“See.” Nathan punched me in the shoulder. “The human is fine.”
He strode toward the car. Anton shut the trunk and went around to the passenger side as Connor glided toward the house, disappearing inside with Sienna.
Nathan opened his door and stopped. “I know you think you’re indestructible, but try to keep your head down.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That you have a distressing tendency to get kidnapped. Let’s try to avoid that, shall we?”
My mouth popped open in affront. “That’s not true!”
Nathan lifted his brows in reproach. I rolled my eyes, conceding his point. Okay. Maybe it was a little true.
He chuckled before sliding into the driver’s seat and closing the door. He started the car, pulling forward.
Anton’s window rolled down. “We’ll try to finish this business quickly so our youngest can return to her trouble making ways.”
“What’s with this ‘our’?” I snapped as Anton winked at me and rolled the window back up.
I didn’t do this shit on purpose. Trouble just seemed to find me. It wasn’t my fault things never seemed to work out how I planned.
Nathan pulled forward as Anton dipped his chin at me.
I turned toward the house to find Deborah waiting for me by the front porch.
“There’s only one rule, Deborah,” I said as I started toward her. “Anything you learn around us stays private. Break that rule and we have a problem.”
Someone else would have promised death or torture as a way to keep her in line. I’m sure Anton would have described in intimate detail his preferred method for dealing with traitors.
That wasn’t me.
Killing someone left a stain on your hands you couldn’t remove. A step like that should only be undertaken when absolutely necessary. It wasn’t that I’d never killed. I had. But never in cold blood and always in self-defense.
I didn’t want to make threats unless I was sure I could deliver. Maybe when push came to shove, I’d change my mind.
For now, though, I’d leave the details to her imagination.
“I understand,” Deborah said.
I hoped so.
“Don’t stand on ceremony and you’ll fit right in.” I reached down to take the heaviest of her suitcases. “Welcome to the mad house.”
I’m sure she’d regret her decision before too long.
Pushing the door further open, I headed inside. Wood floors gleamed throughout. There was a light finish on the wood, the natural tones showing through. It went well with the overall design of the house. A living room and dining area existed right off the entryway. From where I stood, I could see a massive TV on one wall. A couch was in front of it.
A pair of cozy looking arm chairs were arranged in front of the massive windows that offered a scenic view of the woods and property. Already, I could imagine myself parked in one as I spent an evening or morning reading and sipping on a hot beverage as I periodically stared outside.
A dining table that could have seated a dozen people sat across from the kitchen I could only partially see from this position.
Whoever Thomas’s designer was, they’d done an excellent job. The textures and colors worked together without overwhelming one another.
It felt retro with a modern flair.
Perhaps the most important part was that it felt like a home. My home. As if someone had taken a photo of my old place and replicated the best parts here.
My chest felt tight as I took in the space.
