7. Ember

7

EMBER

R ows of trees line the road on both sides. Twenty minutes ago, we were passing through a small city, and now it’s like we’re in the middle of a dense forest. It’s beautiful. So many shades of green. I’ve never seen so much stunning land. It’s not like this in DC.

I feel like I can actually breathe here.

“Only a couple more miles until we reach the house,” Cage tells me.

This is where he lives? Out in the middle of nowhere? I’m not sure what I expected, but I didn’t think it would be like this. Do they have running water out here? Oh, God. Maybe he pees behind a bush on a regular basis. That’s why he acted so casual about wanting me to do it. I won’t survive. I’m not a roughing-it kind of girl. I don’t need anything fancy, but a toilet and a shower are a minimum requirement. What if they live in tents? Or a shack with no heat and electricity.

Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic.

“You live in the woods?” I ask hesitantly.

Koda chuckles. “Not quite.”

Just as he says it, the thick clusters of trees become sparser until we reach an enormous clearing. I perk up, leaning forward to try to get a better look out of the front windshield. What seemed like the middle of nowhere now resembles a neighborhood you’d see in a wealthy area in the suburbs.

Meticulous grounds, perfectly green grass in every yard. As we round the bend, another large, two-story farmhouse comes into view; only it’s not like the others. I’ve never seen a farmhouse quite like this. The other houses are dwarfed in comparison. I can’t be sure by looking at it, but it’s probably twice the size of my father’s mansion. Kind of odd to have it in the middle of a compound like this. Not that there’s anything wrong with the other homes. They’ve been built with beautiful craftsmanship, however, they’re on a different level than the big one.

“What is this place?”

My gaze darts around the area, taking in everything. It’s like all the homes are built with the backs all facing in, so it’s one huge circle with a playground and pool in the middle. In the center of it all is a garden with several benches and a stone fountain. It reminds me of a park my mom used to take me to when I was a kid. I smile, my heart squeezing at the memory.

“This is where we live.” Cage points toward the homes. “The big house is where we spend most of our time. It holds our offices. Then, we each have our own individual places. We call this compound The Ranch. We own over a hundred acres all around. There are multiple lines of security surrounding the entire property. No one gets in or out of here without triggering a dozen alarms and setting off traps.”

My mouth hangs open as I take it all in because this was absolutely not what I was expecting. I’m not sure how they had the ability to build something like this in the middle of the freaking Oregon forest.

“This is amazing,” I murmur. “I can barely breathe. It’s so beautiful.”

Even though I’m looking out the window, I can feel his gaze on me. “It’s our home, and for now, it’s yours too, firefly.”

Those damn butterflies, or maybe they are fireflies, erupt in my tummy again. Why do I like it when he calls me that? I can’t remember anyone ever calling me a cute nickname.

“I guess being kidnapped by a bodyguard has its perks.” I blush and dip my head. Whoops. Didn’t mean to say that out loud.

Cage chuckles. “Didn’t kidnap you, firefly.”

He can call it what he wants. I call it kidnapping. Although staring out at this beautiful landscape, I might not mind it so much.

K oda dropped Cage and me off in front of his house, which isn’t as impressive as the larger one but still nothing to blink an eye at. Every one of the homes here is built farmhouse style with wrap-around porches and shutters framing all the windows. I’ve never seen such a beautiful setting. My father’s mansion is gorgeous, of course, but it’s snooty and pretentious, just like the five Corvettes in his garage. It’s clear The Ranch was built with tons of money. Each home is full of character, though.

As soon as Koda drives off, the two of us stare at each other awkwardly.

“Come on. I’ll show you your room.” He reaches out and takes my bag from me, then slings it over his muscular shoulder. I feel like such a shrimp compared to him. No wonder he could toss me around like I weigh nothing.

So hot.

Cringing, I scrunch my nose. Cage Black is not hot. I mean, he is, but not to me. Nope. Definitely not.

As soon as we step inside, a blanket of warmth fills me, and the smell of burning firewood lingers in the air.

“One of my brothers came by and lit a fire for us. It can still get chilly up here this time of year.”

I nod, following him through the house and taking everything in. There isn’t a lot of décor. The walls are painted a soft beige color that gives a calming feel to the place.

There’s an awkward tension hanging between us, and I’m not sure what to make of it. Is it because we’re alone again? Or is it because I’m in his home? I’m not even sure if it’s sexual or just good ol’ tension because of the situation.

“Sorry to be intruding on your space,” I mumble. “I’ll try not to be a burden.”

Because that’s what I’ve always been. A burden to my father. To my teachers. And now to Cage. The other people I don’t really care about, yet for some reason, I don’t like the thought of being a pain in the ass for Cage.

Without warning, he hooks a finger under my chin, lifting it so I’m forced to look up into his nearly black eyes. A small scar on his forehead catches my attention, and I want to ask about it. Did he get it as a boy while playing? Or is it job-related?

“Hey,” he says softly. “You’re not intruding. I want you to be comfortable here and make this place your home. There’s a pool, a playground, and a sandbox in the back, and there’s a movie theater and library in the main house. The rule is that I know where you are at all times. Understand me?”

When he talks like that and gets all stern and serious, it does things to me that I’m not sure I want to think too deeply about. Like why my panties are soaked.

“Yes,” I murmur. “Why do you have a playground? Do you guys have kids?”

Cage rubs his thumb over my chin as he stares down at me, a small smile at the corners of his lips. “No kids, firefly.”

Then he takes a step back and pulls his hand away, taking all his warmth with him. Gosh, the man smells yummy. Manly. We both need to shower, but the scent of his cologne still lingers.

“Come, I’ll show you your room, then take you to the main house for introductions and rules.”

What is it with this guy and rules? Is he a control freak? It seems like it. Then again, I guess most bodyguards want to be in control at all times. He said this is not his normal job. I don’t actually understand what he does, but it sounds dangerous and maybe even illegal.

The bedroom he leads me to is as bare as the rest of the house, but the furniture and linens are definitely high-end and match the cream-colored walls, giving the entire room a serene feel. I can hardly wait to crawl into the bed, though I might need a step stool to get into it. Why is it so dang high?

“There’s a bathroom through there and a walk-in closet here. My bedroom is the next one over. There’s a trapdoor in your closet with stairs leading to a tunnel. All our houses connect down there. If anything ever goes down, you get in that tunnel and stay there until I find you. Got it?”

“Ominous much?”

He flashes me a smile. “Just prepared, firefly. This compound is the safest place on Earth for you to be. We have things in place here to keep everyone safe at all times. Every closet in every house has a door down to the tunnels. Every house also has a safe room.”

The flutters I had in my tummy a few minutes ago disappear, replaced with a huge weight.

“Why do you need so much security?”

Cage studies me for a second before he sighs. “Because, with the stuff we do, people are always after us.”

Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel any better. He’s really not the best at making things sound less scary. I want to ask what they do exactly, but I already know he won’t give me a direct answer. He seems to want to protect me from whatever it is. Maybe I should stop asking questions. It’s probably for the best.

“The only thing you need to concern yourself with is following the rules,” he adds.

Yeah, because I’ve always been so good at that. Not.

A table full of men greets us when Cage leads me into an enormous dining room in the main house. And not only that, but a woman comes charging at Cage.

“You’re home!” she squeals as she leaps into his arms and wraps her legs around his waist.

Something twinges inside me as I watch her hug him, grinning from ear to ear as she does.

“I’m sorry I didn’t make it back the other night. You know how things go,” Cage says to her softly before kissing her forehead and setting her on her feet.

I can’t stop staring. She’s clearly a grown woman, but her sparkly tutu and the way she’s bouncing on her toes says otherwise. She reminds me of myself when I’m deep in my Little headspace.

“Rowie, I want you to meet Ember. She’s staying here for a while. Ember, this is Rowena.”

As if it’s the first time she’s noticed me, Rowena steps closer to Cage, her fingers coming up to her mouth. Cage sees and wraps his hand around her wrist, pulling it down in front of her. The way he touches her is so different than the man I’ve known for the past two days. He’s gentle.

Is Rowena his girlfriend?

Oh my gosh, I’m so stupid. All this time, I’ve been getting turned on around him and thinking he’s hot, and he has a girlfriend.

“Nice to meet you.” I force a smile that I don’t feel.

Her dark eyes study me, and when she gives me a wide grin, I relax the tiniest bit. Does she know I was thinking dirty thoughts about her man?

“You, too. I like your necklace,” she replies quietly.

This makes me smile back at her as I touch the silver compass. “Thank you.”

A man clears his throat in the background, breaking the awkwardness between Rowena and me. We turn our attention to the table of men.

“Ember, these are my brothers. A few of them aren’t here right now. Everyone, this is Ember.”

“Cassian briefed us,” one of them says, then looks at me and smiles. “I’m Elias. Nice to meet you.”

Having so many sets of eyes on me, I want to step closer to Cage for protection. However, Rowena is still at his side, and I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate me using her boyfriend as a shield. Guess I need to pull up my big-girl panties.

Except I don’t have any big-girl panties. And for whatever reason, my Little is creeping to the surface. I’ve tried to push her back into the box, but it’s not working. Without meaning to, I bring my fingers up to my mouth and catch myself just in time before I slip my thumb between my lips. Instead, I stroke my chin with it, hoping it will provide the soothing effect I need.

A second later, a small, warm hand slips into mine, and Rowena is now at my side. “It’s okay. They all scared me at first, too, but they’re all harmless. You’re safe here.”

Cage watches us, a small smile playing at his lips. I melt under his gaze, hating that he has this effect on me even though I know he belongs to Rowena.

“Thank you,” I murmur.

Rowena grins and looks between me and Cage. “I’ve never seen my brother look at anyone the way he looks at you, by the way.”

Her what?

“Brother?” I squeak out.

She giggles. “Yes. They’re all my brothers. What did you think… Oh, ew. That’s gross.” Rowena scrunches her face like she’s about to vomit, and all I can do is stare at her in shock.

They aren’t together. She is his sister .

And what the heck does she mean by the way he looks at me?

“You’re not his girlfriend?”

Rowena looks at me and bursts out laughing. “No. Definitely not. I think he likes you.”

Shaking my head, I peer at him from under my lashes. “Not possible. I’m pretty sure it’s the opposite, actually. Ever since he snatched me out of my father’s car, he’s been being nothing but a bossy, growly, controlling bear.”

The smaller woman’s smile widens. “Believe it or not, Cage is only like that when he likes someone.”

She skips away, leaving me staring at her in shocked silence because there’s no way Cage Black feels anything for me other than annoyance.