Chapter 39: Chapter 39

“Holding out against you.”

He laughed, pleased. “Nope. I was too determined to have you.” And he had every intention of keeping her. She’d never believe it, but Roni Axton was an easy person to care for. Cuddly and fuzzy? No. Outgoing and friendly? No. Polite and open? No. But she wasn’t hard or cold, wasn’t unkind or selfish, wasn’t hateful or vile.

He’d come to learn what Shaya had meant when she said that Roni had a real depth of emotion. She cared deeply and in an almost pure way. And she expressed it in the simplest of ways, like keeping Shaya stocked up on her favorite donuts, like giving her undivided attention to Kye, like letting Marcus share her cake. Those acts might seem like nothing to others, but coming from someone like Roni, who had trouble verbally expressing what she felt, they meant something.