The Reed Security Relationship Manual: A Reed Security Romance - Giulia Lagomarsino (best book club books of all time TXT) 📗

I opened the door and stepped inside to my little guy running around the house screaming and smoke pouring out of the oven. Molly, chipper as ever, shut the oven door with her foot as she held a charcoaled dish in front of her.

“Hey, guys!”

“Hey, baby. What’s that?”

“Oh,” she sighed in annoyance. “Well, Susan gave me this recipe that she said was to die for. Apparently, it’s really easy to make. I think I might have overdone it just a little, but I can’t wait for you to try it!”

I looked back at the guys. Most of them had their heads bowed, but Storm was grinning at me like an idiot. It was now or never.

I snatched the fork out of her hand and dug, much harder than I should have had to, into the casserole dish. What I pulled out, I wasn’t really sure of, but I blew on it and then slipped it inside my mouth, trying my best not to taste anything that slid down my throat. Or would have slid down if it wasn’t so damn hard. I choked as the food lodged in my throat, gasping for air, but the burnt food was solid as a rock and I couldn’t swallow it or spit it up.

“Water,” I wheezed out. I could feel my lungs constricting and finally, the guys kicked into action. Rocco rushed over and wrapped his arms around my chest from behind, jolting my body as he performed the Heimlich maneuver. Over and over, he squeezed until I was sure I was going to have a broken rib or two, but it just wouldn’t come up. The damn thing was stuck in my throat. And at that moment, as I stared at Storm and he looked back at me, I knew I was going to die by my own wife’s cooking. I could see it in his face.

The darkness was creeping in and I could hear Molly’s voice in my ear, begging for me to breathe. I saw Marcello in Cap’s arms, crying out for me, and all I could think was that Sinner would always claim that I named my kid after him. And I just couldn’t let that happen. I wasn’t sure where I found the strength or the oxygen, but I yanked Rocco off me and threw myself against the counter, expelling any oxygen I could from my body. I felt the hard scrape of food come up my throat and then it was flying across the room as I gulped in air and rested my forehead on the counter.

“That was a close one,” Storm grinned. “I guess it was literally to die for.”

My head shot up, and if I wasn’t so damn weak at the moment, I would kick his ass. It was like he wanted me to die from Molly’s cooking.

“You,” I growled.

“Not me,” he held up both hands. “Let’s remember why we’re here. I think what just happened is proof enough.”

“What are you talking about?” Molly asked.

“Do you want me to tell her?” Storm egged me on. “I’d be happy to do it for you, if you feel you’re not up to the task.”

I glared at him and turned on Molly. “Molly, your cooking is terrible. So far beyond terrible that I’m surprised we haven’t all died yet. You almost just killed me because your food was so charred that it got lodged in my throat. And if Susan hasn’t been able to teach you how to cook all these years later, I would suggest that you just stop before you’re convicted of manslaughter.”

Her chin quivered and tears filled her eyes. I heard someone cough out “asshole” under his breath, but it was too late. I had gone too far. Coop was right. I couldn’t take that back.

“You don’t like my cooking?” she asked innocently.

“Baby-“

“Did you ever think that maybe you have really shitty taste buds? Or maybe you should chew your food before trying to swallow?”

“Uh-“

“I can’t believe you would walk in here with all your friends just to tell me what a terrible cook I am. Well, screw you! Just for that, I’m making Easter dinner for you with all the fixings.”

She turned her glare on the guys, narrowing her eyes. I swore in that moment that she looked like Maggie, and I started searching for any immediate weapons that could land one or all of us in the emergency room.

“And I’ll be cooking for everyone,” she hissed before grabbing Marcello out of Cap’s hands and storming from the room. I counted out the steps to our room and then nodded when the door slammed way harder than I had ever heard before.

“Nice going,” Cap said. “Now we all have to eat her food.”

“You know,” Rocco sighed, “this was not part of the plan for the relationship manual.”

“What are you talking about?” Storm asked. “He just gave us a shit load of information. You should be thanking him.”

“Yeah, better him than us,” Coop said.

“I thought you didn’t want me to do it?” I asked.

“Well, of course not, but it’s done now.”

I shook my head, angry that I had fallen for Storm’s trap. “Every single one of you better show up on Easter. You’ll all eat her food, and you’ll all like it.”

Rocco sighed and headed for the door. “Better start making preparations now. We’re all going to end up in the panic room where I can keep an eye on everyone after dinner.”

Chapter Seventeen

Molly

After the horrible things that Tony said to me, I was beyond livid. Who was he to judge my cooking like that? He didn’t know what good food was. Okay, so I wasn’t the best cook, but I wasn’t going to kill him with my cooking. That was just ridiculous. I heard all the men walk out the door, but wasn’t at all surprised when Tony knocked on the door minutes later.

“Baby?”

“Don’t you baby me. I can’t believe you just said that in front of all your