Lavender straightened, squaring her shoulders like she was preparing for battle.The gesture was so familiar, it made my throat tight.Always so brave, my Lavender.Brynn moved closer to her mother, her posture mirroring Lavender’s.I wondered if she even realized she’d stepped into a protective position.Looking at them standing together, their chins raised, ready to face whatever came… Fuck, they were beautiful.And they were mine to protect now.
“Let’s get inside,” I said, clearing the sudden roughness from my throat.“Give you both a chance to settle in before meeting the whole club.”
I led them toward the entrance, aware of curious eyes following our progress across the compound.Brothers nodded respectfully as we passed, some raising hands in greeting but giving them space until they settled.I had no doubt most of the old ladies would be over with all kinds of food and desserts.It’s who the women were.
“This isn’t what I expected,” Brynn admitted quietly, almost to herself.
“What did you expect?”I asked, holding the door open.
She considered this for a moment, then looked at me directly, those piercing blue eyes looking straight through bullshit.“Something more… I don’t know.Criminal.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped.“Oh, there’s plenty of that too, kid.We just keep it tidy.”
For the briefest moment, the corner of her mouth twitched up.Not quite a smile, but closer than I’d seen since the day we played games in her hospital room.It felt like winning the fucking lottery.
I led them up to the lift, shutting the gate behind them and taking us to the second floor.Someone had hung artwork in the back of the lift to give it a less industrial feel, but it didn’t really work considering it was a painting of a warehouse.I didn’t know who’d put it there, but experience told me the likely culprit would be Riot, at the encouragement of Caleb.I caught Brynn grinning as she looked at the painting before she scowled and looked away.
We exited the lift and started down the hall.Brynn trudged behind us, dragging her feet with each step like she was walking to her execution instead of her new home.The second-floor hallway stretched before us, the concrete floor softened by a long runner of carpet, walls painted warm beige instead of institutional gray.I stopped at the apartment door across from mine and nodded to her door.“It’s like a hotel lock.Swipe your card and it flashes green, then lets you in.”I pointed to the camera tucked discreetly in the corner of the hallway ceiling.“Security’s tight here.Entire compound is under surveillance.Each apartment has its own alarm system, but there are no cameras inside other than at the door which faces toward the hall.You’ll have your privacy.”
Lavender nodded, her eyes lingering on the camera.“That’s… reassuring, actually.”
I gestured toward the door and she swiped her card, unlocked it, and pushed it open.They entered first and I followed.“Welcome home,” I said, the words feeling strange on my tongue.“For as long as you want it.”
The apartment was unrecognizable from the bare space it had been just a few days ago.Pippa and Tillie had worked fucking miracles.The open-plan living area gleamed with cleanliness, furniture arranged to create a cozy seating area facing the windows that overlooked the compound.Fresh flowers sat in a mason jar on the kitchen table.The refrigerator hummed quietly and should be stocked with food I’d requested based on Brynn’s renal diet requirements and the few preferences I’d managed to learn during our hospital stay.
“This is…” Lavender stood in the center of the room, turning slowly.“Not what I expected either.”Her voice held genuine surprise.
“Oh really?Brynn told me what she expected.What were you expecting?Leather couches and beer signs?”I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my mouth.
“Something like that.”She ran her hand along the back of a comfortable-looking armchair, her fingers leaving trails in the soft fabric.“This is really nice, Knight.”
Brynn had drifted toward the bookshelf against one wall, her head tilted sideways to read the spines.Her backpack hung from one shoulder, its weight nothing compared to the wariness she carried.
“Kitchen’s fully stocked,” I said, moving toward the refrigerator.“Ada made sure everything on Brynn’s approved food list is here.And the fridge has a water dispenser with a built-in filter.”
I showed them the security system which consisted of a keypad by the door with a panic button that would alert the entire compound if pressed, then led them down the short hallway off the living room.
“Bathroom’s here.”I pushed open the door to reveal a surprisingly modern setup with a large shower.“Towels, toiletries, all that stuff should be in there.One in the master bedroom too.”
Two doors remained.I opened the first, revealing a modestly sized bedroom with a queen bed, dresser, and a small desk.“Lavender, this would be yours.”The room held little personalization because I hadn’t known what she might want, but the bedspread was a soft purple, a small nod to her name.
She stepped inside, her fingers trailing over the edge of the desk.“It’s perfect.Thank you.”Her voice was soft, and when she turned to me, her eyes shone with unshed tears that she quickly blinked away.
The last door led to Brynn’s room.I hesitated with my hand on the knob, suddenly uncertain.This was the part I’d obsessed over, wanting to give her something that might crack that carefully constructed wall of indifference.Would she hate it?See it as manipulation?
“And this one’s yours, Brynn,” I said, pushing the door open.
The room was smaller than Lavender’s, but packed with more personality.Bookshelves lined one wall, filled with titles I’d noticed her reading in the hospital or that Ada had suggested for a girl her age with her interests.A desk stood beneath the window, topped with a high-end laptop I’d configured myself, loaded with coding software she’d mentioned wanting.On the walls, instead of posters, I’d hung framed vintage tech patents like the first computer, early coding diagrams, things I thought might intrigue her.
Brynn stepped inside, her carefully maintained mask of disinterest slipping as her eyes widened and her mouth formed an “O” of wonder.She moved to the bookshelf first, running her fingers along the spines.
She set her backpack down and moved to the desk, her hands hovering over the laptop.“Is this…” She opened it, and her face lit up as the screen came to life, displaying the home screen of the programming environment she’d talked about.“How did you know?”she asked, turning to me with naked surprise, momentarily forgetting her hostility.
I shrugged, trying to downplay the hours I’d spent researching what might interest her.“I noticed you reading about it in the hospital.Figured you might want to try it.”
Our eyes locked, and for a second, I saw past her defenses to the vulnerable kid underneath, smart as hell and desperate for connection despite her prickly exterior.She reminded me so much of myself at that age it physically hurt.
The moment shattered as a knock sounded at the apartment door.Brynn’s expression shuttered closed again, though not completely.Some of the wonder remained as her fingers traced the edge of the laptop.
