Then she quietly closes the door with a click.
TEN
THE FIRST? SIGN OF TROUBLE
Zion
We don’t make it back to my place until the middle of the night. I’m dead tired, filthy, but none of that stops me from making a beeline for the kitchen.
Washing my hands, I turn back to Kaian and ask, “Are you hungry?”
He makes a face at me and shakes his head. “How the hell can you think about eating right now?”
I raise my brows at him and shrug. “I can always think about eating.”
He grimaces and looks down at what was his pristine clothing and scowls. “Well, this is ruined.”
“Oh, come on,” I scoff as I walk to the refrigerator and open the freezer door. “It’s certainly washable.”
He snorts behind me as I peruse my diminishing freezer selections. “I see the girls were busy today.”
Kaian laughs behind me. “I’m sure Camilla pilfered the best selections.”
“This stuff definitely lasts a lot longer when she doesn’t come around.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to your snacking,” Kaian grumbles. “I need a shower.”
I wave him off silently, pulling two containers from the freezer. I pop the containers in the microwave, then make my way to the combo laundry bathroom that’s off the kitchen. I turn on the water in the standup shower, then strip down, throwing my soiled clothes in the washer, before stepping under the still-cool spray. After the quickest military shower ever, I make quick work of drying off, happy to find clean clothing in tidy piles on top of the dryer.
Returning to the kitchen, I yank the bowls from the microwave, giving them a quick stir before dropping all table manners and inhaling them. Rinsing my dishes, I then put them in the dishwasher, starting a clean cycle before slowly making my way out of the room.
I glance at the couch in the living room as I make my way through, contemplating sleeping there but knowing I’d regret it in the morning. Slowly, I plod upstairs, entering my room quietly and closing the door behind me.
Looking forward to a restful night in the pitch-black dark, I creep toward the bed, happy I haven’t left any obstacles in my way. I strip down, then sit on the edge of the bed, pausing to listen closely.
Hearing nothing, I shake my head, sheer exhaustion possibly distorting my sense of reality. For a moment there, I could have sworn I heard a humming—not like musical humming, but the humming of electricity, which is completely preposterous. I stand, pull the sheet and blanket back, and climb in, stretching out on the cool material.
I close my eyes, immediately sinking into that space between wakefulness and sleep, and sigh in contentment.
But then there’s that humming again.
My eyes open, and I stare into the darkness, malcontent washing over me. I’ve never suffered from tinnitus before, and I’m quickly seeing how someone could be driven mad by it.
I inhale slowly through my nose, willing that sound to dissipate, and then mutter to myself, but it only increases in pitch. I roll over onto my side, yanking my pillow up and placing it over my head as I curse myself. I move my leg up, bending my knee as I attempt to settle more comfortably on my side, but that’s when I feel it—my foot brushing against something warm, hot, even.
I yank my foot back, holding my breath as I feel the mattress shift. I know who it is without having to turn the light on. Which is incredibly annoying, considering Camilla assured me Vivian was secure and settled. Of course, I didn’t clarify what she meant by secure and settled, but this sure as hell isn’t what I would have considered secure and settled.
Especially considering I explicitly told her to secure and settle her as far away from me as possible.
That little bitch.
I sure as shit am going to kick her ass the next time I see her. Because I know that she knew exactly what she was doing when she pulled this trick on me, because she’s a tricky pain in my ass.
Slowly, I extend my hand, my pulse increasing rapidly the closer I get to touching her. I pull my hand back, moving the pillow from my head, resting my cheek on it as I stare in her direction.
I can’t see her at all in the darkness. But I feel her. When I reach my hand out again, hovering, just shy of touching her, it’s like little zaps of electricity are teasing my fingertips.
She sighs in her sleep. I slide a little closer, and a little closer still, until I’m barely an inch away from her. Frowning, I ignore the alarm bells going off in my brain telling me to distance myself from her.
