“And what’s that?”
“Kale loves you enough to risk enslavement again to bring you here. You support each other. It couldn’t have been easy for him to come back here, and even once he was here, he didn’t have to push so hard for our reconciliation, but he did. He talked to me as if he didn’t have any reason to fear me.”
“He doesn’t. He knows that.”
“Perhaps, but he didn’t need to make himself vulnerable to attack the way he did. It would have been easier for him to avoid me altogether, but that wouldn’t be serving you. I don’t know how it could have ever worked with him as a slave, but I’m glad you found a way around it. I would have liked more time to get to know him.”
“You still have time.”
“Not much. I can feel it.”
“But you’re so much better than you were last night.”
“That’s only because of the drugs Sadie gave me to calm my stomach and get me to keep food down again. It won’t last.”
“Then we’ll have to make it count.”
“When Kale gets back, I’d like to meet his brother. I also need to apologize to him. I wronged him as much as I wronged you, probably more given that he didn’t have any choice in the matter.”
Jason grinned. “If there’s one thing you need to know about Kale, it’s that he’s always exercised more choice than you’d expect. He did manipulate me, but only for my own good, or so he thought. I would have never sold him and married Renee if he hadn’t maneuvered me into it.”
“He has balls. When he kept me from striking you, I was so stunned I didn’t know whether to admire him or beat him. Obviously, I made the wrong choice. It wasn’t my place to threaten him. You took a dangerous path with him, but it was your prerogative, and I shouldn’t have intervened.”
“Thank you. There’s no point in dwelling on the past anymore.”
“No, there’s not. Why don’t you tell me about him and your life in Naiara? I’d like to know about it.”
“Naiara’s wonderful. We’ve made a nice little home for ourselves. Kale loves gardening. He keeps the entire place in bloom and grows vegetables for our kitchen. Oh, and he’s an artist.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He’s quite famous actually. Right before we came, he had a big opening at one of the most prestigious galleries in Calea. People came from all over the country for it.”
“I would have never thought.”
“He’s shy about it. The only reason he lets people see his work is because he feels like he has to contribute financially.”
“Aren’t you one of the richest men on the continent?”
“Don’t get me started. That’s Kale for you. He never wants to be a burden.”
Jason talked and talked, sharing tidbits about his life, funny anecdotes, stories about their friends, all the things only a parent would be interested in. Robert listened, asking questions where appropriate, and paying rapt attention. After a couple of hours, Robert’s eyelids began to droop, and he visibly struggled to stay awake.
“Why don’t you go to sleep now? We can talk more after you’ve had a nap.”
“That sounds good. I just want to know one thing before I go back to sleep. What’s going to happen to this place? You and Kale have a home in Naiara. I don’t expect you to uproot and move here, but the thought of it fading away, it’s unbearable.”
“I won’t ever let that happen.” Jason’s voice was fierce as he took his father’s hand in his own. “John and I, we’ll work something out. I promise you. Please don’t worry about it. We’ll grow the ranch, make it bigger than you could ever imagine.”
“Thank you, Son.” Robert reached over and patted Jason’s hand with his free one. “I’m just going to close my eyes now. Keep talking. I want to hear about everything.”
Jason obliged, never letting go of his father’s hand.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Little flutters of light escaped the thickness of the tress. They were almost to the ranch. Only their headlights—and now the lights from the cabin—broke the black of the moonless night.
“Thomas.” Kale shook his brother’s arm to wake him. “We’re almost there.”
Thomas opened his eyes, disoriented in the darkness. Kale and John had switched off driving a few times, but Kale had spent most of the drive in the back seat with Thomas. He had explained what had happened since they were separated, how he came to be free, who Jason was, and what to expect.
The drive had still been long and awkward. Thomas didn’t know how to react to all of the information he was given or his new, altered reality. Kale couldn’t blame him. It would take time for them to build a relationship. The two things that had made the drive more bearable were the food and sleep. They were both great excuses not to talk, and Kale was sure Thomas could use more of both.
“Remember, no one in this house has any power over you. Other than observing basic good manners, there are no expectations, but you can behave however you feel most comfortable. If it’s easier for you, just keep your head down and don’t speak unless spoken to. If you have any questions, you are always welcome to ask. No one will ever be mad at you for asking.”
“Yes…” Thomas’s voice trailed off. Kale had asked him not to call him sir, and certainly not master, so that didn’t leave Thomas with many options. It would take more than a day to break the habit of replying to everything with a “yes, sir” or “no, sir.”
John parked the car and grabbed the empty basket and canteens. “I’ll take care of everything, Kale. You two go on in the house.”
“Thanks, John. I really appreciate you coming with me today. I don’t know how I could have done it without you.”
“Don’t mention it. When else am I going to get a chance to drive such a fancy car? Go see what happened while we were gone.”
Kale took Thomas’s hand firmly in his and led the way. As soon as they were in the door, Jason leapt into his arms and greeted him with a kiss. Kale didn’t even have a chance to see it coming. He wrapped Jason in his arms and pulled him tight, breathing in the scent of his hair. It had been a long day, and having his arms full of Jason made Kale aware of the amount of stress he’d been managing.
As quickly as Jason had leapt into Kale’s arms, he jumped back. “So this is Thomas?”
“Yep. Thomas, this is Jason.”
Thomas nodded his head, but Jason was having none of that. He stuck out his hand, and Kale nodded to Thomas. Jason would let his hand hang there in midair all night until Thomas took it. As soon as Thomas met him for the handshake, Jason pulled him into a hug. “It’s so good to meet you. We’ve been waiting for you.”
When Jason stepped back, he turned to Kale. “Father wants to meet him.”
“It’s late. That can wait until tomorrow.” Kale wanted nothing more than to get into bed with Jason and talk through it all. His own head reeled, and he needed time to resolve all the changes in his life. Kale didn’t know how Thomas was holding it together when he was having such a hard time.
“No, Kale, it can’t. Please. It’s important to him.” It wasn’t the pleading tone of Jason’s voice that convinced him. It was the raw urgency in his eyes.
“All right. For you.” Kale gestured for Thomas to follow them.
Jason stepped into the room first, and Kale followed with Thomas behind him. As soon as Thomas cleared the door, Jason introduced him. “Father, this is Thomas.”
Kale positioned his body between Thomas and Robert, off to the side. It was instinctual, as if Robert might leap out of bed and attack. He was prepared to step in should he need to shield Thomas from Robert’s words.
“Thomas, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I wanted to personally welcome you to my home. It’s important to me that you make yourself comfortable here. I consider you an honored guest as the brother of my son’s companion, and I extend you all the courtesies as such. No one here expects you to act as a slave, and no one other than your brother has any authority over yo
u.”
Kale was stunned. He hadn’t really expected for Robert to be rude, but he hadn’t expected this either.
“Thank you, sir.” Thomas, at least, had his wits about him, which was more than Kale could say.
“My pleasure. I had the room next to Kale and Jason’s readied for you. If you need anything, just ask.” Robert didn’t wait for a reply before he settled his focus on Kale. “As for you, Kale, I owe you a long overdue apology. I was out of line all those years ago. You’ve never done anything other than try to protect my son, and I terrorized you for it. I’m ashamed of myself. I deeply regret my actions and the consequences of them. Losing my son was too high a price for my pride.” Frequent pauses for breath and the rattle behind his voice punctuated Robert’s speech.
Kale struggled to muster a response. The only reason it was even possible was because he couldn’t let such a gesture go unanswered.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Call me Robert. Hell, you can come give me a bear hug and call me Dad if you want.”
Jason sniggered. Someone had been telling tales. Kale smiled. “Thank you, Robert. I don’t know how to express my gratitude, and not just for the apology, but for your generosity as well.”
“There’s no need. You’ve done enough just making my boy happy. I’m glad you gave me the chance to reclaim my family before I die.”
Robert held Kale’s gaze as Kale absorbed the full meaning of what he’d said. There was a shared moment of warmth between them. A coughing fit overcame Robert, and the moment was broken. Jason was immediately at his father’s side, leaning him forward and patting his back. Robert waved him off. “Don’t fuss. I’m just tired.”
“I think we all are. Good night, Robert. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night. That’s a fine brother you’ve got there.”
“I know.” Kale nodded and ushered Thomas from the room.
Thomas held himself well. He was the picture of a perfect slave, blending into the background, not bringing attention to himself. Kale found it hard to remember if he had ever been so inconspicuous. Even as a free man, he wasn’t one to draw attention to himself, but he had a strong personality and wasn’t shy about speaking his mind. What kind of man was his brother behind the bland façade? Did Thomas even know? For Kale, the transition from piece of property to valued human had been gradual, supported by Jason who loved him. If Jason hadn’t been there to facilitate his emergence from objectification, Kale didn’t know how he would have done it, or if he could have at all. The fear of freedom—or rather of hoping for freedom—ran too deep.
“This is mine and Jason’s room.” Kale pointed to their door as they passed. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come get one of us. Just make sure you knock first. This room here,” Kale opened the next door, “must be the one Robert had prepared.” Kale turned on the lights to reveal a room that was similar in appearance to Jason’s, complete with its own bathroom. A four poster bed dominated the space, and a royal blue comforter added color to the dark wood. The fireplace shared the same chimney as Jason’s. There was a sitting area with two wing-back chairs on a carpet that matched the comforter and a desk complete with paper and a few books. It had been dusted and aired, but it still held the smell of a room that hadn’t been used in years. Kale doubted Thomas would mind.
“Stay right here. I’ll be back in a moment.” Kale dashed to his room. It occurred to him that his brother didn’t have any clothes other than what he wore. Kale’s would be too large for him, but they would be a better fit than Jason’s who was much more slender. It took just a minute for him to grab one of the outfits he was used to wearing back home and a robe. Kale had never understood the fascination with robes. He was always either naked or dressed and saw no need for one, but he wanted his brother to have the option.
“Here, you can wear this tomorrow, so we can have your clothes laundered.” Thomas hadn’t moved a muscle. He stood in the middle of the floor with his mouth slightly open. At least his head was raised. “You can have a seat. It’s what they’re there for.” Kale placed the clothes in the wardrobe and sat in one of the chairs. Only after Kale was seated and had gestured to the chair opposite him, did Thomas sit.
“Thank you for the clothes. I can get a few more days wear out of these before they need to be washed.”
“No. I want them laundered.” Kale didn’t want anything from Mr. Conroy’s house here, but he couldn’t exactly burn the only clothes his brother had. The next best thing was having the smell of that man’s house washed off of them. “Mine will be a little big on you, but not much. We’ll buy you some new clothes when there’s time.”
“I’m sure yours will work just fine.”
“As you saw, Robert’s not doing well. He’ll probably pass in the next couple of days. When he does, I’m going to have to spend almost all my time with Jason. Things will get pretty hectic around here. I wish it could be calmer for your first few days, but I wasn’t about to wait to get you.”
“I won’t be in the way.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about that. You can do what you like. Spend your time in here where you know you won’t be disturbed. Look around the house. You can even help out the slaves if you need to keep busy. I can imagine how confusing this must be for you, and I know how unnerving having to make decisions can be, but I really want you to do what’s best for you. I want you to be entirely selfish.”
Thomas nodded. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
“I understand. You know I own you on paper only. I don’t expect any subservience from you, but if it will make it easier for you to have me give you orders, let me know. I don’t like the thought, but I suppose most boys do boss their kid brothers around, so I’ll try to think of it like that.”
“Thank you. I honestly don’t know what to think right now.”
“Doesn’t surprise me. It’ll take time for your mind to adjust to the new situation. It’ll be harder than your previous transitions since these are entirely different circumstances. Don’t fight it. Don’t worry about how long it takes. There’s no right or wrong. I have all the time in the world.”
“I can’t imagine ever getting used to the fact that my brother’s free. I’ve never even thought about what it would be like. Does it feel different?”
Kale grinned. “Gods yes. Even though things didn’t change much for me on the outside when I was freed, since Jason already spoiled me, there was something on the inside that changed. I can’t describe it. You have to feel it for yourself.”
Thomas started to speak and then stopped.
“I already told you, you can ask or say anything. Nothing you do could offend me.”
“Are you planning on freeing me?”
“Yes,” Kale stated as firmly as he knew how. “We don’t have the details worked out yet, but Jason and I are friends with some very powerful people. It’ll most likely happen the way it did for me. As long as we’re in Arine, I can’t free you. You have to appreciate the irony of a country that will allow me to kill you if I like, but not to free you.”
“Can’t be giving the slaves any hope, now can we? Then they all might waste their days dreaming of a long lost brother coming to buy them up, take them away, and free them. Couldn’t have that.”
Kale chuckled. “Nope.” The atmosphere relaxed, the silence between them more natural than it had been in the car. “I’m glad to see you did well for yourself. A registered valet. I don’t think Jason ever registered me. Never thought to ask.”
“No, he just gave you your title.”
“Yes, that he did.” Kale nodded. “You should be proud of yourself. I worried you might not have listened to Mama.”
“And get a switch to my backside? That woman beat me more than all my masters combined. Bless her for it.” Thomas smiled, the first real smile Kale had seen. It suited him.
“Yes, bless her.” This was as good an opening as Kale was going to get. He had avoided the subject since he’d
seen Thomas, but it would only be harder the longer he waited. “Did you hear what happened to her?”
Thomas sobered. “Yeah. I was still in the area at the time, and word got to me. When did you find out?”
Kale relaxed further into his chair. At least he was spared that unpleasant task. “Two days ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t kill her. There’s nothing for you to be sorry for.” The silence dragged on between them until Kale stood, and Thomas followed suit. “You should go to bed. I know how hard it is to sleep in a new place. You’ll be surprised how long it takes to get used to sleeping on a featherbed.”
“You really didn’t have to put me in such a nice room.”
Kale hugged Thomas on his way to the door. “Yes, I did.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Robert fell back to sleep soon after Kale and Thomas left. Jason gave the nurse instructions to wake him if anything changed and went to his room to wait for Kale. It was difficult to pull himself away from his father’s bedside, but he needed Kale. He was wearing thin. At the prompting of Demetri and Darlene, he had attempted to take a nap earlier in the day, but it had done nothing to refresh him. If anything, it had made him feel worse simply by revealing how bad off he was. It seemed natural to feel strained at his dying father’s bedside, but it was disturbing that he couldn’t find any rest in sleep.
Kale was the answer. He always was. Whenever Jason was overwhelmed or his mind spun away from him, Kale’s strong presence brought him back to himself.
Jason was sitting in front of the fireplace when Kale finally joined him. It couldn’t have been a very long wait, but Jason’s time alone stretched on for longer than it was.
“How is Thomas settling in?” Jason rose from his chair to meet Kale and help him undress.
“It’s hard to tell. He appears fine, but if he’s anything like me, he’d appear that way even if he was terrified. He’s been all alone in the world for a long time.”
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