Rea did random activities around the bedroom. He cleaned the main light near the vent. It wasn't dirty. He pressed buttons on his computer. Nothing happened. He wiped off his spotless counter and swept his clean floor.
It seemed like he couldn't sit down. Maybe he thought if he sat, he would have to talk to her. If Karma pushed him about their relationship, all she would accomplish would be him closing down.
In the last few hours, he hadn't spoken once. After she'd told him about Fletcher and The Seemyah, she expected more questions, but he didn't even look at her. He hadn't commented on anything or asked her anything more. At the very least, Karma assumed he would say something about the fact that she had practically begged to stay with him, but no.
Karma rested, sat, and waited. The quiet of the room enveloped them. He acted as if she wasn't worth bothering with, but Karma knew better. At some point, he would have to talk to her. He just needed to stop being so stubborn.
She angled back against the soft pillows as Rea cleaned his counter and table a second time. There was clearly nothing on the top. She spread out the blanket and arranged it over her body so that her nipples were slightly showing. When she did that, it was the only time she caught his eye. As she folded the cover, it dawned on her that the blanket was a different one with a pink flower pattern. It didn't look like a blanket he would've chosen for his bed. She petted the new quilt. Maybe he was finally decorating and settling into this water base. She couldn't picture him decorating with pink flowers, but maybe he liked pink.
She imagined staying here with him. The thought was a welcoming balm on torn flesh.
"This is nice. When did you get a new blanket? It's softer than your old one." She spoke loudly enough so he could hear her, but he turned his back to the bed. Karma hoped her comment would get his attention, but she wished she could've come up with a better opening line to break the ice. She was starting to wonder if he was ever going to talk to her again.
Rea looked up from the counter and peered over his shoulder. His eyes dropped to her nipples and then came back up to her face. He looked irritated, and she got some pleasure from taunting him. It was good to know he couldn't ignore her forever.
"I had to get a new quilt 'coz you were so gross when you got here that I had to throw my other one in the incinerator."
Karma laughed but then realized he wasn't joking. He didn't even crack a smile.
"I fell into the ocean when Fletcher shot me. It was rank. He was expecting me. I should've known better, but I'm a little rusty since I got out of The Seemyah." Karma knew she owed Rea more than she could ever repay. If he hadn't helped her, she wouldn't be alive. She sobered and met Rea's unflinching green eyes.
"You fell into the ocean?" His eyes flipped back and forth over her. A deep "v" appeared between his eyebrows. That look gave Karma hope. It meant he must care for her. It was a good sign. "That explains a lot." He ran his hands back and forth through his red hair. As he did, his red locks stuck up like red flames dancing. "You could've died."
He didn't want her dead. Another good sign.
Karma didn't know what more to say. She wanted more than anything to assure him that her death wasn't her concern. Losing him was her only real fear. She needed to convince him she would stay here if he asked, but really, she didn't know how to prove to him she was a changed person. Even with the power to know when people were lying, Rea seemed like he didn't trust his ability.
When they were younger, he never fully trusted his instincts, and now it was obvious that nothing about that had changed. Karma didn't think Rea would believe her if she told him she loved him. Maybe who she had become was so far away from the girl he knew that he couldn't care for her. He might not be able to think about her in the same way again. All Karma was really asking for was for Rea to let her stay and for them to get to know each other once again. She was sure that if they spent honest time together, they would be happy. She was attracted to Rea, and she knew he liked her. If only they could learn to trust and make peace with their past.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay, Karma. I don't know who you are now. We're both different people."
Rea's words killed her inside, but she didn't let the hurt show on her face.
"Right now, Fletcher is coming for you, and I can help you when he shows up. I don't want you hurt or killed. Fletcher made it clear you were still his hit, and if I got in his way, he wouldn't have any problem killing me as well. He shot me when I told him I wasn't accepting the job. I'm as marked as you are now. I'm not leaving until Fletcher is dead. I have a right to kill him for the simple fact he killed Tad. I may not have liked Tad much, but he was my stepbrother. I'll have the best chance of catching him here. Besides, I still have a little responsibility to the members of The Seemyah, and I'm sure he's doing this job without their approval."
"So, this is about you being loyal to The Seemyah and your brother. Not about me."
"Stepbrother," she corrected and then continued. "No, it's about my loyalty to you. Didn't you hear me? I don't want you hurt or killed. I'm loyal to you now, not them. You have my word." Karma gave him a sincere look to show him she meant what she said, but he looked unmoved. Rea offered her no encouragement.
She didn't know what to say now.
"Karma, you can't stay here. I can't trust you. You shot me." Rea came over to stand next to the bed, and he stared down at her. His look was frosty. Karma wished she could have him the way he was before she told him about her past.
"And you punched me in the face and sprayed a whole roomful of bullets trying to kill me. I think we're even."
"I knew that would come back to bite me in the ass." Rea put his hands on his hips. "You became an assassin."
He wasn't relenting. Frustration rose within her.
Karma glowered at him. "You became a doormat for your father to wipe his boots on."
Rea's next look was so glacial Karma thought he could've started another ice era in his bedroom.
She shivered and came up with a new plan. She didn't want to fight with him. She only wanted him to understand they were more than their pasts. She was more than hers.
"All I'm asking for is time. Another week. I promise to tell you only the truth while I'm here, and I promise to watch your back until Fletcher shows up. Can't you give me a chance? You'll know if I'm lying."
Rea's shoulders dropped slightly. He was giving in. She wanted to do a victory dance.
"If I say no?" Rea cast a sideways glance.
"If you say no… I'll hide on the base, and you'll spend half the time wondering where I am or if it's someone trying to kill you. All I'm asking for is some time, Rea. Please."
Karma knew she was begging, but she couldn't help it. Rea didn't understand what was at stake here. She wished he could see this was more than merely killing Fletcher and keeping him safe. It was also about them as a couple. Throwing away everything they once had would be a waste. Throwing away a real future was a waste, too, especially when life was short and Karma was sure they could find true happiness with each other.
The idea of real happiness filled her with hope. Hope for their mutual future, a future that was once taken from them. Karma had hoped she could become someone better. Together she and Rea could build a new life.
"You can stay for one week." Rea's face was a flat mask.
Karma couldn't help but let a huge smile spread across her face. She didn't even care he glared at her.
"You can stay, but I have some conditions."
"I figured you would. Go."
"First, you stay within my sight at all times."
"Done." She nodded happily. Her smile was so large that her cheeks hurt.
"I'm not finished yet." His face looked like it could've been made out of cement, but Karma didn't care about his dour expression. She was staying, and she had never been more excited about something so simple.
"You stay with me at all times, and no lies about anything. As soon as Fletcher is taken care of, you leave if I say so. This is my base. The safety of everyone here is important."
Karma's heart dropped when he mentioned her leaving, but at the same time, she was joyful she would have some time with him, however, short it might be. Now, she had mixed emotions about Fletcher showing up. On one hand, it would be good to have the bastard dead, but if it took him a while to make his move, then Karma would have a longer time with Rea.
"You agree to my terms?" Rea crossed his arms over his chest.
"Absolutely, but I want to be armed."
Karma thought he looked like he might strangle her. That wasn't a good sign, but she couldn't help him without a weapon.
"No."
That one word booked no argument, but Karma wasn't deterred. His no-nonsense expressions never fazed her.
"I can't protect you without a gun, and I'm taking baby steps in leaving my former life. You can't keep me unarmed. That's nonsense. I'm a better shot than most of your men. Your guards are novices and kind of lazy. I need some type of weapon. I'm here to help you."
"I can keep you unarmed all I want. People stay unarmed all the time, and they live happy lives. If I wanted to, I could keep you naked and tied to my bed."
"Kinky." Karma saw the slightest smile pick up one side of his mouth, and then just as suddenly as it had appeared, he pushed the grin away. He went back to being solemn.
"None of that either. You can stay only 'coz I have someone trying to kill me. That's all. There is no 'we.' Got it?"
Karma let the blanket drop lower.
"Perhaps you'll change your mind." She shoved the blanket the rest of the way off. He would change his mind, she was sure.
"You're stubborn. I forgot how you never take no for an answer."
Karma laughed and didn't answer. For now, she was just going to be pleased with her small victory. Gingerly, she moved her legs until they were poised over the floor. Her hands spread wide on either side of her body for balance. If she had to stay unarmed for Rea to trust her, she could do that, at least for a while. She had to force her legs to hold her up, and she wobbled. It appeared the conversation was over for now.