8. Zan

Kali's even breaths proved she was sleeping, but I stayed in the doorway, staring at the blankets she was buried beneath. I'd learned how light of a sleeper she was, and one heavy step would wake her. After I'd let her talk to Tim, I stayed on the couch, giving her my bedroom. But after trying to sleep for the last couple of hours, I finally gave up, and here I was.

Maybe it had been a mistake letting her in the room with Tim. With it being soundproofed, I had no idea what he'd told her. Or what she'd admitted to him. I doubted she revealed the secrets of mine that she was keeping. The reason I did it was more out of curiosity. Would Tim act friendly to her again just to try to get her help to escape? Would she try to help him? I was hoping that she would have admitted what they'd talked about once she left the room, but I was clearly wrong about that.

Not that any of it mattered. Tim wouldn't be leaving until he was entranced, so even if he did tell her something important, I'd find out about it.

I crept into the room, pausing when a floorboard creaked. There was a tiny jump in Kali's heartbeat. Only once, then it was back to its steady rhythm. She was getting quicker at controlling it. Better. She was putting more defenses up every day, refusing to even act like she was enjoying a second of being here.

"It's just me," I murmured into the darkness. "Before you try to use that stake you have under the pillow."

"Maybe it's you I plan to use it on," she retorted in a groggy voice.

I chuckled. "You've had that hidden away since you came back. And I'm guessing you have another one somewhere in here."

I didn't search her after we came back from Project Hope, but there was no way she'd been in a room full of weapons without snagging one when my brother was out cold. I'd been on edge every night, waiting for her to try something, but it never came.

"If you were going to try and kill me, then you would have done it already," I continued, fighting the amused grin tipping up my lips.

"Or I'm just waiting for the right opportunity."

"Try it, Kali," I taunted, moving closer to the bed. "See what happens."

Before I got within a couple of feet of her, she threw the blankets off and sat up. Her eyes roamed around the room, trying to see me through the dark. I stayed absolutely still, wondering if she'd be able to make out my shadow. Even though it was daylight, I had the window completely covered. When my door was closed, it was pitch black in here.

"What do you want?" she asked as she still tried placing where I was.

"I want to take you somewhere. Get dressed."

"Take me where?"

"You'll see."

She groaned. "And if I don't get up?"

"I thought you wanted answers to all your questions."

She couldn't hide her excitement or nerves at my words. Her heart sped up, and she swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for the lantern on the nightstand. The room was bathed in a dim light when she turned it on, her eyes widening when she realized how close I was.

"You're going to tell me everything I want to know?" she asked, her voice layered with distrust.

"Not everything," I corrected her. "Kane business is still off limits."

Her eyes narrowed into slits, but she stood up. The shirt she was wearing was mine, and it fell to her thighs, hiding the shorts she had on. I didn't think I'd ever get used to seeing her in my clothes. It gave me an instant fucking hard-on every time. This city saw her as mine. But when she was wearing my clothes, it made me believe that she really was. For a moment anyway.

Until I looked into her eyes and witnessed the fiery defiance shining brightly.

She was more likely to actually try to kill me than ever be mine. Which was for the best. I didn't believe in love. I might enjoy her company. She might be the most stunning woman I'd ever seen. She'd made me smile more in the last few weeks than I had in my entire life. But love didn't exist in this cruel world. And whatever this was with her? It would end. Sooner or later. But I planned to revel in it every second that she was still here.

"Are you going to get out so I can get dressed?" she asked, shooting me a questioning look from my silence.

I grinned, forcing my thoughts away. "It's not like I haven't seen every inch of you before."

She rolled her eyes before grabbing a pile of clothes and disappearing into the bathroom. I strolled to the bed and lifted up her pillow, revealing the stake she had there. I huffed out a laugh, picking up the rough stake made from the wood of my dresser. Which meant she had something else hidden in here that she'd taken from Project Hope. Another stake, if I had to guess.

I checked under the mattress and then dropped to my knees to search under the bed. I moved to the dresser, checking the drawers and coming up empty. There were only so many places she could hide it.

Before I could keep looking, the bathroom door opened, and I spun around to see Kali wearing a black tank top and her favorite leggings. I watched as she pulled her hair into a ponytail until something clicked, and my eyes snapped back to her boots.

"What?" she asked sharply.

"You have it on you, don't you?" I shook my head and scoffed. "Of course you do. That's why I can't find it in the room."

"Find what?"

"Whatever weapon you took from Project Hope. It's a stake, isn't it?"

Her eyes locked on mine. "I didn't take anything."

I chuckled. "Such a good liar. Come on, let's go."

She followed behind me as I left the room, her steps hesitant. Viggo and Pax were still visiting our father to tell him about our trip into Project Hope. I could just talk to Kali here but figured a change of scenery would help her relax.

"You think I have a stake, but you still turn your back on me?" she taunted from behind me.

"You might be a good fighter, Kali," I answered without turning to look at her, "but you can't sneak up on me. Feel free to try. I'd love to pin you underneath me again."

She grumbled something under her breath but continued to keep up with me as we descended the stairs that led to a now empty Impulse. My own heart was beating faster than normal. I shouldn't share these things with her. She might have her guesses, but telling her everything? About my black blood? These were things I swore to my father that I'd never reveal. But maybe if I did, she'd be more willing to trust me.

It was a big maybe.

She could use it all against me in some way. I'd have to prepare for that. Because it wasn't just me on the line. It was my father. My brothers. Our lives.

Either way, I was going to tell her the few things I could share. It would be interesting to see how she reacted.