Page 32 of Auctioned to the Convicts
“I most certainly can. Without even breaking a sweat.”
“You’d do that to the doctor who just saved your life?”
His sha’vi looked horrified, and the longer he took to answer, the more she withdrew from him. From the way she pulled her arms in tight to her chest and covered her mouth, it became clear that any show of brute force to get rid of the males here would only work against him. And he did owe the doctor. Even the hazel-eyed man, Sersie. They’d helped him, and despite what his squad thought of him, Ky’Li was a man of honor. He needed his sha’vi to see that in him, to feel it.
“I have no wish to remove or harm them, but I will not risk you.” There, he said words he could live by, words she could not fault him for.
Except her frown deepened.
“I don’t think I can stay with you.” She reached for the door handle.
He put his hand on the door keeping it closed. Her eyes widened.
Krike!He would not make her nervous or regret giving her name to him.
“Are you going to force me, Ky’Li? I know Dresden says it’s your right, but I’d hope for more from you. With you.”
Krike, krike, krike! How could she even think that? “You’re mine, Hannah. Make no mistake about that, but I won’t force you. I’ll never do anything to hurt you.”
“Then let me go. Please.”
Despite his instincts telling him not to open that door, to keep her with him where she’d be safe, Ky’Li opened the door and stepped aside to let her pass.
As she left, she stopped, turned back to him, pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. She left without another word. It was a goodbye.
But for how long?
“Do what you need to do, sha’vi,” he whispered after her. “I will be here, waiting for you.”
And he’d be listening through the paper-thin walls, to make sure no one touched her.
Chapter Eight
HANNAH
What was she doing leaving Ky’Li like that just to find Renzel? It felt like she was betraying Ky, but letting the situation between her and Renzel fester would affect all of them. She’d seen it, she’dlivedit when Holden had been assigned to live with her mom, Jarret, and Lachlan, her biological father. The Company had promised an increase in monthly credits for each family that had three males.
Neither of her dads had been thrilled at first, though the credits were needed. Amelia’s health had never been good. In the end, the extra credits never really made a difference, but the lasting effects of having a third dad, one that never got along with the others, resulted in constant fighting.
Would Renzel accept the situation in time as Jarret and Lachlan had? This was different. His anger, his resentment, was about losing his credits, his freedom. The engineer hated her without even giving her or this unit a chance.
Regardless, whether Renzel approved or not, they were a unit. She needed to broker a truce. It wouldn’t take much for Ky’Li to seriously damage Renzel, kill him even, and that would give him Level 5 status, not to mention Renzel would be dead.
Hannah knocked on the door of the middle bedroom where she had slept last night before Ky had taken over Renzel’s room. That was another thing she’d have to work on, this idea that Ky could take and do as he pleased. He felt entitled to her and to whatever he wanted, starting with Renzel’s bedroom. Maybe tomorrow she could convince Ky to return the room to Renzel.
Sadly, Ky was right about one thing. This wasn’t a family and despite how much she missed her own, she had to face the facts. She was part of a unit with four men who had not come together willingly. Making this unit cohesive, eliminating or at least reducing the strife would take time. Even then, they might neverbea family.
When no one answered her knock, Hannah took a deep breath and eased the door open. Sersie was on the floor, struggling to rise. She rushed over to help him. His brow was sweaty and his eyes glossy.
“H-annah. So pretty. Just like her.”
“Just like who?” she asked as she guided him to the bed. The man was shaking, and his hazel eyes were dulled.
“Rissa,” he said as he collapsed onto the bed. “I was Level 1.”
“We all were Level 1 at one point.” She didn’t know what he was trying to say, but he was clearly sick. “Vaughn?” she called out.
No answer. Damn.
