Con could see this taking a very bad turn. He leaned forward to rest his arms on his desk. “Do you know what you’re agreeing to?”
“I do. I’ll be the one held solely responsible if Kinsey does anything while under my watch.”
Con shook his head. “I’d no’ have that on your shoulders. What if there is magic used, and the only way to stop her is death?”
“Then I’ll do it.”
Con wasn’t so sure Ryder could. However, he knew Ryder would do everything in his control to stop Kinsey. That alone was enough for him.
“Then I’ll leave her in your care,” Con relented.
Ryder’s faced eased into relief. “You willna regret it.”
Con prayed he didn’t. It was bad enough that Kinsey had run from Ryder after seeing him shift. Ryder was a tough individual—all the Kings were. But they had their breaking points as well.
“Do you think you can earn her trust again?” Con asked.
Ryder gave a brief nod. “I believe so.”
“Does she still care for you?”
“That I can no’ say.”
“Find out,” Con ordered. “If she’s afraid of you—us—then she may be using you to get close and attempt something.”
Ryder lifted his chin. “No’ Kinsey.”
“Give me proof. I want to accept your word for it, Ryder, but with MI5 here, and Ulrik out doing God-knows-what, I have to be sure.”
“Then you’ll have your proof.”
As Ryder walked out, Con prayed he didn’t have to kill another mortal. The first one nearly did him in and lost him a best friend.
This one would lose him everything.
CHAPTER TEN
It usually took a lot for Kinsey to get as frustrated as she was at the moment. It had nothing to do with the equipment—because it was state of the art and gorgeous—and everything to do with not being about to find jack squat on Ulrik or his people.
“Ryder warned you.”
“I beg your pardon?” Dmitri asked.
Kinsey threw him a quick smile. “Sorry. I tend to talk to myself sometimes.”
“You’re looking up Ulrik. Ryder does that daily and rarely finds anything.”
Daily? Holy shit. And here Kinsey thought she had some new moves that would show her more and impress Ryder. She was out of luck this time. “Oh.”
“Doona be alarmed, lass. We’ve been doing this sort of thing for years. At least now we doona have to physically watch him. I like the cameras for that reason alone.”
Kinsey stretched her arms over her head and rotated her neck from side to side. She had been sitting for so long that she needed to move around and get the blood flowing.
She stood and walked to the window. The snow was falling heavily now, covering the slopes of the mountains in white. It looked magical, as if she were in a different world. And in some aspects, she was.
After a few more stretches, Kinsey remained at the window simply taking in the majestic, wild beauty that was Dreagan. If she peered far to the left she could see the pasture where the cattle were. There were sheep seemingly everywhere.
No one would ever know this splendor was behind all the buildings housing the distillery. Even the manor was hidden, keeping another wall up between the Dragon Kings and the humans.
“What do you see?” Ryder asked as he walked up next to her.
She smiled as she folded her arms over her chest. “I see land that’s been sustained and preserved as beautifully as it must have been thousands of years ago.”
“And?” he pushed.
He’d always been able to tell when there was more she wanted to say. Kinsey looked at the mountains all around them. “I see a land that shouldn’t be sullied by humans. I see a home.”
“It is a home,” Ryder said. “It’s our home. It’s the only place left on this realm that we claim as ours.”
Her people had taken the rest. Kinsey couldn’t imagine how that felt, and she didn’t pretend to. “You have every right to protect it.” She faced him then, realizing that Dmitri had exited the room without a word. “Even if it’s from me.”
His dark blond brows rose high in his forehead. “What does that mean?”
“You know exactly what it means. Ryder, if somehow your enemies are using me, then I want to know in what capacity, and I want it stopped. If we can’t stop it, then you must.”
He held her gaze for long moments. “It willna come to that.”
She really hoped it didn’t. “What did Con have to say?”
“Did Dmitri tell you where I was?” he asked with a sigh.
“I figured it out.”
Ryder clasped his hands behind his back. “Con is thinking of all of us Dragon Kings and the mates and Dreagan when he makes a decision. That doesna always mean the decisions are good.”
“Meaning?”
“I knew he’d want to isolate you in case Ulrik has somehow manipulated you to help him. I convinced Con to allow you to remain with me.”
“Is that wise?” she asked. “I mean, if Ulrik or his people somehow did get to me. Wouldn’t that put you in a difficult position?”