Chapter 10

CHAPTERTEN

Sunset didn’t even realize until she’d already showered and changed into the huge pair of sweatpants and T-shirt Talon had given her that she probably should’ve been a little more cautious about getting naked in what was essentially a stranger’s bathroom.

But because the stranger was Talon, and he felt like anything but a stranger, she hadn’t thought twice about it. Truthfully, she’d been overwhelmed with the newness of everything from the second she’d stepped foot in Talon’s apartment.

She’d managed to keep her curiosity and awe at how different and modern everything seemed when she was at Lilly and Ethan’s house. She was more concerned about not making a fool out of herself, and worried about Lilly, to think too much about all the new things surrounding her.

But when she’d walked into Talon’s apartment, she was sure her eyes were so wide, she had to look like a total weirdo. From his huge television, to the appliances on his countertops…she wanted nothing else but to stop and investigate everything. She’d lived a life devoid of nearly all technology for so long. The men at camp had radios and a few other electronics, but Sunset hadn’t had a chance to look at them up close, much less use them or ask how they worked.

But Talon hadn’t given her a chance to do much more than follow her to his room, where he said she’d be sleeping, before pulling out some clothes for her to put on after her shower, showing her how his shower worked, then leaving her alone.

Having hot water had also diverted her attention. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d showered with warm water. Every now and then, mostly in the summer, the women would boil water to use for bathing, but mostly they made do with sponge baths.

Standing under the shower felt like a rebirth. As the years of filth and dirt washed down the drain, Sunset could practically feel the shadow of Arrow and Cypress sloughing off her skin. She’d felt oppressed and beaten down for so long. Even when she’d been in the forest by herself, she’d feared Cypress’s return. He was so mad when she’d hidden from him. If he’d found her, she would’ve had to spend months in the punishment tent. They both knew it.

The threat of that fate hung over her even though she hadn’t seen Cypress or anyone from The Community since she’d fled. Her rebellion had been a long time coming, and even though she was proud of herself for doing it, she’d also lived in a state of fear every day since.

But now? Being treated as if she wasn’t less important, less worthy, than those around her? Sunset felt a burst of optimism rise within her. Lilly had been so nice, even while dealing with her own grief for her lost child. She hadn’t made fun of her for not knowing there were different flavors of tea. She hadn’t looked down on her for anything, in fact.

More importantly, her husband hadn’t either. Ethan had greeted her warmly, hadn’t ordered her around, and the way he’d acted with concern for Lilly made Sunset truly understand that the kind of leader Arrow had been was just plain wrong. He might’ve been old, but he set the rules in The Community. He was the one who ordered punishments and taught the children and women how to behave.

When she’d finished her shower, used the softest towel she’d ever felt in her life, and then dressed in the borrowed clothes, Sunset had attempted to brush her hair. She’d used the shampoo Talon had left for her, but it was almost impossible to get the brush through the tangles.

She walked out of the shower and didn’t see Talon anywhere. There was a large bed with four pillows on it, and for a moment, Sunset wondered how many wives Talon had to need so many pillows. Then she shook her head. No, Talon said he wasn’t married, and she believed him. He hadn’t done or said anything that felt like a lie…and she’d gotten very good over the years at reading people. It had gotten to a point where she could tell almost everything Cypress said was a lie.

The bed made her very nervous, even though it looked as if it was more comfortable than anything she’d ever slept on before. The bedding Talon had given her in the cave had been so much softer than the canvas she’d been using, and ten times better than sleeping on the ground like she’d done back in The Community.

But she also remembered the mattress Arrow had owned, which Cypress had used when he’d taken over after his father’s death. She’d had to lie on her back on the soft surface when it was time for her to do her wifely duties. She’d come to hate the feel of that softness against her back, because of what it meant she’d have to endure.

Scooting around the bed, Sunset vaguely noticed the dresser against one wall and the window that let in the late-afternoon sun. She walked out of the room into a hall, headed into the room with the large TV, and saw Talon standing in the small kitchen that ran along one end of the room. He had a glass of water in one hand, and he was staring out the small window above the sink.

“I’m done,” she said softly.

His head whipped around and he put down the glass. Then he stared at her for so long, Sunset began to feel uncomfortable. As if he realized what he was doing, and how he was making her feel, Talon immediately dropped his gaze and reached for a second glass she hadn’t noticed sitting on the counter near him.

He slowly walked toward her with the water in hand.

“I figured you might be thirsty,” he said, holding out the glass.

Sunset nodded and took the offered water. She took a sip, surprised at how…clean the water tasted. The water from the streams they used in The Community, like the water she drank while living in the cave, was good, but she could somehow always taste the grit from the dirt that flowed through it.

There was no dirt in this water.

“Do you feel better?” Talon asked quietly.

Feeling shy all of a sudden, Sunset could only nod.

“Good. I’ll wash both our clothes after I shower. You want to watch TV while I’m getting cleaned up?”

Sunset nodded eagerly. She knew what TV was. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did.

Talon hadn’t taken his gaze from her. He studied her from head to toe, then back up again. He winced when he saw the condition of her hair. “You want me to try to brush that out when I’m done?” he asked, nodding to her head.

Sunset’s first reaction was to say no, that she could do it. But then she remembered how gentle he’d been with her when he’d brushed it back in the cave. “Will you cut some more off?”

“Do you want me to cut some more off?” he returned.

Sunset was finding it difficult to have to make so many decisions. She’d gotten used to being told what to do every minute of every day. When she’d first been on her own in the forest, it had been a struggle figuring out what to do without The Community’s rigid schedule to follow, but eventually she’d gotten into a routine of her own. That routine was now thrown out the window, and Talon was always asking her what she wanted to do or if something he was doing was okay. It was hard to get used to. “Yes?” she said tentatively.

“It’s up to you, sweetheart. I can take another little bit off, or we could brush it out and you can see how you feel after that. Now that it’s clean, and you can wear it however you want, you might change your mind about cutting it.”

Sunset didn’t think that would happen. Even with the little bit Talon had already cut off, she felt so much better. It was still long, coming down almost to her butt, but it was heavy and reminded her too much of her time in The Community. Of having no choice but to keep it long. “I think I want you to cut some more off,” she said, lifting her chin as if Talon would argue with her.

“Then that’s what we’ll do. For the record…it’s beautiful. Even prettier than before. I didn’t realize you had all those different shades of auburn in it.”

Sunset’s cheeks felt hot for some reason. Arrow had always seemed to like her hair well enough, but it was Cypress who worshipped it. When he made her do her wifely duties, he’d gather it in a fist and hold it to his nose as he had sex with her. Sometimes he didn’t want to have sex at all, but he’d make her lie completely still while he wrapped her hair around his penis and masturbated. She hated how his eyes would shine when he looked at her. How he’d tell her how much he loved her hair.

But for some reason, when Talon told her how pretty her hair was, it felt…nice. Maybe because he wasn’t leering at her like Cypress did. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“You’re welcome. Come on, let’s find something that interests you on TV.”

He turned and reached for a long, flat device and pointed it at the huge screen on the wall. Sunset jumped when two people suddenly appeared on the screen, laughing loudly about something.

“Bloody hell, sorry. I forgot to turn it down when I shut it off last time,” Talon said sheepishly. “Let’s see…what’s on…a true crime show…no. Football? Doubt that would interest you. A cooking show…maybe…hmmmm. Shit. I have no idea what you might enjoy.”

The pictures on the screen scrolled by quickly, but Sunset was delighted by the bright colors and how many shows there seemed to be. “What about that one?” she asked, pointing as Talon scrolled through the images.

He stopped and turned to her. “Which one?”

“Um…that one that had the purple background and the cute little green guy?”

Talon looked back at the screen. “StoryBots?” he asked.

Sunset shrugged. “I guess.”

Talon didn’t declare her choice stupid. He immediately pushed a button and the purple picture suddenly filled the screen. “I won’t be too long, so if you don’t enjoy this once it starts, we can find something else,” he told her.

But Sunset was already enthralled by the pictures moving across the screen. She vaguely heard Talon chuckle but didn’t take her eyes off the TV. He gently steered her toward the couch and urged her to sit, but she was already lost in the world of Beep, Bing, Boop, and Bo, the cute little robots who were trying to figure out how computers worked. Sunset wanted to know the same thing.

By the time Talon returned, the show was just ending.

“I take it you liked the show.”

She smiled. “I know it’s for children, but I actually learned so much! And the songs were fun.”

When she finally looked up at Talon, she blinked in surprise. She’d gotten used to his scruffy beard, but he’d trimmed it up while she’d been watching the show. He was wearing a T-shirt that clung to his muscular chest. He had on a pair of sweatpants just like she did, but he definitely filled them out much better. Even from where she was sitting, she could smell his fresh, clean scent.

In short, this man was completely different from Arrow, Cypress, or any of the other men in The Community. He was…beautiful. It was the only word that came to mind as she stared at him.

“Are you okay?” Talon asked.

Sunset lowered her eyes and nodded.

“Good. I put our clothes in the washer. You want a snack before we get started on your hair?”

Butterflies swam in Sunset’s belly. They were alone, and he could do anything he wanted to her and no one would know. But instead of taking advantage of that, he was keeping his distance, wanting to feed her, willing to help with her hair.

She might be naïve about a lot of things in Talon’s world, but she knew all about sex and how it worked between two people. Before her first time, the women in The Community had educated her on her duties, describing how the man would lie on top of her and put his penis inside her. Abstractly, she realized that some people actually enjoyed sex, but she wasn’t sure why.

For the first time in her life…she was beginning to understand. She liked looking at Talon. Liked the way he smelled. And the thought of his hands on her hair made her nipples tingle on her chest.

Instead of being scared or freaked out, Sunset was…relieved. She actually wanted Talon to touch her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to lie under him, but if he wanted that, she would do it. She could trust him, and he wouldn’t hurt her.

With that thought in mind, Sunset smiled again.

“Sunset? Does that smile mean you want something to eat?” Talon asked.

It wasn’t, but she nodded anyway. She forced herself to stay seated on the couch as Talon walked to the small kitchen that was next to the large open room. He’d told her more than once that she didn’t have to wait on him, that he’d been looking after himself for a long time. She liked that he didn’t expect her to do all the chores.

So with that thought in mind, and because he hadn’t asked her to help, Sunset stayed where she was.

It didn’t take him long to walk back toward her with a plate. “There’s not much to choose from, but I had some crackers and cheese. The crackers might be a little stale, but I think the cheese will hide that.” He wrinkled his nose. “I should’ve taken Ethan up on his offer to take some stuff from his fridge. If this doesn’t work, I can run to the store and find things to tide us over. Maybe I’ll order a pizza later or something.”

Sunset didn’t know what a pizza was, but she shook her head. “This will be fine.” And it would be. She didn’t have to kill it, skin it, cook it, and she had a feeling Talon wouldn’t make her wash the plate afterward either. She was going to enjoy this meal more than he knew, no matter what it tasted like.

“Okay, but don’t be polite for my sake. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it. Same for any of our meals. You can tell me exactly what you think about it, and I’m not going to be mad if you don’t enjoy something. Actually, that goes for anything we do. If you aren’t enjoying something, if you get scared or aren’t having a good time, all you have to do is say the word and we’ll stop or leave.”

He had no idea what he was giving her. She’d never had a say on literally anything before, food or otherwise. “Okay,” she whispered.

“Good.” He tossed a pillow from the couch onto the floor, then sat on the couch directly behind it. “If you sit here, I can reach your hair easier. You want to watch the next episode of this show while I brush your hair and we snack?”

Sunset turned her head so he couldn’t see the tears that welled in her eyes. He was being so nice…and it was almost her undoing.

She scooted off the couch and moved to sit in front of him. He didn’t need to put a pillow down, but he had anyway, solely for her comfort. He held the plate out. “Why don’t you hold this?”

She took hold of the plate and stared down at it through blurry eyes. A plate of food, clean clothes, letting her watch the silly show for kids, and Talon brushing her hair. It was overwhelming.

Holding the plate with one hand, she picked up a cracker with the other. She felt Talon lean toward her, and the heat from his chest brushed against the back of her head as he reached for a cracker himself. She froze for a second, thinking he was going to grab her, but when he sat back, she let out a long breath.

How could she both want him to touch her and be scared of it at the same time? It was confounding. But more than that, it made her mad. She wasn’t going to let Arrow and Cypress keep her from what she’d always wanted—to belong. To have friends. To be accepted. To have a family. A real family. Not the messed-up one The Community tried to claim they were.

She’d been so scared to come to town. Fallport had always been made out to be dangerous and its citizens portrayed as monsters. But she was quickly discovering the monsters were the people she’d been living with.

Sunset knew, however, that she was probably feeling things for Talon simply because he was the first man who’d ever been kind to her. Despite that, she wasn’t going to feel bad about how much she liked him. As she saw for herself, his friends respected and enjoying being around him. That went a long way toward helping her to trust her own feelings.

“Tell me if I hurt you,” Talon said as he ran a hand lightly over her hair.

A shiver ran through Sunset, and she nodded. He started the next episode, which wasn’t quite as entertaining as the first; she already knew she couldn’t eat dessert all the time.

Talon was gentle as he brushed her hair. Even though she’d seen all the tangles, it was as if they didn’t exist as he ran the brush through her strands. He got up at one point to get a pair of scissors, and she was so relaxed, even the sight of them didn’t make her tense up.

Talon cut off another tiny amount from the ends of her hair. She wanted to tell him he could take more off than he did, but he was being so careful, so gentle with her, that she didn’t want to do or say anything that might upset him.

Long after the sun went down, Sunset was as comfortable as she’d ever been in her life. Her belly was full, she was clean and warm sitting on one end of the comfortable couch, and Talon had let her watch several episodes of the kids’ show. She’d learned all about different animals in the world, how ears and volcanos worked, and what electricity was. The show was informative without going into too much detail. The problem was, now she wanted to know more.

Her brain was soaking up as much information as it could, and still she needed more.

“Tomorrow we’ll go to the library,” Talon told her from the other side of the couch, as if he could read her mind.

“I thought we were going to go to the store to get food?” she said in confusion.

“We are. We’ll go to the library afterward. Tony’s on holiday vacation from school, but Elsie still usually drops him off in the afternoons because he enjoys hanging out there…and of course, she won’t leave him home alone when she and Zeke go to work at On the Rocks.”

“Then we’ll talk to Simon?” she asked. She dreaded that. The police were corrupt. Mean. Liked to put people in jail.

“Maybe,” Talon said nonchalantly.

Sunset breathed out a sigh of relief. She’d put off talking to the police forever if she could. She still didn’t even know why Talon wanted to have a meeting with the man.

He smiled over at her. “Are you all right?”

Sunset nodded.

“Comfortable?”

She nodded again.

“Good. Anything you need or want, you only have to tell me and I’ll bend over backward to make sure you get it.”

“Why?” The question popped out without thought, and Sunset cringed. It was that kind of question that always got her in trouble in the past. But Talon wasn’t a Community member. He didn’t seem upset or irritated with her in the least.

“Because you’ve been dealt a raw hand. Because you deserve it. Because I like seeing you happy. I like you, Sunset. You’ve been through a lot, and I know it’s way too early for you to even be thinking about any kind of relationship, but…when you’re ready…” His voice trailed off.

Her heart started beating fast in her chest as she stared at Talon. Was he saying what she thought he was?

“I’m sure a psychologist would be pissed that I’m even bringing this up, but I’ve seen firsthand how short life can be.” He pinned her in place with his intense blue gaze. “I like everything about you, sweetheart. Your strength. Your determination to survive despite what you’ve been through. Your pragmatic ability to take things one day at a time. Your physical looks. Your huge heart. I didn’t miss how worried you were for Lilly, a woman you just met and had no reason to feel any kind of way toward. And yet you let her take care of you, allowing her to feel somewhat normal again. I know all the other women are going to love you, and they’ll help you acclimate to Fallport, to life not under the thumb of a bunch of assholes.

“So…when you feel as if you’re ready…I’ll be here. I want to be your man, Sunset. I want to have the privilege of being yours.”

Sunset swallowed. “Um…okay.”

“Okay,” he said easily, as if he hadn’t just rocked her world.

This man wanted to be hers? That wasn’t how it worked, was it? Shouldn’t he have said he wanted her to be his? She was confused…but inside, she was also jumping up and down like Beep did on the StoryBots show she’d just watched.

“It’s getting late. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. Think you can sleep?”

Sunset nodded immediately. She was exhausted but hadn’t wanted to end the night because she was having such a good time.

“Good. Because I’m so tired, I think I could fall asleep standing up,” Talon said. “Come on, let’s go make sure you’ve got everything you need for the night.”

He was tired too. That was something else Talon frequently did that she’d yet to get used to—admitting a weakness. It was nice to know she wasn’t alone.

She followed him to his room and saw the clothes she’d been wearing earlier were folded neatly on the dresser. He’d washed and dried them for her. It was one more way he took care of her that sent warm feelings throughout her body.

“We’ll find you more things to wear tomorrow.” He pulled the blanket back and took a step away from the bed, backing toward the door. “Sleep well, Sunset. This is the first night of the rest of your life, sweetheart.” Then he turned before she could speak and closed the door behind him.

Sunset looked at the bed and smiled.

She didn’t take off the sweats she was wearing, simply climbed onto the mattress and pulled the covers up to her chin. The light on the ceiling was still on, but she didn’t mind. She liked the light. Closing her eyes, she did her best to relax. To appreciate the luxurious mattress. Her bones didn’t hurt from poking into the hard ground. She was warm.

But the longer she lay there, the more uncomfortable she got.

She shouldn’t be here. This wasn’t her bed. It was Talon’s. She could smell him on the blankets and on the pillows under her head. He’d given her his bed, and it felt wrong. As much as she tried to tell herself it was all right, it didn’t feel all right.

Having no idea how long she’d been staring at the ceiling, Sunset climbed out of the bed and headed for the door. She opened it, thankful it didn’t make any noise. She tiptoed down the hallway, past the empty room Talon had promised he’d furnish for her, and entered the TV room.

Talon was lying on the couch they’d sat on all night. He was frowning in his sleep, and even as she watched, he turned onto his side with a grunt.

As silent as a deer moving through the forest, Sunset took a step toward him. Then another. She felt safer near Talon. He wouldn’t hurt her, and she could trust him.

With the words he’d said so many times repeating in her head, she lowered herself to the floor next to the couch and closed her eyes.

She could hear him breathing above her, and she felt content. This felt more right than being alone in the other room.

* * *

Tal woke with a jerk. Damn it. He repeatedly hoped the nightmares he’d suffered since that fucked-up final mission would eventually go away completely. But years later, they still hadn’t.

Sighing, he ran a hand over his face. His couch was comfortable enough to sit on and watch a ball game, but sleeping on it was a different story. He stretched—then froze as a sound hit his ears. Deep breathing.

Moving slowly, and cursing the fact that he didn’t have a weapon nearby like he did in his bedroom, Tal turned his head and strained to see what he’d heard in the darkness.

There was a glow coming from the hallway…giving him just enough light to see a shape lying on the floor by the couch.

Sunset.

She was lying on her side, facing him, fast asleep. She didn’t have a blanket or a pillow.

Tal had no idea why she was there and not in bed where he’d left her.

The thought of her lying in his bed had haunted him long after he’d closed his eyes. He shouldn’t have said anything about wanting a relationship. It was too soon, he knew that. But he hadn’t been able to stop himself. Without a doubt, once she started getting out and about, other men would take notice. She was bloody beautiful. And she had a sweet disposition, despite what she’d been through.

She probably saw him as her savior or something, which wouldn’t bode well for a healthy romantic relationship. And even though he knew all that, he still couldn’t stop himself from declaring his interest.

Sighing once more at his own stupidity, Talon sat up, careful not to step on the sleeping woman as he stood, then immediately kneeled down next to her. He didn’t want to scare her by touching her, so he whispered her name instead. “Sunset.”

She didn’t move.

Tal’s lips quirked up. She was adorable all the time, but especially so right now. Still, the sight of her using her arm as a pillow and lying on the hard floor wasn’t cute at all. He said her name again, a little louder.

This time she jerked—and immediately she rolled into a small ball, putting her arms over her face.

Mentally swearing—and vowing to avenge her, no matter how long it took—Tal quickly stood and took a giant step away from her. Giving her space.

“It’s me, Talon. I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe here.”

She immediately came up on an elbow and turned her head to the side, as if that would make her see in the dark better. “Talon?”

“Yes, it’s me. We’re in my apartment. Why are you sleeping on the floor?” he asked.

“Um…it seemed appropriate.”

“Explain,” Tal ordered. His voice sounded a bit too harsh to his own ears, but he needed to understand her thinking.

“The bed was soft…almost too soft. I wasn’t used to it. Then I got to thinking that it wasn’t right that I was there and you were out here. That’s not how things work in my world. So I came out here to tell you to switch places with me, but when I saw you sleeping, I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“So you decided to sleep on the floor?” he asked incredulously.

“It’s not a big deal. I’m used to it.”

He didn’t move closer to her, but he knelt down so he could look her in the eyes. The room was still dark, and even with the light that he now realized was coming from his bedroom, he couldn’t see her clearly. But he needed her to understand the kind of man he was.

“You’re used to something that isn’t acceptable,” he told her firmly. “The life you’ve known, it’s done. You’re starting a new one. Where women are treated like gold. Where you will always get your food first, your bed will always be the softest, you’ll shower first to make sure you always have hot water, and I’ll protect you from anyone who dares to even look at you wrong.”

“That’s…I don’t know what that is,” Sunset said, sitting up.

“This is Tal’s world, and you’re now living in it. I was raised to treat women and children as precious. You’ve had the misfortune to have met the worst of humanity, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to help you unlearn everything they taught you. In my world, you can ask as many questions as you want, you can disagree as much as you want, you can even tell me to go to hell, and you won’t be disciplined for any of it.

“In my world, you have friends who will have your back, no questions asked. Because you see, they live in Tal’s world too, and you can trust them just like you do me, and they will never hurt you either.

“But the one thing you can’t do in my world, is treat yourself as if you’re not as worthy as me or anyone else. The way I see it, you’re so far above most people in this world because of what you’ve survived. You deserve a crown of gold, but all I’ve got is a comfortable bed, shows on the TV that you enjoy, and a promise that your life just got a hell of a lot easier.”

He was breathing hard by the time he was finished speaking, but Tal didn’t move. Not one inch. He was probably freaking her out, but she needed to understand that under no circumstances was he going to allow her to sleep on the bloody floor.

“I think I want to live in your world,” she whispered.

“Good. Because you already are.” He slowly stood and took a step toward her and held out his hand. “Come on, I need you off the floor and back in bed.”

She put her hand in his, and every muscle in Tal’s body relaxed. He helped her to her feet then put a hand on the small of her back and turned her toward the hallway. He immediately dropped it as soon as she started walking but kept close to her.

He saw the mussed covers, as if she’d tossed and turned before getting up. He straightened them out then gestured for her to climb back in.

She did, then said, “I don’t know if I can sleep knowing you’re out there on the couch and I’m in here.”

He didn’t like her obvious guilt, but he’d promised she could say whatever was on her mind without him getting upset. He wrestled with what to do and say for a long moment before walking around the bed and lying down on top of the covers next to her. “Is this okay?”

“Yes.”

He heard the heavy relief in that one word.

“Light on or off?” he asked.

“Would you mind if we kept it on? I should be used to the dark, but I prefer to be able to see.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Tal told her.

“Talon?” she said after a minute.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want a crown of gold. I just want to feel safe.”

“You are safe,” he said immediately. “It might take you a while to truly believe that, but it doesn’t make it any less so.”

He heard her sigh, but she didn’t comment.

“Good night, sweetheart. Sleep well.”

“You too,” she replied quietly.

It took a while for Tal to fall asleep, partly because he was savoring the sound of Sunset’s deep breaths next to him. Of the feel of the mattress moving as she turned in her sleep. But when he did finally succumb, he’d never slept as soundly as he did now, knowing the woman who’d changed his life for the better was safe and content next to him.