Page 105 of The Mentor
“She doesn’t know that I’m here.”
“Why the hell not?” he asked with a deep frown.
I shrugged, unwilling to share the details of our complicated relationship. “It’s better that way,” I stated firmly and felt another stab in my gut at the thought of the expression on Kya’s face when I returned with Lori Ann as my wife.
Would Kya understand that she hadn’t given me a choice?
“Don’t worry about Kya,” Khan said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Why do you think I chose Finn to be her protector? He’s good with women and he’ll distract her.” The grin on his face told us what kind of distraction he was thinking of.
Closing my hands into fists, I was just about to say something but Magni was quicker.
“You’re forgetting that Finn is leaving for the Motherlands next week.”
“That’s right.” Khan pointed to me. “Which reminds me, that while Finn is gone, I’m making you responsible for Kya’s protection.”
“Me?” I frowned.
“As long as she stays on the Island it shouldn’t be much of a task for you.”
Knowing how awkward it would be between Kya and me, I wanted to ask why Boulder couldn’t do it, but questioning Khan’s orders was never wise and refusing to protect Kya would only make them suspicious.
There was only one thing to do. I needed to stop thinking of Kya or I would develop a fucking ulcer before the weekend was over.
Only a fool would walk away from a million dollars and the chance to marry a beautiful young woman like Lori Ann. I had to think about my future!
Tilting my head back, I emptied the last of my large glass of beer, predicting I’d need a lot of alcohol to get through this and forget about Kya.
CHAPTER 28
The Winner
Kya
Christina used a singsong voice when she exclaimed: “I had to call you and tell you the good news: Khan signed the paper, and Boulder and I are now officially the parents of Raven.”
“That’s great!” I said in a high-pitched voice of happiness.
“I just spoke to him and he’s out celebrating with the boys. He’s going to be home later tonight, and then tomorrow we’ll tell Raven the good news.”
“She’s going to be so excited,” I said. “But remember there might also be a reaction to her mother’s giving her up.”
“You’re right.” The smile on Christina’s face, hovering above my wristband, faltered. “You’re going to help me, right? I don’t have your expertise in matters like this.”
“Of course I’ll help you, you know how much I love Raven.”
“Oh, I just wish that Boulder would hurry home from that tournament.”
“He’s at a tournament?”
“Yes, but only because Khan had to conduct the marriage ceremony. Boulder knows I detest those tournaments. I’ve told him I won’t have anything to do with it, so he doesn’t even bring up the subject anymore. I’m still traumatized from what they did to me.”
“But at least you ended up being happy,” I reminded her.
“I know, and I promised Boulder that I wouldn’t be mad at Archer for taking part in it. I get that it’s their culture and that he has a chance to win a million dollars and start his own family. I just feel that it’s a primitive way of getting a wife.”
I was cleaning my room while we were talking, and moved a stack of books. “Don’t worry about it, Archer has moved on from that thing. It’s history now.”
“No, I’m not talking about the thing that happened atmytournament, I was talking aboutthistournament.”
