18 Rich
I watch Kimber move through my house like she lives here, pointing out a place that she thinks this litter box is going, and dropping onto the couch to let her cat out. Hesitant eyes keep looking at me and then away, and it’s a good thing Laci left right after I took the litter box out of her car. Kim looks a little frayed.
“You could have called me to pick you up,” I tell her, walking over to sit beside her on the couch. Brutus looks at me with unimpressed eyes before walking away, and I guess he doesn’t approve of me like he did of Russell.
“I know,” she says, biting her lip. “But talking to David made me freak out a little and I knew you would be at work still or commuting and - and Laci was totally down to pick me up when I told her I was having problems with Jonah.”
I stare at her, slowly leaning back against the couch. “You told her about Jonah?”
She shrugs. “I didn’t say he was dead. I just mentioned that I was having some problems because of him and I wanted to get out of my apartment. She actually said I could sleep in Emilio’s guestroom if I needed to, and it sounds kind of terrifying.”
“You are not sleeping at Emilio’s,” I say, frowning.
Her lips quirk up in a smirk, and she leans back into the couch with me. “I know. I asked about help with a ride and a litter box and she cursed a lot but came to help me. She alsothreatened to shank Jonah if he showed up, so I guess everyone had a bad opinion of him. I should’ve listened to them.”
Frowning, I shift around as she leans further into the couch and watches her cat disappear down the hall. “What do you mean?”
She glances at me. “Oh, he was someone who interacted with Laci once. I don’t really know how much, but Emilio and Laci hated him. He was at Sins with me for a whole day once and both of them looked at me like I had lost it. I didn’t think he’d turn out to be so dangerous.”
Her eyes darken, and she drops her head to the sofa and doesn’t speak again. I run my fingers down her arm, glancing at the bag she brought with. “So you came here?”
Kim tenses. “I thought it would be okay. David said if I’m getting drop offs at my apartment I should go somewhere I feel safe. But I didn’t even ask and-”
She cuts herself off, sitting up straight before I can get a word in. Her eyes are imploring as they meet mine, and she nervously brushes her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
“You can always come to me,” I tell her, reaching out to grip her chin. She’s said that before, and I’ll never turn her away. As I stroke her skin, some of the worry eases from her eyes. “Anytime you need something, I want you to know you can come to me. You’re welcome here.”
“Even though I brought my cat?” she asks skeptically.
“You want him safe,” I reply, glancing down the hall. I don’t know if Brutus is destructive or not, but maybe he’ll give me an excuse to redecorate. “And I want you safe. Whatever matters to you is welcome here.”
Kim’s shoulders drop, and for once there’s no worry in her eyes. “I thought you might say something like that.”
~~~
For the most part, Kim sleeps all of that afternoon and into the following day. She wakes up and eats with me, but she seems completely exhausted, and I guess she either asked or Bobby gave her a few days off.
She spends part of her Friday on the phone with David, whispering in one of the rooms even though I can’t hear her. I’m not entirely sure what they are talking about since Kim hasn’t shared, but she’s a little less lively when she comes out. She doesn’t want to talk about it, so I leave her alone until the evening. It’s the weekend, so nothing else will happen with her case until Monday anyway.
“This is a bad idea,” Kimber says, gripping the seat in my car like I couldn’t wrestle her off of it. “I haven’t been approved to come back.”
“You aren’t a danger to anyone,” I tell her, and she shoots me a look. I lied a little to get her to come out with me. I told her we were going on a date, and wearegoing on a date, just not to a restaurant. She hasn’t been back to S&S since before we went to the hot springs, and I know it’s weighing heavily on her. This is her home. “And David is supposed to be here-”
“You talked to David?” she interrupts. “He’s my attorney now. Isn’t that a conflict or something?”
“Meh,” I say, opening the car door. “We’re not going to disclose to anyone else that we’re all part of a sex club.”
“You’re not part of Sins,” she says, frowning. I shoot her a wink and get out of the car, her voice carrying after me before the door closes. “Right?”
By the time I make it to her side she’s already opened her door and is getting out, glaring at me. “I don’t want to make Jo madder. I want to be back here and not ruin my bad reputation.”
“Your reputation is bad because people think you’re bad,” I say, helping her stand. She narrows her eyes at me. “But you don’t let most people see the real you either, do you?”
Kim hisses, snatching back her hand. She’s tucked the clutch beneath her elbow, and runs her eyes over me. “They won’t let you in if you don’t have a membership. It’s Friday. It’s busy. And you need a background check-”
“I’ve been stocking Sins for years,” I tell her, closing the door when she refuses to move. She barely steps out of the way, rooting herself in place. “They run my background check often enough since I’m sometimes present when the members are. Besides, I’m restocking.”
She eyes me, then peers at my car. “Restocking what?”
