Invincible Chronicles of Nick - By Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 0,5
you.”
“Apparently you can’t, because you now have only four minutes and thirty seconds before they start playing your dirge.”
With a juvenile desire to stick his tongue out at her, he walked back into the room and into the adjacent bathroom so that he could obey and not stay grounded any longer than was necessary.
Though at this rate, it seemed like she was looking for reasons to ground him.
Empty-nest syndrome. She was afraid of him leaving home, so she clung to him all the tighter. Okay, that’s probably not what it was called, but that’s what he was calling it.
Sighing, he stripped his clothes off and started the shower.
Of course, it took him longer than five minutes to finish and dress. And when he opened the door that led back to the bedroom, he found his mother on the bed, staring furiously at him.
“What? I hurried.”
“Sure you did.” She slid off the bed. “You didn’t even shave.”
“You told me to hurry, so I didn’t bother looking for a razor. Besides, I have only three hairs. Not like anyone can see them except you.” He kept hoping they’d grow longer and multiply, but so far …
They were just enough to be emasculating and aggravating. Something else for his mom to nag at him to do.
She made an annoyed sound that always reminded him of a tea kettle letting out steam. “C’mon. We have to catch a streetcar.”
“Where are we going?”
“You heard Mr. Hunter. We need to go to Sanctuary.”
“He said to call.”
She rolled her eyes—something that would also have got him grounded if he’d done it to her. “You don’t apply for a job that way, Nick.”
“But—”
“Go!”
He didn’t want to go across town for no reason. Why did he have to watch her apply for a job, anyway? He’d rather have his eyes gouged out than sit there bored and watching the fluorescent lights flicker. “Can’t I stay here?”
“No. We don’t take charity, and you know that. Mr. Hunter was nice enough to put us up for the night, but you should never overstay your welcome.”
“But—”
“Nick, do what I say.”
Grinding his teeth, he headed for the stairs. He might as well take the but out of his vocabulary, since all it seemed to do was act like a nuclear accelerant that caused her temper to explode.
No sooner had he reached the bottom than he smelled something delicious.… Something that smelled like real, juicy, delectable, make-your-mouth-water-and-arteries-harden bacon. Not those bacon bits packets his mom saved from condiment stands and added to his powdered eggs in the morning.
Yum!
Without conscious thought, he beelined for the kitchen.
His mother grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”
“Food. I’m following my nose.” And his rumbling stomach.
“No,” she whispered to him. “What part of ‘no charity’ have you missed?”
The part that said he couldn’t eat.
But he knew better than to argue, especially when she had that look on her face. “Fine.” He headed for the door.
Rosa came around the corner of the wall and frowned at them. “Nick? Mrs. Gautier? Do you not wish to eat before you leave?”
He looked at his mother, hoping she’d change her mind.
“Thank you, Rosa, but we have an appointment to keep.”
Rosa’s frown melted into a kind smile. The same height as his mother, she was a beautiful woman with black hair she kept in a bun and bright brown eyes. “Then let me get it for you to go.”
His mother released his arm. “No, thank you. We don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
“Is no trouble,” Rosa assured her. “I made the food for you. I have already eaten, and Mr. Kyrian won’t be up until much later today. If you no eat, I just throw it away.”
Nick gave his mom his best begging stare and pouty lip. It was a look that had gotten him away with many things that didn’t have a moral dilemma attached to them.
He saw the reluctance in her eyes. She really, really didn’t like to take anything from anybody. People always expect something back when you do. Nothing in life is free, Nick. Don’t take and you won’t be beholding. He knew her litany well.
But he didn’t view this as the same thing.
“You always say we shouldn’t waste food, Ma.”
She took a deep breath before she relented. “All right. Thank you, Rosa.”
“My pleasure. You want me to—?”
“We’ll eat at the table. I don’t want to put you to any more work.”
Nick all but ran to the kitchen, where Rosa had two plates already made and sitting on