Page 72 of Anywhere

Rhys walked towards me, but I wouldn’t get out of the way. “Can you just stop moving for a moment and talk to me? I feel like I’m just an afterthought here.”

“Ya mean kinda how Elewyen musta felt bein’ left in a loo?”

“Okay, that may not have been my finest hour, but she was being really violent. The woman stares at me like she wants to rip my cock off. No idea how you plan on getting her to agree to be our third, and, whoa, what do you mean we’re moving?”

“Aye, I’ma sure she be wantin’ ta do jus that, and I be positive dat yer charmin’ nature had notin’ ta do wit her bein aggressive,” Rhys teased, the corner of his mouth curling up.

I poked Rhys in the chest. He looked at my finger, then at me, and smirked.

“I’m getting really sick of you talking down to me.”

“First, I no be talkin’ down ta ya. I kinda be talkin’ around ya.” My brow furrowed as I glared at him. “Okie, look, Rook. I’m sayin’ dis ‘cause I want us ta work, I really do, and because I genuinely like ya. But if ya wanna be treated like yer sittin’ at da big boy table, then ya need act like it.”

My jaw clenched, and my hand balled into a fist with the insult.

“Lockin’ our third in a loo while ya do whateva fir hours is no’ productive nor helpful. In fact, it be da complete opposite.”

“Why her?”

“Wa are ya talkin’ about now?”

“Why did you take Mari and not me out there?”

Rhys sighed and shook his head. “Ya be wantin’ da truth?”

“Yes, I think I deserve to know why you so easily shoved me to the side when we are supposed to be… whatever we’re supposed to be.”

“First ting, Elewyen needs ta connect, right? Dat has ta be da priority movin’ forward. She no goin’ ta be like us. Da third is more complicated ta bring in ta da connection. She’ll feel da pull, but until she be emotionally invested, and the union ritual is complete, the connection with her will remain unstable.”

“Well, yes, I get that, but….”

“But what? Yer da number one, are ya no’? Yer da one dat is supposed ta be pullin’ us all togetha. Despite ya spoutin’ off, sayin’ yer wantin’ me ta deal wit’ her, it is no’ me dat she needs ta feel connected to. Dat is part of da responsibility of da number one.”

I rubbed the back of my neck.

“The second reason is ya still dinnie know how ta fight. Knowin’ dat I may run in ta trouble, why would I be takin’ ya over Mari when Mari is a trained fighter and assassin?”

He stood there staring at me, and I suddenly hated myself for not being more active in the Faction. He was right. I was useless and more concerned about him and Mari alone than I had been about my third. They were my responsibility, and Rhys was still having to act like the number one.

“Now, I ‘ave tings ta do ta make sure dat our arses din’t starve over da winter. So, now ya know, and ya know where I be goin’. So cannie please git out of me fuckin’ way?” He went to step around me, but I stepped in his way again.

“I should be going with you. You said that I need to learn to take charge. I should be going with you and taking part if this is so important.”

“Naw, I need ya ta stay here,” Rhys said.

“Let me rephrase that. I am coming with you.”

“Naw, ya ain’t. I’ma no’ takin’ you,” Rhys’s tone had shifted, and so had the air in the closet. Anger was brewing under his calm expression. I could tell he was getting annoyed, and why that made me happy and turned on was beyond me.

“Why the fuck not? If I’m in this thing, then you need to start acting like it. We can connect with Elewyen together when we get back.”

Rhys dropped his duffel and had me up against the wall, kissing me before my brain registered that he’d moved.

The sparks were instant, and the confusion swirling in my chest evaporated, only to be replaced with a hunger that only he could tame. Everything from the hair on my head to the cock between my legs stood to attention as Rhys pressed his body up against mine. I groaned and grabbed his ass, loving how the kilt balled up as I gripped him harder, and his hard muscles flexed under my touch.

Breaking the kiss, Rhys pulled back enough that he could talk, but his lips remained lightly touching mine, and he didn’t pull out of my hold.

“I dinnie ‘ave da time to be explainin’ it all right now, but ask Mari, and she will fill ya in on what we found. I will fill ya in on everythin’ else when I git back.”