The honey-haired man opened his eyes slightly. Dark orbs stared out at me, his cool gaze taking its time to evaluate every inch of my rigid frame. Like a storm passing, they closed once more and stayed that way. He grumbled, “Megan, huh? The woman who was kidnapped with Mina?”
Somehow, I didn’t think that was really what he was asking.
Rune took one careful step in front of me. “Yes.”
“Hmm.” Not bothering to sit up or even open his eyes again, the dangerous man stated with candor, “Megan, I’m Theron King. Welcome. My advance apologies for not being more courteous. It’s a trying time right now.”
I swallowed on a dry throat. “Thank you, Theron.” Then his words truly hit me, my blink ever so gradual, as excitement from new information unfurled in my belly. “Did you sayKing?”
Rune turned, placed his warm palm on my back, and pointed to a door in the far corner. “That’ll take you to her room.”
Another blink and I yanked my attention away from Theron. I stared up into golden eyes, the warning clear not to ask any more questions. “All right. I’ll get her into bed.”
Poppy’s feet dragged even more as I headed to the door. Goose bumps popped up along my flesh in foreboding.
She didn’t want to go in there.
I halted just outside the closed door and glanced at her. I pressed my mouth directly against her ear, ignoring the smell of unwashed flesh, and whispered softly, “You don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to. If these men are keeping you here without your permission, I won’t let that happen.”
Her exhale was a shaky breath. She shook her head. “Don’t bother whispering. They can hear you. And this is where I need to be. Where I should be.”
My neck craned to the side as I glanced back. All three men were staring directly at us where they rested. It didn’t matter if one was drunk and another half-asleep. Each set of eyes was watching with intelligence as if they had heard my comment. My nostrils flared, and I demanded to know, “Is it safe in there?”
Whatever was behind that door wasn’t good.
Rune stated with blunt honesty, “There are cameras in there and alarms. It is as safe as it can be.” He shook his head of black hair gently, his eyes turning to Poppy with tenderness, his voice softening. “She won’t sleep anywhere else. Anytime we move her, she goes right back to their room.”
I stared. “Cameras and alarms?”
He merely nodded. Once.
My black brows puckered, and I reluctantly turned my attention back to the door. What in the mighty fuck was behind this door? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know. There were secrets in families, and then there weresecrets. The dark and deadly kind you could never escape.
Poppy took the decision out of my hands and leaned forward. She grabbed the door handle and twisted it, opening the door wide. Her brown eyes scanned my face as I took in the view, her words quiet. “Now you know.”
I choked, “Shit.”
