Hostile Ground (The Arsenal #7) - Cara Carnes Page 0,118

table. Addy moved in tandem beside him with the meats. Vi set out the plates and silverware. Kristof handled the beans and cornbread.

Addy shook her head and smiled at Olaf. “Trust me. She loves doing this stuff. We have a friend who couldn’t read. She taught her how.”

Addy wondered how Kamren was doing. Was her pregnancy going okay? Even though she’d only been away from The Arsenal compound just under a couple of months, it felt like much longer.

“Really?” Kristof asked. “That’s impressive.”

“Impressive is the common theme around here when it comes to our women,” Jesse said with a big grin.

“I bet.” Tenderness filled Kristof’s gaze when it settled on Addy.

Awareness arced through her. Her stomach fluttered.

Fluttered. What the hell was that? She was an operative, not some hormonally crazed teenager chasing after a boy. Jesse chuckled as he set out the pickles and onions.

“You’ll probably meet Kamren. She’s kind of Jud’s protege. And mine.”

“If she’s half as impressive as you are, I look forward to meeting her.” Kristof winked.

Winked. Heat smoldered within her as she glared at him. What the heck was he doing winking? And why did she want to dive over the potato salad and kiss him?

Exhaustion. It had to be the bone-deep weariness that plagued her. Barks and hisses sounded as Vi’s pets appeared. The kitten sat atop the puppy as though he were a horse. She bit her partner in crime’s neck and flicked her thick tail back and forth.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a cat ride a dog,” Kristof said with a chuckle.

“That’s their newest thing,” Jesse said.

Harry—the German Shepherd puppy—and Hermione—a long-haired white princess of a cat—had acclimated well to their new homes. The two stuck together like they were glued by the tails and frequently got into trouble when they tried dragging Zoey’s hairless cat, Dobby, into the mix.

“Well there’s my pretty princess and handsome prince,” Vi cooed as she leaned down and greeted the duo. She sat up and signed. “Olaf, this is Harry and Hermione.”

Olaf grinned as he petted the dog, then the cat. The latter coiled figure eights around his legs. Addy wondered which of her friends had thought to bring the animals. They were the perfect therapeutic presence.

Love reflected in Kristof’s gaze when he watched his cousin play with the animals. Addy took his hand and squeezed. They’d get Olaf through his recovery.

“Thank you,” Kristof mouthed to Vi.

The woman nodded. “Speaking of Kamren, you missed the entrant’s exam last week.”

“What does Kamren have to do with an Arsenal entrant’s exam?” Addy looked at Jesse with a silent inquiry. Was she joining a team?

Jesse shook his head.

Relief filled Addy. Kamren was one damned good shot, but Addy didn’t want any of her friends on the teams. She wanted them on the compound where they were safe.

“Remember how well Kamren did the first time she shot against a group of potential operatives?” Vi asked.

Addy chuckled. “She blew them out of the water.”

“Right,” Vi said. “Last week, Jesse here didn’t want to deal with a bunch of green operatives while his brothers were gone. He switched events around so the first was a shooting match between Kamren and the candidates. They had to score the same or higher than her in order to pass to the next round.”

“No sense wasting time,” Addy said. “If they can’t shoot, we don’t want them.”

“Their faces when they realized a pregnant woman was their competition.” Vi laughed.

“How many passed to the next round?” Kristof asked, glancing between the two women.

“None,” Jesse said with a grin. “You haven’t seen Kamren shoot. I’m not sure how many of us can beat her. We need more natural talents like Kamren on the teams.”

That was one thing Addy admired most about the Mason men—they weren’t intimidated by strong women. At least that was one thing Kristof had in common with them. She hoped, for his sake, there were more. It would make his acclimation to her crew easier.

Assuming he wanted to hang around. She swept her gaze toward where he now sat. Amusement glimmered in his gaze as he watched her. By the time everything was set out on the tables, Ellie and Jud had arrived with the beverages and desserts. They opted to keep the latter in the cart until they’d finished the main meal.

“About time you showed up,” Jesse said with a grin when Dylan and Mary arrived with his namesake in tow.

Baby Jessie laughed and reached for him.

“Who’s your favorite uncle?” Jesse plucked the little