GUN IN MY HAND

BONUS CHAPTER: DOROTHY'S 19TH BIRTHDAY (PART 1)

"I can handle it."

"You're sure?" Because I maybe have been more dangerous than him in the kitchen, but I'd watched my mom use a waffle iron enough to know his fingers were inching too close to the metal parts. "Be careful. It's hot."

"Did you forget whom you're talking to? I'm handling knives and saws every day. It's not a housewife tool that will get–" He didn't even finish when he grazed the hot iron part and jumped away from the housewife tool with a series of curse words.

From 'fucking hell' to 'bastard', the waffle iron was called by every possible name, and in reply, a puff of smoke escaped its sides.

Though it really became serious when he opened it and burned himself again, trying to remove the shreds of brown waffles glued everywhere. The housewife tool already had 2-0 over the dangerous Blade Sayer, who, from the clench of his jaw, looked ready to throw everything out the kitchen window, and I was starting to think I wouldn't get my breakfast anytime soon.

At least, it was entertaining to watch, once I'd checked he was fine like a sweet girlfriend, of course.

"Who do you think will win?" I whispered to Stella, as Blade focused on pouring a new batch, and the little star was more captivated by the threats her dad was throwing at the utensil than by the colorful rattle, her small hand dangling in the direction of the shiny machine, where more creamy mixture was slipping out.

I agreed with her, although I kept my reply on my rolling lips, like my laugh as Blade jerked his head towards us, the movement accentuating his gang leader aura, which he still had in him, even without the title.

It was in the sharpness of his stance, in the arch of his dark eyebrow, and the blood of his opponent splattered all over him, or in this case, the waffle batter in his disheveled strands, while he sucked on his wounded fingertip.

"Are you two making fun of me?"

"What? We would never!" Or at least, I tried not to, while the little badass in my arms was flaunting a smile, completely unbothered by the piercing gaze narrowing at her.

On the contrary, her rosy lips even held a cheeky edge, and it was obvious whom she'd got it from.

I saw the same grin, with a thousand more bad intentions, when Blade finally defeated the waffle iron and baked a perfect waffle.

It took many attempts, but the crisp that gave way to a meltingly soft sweetness on my first bite was worth the wait, and the ones that followed were worth the minutes we then didn't have to get ready for 1 pm at 12.59 pm.

Okay, we hadn't only had breakfast during the long morning hours.

Blade had gone to work until midday. Stella had taken two naps and made three more messes I'd had to change. I'd opened birthday cards, spent one hour on the phone with my mom and my sister to discuss what napkins and side dishes they would choose for the party they were throwing me next weekend, and I'd received the visit of Morris, Clinton, and Wayne, who had come to give me a birthday gift.

That was by the way what Blade was still grumbling about when I stepped out of the bathroom and found him hovering over Stella's baby carriage.

"The guts of those bastards, almost drooling at my girlfriend! And the hinge isn't even aligned..."

"Yes, because Wayne is still learning, and I think it's really sweet of him to make a wooden box that fits the chocolates Morris and Clinton have bought for me." Besides, it didn't need to close when I'd already snacked a few chocolates. "He just wanted to thank us and show how much he likes what you're teaching him."