Maddie waves a hand. “Go ahead. I’m sure uh…Wrath and I will be just fine,” she says with a grin. The back of Finn’s neck and his cheeks are now stained the same red as his ears, and he is concentrating on his onions as if they are the only things that exist.
I lead Kayla out of the kitchen and down the hall until I find an out of the way corner where we won’t be interrupted.
“Has Dragon or anyone talked to you yet?” I ask once we’re alone.
Kayla shakes her head. “Dragon just said I needed to stay here for my safety. He didn’t elaborate, and honestly, I was too exhausted to push.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “What’s going on, Roman?”
I weigh my options for a moment, considering how much to tell her, but I’m done keeping Kayla in the dark. That’s what got us into this mess in the first place.
“The man who broke into your house was a hired thug,” I say, watching her face closely. “He was paid five thousand in cash to kill you and make it look like a burglary gone bad.”
Kayla’s eyes widen, her face draining of color. “Who would…?” she starts, then seems to answer her own question. “Naomi.”
I nod grimly. “That’s what we believe, yes.”
“But why?” she asks, her voice small. “Why now, after all this time?”
“We’re not completely sure,” I admit, running a hand through my hair. “Maybe because I rejected her for you. Maybe to punish me for leaving the Rejects. Or maybe…” I hesitate, not wanting to terrify her more than necessary, but knowing she deserves the truth. “Maybe because she’s been escalating her criminal activities, and she sees you as a loose end that needs tying up.”
Kayla wraps her arms tighter around herself, looking suddenly very vulnerable. “So I’m not safe. Not at my house. Not anywhere.”
“You’re safe here,” I tell her firmly. “On the compound, with me, with Dragon’s men. We’ll keep you protected.”
Her eyes meet mine, fear and something else swirling in their depths. “For how long, Roman? How long do I have to hide?”
“Just until we deal with Naomi,” I say, the words coming out harsher than I intended. The thought of anyone threatening Kayla makes rage bubble up inside me, hot and dangerous.
She’s still looking at me, searching my face for something. Without thinking, I reach out and tuck a strand of soft brown hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering against her cheek. “I’ll keep you safe, Sunshine,” I murmur. “I promise.”
For a moment, we’re frozen like that, my hand on her face, her eyes locked with mine, the air between us charged with everything we were and lost and everything we might still be to each other.
Then a commotion erupts somewhere near the front entrance: raised voices, the heavy thud of boots, what sounds like someone struggling. Kayla steps back from my touch, breaking the spell.
A prospect pokes his head into the room, looking flustered. “Roman, you and Kayla should come see this,” he says before disappearing again.
I look at Kayla, who seems as confused as I feel. Without thinking, I reach out and take her hand, pulling her with me as I head toward the noise. Her fingers close around mine, warm and familiar, and I squeeze them gently.
The common room is in chaos when we arrive. Dragon’s sister Molly is standing just inside the entrance with several overnight bags at her feet. Her expression is somewhere between amused and exasperated as she surveys the scene.
Sledge is carefully setting down two cat carriers, from which I can hear disgruntled meowing. But it’s the third arrival that catches my attention.
Twister, one of Dragon’s more intimidating men, has a firm grip on the collar of a tall blonde man who was probably neatlydressed earlier today and is currently sporting what looks like the beginning of a spectacular black eye.
Todd stares around the room with the expression of someone who has had a very long and deeply confusing day. Then his eyes find Kayla, and his whole face changes.
“Oh, Kayla,” he says, and the relief in his voice is completely genuine. “Thank God.”
Beside me, Kayla’s hand goes slack in mine. “Oh no,” she whispers, and I can feel her whole body tense.
The room has gone quiet, all eyes moving between Todd, Kayla, and me, waiting to see what happens next. I drop Kayla’s hand, suddenly acutely aware of how it must look to her boyfriend. But a small, petty part of me can’t help but enjoy the confusion and dismay on Todd’s face as he looks at our joined hands.
Welcome to my world, Todd. Hope you enjoy the ride.
29
Chapter 29
Roman