nod.
“Sydney, you can follow Anna. She’ll show you where you’ll be for your time with us,” Jack spoke gruffly, not bothering to make eye contact.
- 52 -
“You make it sound like I could be leaving at any moment,” she challenged.
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. Are you?”
She took a couple steps forward and halted. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene on her first day here. What must Chase and Anna be thinking of this exchange? Finally Sydney raised her chin defiantly. “I don’t plan on going anywhere, actually.” So there. How was it possible that he’d reduced her to a two-year-old’s level?
Boy, this man was toxic.
“Of course you aren’t, Sydney. You can stay with us as long as you’d like. No one is going to force you to go. Right, Jack?” Chase raised a brow.
“That’s up to her. We can’t keep her prisoner if she doesn’t want to be here,” Jack muttered.
“Come on, Sydney,” Anna finally intervened. “I’m sure you’re exhausted after your journey and probably want to freshen up.”
Grateful for any excuse to get away from that insufferable man, she nodded eagerly. “Yes. I’d love to.” Shooting one last glare at Jack, Sydney allowed the smaller woman to lead her out of the room.
“Here it is.” Anna opened the door to a cozy looking room, though plain in its décor. “It’s a bit smaller than the other sleeping quarters in the house, but the larger ones are shared. I thought you’d rather have some privacy.”
“Thank you. I’d like that a lot.” Sydney flopped on the bed, wincing at how hard it was, but thankful to have someplace to lay her head for the night, free of worry.
“Unfortunately there are only a few functioning toilets and showers in the entire place, so you won’t have private accommodations for that. I believe the closest bathroom is unoccupied. I’ll give you a chance to unpack your things and return in about an hour?”
“What things?” Sydney looked down pointedly at her empty hands.
Anna grimaced. “I see your point.” The blonde’s gaze raked over Sydney briefly.
“I’m not sure if there’s another female your size.” Anna said the words as if Sydney were some kind of gigantic freak, but she wasn’t going to let anyone make her feel
- 53 -
inferior because of her height. It was what made her who she was and she was comfortable in her skin.
“Yes, I am tall aren’t I? It’s fabulous,” she purred, stretching her arms above her head.
“There might be something I can find for you. You may have to wear men’s clothing for a while, though.”
“That’s fine. This business suit is hardly appropriate if I’m now an outlaw.” Blue eyes narrowed to slits. “Freedom Fighter. The only lawbreakers are the Cyrellians for their crimes against humanity. Try to remember that, will you, sweetheart?”
What the hell was her problem? First Jack and now this bitch? At least she had one person here who seemed to like her. Pasting a grin on her face, she eyed Anna as insolently as the other woman had done to her. “It’s Sydney, not sweetheart. I trust you’ll get it right next time.”
If looks could kill, Sydney knew she’d be dead on the spot. “Look, I don’t know who you think you are --”
“Sydney.”
“Or what you did while you were in the city,” Anna continued on as if she hadn’t spoken, “but the minute you start causing trouble, you’re out of here.”
“On whose authority?”
“Mine.”
Sydney lifted a brow. “Oh? I thought Jack was in charge.”
“He is, but he’ll listen to me if I say you have to go.” If this woman was so confident, why did she need to resort to threats? Sydney hadn’t missed the tension between Anna and Jack downstairs. If she were a betting woman, she’d say Anna was more interested in her fearless leader than he was in her.
“You really think so?”
“I know it. Don’t press your luck.”
- 54 -
Sydney threw her head back
“Sydney, you can follow Anna. She’ll show you where you’ll be for your time with us,” Jack spoke gruffly, not bothering to make eye contact.
- 52 -
“You make it sound like I could be leaving at any moment,” she challenged.
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. Are you?”
She took a couple steps forward and halted. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene on her first day here. What must Chase and Anna be thinking of this exchange? Finally Sydney raised her chin defiantly. “I don’t plan on going anywhere, actually.” So there. How was it possible that he’d reduced her to a two-year-old’s level?
Boy, this man was toxic.
“Of course you aren’t, Sydney. You can stay with us as long as you’d like. No one is going to force you to go. Right, Jack?” Chase raised a brow.
“That’s up to her. We can’t keep her prisoner if she doesn’t want to be here,” Jack muttered.
“Come on, Sydney,” Anna finally intervened. “I’m sure you’re exhausted after your journey and probably want to freshen up.”
Grateful for any excuse to get away from that insufferable man, she nodded eagerly. “Yes. I’d love to.” Shooting one last glare at Jack, Sydney allowed the smaller woman to lead her out of the room.
“Here it is.” Anna opened the door to a cozy looking room, though plain in its décor. “It’s a bit smaller than the other sleeping quarters in the house, but the larger ones are shared. I thought you’d rather have some privacy.”
“Thank you. I’d like that a lot.” Sydney flopped on the bed, wincing at how hard it was, but thankful to have someplace to lay her head for the night, free of worry.
“Unfortunately there are only a few functioning toilets and showers in the entire place, so you won’t have private accommodations for that. I believe the closest bathroom is unoccupied. I’ll give you a chance to unpack your things and return in about an hour?”
“What things?” Sydney looked down pointedly at her empty hands.
Anna grimaced. “I see your point.” The blonde’s gaze raked over Sydney briefly.
“I’m not sure if there’s another female your size.” Anna said the words as if Sydney were some kind of gigantic freak, but she wasn’t going to let anyone make her feel
- 53 -
inferior because of her height. It was what made her who she was and she was comfortable in her skin.
“Yes, I am tall aren’t I? It’s fabulous,” she purred, stretching her arms above her head.
“There might be something I can find for you. You may have to wear men’s clothing for a while, though.”
“That’s fine. This business suit is hardly appropriate if I’m now an outlaw.” Blue eyes narrowed to slits. “Freedom Fighter. The only lawbreakers are the Cyrellians for their crimes against humanity. Try to remember that, will you, sweetheart?”
What the hell was her problem? First Jack and now this bitch? At least she had one person here who seemed to like her. Pasting a grin on her face, she eyed Anna as insolently as the other woman had done to her. “It’s Sydney, not sweetheart. I trust you’ll get it right next time.”
If looks could kill, Sydney knew she’d be dead on the spot. “Look, I don’t know who you think you are --”
“Sydney.”
“Or what you did while you were in the city,” Anna continued on as if she hadn’t spoken, “but the minute you start causing trouble, you’re out of here.”
“On whose authority?”
“Mine.”
Sydney lifted a brow. “Oh? I thought Jack was in charge.”
“He is, but he’ll listen to me if I say you have to go.” If this woman was so confident, why did she need to resort to threats? Sydney hadn’t missed the tension between Anna and Jack downstairs. If she were a betting woman, she’d say Anna was more interested in her fearless leader than he was in her.
“You really think so?”
“I know it. Don’t press your luck.”
- 54 -
Sydney threw her head back
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