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“Well…” Tase trails off and hesitates, setting his full fork down. “She may not be leaving as soon as you’d want, Sor. She’s going to be doing a little bit of work for me. As a volunteer.”

“What?” Soren looks up and his beard bristles. “Are you out of your mind?”

“I’m very much in possession of my full faculties, thanks. I’ve got a new girl coming in tomorrow but that still leaves me in a deficit when it comes to help. Gilli is smart and well trained. She knows what she’s doing and she’s not shy.”

Soren scoffs, the sound low and disdainful. “No,shysheis not.”

“I don’t know how long she plans to stick around, but as long as she does, I’ll take advantage of it. She practically begged me to let her help. She needs something to keep her busy.”

Tase grabs his fork back up and stuffs his mouth full.

His cheeks are mottled. I’m willing to bet serious money he’s got the same thoughts rolling around in his head that I do. Ones involving various activities to keep Gilli busy and how she’d look on her knees with her mouth open.

Fuck, I’ve thought about it too much. Since we kissed, she’s occupied every available inch of space in my mind, and a lot of it I didn’t have to spare.

I’ve been aroused by women before, captivated by them. But I've never wanted one as much as I want her. Why? After only a few days?

I’m an idiot.

“I want herout,” Soren snaps. “Things were easier without her. We don’t need a ward to watch over and protect, from herself as well as whatever ghosts and ghouls might’ve followed her.”

“What about your need for revenge?” I ask with dripping sweetness.

“I’ll get it another way. It’s the better option for everyone if we get her out of town and make sure she doesn’t want to come back. She’s got a life she left behind. It’s time she returns to it.”

Tase is the voice of reason. “You’re definitely not going to keep her away if she decides to stay. What are you going to do? Barricade the town against her?”

“If I have to.” Soren offers a small grin.

I don’t like the look of it. It means he’s planning something. Orhidingsomething.

“Sure, Paul Bunyan over here. He’ll chop down every tree and physically block her from coming back over the county line.” Tase laughs, shaking his head. “You've got a wild imagination.”

“Tell me I’m wrong, though.” Soren’s brown eyes go bright. “You’ve seen how she works people up.”

“It’s not her fault,” Tase offers.

“Isn’t it? Did you feel like she gave you a choice yesterday? Or did she refuse to leave after you told her to go?” Soren waits for an answer, his eyes narrowed. When one isn’t forthcoming, he bobs his head once. “Yeah, like I thought.”

Tase snorts, glancing to the side. “I need the assistance.”

“Find someone else.”

“She’s just a girl, Soren. She’s twenty years old and scared out of her fucking mind about something. Scared enough to come here when she had no other options and stay even when you tried to run her off.”

Tase is using the same voice he used to break out when the obvious answer was right there and neither Soren nor I reached it. We were just a couple of dumbass kids.

Has anything really changed?

“How do we know she has no other options?” Soren asks, shaking more pepper onto his steak. “What about the trailer? I know her father still owns it. Why not go there?”

Good point. Whywouldn’tshe go to the trailer? It’s her childhood home, right? Even if it’s a piece of shit tin can. It’s a terrible place to live, but home is home. With all its rough edges and peeling paint.

“Whatever her reasoning is, maybe if you were a little nicer to her, she’d tell you the truth,” Tase replies.

“It’s not in my nature to be nice to her.”

Tase has had enough. He sets his silverware down calmly but there is nothing serene about his expression.