Page 40 of Savage Desires

She blushes. "A bug-out bag."

"Smart," I say. "Maybe I should change my request…"

"You can have both," Kisten says, making me jump. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you…"

I wave him off. "Not your fault that I'm jumpy."

"Do you want a bug-out bag, beauty?"

I blush at his pet name for me. I love it but don't want anyone to get the wrong impression regarding our relationship. Not that we have a relationship. Lord, I'm a freakin' mess.

"It would help for when you let us leave," I say quietly.

"First of all, you're not captives here. I brought you here to rest and regroup. We were waiting until you were better before discussing your options. Secondly, I would never just send you out to fend for yourself."

I try to ignore that he's only looking at me when he says that last bit. I don't want to read into it, but it's next to impossible not to when he's looking at me with such conviction. I wish I could read his mind because his words feel like they have a deeper meaning when directed at me.

"Options?" I ask.

"Yes, options. If you ladies would like to have that talk now, we can. I was just coming to tell you that Gladys has snacks in the dining room for you."

I look at each woman and see equal parts fear and hope on their faces. I don't wait for them to decide what to do. I stand up and go to Kisten's side. That itchy feeling under my skin instantly fades the closer I get. He pulls me into his arms as soon as I'm within touching distance. I hear gasps behind me, but I don't care. I sink into him, soaking up the safety he offers.

"She works fast," Lucy fake whispers.

I hear a smacking sound, and I quickly turn to find Tabitha standing before Lucy, glaring. It's obvious that Tabitha just slapped her because she's holding her cheek with a shocked expression.

"Listen here, you little bitch, Willow and Kisten saved your fucking life. Willow almost died saving you from those guards in the woods. Show some goddamned respect." By the time she's done talking, her chest is heaving, and her face is red from anger.

"It's okay, Tabitha. She's not worth it," I say. "Let's go find out what our options are."

She storms past Lucy, shoulder-checking her as she goes. I bite down a chuckle at the indignant look Lucy gives her. I have a feeling that smack has been building up for days… maybe longer if they knew each other at Mecca. Unfortunately, Lucy is very slappable.

I expect Kisten to scold Tabitha for hitting her, but he doesn't say anything. When the others are gone, he presses a kiss to the top of my head. "You okay, beauty?"

"Yeah. Lucy is selfish and doesn't have any survival instinct to speak of. She was at the auction because she was a liability," I shrug. "She tried to get club members that weren't underground clients to help her the first time they had her scene on the main floor."

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Madame and one of the guards stepped in and smoothed things over. Lucy was punished and has only been allowed in private rooms since."

He shakes his head. "She also cries. A lot."

I giggle. "Yes. Even though our cells were pretty far apart, I could hear her crying all the time. It really grated on my nerves. I think that Tabitha was closer to her room."

"That explains a lot. Gladys says Lucy's been taking shots at everyone. She was very mad that we don't have internet here."

I roll my eyes. "I heard. Priorities."

He chuckles. "Yep."

"Come on, beauty. Let's get you a snack."

The dining room is much bigger than I expected. The whole house is bigger than average, though still homey. The table is big enough to seat at least twenty people. There are tables set up on both sides of the room for buffet-style serving. The women are crowded around one of those tables, filling their plates.

I pick up a plate, and Kisten takes it, raising his brow in a way that says, 'What are you going to do about it.' Nothing. Absolutely nothing. If I took the plate back, he would let me, but I like that he wants to take care of me. He won't be around forever, so I will soak up his caretaking while he's here.

"What do you want, beauty?"

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