Page 57 of Their Property
“Kyrie,” I answered, mouth watering at the eggs and bacon she set out.
Tiff smiled and let out a soft, knowing chuckle as she cracked eggs into a bowl. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Miss Kyrie.”
“Are you, um…” I hesitated, unsure if my question would be overstepping. “Are you with the Sons?”
“Aha!” Laughter spilled out of her and her amusement was infectious. “With them,with them? Like they are with each other? No, but I’m the club treasurer. My man’s the VP, you’ll meet him soon.” Her eyes slid toward a closed door where male voices murmured. “Whenever they finish up in there.”
I leaned back with relief. I didn’tthinkT-Bone would kiss me, nor would Dyno dance so close to me if they had someone else, but it was nice to have that confirmed.
The door opened just as I wolfed down my food and a tall black man with a shaved head and short beard strode out into the dining room. He was so strikingly handsome that I hitched in a breath, nearly choking on my bacon at the sight of him. But he took no notice of me and went straight for Tiff.
“Fix my patch, baby?” His hands went around her waist, drawing her into him as he leaned down for a kiss.
My eyes immediately took in the silver wedding band on his left hand, and the matching one accompanied by an impressive diamond on hers, as she placed her fingers against his lips, halting his kiss.
“Yes.” Tiff’s expression was a mixture of amused and annoyed. “Next time, you’re fixing it your-damn-self.”
Unfazed, he moved her hand aside and took the kiss he wanted. “Thank you, my queen,” he added in a low murmur.
The room heated by a few degrees, but Tiff still managed to pull away with a soft chuckle. “Chris, baby, meet our guest, Kyrie Vance.”
Chris drew a reluctant gaze away from his wife, noticing me for the first time. He had gorgeous eyelashes for a man—combined with Tiff’s, any children they had would win the genetic lottery there—a light dusting of freckles over his cheeks, and an easy, teasing smile.
“You don’t look like a crusty old politician,” he said by way of greeting.
I lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Sorry to disappoint?”
He laughed softly, snatching a piece of bacon from the platter on the counter. “You’re not disappointing at all, Kyrie.”
“No flirting, Chris.” The gruff voice came from the same doorway Chris had emerged from, and T-Bone’s lumbering steps quickly followed. He stopped at the sight of me, and then came forward and dropped his knees to the floor in front of me, taking one of my hands. “How are you feeling, little lady?”
Well, right then I was short on fucking breath because this massive, gorgeous Viking of a man was literallykneelingat my feet.
“Little rough, but okay.” I licked my lips, realizing that the salty bacon and eggs had dried out my sore throat again. “I could go for some water.”
While Tiff got me a drink, T-Bone examined my hand with a frown. My nails and fingers were still covered in dried blood.His blood,I realized, from throwing himself against a barricaded door to get us out. Under my blanket, I still wore the gown from the dinner party. Not even when I was unconscious did they touch me or undress me. I couldn’t decide if that was endearing or frustrating.
“How are you?” I asked, taking in T-Bone’s appearance. He’d cleaned up, but I noticed his shoulder was bandaged and he kept his arm close to his body.
“None of these fucks are competent at popping a dislocated shoulder back into place, so I pretty much did it myself,” he grumbled before flashing me a smile. “But I’ll live.”
“I got some clothes you can borrow,” Tiff said, placing the water in front of me. “You’re a teeny little thing, so they might be a bit big on you.”
“Thank you.” I looked up at her gratefully. Feedingandclothing me? She might have been a decade older than me, if that, but I felt a motherly warmth from her as surely as this blanket around my shoulders. “I’ll return them to you and pay you back for the food once I can get my things from my suite.”
T-Bone hissed in a breath, his hand tightening around mine. “Yeah, about that.” He gave me a sorrowful look. “There’s no going back to Sevier, little lady. Not anytime soon.”
“What do you mean?” I squinted at him, trying to read the concern in his face. “The attacks on the city will be handled soon, won’t they?”
He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, chewing it as his gaze slid away from me. “This wasn’t anything like an attempt on Four Corners. The capital was attacked by Sevier citizens.”
“What?” Now I was the one squeezing his hand, silently demanding he look at me again. “Why would they do that?”
“It was an uprising,” he said. “The people were fed up with the leadership and took the capitol for themselves.” His thumb rubbed over the back of my palm. “They’d been planning it, probably since the beginning.”
“Planning it since…wait, what?” I rubbed my forehead, trying to get timelines straightened out in my shock-ridden brain. “Sevier had only been an established territory for two years. It barely had a chance!”
“Some territories only last a few months.” T-Bone’s tone was apologetic. “Someone else might come in and topple the new leaders soon, we don’t know. That’s just how the world is right now.”
