Queen of Men (King Maker 2)

“We don’t need your protection like we did when we were little,” I teased him. Honestly, I wanted time to talk with my sister before we were near her husband.

“What kind of man would I be if I let two beautiful women walk home after dark alone?”

His chivalry was sweet, but I needed answers. I wrapped my arm around my sister and pulled ahead of Turner.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were getting married?” I asked.

Her cheeks brightened. “It was kind of sudden.”

I couldn’t help but look down at her belly.

“No, silly. Steven needed a place to stay.”

I stopped as warning bells rang in my head.

“How well do you know this guy?”

She gave me a patronizing smile. “Well enough. Trust me. I love him.”

Still, I held my ground, prepared to demand answers.

She gazed up at Turner and then back to me. “We met at market. Several times.”

I arched an eyebrow. There wasn’t a lot of time to talk while working. Many pairs of eyes would be watching her at all times.

“We found a way,” she said, answering questions I hadn’t given voice to. “You should have seen him. He’d walk in and girls would surround him like he was some kind of music god.”

“Rockstar,” I corrected.

She nodded with her eyes glazed in that dreamy remembrance way.

“Yeah, like that. But he would seem to find me in the crowd.”

Vi was beautiful but lacked confidence more than even me.

“Of course, he did.”

“He courted me, like he knew our way. Notes and little gifts.”

Gifts? I thought he needed a place to stay? But I didn’t ask. Not yet at least.

“And when I found out he didn’t have a place to live…” She shrugged.

“You married a guy so he could have somewhere to live,” I repeated and realized too late how judgmental I sounded.

Her grin gone, she spoke with a flat tone. “It hasn’t exactly been easy after you left.”

I found the ground in search of a hole I could jump into. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “I don’t blame you. It was nice that someone was interested in me. It wasn’t like I had a ton of offers.”

My father had been in talks with the Simon family for Violet to marry their eldest son before I left.

There was really only one other question that mattered. “Are you happy?”

Her frown immediately turned upside down, which was the answer. “Yes,” she said. “I am.”

I hugged her and took her hand. “Then let’s go see your house.”

The walk was long as my sister lived on the opposite edge of the community than our parents. The place was the same boxy construction as all the houses were. It was smaller than our parents’, but clean.

“Can I offer you a beer?” Vi asked.

My eyes widened in shock, but Turner didn’t seem surprised.

“You have beer?”

She shrugged. “Steven gets it.”

“I’ll have one,” Turner said.

Vi went to the makeshift kitchen, lifting a hatch in the floor where her icebox would be. She pulled out a couple of beers and passed them out.

“Does anyone know about this?” I asked before removing the top.

“I know,” Turner said and winked at me.

“Not everyone here is a Puritan, Bails,” Vi said.

Soon enough Steven was back, and we talked a little. I learned that he was from Utah and grew up in a very conservative religious family until his mother moved to Pennsylvania when he was a teen.

I wanted to like him, but still I had questions.

My sister, a complete lightweight given that she wasn’t a drinker, had become quite the chatterbox after only one beer. That is, until she turned her attention to her husband.

I took the cue to go outside, still nursing my beer. Being so far out, I didn’t fear getting caught.

“I don’t live far,” Turner said, coming up behind me.

“Yeah.” I glanced around. “I remember when this was just land.”

“Not anymore.”

Wistfully, I stared into the distance, ignoring the cold, but just soaking in the unencumbered land as the beer spread warmth throughout my body.

It took me a second to notice just how close Turner was. His eyes were on my mouth and I subconsciously licked my lips, feeling his heat.

“You know, you could always say you’re staying with Violet, but stay with me instead.”

And before I could answer, Turner tugged me closer.

Twelve

Kalen

When my phone rang, I removed the hand wrapped around my bicep.

“Excuse me. I need to take this,” I said to the woman whose red mouth pursed with annoyance at my escape.

I didn’t wait for an answer. I headed for the patio doors despite the cold.

“What do you have?” I said by way of greeting.

Griffin’s brusque answer was all about business.

“Someone entered her apartment.” Just as I was about to ask if it was Lizzy, he said, “And not that hot blonde. Person was in all black with a hood pulled up.”