Page 81 of Stealing Embers
I’m still torn up inside about what to do about Steel’s siblings. I can—and will—easily stay away from Blaze and Aurora. I don’t want them mixed up in anything that might hold a hint of danger. Steel and I are of one mind there.
But Greyson and Sterling are a different story. In the few short weeks I’ve known them, they’ve become like the brothers I never had—the ones I would have wished for if I’d known what I was missing.
Greyson reaches over. The pad of his index finger runs a path between my eyes and down the bridge of my nose. “Why the frown, pretty girl? Don’t you know if you keep your eyebrows pinched like that, they may stay that way?”
“Oh, um . . .”
What can I tell him?
“Don’t mind Sterling. He can’t help himself. He’s barely housebroken.” A spot warms in my belly and a light chuckle escapes. Greyson always has entertaining excuses for his brother’s antics.
“I heard that!” Sterling shouts from the other side of the table, giving his brother the stink eye.
“I know.” Greyson’s attention flicks in his direction before returning to my face.
“No, it’s fine. I mean, it’s annoying, but that’s not really—”
A screeching noise followed by a body dropping down next to me jerks my attention away from Greyson. When I twist in the opposite direction, it’s to see Steel’s large frame lounging in the chair to my right. His beefy arms are draped over the seatback and he’s staring right at me.
I blink twice.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Eating dinner.” Reaching across me, Steel grabs my discarded fork and pokes a limp piece of asparagus on my plate before bringing it to his mouth.
I snarl at him and snatch my fork back. “Do not touch my food. I. Will. Cut. You.”
He lifts a shoulder in an unconcerned shrug and risks his life a second time by swiping a fry off my plate. I snag it out of his hand before it can reach his lips.
“You’re asking to be shivved, you know that, right?”
He sneers and eyes my chicken. I scoot the plate further away, resting one arm between him and my food, and clutching my fork like a dagger in my hand. I dare him with my eyes to try and steal something else.
You don’t mess with a former homeless chick’s food.
A cleared voice has me casting a quick glance to the other side of the table before rubber-banding back to Steel.
“Um, hey Steel.” Ash’s voice carries a heavy hint of tentativeness. “You need something?”
“Yeah.” He snorts. “I need to make sure your pal Emberly here doesn’t get us all killed.”
A gasp gets stuck in my throat. Did he really just say that?
A gargled cough comes from my left and I turn in time to watch milk dribble out of Greyson’s nose. Across from me Sterling is laughing so hard he starts to choke on the half chewed food in his mouth. In no time both twins are red faced and hacking.
“What is happening right now?” Nova’s words mirror my internal thoughts as she sets her tray down to the right of Steel. I have a hard time seeing her around his bulk.
When no one answers, she leans forward and shoots me a look.
“Honestly, I have no idea. You know him better than I do.” I tip my head toward Steel to let her know which brother I’m referring to. It’s the only body part I’m willing to move since I’m still hunched over my plate with my fork in the defensive position.
The noises from Grey and Sterling die down.
“Oh, man. That burned,” Greyson gripes and blows his nose one last time. “Steel’s being weird,” he finally announces by way of explanation.
“I am not.” Steel grabs a handful of fries off Nova’s plate and starts popping them in his mouth, talking in between chews. “Emberly is currently a monster magnet. She refused to stay away from you two.” He gestures to his brothers with a couple limp fries. “So, I’m gonna have to babysit her until we figure out what the Forsaken and Fallen want with her.”
There’s a beat of silence before the whole table explodes—that is everyone except me. I’m processing what he said, and the repercussions.