Page 35 of Anywhere

“Answer the fucking question, Liam. Have you serviced Rhys before?” I cracked my knuckles, not sure what I’d do if he answered yes.

“Naw, Master Adair.”

My shoulders instantly relaxed, but my chest was still tight with emotion as my hands clenched and unclenched into fists.

“Are you lying to me?”

He shook his head no. “Rhys neva ‘ave sex wit anyone from da house. I dinnie know he was even havin’ sex at all til a month ago. He be very private.” Liam lifted his eyes to mine and licked his lips. “He kinda got more… active when… um… when da chosin’ ritual happened,” he said, and then winced away like I might hit him.

That was interesting. I knew Rhys had been upset by the rejection, but it sounded like he’d become a lot more promiscuous. Not that I could judge. Before I arrived here, I usually had three to four people a night. This had been the longest I’d gone without fucking someone in a couple of years.

“Okay,” I said and stepped back from the man who had only been trying to help me. I was going crazy. This place made me insane. The connection was like trying to hold back the wind.

Pulling on my sneakers, I made my way down to the kitchen. I could hear Rhys laughing and wandered in to see him and Mari at the table, throwing bits of food into the air and trying to catch what they threw up like they were children. Just like that, the jealousy was back.

I blinked, and a memory that was not my own flashed through my mind.

“Naw, I’ma no doin’ it. It be foolish,” Rhys said.

“Yer jus chicken ta lose ta a girl,” Mari snarked back as she held up a blueberry.

“Am not.”

“Are too.” She flicked her long hair over her shoulder. “Rhys, da boy dat’s scared to lose a game to a girl.”

Rhys’s face turned bright red. “Take dat back. It no be true.”

In answer, Mari tossed the blueberry into the air and caught it, smiling. “Den play da game. First ta miss has ta do da other one’s chores fir a week,” she said.

“Fine, I’ll play da silly game.”

I staggered a step as the memory released me. I’d never had that happen before. Mari looked over from the table, and our eyes locked. The piece she’d tossed in the air hit the floor. Had she given me the memory by accident? I had no idea. Was that even possible?

Rhys tossed a piece of muffin into the air and caught it, laughing. “I win. Ya missed.” Rhys looked over his shoulder to where I was standing. “Ah, yer here. Good. Took ya long enough,” Rhys teased as he smiled at me.

My jaw twitched, the strange jealously overriding everything else, including his happy look.

“Liam paid me a visit,” I said, not expanding on what happened or why, but it was like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room as Rhys slowly stood from the table.

“Did he now?”

I poured myself a coffee and pretended to ignore Rhys, but I could see the glower on his face out of the corner of my eye.

“And anythin’ special happen dat ya feel yer needin’ ta share?”

“Nothing I want to share with you,” I said and took a gulp of the coffee. Why I was getting so much enjoyment out of pissing Rhys off, I didn’t know, but I was relishing the jealous look in his eyes.

“Well, I always did hear he had impeccable skill. I might be needin’ ta pay ‘im a visit meself,” he said, and my power flashed with the threat.

My glare found Rhys. Mari sat perfectly still except for her eyes, which bounced between the two of us, a partially eaten muffin halfway to her mouth.

“He said it was his job to make sure I’m happy and comfortable with my stay.”

“Ah, I see. So wat yer sayin’ is your claim last night be bullshit. Good ta get da truth out there, den.” Rhys looked down at Mari. “I’ll leave ‘im to ya.” Rhys marched out the open glass doors.

“Fuck,” I growled and slammed the mug down. The hot coffee went everywhere. Shaking the steaming liquid off my hand, I wandered to the door and looked out, but Rhys had disappeared. Angry and wanting to vent on someone, I turned on Mari.

“This is all your fault,” I snarled.