Kaian makes a show out of considering my question. And I’m kicking myself for getting him and Camilla wrapped up in this nonsense. Then he moves to the latch, removing the padlock as he says, “You have a bit of a point, and as someone who was recently terrorized by an Irish spitfire, I'm going to do what I can to help you.”
Relieved, I push away from the side of the stall, walking to the doorway as the door slides open. I step out of the stall, giving Kaian what I can only hope is a grateful look, and reply, “I really appreciate that.”
Kaian laughs. “I mean, I'm still going to give you shit the entire time.”
Nodding, I retort, “Wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“I grabbed your stuff. I’m sure we’re probably late at this point.” He motions to a bench near the side of the aisle.
Eyeing the pile of stuff on the bench, I say, “Well, that was awfully nice of you.”
“I’m a nice guy.”
Snorting, I move to the bench, quickly taking inventory of the needed items, strapping on and filing away as appropriate. Retrieving my phone, I read over the brief instructions, relieved the job isn’t too far off the mundanely questionable.
“We gonna take your bike?” Kaian asks as we head back into my main living area.
“Seriously?” I quirk a brow at him.
Shrugging, he mutters, “I mean, I guess not.”
I stop beside my motorcycle, glancing between it and Kaian as I frown. It may be a custom model due to my overall size, but the idea of Kaian being a backpack is ludicrous at best.
Sighing, I respond, “This isn’t a bike kind of job,” as I turn toward the door, not bothering to look behind me as I add, “You can drive. I need a nap.”
NINE
A LITTLE BACKSTORY
Vivian
Thoughts of Gemma aside, Camilla was right when she said all I needed was a hot shower, a decent meal, and some playtime with a pony to improve my day.
We also put in a few hours of hard labor, working our way down a laundry list of repairs needed along the expansive property. By the time we quit for the day, I was exhausted and happy to take a little extra time on my second shower of the day. My clothing options being either Zion’s too-big clothes or Cami’s too-small clothes, I make do with some of his athletic wear while putting my dirty clothing in the laundry.
By the time I’m dressed, Camilla is already waiting in the kitchen. We happily ransack Zion’s surplus of food prep. And I'm truly astounded by the variety there. And the quality isn’t bad either.
“Does he pay a service for this?”
Camilla shakes her head and smiles. “Not Zion. The man takes his food pretty seriously.”
“Well, I ain’t complaining,” I reply, and Camilla nods in agreement. She doesn’t say anything further, so after a moment, I add, “Have you known him for a long time?”
Camilla pauses, giving me an assessing look, but then she nods. “Most of my life.”
“So, you came up in the same circle?”
Camilla’s laugh is bitter, and she drops her fork in her bowl as she says, “If by circle, you mean the streets.”
I blink at her, my own fork falling into my bowl as I whisper, “The streets?”
“Yeah,” she replies matter-of-factly. She pauses, eying me thoughtfully before adding, “I mean, I can’t even place exactly when Zion came into my life. It’s like he just dropped in out of nowhere, but at the same time felt like he had always been there.”
I frown, tilting my head as her words sink in. “That wasn’t concerning for you?”
“Compared to what?” she responds with a shrug. “Life wasn’t always kind to any of us, so only hindsight shows the truly crazy moment. And it’s only because we banded together that we somehow managed to survive so that I can add it to the don’t-need-to-know pile I’ve had growing for my entire existence.”
Camila stares off into space for a moment, obviously lost in thought. But then, she blinks, her eyes move back to mine, that same sparkle that I’d grown accustomed to. “That all sounds very dramatic, I know. But it’s all good.”
