Sam stalked back to the porch. “We will show you your new living quarters before I take my leave.” Much to Rory’s surprise, his face held no hostility when he spoke to her.
Lauren signaled for Rory to go first and then followed her up the stairs. “He’s not normally like this,” she whispered. “Blunt, yes, but never intentionally rude. He’s upset and taking it out on everyone else.”
“What is he upset about?” Rory asked against her better judgment. She shouldn’t care.
Lauren sighed and shook her head. “Nothing I can discuss with you, but just know it cut him deeply, and I’m afraid he will never forgive the friend who wielded the knife.”
Rory watched Sam’s large back as he barked out information about the house, and her heart ached for him.
He turned to her with a scowl, his earlier expression gone. “Are you listening?”
And just like that, Sam could fuck off.
3
The cabin wastwo levels and unnecessarily huge. The expansive main floor housed a formal dining area, large kitchen, living room, office, and powder room. The upstairs had four bedrooms, each with its own en suite.
Were they hiding a small army?The house looked homey, like someone lived there. “Who lives here?” Rory asked Sam, who was still brooding as he tromped through the house.
“It is a safe house. Why do you keep asking questions we have already answered?” The sharp tone he used was unnecessary.
She halted and grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to face her. “If you think I’m so vile, then reassign yourself. It’s clear you have the power.”
His shoulders slumped a fraction, and the uncharacteristic action startled her. “I do not think you are vile.” He scrubbed a large hand over his face. “I apologize for taking my anger out on you.”
She tried not to laugh at the pained expression on his face. You’d think he had never apologized in his entire life. “Forgiven.”
His lips lifted into an almost smile before he turned and led her to the main level. Dume, her father, and Lauren sat around the largedining room table, arguing in a hushed whisper, but when Rory and Sam appeared in the doorway, they stopped abruptly.
“What’s going on?” she asked, holding her breath. Another surprise might do her in.
“We’re discussing living arrangements,” Lauren replied and motioned between herself and Sam. “One of us must stay with you at all times.”
“I thought I was free.” She looked between the two strangers. “I understand following me during the day, but why do I need guards living with me?”
They traded a look that made her uneasy. “If people hear of your release, it will not be received well,” Sam replied. “It is for your protection.”
Rory popped a brow. “I killed fourteen people. I think I can handle myself.”
Dume and Patrick blanched, but Lauren’s mouth curled into a feline smile.
“The charges were for thirteen,” Dume said with obvious unease.
Rory shifted uncomfortably. No one knew about the first victim she’d left dead in an alley. “That’s what I meant.”
Their silence cut her to the bone. They could say it didn’t bother them all they wanted, but it did.
Sam’s voice cut through the quiet. “Your protection is the most important thing. It is not up for debate. Lauren and I will take turns. There are plenty of bedrooms.”
He left no room for argument, and she bit her tongue, deciding to pick her battles.
“We’re staying here, too,” Dume said, crossing his arms across his wide chest.
She whirled around to him and her father. “You can’t do that. You both have jobs in the city.”
The area was secluded enough that she knew the city wasn’t within walking distance, and neither Dume nor her father had a vehicle.
Dume shrugged. “Patrick bought a truck, and we’ve agreed to switch out using it.”
