“Yes.”
“Why?”
His eyes flick to mine. “Because locked doors are only useful if you know what’s on the other side of them.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
He moves through the house with frightening efficiency, locking things that already look locked, checking things that don’t look like they need checking. I count four cameras before I stop trying.
By the time he leads me upstairs, my nerves have begun to shift into something else as he stops in front of his bedroomdoor at the end of the hall. “You can use anything in here, and anything you need, you ask for.”
I hesitate before crossing the threshold. The room is not what I expect.
For someone everyone whispers like he’s the devil himself, I expect something cold. Black walls. Sharp furniture. A room made to intimidate. Instead, it’s warm in a way that almost hurts.
Charcoal walls. Dark oak floors. Shelves built into the far wall with books stacked in neat, uneven rows. Heavy curtains cover the windows completely, thick enough to erase the outside world. The bed is large, layered in dark gray blankets and pillows that look too soft for someone like him. Nothing about the room asks to be admired.
“How do you sleep when you’re alone?” I ask.
“Honestly, naked.”
I stifle a grin before I walk farther into the room, my fingers brushing the edge of the dresser as if I need proof this place is real. Then I see the closet.
One door is open. Half of it belongs to him. Black. Gray. Dark green. Rows upon rows of hoodies, sweats, and sneakers. Boots lined beneath neatly hung jackets. Practical. Controlled. Severe.
The other half, I stop breathing.
Sweaters.
Jeans.
Leggings.
Oversized hoodies.
Soft sleep shirts.
Sneakers.
Even a pair of slippers tucked under the lowest shelf. Every piece still has a tag attached.
I step closer and touch the sleeve of a cream-colored sweater. It’s my size.
I turn back out of the closet. “Saint?”
He looks up from where he’s placing his keys on the dresser.
“What?”
I gesture toward the clothes, but my hand feels weak. “Whose are these?”
“Yours.”
The word is so simple. A strange pressure builds behind my ribs.
“You bought these before I came here.”
“I prepared the room.”
