Trained by Three Panthers [Caves of Correction 3] by Cara Adams Page B

prepared to do it? Hell, would she even be prepared to think about it?

Chapter Five

    Declan’s heart was in his mouth about half the time they were on the roof. Kenz seemed to have no fear at all, walking across the roof as if she was on solid ground, helping drag the heavy canvas off the roof and fold it, enthusiastically hammering eyebolts loose, and untying ropes faster than he could have done. Once the roof was cleared and everything was locked away in the storeroom, they began carrying the food back upstairs from the hurricane shelter and putting it away, except for what Asher had started to cook.
    “Fuck yes. I’m so hungry,” Kenz said.
    “We all are. We need protein after all that work.” Asher threw some steaks into a pan, and Declan lost interest in what his brother was doing as he lugged cartons back upstairs and told Kenz where the items went. He stared at the neat way she’d replaced items in the pantry. All the tall containers were at the back. Duplicates of items were arranged in order of best-before date, and the entire shelf looked so neat it was almost painful.
    “I don’t think it’s looked like that since Mom and Dad went to live in the big house,” he said.
    “Where’s the big house? Do you see them often?”
    Declan felt a twinge of guilt. “Not as often as I guess we should. Mom has arthritis and doesn’t get around much. Dad still works on the fishing trawler. Likely he caught that fish you ate your first day here.”
    “I wondered if it was caught locally. It certainly tasted delicious.”
    “This meal will taste delicious, too, because I’m cooking it,” Asher said.
    “Anyone who cooks is my hero.”
    “Don’t you cook?” Declan asked her.
    “Why? Do you think all women should cook?”
    Declan’s body heated, but he tried to answer honestly. “We can all cook. But I suppose I think back to Mom cooking for us, and it was kind of special. But I’m practical. I like to eat. So if no one else will cook I will. I often used to help Mom cook.”
    He’d hoped he’d headed off her question about the location of the big house, but she was smarter than that and came back to it now.
    “You didn’t say where the big house is. It’s on the island, isn’t it?”
    “Yes it is. It’s the original building on the island, and it’s where the office of Caves of Correction is, as well as where some of the older people live.” When she didn’t comment he said, “We need to finish putting all this stuff away.”
    Kenz followed him back down to the hurricane shelter and worked as hard as he did returning items to their regular space. She left her carry-on by the front door, ready to take back to her cottage. Declan was ready for that as well, to fuck her on her lovely big new bed and to punish her in her sparkling new dungeon. But right now he was more interested in eating breakfast, or lunch, or whatever it was.
    She helped set the table, and Asher had just begun to serve the meal onto plates for them when Colter arrived. Declan burst out laughing and called out, “Colter smelled the meal cooking and decided to turn up and eat.”
    “Of course. I’m hungry.”
    Kenz looked from face to face and grinned. “I understand. You used to say that as kids.”
    “Absolutely. We had it down to a fine art to arrive just in time for supper,” Asher explained.
    “Is everyone all right?” Declan asked Colter after they were all seated at the table.
    “Probably. Not everyone has reported in yet, so those who haven’t are being followed up. Meanwhile, each family has been given an area to look at and assess for any damage. We’ve got the lake. I thought drinking water should be a high priority.”
    “Hell yes. Is that why you gave us canned juice to drink?” Kenz asked Asher.
    “No. That was sheer laziness. Everything we’re eating is stuff we took down to the hurricane shelter, and I couldn’t be bothered putting away again.”
    “That’s just common sense. The meat had to be