Kynedi Chapter 4

It had been barely over two weeks since Cassius and I had dinner with Tiernan and his family. I won’t lie. It was overwhelming to be near so many people. They were welcoming, a little chaotic when they all talked over each other, but you could clearly see their love for each other. It made me ache to see such a family. I’d like to think we’d be as close if my parents were still alive. Unfortunately, I’d lost them before Cassius was born. If they had been alive, it was doubtful I’d have him, which was the negative side of the equation.

Cassius had four more lessons at Tiernan’s Steeds since that dinner. He looked forward to them so much. In between, they were almost the only thing he talked about. His knowledge of horses had expanded so much. He wanted to know everything there was to know about them. Yesterday, at his lesson, Tiernan presented Cass with a collection of books made for children, which gave him a tremendous amount of information. Cassius had been thrilled, and the smile on his face made me smile. I thanked Tiernan. He said no thank you was needed, but if I wanted to thank him, we’d agree to come to his family’s property so Khloe and Cass could play. He claimed she asked daily, and I’d be doing him and her parents a favor if I agreed.

I’d been contacted by Karizma early in the week. She’d extended the same offer. I told her I’d think about it. I felt weird saying yes. I assumed she was only asking to be polite. However, I gave in to Tiernan’s request and my son’s beseeching look. Immediately, Tiernan asked if we were busy the next day. Usually, I’d clean one of the offices on Saturday and the other on Sunday, but I’d done them both on the same day in the past. With this in mind, I said we could do it. Cass had cheered, which was rare for him. I was happy I’d agreed.

I tried to say we’d drive ourselves there, but Tiernan was having none of that. He was insistent that he had to pick us up. He reasoned that it would be easier, and we wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of waiting to get onto their property. That made me wonder what he meant. Ultimately, I accepted, which I regretted as I waited for him to arrive.

Our tiny apartment wasn’t in the best shape. I was lucky to get it where I did, in a neighborhood not wholly riddled with crime. There weren’t drug deals happening on the corner or people being murdered every night, but it had seen better days. We were lucky there was a small park nearby where I could walk and take Cass to play.

I’d packed a bag with our swimsuits, towels, sunblock, and a few snacks Cass preferred. I’d taken him to swimming classes at the Y as a baby and as he got older. He had taken to the water and was a great swimmer for his age. A glance at the clock told me Tiernan would be here any moment. Rather than wait for him in our apartment, I decided to take Cass and wait outside. We’d wait for him near the parking lot.

When we got to the ground floor, I spotted one of my neighbors who lived on the first floor below us. Mrs. Lafferty was a sixty-something-year-old who lived alone. She was sweet and had watched Cassius a few times when I was in a bind. She had no family in St. Augustine. Her son lived in Arizona and came once a year to see her. I tried to look out for her. She was carrying grocery bags on each arm as she walked slowly along the sidewalk. They appeared full and heavy.

“Cass, hold our bag. I need to help Mrs. L. Stay here where I can see you.”

“Okay,” he said.

Rushing over to her, I reached out and took the first bag out of her hand. “Mrs. L., you should’ve told me you were going shopping. I would’ve carried these from the car. They’re too heavy for you to carry all that way.”

“Kynedi, you’re such a sweetheart. I didn’t want to bother you. There’s just the two of them.”

“It’s no bother. I’ll take this one, and you can keep the other one.” She didn’t argue. I knew she wouldn’t allow me to carry both. She did have pride and liked to be independent. It wasn’t far to her door. She allowed me to take the other one from her so she could get out her key and unlock the door. I made sure to keep an eye on Cass. When she opened it, I darted inside to put them on her kitchen table. Not wanting to be rude and rush away, I moved to where I could see out the door and still talk to her.

“Thank you. I see you and Cassius are leaving. Are you doing anything exciting today? Please tell me it’s not just to clean one of your offices,” she said. She told me all the time I worked too hard.

“As a matter of fact, we’ve been invited to go swimming and to see horses. Cass can hardly wait.”

“About time you two had fun. Where can you do both?”

“A friend invited us. There’s a little girl Cass’s age he can play with.” I didn’t feel right telling her we were hanging out with the rich and famous O’Sheeran family. It would make her think things that weren’t true. I knew that we were invited to appease Tiernan’s niece. We weren’t friends. If it weren’t for Cassius attending Maggie’s Moppets, we wouldn’t have been in a situation to be asked in the first place.

“Oh, really, is it anyone I know?”

I’d turned my back to the door to face her. Before I could answer her, a deep, masculine voice I’d know anywhere spoke from behind me, startling me. I whipped around to find Tiernan standing in the doorway. Cassius was next to him.

“They’re coming to my family’s estate. Cass told me you were helping your neighbor. I thought I’d stop and see if there was anything you needed me to do.” He gave us a smile, which, in truth, made me want to melt. I heard Mrs. Lafferty gasp. Glancing over my shoulder, she stood there gaping at him in shock. There was no doubt she recognized who he was.

“How rude of me. Hello, I’m Tiernan O’Sheeran. I’m a friend of Kynedi and Cassius. Is there anything I can do for you? He said you were carrying groceries. Are there more in the car that I can fetch for you?” he offered.

Her mouth closed and opened a couple of times before anything came out. “I-uhm, no, there were only two bags. I’m Violet, Violet Lafferty. Kynedi and Cassius are always looking out for me. They’re the sweetest things. Kynedi, you didn’t tell me you know the O’Sheeran family.”

“We’re not exactly—” Tiernan cut off my reply denying that we weren’t friends.

“We’re new friends. Kynedi and Cassius are coming to swim and ride horses with my family. Are you sure there’s nothing you need assistance with before we go? Khloe is anxious for her new friend to get there, but if you need help, she can wait. She told me to hurry. It was all I could do to escape without her.” He chuckled.

“I’m fine, my dears. You go have fun. Kynedi, I’ll see you later.” That meant she’d be grilling me about how I knew him. She was a wonderful woman, but she did like to know everyone’s business. The good thing was she didn’t tend to gossip about it. I could only imagine what it would be like around the complex if she did.

“We will. Make sure to lock the door behind us. The next time you need something from the store, call me. I can pick it up or get it when I do our shopping.”

“Okay, I will. Now shoo. Cassius, have fun.”

He nodded. Tiernan’s hand came up to press on my lower back. I fought back a shiver. Awareness shot through me. God, I had to stop reacting. Even the most casual touch did it to me. The guy was being polite, and I responded like some slut in heat. This was a bad idea. My dreams were filled with enough thoughts of the man. Spending more time with him was dangerous. He guided us out the door and pulled it shut.

If I could’ve thought of a reason not to go, I would’ve, but my mind drew a blank. As we reached the parking lot, I saw Milo standing outside a Range Rover. He and the vehicle stood out. No one around here drove a car that nice. Even though Milo and Tiernan were dressed casually, they both screamed wealth to me. I bet it would to others. Then, there was the risk of someone recognizing Tiernan.

The back door was opened on one side. “Cass, why don’t you go over and get in where Milo is? I’ll help your mama in,” Tiernan said. My son did as directed. Tiernan guided me with that hand on my back to the opposite door. He opened it, then took my hand as if to help me inside.

“Tiernan, I can do this myself. There’s no need to hold on to me,” I protested.

“It’s a habit. I was raised to be a gentleman. Holding a lady’s hand as they get in and out of a vehicle, opening doors, pulling out chairs, all that is part of it. If I didn’t, both my parents would box my ears. Surely you don’t want to be responsible for me having my ears boxed? It would be humiliating at my age.” He gave me a pathetic look. It was so childlike that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake, stop. Your face, it’s too much. Do you pull that look often? Is it one I should get used to ignoring?” I teased.

“She’s doubting me, Cassius. Your mama is going to make me cry,” he teased back.

I was surprised when Cass answered him by mildly scolding me. “Mama, don’t make Tiernan cry. That’s not nice.” I swear I heard Milo chuckle. He was in the passenger front seat since Cass was buckled in. I guess it meant Tiernan was driving.

“I’ll be good, but Tiernan needs to get in the car so we can get to the swimming and horses. Khloe isn’t going to be happy with him,” I reminded Tiernan, even as I reassured my son. Cass’s frown eased. Tiernan smiled.

“Good. You’re right. We need to go. Buckle up.”

He shut the door while I was latching my belt. He was around and in the driver’s seat in no time. He started up the car, and we were off. As he drove, Milo turned in his seat so he could see me. I was seated behind him.

“Something else you need to know about Tiernan. He’s a pain to his guards, too. He insists on driving rather than letting us most of the time. He goes out without us. I think you should work on him to listen to us.” He was smirking, but there was an undertone to his words that said he was also serious. He worried about his charge.

“Milo, no telling tales on me. Yes, I like to drive. It leaves you free to watch for threats, which, to reassure Kynedi, rarely happen. You’re safe with me. As for doing things alone, I’m more than capable of looking out for myself. He likes to forget that and the fact that I helped him learn most of his bodyguard skills.”

“True, but it makes me seem superfluous.”

“What’s superfluous mean?” Cassius asked. He always liked to learn the meaning of unfamiliar words. His vocabulary was already above that of other seven-year-olds.

“It means that I’m not needed, that I’m more than what is needed. I’m extra,” Milo explained.

“I think you should let Milo not be extra. He’s nice,” Cass told Tiernan. I fought not to giggle at this big, bad man being schooled by a kid. I waited to see how Tiernan would handle it.

He seemed to be contemplating what was said. When he answered, I wanted to kiss him. He wasn’t angry or condescending like most adults were. He didn’t talk to him as if he was a kid and stupid.

“You’re right. I should let Milo do his job. It’s hard to do, but I’ll try harder. Sometimes I might still do it. He’s very nice, and I do appreciate him.”

“Mommy says as long as you try your best, it’s alright,” Cass reassured him. Milo winked at me. I smiled back.

“Alright, I’ll try harder. Before we get there, I want to know if you did anything fun last night when you got home from the stables?”

This got Cassius talking about the book I helped him read from the ones Tiernan gave him. They talked back and forth about this and that about horses. I kinda got lost, to be truthful.

“Hey, don’t feel bad. Most of us get lost when Tiernan gets going on horses. He’s the master. Even his dad can’t touch him, and Cormac is a horse lover, too,” Milo said.

“Do you ride?”

“I have. Not nearly as well as this one. Do you?”

“No, I’ve never been on a horse. While I think they’re beautiful, they scare me a little. I’ve never been anywhere I can ride one, and if I were, I don’t know if I could muster up the courage to do it,” I confessed.

My confession halted the talk between my son and Tiernan. Intense blue eyes stared at me from the rearview mirror.

“Kynedi, I’ll teach you to ride, and I promise you’ll be safe. I won’t let anything harm you or Cassius. As long as you take precautions, there should be no issues. You’ve heard what I told Cassius about approaching a horse and where not to stand or what not to do. Follow those, and you’ll be good. Now, if we were dealing with Broncos from the rodeo, that would be different. They’re trained to act up.”

“Have you ever been in a rodeo?” Cass asked excitedly. He’d seen one recently on television and was captivated by it.

“I have. I didn’t compete, but I’ve ridden those bucking horses before. It’s rough.”

“Why in the world did you do it?” I asked.

“Because I wanted to see what it was like. I’ve raced horses, too, just not professionally. I’m too big and heavy to be a jockey. I’ll take you to see the racehorses at our O’Sheeran Stables in Ocala one day. Those are the ones who race. Blazer, Sampson, and the others came from there. Have you ever been to a rodeo?”

“No, we haven’t,” I told him.

“Then we’ll add it to our list of things to do. I know of a few places here in Florida that have them.”

His offers to do those things were appreciated, but I didn’t want him to think we expected him to take us places or spend extra time with us. This trip to his family’s place was a one-off. It wouldn’t have happened if Khloe hadn’t repeatedly asked for Cass to come to play. I needed to make it clear to him that we weren’t with him to take advantage. He was doing more than enough for us with Maggie’s Moppets.

“Tiernan, we can’t thank you enough for what you’re doing with Maggie’s. It’s something Cassius will never forget. However, we don’t expect you to give us more of your precious time. Today, while undoubtedly wonderful, isn’t something we expect to be repeated. As for going to see your racehorses or a rodeo, we thank you, but it’s not necessary.”

His brow wrinkled. He didn’t say anything for a couple of tense minutes. Milo was glancing back and forth between us, waiting to hear what we’d say next. Finally, Tiernan spoke.

“We’ll talk about this later. It needs to be a private conversation. As for today, all I want is for you both to relax, have fun, and let whatever happens happen.”

“What do you mean, let whatever happens happen?” I asked.

The car slowed down. I hadn’t been paying attention. Looking out the window, I saw we were approaching large, imposing gates. A tall stone wall on either side of them stretched off into the distance in both directions. We were no longer in the town. I gulped as the gates began to swing open. Movement across the road made me look over. I saw people standing there. They were waving and yelling things. Most had cameras. My apprehension grew as we entered.

Off to one side was a small building. A couple of men stood outside of it. They reminded me of Milo. If I had doubts that they were guards, the guns strapped to their sides dispelled them. Oh my God, what had I gotten us into?

“Kynedi, may I call you Kynedi?” Milo asked.

“Y-yes, you can.”

“I can see by your face that you’re scared. Don’t be. They’re here for protection, but the chances of needing it are next to zero. The family attracts attention. Those people outside are paparazzi hoping to get a glimpse of one of them or to catch them doing something they can report in their sleazy magazines or on their TV shows. We spend most of our time running them off or keeping them away from the family,” Milo explained.

All I could do was nod to show I heard and understood him. I couldn’t talk because I’d caught sight of the houses. There were three huge ones in front of us. They were a decent distance apart. Tiernan passed them only to reveal more houses, what appeared to be a sizable garage and then an immense monster of a house. It had to be the one all the parents lived in—the home where all three brothers had raised their families. I saw how they were able to do it. The place was a mansion. It was at the communal house, as I thought of it, that he stopped and shut off the car.

He didn’t waste time getting out. I thought it odd that he came around the car to open my door, and Milo went to his side to open Cass’s. I unhooked my belt. His ever-present hand was there. I took it and allowed him to assist me out on my feet. I was proven wrong if I thought he’d drop my hand after I was out. He held on to it. He was staring into my eyes.

“Kynedi, I know this is a lot to absorb. I get it. Please, don’t assume that just because we have guards and this compound, it makes us any different from you. Yes, we have money, but we’re no different from you and Cassius or millions of other families. Your safety is guaranteed. As Milo said, they spend most of their time chauffeuring us, running off paparazzi, and pretending they’re tough.”

Milo snorted, which made Tiernan grin. I fought to relax. “Okay, I’ll try. It’s just all overwhelming. It’s every day for you, but this isn’t what I pictured. You have a small town, or maybe a village is the better term. It’s lovely from what I can see, but wow.”

“It’s a great place to live and to raise children. They can freely go outside, and you know they’re safe. Come, the family is waiting inside for us. Later, we’ll see the horses, and I’ll give you a complete tour. There’s a lot to see. I hope you brought appetites or will work up one for later. We’re having a barbeque.”

“We are?” I asked stupidly.

I let him lead me to the large doors to the commune. I wondered what he’d say if I told him that was my nickname for his family home. From what I knew of him so far, he’d probably laugh. I’d never seen him in anything but a good mood. Cassius was walking beside us, taking in the sights. Milo, it seemed, had grabbed our bag from the Range Rover.

“Here, Milo, I can carry that,” I said as I reached out to get it from him. He moved it away.

“No way. Stop trying to take my work away. Besides, I was raised to be a gentleman, too. If Cyndi, Cormac, or the other parents saw me letting you do it, they’d more than box my ears. And if Seerie did…” he shuddered when he mentioned Tiernan’s grandmother. Seerie, I found at dinner, was her nickname, and she insisted I use it.

“You can carry it since I don’t want you to get boxed ears. Thank you.”

He smiled. They didn’t knock or anything when we reached the doors. Instead, we walked right in.

“Milo, put that in my old room. They can use it,” Tiernan told him.

“Roger that. I’ll see you later. Hey, Cassius, have fun.” He put his fist out to my son. I was surprised when Cass formed a fist and touched his to Milo’s. When and where did he learn that? I didn’t have time to wonder or ask because chattering voices were growing louder.

“Prepare yourself,” Tiernan said a moment before bodies came flooding into the foyer, which I noted transitioned into a big living room. Khloe came running over to Cassius.

“You’re here! I have so much fun stuff for us to do,” she chattered excitedly.

I was enveloped in a sea of hugs and hellos. I was shocked they were acting as if I was a lifelong friend. I returned them and murmured greetings. It was chaotic, for I don’t know how long before Tiernan got their attention by whistling sharply. As they quieted, he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled.

“You’ve said hello and terrified them enough. Don’t make them run. Why don’t we get a drink and sit? We can chat for a little bit, then go outside. If it’s alright with you, Khloe can show Cass the playroom. It’s full of stuff they can play with,” he directed to me.

I hesitated. Cassius could be strange about new places and being left alone, and I didn’t want him to be too far away. What if it was too much, and it triggered him? He’d been good lately, and there had been no outbursts, but it could occur at any time.

“Honey, if it makes you feel better, it’s on this floor, and we have a monitor we can use to keep an eye on them. We use it for Khloe and the babies,” Ashlynn informed me. My hesitancy eased, but I thought I should warn them. Cassius was listening to something Khloe was telling him. He wasn’t paying attention to me.

“I would feel better with the monitor. I hesitate not because of any of you. He can react poorly to new situations. Changes in routine trigger him sometimes. I don’t want this to be one of those times. Could we maybe let them play wherever we go and then see about letting them go to the playroom later?”

“Of course. Khloe, get some of your toys and bring them to the family room,” Karizma told her.

“Okay, Mommy,” she said before happily skipping out of the room, but not before she told Cassius she’d be right back.

This prompted the crowd to walk to the large family room. It contained a ton of seating, but even with all it had, people still had to sit on the floor or stand. I was asked if I wanted a drink. I passed. As Tiernan had me sit on one of the couches, I noted that the men seemed to make sure the women ended up on furniture, and they either stood or sat on large pillows on the floor. No one seemed upset, and smiles were everywhere. Cassius was standing next to my legs. I was about to lift him to sit on my lap. He was scanning the room warily.

“Hey, Cassius, do you want to sit with me and your mama, or do you want to play with Khloe? She’s coming right back with toys,” Tiernan told him.

Cass glanced at me as if asking permission. “You can do whatever you want. Just play nice,” I said.

He looked back to Tiernan. I was impressed at how well he maintained eye contact with him and even the others at dinner that night. “Play.”

“Good. Look out, here she comes.” Tiernan chuckled as Khloe reentered the room. She had a plastic crate filled with toys, and she could barely walk due to the weight. Aidan got up and relieved her of her burden. He took it to a clear spot close to a corner.

“Come here, Cass,” Khloe called out.

Without another look, he went to her and sat on the floor. Once they began to play, I let myself interact with Tiernan and his family. It was like the night at Bella Capri. They included me and made me feel accepted. If they spoke about someone or something I had no clue about, they explained who or what they were referencing.

We’d talked for about five minutes when a man and woman I didn’t know walked in. The man had his arm around the woman. He was an imposing guy, and she was beyond gorgeous. As they reached the main group, Tiernan made introductions.

“Kynedi, I apologize for these two being late. You have to forgive them. They just got back from their honeymoon last week. They’re still in their sickening stage. You’d think they’d be over it since they’ve known each other all their lives. This is my sister, Aisling, and this hooligan is her husband, Alistair. You two, this is Kynedi and her son, Cassius, who is being held hostage by Khloe.” He pointed to the kids.

His sister smiled and held out her hand to me. I took it as she said, “It’s really nice to meet you. Tiernan has talked about you and your son a lot since we got back. He’s so proud of Maggie’s Moppets and says your son is a natural-born horseman. Sorry that we were late. It’s all this one’s fault.” She pointed to her husband.

He shook my hand next before he said a word. When he did, I almost died. He had this Scottish accent that made me think of Sean Connery. “It’s a pleasure, Kynedi. And yes, it’s my fault we’re late. This one was sleeping, and I didn’t want to shorten her nap.”

“Stair, it wouldn’t have hurt,” she protested.

“Yes, it would. You and the baby need rest.”

His hand went to her belly, and he gently rubbed it. The love he had for her and their unborn child radiated off him. For a few seconds, I was filled with jealousy. I never had that. I pushed that hateful thought away. Instead, I congratulated them.

“Congratulations. When are you due? I couldn’t tell you’re pregnant.”

“I’m barely a month along. I’m due in early April of next year. Thank you. We’re excited,” his sister said.

“I remember when I was pregnant with Cassius. I was exhausted all the time during the first trimester. It got better in the second one, and then I was full of energy in the third. You need to get all the rest you can because when that baby comes, you’ll need it,” I warned her.

“That’s what Mam, the aintíni , mamó , Karizma, Miranda, and Ashlynn tell me. They keep scaring me. I’ve seen what Miranda is going through, and it won’t be long until Riza is at it again. At least she has practice.”

“It’s exhausting but worth it,” Karizma, or Riza as they called her, assured Aisling.

“It is. I forgot to ask last time we met, Karizma. How much longer do you have?” I asked. She was heavily pregnant but still looked amazing. I was a hot mess when I was.

“I have about three weeks. I’m so ready for him to be here,” Karizma confessed.

“That last month is the hardest, I think. You count the days, and while you want him or her to have all the time they need to mature, you also want them to vacate the premises. You’re evicted,” I said with a smirk.

This got laughs from the women. Other than Alexis, who was quietly observing our conversation, they all had experience and knew what I was talking about. I met Alexis at dinner, and I liked the quiet girl. I smiled over at her. “One of these days, you’ll know what we’re talking about unless we scare you too badly. We’ll try not to.”

“You can’t scare me more than I was when I went into the delivery room with Ashlynn. She almost punched a doctor and screamed the hospital down when she had Ronan. There were curse words shouted that I never knew.” She grinned at her sister.

“Hey, I wasn’t myself. Anything said or done while in labor, or hell, while pregnant, cannot be held against you. It’s the rules. You wait. When you have your first, I’ll tell you I told you so,” Ashlynn announced with a grin.

This began a good-natured squabble between them, with the rest of us weighing in. It was fun, and I lost count of how often I laughed. They were outrageous yet lovely at the same time. They were real, and there was no pretense in them. I knew their reputation as the elite, but I wondered how many people saw this side of them. After about a half hour, I allowed Cassius to go to the playroom with Khloe.

Tiernan was sweet and took me to see it first. I was in awe. It was a kid’s dream playroom. I think every possible toy and game was in there. They were all age-appropriate, and there was a small selection of baby toys.

“You should see outside. There’s even more. Our parents have waited forever, according to them, to have grandchildren. Each set has at least one, but they like to bemoan the fact that Daid and Mam have two with a third on the way. They’re pushing the rest of theirs to hurry up and find their anamchara so they can catch up,” Tiernan said on our way back to the family room.

“ Anamchara ? What is that?”

He stopped in the hallway. “It means soulmate. In our family, we won’t settle for anything less than our soulmate. Mamó married hers. All of our parents are married to theirs. Darragh, Cian, Aidan, and Aisling all have found theirs. We either make a love match, or we don’t marry. For us guys, we’ve been waiting longer than the girls. Darragh was forty when he found Ashlynn. He thought he’d be alone for the rest of his life. Cian was only a year younger than that.”

“Wait. Are you serious? You believe in soulmates?”

“Damn right, we do,” he said emphatically.

“What if you never find them? The world is a massive place. You could miss them if they even truly exist.”

“You don’t believe in them?”

I had to think about it before I answered him. “I want to believe in them. I see how happy and in love your sister and the others are, but it might just be a fluke that they made such good matches. Most people aren’t that fortunate, Tiernan. At best, if they’re lucky, they marry someone who’s kind, and who they can be friends with. At worst, they end up with a total monster. Those ones might start out acting sweet and kind, but they don’t stay that way. Their lives will be utter hell unless they get away.”

I knew I’d said too much by the look on his face. I tried to distract him. “Come on, enough talk about this. We need to rejoin the others. Your mom was about to show me the house.”

“That can wait. I want to know why you said what you did about monsters. You sounded as if you spoke from experience. Is that what happened with Cassius’s dad? Was he a monster? Where is he, Kynedi?”

I didn’t want to talk about this. I tried to go around him to go to the family room, but he caught my arm and prevented me.

“Tiernan, let go.”

“I’m not hurting you. I just need to know. Tell me.”

“Why do you need to know? It has nothing to do with the Moppets or anything. Leave it.”

“I can’t. It tells me a lot about Cassius and you. Those are things I need to know.”

“I don’t see why you do. He’s not in the picture. God willing, he never will be.”

“If he’s a monster, I need to know so I can protect you two from him. Is he likely to come after you?”

I was getting too close to blurting out the whole ugly truth. I wondered what he’d say or do if he knew. I bit my lip to keep it inside. I gasped when his other hand grasped my other arm, and he gave me the gentlest shake.

“Kynedi, tell me! Do I need to have bodyguards watching you? Will he come strolling into your lives causing trouble?”

“Even if he was a threat, it’s not your job to protect us,” I argued.

“Like hell, it’s not. Don’t make me have our computer guy find out. I want to know everything there is to know about you, but I want it to come from you. I’m sorry if I’m pushing, but your safety and your son’s are too important.”

“His father is a monster, and I got away from him after I found that out. Is he a threat? No, he’s not. He can’t get us. Now, drop it. I don’t want you having me investigated like a criminal.” I jerked free of his grasp and walked off.

He could follow or not. I shouldn’t have come. I had to figure out how to get out of here early. Having interactions with Tiernan outside of Cassius’s lessons was a mistake. One I would have to avoid in the future. The thought of not enjoying time with Tiernan made me want to shed a few tears, but I held them back. There was no use crying over things you had no control over. Life was life.