by Desiree Holt
Stirring the eggs, I considered my options. Option one, death. It would free me from any obligation to wed Arya and free my parents from the threat now hanging over their heads. However, death wasn’t too appealing to me just yet. Option two, run. Been there, done that. If I kept trying to run, it would end with option one. Option three, stay.
I plated the eggs and set them on the counter. If I really wanted to stay here, I needed to make myself more useful to my crazy librarian than just cooking for her.
Going to her door, I knocked softly. “Eggs are ready,” I said.
“Thank you,” came through the door.
Unable to wait, I went to the kitchen and took a seat. I’d divided the eggs equally but doubted she’d be able to eat everything on her plate. It wouldn’t go to waste though. I’d clean up whatever she couldn’t finish.
She walked into the kitchen and picked up the plate. Instead of sitting and eating with me, she leaned against the sink. Her gaze remained focused on her food as she ate.
“Thank you for the blanket last night,” I said between bites.
She didn’t respond.
“It was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time.”
Nothing.
“Do you think I could stay again? Tonight?”
She closed her eyes and gave a single nod.
“Thank you.” I scrapped together the crumbs of eggs on my plate and savored the last bite. My stomach growled hungrily as if denying the meal was done. I looked at her plate. She’d eaten half her portion already.
She caught my look. Her impassive expression never changed as she walked toward me and set the plate on the counter. She took my fork, set it on her plate, then took my plate and her fork to the sink.
I didn’t need to be told twice. Digging in, I almost groaned. Her eggs tasted even better than mine had. How as that possible? Hunger did weird things to taste buds.
“We need more food,” she said, setting some money on the counter. “Go to the store.”
I paused with a bite lifted to my mouth.
“I…” Cael and his boys would still be out there. But, saying I couldn’t go wasn’t the right way to ingrain myself in her life.
She walked to the door and yelled for Kye. Moments later, the little girl’s feet pounded up the steps.
“Morning, Tink,” Kye said breathlessly.
“Good morning. Can you walk with Rogan to the store please?”
Kye leaned around Tink to look at me. She wrinkled her nose but nodded.
“Contingencies are in plans. Stop badgering me,” the woman said.
Kye glanced up at her. “Your head?” she asked.
“Always. Keep an eye on him. Don’t let anything happen.” She stepped aside to let Kye in then disappeared down the hall.
The girl hopped up on the stool next to me. “Are you done eating?”
I shook my head, quickly ate, and put the plate in the sink as soon as I finished. When I turned around, Kye had the money in her hands and held it out to me.
“Come on. I’ll help you.”
“Thanks,” I said, taking the money from her. One tiny human stood between me and the beating of a lifetime. “Make sure you stay close.”
“You ain’t got nothing to worry about. I’m safe in this neighborhood.”
I grinned.
“You’re good looking for an old guy,” she said.
“You’re what? Eight?”
She shrugged her skinny shoulders. “Hey, a girl notices things.”
I laughed. “Let’s get some food.”
The walk to the store went quickly with Kye pointing out buildings and naming who lived where. I’d never remember all the names, but Kye’s constant chatter kept her from noticing Cael and his men who kept pace a block behind us.
“So what are we here for?” she asked when we stepped inside the store.
Why hadn’t I asked for specifics? Returning with things she didn’t want wasn’t a good way to prove my usefulness.
“She just said food,” I admitted.
“Don’t worry,” Kye said. “That means she doesn’t really care what kind.” She grabbed a cart to the right and started pushing it down an aisle. The eight-year-old seemed to know a lot about her.
“Everyone calls her Tink. What’s her real name?” I asked, following Kye.
“Don’t know. She never gave it. Some of the guys started calling her Tink on account of her hair and height. And she fixes things. People, mostly.”
“How does she fix things?”
“Grab that bag of potatoes,” Kye said, pointing. “She just does. Why are you asking so many questions?”
“Because I’m hoping she’ll let me stay for a while.” I set the potatoes in the cart.
“She probably will. Do you like carrots?”
“I guess.” I preferred meat, mostly.
“I don’t think Tink really likes vegetables, but she always makes carrots when Will and I come over for dinner. I like carrots. Get that big bag.”
After putting the bag of carrots into the cart, she wheeled over to the fruit. “Anything look good here?”
“Apples are pretty good.”
“Especially in a pie,” the girl said with a grin. “Let’s get two bags.”
We added more eggs and some canned veggies to the cart before heading to the meat department. The steaks made my mouth water.
“That stuff’s too expensive,” the girl said, pulling me away from the thick cuts to the discounted, sell-today packages. She grabbed five.
“Let’s go.”
She wheeled to the front where the guy from last night stood by the register.
“Hey, Georgy,” Kye said.
“Hey, kid. Shopping for Tink?”
“You know it.”
He rang up the purchases, and I handed over the money and pocketed the change. I let Kye carry the bag with the carrots and managed the rest just fine. As soon as we started out the door, I saw Cael standing alone at the end of the parking lot.
“He’s not from here,” Kye said, following my gaze.
“Nope.”
“Is he why she sent me?”
I glanced down at the little girl, frowning. I’d assumed Tink had sent the girl because after my hesitation, she’d thought I couldn’t remember how to get to the store. Kye had me rethinking. Did Tink see more than I gave her credit for? Crazy or not, she ran a very large neighborhood like a boss.
“Maybe,” I said, finally.
“Then you better stay close to me like she said,” Kye said, a moment before she strode forward, her spine straight and shoulders back.
“And just what do you think you’re doing?” she shouted at Cael. “You don’t belong here.”
Cael’s eyes showed his surprise.
“I’m here for him.”
“He’s not yours. He’s mine.”
A wide grin split Cael’s mouth. “Is he, now? His fiancé will be disappointed to hear that.”
She glanced at me. “You got a woman?”
“No. She wishes.”
The little girl nodded.
“Mister, you need to leave. Now.” The little girl whistled shrilly.
A block down, several doors opened and people emerged.
Cael looked over his shoulder then back at me.
“Are you sure you want to push this?” he asked.
“I’m not pushing anything,” I said, easily. “I’m just grocery shopping.”
Cael’s lip curled, and he walked away.
“He’s a dick,” Kye said.
“Yep. He is. And a pain in my…butt. You’re not supposed to swear, are you?”
She grinned at me then started walking. The people who’d responded to her whistle waited in the street for our approach.
“There are guests wandering the neighborhood. This one,” she nodded at me, “has been welcomed by Tink. She hasn’t talked to the others yet from what I can tell. So keep your eyes open.”
Everyone nodd
ed. Most went back into their homes. A few trailed behind us, an extra escort on the way home. This place was really starting to grow on me.
Four
TINK
The taste of him lingered on my tongue, and it was distracting as hell. I shouldn’t have licked his fork when washing the breakfast dishes. Hearing him speak was hard enough, but now I knew how he tasted. So good that I couldn’t stop thinking about ways I could taste him again.
Focus is essential. Survival depends on your focus.
“I am focused.” I shook my head, hoping to dislodge the voice and his taste. Didn’t work.
Temptations are sugar-coated distractions. You need to rise above both.
“I have risen,” I said, shaking out my sheets and remaking my bed. I sprayed each layer down with disinfecting spray just to be sure.
If I were smart, I’d tell him to leave. I wasn’t smart, though. I could feel his pain without touching him. He was lost just like the rest of these people had been when I’d first arrived. I’d helped them. I’d started making right my mistake. Now, I needed to help him, too. I knew I did. And, it scared me because I knew how badly it could end.
“Tink,” Kye called from the kitchen. “We’re back, and we ran into a little possible trouble.”
I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the building tension.
Ignoring responsibility means you no longer want it. If that’s the case, just step aside for a better leader.
“I’m not stepping aside,” I said, yanking my bedroom door open. “Ignoring,” I scoffed. “Ignorance. You’re old and don’t know a thing.”
Kye was sitting on a stool in the kitchen, directing Rogan on putting away their purchases. I watched as he bent to put carrots in the crisper. His shirt pulled tight against his back, accentuating the flex of his muscles. Definitely a temptation and a distraction.
I focused on Kye.
“What trouble?” I asked.
Listen to your elders. Age and experience provides wisdom.
“Age also gives wrinkles,” I countered.
“Aunt Shay uses face cream,” Kye said matter-of-factly. Then, she pursed her lips in an oh-no-you-didn’t kind of way and started relating the trouble they’d run into.
“There was this guy waiting for us when we left the store. He said he was here for Rogan. When I told him to get lost, he said Rogan has a woman. Rogan says he doesn’t. I whistled like you taught us, and the guy took off when help came. I told everyone to keep an eye out for him, cuz I didn’t remember you saying we had more than one guest.”
I glanced at the guest in my kitchen while thinking of the guest I’d probably put in the hospital last night.
Trouble never comes at you one at a time. Be prepared. Use the community.
“A storm’s coming,” I said, focusing on Kye. “We need to work together. Nothing can linger here. Go help Will and Denz. Carpets need cleaning, and windows need washing. You too, Rogan.”
He nodded, set the bag of potatoes near the stove, and walked past me to follow Kye out the door. I tilted my head as I watched his walk from behind. His fitted jeans hugged a buttock with each stride. Delicious.
Spit pooled under my tongue. The memory of his taste made the urge to run after him hard to fight. I wanted to bite him. What would he feel like? Hard and firm, I was sure. My pulse started to race. I set a hand on my heart, surprised.
It never raced. Ever.
Hold off on sex until you can’t resist anymore. And then, choose well.
“Sex? No, thank you.”
Lose control, and you lose power.
Shaking my head, I turned back to the kitchen. Rogan tempted me. But he wasn’t the first. Most men did tempt me in some way. None of them had managed to stir more than idle interest, though. Certainly not a racing heart. Why Rogan? Why now? Why ever?
My mother had always assured me there was someone on this planet meant for me. The idea of it had terrified me back then and still did now. What if Rogan was the one? One touch, and I would know who he was on the inside. I feared finding out he might be someone I could actually like.
Nothing had changed over the years. I still didn’t want to find “the one.” I didn’t want to take a man and fall back into my old life. Here, I had a home and power. My friends were counting on me. And, I sure didn’t want to lose what I’d fought so hard to create.
Holding my arms, I slid my palms over my skin.
Blood tells us everything.
I fisted my hands, understanding. I needed to make up my mind about Rogan. In two days, he would know everything. The voice. My past.
Curling my fingers into claws, I raked them through my hair in frustration.
“What am I supposed to do? Protect him or myself? Let him stay or kick him out?”
There was only one right answer. I didn’t need the voice to remind me of my responsibility. Leadership meant putting others before myself. Rogan would stay, but I’d do everything in my power to keep the truth from him.
Calmly smoothing my hands over my hair, I set to work preparing a large pot of stew. Everyone would be very hungry.
ROGAN
I couldn’t smell anything anymore. Between the shampoo from the carpet cleaner they’d rented and used in every single apartment, and the bleach they’d used to wipe down every surface, I was sure I’d never be able to use my nose again.
Each time I blinked, it felt like I had grit in my eyes from tearing up so much. Kye had commented on my lack of handsomeness with bloodshot eyes, earning her a swat on the backside from her Aunt Shay.
Carrying the scrub bucket to the basement, my stomach growled hungrily. The only break from cleaning had been when Shay brought everyone sandwiches for lunch, hours ago.
“I hear you, mister,” Will said. “I’m ready to chew my own arm off. But don’t worry. Tink always makes dinner when we clean house.”
“You do this often?”
The boy nodded as he rinsed the cloth and bucket out in the washtub. “Every month. She’s a little bit ahead this month, but punishments don’t wait. Thanks for helping, by the way. Usually everyone pitches in, but…well…Denz and I didn’t listen.”
“I’ll be sure to follow orders so I can avoid this in the future. The bleach is killing me.”
The boy grinned.
“You get used to it.”
I never wanted to.
“You can head up. Tell Tink maybe another twenty minutes for us to finish. Then we’ll be up.”
More than willing to let them finish out their punishment alone, I left the basement and took the stairs, two at a time, to reach Tink’s apartment. At the door, I took off my shoes and socks and went to the kitchen for a drink.
The pot on the stove caught my eye. I lifted the lid and gave a test sniff. My nose protested by watering, but I could smell beef stew.
I picked up the spoon from the counter and dipped it into the stew. Steam curled up from the bite. I blew on it once before sticking it into my mouth.
My knees almost buckled. I’d never tasted anything so good in my life. I groaned and started licking the spoon.
“Rogan. Stop.”
I opened my eyes, wondering at what point I’d closed them. Tink stood in the arch of the kitchen, watching me.
“Put it down.”
Slowly withdrawing the spoon, I used my lips to capture every last bit of the delicious flavor.
“Can I have a bowl?” I asked, setting the spoon back on the counter.
Her gaze remained on the spoon for several long moments before meeting mine.
“Did you like it?”
“Like it? I loved it. I’d gorge myself on the whole pot if you let me.”
She swallowed audibly, followed by a slow blink. She looked more peculiar than usual.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“Yes.” Her clipped word told me not to ask again.
“Um, Will and Denz said they would be another twenty minutes.”
I stayed where I was,
hoping she’d leave me alone with the stew because, despite my words to Will, as soon as she turned her back, I was shoving my face into the scalding pot. She didn’t move, and we stared at each other as an uncomfortable silence grew.
“Rogan,” she said softly.
Something about the way she said my name caught my attention. I really saw her then. The disheveled blonde bun hung from the back of her head. Wisps of hair fell around her face. Her hazel eyes reflected loneliness.
She looked small and broken just then. Not mentally, but emotionally. I was about to take a step toward her when she spoke.
“My name…” Her eye twitched, and she smoothed her hands over her hair. “Is Tink. That’s me. It’s who I am.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. Apparently this was another one of her crazy moments. “Is it your head again?”
She set a hand on her chest.
“Yes. It always is.”
But her movement had drawn my attention to the fast beat of her pulse. Something was wrong.
Giving into my first gut reaction, I moved toward her.
“Stop!” she yelled, holding up a hand.
I froze.
“No sex,” she shouted at me.
“What? I wasn’t going to—”
Moving quickly, she dodged around me and went into the kitchen. She snatched up the spoon and held it over her head.
“And this is mine!” She stuck it her mouth and ran barefoot from the apartment.
I stood there stunned. “And I thought she was as crazy as she could be, before.”
Shaking my head, I went to kitchen, grabbed a bigger spoon, and raided the pot. It didn’t taste half as good this time. Dealing with crazy ruined perfectly good stews.
Everyone seemed to come into Tink’s apartment over the course of the next hour. Everyone except Tink. Each person helped themselves to stew, ate, washed their bowl and spoon, then left. It was like hosting a dinner in stages. After Will and Denz ate, they plopped on the couch beside me, and we watched the flow of people going through the kitchen.
“Every month, huh?” I said conversationally.