I want to hate her. Despite my word. I want to hate her for everything she stands for, and for the world she lives in, this world she obviously knows nothing about. I want to hate her for things that aren’t her fault, and I know it’s not fair.
But life is never fair. I learned that at five, when I was sold for the first time. Life isn’t fair, and the only way to get through it is to make sure you remember that little fact.
I grab my laptop out of my bag, strip my jacket off, and place it over a barstool at the small countertop. If I’m not spending my time hating her, then I need to get her out of my life as soon as possible. Complications aren’t something I need right now. And Selena Aquila is one goddamned beautiful complication.
There’s nothing new in my email from the Five, and nothing new from my contacts in Chicago. That doesn’t mean there’s not more to learn.
I swivel to dig my phone from my jacket pocket, hit the speed dial, and wait for Kai to answer.
“Hello?” His voice is sleep-rough and quiet.
“Wake up asshole. I have some work for you to do.”
“Selena…”
Despite his outward disdain for his sister, that he asked about her first makes me think she doesn’t know exactly how much Kai cares for her. A fun fact I’ll save for later. “I want the reports on what happened to Selena. The reports on her attack. Anything you’ve got.”
There’s some shuffling through the phone, then I hear his fingers flying over the keyboard. “There’s nothing much to go on. She didn’t call the police, and the only reason it got reported at all was because the neighbors reported the noise complaint. Some of them reported gunshots.”
Interesting. “Did she say anything to you when she called for help? Anything about killing her attackers? Or about who is trying to get to her?”
“No, but my sister isn’t really a sharer. Not unless you want to start pulling out teeth to get the information.”
I consider this little tidbit, but it makes sense. She doesn’t trust anyone, Kai and me included, so why would she share her vulnerabilities when they can be used to harm her later? A sentiment I don’t appreciate but understand.
“Just send me what you have. I’ll see if I can get some answers out of her.”
There’s a long pause. Will he ask not to question her? But he doesn’t. He whispers, “Good luck,” and the phone goes dead.
I slide the phone next to my laptop and reach out to my Chicago contacts, but it will be awhile until they can come back with information, if they even have any. Seems pointless to carry on a useless search when I have the source of the information in the next room.
She might not be ready to talk, but I sure as hell am. The faster I get her safe and out of my life, the better.
I enter her room, and as usual, she cuts me a glare. “You really need to learn to knock. What if I was masturbating in here?”
I stop in the middle of the room, the image imprinting in my mind before I can stop it. Her beautiful long limbs splayed out, her tan skin glistening with sweat. I bite my bottom lip, working to keep my face neutral for the first time in a very long time. “Well, I guess I would have seen a lot more than I wanted to. But it wouldn’t change the fact that I have questions and you need to answer them.”
“Fine.”
I’ve already got a speech prepared about why she needs to cooperate when I snap my mouth closed. “Fine?”
She tugs her blankets up to her waist, doing nothing to hide the soft swell of her breasts framed above the fabric. “Yes. Fine. It’s the least I owe you for…”
A red tinge enters her cheeks, and I think back to earlier. “You don’t owe me anything for that, but we need to go over the details of what happened to you, see if we can pinpoint the source and eradicate it quickly. We both agree the faster you are back in your world and me in mine, the better.”
I sit on the edge of her bed, near her knees, and bring one leg up, my foot hanging over the side. “So tell me what you remember about that night?”
She blinks rapidly, dragging her eyes to her lap. “There was an event to open the season, as there always is, and I went home the same as usual. Nothing occurred at the party, not even a little bloodshed, so I thought maybe everything was fine in the society circles. Many were upset I offered to help Kai, instead of turning him over to your city’s head councilwoman. I’d already called the detail up to start the next day since I knew he and Rose already had other security in place.”