She glances down before flicking her eyes back up. “Do you know where I’m going?”
“I have my suspicions.”
She tilts her head with a sweet smile, waiting.
I narrow my eyes. “Rory’s cabin.”
Her smile grows. “He needs more punishment. Are you going to stop me?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Five days of immunity. Of service.”
“Will I bedisciplinedafter?”
“Not by me. But you will need to contend with him under Kinship Law.”
“Yourlaw.”
Vincent must have told her. But I give her nothing.
After a staring contest, she gets restless and boldly scoots around me, moving across the next bridge. Except, she heads for the barn first.
“Why aren’t you stopping me?” she wonders with her fists swinging at her sides.
“You intrigue me.”
“You intrigue me, too. Doesn’t mean I want to follow you around all over the place like a creepy shadow.”
“And amuse me.”
She swings her gaze back at me. “Is that high praise coming from a psychopath?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re arealpsychopath?” she wonders, but keeps moving forward.
“Yes.”
I’m intrigued by how she doesn’t turn to look at me. No, she sighs, as if it’s a relief to confirm the theory.
While I was never officially diagnosed, I was evaluated. It was enough. Especially given my past. I’ve always known something was “wrong” with me by society’s moral standards. Something missing. Psychopaths may not feel empathy or love, but we can value others—those who are useful or central to our sense of self.
My foster brothers are both. Now Briella is, too.
I feel no love, but possession and authority matter most. They are mine. And not because I am possessive, but because they are far moreextensionsof myself.Sheis mine. And I protect what’s mine, even if it means breaking them, making them stronger.
“You will receive the list of my Kinship Law in due time,” I tell her.”
Her hand pauses on the barn door as she eyes me from the side. “Vague again.”
“Such maintains the intrigue.”
My amusement grows when she enters the barn, grabs a rope from the tack area, and loosely loops it around the pregnant goat’s neck. “Hand me that bag of goat pellets?” Briella gestures to the sealed bag next to me.
“I will bring it for you.”
“Hmm…so not just stopping me. You’reenablingme.” She pats the swollen belly of the goat.
“Enabling is a strong word. Not applicable to a psychopath.”
