"A cup of coffee to start, then maybe an omelet and a Diet Coke for breakfast?"
Leo nodded. "Would you like toast with your breakfast?"
"No, just the omelet should be fine."
He flipped over the mug in front of her and poured a cup of coffee. "I'll be out in a few minutes with your breakfast."
"I have coffee, take your time."
Leo nodded then headed toward the kitchen.
She fixed her coffee and eyed the cream. Didn't Ramsey say he learned the cream ratios from Leo? She added some and took a sip. "Ahhhh, perfect." She sat back, holding the mug to her chest. "I really should have gotten up when Ari did."
"Nonsense. You've had a great deal thrown at you over the past two days, and you've only just been claimed. If anyone deserves some rest, it's you, darling," Catherine explained.
What she said stuck with her. It had only been two days, and everything was different. Her entire world had been turned upside down and shaken like a snow globe. Maybe she had earned a few extra hours to sleep in. She turned to Jedrek. "Do we have any idea what the guys did this morning?" She pushed back a growing since of guilt. The queen had trusted her to head up the investigations and, she had let a really, really good romp in bed lay her out.
Jedrek sipped his own coffee. "Ari went to the warrior villa first thing this morning to ask for volunteers to work with you in getting the dead identified. Evidently, there was much arguing, then a brawl broke out as they competed to see who would help. Finally, Ari just had them draw straws. He sent the lucky five on to meet up with Rex and Ben at the storage facility. They divided up the dead amongst them, and their first task was to photograph each person and create a file for them. That's what they have been working on all morning," he explained.
"That was exactly what I would have done." She smiled. "They must have really wanted to get out of patrols," she added.
Both Catherine and Jedrek laughed before Catherine shook her head. "They wanted to be the ones to help you, dear," she replied.
Brie stared. "Really?"
Jedrek gave a single nod. "Really."
She lifted her mug to hide her smile. "Do you know which five were tapped?"
Jedrek rolled his eyes. "Both of my brother's silly cubs, Bastien Géroux from Phi, Saxon Wright from Psi, and Colin Althea from the Omega unit. The men decided that one from each unit would be fair. Tau performs daily with only four warriors, so the men argued that the other units in Éire Danu were no less capable. Which is how you ended up with five volunteers instead of the initial three requested."
She couldn't have asked for more. The men that she'd be working with were the ones she knew the best so far. "I'll head over there right after breakfast. I want to be on site when we start working with the families. Once the men have been assigned and I've met with all the deceased's loved ones, then I will concentrate on the investigation. River had all day to get settled in Noctem Falls; I want to know if he discovered anything more with their nifty microscopes."
Jedrek sipped his orange juice and set the glass down. "Don't hesitate to lean on Rex. We have him on permanent loan from Noctem Falls to assist here in the city. If you find yourself unsure of what to do or who to contact, go to him."
Brie felt a lot more confident knowing Rex would be at her side for the initial interviews. "That makes me feel so much better. Rex exudes confidence and dependability that I don't think I'd ever feel nervous with him in my corner," she admitted. Both of Ari's parents smiled at one another at the praise for their firstborn.
"Rex was a born leader," Leo said, coming up behind her. He set down a plate with a huge omelet on it. "Even when he was a cub, others looked to him."
She stared at the monster omelet, then looked up at Leo, then back down at her breakfast.
Catherine coughed delicately. "Leo, I think you made her an Ari-sized portion."
Brie looked up Leo whose eyes widened. "I'm so sorry! Ari is the only other one in the family who requests omelets, so I was somewhat on autopilot when I was cooking it."
"It's fine! I just didn't want you to get mad if I couldn't finish it," she said, picking up her fork.
"I could never get mad at you, my dear. You've made Ari the happiest we have ever seen him. A tiny uneaten portion won't change that," Leo said pointing to her plate.
"It won't be a tiny portion, Leo. You'll probably be getting half this back."
Catherine turned to her squire. "Could you wrap it up for Ari? You know he'll be getting hungry by the time he catches up to her."
Leo snapped his fingers. "Just the thing. Brie, let me know when you're full, and I'll put this between two slices of buttered toast for Ari's snack. I'll go prepare a bag now." He turned and headed back toward the kitchen.
Brie took a bite of her fluffy omelet and sighed. The man was a true genius in the kitchen. "Maybe, three day weekends here," she murmured to herself.
Both Catherine and Jedrek laughed. Jedrek winked at her. "Sounds like a perfect plan to us."