Page 31 of Their Property
“Well, thank you,sir.” I laughed, enjoying the sight of their eyes widening. “For coming to my defense anyway. That was brilliant.”
T-Bone sucked on his teeth. “Not exactly the context I was referring to, but you’re welcome. And Kyrie, listen.”
“Yes?” I realized he used my given name instead of calling meMiss Vance, and I breathed the word out like a sigh.
T-Bone’s face darkened. “Ifanyonebothers you, tell us. Suit or servant, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care if it’s the fucking governor himself. We’ll do the best we can to be vigilant, but it’s possible your instincts will pick up something we miss.”
I nodded and took a deep breath, glancing around before I spoke again. “This territory is fucking weird, isn’t it?”
“Mm-hm.” Grudge nodded while the other two looked seconds away from laughing again.
“What?”
“Nothing.” T-Bone suddenly looked very interested in the water pouring from the fountain. “You’re right, though. This territory is bonkers.”
I frowned, confused, until Dyno said, “The way you sayfuckis adorable, that’s all.”
T-Bone made a disapproving sound, while Grudge only nodded in agreement.
“It is not.” I bit the inside of my cheek as I crossed my arms. “I say the wordfuckwith seriousfuckingauthority, okay?”
All three of them laughed, and Grudge motioned for me to do it again.
“Don’t encourage her to start talking with a foul mouth.” T-Bone smacked his arm.
“Aw, why not?” Dyno asked. He and T-Bone stared at each other with serious expressions, like something unspoken had passed between them.
“Yeah, why the fuck not?” I piped up.
T-Bone finally smiled and chuckled again, his gaze dipping away from me like the first day here.
But unlike that day, when I was filled with shock and uncertainty, my chest was now alight with a blaze that could no longer be extinguished.
TEN
KYRIE
“Anita, can you find me the minutes from the housing committee meeting yesterday morning?”
“Oh, of course! I put them in the filing cabinet, let me grab them.” My assistant put down her armful of paperwork on a corner of my desk, then produced an envelope from her cardigan pocket. “The Treasury Secretary’s assistant handed me this to give to you.”
I stared at the envelope like it would bite me before reluctantly taking it from her.Well, Ididtell him this was how he should reach me.I had just assumed Nathan wouldn’t put forth the effort.
My office was quiet this afternoon, with only me, Anita, and two of my bodyguards in the room. Dyno was posted at the door, leaning casually where he stood with his booted feet crossed at the ankles. Today, his hair was pulled back in a half ponytail with several braids running through it. Across the room was T-Bone, lounging on a chaise under a window as he petted his raven. The bird’s eyes would close and it would make soft chirps whenever T-Bone scratched a certain spot on his head.
The guys were relaxed today, as I had cleared my schedule of meetings to work in my office. Grudge was just outside my office door and would come in when they rotated posts every hour.
At first, I was grateful for a quiet, easygoing workday, but now the silence made the envelope in my hands feel heavy. I wanted to throw it into the trash bin without opening it, but Nathan was nothing if not persistent. He would make sure I got it and expect a response.
Anita’s stare only added to heaviness as she thumbed through documents in the filing cabinet. “What do you think it says? Are you going to open it?” She smiled excitedly as she returned with the documents I asked for.
Of course. Most people would be excited by the prospect of a young, handsome man showing interest in them. Especially one who was wealthy, powerful, and set to rise in the political ranks. But only a sinking sense of dread filled me as I stared at the envelope. Nathan might not have been as predatory as Malcolm Blake. He might even be angelic in comparison, but they shared enough characteristics to make me deeply uncomfortable.
The persistence, the charm, the sense of entitlement. I never wanted to be with a man who felt like I owed him anything.
“Well?” Anita pressed, oblivious to my discomfort.
She wasn’t going to leave it alone, so I gave her a tight smile and grabbed my letter opener. I might as well get it over with. Dyno and T-Bone didn’t comment or look my way, their faces carefully neutral as I opened the envelope.
