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“Perhaps it isn’t,” Cyrus conceded. “But I’m not interested in fair at the moment. I’m interested in keeping you safe. Which means that for as long as we are here, you will follow the instructions you are given without question, regardless of who gives them. Have I made myself perfectly clear, little girl?”
Heat seeped into her cheeks at being so thoroughly put in her place, and with an audience no less. “Crystal, Sir.”
She couldn’t manage “Daddy” in front of someone else, but hopefully it was enough to soothe the storm she could sense brewing inside of him.
“Good girl.” He pressed a kiss to her head before pulling away and reaching for the door handle. “Let’s go see our temporary home.”
“Ah, guys?”
They paused, each of them giving her a withering look that had her rolling her eyes. “I’m sorta…not dressed.” She gestured to the oversized robe she was still wearing. “Remember?”
“Got you covered.” Climbing out of the front seat, Cole jogged around to the back and opened the trunk. He unzipped a large black duffel and a moment later tossed a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants at her.
“Gonna be big on you, but they’ll have to do for now.”
“Thanks,” she replied dryly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again as she pulled the oversized pants on. It was a struggle, especially with Cyrus so close in the cramped quarters, but he didn’t seem interested in leaving until she was ready.
When she’d finally wiggled into the pants and the shirt, she climbed off Cyrus’s lap and out of the car, with him following close behind. Hand in hand, they followed Cole into the house.
Into safety.
She hoped.
* * *
The “tour”took longer than she’d thought it would, considering how small the house really was. But Cole had taken the time to introduce them to the two guards taking the night shift, to explain how the shift changes would work, how they could get a hold of him until he was able to install the software that would keep their phones from being tracked. Dozens of instructions she never would have thought of on her own.
But now they were alone, upstairs in the master bedroom with the guards downstairs keeping watch and, from what Cole had explained, a handful more surrounding the perimeter. And despite the late hour and everything they’d been through in the past few hours, she wasn’t tired. Down to her bones exhausted, yes, but her brain was as noisy as ever and there was a buzzing under her skin, almost like anticipation, and she couldn’t seem to settle.
“Mina? You okay, baby?”
Without bothering to face him, she pulled the covers back on the bed. “Yup. Peachy keen.”
Gripping her shoulders gently, he turned her around. “What have I told you about lying to me, Ace?”
There was no real censure in his voice, which should have comforted her. So why was her stomach churning with this strange cocktail of anger and disappointment?
“Whatever,” she mumbled, twisting out of his grasp.
“Whoa.” He reached for her again, his grip firmer now as he wrapped his fingers around her upper arm. “What’s this? Talk to me, baby.”
“Oh my god, would you just stop already? I’m fine, Cyrus, so just lay off.”
For a moment, she thought she’d pushed him too far. She saw it, the flicker of danger in his eyes before he closed them and took a deep breath, his hold on her gentling again.
“All right. Let’s just get some sleep and we can talk in the morning.”
“Fine.” Jerking her arm away from him, she stalked to the bathroom, which was thankfully stocked with the basics like toothbrushes and unopened tubes of toothpaste.
Cole was, quite possibly, the most prepared man she’d ever met.
She took out her frustrations on the packaging, ripping it open before brushing her teeth so furiously it was a wonder her gums didn’t bleed. But even then, the riot of emotions inside of her refused to calm.
Irritated with herself, Cyrus, everything, she slammed the cabinet doors shut and turned to leave the bathroom. And bumped straight into a wall of bare skin and muscle.
For the third time, he took hold of her, his eyes blazing. “Little girl, you are about two seconds away from getting your bottom blistered something fierce. So unless you would like to be sleeping on your tummy tonight, I suggest you stop taking your anger out on me and the house.”
“Yeah, right.” The words escaped before she thought better of them, but instead of shocking her into compliance, it was like a dam bursting. “If you were going to punish me, you would have already. But you’re too busy treating me like I’m made of fucking glass to do anything.”
