Page 142 of A Wild Darkness

“Yes, but it’s fine,” I say. “I’m hungry, too.”

“Same,” Stevie replies, still petting Poe.

I glance around the kitchen a minute before heading to the refrigerator.

“Hello, everyone!” Ben greets us as he walks in with Aunt Mae.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re here,” I whine. “We’re starving.”

Poe jumps off Stevie’s lap and dashes over to Aunt Mae.

“Hi, buddy.” Aunt Mae bends to greet Poe, then turns to Stevie. “How are you doing, sweetie?”

“I’m here to save the day.” Ben rounds the island and takes out his laptop. “Also, it’s Sunday, which means meal planning!”

Stevie smiles at Aunt Mae. “I’m doing all right.”

“I’m glad you’re staying here again with us. It’s the safest, especially while you’re working on the Black Veil Society stuff.”

“She killed a guy tonight, Mae,” Christian says before sinking his teeth into his piece of fruit.

I shoot him a side-eye. “Thanks for outing her.”

“Okay, well, since we’re all up at this hour, do you want me to whip something up before approving the meal schedule for next week?” Ben interjects.

A collective “Yes!” can be heard from at least three of us.

“Breakfast?” Stevie asks.

“Perfect,” Christian adds, sliding into a chair at the far side of the island.

Aunt Mae suddenly pulls Stevie in for a hug, almost knocking her off the chair. “Oh, sweetie. That must have been so hard. Your first kill.”

“She did well.” I smile, patting my aunt’s back. “Want the details?”

Aunt Mae releases, looking Stevie in the eye. “Like your sister. You Levinson women are strong. It’s beautiful.” She tilts her head in my direction. “But absolutely not. The less I know, the better.”

Ben flips a cooking pan in his hand, glancing over his shoulder. “You know a lot, Aunt Mae.”

She scoffs him off, shuffling around the kitchen. “Maybe I like to pretend I don’t.”

I wrap around Stevie’s shoulders. She leans into me. “That’s true.”

“Sebastian, breakfast burrito?” Ben asks, cracking an egg.

“You know it.”

“Stevie, avocado toast?” Ben guesses with a grin.

“Sounds amazing, thank you.” She smiles.

Aunt Mae scrolls through the meal-plan list on Ben’s laptop. “Oh, nothing for me. I’m not hungry.”

“Christian?” Ben says with his back toward the range stone.

“I’ll take whatever you’re putting in the breakfast burrito, without the tortilla.” He cleans the lens of his glasses on the hem of his shirt. “I want the protein without the carbs.”

I roll my eyes. “I bet you’ve already broken in the gym at Nightrose Hall?”