Page 139 of Their Property
“I had to be certain you really wanted me and not just access to my father. But I’m not the only one withholding things, am I?”
Gerard only laughed as he turned to leave. “I’m truly looking forward to working with you, Miss Vance.”
FORTY-THREE
KYRIE
“Jesus, Gerard wasn't kidding about this place.” I held on to Dyno's cut as I leaned back, taking in the massive, sweeping lines of architecture in front of us.
“And this place is called a what again?” T-Bone joked, pretending to be dumb, but I humored him with an answer anyway.
“It's a library, sweetheart. Although I've never seen one this big.”
We'd ridden to the northeast-most known border of the territory. I wanted to look through some history and legal texts for future legislation, and Gerard had suggested this library.
“It was once the biggest library in the state of Utah, and it almost fell to the Collapse's vandalism. But the citizens protected it, and now it's run by a passionate librarian.” He'd smirked at that. “I think you'll like her. I have some things to attend to, but I'll meet you there later.”
Is this the hidden Ace card up your sleeve?I wondered.Who is this librarian?
Nerves and excitement flipped in my stomach as I slid off the bike seat. Ilovedlibraries, and it had been so long since I was in a really grand one.
“We're gonna check out the area.” Dyno gestured to himself and T-Bone. “The Blakeworth border isn't far from here.”
Grudge cut the engine on his bike and dismounted. Of course my quiet man who owned the Eddas in their native Old Norse would want to see the library with me.
“Be careful.” I kissed T-Bone and Dyno, leaning up on their rumbling machines for long, lingering presses, because these guys didn't believe in quick pecks. “We'll be inside.”
“Just hope we can find you in there.” T-Bone gave one more suspicious look at the massive building before he and Dyno tore off.
Grudge and I approached the entrance together, fingers interlaced as we crossed the threshold.
“Oh, wow!”
“Mm-hmm,” he agreed with awe and light amusement as we gazed at the sky-high columns of bookshelves.
Part of the walls and ceiling were glass panes, giving the place an open, airy feel. This was just the entryway, and it felt bigger and grander than my beloved foyer in Four Corners.
A pang hit my chest at the thought of my old home. My dad would have loved this library too. He had plans for a larger, even more accessible public library over the next few years. It was one of my favorite projects of his, and now it saddened me that I wouldn't be able to watch it come to fruition with him.
What awful timing that this was all sinking in now. I'd been so wrapped in my men over the last week that I’d barely stopped to think about what this estrangement meant.
I made the right decision. But it still hurt and made me sad.
Grudge brushed my cheek with his knuckles to get my attention.“You okay?”he asked, brows knitted with concern. My mood must have been obvious on my face.
“I will be, love.” I kissed his fingers still resting on my cheek. “Just a lot of stuff sinking in right now. My dad and everything.”
“None of us would be angry if you wanted to reach out to him again.”He paused with a thoughtful expression before signing again.“Okay, T-Bone may be a little. But only out of protectiveness over you.”
“I know. It might happen eventually, but not yet. I do think it's best that we're not talking right now, it's just an uncomfortable feeling. But I've needed to stand up for myself for a long time, so I'm not about to cave now.”
The tension in Grudge's face eased as he smiled at me.“Don't doubt how strong you are, my sweet valkyrie. Your armor, sword, and shield are here for you.”
I reached on tiptoes to kiss him. “Thank you. Should we browse some bookshelves now?”
“Mm-hm.”
We ventured deeper into the expansive building, where the pillars of bookshelves continued. It felt like being a kid in a candy store. My eyes were pulled in all directions, and I didn't know where to begin.
