of the deal.”
“That bastard is out for blood,” Rage warns.
“I guess so. About that bacon, are you guys okay with sharing?”
I laugh, taking the fried eggs out of the pan. “Absolutely. Take a seat. I’ll fry up a few more eggs, and Rage will set you a place at the table.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Tri sits.
Rage grabs another place setting while I crack a couple more eggs into the pan. They sizzle as soon as they hit the hot oil.
“So, what have I missed?” Trident asks, leaning back in his chair.
“Nothing much,” Rage says.
A whole lot. I’m not sure if Tri knows what went down yesterday. I concentrate on the eggs. It’s not my place to talk about Warrick. I’m touched that Rage told me about him. I feel a lump form in my throat when I think about how Rage is going to turn Gaire down on his offer. Rage has a chance to bring his friend back. To undo the terrible thing he did…and he’s not taking it. I’m moved and deeply grateful.
“That fucker tried to offer me a deal in exchange for Nia.” Rage gets an extra plate and splits the bacon equally between the three of us. “He told me he could bring Warrick back.”
“Holy fuck!” Tri’s eyes go wide. “Can he do that? Doesn’t seem right. What a bastard. That has got to be hard on you. I’m assuming you turned him down,” Tri says, talking quickly.
“I plan on turning him down. I haven’t seen him yet. It isn’t right.” I see the anguish in Rage’s eyes. There’s also anger there.
Tri exhales loudly. “I’m glad.” He makes a face. “It’s fucked up if you ask me. What’s the name of that movie?”
“I thought exactly the same thing. Pet Cemetery.”
“That’s it!” Trident half-yells. “It’s freaky shit.”
“Nia said that he can do it. She said that Warrick would be exactly the same as he was when he died.”
“Gaire can do that?” Tri asks.
I nod. “As Head Huntsman, Gaire has special powers bestowed upon him by Hades.”
“It still seems wrong.”
Rage is scowling. It looks like it’s weighing on him. I hope he hasn’t changed his mind, but I won’t blame him if he has.
“What happened… It was…” Trident is struggling to find the right words, “You should never have been sent away after…Warrick…after…”
“They were right to banish me.” Rage’s jaw is tight. His eyes are blazing. “I have powers I struggle to control. Even today. It’s a constant battle.”
“You had only just come into your powers. It had been maybe a year, at most?” Trident raises a brow. “You were young.” He echoes my sentiments.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Tri.” Rage shakes his head. “It happened. It’s done!”
“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know what would happen if—”
“It was my fault,” he says it softly. I feel for him. “Let’s just eat. I plan on turning Gaire down. I won’t do that to Nia.” We lock eyes for a second. “He’s an evil prick, and he can go to hell.”
“I’m glad to hear it because nothing will end a budding relationship quicker than using your girlfriend as a bargaining chip.”
“I’m not his girlfriend,” I quickly point out. “It’s not like that between us.”
“Sure it isn’t,” Trident agrees, but from the smirk on his face, I can see he doesn’t mean it.
Rage doesn’t say anything.
I dish up the eggs. There’s fresh bread and butter on the table. My mouth is watering.
Trident makes a humming noise as he looks down at his plate. It’s clear that he likes what he sees. Rage pours juice into three glasses, and we all dig in. There’s silence for a minute or two while we enjoy our breakfast.
“There’s nothing like crispy bacon,” Trident says, shoving a whole piece into his mouth. His lips are glistening with fat. He chews and swallows. “So, you hellhounds have litters?” he remarks.
I nod. “Yes, we do.” I put some butter on a slice of bread.
“Wow! That’s hectic. I think one kid is a lot of work, let alone a whole litter. I was at Forge and Ava’s place yesterday.” He whistles low. “Little Bruce is amazing, but he’s also a handful. I have high energy levels, and even I got tired of chasing after him. He’s just started walking.”
“It’s normal for us,” I say. “I don’t plan on having kids anyway.” I shrug. There is a part of me that’s sad, but it would be for the best since I don’t want to settle down