Page 13 of Room Nine: Masters of Control

“Security system?”

Kyra nods. “Homemade. It’s hooked up to a wireless power switch which turns on and off with a press of a button.”

“Smart.”

She shrugs. “I have my moments.”

We enter her apartment, and I grab her forearm gently, pulling her beside me. “Humor me and stay close until we’ve checked every nook and cranny. Okay?”

Kyra rolls her eyes again, something I suspect she will do a lot with me, and sighs. “Okay.”

“Walk me through your place.”

“There’s not much to it. The bedroom and bathroom are back there, and from here you see my living room, kitchen, and dining room. The Taj Mahal, I know, so try not to get lost.”

I lean over and check behind the kitchen island which also functions as her dining table, to ensure no one is lurking under the cabinets. Opening and then closing the small closet near the door, we walk together around the couch and into the bathroom where the shower curtain is pulled back. Last, we check her bedroom, where I look in the closet with the dual sliding doors.

I kneel to check under the bed when Kyra squeaks, “Don’t look under there.”

“Why? Am I going to find a giant dildo?” I grin at her.

Fuck, I’m at the perfect height to bury my face into her pussy. Fucking bro rules ruining all my fun!

“Why? Are you looking to be pegged?” she comes right back at me, matching my sarcasm with her intoxicating sass.

I stand up to my full height, towering over her, and look into soft blue eyes close to my color. “Oh no, Kitten. I only pitch, never catch.”

She licks her lips, staring up at me with a look that dares me to kiss her. “What now?”

God damn, I want her.

I take a step back, effectively backing down from her challenge. “Show me your security system.”

The muscle between her eyebrows tightens to match her frown. “Okay.”

For the next ten minutes she shows me the locks on her windows, the bullhorn attached to a siren connected to wires attached to the front door, and last, her Glock 23 with an extended magazine she has tucked under the bed right next to a box of sex toys. She also has a stun gun hanging from a hook near her pillow.

All of this impresses me, but it also angers me. I love a smart woman who is prepared for almost anything. I’d love to tumble around with her on a mat and teach her a few new moves—and in this case, I mean that in a non-sexual way. But knowing she had to do this to make herself feel safe after being attacked in the past makes me want to gut a muthafucker.

I wonder if she’d tell me who he was. He could not breathe anymore. I wouldn’t lose a second of sleep over it.

“This is fantastic, Kyra, but what do you do to protect yourself when you leave the house?”

She sighs, plopping down on a couch that has seen better days. “My most vulnerable is anytime I leave my apartment or car. I know this. Outside of being vigilant, looking both way before I walk across a parking lot and having my keys in my hand—” she flashes me a self-defense keychain shaped like a cat face, “—I don’t know what else to do. I can’t stop living my life. I refuse to become a shut-in.”

I sit down next to her, throwing my arm around behind her shoulder on the top of the cushion. “We know you can take care of yourself, but we can’t in good conscience leave you to the wolves. How hard are you going to fight our protection?”

“What kind of protection are you talking about, Kerr?”

“Bare minimum, we’ll watch over you until we secure Bobby. Give us a couple days to clean up the mess you made—” I give her a pointed look, “—and get new orders regarding Lash. We’ll either secure him for the Feds, or we’ll get rid of him. Either way, he’ll never mess with you again. Don’t make our job of watching over you hard.”

Kyra crosses her legs, her foot brushing up against my calf. “How do I make itnothard?”

“Well—” I glance down as she slides her hand onto my knee. My cock immediately jumps to life in my pants with this one simple touch. “What are you doing?”

She smiles, swinging her leg on top of my thigh. “If you’re hinting you need to stay the night to protect me, you might as well climb on top and keep me covered.”

“Oh fuck,” I groan, pushing her leg off mine to stand up.

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