She smirked, at their retort. “Testy are we? You say left, I say abandoned, are they not synonymous in certain cases?” Beau’s shoulders rose and fell. “She’s not shackled. We’re business partners equal in all we do and all we have, and she’s completely an independent person who can go and come whenever she pleases.” While it would be sad it Kat decided to part ways with her, it wouldn’t stop her life. Heartbreak and being left were parts of her life she came to terms with. People weren’t trinkets that stayed for as long as we would like. They were their own entities with their own minds and sometimes they had to go their own ways.
“Damn, denying customers? Can you really afford to turn anyone away? I mean…go down the block to The Secret Garden Falls edition and business is booming. Or go over to the Heights to the Garden there and well…you get the picture. Pick a realm, any realm and I can assure business isn’t in any danger. And we won’t even close our doors to you. You’re more than welcome to any location of The Secret Garden.”
Beau burst into laughter at his threat. “This realm? This one? Oh please try. Who will you implore to decree this? How would you stop me? Last I checked, your title said you were just a minor lord. Do you have sway with the High Lord? Would you say you could snap your finger and he would remove me from this realm?”
She pointed to her face. “Look at my face.” No emotion slipped through her mask of indifference. “Do I look afraid? Of you? Of your threats? Of death? Because you couldn’t kill me if you wanted to. Death doesn’t frighten me, but you’re cute with your little threats.” She frowned. “Why would she need to crawl? She’s her own person, she’s free to make any business decisions or personal decisions she likes. She’s not my territory. Do you think she’s yours? Why wouldn’t you be happy for someone who decided to better themselves, and move outside your shadow?”
“I can afford to do anything I fucking want. If I want you out of here, then I can kick you out.” Brayden slammed his glass down on the bar top. She had no right coming in here and messing up everything for him. He didn’t care about his business right now. He would close it himself if it meant Kat came back to him. He was focused on who she stole from him. Beau didn’t understand the type of bond that Brayden and Kat had. It was more than anything she could comprehend. All he had to do was destroy Beau and Kat would come back. Everything would go back to normal after that.
“I wouldn’t set foot in any of your establishments, who knows what diseases your escorts are carrying.” He turned to refill his empty glass. “I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before you get shut down. Sure your business might be booming but once people start getting sick, there is going to be an angry mob pounding on your doors.”
This was not the welcome home he expected after his long trip away. Kat was supposed to be here to welcome him back, nothing was supposed to have changed. He had gone away before, why was this return home different? Why did this woman feel she had the authority to come in here and wreck everything for him? She had absolutely no right to his business or to Kat. Now she was claiming that he held no power within the realm which was a complete and utter lie. He never needed the high lord to enforce anything for him when he could just do it himself.
“Who says it’s the high lord who is going to take care of you? Do you think I’ve lived hundreds of years without killing someone myself?” He smiled and took a sip of his drink.
“I made Kat who she is. I’m the reason she’s still alive today.” Brayden was fuming mad now. There was no doubt in his mind who Kat belonged too. He was her maker after all. Kat was better when she was with him. The both of them knew that. Sure he would let her get whatever this was out of her system but he knew she would be back.