Untamed (24 page)

“Hey.”

I’m startled, turn around and see Duncan standing in the doorway. We meet eyes, and when he smirks at me, I can’t help but grin back.

“Dad give you the
grand tour
?” I ask, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

He hooks his thumbs into his belt. “Yup.”

“Well, he likes to show off.”

“I’ve noticed.”

We look at each other for a moment, and once again my heart is sent into overdrive. I feel a shiver, and try to distract myself by offering him a cup of tea.

“No thanks. No caffeine.”

I furrow my brow. “Why?”

“Messes with my rhythm.”

“Really?”

He nods, comes into the kitchen, rubs a hand along the marble counter. “Yeah, really.”

“Why?”

“Caffeine increases your heart rate and blood pressure,” he says. “Even if just a little bit. But timing is everything in a fight. One heartbeat too late… and you’re locked up.”

“But you’re not fighting now.”

“Wouldn’t want to like it, then have to give it up.”

I consider that. He
does
seem like a kind of spartan person… someone with only a need for simple pleasures.

“You mean you’ve never had a cup of tea before?”

“Not since I was young.”

“No coffee?”

“Not since I started training.”

“Huh,” I say. The gulf between us seemingly has grown wider. There’s a moment of silence, and I feel awkward as hell. “Where did Dad go?”

“Said he had business to attend to.”

I roll my eyes. “Right.
Business
. You know what he does, right?”

Duncan sits down beside me, looks straight at me. His eyes catch me off-guard again.

“Of course I know.”

“Then you know what business means.”

“And you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you… in business?”

“With Dad?” I ask, snorting. “God, no. I’m still in school.”

“High school.”

“Yeah.”

He nods. “So it must be your last year if you’re eighteen.”

“That’s right,” I say. “I graduate in a few months, actually. What, you keeping track?”

“You told me when your birthday was.”

I suck on my bottom lip. “Thanks for the mirror. I still have it.”

“Yeah?” His smile becomes more genuinely joyous, and it brightens up his whole face.

“Yeah. How did you even get my address?”

“Took it off the back of the check Glass gave my kickboxing instructor.”

“What about the cat? Um, Sai, was it?”

“Oh, she’s still around somewhere, I’m sure.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Yeah, a little. So what happens after you graduate?”

I blink. “Well, then I go to college,” I say. “Why?”

Duncan shrugs. “I don’t know,” he starts, but doesn’t finish the sentence.

“Don’t know what?”

“Anything about your life, I guess. About what people like you do.”

I frown. “People like me?”

“People not like me.”

“You could go to college if you wanted. All you’d need to get is a GED. I mean, you wouldn’t get into a top-rated one, but it’s possible. Or there’s community colleges, vocational schools.”

“Never was much for school.” His expression is almost mischievous, and at once makes him look a little younger. It’s infectious, makes me smile.

“Let me guess, you never went to school. Truancy police ever come after you?”

“They tried,” he says, then he laughs. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down. “They couldn’t keep up with me.”

“Bad boy, huh?”

“Just didn’t see the point.”

“Why?”

“What was I going to do?”

“Get good grades? Go to college? Get a job? Isn’t that what we all do?”

“Well, not all. Besides, I was behind already… and at the home, it’s not like we had anybody to ask for help. If you were caught doing homework…”

“What?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“Well, you made yourself a target for bullying. Having a book open was an invitation.”

“You don’t seem like somebody who cares what other people think of you.”

“Everybody cares what somebody thinks of them,” he tells me.

Somehow, I suspect he’s hinting that he cares what
I
think of him.

“Well, don’t worry,” I say. “I won’t judge you. Did Dad show you the garden?”

“No.”

“Want to see?”

“
You
going to show it to me?”

“Yes,” I say a little slowly. “As long as you want to.”

“I want you to.”

I’m puzzled by his weird phrasing of it, but nevertheless take him outside, and together we walk through the garden, all the way down to the orchard.

Our shoulders rub now and then, and I feel sparks of energy, nervous energy. I’ve got my hands in my jacket pockets, and he’s got his by his side.

“So you’re going to be some big-time fighter, huh?” I ask.

“One day.”

“You want to fight?”

Duncan shrugs. “It’s all I’m good at.”

Somehow, I doubt that.

“What do you want to do?” he suddenly asks me.

“I want to be a teacher.”

“Really?” he asks, his interest obviously piqued. It seems curious to me. Why would
he
give a shit?

“Yeah.”

“Like, high school?”

“No, younger. Kindergarten or maybe elementary. I want to work with children.”

“Why?”

I shrug. “I just like the idea. It’s important.”

“I agree,” he says.

“You do?”

“Sure. Teachers shape the children they teach. It’s a big responsibility.”

“That’s exactly what I said!” I blurt out. “Dad thinks it’s not a good job, though.”

“Why?”

“Well, you don’t earn much.”

“Depends on what it is you think you’re earning.”

I grin at him. “Exactly. Dad doesn’t understand that at all. But I guess it’s hard for him, you know?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“All he’s got to measure himself by is his empire. And
that’s
all about money.”

“He’s got you.”

I snort, wave off Duncan’s words with my hand. “Please. You don’t even know me.”

“You’re very attractive.”

“It’s not like Dad played any part in that,” I say, blushing, looking unfailingly at the ground before us. “And I don’t.”

“Brave as well.”

“How do you even figure that?” I challenge. “You just, what, have a talent for sensing people?”

He smirks. “Maybe. Just an instinct.”

“How do you know your instincts are right?”

“Had to rely on them up until now.”

“Well, you guessed wrong with Dad, you know, following him.”

“But following him led me to you.”

Now I
really
stop. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“Something you shouldn’t be,” I say, but his grin is infectious, and I can’t help but return it. “And whatever it is you’re doing, you’re not very good at it.”

I suck in air as he steps a little closer to me. Despite the brave face I put on, on the inside I’m all wobbly and nervous.

Why would he do this? Drop hints that he likes me like it doesn’t matter at all that he’s technically my brother, that we’re both living under the roof of an insane and violent man.

“You seem like the kind of person who gets into trouble a lot.”

He shrugs. “I do what I want.”

“Well, you can’t anymore, and that’s a childish attitude anyway.”

“Why can’t I?”

“Well, for one, Dad will—”

“He’ll do nothing.”

I laugh softly. “You’re wrong. You are so wrong. Trust me on this, I know better than you.”

“Then we just won’t tell him.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Tell him what, exactly?”

“Whatever it is you don’t want him to know.”

“There is nothing I don’t want him to know.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is!”

A third voice bursts in: “There you are!”

I snap my head toward the house, see Dad storming out into the garden. Duncan just smirks at me, like this is all a game.

“You really don’t want to be pissing my Dad off,” I say to him quickly. “I mean, about anything at all. He’s got a temper.”

“I can handle your father.”

“Duncan!”

“Yes, Glass,” Duncan says, turning toward Dad, his voice more than a little bored.

“Get inside! Let’s spar.”

“I thought you had business to attend to.”

“Well, it fell through. Come on, show me what all my money has bought me.”

Duncan looks back at me for a moment.

“You’d better go,” I whisper at him.

“I’ll see you tonight, Dee.”

“Yeah,” I say. “Good luck.”

“Don’t need it.”

He swaggers off toward Dad, who glares at me for a moment – as if I’m somehow responsible for his rotten mood – and then walks with Duncan back toward the house.

Again, I catch Duncan looking over his shoulder at me, and I look at him.

And I’m terrified at how their sparring session is going to go.

I know Dad hates to lose, and I have no doubt that Duncan can win.

I just wonder if he’ll be smart enough to not win so convincingly.

Chapter Nine