not a good idea,” Molly replied in a quietly
controlled tone, still not looking at the tall male. “I think I’ll go home. If
anyone here is so stupid as to follow me, I am from the Islands and very aware
of my craft. You will end up a twig with a bad case of termites.” She nodded at
Kelly. “Thank you for breakfast.”
“You cooked it,” Kelly murmured.
Molly had already turned and was heading to her house.
Legion scowled after her and glanced at Cord. “You talk too much.”
“You could have talked a little more. How long have you been
here?” Cord shot back. “A warning would have been welcome.”
“When? You’ve been in a bottle since the last moon phase.
You were in no shape to protect the child. It was my duty.”
Cord raised a brow and motioned with his chin at Molly’s
retreating form. “And you have such a handle on your duty?”
Legion grunted and turned to follow Molly.
“Bottle? What does he mean by you were in a bottle?” Kelly
asked as Cord shut the door.
“He means I preferred the oblivion of scotch to being aware
of how hungry I was,” Cord confessed as he looked down at her. He wasn’t quite
sure which way he wanted to go. Back to the kitchen or the other way to the
box-jammed sitting room? He glanced up the stairs and rejected that temptation.
“Are you an alcoholic?” Kelly wanted to know.
She was planted in front of him, frowning, and he realized
how serious a subject this was for her. Of course it would be if he were human.
“Kelly, I’m an addict. Consider me a crack junkie. My drug
is you.” He resisted the drive to touch her as she looked at him.
He had no choices and neither did she. To protect her
daughter she’d do precisely what he needed. The one possession he had, the
thing they could not program out of him was what he was determined to give her
now. The truth.
Chapter Five
“Cord, that is an amazingly sweet thing to say in a really
weird way, but I’m being serious. Do you have a drinking problem?”
Her hands were on her hips, and if she’d had a tail, it
would be fluffed in irritation. Did he find her irritation cute because he was
programmed to? Or was she really adorable when she was annoyed? What did it
matter, his reaction to her would only grow.
“Sweet? I’m being direct. Using the illustration of an
addict is not a ploy. It’s as close as humans can come to what’s been
programmed into me. The only thing I can choose to give you is a little time to
grasp what I am. I don’t even have much of that. The rest—protection, defense,
these things are yours whether you want them or not.” He continued after a
brief pause, it was all he could manage to make sure she heard this part. “The
way you get rid of me is to refuse contact. I’ll become diminished and one of
your attackers will eventually figure out how to kill me.”
Kelly’s head cocked to the side as she listened to him, and
then she reached for his hand. “Come here.”
She led him into the living room, around a haphazard stack
of boxes and to the couch. “Sit.”
Cord sank down on the couch. Kelly girl wasn’t processing
the information he was trying to give her in the manner he’d expected. Sure, he
expected her to be ticked, who wouldn’t be when they became a possession as
opposed to a free woman? Mad at him was a natural response. He was the monster
and she had no alternative but to accept him into her life in the most intimate
way imaginable. But she didn’t seem mad at him for reasons he couldn’t fathom.
She stood between his wide-spread legs and frowned down at
him as if he were messing things up.
“Do you know what I see when I look at you?” she asked.
Cord resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair. “No.”
“Give me your hands,” she requested softly.
He held them up and Kelly grasped them, letting him take her
weight as she slid both knees onto the couch, straddling his hips. She then sat
back on his thighs and laced their fingers
controlled tone, still not looking at the tall male. “I think I’ll go home. If
anyone here is so stupid as to follow me, I am from the Islands and very aware
of my craft. You will end up a twig with a bad case of termites.” She nodded at
Kelly. “Thank you for breakfast.”
“You cooked it,” Kelly murmured.
Molly had already turned and was heading to her house.
Legion scowled after her and glanced at Cord. “You talk too much.”
“You could have talked a little more. How long have you been
here?” Cord shot back. “A warning would have been welcome.”
“When? You’ve been in a bottle since the last moon phase.
You were in no shape to protect the child. It was my duty.”
Cord raised a brow and motioned with his chin at Molly’s
retreating form. “And you have such a handle on your duty?”
Legion grunted and turned to follow Molly.
“Bottle? What does he mean by you were in a bottle?” Kelly
asked as Cord shut the door.
“He means I preferred the oblivion of scotch to being aware
of how hungry I was,” Cord confessed as he looked down at her. He wasn’t quite
sure which way he wanted to go. Back to the kitchen or the other way to the
box-jammed sitting room? He glanced up the stairs and rejected that temptation.
“Are you an alcoholic?” Kelly wanted to know.
She was planted in front of him, frowning, and he realized
how serious a subject this was for her. Of course it would be if he were human.
“Kelly, I’m an addict. Consider me a crack junkie. My drug
is you.” He resisted the drive to touch her as she looked at him.
He had no choices and neither did she. To protect her
daughter she’d do precisely what he needed. The one possession he had, the
thing they could not program out of him was what he was determined to give her
now. The truth.
Chapter Five
“Cord, that is an amazingly sweet thing to say in a really
weird way, but I’m being serious. Do you have a drinking problem?”
Her hands were on her hips, and if she’d had a tail, it
would be fluffed in irritation. Did he find her irritation cute because he was
programmed to? Or was she really adorable when she was annoyed? What did it
matter, his reaction to her would only grow.
“Sweet? I’m being direct. Using the illustration of an
addict is not a ploy. It’s as close as humans can come to what’s been
programmed into me. The only thing I can choose to give you is a little time to
grasp what I am. I don’t even have much of that. The rest—protection, defense,
these things are yours whether you want them or not.” He continued after a
brief pause, it was all he could manage to make sure she heard this part. “The
way you get rid of me is to refuse contact. I’ll become diminished and one of
your attackers will eventually figure out how to kill me.”
Kelly’s head cocked to the side as she listened to him, and
then she reached for his hand. “Come here.”
She led him into the living room, around a haphazard stack
of boxes and to the couch. “Sit.”
Cord sank down on the couch. Kelly girl wasn’t processing
the information he was trying to give her in the manner he’d expected. Sure, he
expected her to be ticked, who wouldn’t be when they became a possession as
opposed to a free woman? Mad at him was a natural response. He was the monster
and she had no alternative but to accept him into her life in the most intimate
way imaginable. But she didn’t seem mad at him for reasons he couldn’t fathom.
She stood between his wide-spread legs and frowned down at
him as if he were messing things up.
“Do you know what I see when I look at you?” she asked.
Cord resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair. “No.”
“Give me your hands,” she requested softly.
He held them up and Kelly grasped them, letting him take her
weight as she slid both knees onto the couch, straddling his hips. She then sat
back on his thighs and laced their fingers
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