Page 44 of Darling Wildfire
“No. Not until you tell me what’s going on. I’m not going to just be locked in a house like one of your possessions—”
“It’s to keep you safe—”
“Fuck being safe, Theron!” She shouted. “I don’t even know what that means anymore! Maybe I can help! You know what I do for a living—”
“I know who you are but so do a lot of other dangerous people.”
“I thought you’d give me more credit than that after everything,” she said, her voice shaking. “I can take care of myself.”
“But you shouldn’t have to!” I said, my own temper rising. “This is my problem. I never expected you to come into my life—”
“Oh, so you regret meeting me? Do you regretbuyingme? Do you wish I was a fucking sex slave you could just lock up somewhere because sometimes that’s how I think you still fucking see me!”
I took a step towards her. “I don’t regret meeting you—”
“Then tell me what the fuck is going on!”
“Enough!” I shouted. “I want you to listen very carefully—I do not regret meeting you and I certainly don’t regret buying you. That was the best money I ever spent—I don’t see you as a sex slave, I had respect for you even when I thought you were only that. You dug under my skin with your tenacity and fire, and the strength you possess is staggering. You make me feel things I have no idea what to do with because I’ve been so wrapped up in my own shit for the last decade that I have no clue what I’m going to do once it’s over or if there will even be anything left—”
“North,” Nyx said from behind me.
“I didn’t expect to have to deal with you and Graham—”
“North,” Nyx said again.
“What?” I whirled on him angrily.
“Lachlan was just shot—” I heard Kaelin gasp. “—they’re rushinghim to the house now, Doc’s on his way there.”
“Fuck!” I roared.
I turned back to Kaelin but there was a grim look on her face and she crossed her arms over her chest. She’d closed me out again.
“You should go,” she said. “Sounds like you have a lot going on.”
I growled in frustration and with one last look at her; I stalked towards the door.
“Nyx, leave Viktor and Kon here—come with me.” I hesitated at the door and turned back to see her lower lip tremble even as anger sparked in her eyes.
She had to watch me leave, again.
“I meant what I said. I care about you and would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line and I wished I could say something to erase the hurt in her eyes.
“I don’t know if that’s enough,” she whispered, then turned and disappeared deeper into her house.
19
ATLAS
We’d been going non-stop the last few days, and I was starting to feel the fatigue.
Then this morning, I’d received a text from Lachlan letting me know Knox and Sakari hadn’t checked in, so it was assumed they’d been taken too. It was to be expected but it still sucked. I was headed back to Alpha One, looking forward to a quick beer and maybe some time with Nyx if I could get him away from Kaelin duty, when my phone rang.
“There was an explosion atNorTac!” Lachlan yelled over the phone.
I could hear his bike in the background as he raced down the road.
