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Go with him? Belong to another man? No. Never.
I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t the right time to tell him no.
He slid his hand down my arm to my hand, placing a piece of paper in my palm and closing my fingers around it. “If you ever need me.” He leaned forward, head tilted, and kissed my forehead. Then he stepped away, hands dropping from me, and faced Delara. He bowed his head. “A pleasure.” Then he casually walked away.
I stepped to the side and sagged back against the wall.
“Charming, isn’t he?” Delara said. “A Grit’s greatest asset, but I assume you already know that.”
I nodded. Roarke had been the only Grit at the compound, although I didn’t know if he was the only Grit who worked for my husband.
“Rayne, I know this is overwhelming being with us, but we want to help.” Delara moved in closer and leaned up against the wall beside me. “I was asked to stop you from running, but what I’d like is if you’d listen to what I have to say, then decide.”
“I can’t go where they want to send me. I won’t be locked away again.” Never. Another compound. The memories were too fresh. Too real. I couldn’t. I inched back a step away from her. Then another.
Delara nodded. “Kilter tell you?”
I didn’t say anything, not wanting him to get into more trouble than what I’d already heard.
“Rayne, it’s okay. Kilter fought against the idea and our Taldeburu has changed his mind about a rehab center for you.” I had no idea what Taldeburu meant and I was uncertain if she was breaking down the walls around my mind or saw my confusion in my expression, but she explained. “Waleron is our Taldeburu. The leader of the Scars here in North America.”
Kilter kept his promise and convinced them. “Is he okay? I heard shouting. He sounded so angry.”
She hesitated and my heart pounded. Oh, God, please don’t let him be hurt. “He’s fine.”
I closed my eyes, nodding, and inhaled a long, ragged breath.
“We had an idea. What if you live with me? It’s not much, nothing like this place. It’s an apartment downtown above an art gallery.” She reached out, took my hand, and squeezed. I pulled away. “Rayne, you’re best to be around people who know what you’ve been through. Or at least have an idea. You can stay with me and Waleron will organize someone for you to see. You can get help. We want to help and you don’t have any place to go. I promise, we won’t involve you in Scars’ business and you can get a fresh start.”
“What did Kilter say?”
Delara shifted her feet and her shoulders tensed. “Kilter had to leave.” I gasped, heart slamming into my chest. “He’s safe and unharmed, but he won’t be around for a while.”
Kilter left? He just left? Despite the fact that I had been running away, it hurt that he left.
It was better this way. Maybe he’d known that. I had started to feel something for him and that was dangerous.
A vacant emptiness settled inside me—a familiar black void that had become my solitude and my demise. I had nothing left. And she was right. I had no place to go.
I lowered my head and nodded. “Okay,” I said.
