Page 47 of Tainted

“Now what? Where are we going?” She asked.

“Whatever your mom wants to do for her birthday.”

Zara let her hair fall forward to shield her face, but I caught how her sultry brown eyes softened.

“That’s sweet, but you don’t have to do this, Kenyon. You barely know me and definitely don’t know her.”

“So, I’mKenyonagain?”

She smiled against her will, staring at the ground. But that’s all I wanted. If that meant celebrating her Mom’s birthday, so be it.

“I need to change first.”

“Why?”

“The wigs, makeup, and outfits are costumes. They bring the fantasy to life. It’s not me.”

“Does Zara Nicole know you’re out here telling her secrets?”

“Stop before I go back inside,” she playfully warned.

“I need to stop by my house. While I’m doing that, you can transform or whatever. Is that acceptable, Your Majesty?”

Shocked that she didn’t continue to fight me, I opened the passenger door before she changed her mind and peeled off.

Zara

I should’ve declined Kenyon’s offer, but I didn’t want to stroke egos tonight. I wondered if I’d ever get to celebrate another birthday with my Mom, which made me sad and angry, so I accepted Kenyon’s offer to escape.

I didn’t know part of his escape plan would lead me back to his home. I entered Kenyon’s world hungry for details that whispered secrets about the man who was an enigma to most.

“Do you want anything?” he asked, shutting the double doors because Kenyon Keyes couldn’t have just one.

I was too busy studying the living room to reply. A plush, charcoal gray sofa sat against one wall, bordered by bookshelves that boasted a mix of literature and an impressive collection of classic vinyl records. The books caught me by surprise. He didn’t look like the reading type, but I was already learning so much.

“Aye, keep them hands where I can see ‘em. You look like you’re up to no good taking inventory of shit to steal.”

I turned to him with a smirk. “Please, if I were planning to steal anything, you wouldn’t know until it was gone.”

He chuckled, arms crossed in a way that matched my stance. “Since you’re not clocking shit to steal. What are you doing?”

“Observing.”

He pushed off the doorway. “Being nosey and up to no good, like I said.” While I tried to keep my smile at bay. It was hard to do whenever I got around Kenyon. It was like I was no longer in control of my own damn face.

“I think you’re the one up to no good. I heard Kross. You paid him to let me off today. Nothing is free, so what’s in it for you?” I challenged.

“Being judged by aSmurf.” His hand lightly tugged at the blue wig I planned on wearing tonight.

Shaking off his sarcastic rebuttal, I trailed my fingers along the dark wood. I just knew I’d understand him better and what he was hoping to gain from saving me from a bad day. Unfortunately, I was even more clueless.

“I need to take this. It’s a spare room down the hallway, the first door on the left. Are you good?” I nodded, and he slid his phone from his pocket. “Cool. Start thinking about what you want to do, and don’t get sticky fingers while I’m gone.”

“Stealing is the least of your worries. Keep talking, and I’ll tear your shit up.” I threatened, but Kenyon didn’t waver. He just delivered his notorious grin laced with mischief.

“Be ready when I’m done.”

Now that I was in Kenyon Keyes's world, I wanted to tour every inch, hoping there were breadcrumbs to figure him out somewhere in the open floor plan. My curiosity guided me upstairs to the master suite. Much like the first level, there wasn't an ounce of a woman's touch. The absence of clichéd feminine artifacts scattered about was very telling.

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