Page 23 of Freedom Mine
Alli eased away from the door, shocked by what she’d heard. Kayo opened the door too fast for her to sneak back to the kitchen. He frowned but said nothing about her eavesdropping.
“Come with me, Blue.”
She followed him down the porch steps, to stand in front of a large group of men. Each man, except one—Runner she guessed given his lean form—had layers of corded muscles, each man larger than the last.
She had thought only six or seven lived here. Excluding Kayo and Jace, she counted eleven. Two were dressed in hunting gear, five wore long sleeves and pants tucked into rubber boots that reached their knees, and the others were only wearing pants or towels around their waists. When an owner calls a meeting, all slaves dropped what they’re doing and showed up, no matter what.
“I’m not going to waste time repeating what Jace has already told you. Work hard, or you know what will happen,” Kayo said, his face drawn. None of the men said a word.
“That’s it?” Jace said. “Hell of a speech, Kayo.”
“What do you want me to say? They know the situation. If we don’t produce, the creditors come for them.” Kayo stepped back behind Alli so the men could see her. “This is Blue. Starting tomorrow, she’ll be tending to your needs during the day up at the shack.”
Kayo brushed passed her, avoiding looking at her. Most of the group of men followed him to the trail that led to the mine. The rest meandered about the compound. A few looked her way, including one who grabbed his crotch and thrust his hips forward.
Alli ran inside the house, up to the attic where she shut the door and sank to the floor. She’d been a fool to believe anything Kayo had said. Somehow she’d angered him yesterday and now he was punishing her, giving her a job on her back. He’d lied about everything. This wasn’t freedom. Different owner, same fate, except she could escape Kayo. Tonight, she’d find her way to Garitt.
* * *
KAYO
The heavy rains had forced him to evacuate the mine. While the adits took care of most of the rainwater that seeped into the tunnels, the mountain was prone to mudslides. The men had a rare day off, and Kayo busied himself making repairs to the landglider.
When he found the bottle stashed under the pilot’s seat, he sat back and watched the rain for a few hours. If he left the glider too early, someone would flag him down with another question or problem.
Jace had told him, twice, that Ranth wanted to see him, but Kayo didn’t want to hear anything Ranth would say about Blue. Ranth was a good man, and Kayo certainly had no right to be jealous of him. If Ranth wanted Blue and she wanted him, then so be it, but the bastard better be good to her, that’s all he had to say.
Kayo would eventually get it through his thick head that Blue wasn’t his, and could never be, not as long as he owned her. Not that it mattered anyway. She didn’t care about him. Then why did it irritate him that she favored Ranth?
When he finished the bottle, Kayo headed into the house. He wouldn’t be intimidated by one small woman who’d only been in his life for four days.
One small, curvy woman who smelled sweet, and fit so perfectly against him when she’d run to him. She’d run tohim, not Ranth. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
Kayo had known she was special from the moment she had met his eyes at the auction house. She hadn’t let her past poison her soul, as he had. He’d never asked for this property or the responsibility. What if he left it all behind? Would she go with him? She couldn’t. She needed her freedom, shedeservedher freedom. They all did, and he couldn’t leave until he’d fulfilled his promise.
“Blue?” he called out as he entered the house. No answer. He checked the kitchen, not missing how she’d cleaned it without him asking. He checked the other rooms on the first floor.
When he opened his bedroom, her scent caught him. She’d been in his room. Had she been waiting for him again, wrapped only in a bedsheet? That stirred his cock. He’d love to see her wrapped in nothing but his sheet again, but only if she wanted it.
That was the problem, figuring out what she wanted. How could he know if she responded to him in earnest or because the slave in her thought she had no choice but to do whatever he wanted?
Kayo reached for the bottle on his nightstand, only to find the stand empty. As he surveyed his room, he noticed it sparkled as much as the kitchen. He reached under his bed, but his hand came up dry. No bottles, dirty clothes, or even dust-balls. He didn’t know why that surprised him, but it did.
He stopped by his office next, only to find the room just as immaculate—and just as void of alcohol. His sense of amusement vanished.
“Blue!” he yelled up the stairs.
Still no answer. Damn, she was out, probably taking shelter with Ranth in the stables. In Ranth’sroomat the stables. . .
He needed a drink.
Kayo searched the kitchen, the basement, even the root cellar. Had she gotten rid of all of his bottles? And where had she hidden them? The only place he hadn’t searched was her room. He bounded up the steps and shoved the attic door open.
Blue swung around, eyes wide and body tense.
He’d scared her. Hells, he was good at little else it seemed. But she shouldn’t have taken his brandy. He deserved a drink. If he had to watch her and Ranth carrying on, then at least she could leave him his drink.
“Where is it?” he demanded.
