The Dream Thief, Kari Kilgore [reading well TXT] 📗

her. She had no idea what he was after or why.

She still had both knives, though, and she wanted to use them to find out. Very badly. The look on Bill's face was the only thing that stopped her.

"No one shares my bed who doesn't want to," Bill said. "If you were any kind of man, you're understand any other arrangement isn't worth the trouble."

He got up and walked over to his brother. They were the same height, but the years between them were stark in the handsome, well-groomed man and the raw, gangly boy.

"I thought our father went too far in trying to beat it out of you," Bill said. "Now I don't think he went far enough. Perhaps it can't be beaten out. Perhaps your mind will never be right. You might be destined for Joffrey Columns rather than Constable Law."

"I've seen what they do with men like you out at the Columns." Karl leaned against the door and crossed his arms. "I've seen it with my own eyes. A few experimental treatments, maybe a surgery or two, and you'll never bother anyone else. Only the people who have to change your diapers."

"That 's exactly what you're heading for, Rullin." Bill squeezed his brother's chin, shaking his head. "And neither I nor anyone else will keep you from it if you can't stop this."

"You'll be lucky to live that long," Loretta said, examining her knife. "I do appreciate Karl's assistance, but one second of wandering attention, and I would have put an end to you."

"Don't fool yourself that she couldn't have done it," Bill said. He turned to Karl and Loretta. Rullin continued to stare at the floor. "Perhaps she should have. Do you have brothers and sisters, Karl?"

"Several," he said. "I live away from home for a reason."

"You understand my dilemma, then," Bill said. "You understand why I'm in a terrible place here. I can't let his behavior keep getting worse, and I'd never be able to go home again if I execute my own brother, even this one."

He closed his eyes and sighed before he turned back to the younger man.

"This is your last chance with me, or with anyone else. You're on scullery duty for the next month, and you're back with the ground crews whenever we land. One more time, and I'll report you to Constable Law myself. And if they want to turn you over to Karl and treatments at Joffrey Columns, I will not stop them. Understood?"

Rullin looked up at his brother, and Loretta knew this wouldn't be the end of it. She'd seen that expression before, too many times.

This was a person who couldn't, or wouldn't, understand why his behavior was wrong. Something fundamental was missing inside of him, something that could never be made right.

She would do whatever it took to protect herself, but that didn't extend to hurting other people when she had no reason to. The boy stared for a moment longer before he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"I apologize for Rullin's behavior," Bill said. "I'm glad you were there, Karl, and I thank both of you for not ending his worthless life. He's my burden to deal with. He will not be leaving this room tonight. We'll discuss how he can make it up to you. Goodnight."

Loretta followed Karl out the door, thankful their rooms were across the long ship from this one. She didn't want to hear how that discussion went.

"Were you telling the truth, Karl? About the treatments and surgeries?"

"Sometimes criminals are sent there just for that purpose," he said. "To see if they can be reformed when everything else has failed. You probably don't want to know more than that. I used to be able to forget things like that, but I can't anymore. I wish I could."

"Would you..." Loretta surprised herself by having to take a deep breath. "I'd like you to sleep with me tonight. I don't think I'll be able to rest at all otherwise. We'll have to find a way to lock those blasted doors before tomorrow night."

He stared at her, his hazel eyes hard to read in the dim corridor light. She wasn't willing to beg him or anyone else to share her bed, but she hoped he would agree.

She wanted him, not just a warm body but his, more than she cared to admit to herself or anyone else. He reached around her and pushed the door open.

"Tell me why," he said.

Loretta blinked, not sure what he meant. She hadn't expected questions at all, only a yes or no.

Well, she'd expected a yes.

"What do you mean?" she said.

"Tell me why you want me in your bed tonight. Should be an easy enough question to answer. Do you want me to sleep by the door just in case our friend Rullin tries to come back after all?"

"No, Karl, I didn't mean by the door. I meant with me."

She wasn't wanting him quite so much now.

"For protection? Some kind of reward? Or because you actually want me?"

"I think the moment has passed." She brushed past him and stepped into the tiny room. "Maybe we'll talk about it tomorrow. Maybe we won't talk about it ever again."

"Makes sense to me. I already told you I wanted to be with you. But not as some kind of consolation prize." Karl smiled, pushing Loretta closer to wanting to slap him instead of sleep with him. "See the vents on the wall there? I opened those earlier. That's how I heard what was going on. I doubt anything else will happen tonight, but I'll hear if it does."

Chapter 25

Karl woke far earlier than he'd planned, but he knew his back wouldn't tolerate the shifting bolts of fabric any longer. They were so much harder than they looked.

He didn't see anyone else moving around in this part of the ship, but he heard men talking and shouting above him. He hadn't wanted to see anything when they left the ground last night,