“Are you trying to make me feel better or…?” It’s not working. The opposite, in fact, if I’m being honest.
“Move in with me.”
I blink at the sudden change in conversation. “You already did.”
“Imoved in with you.”
“Don’t play semantics with me; we already live together.”
“I want us to get a house. With better security. Jericho knows a guy.”
“Jericho always knows a guy.” He’s pedantic about that kind of thing, so at least it should be a decent guy who’ll bubble wrap the entire block. If it’ll stop any more psychotic assholes making themselves at home inourspace, then I’m all for it.
“We could get a rabbit. You like rabbits.”
“Liking rabbits doesn’t mean I want one.” Kendrick doesn’t like animals. He doesn’t dislikethem or anything, he’s just never wanted them. He tolerates my fish because they’re at least contained. “Can we call it Skittles?”
Kendrick laughs and then groans. “Don’t make me laugh, it hurts. Yeah, Spence, we can call it Skittles. Just don’tfeedit Skittles.”
What a killjoy. I bet rabbits would like Skittles. “You really want to get a house with me?”
“I want you to be safe. Both of us to be, and this will be better. It means more room too.”
“Room for what?” Why do we need more room? How many rabbits does he want to get?
“For whatever we want.”
“I’ll start looking today,” I promise. He wants a house? I’ll get him one by next week.
He traces my bottom lip with his thumb. “I love you.”
“I love you so much that I hate it, Ken. I want to chain you to me so that you can never move more than a foot away from me. I want to put a tracker on you so I know where you are every second you’re not with me. I want to walk around having you smell of me. I want the entire world to know I’ll skin them alive if they eventhinkabout laying claim to you.”
“No one can. I’m yours.”
Half standing from my chair, I lean over him and kiss him, softly. Just to feel his warmth against me. To feel his breath, more reassurance that he’s here. I’ll need that for a long time.
“Do you think they have anything decent to eat here?” Kendrick asks against my lips. “I’m starving, and I don’t think what they fed us last night was any animal I’ve ever heard of.”
“It was probably human,” I say with a chuckle.
“I’d believe it.”
Rubbing my eyes, I twist to look around the room. “They left you something before.” The bed next to us is empty, and I’d shoved it over there. Easy enough to wheel it back over so that Kendrick can reach it.
He’s halfway through a sandwich when Hunter comes in, Jericho behind him.
“We’re here to spring you,” Hunter says, a cheerful lilt to his tone. “Six is dealing with some paperwork and getting some things from the doctors, and then you’re free.” He puts a hand on the railing at the end of the bed while Jericho sits heavily in the chair near the window. “If you two do this to me a third time, you’re fired.”
“Yes, boss,” Kendrick mumbles through his bite.
Greer enters next, a clean bandage covering half his face. It has to be a mess of stitches under there. Anger throbs like a physical ache in my chest at the damage Ferguson caused. I can’t imagine how Greer’s going to feel, looking at the evidence every day in the mirror.
“Here, I got you this.” Greer tosses Kendrick a small bite-size Snickers. “Enjoy it; you’ll never get another one from me.”
“Love you too,” Kendrick says, lips flickering. He unwraps it and takes a bite of half before passing the rest to me. I shove it in my mouth before Greer can growl that it’s not for me. I should have taken a picture first to capture the monumental occasion. “Did we get the guy?”
I’m interested to know as well. I have no idea what’s happening behind the scenes. If they told me, I don’t remember, everything but Kendrick a haze for days.
