Page 64 of Red

“You’re the third,” he answered in a clipped tone. He may not want to talk about it, but he wasn’t going to shut her out either. Another small step, but she would tread lightly.

“And what happened with them? You sold them?” Her voice caught on the last bit of her question. When she first met him, she could see it, could see the cold calculated way of asking a price and taking the cash. But he wasn’t that man now.

“One of them bought out her debts, the other—” He paused. “Yes. She was sold.”

“To whom?”

“A powerful man who didn’t want to waste time with courtship or marriage.” He stopped at a red light and faced her. Guilt twisted his lips. “He’s a safe man, Melinda. I made sure he wouldn’t hurt her, and she could have rejected him. I gave her the option to keep looking. But it was a step up from the hell she’d been living in, so she agreed. The men who had sold them to my uncle in the first place weren’t good men. They weren’t like your grandfather.”

“You’re sure she’s still safe? This man didn’t trick you?” The questions popped out before she could filter them. Erik wasn’t the sort of man who could be tricked.

“Ian’s made it his mission to track both of them down and assure himself they are safe—and happy,” Erik said.

“How?”

“That’s his business.” Erik accelerated when the light flipped green.

“Is Nico angry with you because of me?” Why not press for a little more information while he was willing to give it?

“No. He’s angry because, now that he has money, he wants to follow our uncle’s footsteps.”

Melinda’s throat clenched. She couldn’t imagine Nico in the room in the basement. Doing horrible things to girls? Enjoying it?

“I don’t know anything about your uncle or any of the things he was involved with, but I can’t picture Nico doing—” She couldn’t imagine Erik stalking into Grams’ house and taking her away, but he had done it. She shouldn’t forget how they ended up where they were.

“He wouldn’t. He’s young and stupid. He doesn’t understand what comes with the power he wants. He never really saw my uncle for what he was. Nico was too young to know. My mother sheltered him more.”

Melinda nodded. She didn’t understand it all, but she grasped enough to know Erik didn’t like the path his brother was taking. But would Erik be able to talk Nico away from it?

Erik parked in the attached garage. She took in the easy way he walked, the gentleness of his touch when he held her hand. This man wasn’t as scary as he looked—Azalea was right. No matter how angry he got with her, he would never harm her. She sensed it. The good inside of him would blossom now that he was finished with his uncle’s terms.

“I want to show you something.” Erik laced his fingers with hers once they were inside the house and had shed their coats.

The house was quiet as they walked down the hall to the sitting room next to his office. Erik glanced over his shoulder before opening the door. She saw a flicker of uncertainty. Whatever he was going to show her was important.

Erik flipped on the light once she stepped inside. An office. The room had been converted to an office. Books lined an entire wall. She stepped in, walking to the leather-bound books. They were her books.

“I don’t want you to feel like you need to leave your own home to find a comforting space to work.”

“From my apartment?” She traced the gold lettering on her collection of Edgar Allen Poe.

“Yes. I had anything related to your writing or reading brought in here. The last coat of varnish on the desk finally dried, so I brought it in this morning.” He ran his hand over the polished finish.

“You, you built this?” She asked, walking around the intricately designed desk. Stained in a dark cherry to match the bookshelves. The drawers were hand carved, with polished brass handles.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, running her hand over the carving. A wolf’s head, matching the medallion he wore.

“Will it do?” he asked with a hitch in his voice. Was he uncertain she’d like it? Moreover, did he want her to like it?

“I love it.” She grinned.

“I was putting some final touches on it. I thought just a desk and your books would keep you focused.” His put his hands on his hips.

She stared at him for a long moment, taking in the sweet severity of his features and the absolute strength of his personality. This man, this man who could crush her with one snap of his fingers, had spent the past week building a desk for her. He’d given her a room solely for her to work.

“Thank you,” she said softly, unable to face him any longer. He was breaching the distance between them. He wasn’t supposed to do that. He was supposed to stay on his side of the line, and she would live happily ever after on her side. Alone.

His hands slipped from his waist to his belt. “Melinda.”

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