Wicked Ties (The Tether Trilogy Book 2)

I order two cheeseburgers and Cokes from Bad Daddy’s menu.

When the Cokes arrive, Caz eyes his glass suspiciously. “This stuff is poisoned. There are too many bubbles.”

I reach for a cheese fry from the appetizer basket, shaking my head. “No. It’s just carbonated water, sugar, and some other shit that isn’t good for you but tastes amazing.”

His frown fades as he brings the rim of the glass to his lips and takes a sip. His nose scrunches as he spits the sip back into the glass and sets it on the table again. “Willow, what the hell is this? Why does it sizzle in my mouth so much? How am I supposed to drink it like that?”

I nearly choke on my fry as he shoves the drink away. “How about a sweet tea instead?” I offer.

“I’ll take anything better than this.”

I flag the waiter down, request a tea, and he brings it back to the table moments later. Caz takes a sip of the sweet tea, his eyes expanding and his pupils dilating.

“This is tea?” he asks after another gulp.

“Yes…with lots of sugar.”

“What’s sugar?”

“A sweetener.”

“Oh. Like the grinds of our sweet stalks?” he asks, eyes lighting up.

I look him in the eye and nod, though I have no idea what a sweet stalk is. “Sure, that.”

Pleased, Caz takes another big gulp, and the waiter pops over to refill his drink. Moments later, our burgers arrive, and Caz looks down at them, still skeptical.

“It’s a burger,” I tell him. “Trust me, you’ll love it. Try it.” I pick mine up and bring it to my mouth, taking a huge bite. Caz watches me, head cocked, before picking up his burger as well and biting a chunk out of it. He chews, and I swear his eyes turn to puddles as they widen.

“Shit,” he says, mouth full.

“Good, right?”

“Very good. We don’t have anything like this in Vakeeli.”

“It’s pretty easy to make. They also have vegan options. I’m sure I could make some there if I had the proper ingredients.” I say all of this, but Caz is biting into his burger repeatedly. He finishes it within four big bites, gulps down more sweet tea, then belches.

“Another,” he gasps, and I smile, waving the waiter down again.