“It’s possible to build these with modern amenities, but I’d need help for that. It would be too hard to hide the crew.”
“Why do you need to hide the crew?”
“Like I said, this is my dirty little secret. When my father was alive, he’d call it wasting time. My brother would say it was a distraction.”
“You built this yourself?” She exhaled in amazement. Dropping Milo’s leash, she ran her hands along the sanded wood of the windowsill. The big dog trotted to the daybed and curled up on the multicolored afghan spread.
“Not entirely. Gerty’s husband, Arthur, helped me. He has a passion for it as well. But aside from him and Gerty, you are the only one who has ever seen it.”
She bit her lip. “But why would you keep this a secret? I get that your family might not like you wasting your time, but you’re exceptionally talented. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
The grin that spread across his face told her he appreciated the compliment. “My time is not my own. My father was a businessman, his father was a businessman, and so on, as far back as anyone can remember. If my cave-dwelling ancestors could be tracked down with a time machine, I’m sure we would find Ogg Kingsley peddling flint and slingshots from a rock near the communal watering hole. Nate would flip if he knew the hours I’d put into this, hours that could have been earning the family more money.”
Laina smiled faintly. “So, Nate isn’t supportive of your hobby?”
“Nate, the board, our partners. My father might have punched me in the face.”
“I hope you’re joking.”
“He was the type of guy who felt actions spoke louder than words.”
“Actions? More like child abuse.”
He chuckled. “Rich people don’t abuse their children, Laina. Don’t be silly.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her wolf baring her teeth at the thought of anyone punching Kyle for any reason. “Is part of you glad he’s dead?”
With a visible jerk of his head, Kyle’s eyebrows pinched over his nose.
“I’m sorry. That was completely uncalled for. I don’t know what came over me.” A complete brain hijack by her wild side would be the only explanation. She was mortified.
His face softened. “Laina, this is why I’m drawn to you. You’re honest and genuine, probably the only person in my life who cares to see things for what they are. The truth is that my father was not a nice man. Herbert Kingsley provided for us. He was a talented business partner. But he wasn’t a father to me, not emotionally.”
“I’m sorry.” Running her fingers through the back of his hair, she glanced toward the window as the ping of rain against glass signaled a coming storm. A heavy feeling settled in the space between her heart and her stomach. As genuine as Kyle thought she was, he still didn’t know she was a werewolf. He could never know. In just ten days, she’d have to shift again. What excuse would she give him to leave? How long could this go on?
“Last night, I noticed the tattoo on your shoulder. It’s a phoenix, right?”
She nodded.
“Did you design it?”
She tapped her fingers on the windowsill. “I know what it’s like to have a controlling family. It’s like you have no will of your own, like your choices don’t matter.” Her gaze drifted through the window to the rain-soaked shades of green beyond.
“What happened to you, Laina? How did you end up here, really?”
A long, heavy silence settled in the tree house. “You asked once if I was part of the mob.”
“You told me you weren’t.”
“I’m not. No organized crime involved.” She looked down at her trembling hands. This was a delicate truth, fragile as butterfly wings. “My family belongs to a rare subculture…a society different from your own.”
“Different, how?”
She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to find the words. “Our culture is ancient. We have strong bonds and maintain a careful balance with others of our kind, families of the same culture. Our rules and traditions hold us together and maintain our bonds.” She tapped her right shoulder. “For example, this tattoo represents my family group.”
He narrowed his eyes. “So, why are you in hiding?”
“One of our own decided he didn’t want to live by our rules anymore. He wanted more power. He wanted power over all the families, to make his own rules, and use our society’s resources for his own gain. He wanted it so badly he was willing to kill for it.”
