Trap frowned and looked to Draden for an explanation. Draden clapped him on the shoulder. “Play nice with his grandmother, Trap.”
“And Pepper,” Wyatt warned softly. “She’s important to me as well.”
Draden nudged Trap. “Remember that book of manners I gave you and you read in three minutes flat? Use those little tips and be courteous.”
“You gave him a book on manners?” Wyatt asked.
“Actually he gave me three different ones and I found a couple of others,” Trap said, serious as usual. “They didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I can see why society would want to implement some of the rules, but others are just a waste of time.”
“Use them anyway,” Draden suggested as they approached the kitchen.
“If we’re going to actually waste time eating, shouldn’t we at least discuss our entry point into the compound? When you called, I found someone to help us out with the blueprints, specifically the water system. That might be a point of entry.”
Draden groaned. “Just because you’re a fish in the water doesn’t mean the rest of us are.” He pulled back a chair and plopped in it, giving Nonny a big smile. “Ma’am, this looks like a feast. Thank you for going to the trouble of fixing us all food.” He kicked Trap hard under the table.
Trap looked up, blinking as if coming out of a fog. Wyatt wanted to laugh. Trap’s mind was far from their dinner, already trying to solve the puzzle of how to get them safely in and out of the laboratory without bloodshed or raising an alarm.
“Yes,” he murmured, clearly unsure of what he was supposed to say or do. He actually looked a little helpless.
Wyatt covered his mouth and coughed. “Ginger isn’ eatin’ with us?”
“We’ve been trying to get her into a routine,” Pepper said. “Children do much better when they have a routine.”
“She’s right,” Trap said, “Statistically, routines actually provide children with the feeling of security as well as teaching them self-discipline.” He looked across the table at Pepper. “You’ve been with these children since they were born?”
She shook her head. “I was brought in when they were around three months old.”
“Were they already exhibiting signs of superior intelligence?” Trap asked eagerly.
Pepper nodded slowly. “I think that’s one of the reasons they brought me in to help. They were already communicating with each other. That was very clear.”
“But not verbally. They wouldn’t have been developed enough to create actual words,” Trap continued.
Draden sighed. “At least put food on your plate, Trap,” he encouraged. “You need to keep the fuel up, remember? We had a long talk about why a person needs to eat nutritiously. You took my bag of chips away and gave me a twenty-minute lecture.”
“I can assure you, Trap,” Nonny said. “That fish stew is very nutritious.”
Trap ladled a large helping into his bowl, frowning a little. “That would entirely depend on the fish and whether or not it was exposed to any kind of pollution. Since the hurricane…”
“Trap.” Draden shoved a piece of fresh warm bread into the man’s mouth. “Don’t talk anymore. Just eat.”
Trap chewed thoughtfully for a few minutes and then looked up at Nonny. “Ma’am. Apparently I’m not good at conversation, so I apologize ahead of time for any mistakes I make.”
Wyatt was proud of his sincerity. As a rule, Trap could care less if he hurt someone’s feelings. He didn’t notice.
Trap started to pick up his coffee mug. Pepper made a single sound, a low, long hiss escaping between her small white teeth. Her dark eyes radiated a diamond-colored starburst as she looked at the man. Trap cautiously removed his hand from the mug, and looked across the table at Pepper.
Malichai grinned at Ezekiel. “Better think twice, Trap. She might of really done it.” He winked at Pepper.
Instead of laughing with the others, Trap leaned toward Pepper, his face carved so only his eyes were alive with curiosity. “Do you really have the ability to spit venom? Can the babies? I can’t wait to get them in the lab and examine their teeth and mouths. I’ll have to look at you too. Do you know if you’re their biological mother?”
There was a silence. Pepper continued to stare at Trap. Wyatt felt her instant fury, although she looked sweet and innocent, her smile alluring. He felt the sudden electrical charge building between the two. He stood up so fast his chair fell over, breaking that swelling charge.