Godric sat on the steps of the Military House—no clue how long he had been sitting there. He wore a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt, his feet bare. His elbows rested on his bent knees, and his hands were clasped together. He was staring at the fox, no expression showing in his eyes.
He stated, “Get out of here.”
His voice didn’t rise. It was monotone.
My brows puckered. He was upset.
So upset he was hiding it behind a mask.
I shook my head. “He’s not rabid.”
Godric kept his eyes on the fox. “Now.”
The fox instantly whined, but he dashed off.
He slid through one of the spaces in the fence. His tail whipped left and right as he ran down the middle of the street as fast as he could. He was just a streak of silver in the light before he disappeared completely around the end of the street.
I stood and brushed off the back of my pants. The birds still chirped, and the sun was getting higher in the sky. I strolled back to the Military House and sat down on the steps. My right side pressed against Godric.
He was warm, but his muscles were tense.
My eyes evaluated his profile. “Know that fox?”
Godric still stared straight ahead, and he snorted. “That’s a silly question, pet.”
“Well, you’re acting weird.”
He ignored my comment. “I told you to get some rest.”
“Sometimes I don’t take orders well.”
“And you’re joining my army?”
“I said sometimes.”
I turned my face back to the buildings across the street. Godric wasn’t looking at me anyway, lost in his own thoughts. The magnificent buildings were all I could see.
I sighed in resignation, and muttered, “You built a beautiful city.”
His laughter boomed. And it was extraordinary and resonated deep inside my chest, his foul mood broken. Godric leaned back and placed his left arm behind me on the stair above us. He peered at my profile this time.
“You sound thrilled.”
I shrugged, my lips twitching in humor.
He whispered, “I won’t tell your father you said that.”
I groaned and dropped my head back. “And there you go ruining the moment. You had to bring up my father.”
He chuckled, and his fingers started tracing circles on my lower back—a hidden caress. “My apologies, pet.”
With my head still straight ahead, I peered at him out of the corner of my eye. “Is this why you had Theron watch over King Corporation? So you could be here with me?”
“That’s part of the reason. I needed to see, with my own eyes, how you were doing or if you would be sent home to your father,” he answered honestly, his voice intimate and quiet. “But I’ve also wanted to evaluate the instructors, see how they’re handling new recruits. For the last two years, our numbers for acceptance into the CA haven’t been as high as normal. But, so far, I’m pleased with the instructors’ activities. It just appears those years were a weak bunch of recruits.”
I leaned against his side a little more and turned my attention to him, staring into his fascinating eyes. “What will you do if I’m sent packing? It’s not just my father I’ll be going home to—it’s also Brandon.”
His nose scrunched. “I’m still debating on that.”
