Page 123 of Their Property
I wasn’t sure if that was a backhanded compliment or what, but I pushed the thought aside to address the biggest elephant in the room.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” I began. “For your and everyone’s suffering under the last government. But,” I pulled in a breath to steel myself, “that doesn’t excuse sealing off exits in a building andbombingit. I can’t align myself with someone who would do such a thing.”
Gerard gave me a hard look. “Every politician in that building had blood on their hands. You must know that none of them were innocent.”
“Iwas!” I shot back. “I passed out from smoke inhalation. T-Bone fucked up his shoulder to get us out. We could have died alongside everyone else!”
“But you didn’t,” Gerard helpfully pointed out. “And most of the people at the Sevier Day Ball survived, thanks to your men.”
“They…what?” I was all fired up to argue some more, but those last two words had me stuttering.
“They didn’t tell you?” Gerard tilted his head amusedly. “Interesting.”
“Tell me what?” I demanded.
“The other two, the one with the long hair and the silent one. They bombed one of our barricaded exits to let people escape.”
I brought a hand to my chest, as if I could control the wild beating of my heart for these men. None of them said a word. Maybe they’d been looking for me and T-Bone, but even so, they saved the lives of people who probably wouldn’t have done the same for them.
“We also evacuated the servers, cleaners, and assistants before our little show,” Gerard went on. “I don’t know if you overheard the complaints about no champagne being served before things got interesting. We could hear the bitching from outside.”
Nope, I had been too busy making out with T-Bone in the corridor.
“That was how Anita survived,” I said, to which he nodded. “Do you take credit for her attitude adjustment too?”
His eyes narrowed. “Do you prefer her cowering and subservient?”
“Of course not. I just—“
“She no longer has to worry about anyone harassing her at work or abusing her if she does something wrong. You may not have mistreated her, but she had no power as your assistant. No one to advocate for her if her boss or someone else tried to abuse the authority they have over her.”
“I’m glad for that, I really am. It just concerns me because no one’s personality radically changes like that in just a week.”
“Really? Did you bother to get to know her outside of work?” Gerard challenged. “You became so close to her that you would know what a sudden personality shift looks like?”
“I…no, I guess not.” My eyes dropped, embarrassed at my presumption.
“That woman out there is one who feels empowered and safe.” Gerard pointed toward the stairs I came down. “I want to rebuild this territory into one where every woman, child, and man can live without fear. Where they feel like they matter, not like they’re cogs in a machine for the rich.”
“That’s admirable,” I said cautiously. “But how will you be different from every other governor who claims power after an uprising?”
“I haven’t claimed anything,” he answered quickly. “Once everyone has their basic needs met and there are no other immediate worries, we’ll hold elections.” His hands folded in his lap. “And there will be a vote.”
“But you expect to win.”
He shrugged. “I do, yes. The people see me as their leader. But here’s the thing, Miss Vance.” He leaned forward. “Political games sicken me. I’m a doer, not a puppet-master behind a curtain. I’d rather be out there, building houses and cooking food for those who have nothing, because I’vebeenthere.” He leaned back again with a hand to his chest. “I understand that laws and legislation are needed, but I refuse to let my home be run by self-inflated buffoons again. I need people who care about what matters, who know how the game is played, and who are tough enough to get it done.” Gerard inclined his head toward me as he also extended his hand in my direction. “Even better, you grew up in a territory that has successfully cared for its citizens and maintained peace. You are exactly what I’m looking for, Kyrie Vance.”
He’s fucking serious,I realized. I couldn’t figure this guy out. He wasn’t afraid of using violence, clearly, but he also didn’t seem completely unhinged either. I found his passion admirable and what he’d been through heartbreaking. But I still didn’tknowhim. He was capable of executing an uprising that toppled a government, so he was no stranger to complex plans and strategies. What if this was all just an elaborate ruse to set up a dictatorship?
I so badly wished that my guys were here to give me a different perspective. My gut was silent, my thoughts pulled in all different directions. He could be trying to establish a strong but peaceful territory like my father’s, but he could also be full of shit. I didn’t know what to trust.
My valkyrie stood silently in a corner of the room, invisible to Gerard and his soldiers. She gave nothing away, just stood there like a fourth bodyguard. Fuck, I wish she’d tap out a message on her shield orsomething.But I got nothing from her.
The only thing I could think of was to find out as much information as possible, and for that, I had to keep talking to Gerard.
“You saw how they treated me in those meetings,” I said after a long silence. “Everything I said fell on deaf ears. What makes you think anyone will treat me differently this time?”
“Because you’ll be working for me,” he said easily. “My people trust my judgment. Once they see I’ve appointed you, they will listen to you.” He picked up a tumbler of whiskey, which I hadn’t noticed until now, and took a small sip. “Of course, you will have to work hard and prove yourself. Your accomplishments will solidify people’s trust in you.” He smiled behind his drink. “Maybe you’ll be elected as the next governor.”
