Page 58 of Their Property
My hands went limp, falling to my lap. His hands continued to surround them—gentle, soothing, and heavy on my thighs. My mind wasn’t on his touch for once, but several weeks into the past. I thought back to my first days as an ambassador, when I was so hopeful and full of optimism. I had ideas and plans. I had wanted to give those people a better life, but they took it themselves with violence.
The bone-deep aches in my body were a potent reminder of that.
“T-Bone.” My gaze snapped back to him, hands clutching his again. “All those people trapped inside! Did they…did any of them…” I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I hadn’t exactly made friends in the capitol, but I didn’t wish for them to be trapped and burned to death either.
“Some got out. Not everyone, but some.” He gave my hands a reassuring squeeze.
“Anita? She told me the staff threw their own party in the kitchens. Oh my God, all the waiters and cooks—“
“Shhh.” T-Bone’s lips pursed as he made the noise and my mind went back to our kiss. “I’m not certain, but I’m pretty sure I saw Anita and a bunch of staff evacuating out a side door before it got really bad. Maybe they were given a heads up, I don’t know. Don’t lose hope yet, little lady.”
My brain felt like a scrambled hopscotch game, jumping from one thought to the next. All those people. The kiss. The Sons. The valkyrie in my dream. The aches in my body. Why couldn’t I focus?
“What about the governor?” I asked next. “His cabinet members and his nephew? Did you see them?”
T-Bone shook his head. “No. I don’t know if they made it out.”
“Fuck,” I breathed, looking up helplessly. “What a waste. They were out of touch with the people, but they didn’t deserve todie.If I had more time, if I could’ve just had a year to get them tolistento me—“
“An uprising was inevitable with people likethatin charge.” T-Bone’s jaw clenched. “Your heart was in the right place, Kyrie, but you couldn’t have made them see reason on your own. Violence would have come for them regardless of how long you’d been there.”
I hated that he was right. Getting the cabinet to shift their priorities would have been as effective as banging my head against the wall. The best I could have hoped for was incremental change, and even that probably would’ve taken years. But fire, guns, and explosives? That changed everything overnight.
“Dyno and Grudge are scouting the area now, checking out what the aftermath looks like,” T-Bone said. “That’ll determine our next move.”
I frowned at him. “How so?”
He got up from the floor and took the seat next to me in front of Tiff’s sewing machine. I distantly noticed that she and Chris had made themselves scarce, leaving T-Bone and I alone to talk. I also realized I preferred T-Bone closer than far away, and I wished he’d kneel in front of me again. Or pull me into his lap and kiss me like he did in the corridor.
So far, he was making it seem like nothing happened between us at all, and that bothered me more than I wanted to admit.
“We don’t know what the rebels’ plans are,” he explained. “Whether they only intend to take the territory that was Sevier, or expand into other regions.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “If it’s the latter situation, it wouldn’t be safe to take you back to Four Corners right away. They’ll be watching the roads for more challengers to their little kingdom. You’d have to lie low with us for a while.”
“Who said I wanted to go back to Four Corners?” I huffed without thinking.
T-Bone’s lips twitched as though he was hiding a smile. “Your father will learn about the uprising soon, if he hasn’t already. He’ll be sick with worry and want you safely back at home.”
“You mean he’ll want to lock me up in my room and never let me out again,” I groaned, rubbing my face.
“You would be safe,” T-Bone pointed out.
“I’d be aprisoner,” I shot back, then regretted how melodramatic and whiny that sounded. There were probably survivors of last night’s attack who wereactualprisoners. Maybe even the governor and his nephew.
But T-Bone only gave me a sympathetic look, and it sent an ache of longing through my chest. He and the others never treated me like I was some spoiled, selfish brat. They were some of the few that didn’t, and I appreciated that beyond words.
“We don’t have to make any decisions right away,” he said, getting up from the table. “You’re our property now, so you’ll be safe here. Try to get some rest for the next few days.”
“Sorry, I’m…what?” He definitely did not say what I thought he just said.
T-Bone grinned, rubbing his jaw sheepishly. “Our property. It’s just an MC term that means you’re under our protection.” He dropped his hand, his expression turning serious. “We won’t let anything happen to you, Kyrie. Even if your father demands your immediate return.” He shook his head, eyes burning with determination. “If you’re safer with us, we’ll refuse.”
All at once, his whole demeanor changed. His shoulders softened and that playful, teasing smile returned. “Get cleaned up and rested, little lady. I’ll let you know when the other two are back.”
He turned and left then, and I returned to the bedroom I woke up in to find a folded pair of leggings, a sweater, and a towel on the bed. Picking up the towel, I headed for the small, adjoining bathroom. It was tiny, little more than a standing shower and a toilet, but once I stepped under the hot spray, the water pressure and temperature weredivine.
I didn’t realize how filthy and smoky my dress and skin were until I stood under that showerhead. I just stood there, leaning against the wall when my feet ached too much, letting the water wash away everything from the night before.
Except that kiss. I wanted to keep it and hold on to it like the most precious of treasures. Actually, fuck that, I wanted to collect more kisses and build a dragon’s hoard worth of them. Not just from T-Bone, but from all three of them.
