Page 68 of Wild King

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Salem

I listento a thunderstorm coming close but feel safe here in this house. Pulling the covers up to my neck, I close my eyes as it slowly gets closer and closer.

Ever since I was a small child, I watched storms with awe. Then I learned about the science behind them when I was older, and I loved them even more. I’d sit in my room and watch out the window as the lightning flashed across the sky, amazed at how beautiful something so dangerous could be. I’d count the seconds between the lightning and thunder and then divide by five to figure out how far the storm was away from my house, excited to know exactly when it would arrive.

Old habits die hard, and as I lie here in my bedroom in this house, I look toward the window and see a streak of lightning illuminate the night sky. I silently count the seconds until a clap of thunder echoes all around me to find out how far the storm is from here. Ten seconds. That means it’s two miles away.

There’s nothing like a thunderstorm after a hot day. I smile at how much knowing that makes me happy. It’s a small detail, practically meaningless in the big scheme of things, but I like it.

Glancing over at my phone on the nightstand, I lift it up and check the time. Two-thirty-two. I wish I could blame my lack of sleep on the tumultuous weather outside, but my insomnia has more to do with Kellen than anything else.

I don’t know what to think about the possibility of there ever being an us with him. I want it to happen. I know that now. But the man does things that make me so angry!

As I think about him earlier tonight, I hate that he’s so discouraged. Even my good news about that report being relatively positive about him didn’t make him as happy as I thought it would.

Then again, that might be more about my issues than his. This job has been harder than any other because we were together beforehand. I’ve tried to remain professional at all times, but whenever the memory of me standing in the middle of that villa’s living room looking around and wondering where he could be hits, it becomes next to impossible not to lash out. Since we arrived at this house, I’ve succeeded in keeping my feelings to myself, but it became so much harder after Ivan told me all he’d found out about Gina Randolph.

Worst of all, I found myself jealous of her. That’s utterly stupid. I know it. Still, hearing about them together brought out the ugly green monster in me, and I couldn’t stop it from rearing its ugly head.

Another flash of lightning followed by another booming clap of thunder a second later tells me the storm’s finally arrived. I throw off the covers and walk over to the bedroom window to watch it arrive. Wind tears through the trees full of green leaves, bending the branches to their limit and snapping a few. Raincomes down in sheets, pelting against the window as I look out. It’s a violent yet beautiful sight to behold, and I can’t turn away.

A knock on my door surprises me, and I call out to whoever it is to come in because I don’t want to take my eyes off what’s happening outside. I hear the door open but don’t bother to look at who walks into the room.

“Checking out the light show?” Kellen asks as he walks over to join me.

“It’s stunning in its ferocity,” I say as I admire a flash of lightning as it streaks across the jet black sky.

We stare out at the storm in silence for a minute before he says, “I have to go over to Matthias and Ava’s. Eleanor called me. Something’s wrong with Ava.”

I turn away from the show outside my window and see he’s serious. “What do you mean? She’s a pregnant woman. Something wrong can be bad.”

“I know,” he answers, worry etched into his features.

Then something inside me says he’s not telling the truth. “Why would Eleanor call you? Why not the baby’s father? He seems like the obvious choice, not you.”

A bolt of lightning illuminates Kellen’s face, and I see he’s hurt by my questioning. “You think I’m lying to get out of the house in this weather? Really? Are you ever going to believe that I’m a decent human being who isn’t always trying to get one over on people?”

The intensity of his voice makes me shrink back in embarrassment. He’s right. I have no reason to believe he’s lying now.

“Okay. I want to come with you, though.”

Kellen screws his expression into a scowl. “Because you don’t believe me.”

“No. Because a pregnant woman might need my help. I know something of how to take care of a woman if she’s in labor. Ava is due in a couple weeks, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. It’s probably just nothing, but Eleanor seemed spooked. It might be the storm. She’s never been very good with the storms we get out here. Either way, I still want to go over there to see if Ava’s okay.”

As he walks toward the door, I ask, “Where is Matthias? Why isn’t he there for her?”

I can’t imagine him not moving heaven and earth to take care of his pregnant girlfriend. Matthias King simply doesn’t strike me as a man who wouldn’t do all he could for anyone he loves.

“He had to fly to London this morning, Eleanor said. He’s scheduled to be back tomorrow night.”

I hurry over to the dresser and start pulling out clothes for me to wear. “Okay. Give me five minutes.”

“I’ll meet you out at the car. Should I wake up the giant?” Kellen asks.