Upon waking, I checked my watch. It was time to head back. I once more rowed back and secured the boat and then carried the weight of one of my largest catches in the cooler.
Humming happily, I rounded the corner and groaned. All my joy dissipated in an instant. The Kings’ car was still parked outside. I frowned, and then my eyes drifted down to the cooler at my feet. With a mischievous chuckle, I abandoned my original plan of telling them to get the hell out and instead opted for something even less classy.
I crept up the porch, setting the cooler by my feet and eased it open. Approaching the door, I listened to the muffled sounds of conversation coming from within. With a silent prayer to the gods of ballet and stealth, I tiptoed closer. My heart pounded in my chest with anticipation.
And then I pounced. Bursting through the door with all the dramatic flair of a theatrical performer, and began flinging fish. The first slimy, slippery creature sailed through the air, catching Nik completely off guard.
He instinctively ducked and let out a startled yelp, narrowly avoiding being hit. His eyes widened in a mix of astonishment and amusement, that gorgeous smile of his flaunting his white teeth. Clearly, he had underestimated me and my desire for them to leave.
Ivan, on the other hand, froze on the couch, his eyes fixed on the flying fish as I chucked another at Nik. Hearing him laugh, I turned and launched one in his direction. The asshole caught it in his hand like he did my knife last night, damn him.
“Is this your way of asking for help gutting them? Fair warning, Nik sucks at it. And we should probably clean them first,” Ivan said, launching it back in my direction. I dodged it and narrowed my eyes.
“Do you not know how to read?” I exclaimed, planting my hands on my hips. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry, and now I’d have to clean because I was being childish.
Nik bent down and collected the four fish I’d managed to chuck at him, dropping them into the cooler. “We just wanted to ask you a few things before we headed out.”
If I didn’t look at him, I’d be okay. I gulped, thinking about the dream I’d had of him on the boat a little bit ago. I’d dreamed I went out to ask him one final time to take the bed. He pulled me onto his lap and removed my nightgown before we’d picked up where game night left off.
I shook my head to stop that train of thought. The weight of everything exhausted me, and I sighed. “Well, ask, please, so you can be on your way.”
“How long do you plan to stay?” Ivan asked, double-teaming me.
“Next question,” I replied curtly, my irritation growing more intense.
“Do you have any idea how vulnerable you are here? You’re like a sitting duck.”
Nik’s genuine worry struck a chord deep within me. He didn’t have the right to do that. That level of worry was reserved for family, and, while I didn’t have any standing in that room with me right then, that didn’t mean I had to accept it coming from him. That quiet strength he always exuded was what got me.
Matching his quietness, I knew I could dignify it with an answer and show proof of how wrong he was. I stalked over to the locked cabinet, placing my thumb on the scanner while I locked eyes with Nik.
The door popped open, and I gestured inside. An array of guns were neatly arranged, everything from shotguns and handguns to ammo. There were even several hunting knives.
“You’d be surprised at how resilient a duck can be.” Their expressions shifted, caught between bewilderment and acknowledgment. “I’m covered. I have a gun in my room as well. And yes, I know how to use each of them. If there’s anything else you want to ask, you should go ahead and apply ‘none of your business’ as the answer. Lock up on your way out, please,” I said flatly.
My heart was heavy. I didn’t understand why Alek hadn’t come with them, but the realization hurt more than I wanted to admit to either of them. I came up here to get away from everything, not to be reminded that I was nothing more than a blip on Aleksandr King’s radar.
I went into my room and took my clothes off. Jumping into the shower, I let the tears fall.
Chapter 44
Kinsley
An Alarm System
AWeek Later
Returning home was almost surreal. I was stronger, refreshed, and ready to jump back into my routine. I wasn’t anywhere closer to answering my life questions, but I’d had a reset.
I had reminded myself that I was still young, and there was plenty of time for me to try to work it out. Unfortunately, I was still trying to deal with my emotions on the Aleksandr front. I must have finally gotten through to him, though.
It had been almost two weeks since game night, and he hadn’t been by my house, had stopped texting me, and quit showing up at work or dance. It was an odd mix of relief and disappointment.
I tried to keep busy and not focus on how lonely it was without his attention. The first few days were difficult. I was ashamed to say I checked my phone way more than I should have.
I even felt miserable when I noticed Marcus wasn’t around as much. There were other cars that often followed me, but not him. Marcus was kind enough to let me know about them but reluctant to say if Alek had been the one to order it. Something in his demeanor told me he hadn’t been the King to ask. Which left the other two—my bet was on Nosey Nik.
Thankfully, Brian was coming over today to cheer me up. We almost never had the same days off, but they’d hired a few new people while I was gone. He had to work quite a bit of overtime with me being away for so long, so I’d promised him one of my famous cakes to make up for it.
