Reaching back, I grip the handle and slam the door in his face. I feel it bang into his head as it closes with a jarring sound.
The groan he emits from the other side of the door causes my lips to pull up in a small, satisfied smile.
Darrio is a cruel man, but he’s not the worst I’ve ever met. He’ll have to dig a little deeper if he expects to get a real fight out of me.
With burning rage, I pull on soft gloves. They’re extravagant and caress my upper arms. They make me feel better.
The expensive material reminds me of a time when I wasn’t just nothing. When I had hopes and dreams and a life worth living.
When I was more than just a thief.
Chapter Seven
Beautiful Harmony
Not once do I think of the things Darrio said to me. For the remainder of the day I laugh with my aunt. We reminisce about the days when I lived here. As if we were a normal, happy family.
We were never normal. But we were happy.
She and I stand on the porch alone. The wind pulls at my hair, causing it to flick across my lips. The sun burns wildly across the horizon, threatening to darken our already dark world. It almost looks untouched here. The destruction isn’t as bad here as it is in Juvar.
The aftertaste of the ash in the wind is the only hint that something is amiss.
“Do you think you’ll settle with one of them?” She glances into the house at them.
The fact that she used the word settle makes me want to laugh. No woman on the planet will ever consider it ‘settling’ if they come across any one of them.
They each have their flaws, no worse than I do, but they’re … what every girl hopes for, really.
Confidence and intelligence. Sexiness and wit. Loyalty and strength.
If only the three of them could somehow form one perfect man.
And maybe that man just doesn’t speak. Maybe he just hangs out as this intelligent, sexy—slightly aggressive—loyal man. Who. Does. Not. Say. A. Damn. Word.
Two of the three men are shoveling food into their mouths and smiling. Darrio hasn’t touched a bit of his food. I wonder if he feels guilty.
I doubt it. I doubt he’s ever felt guilt in his entire life.
“The three of them are just looking for a guide. I’m only helping them.”
“Why? I’ve never known you to do anything out of the kindness of your little black heart, Kara.”
I roll my eyes at her, making a smile tilt her full lips.
“Who would you choose, if you had the chance?” I ask her. A wicked smile pulls at my features. It’s a dirty thing to ask. It’s something that sends a thrilling feeling spiraling through me.
She touches her finger to the center of her mouth as if she’s really having a hard time deciding.
“I wouldn’t.”
“You’re lying.” My words are so high it draws the attention of all three men. They look my way and my cheeks flame from the conversation that’s being spoken about them. I’m asking her to pick one as if they’re livestock, and she’s saying she wouldn’t. What a terrible liar she is.
She leans into me, the smirk still kissing her lips. “I wouldn’t,” she repeats in a whisper. “Choose, that is. Why choose? Those three care about you. Let them care about you, Kara. All. Three. Of. Them. I’d never have to worry about you again if you had three protectors.”
“You know the real world works slightly different from life within Saint’s Inn, right? In real life, I can’t just screw around with three men. It would end very badly.”
“For the wrong people, yes, it would end in disaster. But for the right ones it could end in harmony.” Her attention pulls back to the three of them who are still watching us intently. “Beautiful harmony.”
