Shield Her. Protect Her. But From What?

I stared at her longer than I should, feeling my heart kick against my chest, which was very abnormal for me.

Had she always been this beautiful? She looked like she was glowing, and her red hair seemed more vibrant than usual. I had never seen her with her hair down so this was a new sight for me.

Her hair was long, almost reaching her stomach. It framed her face, and I wanted to push it back so I could see her face more clearly.

My hand raised as if it had a mind of its own, moving slowly. She watched me, not making any attempt to move, so I got bold and brushed her cheekbone, my heart once again kicking hard against its cage when I noticed she leaned into the touch.

She barely moved, but I noticed just the slightest tilt of her head and that got my heart wild. That little reaction made me brave. I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, lingering for way too long.

She looked fragile with her hair down. More softer. Less fierce. And I wanted to shield her. Protect her. From what? I had no idea, only that I had that urge. But then it hit me; us. All three of us. We were the ones she needed protecting from. The ones she needs a shield from.

And that snapped me back into reality.

Just what was that? What was I thinking? Feeling?

“I wanted to see if you were okay,” I said, clearing my throat when my voice came out too thick.

She nodded, once again looking away from me when her eyes had been burning into me earlier. “Uhm… about last night–”

“You should rest today,” I said too quickly. “Don't go to the greenhouse. You'll be home alone again, so give a call if you need anything.”

“Actually I wanted to go to the library.”

“What time? I would send a driver to pick you up.”

“Noon.”

I nodded, already turning and leaving. “Have a nice day, Rosette.”

I walked toward the ceiling, not looking at Kade even though I felt his eyes on me. I knew what he was thinking, I knew what he was going to say.

I didn't want to think of it. Didn't even know what I would answer.

When I got to my car, I sat still for five minutes, my hands on the steering wheel, my head bowed. This couldn't go on. It needed to end for her own safety.

I started my car, but instead of driving to the company, I drove somewhere else.

***

“Mr. Kross,” Gabriel greeted as I stepped into the mansion, taking my coat from me. “Your father is in his study.”

I nodded as a greeting to him. “Thank you, Gabriel.”

I walked to his study and knocked softly.

“Enter,” his voice answered from inside, as cool and bland as ever.

I entered the study to see behind his desk, a glass resting on his nose, paperwork piled around him.

Father mostly worked from home. There was no need to come to the company since I had everything covered as the president of the company. He could just sit back and do nothing. He could just retire and let me take over everything but as long as Silas Varkas could move without the help of a cane, or his bones straining as he moved, he would continue to work.

“Kross,” he said as I stepped inside, surprised but barely showing it. “You were the last person I thought I would see today. What brings you here?”

“I need her gone,” I said, hitting the nail on the head.

He raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“Rosette.”

“Oh?”

Now he was really surprised, evident from how his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. He removed his glasses, setting them down and offering me a seat. “Why? Has she done anything wrong?”

I clenched my fists as I sat down. “You know why. After what happened with Kade, you should fucking know why.”

“I can't remember the last time I heard you curse,” he said, clearly amused.

“That is not the–” I stopped when my voice was getting loud, taking a deep breath, and waiting till I was calm before I continued. “That’s not the point, Father. The point is she isn't safe in that house.”

“And what makes the house so dangerous for her?”

And this was Silas just trying to antagonize me, lying a bait and waiting with delight for me to fall into it. Not today.

“Us,” I answered, my voice cold, my expression colder and blank. That was what Silas hated; not being able to read me. Not able to see my emotions so plainly on my face. It irked him badly. And I was right. A muscle on his jaw ticked and he was finally taking this seriously. “We’re the dangerous things in that house, and you know it.”

He leaned back in his seat, folding his arms as he watched me with those eyes that seemed like they saw everything. “So? What’s so wrong about that? We’re predators, Kross. We’re everything dangerous. You should be grateful for the gift I've given the three of you. Enjoy it while you still can.”

“Even at the cost of her life?”

He nodded like this wasn't a human’s life we were talking about. “I don't see why not. She’s just one person and could be easily replaced.”

Sometimes I'm utterly disgusted by my father. By the words that come out of his mouth and how he sees humans as cattle. We were superior to them, yes, but that doesn't mean we have to treat them like they were nothing.

Mother had been human. And he had used and thrown her into a golden closet when he was tired.

“Are humans so worthless to you?” I asked, not bothering to hide my disgust and disappointment.

His expression didn't change. “They are. They’re just things to be used and disposed of.”

I could no longer stand the rubbish he was speaking, so I stood up and headed for the door, but his voice stopped me. “Why can't you kick her out of the house yourself? You can't, can you?”

I paused, my back to him, my hand hovering over the doorknob.

“I thought I raised you better than this.”

I decided I'd heard enough, and threw the door open. But then someone gasped in pain at the back of the door. I rushed there, alarmed, to see Rosette’s mother, holding her broken nose.

The door had hit her nose.