AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A few minutes later, Creed, Murphy, and my guys came into the kitchen, making a beeline for the cinnamon rolls without even needing to ask. Sig gave me a quick nod, his expression unreadable as usual, while the others dug in, chatting with Apollo and the rest.
“You okay?” Leo’s voice was soft next to me, almost too low to catch in the midst of the noise.
I glanced at him, surprised by the question. “Should I be?” I asked, keeping my voice equally low.
He chuckled softly, leaning in a little closer. “I wouldn’t be if I were you,” he admitted, his eyes twinkling with something close to mischief. “I’m barely able to sit here instead of running to my office and locking the door.”
That surprised me. I looked at him, really looked at him, and realized that even Leo—calm, collected Leo—was a little overwhelmed by all this. The admission made me feel a little better, like maybe I wasn’t the only one who felt out of place in this giant mansion full of people.
“Well, at least you’re not running off yet,” I said, taking a bite of the cinnamon roll. It was warm and gooey. A perfect distraction from the buzzing anxiety I still felt. “These cinnamon rolls are probably worth sticking around for.”
Leo smirked. “Bristol’s cinnamon rolls have been keeping this house together for years.”
I smiled back, feeling the tension ease just a little more. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. If Leo was struggling too, then maybe I wasn’t completely out of my depth.
Besides, I didn’t know how long we were going to be here.
With how unhinged Candace had gotten since her brother’s death, it might not be long until she came after Leo right here.
“We showed Don, Jack, Clyde, and Sig where they could stay,” Apollo updated Leo, then glanced at me. “Figured you can give Brynn the tour and show her her room.”
Leo nodded, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Might as well do that now.”
I waved it off. “It can wait.” Everyone except for Tatum, who was still keeping her distance, had been incredibly kind and welcoming.
Leo’s eyes met mine, and I caught that familiar look he used to give me years ago—he wanted to slip out. No words were needed.
I shrugged and picked up my empty plate. “Though it would be nice to know where I’ll be sleeping.” Reaching for Leo’s plate, I took it along with mine and headed for the farmhouse sink in the kitchen.
“You could have just left those,” Bristol called over, her voice light as she pulled two loaves of bread from the oven.
I paused, catching a whiff of the fresh bread, and my eyes widened. “Oh my gosh,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “They weren’t joking when they said you’ve been baking up a storm because you were worried about Leo.”
Bristol giggled, her shoulders bouncing slightly as she tipped the loaves out of their pans and onto a cooling rack. “Yeah, baking is the one thing that seems to calm me down.”
“Well, at least you get delicious bread and goodies out of it,” I replied, running my fingers over the smooth surface of the counter. “I can’t even remember the last time I baked anything.”
“If you ever get the urge to bake while you’re here, the kitchen’s always open,” she said with a playful wink. “Just as long as you don’t burn my pots.” She threw a glance at Murphy, who had been quietly leaning against the pantry.
He smirked, pointing over his shoulder. “You’ve got extra pots back there. You can’t stay mad at me forever about that.”
Bristol rolled her eyes but grinned, her mood as warm as the bread she’d just pulled out. “I can be mad as long as I want,” she teased, and then her eyes flicked back to me. “Is there anything you don’t like to eat? Any allergies I should know about?”
I shook my head quickly. “No, nothing like that. I’m pretty easy to feed.” I smiled, grateful for the hospitality. “Honestly, I appreciate you cooking for me at all.”
“It’s what I do,” Bristol replied, her smile genuine. “If I’m not feeding these mafia men here, I’m usually over at the clubhouse with Meg, making sure all the guys there are fed, too.”
“Sounds like a full-time job,” I said, stepping back to let her finish up.
“It is,” she laughed, “but I love it.”
I glanced at Leo, who had been watching the exchange in his quiet, observant way. He gave me a little nod, signaling it was time to go.
“Guess I should see the rest of the place now,” I said, stepping away from the kitchen and the comforting smell of fresh bread. As nice as it was in here, a part of me was relieved to be getting away from the buzzing activity for a while. The tension that had built up inside me since I’d arrived hadn’t completely melted, but it was getting there.
“Try not to get lost,” Bristol called.
Leo led the way, his hand resting lightly at the small of my back as we moved through the house. The place was bigger than I’d realized at first, with sprawling hallways and rooms that seemed to branch off endlessly.
