"I see."
"You have been so protected." He ran his fingers through my hair.
"My father did his best."
"He gave his life to do it. That's noble."
"Do you understand noble?" I winced as I realized the words had accidentally slipped out.
"What do you mean by that?" He put his hand under my chin again. He made me look at him. "Have I been anything but fair with you since arrived in my club looking for help?"
"No. Sorry." I shook my head. I needed to be more careful.
"Don't apologize. Explain."
"Explain what?"
"What you meant by the comment."
"I just didn't know if men could be noble in the cities. The world has changed too much here." I had made a mistake. I remembered Addison's words. I needed to stay on his good side.
"And it hasn't changed in the Rurals?"
"Not as much."
"So you lived the way you wanted? You never feared anything?" His hand slid down my neck under the fabric of my shirt to my shoulder.
"Of course I feared things!" I always worried about being discovered, about Quinn and Bailey being discovered. I spent half my life expecting a raid.
He dropped my chin, probably surprised by my near shout. "Exactly. You'll be safer here than you were there."
Common sense kept me in check. "How are you going to get Quinn for me?"
"We'll discuss it after the Cording."
"You don't trust I'll go through with the Cording."
"Trust doesn't matter here. It's a deal. After you've been Corded, we will discuss it." His face softened. "I already told you I was in a hurry for it too."
"You have your own moral code here, don't you?"
"How so?"
"You won't take me to bed until the Cording. Who defines that rule?"
His eyes danced with amusement. "Are you asking me to take you to bed now, Kayla?"
"No." I sat up straighter. "Of course not."
He laughed. "Then what are you saying?"
"You follow rules here. You really view me as a guest." I wasn't sure why I was telling him about my surprise. Maybe I just wanted even more of a confirmation that I hadn't made a deal with the devil.
"All hell has broken loose out there." He gestured to the walls. There were no windows. "But in here we're still human." He stood up. "I'll let you have lunch with the girls. We can have dinner."
I followed him back to the elevator.
"Thanks for the tour."
"My pleasure." Something in his tone made me think he really meant that.
Ten
The next morning I knew exactly where I was, and I wasn't happy about it. I'd spent most of the night awake, staring at the ceiling while trying to picture what Quinn and Bailey were going through. Was Central trying to impregnate her already? Was Bailey being cared for? A million awful possibilities flitted through my mind, flooding me with a guilt so thick it felt as if I were choking. At the sounds of girls moving around the room, I pulled myself from my sweat soaked bed.
I got up and walked down to Addison's room. It was empty, her bed perfectly made. The night before hadn't been a night off. I struggled to remember who she'd gone home with. I hurried down the hall to the bathroom. I didn't want to think about Addison spending the night with a man. I didn't want to think about any of it. I wanted to block everything out and pretend I'd already rescued Quinn and Bailey. I couldn't take them home, but we'd find a new home. I didn't care where it was as long as it was far away from the city. But then reality dawned on me. I wasn't getting out of the city, at least not anytime soon. Mason wasn't helping me out of the goodness of his heart. I was going to be Corded, and then I'd be living a life much like Addison's. I could handle it. Quinn could too. It would be better than a life at Central. At least I hoped it would be. Panic started to set in, but I pushed it away. I'd have Ethan sneak her and Bailey out if it came down to it. They were the important ones.
I found an empty shower and stripped down. I wasn't use to bathing so often, but it offered an escape from a reality I wasn't ready to face. I let the water wash over me. I greedily used it, letting it give me a moment of peace.
"Would you look at that." Mona pulled opened the curtain.