50. June 25th

JUNE 25TH

Sylvan

Soothing creakingnoises came from the porch swing as Kai's foot gently powered it back and forth, her arm around Sylvan's shoulders. Kai's hand gently smoothed up and down Sylvan's bicep, her head tilted and resting on Sylvan's head.

"Syl, talk to me," Kai pleaded.

Sylvan sat in silence. Exhaustion seeped through every pore of her body, but she couldn't shut her brain down. While she'd been locked up in the box waiting for TB to rescue her, she'd obviously been afraid, but now she was still afraid, which made no sense to her. She was home. Gendry was gone.

Gone? Try dead. You know TB won't let him live.

"Syl?"

She knew she should respond. She felt bad because she knew Kai needed reassurance that her friend was okay, but Sylvan was so not okay. She needed TB. She needed him now. He'd have to come to the house at some point to collect his things. The question was, would he leave or would he stay?

"He'll be here, Syl. He's not going anywhere."

Sylvan smiled against Kai's shoulder. Kai always could read her mind.

Almost immediately, there was the sound of a car pulling into the garage. After it shut off, there was the sound of a door opening and closing, of boots crossing the hardwood floors, and then of the patio door sliding open.

"Flame?"

Her head didn't move, but her eyes looked up through her lashes at his concerned face.

He flicked a look at Kai, then he looked back at Sylvan. "Princess?" His boots clicked against the deck flooring, and he crouched down in front of her. The hand in her lap was engulfed in his, the thumb rubbing across her knuckles. "Princess, I need to hear how you're feeling. Demon said you weren't hurt, but that's just the outside. I need to know about the inside."

She still didn't speak.

Why can't you speak? They're going to worry there's something really wrong with you when the truth is even you don't know what's wrong.

Well, that was a lie. Ironically, it had nothing to do with Gendry, being kidnapped, and possibly being sold. It had everything to do with him. And her. And what happened with them now since the stalker situation was resolved.

Kai hugged Sylvan with her one arm and kissed the top of her head. "I'll leave you two alone. I'm guessing you have things to talk about."

Once Kai had passed back into the living room and closed the door behind her, TB took her place on the swing. Immediately he gathered her in his arms and pulled her into his lap, tucking her under his chin. His legs picked up a slow, steady rhythm of pushing the swing, and he held her close. Incredible warmth flooded her body. But more importantly, she felt safe.

Time had no meaning as they sat there, rocking amid the summer breeze. The sun was beginning to set when she finally felt herself rallying. "TB?"

"What can I do for you, Flame? How can I help you? What do you need?"

"I just need you," she replied. "Are you going or staying?"

"I'd like to stay if that's okay. If you'd prefer I go?—"

"No!" She put a hand to his chest as if that would somehow stop him. "I want you to stay." Her eyes stared at his chest. "But how long will you stay?"

Her heart hammered in her chest. She both needed an answer and didn't want to hear it.

"I've been ordered to stay away from Tribe for forty-eight hours. Then I go back to work."

She sighed and nodded. "Where are you going?"

"Going? I just said. To work."

"I meant, where are they sending you for work?"

Curled fingers reached under her chin and tipped her eyes up to his. "Tribe, princess. I'm not going overseas. At least, not that I know of. I suppose anything could happen, but there's no plan to be anywhere but in L.A. for right now."

"So you'll stay with me?" She hoped her voice didn't sound as needy to him as it did to her.

"I'll stay with you as long as you want me." A kiss to the forehead sealed the promise. "I'm not going anywhere, princess. I'm in this all the way."

Sylvan slid her arms up around TB's neck and squeezed tight, her face buried under his chin. "Thank you."

"For what, little Flame?"

"For talking to me about my research. For the night at the club. For rescuing me. For everything."

"No need to thank me, sweetheart. I wanted to do it all and more. I still do. And I'll tell you a secret." A kiss to the shell of her ear, his warm breath followed. "I don't want to stop."

They sat on the porch swing long into the evening, wrapped around each other, not talking. Just being.