Chapter 4
“She goes home today, your lordship. The hospital says that she’s well enough to return to her home.
The man who runs her apartment building is giving her a ride home.
” He could have done that, but then remembered that he wasn’t having anything to do with her.
“She will be all right there she tells me. It’s something that she’d used to, and she loves her home.
I think she would be better someplace with one floor that she could get around in, but she assures me that she’s going to be fine. Did you know that she works from home?”
“I know nothing about her other than what you tell me. And you’re sure that she’s never told you not to tell me anything? I don’t want her upset with you.” He assured him once again that they never discuss his lordship at all. “What does she do in her job? It can’t pay much.”
“She has her money to fall back on. I asked her the same thing, and she told me that she’ll be all right with the one job until she gets the casts off.
They are keeping her from waiting tables.
I had to have her explain that to me. I didn’t know what waiting for tables meant.
” He told him she was a waitress. “Yes. She said as much to me. She works for a high-end restaurant and makes good tips. Those are from the people that she waits on getting them their food and drinks. I’m learning a great deal from her. ”
“I’m sure you are.” He’d told her seven days ago that he was finished with her and had been hiding out in his home since.
He didn’t want to face Brew nor Calla, most of all.
While he didn’t know what he’d say to them, he’d come to the conclusion that he’d been in the wrong.
The way that he’d been treating her was no less than the way he’d been treated as a child.
A simpleton and a fool. He knew her to be neither of those things now.
“Does she have everything that she needs? I know that I ask you this daily, but I want to make sure that she’s not suffering because of me. ”
“We fixed a grocery store list just yesterday. It will be there tomorrow when I go and visit her. She is still confused about why I’m still with her, but I told her that the two of you were mates and I was assigned to her by the queen.
I don’t think she believes me when I tell her that.
” He took the blame for that as well. The distrust that she had for others was all on him.
“I don’t believe she trusts me all that much either.
She is forever asking me if I have better things to do than to hang out with her.
She is a nice woman, and I’m having fun with her.
She’s sad a great deal, but I blame that on being depressed.
I’m not sure what that means, but that’s what she tells me. ”
“Does she tell you what she’s depressed about?
” He said that she only tells him that she is, and ‘tis her fault. “I think that she means it’s all my fault. I’ve been a real bastard to her.
She was right to tell me to leave her alone.
I shouldn’t have made rules for her to follow.
I could have had her at my house right now if I’d been a better man than my stepfather was. ”
“I knew of your stepfather. He and his missus were not good people. Had they not taken you in, I believe that Lady Smith would have done so. King Brewster would have made you a better stepbrother than the one that you had.” He’d not thought of David in a very long time and was surprised that Tall had brought it up.
“I see him on occasion when I’m out and about.
He’s been looking for trouble with you, I believe.
He seems to have a tree on his shoulder about something with you. ”
“It’s a chip on his shoulder, though you might be right in calling it a tree.
He always did have a beef about something that I’ve supposedly done to him.
” He asked if he thought that Lady Kimmy was safe with him around.
“You keep an eye on her for me. The first bit of trouble with him, you let me know. I never thought that he’d be around bothering people, but I also wouldn’t put it past him to do something to her to get back at me. ”
“I will, your lordship. I promise. She is very precious to me, and I want her safe.” She would be if he’d not had his head up his ass for so long, but didn’t voice that to Tall.
He was doing him a huge favor by telling him what Kimber was up to all the time.
“I shall return to her now. When I’m unable to be with her, I will assign one of the other faeries to be around.
Several of us keeping an eye on her would be better than just one.
I’ll make sure that she knows about your brother, too. It’s the least I can do.”
“She’s not going to like me interfering with her daily routine.
The extra faeries will be welcomed by me, but you ask her first if it’s all right for you to have them around.
I don’t want to upset her any more than she already is.
” Tall said that he’d explain about David and make sure she knows that he’s not someone to mess with.
“He is a monster, too. I have heard that he pulls the wings off of faeries when he catches them.”
“I’ve heard the same thing. You be careful too.
” He said that he would and left him to go to Kimber.
Feeling sorry for himself wasn’t getting him anywhere, but he didn’t know what else to do.
He’d made a mess of things, and it was all his fault.
He thought of going to see her, but he was sure that she’d slam the door in his face. It was no less than he deserved.
Getting up and seeing to his household, he decided that he needed to get out of the house.
He’d not been anywhere since they’d had their fight, and he knew that it too was his fault.
When did he become so jaded about life? He thought that it had to do with him being so old.
But that was just an excuse and not a very good one either.
He had his chance, and he messed it up royally.
After making sure things were running in the household, he made his way to town.
He needed to talk to Brew and tell him how sorry he was as well, but he didn’t know how he’d take that.
He’d tell him what he’d been telling himself all along.
To get his ass in gear and make sure she knows that he’s there for her.
He found himself by her house again and watched it from the street view.
He couldn’t see anything going on, but he could feel her presence.
Reaching out beyond the walls, he could see her now in the living room on her couch.
She was reading a book. He didn’t think about her eyes being better enough to read now.
He would have known had he gotten around to telling her how sorry he was.
But he’d not worked up the courage yet, and it was costing him daily. Then he saw David.
Pulling shadows around himself, he watched his younger brother as he lurked around the house next to Kimber’s.
While he didn’t know what he was doing, he thought for sure it couldn’t be good.
David had been a monster since they’d been children together.
When the woman in the house that David was next to came out of her house, he was ready to save her when she, using a broom, told David to get away from her flowers.
It was a tense few minutes while he tried to decide if David was going to do as she said or not.
Finally, he just moved away and went up the street opposite of Kimber’s house.
Now that David knew where she lived, he was going to have to talk to her.
Going up to the door, he waited just a few seconds before knocking.
He didn’t know what he was going to say, but he was going to have to have her move out of the house she was in and into his home, where he could protect her.
However, he was going to have to think of a better way of—
“What are you doing here?” He couldn’t come into her house, but he watched her standing up and was glad for the fact that she could get around. “I know you have this super hearing thing going on. Tell me what you want, and I might not hit you in the head.”
“Did Tall talk to you about my brother?” She looked confused. “I have a brother named David. Tall was supposed to warn you to keep an eye out for him. He’s been here. Just now. You have to—could you please let me in so that I can talk to you about him?”
She moved back and said the words that would allow him to enter this time.
He wished daily that wasn’t a rule, but for now, it made her comfortable, so he was willing to not get pissed off about it.
As soon as he walked through the door, he felt something that his home lacked. The feeling of warmth and home.
“What did you want? I’ve only been home for a couple of days, and I don’t want to start with you.” He looked around the room, then at her. She was beautiful. He didn’t know why he’d not seen that before. “Well?”
“I have a brother named David. He’s a monster.
Worse than I think you thought I was.” She didn’t comment, for which he was grateful.
“If he finds out we’re mates, he’ll kill you.
There will be no kidnapping, and him coming around to see if I want to buy you back or if I want you.
He’ll just simply kill you because you’re someone that I hold dearly in my heart. ”
“But you don’t want me.” He said he’d since had a change of heart. “I don’t believe you. You were pretty sure of yourself when you told me that you didn’t want me in your life.”