I'd expected that. Sort of. But part of me—the part that lived in the field, that thrived on action—had hoped for a direct flight back into the fire. Something to focus on that wasn't this place, these people, this strange pull I didn't understand.
"How long?" I asked.
"Few days. Week, maybe."
I nodded, jaw tight.
That's when I heard it.
Laughter. Women's laughter. Bright and sharp and intimate, drifting from somewhere inside the house.
Silas glanced back toward the mansion, then looked at me again. "Maybe the Palmetto Rose is the best bet," he said. "Too many visitors around here, anyway. And I'm guessing you'd like some privacy."
Privacy.
Yeah. That sounded right.
I didn't need to be around people right now. Didn't need to navigate whatever social dynamics existed in a place like Dominion Hall.
I needed space. Quiet. Time to think without feeling like the ground was shifting beneath me.
"Yeah," I said. "Privacy sounds good."
Silas nodded once, satisfied. "I'll make the call. We'll get you set up."
He turned and started walking back toward the house, and I followed, keeping my eyes forward, ignoring the laughter that floated through the open windows.
Ignoring the part of me that wondered if the blonde was still here.
Ignoring the part of me that wanted to find her and apologize.
Because that wasn't who I was anymore.
I was the guy who killed people and didn't look back.
I was the guy who didn't get distracted.
And I sure as hell wasn't the guy who chased after a woman just because she'd smiled at him like he mattered.
We walked back through the house in silence, past the entryway with the snake tank, past the butler who nodded politely, past rooms I still didn't look into.
Silas stopped near the front door and pulled out his phone, typing something quickly.
"Car'll be here in two minutes," he said. "Palmetto Rose is downtown. Quiet. Comfortable. You'll like it."
"Thanks."
He looked at me then, really looked at me, and I had the uncomfortable sense that he saw more than I wanted him to.
"You did good today," he said.
I frowned. "I didn't do anything."
"You showed up," Silas said. "You listened. You didn't run. That's more than most people would've done."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I said nothing.
Silas's mouth curved slightly. "Get some rest. We'll be in touch."
