Free Death's Dilemma (DHAD #2) by Candice Burnett

get the memo? Or why else would she get an assignment so close to you and try to threaten me at school?”
    “She told me about that. It wasn’t a threat. She’s just worried you’re going to bring Reapers around her first assignment. Her being here can’t really hurt anything with how I look at it. It’s just one more Guardian that’ll be nearby if and when they come for Lacie.”
    “I can’t even say that’s true because she’s useless and will just get in the way. Distract you.”
    “We’ve been over this. She doesn’t distract me. You,” he said, letting out a breath “…Listen. Before we start to bicker again, there is something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.”
    That phrase never meant good news.
    “Okay.” I looked over to him as he set the pans down and turned my way. He walked over and stood on the other side of the kitchen island.
    “Since we’ve been getting along more lately,” he said, meeting my cynical laugh. “Hey, I know it’s not perfect, but it’s been better than usual. You know I’m really trying to make this less difficult, but I have an idea. I know you said that you didn’t want to be my friend on that first day we were on assignment, and I’ve tried to accept your wishes…Keep up the co-worker etiquette and all, but I don’t think I want to listen to you anymore. You see, I have a theory.”
    “Uh huh,” I got out. I had no idea where he was going with this.
    “I just think it would be better for Lacie, you know, if we were at least friends. When I’ve tried not being your friend, it just makes things more complicated. We don’t talk, and no partnership is good without communication. And as much as you hate to admit it, we are partners in this mission, so communication is key. Most friends have great communication, so can we at least try to be that for Lacie’s sake?”
    “Sure.” Putting it that way, he did make sense, but when we’d started our friendship before, things got complicated in a much different way, at least on my side, as much as I hated to admit it. “As long as it doesn’t get complicated.”
    “What do you mean?” he asked as one side of his mouth turned up into a smile, letting me know he knew exactly what I was talking about. I stared him down. He couldn’t make me say it.
    “Nothing, fine. Friends. I can agree to that.”
    “Good.” He smiled wide like he’d just won a minor battle and turned back to the food on the stove. “Now that we’ve agreed on that, are you going to help me cook dinner?”
    “I don’t cook, and I didn’t know you could.”
    “I’m sure there are many things you don’t know about me. If you’d ask, I’d let you know. I’m surprised you can’t cook. You seem to know how to do everything else.”
    “I’ve never really tried. My dad always cooked for me.” He laughed. “Why are you laughing?”
    “I just can’t picture the ‘most terrorizing Reaper known to history’ cooking for his daughter that’s all. I didn’t mean to offend.”
    “Well, where did you learn to cook?” I asked
    “My father and mother. They both specialized in different areas. My mother was great at desserts, and my father with entrees. They always cooked at home. Made it a point when I was growing up to always sit down together as a family, which is what we’ll be doing tonight.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, I’m going to cook for everyone who’s here, except the couple down stairs of course. The human boy would surely start freaking out when stuff started moving on its own. I feel bad for yelling at some of the guys the other day, so I thought I’d cook for everyone tonight.”
    “So, you’re trying to buy their forgiveness with food.”
    “I’m not asking for their forgiveness. They know what they did was wrong. I’m just smoothing things over. I’d call it more of a peace offering.”
    “Do I have to attend this Thanksgiving feast?”
    “I’d like you to. My family always bonded over