I put my hands in my front jeans pockets and shake my head. “I think I’m different now. Too soft...too weak. Maybe they’re the same thing.” With a quick glance to her face, I shrug. “If I can’t do the job, at least I know Granny can.”
“You listen to me right now.” She gathers the front of my T-shirt, then stares into my face with intensity. “You are perfect the way you are. Don’t you dare let today change your outlook. We’re going to continue staying here. We’re going to be happy andfree. If we go to Mars and someone finds out who you are, we’ll go through the same thing all over again, except we’ll have to worry about an entire planet trying to kill us or conniving to get you back on the throne. Rhys and Harper can help strengthen the area around the cave. We can install monitoring systems, and even build a house if you insist—”
“Absolutely not. I’m not taking any help from him.” Heat flares in my blood at the thought of Rhys anywhere near her again.
Yes, I made him promise to take care of Tilly, but that was when I knew I would die. And it doesn’t mean I like him. I’ve seen the way he looks at her. She might think he’s harmless, but I know better. Love makes people do bad things. Having Lathan Rhys here because I can’t protect my family would be the ultimate slap in the face. And he’d love nothing more than to rub it in.
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “I don’t feel like talking about this right now. I’m tired, dirty, and hungry.”
A plan begins to form.She’s not going to like it, but once it’s enacted, she won’t have a choice.
I give her a smile. “Okay,” I press her palm to mine. “Go take a bath and I’ll cook supper. Then if you want, I’ll give you a massage and blood bond your bots.”
“Um.” She bites her bottom lip and blushes. “You can skip the massage and go straight to the bonding part.”
“And after?” I sweep her off her feet and stroll to the back of the cave, working my way through the tunnels to the warm springs.
“We go to sleep, dummy.” Her tone is light and teasing.
I growl. “I have something else in mind that involves a bed, but it isn’t sleep.”
She giggles and hugs my neck.
Even though I’d cut off my little finger to hear her peals of laughter daily, I can’t ignore the feeling of being caged in by invisible iron bars, helpless and obsolete.
