I crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly too aware of the room. Him… The faint rumble of bikes somewhere below us.
Crimson Havoc territory.
This was real. I was really here.
“What happens now?” I asked.
His answer came without hesitation. “Right now? You eat something. You rest. You stay inside this floor.”
“That’s it?”
“For now.”
I frowned. “That doesn’t really tell me anything…”
“Yeah,” he said quietly.
I paced a few steps, then stopped near the window. The yard below was busy, men moving around. Live happening like everything was normal.
“So what am I meant to do?”
He shrugged. “Just don’t leave this room without me.”
“You’re not locking the door,” I said.
“No.”
“You’re not posting guards outside it either.”
“No.”
“Why?”
He didn’t answer right away.
“Because if you wanted to scream or fight or break something, you would’ve already,” he said finally. “And because if you decide to leave this room, I’d rather you’re protected.”
I turned back to him. “This is not what I imagined.”
“You imagined being kidnapped by me?”
My cheeks flushed, “No...like this isn’t… you’re not… you’re nice.”
His brows went up and I could swear his lips twitched. “Oh?”
“I just mean like I thought…Rowan…” His lips tightened at my father’s name…
“You’re not him and I wouldn’t usually,” he sighed and pushed his hand through his hair… “This was not my first choice.”
I let that sit.
My gaze drifted back to the window. I could see the edge of the compound fence from here. Tall. Reinforced. But more lived in than back home.
“You really think my dad’s place wasn’t safe,” I said.
“I know it wasn’t,” he replied, calm and firm. “If it had been, I wouldn’t have been able to walk into your room.”
That stung.
