Page 16 of Cage

“You know what’s really good?” Rylan asks. “Adding some cherry flavoring added to the Sprite. It’s fucking delicious. You should try it.”

Ember’s eyes light up, and she sits a little taller. She looks Little, and something churns inside me.

“Do they do that here? Can I try it?” she asks.

Rylan nods and leans over the center console to talk past Koda to the cashier. As he does, Ember glares at me and crosses her arms over her chest.

Man, if she were mine, she’d be sitting on a red ass right now and Rylan would be roadkill.

Thank fuck she’s only a client.

When the food gets handed to Koda, I grab the bag and her soda, then go about unwrapping her burger. She watches me curiously but doesn’t say anything. I hold it out for her, pleased when she takes it and starts eating.

Us three guys wolf down an obscene amount of food while she eats at a snail’s pace. When she’s halfway through, she wraps the burger and shakes her head.

“Do you not like it?” I ask.

“My stomach hurts.”

Panic rushes through me. “What’s wrong? Do you need to vomit? Fuck. Koda, pull over.”

Ember reaches over and puts her hand on my forearm, instantly soothing me in a way I don’t expect.

“I’m fine. I think it’s because of everything that’s happening. I woke up this morning thinking I would go pick up my final transcripts and then take myself out for a celebratory piece of cake. Instead, my life is being threatened, I had to go on a stupid plane, and I’m now driving across the country with three men I don’t even know.”

Her eyes sparkle with tears. As soon as the first one falls, it guts me. I hadn’t considered how she must feel about all of this. Does she know what’s going on? Has her father told her anything at all? I need to do some research on the guy. I didn’t get a good feeling about him when we met, and I’m rarely wrong about these things. Reading social situations isn’t always the easiest for me but being able to tell if someone is trustworthy is something I excel at. And something tells me Ember’s father isn’t a man to put much faith into. His weak handshake was the first clue. The second was that he wouldn’t look me directly in the eye. He kept his gaze on my chin the entire time. A man who can’t look another man in the eye isn’t to be trusted in my book.

Without whether it’s the right thing to do or not, I use my thumb to swipe one of her tears away. She blinks several times as if I surprised her, but she doesn’t pull away.

“I know this is scary, firefly. I promise you’re safe with us. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

She looks up at me like she’s trying to decide if she can believe what I’m telling her. When she finally nods, I let out a deep exhale. I don’t know why it feels so important that she trusts me, but it does.

“You just finished college?”

“Yes.”

“What did you go to school for?”

Why the fuck do I care?

“I got a degree in English Lit.”

I quirk an eyebrow. “A politician’s kid, and you got a degree in Lit? Surprised your father was okay with that.”

A ghost of a smile spreads on her face. “He wasn’t happy about it. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. There’s no way in hell I’m stepping foot into that world, and he knew it, so he didn’t try to argue with me.”

“And what are you planning to do with that degree?”

Her expression sobers, and she sighs, not saying anything for several seconds. “I honestly don’t know. Everyone’s been asking me that for the past four years. My teachers, my father, his campaign manager, people who have no business asking, though they think they have the right since I’m a politician’s daughter. I should know exactly what I’m going to do, but I don’t.”

“It’s okay not to know.”

For the first time since I dragged her from her father’s car, she smiles at me. A real, genuine smile that makes my heart pound harder.

“Thanks,” she says quietly.

Giving her a nod, I hand over her soda and take the wrapped-up burger from her. “We’ll stop for more food in a bit. The Sprite will help settle your tummy.”

---