Page 35 of Knot a Tie
“Twenty,” she says with a huff. “It’s my birthday in five days’ time.”
She takes my hand, but she doesn’t know what she has just done to me. Something deep inside, in that dark place that rarely sees the light of day, has sprouted. I understand her in that moment. I empathise with her predicament. She is desperate to delay her first heat because she is unmated and the last thing she wants is to be here without her meds. It has fired up my protective side like it has never been before. I will now physically attack anyone who tries to go near her. It’s a strange feeling, but one that I could definitely get used to.
“Don’t worry,” I murmur. “We will make sure you are safe and protected.”
Rayne looks up at me with those eyes that I only just noticed now are a cloudy blue and so pretty. She laces our fingers together as we head towards the stairs.
“Thanks,” she says quietly. “I feel like such a fool.”
“Why?”
“For losing something that is so important.”
“You didn’t know you were going to be abducted.”
“No, but I knew something felt off. I should’ve been more with it.”
“You have nothing to feel foolish about. You were taken advantage of and that is not acceptable. Those who did this to you will pay.”
She nods and we carry on in silence until I lead her to James’s office and show her the phone. She giggles again when she picks it up and then frowns. “Err, dammit.”
“What?”
“All of my parents’ numbers are saved in my phone. I can’t remember them off the top of my head.”
I don’t hold back the snort this time. “Oh. That’s a problem.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” she mumbles.
“Hey, that’s my line,” Spencer says as he enters the room. “What’s the sitch?”
“Rayne doesn’t remember her parents’ numbers.”
“Ah, the issue with mobiles. Can you sign into your account on the laptop and retrieve them?”
“Yes,” she says with a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
I watch as Spencer sets up the laptop for her and then steps back. Her father’s numbers are strictly confidential. No one knows them. The fact that she is going to use an outside, unsecured line to ring him now isn’t really how it’s done. I know this and I’m not even part of the Parliament. They didn’t really have this issue when my grandfather was Chief Justice many moons ago, but I remember always being told as a child, never to tell anyone where he lived.
Rayne gives us both a glare when she picks up the phone again and we back out, giving her some much-needed privacy. If she is anything like me, telling a lie is hard enough when you are by yourself and ten times worse when you’re saying it in front of others. As much as I hate lies, there are times, like this one, when it is needed to protect the people you love. Honesty has its place in the world and it’s a big, important place, but even I can understand that it’s not always the best policy.
“We’ll be in the TV room if you need us,” I murmur.
She smiles, a slightly wobbly, but genuine smile. “Thanks.”
That one word, with her brave smile despite her perilous situation lands me on the same page as James and Spencer.
“I knew she would work her magic on you!” Spencer laughs and slaps me on the shoulder. “You have fallen like a skydiver out of a plane.”
“Hmm.” I just hope I have a parachute because I have a feeling that this fall with Rayne, isn’t going to be as easy as her accepting to be our mate today, tomorrow or even the next day. She needs to know the truth behind why we were at that house earlier.
Something tells me she will inform us that we can get knotted before the end of the conversation, and, honestly, I wouldn’t blame her if she did.
ChapterTwenty
Rayne
With a shaky hand, I dial my dad’s mobile number. Then quickly, I slam the phone back down before it starts to ring.
