Wrecker nodded slowly.“They didn’t—”
She cut him off immediately, shaking her head.“No.No, they didn’t do anything more than shove me around and hit me a couple times.”
Thank the fucking Lord.
I didn’t realize how tightly my jaw was clenched until it loosened.
Around the table, shoulders dropped.Breaths released.Carnie exhaled shakily behind the counter.Freak closed his eyes for just a second.
It had been bad enough with her being kidnapped.I wasn’t sure any of us would’ve survived hearing worse.
Carnie started bringing food over then.Plates and bowls appearing like she was feeding an army.Scrambled eggs, hashbrowns loaded with peppers and onions, thick slices of French toast dusted with powdered sugar, bacon, sausage, a bowl of cut fruit.
It was a damn feast.
Alice blinked.“Is this breakfast or a holiday?”
Carnie wiped her hands on her apron, smiling sheepishly.“I cook when I’m worried.”She gestured to the spread.“And when I’m happy.”
Slayer patted his stomach and reached for the serving spoon.“I’m good with that.”
Freak came up behind Carnie, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to her neck.He murmured something I couldn’t hear.
Everyone dug in.
Clove took a few bites, slower than the rest, like her appetite hadn’t fully caught up to her yet.
“Oh,” she said suddenly.“I forgot to mention something.”
Every head lifted.
“They thought I was Star.”
Slayer scoffed.“Bunch of fucking idiots.Don’t even know who they’re trying to kidnap.”
Wrecker frowned.“How’d you find that out?”
“They were yelling at each other,” she said.“One of them said they talked to… Yoga?”
Pipe choked on his coffee, coughing as he laughed.“Yogi,” he corrected.“Prez of their club.”
“Well,” Clove said dryly, “it sounded like once they realized I wasn’t Star, they were going to get rid of me.”Her gaze slid to me.“That’s when I decided to run.”
“Thank God you did,” I said, my voice rougher than I meant it to be.
Around the table, heads nodded in agreement.
The conversation softened after that.Plates emptied.Coffee was poured.Clove relaxed a little more with each passing minute, leaning back in her chair, her knee brushing mine once by accident.
Neither of us moved away.
Carnie glanced at Clove.“What do you want to do today, honey?”
“I want to run by the house,” Clove said.“Get some things since I need to stay here.”
“I can take you,” Freak said immediately.
Clove hesitated, then glanced at me.