Page 15 of Protected By the Convicts
“They’ll make him beg like a dog,” Ren added. “Until he can’t take it anymore and he ODs or ends it.”
“Where is Sersie?” Ky’Li asked.
Ren, Vaughn, and Hannah all turned around. The front door was wide open; Sersie had fled.
* * *
REN
“You’re staying here,” Ky’Li said without raising his voice as he blocked Hannah from leaving the house.
Ren needed to take lessons from the overgrown ape. He needed to learn how to be firm, say things in a way that made others listen instead of screaming at them, as he’d done to Hannah.
His gut hurt every time he thought of his poor ship. . . and Hannah. All those horrible things he’d said to her, how he’d threatened her with a metal rod. He didn’t even recall picking it up. It was a brace supporting the aft section of his ship, at least it had been when he’d welded it in place.
Hannah now held that same rod in her hand, intending to damage a beast three times her size and hundreds of pounds heavier. That fierce expression, that raw determination on her face, almost had Ren believing she could do it too.
“He’s out there with some tiger—”
“A kuvak,” Ren interrupted her. “Which is why Ky’Li is right. You’re staying here.”
“You don’t have any say over me, remember?”
“Oh, I remember all too well. Believe me, Princess, I’d like to forget everything about this whole damn day.”
“Why, Ren, you finally learned how to speak without using the word fucking,” she said rather tauntingly.
“Touché, Princess.” He approached her from behind, placing a hand on her arm to pull her away from Ky’Li who stood at the door, arms crossed over his chest, a door more impenetrable than the wooden one Ren had built behind him.
She startled at Ren’s touch. He’d done a lot of damage tonight, more than to his house and security system. “Let Ky’Li go with the peace of mind that you’ll stay here where it’s safe. Ky’Li is a hunter, you aren’t.”
“Vaughn’s not—”
“Vaughn’s familiar with the kuvak from his time on Markell. He knows what he’s doing.”
Hannah turned to Ky’Li. A silent exchanged passed between the two, but Ren understood. The mistrust in the soldier’s eyes said enough; he was reluctant to leave her alone with him as she was to stay. He couldn’t blame either one of them.
“I promise. I’m calm. I won’t lose my shit again,” Ren added.
“So much for progress,” she said, trying to laugh, to relieve the tension. “Sorry. It’s just easier than worrying about Sersie. Go, Ky. I’ll be fine.”
Ky pressed his forehead to hers, spoke some words in his native tongue, and then disappeared down the path and out the front gate where Vaughn waited for him.
“Why does he do that? Put his forehead against yours?”
“I’m not sure, but I like it.” She looked at Ren and frowned. “But only from Ky.”
“You’ve always trusted him.”
“I trusted all of you.”
“Trusted. . . past tense. I’ve fucked things up again, haven’t I, Hannah?”
“And we’re back to Hannah now.”
Ren thrust his hand through his hair as he turned his back on her. “Fuck, this is hard.”
“What? Living in a house with other people who believe in you, who want to befriend you, or dealing with me, Ren. Because it seems no matter what I do, you always doubt me.”
