I find Kam already stepping into the kitchen, Ella right behind him.
Kam leaves through the back door. “See you tomorrow?”
“Maybe,” Ella says. “I’ll text you.”
“Okay.” He smiles for her, big and bright, and then he’s gone, leaving a cool autumn wind lingering in the kitchen.
Ella leans against the counter, her huge dark eyes on me. Her hand flits up to her neck. She’s touched it less as the time has passed. It’s only a brief skim of her fingertips over the hollow of her throat now, the movement almost suggestive. Almost an invitation for me to touch her there. I almost say it. I almost tell her what I’ve decided to offer her. What I know she needs. I’m almost level with her right now.
“How are you feeling after that?”
The corners of Ella’s mouth turn up at my question and my heart slams against my rib cage. Calm focus. I need to have patience for this. I need to talk this out before I say a word to her about it. “Tired,” she admits. “Not like last night.” She glances off to the side, looking thoughtful, and then her eyes come back to mine. “It’s a simple kind of tired. You know?”
“I do.” I get that myself with pills. I wouldn’t have it at all otherwise. “Are you thinking of heading upstairs?”
“I’m not sure. Should I?”
The charge that goes through me at her words is just as intense as the one that pulsed through me not even an hour ago. Permission. She’s already requesting permission. My sweet little submissive. I remind her, if only to give her more space to consider what occurred and to give myself time to ensure I will do right by her, “We had a session. We’ve talked.”
“We were interrupted.”
“I know.” We were interrupted at the worst possible moment. Or the best possible moment. I don’t know which it is. I might not ever know. “There’s no rush to continue tonight,” I tell her, keeping my voice as level and professional as I can. “If you’re tired, we can always have another session tomorrow.”
We will have another session tomorrow. I’ve already decided it. No matter what happens, Ella and I will have another session.
Her lips part, and I hold my breath. If she says it again right now—
“You’re right. I’ll head up.” Her body shifts toward me almost imperceptibly, but then Ella holds up her hand in a little wave. “Good night, Z.”
“Good night, Ella.”
I wait until I hear her footsteps on the stairs before I sag against the countertop. Z.
I wait another five minutes before I take out my phone, dial, and put it to my ear.
“You’ve got me.” It’s Silas. He always says “You’ve got me” when he answers the phone.
“I want you to look into the manager for me. Kamden Richards.” Silas has previous experience with military intelligence, and he’s the one on our team who conducts the research that can’t be done with a simple internet search. “Background check. As far as you can go. Get me a file on him.”
There’s no hesitation, only a huff of a laugh. “You got a hunch?” he questions.
“I am … uncertain.”
“All right. Need anything else?”
That’s the other thing I like about Silas. He’s a no-bullshit guy. He does his job, he does it well, and he rarely rocks the boat. “No. Thanks.”
We hang up the call, and I bring up the app on my phone that shows me the security cameras. Upstairs, Ella pads from the bathroom to her room and then leaves it. She pauses at the top of the stairs, like she might decide to come back down.
I’d fuck you, Zander. I’ve already fantasized about it.
After another long moment, she goes into her bedroom and closes the door.
The text comes in while I’m still looking at the camera feed.
Damon: Going through last night’s records. Missing a chunk of time off the video. Did you notice any glitches?
I don’t answer him.