Chapter 323 Chapter 323
“Find? We’re going to look for more?”
She nodded, “they could be out there, as lost and alone as you were.”
“Gia, all I can offer you is a one-room cabin. I don’t have anything else.”
“I don’t need anything else, and we can build onto the cabin a bit at a time.” She sent him a serious look, “and we’re adding indoor plumbing.”
“I thought...”
She held up a hand, “just think about it, if I have to run outside in the middle of winter, I’ll be climbing back in bed with icicle feet.”
“That could be a problem.” He cleared his throat.
“I think so.” She smiled.
“Okay, indoor plumbing, but I don’t have land for a clan, or the funds.”
“The Alliance will help, trust me on that.” Brushing the hair out of her face, she looked over to see his brow was still furrowed, “smaller homes could be built at the bottom of that winding path that leads to the cabin, that’s your land, right?”
He blinked like he was stuck somewhere else, “yeah, all along there to the river.”
She shrugged, “a few homes could be built there, with the cabin still somewhat private.”
“I suppose.” His tone told her he was getting stuck in his head figuring out the details again.
“Hey, I thought you were big on having a little faith.” She held his look for a second, “everything doesn’t have to be figured out today.” She could feel the tension coming off him and tried to think of how to help him.
“You really don’t have a problem with who I was, what I am...”
“None at all.” She answered before he could think of more negative things, “I think you’re an amazing man and you don’t get off on telling me what to do. That’s very important.”
Deacon snorted, “I don’t want to end up like the bat.”
Gia grinned, “he had it coming, he scared me half to death and touched my hair.”
“I need to process all this.” The serious tone had returned, “to survive out there, you always had to be thinking ten steps ahead.”
“I understand that.” At least she was starting to. She had no concept of what it was like to live out there without a place to call home. She glanced at the dash of the van or hadn’t until recently. “Just, talk it through if you need to, I’m a good listener.”
Deacon reached over and touched her arm gently and then dropped his hand away. “I will.”
The phone ringing startled both of them. Deacon picked it up and answered it. “Hello.” His look relaxed a little. Tapping the screen, he held it out. “Putting you on speaker, Konner.”
“I just got about ten messages with numbers and shit. I guess the games are on now.”
Deacon smirked, “it is. We got some out and took down a bunch that was helping before we had to take a forced break.”
“I’m glad they got that all sorted out. Radio silence isn’t good for the mind.” He chuckled.
Gia watched him grin again.
“No, it is not.”
“This checking in, that’s new.” Konner’s voice was soft but serious.
“It’s needed. How much did Wynter tell you?”
“Not much, she said you guys would fill in the blanks, which brings me to why I’m calling,” he paused for a second, “when will you be here?”
Gia looked around and quickly went over the route in her head, by her calculations they were only fifteen minutes out.
“At least an hour.” Deacon said.
She turned and gave him a blank look, an hour? Had she misunderstood the route?
“There’s something we have to do before we get there.” She looked again to see him giving her a heated look and her body and fox immediately responded. She felt her cheek flush and had to jerk her head back to keep an eye on the road.
“Perfect. I’m going for a swim, absorbing as much water as I can. This lake was a dead end, but the water is clean and who knows if we’ll be anywhere near a decent lake or have time for it once we’re on the job.”
“How many days can you go now?”
“Three before I start to turn into flakey fishman.” Konner didn’t sound amused when he said it.
Gia stared at the road. Flakey fishman?
“Three days, that’s good.” Deacon sounded surprised.
“Doesn’t mean I’m a happy guy the whole time.”
Deacon pointed to a road and snapped his fingers telling her to take it.
She sent him a confused look but slowed and turned. Maybe he knew a different route.
“Okay an hour,” Konner confirmed, “I’ll expect you and your partner...”
“My mate and I.” Deacon said with conviction.
Gia gave him a startled look and had to force her attention back to the road. It wasn’t paved and looked like it was rarely used.
“That’s new,” Konner said slowly. “I look forward to meeting the brave soul that took you on in about an hour.”
“See you then.” Deacon hung up the phone.