favor to him . I’m doing it for my parents.”
“You said they were gone.”
“They are.” She bit out quickly, then dipped her head to hide the sadness that always accompanied speaking of them.
RedKnife was quiet a moment before finally asking, “If they’re gone, how are you doing this for them?”
Her cheeks flamed. “I wasn’t ever there for Cody. I should have been, but I wasn’t. I was too busy trying to live my own life, make my own mark. I liked to travel, and…” She shook her head sadly. “Mom always said I should take care of him. I should…”
When she didn’t finish, he did it for her. “You feel like you owe it to them. To their memory. And he’s all you have left.”
She ignored the softness of his tone, shaking off the understanding she thought she saw in his dark eyes. “Well that, and…” Her words trailed off and her body tensed as if she’d almost given away too much.
“And what?”
She shook her head and RedKnife demanded, “Cindy?”
“It’s just,” she splayed her hand in a gesture of nonchalance. “He’s just…He’s just scary.”
White-hot rage seared him. She was doing all this because she was afraid of him? When he spoke, his voice had lowered dangerously. “Has he hurt you?”
She didn’t look at him. “He’s pushed me around some. Nothing I couldn’t handle. I’m pretty tough. He just gets more and more aggressive every time we meet. I’m worried he’ll eventually take things too far.” She laughed lamely before sucking in a deep breath and quickly changing the subject. She had no idea that RedKnife made a mental note to take care of her brother.
“Anyway, Christmas is for kids. There is no Santa. It’s just a dumb holiday, perpetuated by retailers to promote industry.” Her hands stilled in their task and her gaze shot to his, regret clear. “I’m sorry.” She shrugged, dropping the facecloth she’d been folding. “It’s not… I don’t.” Drawing in a breath she tried again. “I didn’t mean to rain on your parade. I’m sure there are lots of people that enjoy the holiday for their own reasons.”
RedKnife’s lips thinned. “I don’t.” He nearly smiled at the relief that flooded her expression.
“You…you don’t like Christmas either?”
“No.” He folded his towel in what he hoped was the exact pattern he’d seen her use.
Cindy smiled at him. “Well, maybe we’ll both work and it won’t be so bad.”
He hated to let her down. “The Estate is shutting down. No one in, and no one out.”
Alarm laced her tone. “Why? Is something wrong?”
“No,” he was quick to respond. “It’s just that this is our first Christmas here, and Monroe’s concerned. Some of the staff have been hinting about a Christmas party, but he’s adamant that there will be no celebration. Some have family coming in. It’s too much for security right now. We’re going on lock-down.”
“He doesn’t like Christmas either?” She nodded. “Mm, makes sense.”
They folded in silence a few moments before she asked, “What do you do on Christmas? Spend it with family?”
“Nothing. I have no family except King.”
“King?” Delicate brows furrowed in disbelief. “I’d have never guessed.”
“There is no blood relation, but he’s as close to a brother as I’ve ever known.”
“So,” she tried to sound airy. “No mom, no dad?”
He shook his head. “Never knew them. I was raised by my grandfather.”
“I-is he living?”
RedKnife’s lips thinned and he shook his head once.
“I’m sorry,” Cindy whispered.
He turned challenging eyes on her. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I know how painful it can be to feel alone in this world. It…well, it fucking sucks.”
The corner of RedKnife’s mouth lifted. “It does.”
Silence reigned a moment before Cindy asked tentatively, “W-what was his
“You said they were gone.”
“They are.” She bit out quickly, then dipped her head to hide the sadness that always accompanied speaking of them.
RedKnife was quiet a moment before finally asking, “If they’re gone, how are you doing this for them?”
Her cheeks flamed. “I wasn’t ever there for Cody. I should have been, but I wasn’t. I was too busy trying to live my own life, make my own mark. I liked to travel, and…” She shook her head sadly. “Mom always said I should take care of him. I should…”
When she didn’t finish, he did it for her. “You feel like you owe it to them. To their memory. And he’s all you have left.”
She ignored the softness of his tone, shaking off the understanding she thought she saw in his dark eyes. “Well that, and…” Her words trailed off and her body tensed as if she’d almost given away too much.
“And what?”
She shook her head and RedKnife demanded, “Cindy?”
“It’s just,” she splayed her hand in a gesture of nonchalance. “He’s just…He’s just scary.”
White-hot rage seared him. She was doing all this because she was afraid of him? When he spoke, his voice had lowered dangerously. “Has he hurt you?”
She didn’t look at him. “He’s pushed me around some. Nothing I couldn’t handle. I’m pretty tough. He just gets more and more aggressive every time we meet. I’m worried he’ll eventually take things too far.” She laughed lamely before sucking in a deep breath and quickly changing the subject. She had no idea that RedKnife made a mental note to take care of her brother.
“Anyway, Christmas is for kids. There is no Santa. It’s just a dumb holiday, perpetuated by retailers to promote industry.” Her hands stilled in their task and her gaze shot to his, regret clear. “I’m sorry.” She shrugged, dropping the facecloth she’d been folding. “It’s not… I don’t.” Drawing in a breath she tried again. “I didn’t mean to rain on your parade. I’m sure there are lots of people that enjoy the holiday for their own reasons.”
RedKnife’s lips thinned. “I don’t.” He nearly smiled at the relief that flooded her expression.
“You…you don’t like Christmas either?”
“No.” He folded his towel in what he hoped was the exact pattern he’d seen her use.
Cindy smiled at him. “Well, maybe we’ll both work and it won’t be so bad.”
He hated to let her down. “The Estate is shutting down. No one in, and no one out.”
Alarm laced her tone. “Why? Is something wrong?”
“No,” he was quick to respond. “It’s just that this is our first Christmas here, and Monroe’s concerned. Some of the staff have been hinting about a Christmas party, but he’s adamant that there will be no celebration. Some have family coming in. It’s too much for security right now. We’re going on lock-down.”
“He doesn’t like Christmas either?” She nodded. “Mm, makes sense.”
They folded in silence a few moments before she asked, “What do you do on Christmas? Spend it with family?”
“Nothing. I have no family except King.”
“King?” Delicate brows furrowed in disbelief. “I’d have never guessed.”
“There is no blood relation, but he’s as close to a brother as I’ve ever known.”
“So,” she tried to sound airy. “No mom, no dad?”
He shook his head. “Never knew them. I was raised by my grandfather.”
“I-is he living?”
RedKnife’s lips thinned and he shook his head once.
“I’m sorry,” Cindy whispered.
He turned challenging eyes on her. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I know how painful it can be to feel alone in this world. It…well, it fucking sucks.”
The corner of RedKnife’s mouth lifted. “It does.”
Silence reigned a moment before Cindy asked tentatively, “W-what was his
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