned Crash with a glare. “You tell us.”
I sighed. We’re doomed. As soon as the flitting thought left my mind, something happened. And not a good something.