“He called for you."
Warmth rushed his chest, and Thano looked in the direction of Emeric's voice.“What?"
“When Elijah told him about the eviction note, he called your name.I showed myself thinking maybe he wanted to tell you something."
“Did he?"
“Nothing he told me."
Thano ached to go to him.He'd watched him sleep.He'd picked his lock and left the cupcake for him to find, but he hadn't been able to walk away without seeing him.He hadn't looked as peaceful as he had when Thano had slept next to him.Maybe he'd had a bad dream.His fingers still tingled with the need to touch him, but he'd forced himself not to.
“I'll check the shop."
“I'm heading home.I need some rest."
“Okay, see you later."
Thano walked past the guards.He could've shadow walked, but it amused him to slip right by them without them having a clue.He walked in the middle of the road toward the shop.People were milling about, and there was a panicked energy in the air.Thano would do what Eli asked for a few days, but if he was eating any less than he already was, Thano would bring him back to the ranch.
Kidnapping was okay when it was in the victim's best interest.Thano would tie him to the bed like he should've done in the first place.
Eli was his.
When he reached the shop, the door was jammed open, and people were pushing to get to the items they wanted.A man was seated outside on one of those folding stools Emeric had described with a shotgun resting across his lap.Thano couldn't get into the shop without being jostled.He was sure people would panic if they touched him without seeing him, and he couldn't drop the shadows without some idiot trying to shoot him.He couldn't risk a bullet hitting Eli.
Maybe the crowd would thin soon.
Through the large window, he could see Elijah standing next to Eli behind the counter.It made him want to snarl.Elijah was beautiful in an almost feminine way.He wouldn't be mistaken for a female, but he was...pretty, and it was clear Eli cared about him.Thano didn't like it.
A woman came scurrying along the street, a basket jostling on her arm with each step she took, and fear was stark on her face.Thano had seen her before.He believed she might have a stand on the square on market days.Knitware, maybe.
When she noticed the crowd outside the shop, she slowed, and her shoulders slumped.
Thano stepped back until he stood in the shadows of the house across the street and adopted a relaxed pose.He could see the entrance from there, could see Eli through the window.
* * * *
Chapter 19
Eli moved in a daze.He rang up whatever items people brought to the counter, and Elijah helped him usher people out the door when they were done.He'd never had as many people inside the shop at the same time.People had never been as frantic.
The inhabitants of places like Last Hope were resilient, but the threat of starvation was real.Eli didn't blame them for panicking.Hewas panicking.He hadn't put aside any food for himself.He'd taken most of what he had to Thano's and then left it there.He pushed the thought away and continued to ring up items, take money, and reassure people everything would be fine despite not believing a word.
When Rosie reached the counter, she reached for his hand instead of shoving items at him to ring up.“Eli."She breathed his name.Her eyes were glassy, and her cheeks rosy.
“Hi, Rosie."
“What will you do?"
His mind hadn't figured that far ahead yet.Right now, he focused on selling as much of the food as he could to give people a chance to stay fed for a few days.It was market day on Wednesday.If they shopped what they could now, they could stock up more when the people from Fisherman's Lake came here with their items.It would give them some time to figure things out.
“I'm sure it will be fine."
Rosie stared into his eyes.“How will you earn a living?"
He shrugged and reached for a bag of lentils in her basket.He didn't want to talk about how he'd live.He couldn't live.The shop was what kept him alive.
“Maybe you can work at the hotel."She glanced at Elijah, who had a deer-in-the-headlights look.
