Page 21 of The Crownless King
“Because your aggravating ass keeps trying to leave this estate. You think I don’t feel you poking at my damn shields? What did you expect when I caught you climbing the fucking fence?”
“It’s been almost two weeks! I can’t just miss work. I’ve told your men that.”
Two weeks.
Gods, he’d lost track of time that badly? A sliver of fear sliced through him and for a moment, Levi was speechless…helpless, which fed into the anger and confusion. He was losing his grip on reality more by the day. He tried to reconcile the conversation he’d just had with Lucas and Sebastian with her revelation. Surely that exchange had taken place this morning? So, then…wait.
No.
That’s not right. He looked down and saw that he was dressed for work, so that means the conversation happened…
When?
Something like panic tried to take over his mind, but he squashed it.
“Hello!” Amaya snapped her fingers in his face. “When can I go to work?”
Shaking away the tumultuous thoughts, Levi gave her his attention. “What part of danger aren’t you understanding, shawty?”
“There is only one danger I see here and it’s a selfish vampire going mad from playing with power he can’t handle.”
Incandescent rage filled him and the tray he held flew from his hand, slamming into the wall down the hallway. Amaya flinched but she stood her ground. Dipping his head, Levi breathed through his nose and tried to control himself. She raised her hand, but lowered it before she touched him. Instead, small probes of her magic cautiously moved through his mind and the fog of anger dissipated. The weight on his chest preventing easy breaths was lifted.
Still…
She’d pissed him off.
“Fine. Then if you can’t eat with me, you’ll starve.” He turned and left her door.
She sucked her teeth and leaned out of the doorway. “We weren’t even talking about that. Keep up, King!”
“Kiss my ass, Amaya,” he said.
She slammed the door and he blew out an impatient breath. Instead of heading back downstairs to eat, he turned to Ms. Anita’s room. He usually had someone escort her down to dinner when she was up to it. Unlike her sickening ass daughter, the older woman had a valid reason for missing dinner with the rest of the house. He knocked gently and waited. Anita’s soft voice told him to enter.
There was a maid in there, braiding the woman’s long hair. A simple maxi dress covered Anita’s thin frame, the jade color beautiful against her skin. His instructions for the older woman had been carried out as well. Lucas had cleared out Anita’s closet, bringing her clothes that were familiar. Levi hoped it would keep her calm and less agitated.
Scanning the older woman’s features, it was obvious that Amaya looked just like her mother. It told Levi how beautifully she would age. Anita turned at his entrance and gave him a chiding look that told him tonight was a lucid one. The high cheekbones that were softer on her daughter’s more rounded face gave Anita a regal look that made her expression more piercing as her dark eyes assessed him. There was more of a…knowing in her gaze than the last time he’d visited her.
When had that been?
As though she knew the direction of his thoughts, empathy filled Anita’s gaze, and if anyone understood what he was going through, it was her. It was the reason he found himself in the older woman’s room some evenings before he went to work.
Their shared battle had forged a bond that hadn’t taken blood. The urge to apologize for her and her daughter’s current circumstance hit him and he bit his bottom lip to quell it. Levi dismissed the maid and the female ducked out quickly.
“How are you doing?”
Anita cocked her head before answering. “Ah,” she said after a moment.
He frowned because he didn’t know what that meant.
“My daughter is something of a rebel,” she said finally.
“She is stubborn,” he conceded.
“I guess it depends on what you’re trying to get her to do. She’s been caring for me for a while, though I’m ashamed to say I don’t know exactly how long.” Anita turned her eyes, a far off, distracted expression covering her face before it cleared and she shifted her gaze back to Levi. “That kind of pressure can make one hard.”
He nodded in understanding.
