Desiree
Khane approached with his phone glued to his ear. He placed it against his chest before leaning closer. “Will you come with me for a minute?”
Tywin was glued to the laptop, not making a sound except for an occasional sigh of frustration. Patrena had dozed off, so I eased up to prevent waking her and followed Khane into the bedroom.
“Arjen, I’m going to put you on speaker,” he stated, before placing the phone on the mattress between us.
“Desiree, I don’t want you to worry about anything. I heard about the group looking for the Bookkeeper, and this group today.” He had just answered one of my questions, confirming that there were two groups after me. “We are going to find out who they are and put an end to this. I understand that you haven’t been able to contact your father, and neither have I. Therefore, the first place I’m stopping, when I return tomorrow, is his place.”
“Okay,” I replied, unsure if he heard me. Was there more he wasn’t telling me? Was this all happening because of my father? Not knowing anything was driving me crazy.
The situation had left me feeling useless as I couldn’t contribute to solving the problem or finding a solution. There was a possibility that I could lose my life over decisions that I’d had nothing to do with. Arjen’s voice called my attention.
“Desiree, I’m sorry your friend ended up in this.” He sounded distant like he was a world away. “Khane, I’ve seen the footage, it has to be sanitized, but Tywin can take Ms. Davis home. I’ll link up with you tomorrow afternoon. This group was packing serious heat, which leads me to believe that they belong to a high-level outfit. I know you would rather be out there, but for tonight, I need you with Desiree. See you tomorrow. Good night, Desiree.”
“Good night,” I called.
Khane clicked off. A hint of sorrow I’d never seen rode the creases of his expression when his gaze met mine. I placed my hand atop his, desperate for any kind of contact. He turned his palm up, and allowed his big hand to swallow mine as the light stroke of his thumb skimmed the back. The warmth from the soft touch heated the chill the situation had set on me.
He stood, keeping my hand cupped in his. He didn’t let go until he opened the door for us to reenter the living room. I returned to the couch and pretended to nap as I eavesdropped on Khane and Tywin’s conversation.
“Arjen benched you? This is usually the time when I watch and you hunt. Are you on punishment or something? You’re the best he’s got. What’s so important that he…” Tywin’s words stopped short, and I didn’t have to see him to know that his eyes were pointed at me.
Arjen didn’t love me, something I was keenly aware of, but like Mecca had said, I was a multi-million-dollar investment, so he was willing to have Khane babysit me when he was the best man to hunt who was chasing me.
“He didn’t have to bench me,” Khane replied. “I benched myself.” Again, I could sense Tywin’s eyes on me. I think he may have figured out that Khane and I were more than future in-laws.
We woke Patrena a short while later. She didn’t have a problem being alone with Tywin so he could take her home. We gripped each other with a long lingering embrace, and although I didn’t know Tywin, I believed he would do everything in his power to keep Patrena safe.
Khane handed Tywin keys to one of the vehicles that I hadn’t seen when we approached the cabin.
“Are you sure it’s safe for her to go home?” I questioned Khane in a low ton, watching as my friend followed Tywin out the door.
“She’s safer away from this situation. Tywin will sit guard outside her house to be sure,” he assured.
As the door closed behind them, all I could think was, what now?
* * *
Alone after Tywinand Patrena’s departure, a deafening silence filled up the cabin. So much had happened in such a short time.
“Desiree, I’m sorry this is happening to you. But, I have to be honest, this sort of violence comes with being a Vallin,” Khane stated.
A smile was forced onto my lips, but more for the sake of letting him know that I understood. “You have nothing to apologize for. This is my fault actually. If I had been strong enough to get on a plane and leave, my father wouldn’t have had me to bargain with, and I wouldn’t be anywhere near this situation.” I shook my head. “Do you ever wish you’d been born into another family? Or have you accepted this lifestyle?”
“Every day,” he responded quickly. “However, this is all I’ve been taught. Instead of college courses, I was learning about weapons. Instead of credits, I earn stripes for kills. Instead of time-out or detention, I was tortured for extended periods of time. I never attended public school because we were homeschooled. My brother and I have learned to blend in, but we will never lose what was planted so deeply within us.”
Damn. Here I was complaining, and he had been raised like a universal soldier. Now, I understood why he was so well-spoken and determined to do his job, even if it meant his life.
Even though I pretended it wasn’t, the street life had been ingrained in me. I knew more about the drug game than I cared to. I had earned respect from the streets because of who my father was, but more so because I had been branded by its danger and lived to tell about it. Now, I had a new set of dangerous principles that needed to be ingrained in me in order to embrace the Vallin name.
Khane’s thoughts had dragged his mind so far away, his eyes appeared to be looking through me and not at me. “There’s not much happiness in this life, only the satisfaction you pull from the darkness. It’s a constant draining sadness, a diseased cycle that never ends. There isn’t a day that passes that I don’t pray things could be different. However, I have yet to figure out how to live without the threats, the fighting, the violence, and death.”
His body tensed when I scooted closer, likely remembering our erotic encounter on his balcony. The scene was as vivid in my mind now as the day it happened, but I only sought to get closer because it appeared he needed some type of comfort whether he wanted it or not. I don’t think anyone other than his brother had ever shown him much care and concern.
Based on what I knew about Khane, I don’t believe he allowed himself to indulge in anything passionate where outside relationships were concerned. He fulfilled his needs temporarily, and that was it. He wasn’t exposed to anything other than what his father had allowed. All else, he and his brother would work together and figure out for themselves.
“What about your house? You seem at peace there. Honestly, I’d find it difficult not to be happy there.”