Page 151 of The Genius
Solomon stopped talking when the kitchen door was flung open and Willow stood in the doorway with Raven and Hunter right behind her.
Willow was tall for a Motlander woman. She looked straight at Solomon with her green eyes darker than usual. For a long second they just stared at each other.
“I’m taking a shower and then we’ll talk.” It wasn’t a question but an order, and Solomon blinked his eyes and parted his lips with a look of surprise.
“You should both eat first,” Archer suggested.
Willow ignored him. Her gaze was burning with intensity and locked with Solomon’s. As if a time bomb was ticking, I was waiting for an argument to explode with apologies, tears, loud voices, and accusations. Instead we all stood caught in a silent exhibition of raw emotions accompanied by loaded tension from unsaid things.
Solomon finally cleared his throat. “I’m ready to talk when you are.”
“Meet me by the lake in twenty minutes.”
Hunter pushed his way forward, grabbing Willow’s arm. “You’re not going anywhere withhim.”
Jerking her hand back, Willow ignored Hunter’s comment, gave Solomon a last hard stare, and walked away.
“Be there,” she said over her shoulder before the door to the shower room closed behind her.
“Hey, Raven,” Archer called out.
“Yeah.” Like Willow, Raven was wearing only a swimsuit. Her towel wasn’t wrapped around her body but hung across her shoulder.
“Make sure Willow eats after the shower.”
Raven’s eyes fell on Solomon. “My guess is that she’s lost her appetite.”
“I don’t care. Make sure she eats.” Archer’s order was clear, and then he turned to Solomon. “Don’t even think about touching her or asking her to go anywhere with you. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Hunter stepped closer. “This is not one of those gray area things. If you touch her you’re dead. Magni gave me his word that you wouldn’t touch her and that he’d let me kill you if you do.”
Solomon’s face tightened. “You really hate me, huh?”
“You stole my sister andyou fucking hurt her.” The four last words came out as a hiss, Hunter filling up the entire doorway and looking large and intimidating.
“I won’t hurt her again.” Solomon reached for an apple and a bun. “I’ll go to the lake and wait for her. “
At first Hunter didn’t move from the doorway.
“What are you going to do? Trap me in this kitchen forever?” Solomon waited for three seconds and all the time I held my breath hoping that he wouldn’t physically push his way out. Hunter’s behavior was an invitation to a fight.
Luckily Solomon didn’t take the bait. “Would you mind moving so I can get out?” he asked in a calm voice.
Archer and I exchanged a glance, aware that Hunter had put both men in a predicament. If Hunter backed down and moved it would be a win for Solomon. They were both proud men, and we needed to intervene before Solomon had no other choice than to push Hunter out of the way.
“Hunter, can you put this on the breakfast buffet?” I asked and handed him a breadbasket.
It worked. With a last cold stare at Solomon, Hunter took the bread and moved to the side.
Solo stepped through the doorway and had only taken a few steps toward the exit of the school when Hunter’s words made him stop cold.
“Willow is with Tristan now.”
None of us saw Solomon’s expression because he had his back to us, but from the way his shoulders tensed up it was clear that he’d understood.
“That’s right, the two are in love, so keep your fucking distance.”
