Page 9 of Kneeling for Them

“Did you tell the police it could be your brother?”I ask.

She shakes her head.“No.No way.I don’t want him to get in trouble.He’s got to be desperate if he’d steal my keyboard.It’s not even worth that much.Maybe he really needs the money, and…” She stops talking and sighs.“I don’t want to think about this anymore.”

We reach my building and Bash exchanges a few words with his driver, who leaves.I’m glad we’ll all be together tonight.I thought it would be longer before I had Ella in my arms again.I hate that this happened to her, but at least she’s with us, where she belongs.

Once we’re inside my apartment, Bash goes straight for the kitchen to start gathering food.

Ella looks around momentarily before meeting my gaze.“I’m crashing with you tonight,” she says.“But I’m going to find a permanent arrangement.”

I take her hand.“The permanent arrangement is you’re staying with me.Or Bash.Both of us.”

“Yep.”Bash nods.

Ella laughs in disbelief.“No, the permanent arrangement is I am an adult and I’m going to find my own arrangement.”

“What if we find you a place?”I say.

“You’llfind me a place?”Her forehead crinkles in annoyance.

“I can find an apartment for you.Somewhere in Dorado Heights.”

“Um, no.Hell no.”She lets go of my hand and takes a step back.“I can’t afford anything here.”

“It’ll be safer, though, and I’m going to pay the difference.”

She folds her arms across her chest.“No, Kingston.”

Bash leans back against the counter.“Why the hell not?”

Ella’s cheeks are turning pink.“First, I’m not accepting housing from guys I’m fucking.Second, you guys taking control of my life is a red flag.Third, I have a place to crash.”

“Where?”I ask.

“A friend’s apartment.”

This little girl is trying my patience.“What friend?”

“You don’t know her,” she says, throwing her hands up in frustration.“See, you don’t know my friends.You don’t know my life.”

“We’re trying to change that,” I say.

“I know.I’m just saying, I need some space in the meantime.And I have a couch to crash on while I find a new place.”

“We havebeds,” Bash says.

Ella rolls her eyes.

“Kingston has apool,” Bash adds, pointing helpfully at the balcony outside the living room, where the pool is lit with a soft, blue light.

“What could I want with a pool right now?”Ella asks.“It’s fifty degrees outside.”

She doesn’t know it’s heated.I stalk toward her and stop when my toes are just two inches from hers.She’s forced to tilt her head back to look into my eyes.

This close, I can see that the brown of her irises is flecked with yellow.Her pupils dilate as I bring my face closer and closer to hers.She smells delicious and sweet, like cherries.I run my nose along her cheek, then tilt my head so that our lips nearly touch.I don’t kiss her, though.I hover millimeters away.She tries to lean forward, but I take her cheeks in my hands and keep her still.

Her eyes are half closed as I step back.She’s still waiting for that kiss.

Folding my arms across my chest, I give her a smile that promises wicked things, and say, “Strip, baby girl.”