Just as she was about to turn around to tiptoe out, she bumped into Scott who had sandwiches in a plate.
"Shh!" Katya shut him up with alarm in her eyes, pointing over her shoulder at Caspian.
Scott mimicked her expression and start backing out of the study only to crash into Roy behind him, who was equally sneaking away some food for Caspian when they should all be working.
The sound of ceramic tinkling roused Caspian, and he sleepily sat up to the sight of the three chefs standing in a weird conga line.
"Is something wrong?" He became alert when it registered that they were all there. "Is it lunch time already?"
"It’s not," Katya turned around, her bowl of fruits still impressively intact considering she nearly cracked the ceramic bowl against Scott’s plate.
"We just brought you food," She said vaguely.
Caspian frowned, "All three of you?"
That seemed to be the go ahead for all three of them to come in and drop off the dishes in their hands, standing a tad guiltily to the side like they were on a cooking show and Caspian was the judge.
"T-Thank you?" Caspian said uncertainly, still more than a little lost.
Katya beamed, "We’ll make you a different meal for lunch-"
"There’s no need," Caspian dissuaded her, already reaching for the cream covered fruits. "I’ll just eat the same as everyone else."
"We can’t allow that," Scott disapproved, his dissensions strong.
"It wouldn’t be proper if the meals we prepare for the boss, and you are not special." Roy chimed in.
It was Caspian against the three of them, and he had never seen Scott be so vehemently against something this much before.
"Fine," He grudgingly accepted. "If it isn’t lunch time yet, shouldn’t you all be-"
A loud crash in the kitchen interrupted his words about how the chefs should be in the kitchen and not here lecturing him about meals.
"....attending to that," He completed, when what sounded like a rain of pans and pots finally went silent.
Katya was the first out of the room, demanding to know what was wrong, and as Caspian ate, he kept his fingers crossed that no one would be getting a pan to their head.
He didn’t mind if the chefs insisted on preparing a completely different meal for them, but it did make him wonder if Asher even remembered to eat lunch.
He couldn’t trust Jael to be responsible because the Beta was just as bad when it came to meals.
Caspian was already reaching for his phone to call Asher, only to remember how busy Asher had been the last time the Alpha called him while he was at work.
He squashed the idea, he didn’t call Asher while he was at work for that very reason. He could take lunch to his Alpha and his second-in-command, but Asher seemed extra busy at the moment.
He could wait until he wasn’t as busy, then he would propose it to Asher...
This would be another great time to be able to drive.
It seemed like all he did was think about learning to drive but he never actually put in effort.
He had forgotten to cash in Asher’s promise to teach him to drive, and now the Alpha was too busy for him.
Jael eyed his scowling boss, whenever the men called him down to the club to keep an eye on Asher, he knew that it was because the Mafia King had become catatonic.
Davian had stationed men to secure the weapons, a move that was worryingly friendly even for a supplier.
But Asher had hinted that the other Mafia King owed him a favor of sorts, he didn’t know the details, but it had eased his worries about Mafia King Davian trying to sabotage their business relationship.
That meant that there was nothing of importance to be done, because the weapons would be delivered safely with Davian’s men on the job.
Asher’s shit mood made total sense but that didn’t make him any less dangerous and volatile.
"You could just call it an early day," Jael suggested with a wince, feeling a twinge of guilt for making Asher come in when he didn’t need to.
But it wasn’t like he knew about Davian’s plans to provide security, not to mention, Asher’s mood had already been fucked before they even left the mansion.
A cold glare was all the response he got, and Jael knew to shut the fuck up, reaching for some mints.
If Asher had noticed his painfully obvious lack of cigarettes, the Mafia King didn’t mention it.
"Want some mints?" He offered to Asher, struggling to keep his poker face intact.
Asher reaching for a gun made him raise his hands in a gesture of surrender. "You could have just said no," He added on a grumble.
Asher just sighed and leaned back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling.
He would like nothing more than to take up Jael’s offer and return to the mansion, but Caspian had seemed so excited by the responsibility he took on.
He wanted to give him space to do personal things, and maybe he was still a little salty that Caspian hadn’t even thought twice about running off and abandoning him.
Besides, it was just for the afternoon. He would be going home early today, and he would get to spend the rest of the evening with Caspian.
That thought was enough to improve his mood, the faint shadow of a smile on his face, one that was extinguished by the sound of Jael chewing.
He shot his second in command a dark look, "Can you munch on mints elsewhere?"
"Can’t leave until you’re no longer murderous," Jael explained generously, sinking deeper into the chair.
Watching the Beta exaggerate his gum-chewing was enough to make Asher feel murderous again, only that this time, there was only one person on his list.
"You’re just doing that to piss me off." He remarked in a dark voice.
Jael feigned ignorance, "What? Chewing gum? You want som-"
Jael was quick to cut himself off, when Asher reached for his gun away. Laughing outright at the look of pure frustration on Asher’s face.
It was going to be a long afternoon... For the Mafia King.