Page 13 of Property of Fox

“Oh god, no. You can take the Master bedroom.”

“I can’t stay in your aunt’s room.”

“You can, and you will. The other two rooms on this floor are a painting studio and Aunt Lisa’s craft room, aka where half-finished craft projects go to gather dust and die,” she laughs. “Come on, I’ll show you where it is, and then we can go down and get our stuff out of the car before I head into town to grab some groceries while you settle in.”

“Lead the way.”

Keira steps out of the room with purpose, her energy infectious as she guides me down the hall. My thoughts swirluninvited, grappling with my past and the fear of what might be lurking around corners. I catch a glimpse of the framed photographs lining the walls. Keira in pigtails, arms thrown wide in excitement, her aunt with an arm around her shoulder, both laughing into the camera.

“Here it is!” Keira announces as we reach the end of the corridor. She swings open the door to a spacious room painted in soothing earth tones. The large bed beckons from one corner, draped in a quilt that looks as though it has been lovingly patched over decades. An expansive bookshelf lines one wall filled with a hodgepodge of books, everything from gardening manuals to steamy romances.

“This is nice,” I concede, taking a step inside and rubbing my thumb along the edge of the quilt almost absently.

“Told you you’d like this room better. There’s an attached bathroom over there,” she points towards a door to my left. “Over there is the door to the balcony, but that thing was rickety when I was here the last time, and I doubt my aunt has had any work done to it so step at your own risk.”

“Stay off the balcony, noted.”

“Alright, let’s go down and grab our stuff. I know I am tired from the drive, and I know you have to be since you didn’t sleep. You can get the trip washed off you while I grab groceries and whip up a quick dinner before we both pass out.”

I force a smile, but something deeper churns within me, a whirlwind of apprehension that I can’t quite place. “Sounds good,” I agree, not wanting to disrupt the light mood hanging in the air like a cherished secret.

We retrace our steps down the hallway and into the foyer. Keira bursts through the front door, and I follow close behind, lost in thoughts of what lies ahead. The car sits quiet in the driveway, its metallic exterior reflecting the fading light.

I bend down to pop open the trunk while Keira scurries around to her side. She pulls out oversized bags filled with clothes and essentials.

“Not everything is as bad as you think, B. Trust me,” she says as she hefts a bag over her shoulder with an ease.

“Yeah? Then why do I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Because you’re too used to looking over your shoulder,” she replies softly, taking a step closer as if her presence could shield me from the demons in my mind. “But this is different. We’re safe here.”

“Safe,” I repeat skeptically.

I can’t help but wonder if it will last.

FOX

I shift uncomfortablyin the too small airplane seat. It’s like airlines purposely shrink these fucking things to shove more of us on this flying tube of doom. Hallie bounces in the seat next to me, raising her hand to open up the air conditioner port above her head. She smiles when the baby gust of air trickles out of it.

“I fucking hate flying,” I grumble just before a little kid with his Bluey roller bag slams into my knee. I hiss at the pain.

“I’m so sorry,” the woman accompanying him offers as she passes me.

“It’s fine,” I force out, trying my best not to come off like an asshole to a little kid, but the ache in my knee is making it hard to stifle that back.

Hallie giggles in the seat next to me. “You okay over there?”

“What do you think?” I bark back at her. Az, from his window seat, glares at me for raising my voice to his fiancé.

“Chill out, bro,” Azrael says, his voice low but firm. I can see the tension in his jaw, a warning in those dark blue eyes.

“Chill? You think I can chill with my knee getting pulverized by every oversized bag that comes down this aisle?” I mutter under my breath, rubbing my throbbing joint for emphasis.

Hallie scoots closer. “I think you can at least keep your voice down before they kick us off this flight for being rowdy. It’s just a little kid.” She shoots me one of those charming smiles that somehow always gets me to simmer down. Besides, if I don’t cool it, she’ll probably unleash the wrath of Azrael on me too.

“Fine,” I grumble, crossing my arms like a sulking child, which is ironic given I just encountered one. “But the minute we land in Dallas if my knee’s still throbbing, I'm blaming both of you.”

Az rolls his eyes and looks back out the window as the plane begins its taxi along the runway. “Considering you’re one of the biggest pains in my ass, it’s only fair that you get to experience a little of what it feels like to be your boss and club president.”

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