Before I could get a hold of myself, Anthea brushed past me, her shoulder hitting mine. The force of it made me stumble. A few drops of hot oil splashed into my skin. I hissed in pain and almost dropped the pan.
I shoved it back onto the stove and flipped on the tap. The cool water washed over the stinging of the much more literal burn, making me wince.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were so distracted,” Anthea said, not looking even a little bit apologetic. No way had that been an accident. She’d been trying to screw with me. What had I done to her to make her hate my guts?
Rowan was on his feet, but he stayed by the island as Kaige, who’d also hopped up, offered me a towel to dab at my sensitive skin.
“Thanks, but I’m fine,” I said, keeping my voice even.
“You need ice?” Kaige asked.
Wylder yawned. “Didn’t you hear her? She said she’s fine. I think you burnt the bacon, Kitty Cat.”
What an absolute asshole. I immediately switched off the stove and worked at prying up the over-fried bits of the bacon.
“I’m starving. Serve the breakfast,” Wylder ordered as if it wasn’t his aunt’s fault I’d gotten sidetracked. When I glared at him, he raised his eyebrows. “What are you waiting for?”
I turned away. I couldn’t let his heckling bother me. Nothing that happened here mattered as long as it led to Colt getting crushed under an onslaught of Noble rage.
I slapped the plates down on the island in front of each of the guys and stepped away, grabbing a piece of toast and slathering peanut butter on it for myself. Wylder pretended to gnaw on a particularly difficult piece of bacon. “I’ve had better.”
“It’s not totally awful for a beginner,” Kaige offered with a smile.
Rowan looked a little pained, which might have been because of my presence or his feelings about my cooking. Gideon wolfed everything down between delicate sips of his beloved coffee without a word. At least the food appeared to have been edible.
Just as they were finishing up, the big guy with the shaved head who’d hassled me while I was cleaning two days ago appeared at the door. He was carrying a lit cigarette on his lips which he slowly took a drag of.
A cloud of annoyance appeared on Wylder’s face. “You know no one’s supposed to smoke in here, Axel.”
“Says who?” Axel asked with a challenge in his voice. “This isn’t your part of the house.”
Wylder remained unfazed. “The rule is no smoke around me and my men,anywhereinmyhouse. If you’re in the mood for criticizing, why don’t we talk about how you still haven’t gotten Trent back in line?”
Axel muttered a curse and threw the cigarette to the floor, where he crushed the butt with his shoe. Instead of leaving, he stepped farther into the kitchen.
“You’re one to talk. What have you done to solve the issue?” The older man’s gaze fell on me. “Meanwhile you’re letting strangers walk all over the house.”
“Why should I do your work for you?” Wylder said. “And she’s here for a reason. As a matter of fact—” A slow smile came over his face. “It might be your lucky day after all. I know just the way I’m going to fix that little problem.”
I eyed him, already knowing he was going to drag me into some new scheme I wasn’t going to like. He grinned back at me. “How’d you like to get out of the house for a bit, Princess?”
“To do what, exactly?”
“Patience, patience. All will become clear.” He stood up. “Stay here and clean up while I get the details sorted out.”
Just like that, he walked out of the kitchen, beckoning for the other three guys to follow him. Prick. I aimed my middle finger at his retreating back. Kaige chuckled, but he left his plate on the island like the others did as they all headed out at their boss’s bidding. Anthea shot me one last narrow look and stalked after them.
Axel’s phone rang, and he walked to the far corner to talk in a low voice. I liked his company even less than the others’, but whatever.
When I went to grab the plates, my hand stopped over the flyer Rowan had been toying with. He’d been doodling on it too. A little pen sketch had expanded the flower logo for the restaurant into a whole garden of blooms trailing around the border.
He’d always been so good at drawing. Apparently a few things hadn’t changed. Before I could second-guess the impulse, I snatched up the flyer and folded it into my pocket.
Instead of washing the dishes, I just dumped them in the sink and ran some water over them. Let Wylder complain if he wanted to.
Axel ended his call and looked around the room, glaring at me as if annoyed that I was the only one left. “Where the hell did Wylder head off to?”
Did he think I was somehow the Noble heir’s keeper? “I don’t know. He said he’d be back.” Of course, he hadn’t mentioned whether whatever details he had to sort out would take minutes or hours. I wouldn’t put it past him to leave me sitting here waiting for the rest of the day.