He’s cut off when a meaty hand wraps around his throat, restricting his air supply. Kai is puce in the face as he slams his older brother into the wall. “You have two seconds to explain before I dig a pit outside and bury every fucking one of you!” he yells, his gaze bouncing between the three guys in the room.
“What the actual fuck…” Joaquin says, rushing into the room, his words dying out when he spots Rick smashed against the wall with Kai’s hand around his neck, “is going on?”
Harley races in behind him, sending panicked eyes in my direction, and guilt churns in my gut.
“That’s what I’d like to know.” Kai bores a hole in the side of Harley’s head, and his cheeks darken. “Over here now,” he commands, slapping Rick’s cheek before releasing him. Rick punches him in the gut, but it’s lacking power because Kai doesn’t even flinch. He just smirks. That horrible smug smirky thing he does that makes me want to claw my nails down his face.
“Asshole,” Rick spits, rubbing at his neck.
Kai ignores him, slinging his arm around his younger brother’s shoulder in a threatening manner. “Spill. And hold nothing back, or I’ll know.”
“I’m sorry, Kai!” Harley says, his voice quaking. “I shouldn’t have drunk the tequila because I got wasted, and I don’t remember any of it, but I didn’t mean to do it. I know she’s your girl, and I’d never have touched her if I wasn’t so trashed.” The confession spews from his mouth like projectile vomit.
“What did you do?” Kai locks eyes with me as he asks his brother the question.
“I don’t know,” Harley wails, and his lower lip wobbles. “All I know is they found us in our underwear in bed.” He pins sorrowful eyes on his brother. “I’m sorry, Kai. And I promise it won’t happen again. Please don’t hate me.”
Fuck this shit. I’ve got to end this before poor Harley cries. “Nothing happened,” I admit, because I can’t stand to see the anguish in Harley’s eyes. “I just made it look like that.” Harley’s head whips around to mine, his eyes splayed wide. “I’m sorry. It was a shitty thing to do, but I had to cover my tracks and there wasn’t time for anything else.”
“Because you snuck out and bought the cell phone,” Rick says, joining the dots. I nod. “How? You had no cash.”
“I sweet-talked Harley into giving me cash for snacks, made a deal with the girl in reception so I could borrow her ride, and then got him drunk superfast so he passed out and I could leave.”
Jackson chuckles. “Resourceful as ever, beautiful, and my offer still stands.” He palms his crotch, giving it a quick stroke. “Whenever you ditch the caveman, I’ll be right here waiting.”
“As will my fists,” Kai cuts in. “I’m fucking warning you, Lauder. You’re on thin ice with me, so quit that shit. She’s carrying my baby, and I’m fucked if I’ll sit by and let you drool all over her. That goes for all of you.” His gaze bounces between his brothers and his friends. He lets Harley go. “You too, Har.”
His voice and his expression gentles, and it’s fascinating watching him handle someone with kid gloves. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you.” His eyes settle on mine momentarily. “It’s hard to deny her when she lays on the charm.” He messes up Harley’s hair, and I smother a smile when Harley scowls, swatting his hand away. “Don’t go anywhere alone with her because I don’t trust her not to try something again.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, puh-lease. There’s no need to make out like I’m Mata Hari.”
“Who’s Mati Hara?” Harley asks, scratching the side of his head.
“Mata Hari was a Dutch dancer who used seduction tactics to spy for the Germans during World War One,” Sawyer explains.
“Xavier told me about her one time,” I say. “One of his many random but interesting facts.” I tap a finger off my chin, fighting the laughter bubbling up my throat. “Now that I think about it, you two are so alike. You’re virtually a match made in heaven. I know Xavier thinks you’re hot. Do you think he’s hot?” I ask Sawyer, waggling my brows. “If you let him come here, I’ll sign up to play matchmaker.”
“Does anyone have a muzzle?” Sawyer replies, pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes.
“I’m only trying to inject some energy into your love life. No need to be mean.”
“I’m perfectly capable of finding a willing partner to share my bed with no interference from you.” He crosses his feet at the ankles as he leans back against the dresser. “And we all know that’s a smokescreen. You’re just trying to get your buddy here.”
“Do you blame me?” My brows climb to my hairline. “You could at least give me one ally.”
“We’re your allies,” Jackson says, anxiously swiping his hands up and down the front of his jeans.
“And it’s safer for Xavier if he doesn’t know where we are,” Sawyer says, and I believe it when it comes from his mouth.
“He told me to turn the cell on when I got here and he’d be able to trace it,” I admit.
“When did you turn it on?” Sawyer inquires.
“When we reached this property.”
His shoulders relax. “It’s fine then. He can’t trace you in this town.”
“Why not?” I’m naturally curious when it comes to tech stuff.
“There are a few places in the US that are satellite black spots, and this is one of them,” Sawyer says.
“What exactly does it mean?” I ask, although I can guess.
“Think of it like a black cloud over this town masking everything from sight. So, even though your father is deploying high-tech strategies using satellites and software image recognition to search for us, it hides us under the cloud.”
“How do you connect to the net then?”
“I have a USB dongle connected to a private hidden network owned by my father.”
“And why wouldn’t my cell work here?”
“Because I installed a blocker. We use ours with a code which bypasses the security, so don’t even think of trying to steal ours. The code has to be input with every action, and you won’t be able to use the phone without it.”
“And Rick’s friends just happened to have a cabin in this town?” I’m skeptical in the extreme.
“They chose this spot for the privacy it offered them.”
“So, they’re, like, famous or something?”
“Or something,” Rick cryptically replies. “The most important thing is we’re hidden here, and we need to keep it that way.”
A loud yawn escapes my mouth that second, and a blanket of tiredness swathes me. My eyes close for a nanosecond, and I sway a little on my feet. An arm encircles my waist from behind, and I’d know his touch anywhere.
“Get out,” Kai says, and my eyes pop open. “Abby’s tired.”
“You want something to eat, beautiful?” Jackson asks, as the others dutifully shuffle toward the door.
“I got it covered,” Kai barks, his tone warning Jackson to back off.
I shuck out of his hold. “You can leave too.”
He smirks. “Nice try. I’m going nowhere.”
I snatch my measly plastic bag up. “Then I’m taking another room.”
His smirk extends and I want to smack him in his gorgeous mouth. “There are only five bedrooms here and they’re all occupied. You’re stuck with me. Deal with it.”
“I’ll sleep on the couch,” I say, walking toward the door where Sawyer and Jackson are lounging, watching this play out.
“You’re not sleeping on the couch.” Kai fists a hand in my dress, yanking me back.
“Stop manhandling me! I’m not your property.” I wriggle out of his hold.
“Stop pissing me off, Abigail.” His eyes burn with uncaged frustration. “You’re pregnant with my kid, so that means I get a say. And I’m saying get your cranky ass in that bed asap!” He turns me around by the shoulders, frog marching me toward the bed.
“Get your hands off me.”
“Not happening, baby.” He pats my ass and a red haze creeps o
ver my retinas. I spin around, my hand raised, ready to slap him again, but his reflexes are fast, and he grabs both my wrists as he pushes me back into the wall. Keeping my arms above my head, he presses his body along the length of mine, and I pray for self-control.
He let you believe he was Camden Marshall for months, and he was an obnoxious, cruel asshole.
He put his cock in you when you had no idea he was Kaiden Anderson.
He deserves nothing but your wrath.
I repeat those statements on a mantra in a loop in my mind, hoping they sink in.
Honestly, it’s embarrassing how much power he has over my body, and I need to win back control.
“Stop fighting me, because you know what it does to me, or do you need a reminder?” He swivels his hips, drilling his point home.
“Get your motherfucking lying cock away from me,” I hiss, and Jackson chuckles.
“Do you mind?” Kai says, whipping his head around to glare at his friends.
“Not at all,” Jackson says, idly tapping his fingers off his jean-clad thigh. “Don’t worry about us. We’re enjoying the show.”
“I’ll grab the popcorn,” Sawyer jokes, grinning.
“I’m glad someone’s amused,” Kai drawls, “because I’m two seconds away from putting her stubborn ass over my lap and teaching her a lesson she won’t forget.”
“Don’t hold back on our account,” Jackson says, winking.
“I thought you were on my side!” I holler.
“I’m always on your side, beautiful, but that doesn’t mean I’m against punishing you.”
“Lauder.” Kai’s growl is back, and he’s riled up. I feel a smug sense of satisfaction knowing that I’ve wound him up nice and good from the minute I arrived here.
“Do everyone a favor and fuck off to the couch,” I say. “Because it’s you go or I do.”
“I’m not sleeping on the fucking couch!” he roars.
“Jackson.” I calmly call out, avoiding eye contact with Kai.
“Yes, beautiful.”
“Can I sleep in your room with you?”
“Sure thing.” He walks forward with a spring in his step. “Grab your shit and let’s go.”
A strangled sound rips from Kai’s chest, and he looks like he’s about to implode. Dropping my hands, he steps back and starts pacing, scrubbing a hand back and forth across his stubbly jawline, as if he’s trying to talk himself off a ledge. “You’re lucky you’re pregnant,” he says, pointing at me. “Because that’s the only reason I’m not angry-fucking that disobedience out of you.”
“It wouldn’t be happening whether I’m pregnant or not,” I argue. “You and me are done. Finito. Sayonara. Arrivederci. And however you say finished or goodbye in a hundred different languages.”
He grabs fistfuls of his hair, and his mouth opens and closes as he wages some form of inner battle. I know he wants to punish me, but the pregnancy card is already paying dividends. He sends a scathing look at me before storming out of the room, violently shoving past Jackson and Sawyer on his way.
I share a grin with Jackson. “Oops. Was it something I said?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The battle of wills with Kai drains me, and I crawl into bed, not remembering how or when I fall asleep. Only that I wake up, in the middle of the night, crying out as the usual nightmares torment me. I bolt upright in the unfamiliar bed, the cotton dress stuck to my back like glue.
“What’s wrong?” a gruff voice asks, and I shriek as a blurry form moves at the side of my bed. “Shush, babe. It’s just me.” Kai sits upright in the chair, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I slam a hand across my chest, willing my thumping heart to calm down.
“Of course not.”
“Then what are you doing in here?” I lean back against the headrest. “I thought I made myself perfectly clear.”
“Don’t.” He leans forward, and shadows cast strange shapes across his handsome face. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
“You can’t keep forcing yourself into my life when I don’t want you in it.”
He releases a tired sigh. “We both know that’s bullshit, but whatever.”
My tummy grumbles loudly, reminding me I haven’t eaten in hours.
Kai stands. “I’ll get you something to eat.”
“You don’t have to do that.” I don’t want to be beholden to him, and him doing nice shit for me weakens my resolve.
“I’m offering. Doesn’t happen often, and I suggest you accept.”
I can’t see his face properly in this light, but I know he’s glaring at me, and challenging me to argue. I should decline, but I’m too exhausted, and way too tired to fight this fight, so I give in. “Okay, thanks.”
He pads quietly out of the room, and I use the opportunity to pee, brush my teeth, and strip the sweaty dress off my gross body. I take a thirty-second shower to freshen up, taking care not to get my hair wet, and then I find a light nightdress belonging to Faye and change into it before slipping back under the covers. I switch on the lamp by the bed, noticing the bottle of water and a box of vitamins on top of the table.
I pick the box up, reading the label with a lump in my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Kai returning with a cup and a plate. I put the box down and sit up straighter in the bed.
Wordlessly, he hands me the steaming mug, and a freshly made sandwich.
“Thank you.”
I wolf the sandwich down, enjoying a little internal laugh when I think of how disgusted the bastard would be if he could see me now. Perhaps that’s why I cuss a lot more these days. I’m subconsciously rebelling against everything my father asked of me. He’s got to be pissed I’m missing, and I’m thinking being isolated here could be for the best.
My eyes meander to the box of vitamins as I set my empty plate down.
“I, uh, picked them up in the pharmacy in town,” Kai explains. “Rick told me to get folic acid, but the pharmacist recommended those multivitamins. She said it’s what everyone is taking during pregnancy nowadays.”
I eye him over the lid of my mug as I sip my hot chocolate. He’s such an enigma, but I don’t trust he’s not up to something. “What game are you playing now?” I narrow my eyes. “What’s in those pills?”
He leans forward, resting his elbows on the edge of the bed. “I’m not playing any game, Abby. Not anymore.” His earnest expression crashes into me. “And it’s just vitamins. I swear. Why can’t you believe I just want to take care of both of you?” His voice turns soft, and the sandwich threatens to make a reappearance.
“I’m tired.” I put my half-empty mug down on the table, sliding back under the covers. Rolling onto my side, I face the wall, fighting the imminent onslaught of tears.
“Abby,” he whispers, and the bed dips as he sits down. “I want to hold you.”
“Don’t, Kai.” My voice cracks and I’m losing control of my emotions. “Just don’t.”
The bed jerks as he gets up, dropping into the chair again with a loud, frustrated sigh. “Just so you know, I’m not giving up,” he whispers. “You can push me away. Bait me. Lash out at me. Do your worst. And I’ll take it. Because I deserve it. But I’m going nowhere, Abby. I’ll be your perpetual shadow, because no one or nothing is taking you from me again.” The chair squeaks as he gets comfortable. “And that includes you.”
I’m the first one up the following morning, and I’m glad, because I’m jittery and on edge and I need some alone time to formulate a new plan. Baking has always soothed me, and the house is fully stocked, so I spend a couple of blissful hours baking pancakes, muffins, and cupcakes, leaving them on the counter to cool while I grab my coffee and a blanket and head out onto the deck which faces the rear of the property.
Kai already has my heart and my head in a tailspin, and I wish I knew how to cut the ties that bind us, because I’m sick of being a slave to my hormones and my emotions. Except for my anger. I cling to t
hat, because it’s the only barrier, the only weapon, I have against him.
I’m tucked up under the blanket, enjoying the fresh brisk air slapping my cheeks, when the door slides open and Jackson sticks his head out. “What the fuck are you doing out here?” he inquires, shivering. “It’s cold enough to freeze my balls off.”
“It’s not cold under the blanket.” I tilt my head to the side. “Grab a coffee and come join me.”
He returns a couple minutes later wrapped up in a puffy jacket and scarf with a beanie pulled down over his head. “You’re such a wimp.” I open one side of the blanket. “Come on. I’ll let you siphon some of my body heat.”
“Tempting as that is, beautiful, I still value breathing. And Kai already wants to murder me in cold blood and feed me, in little pieces, to the sharks at the Rydeville Aquarium.”
“This caveman act is getting real old,” I admit, warming my hands around the fresh cup of coffee he hands me.
“Get used to it. You’re his baby momma. It will only get worse.”
I stare out at the lake, wishing I could dunk my entire body into the water until I can’t feel anything anymore.
“He was so worried about you,” Jackson says, slurping from his mug. “We all were.”
“Maybe if you’d told me what was going on, things would’ve turned out differently that night.”
“Truth.” He leans back, sliding his arm along the seat behind me. “But you’d run off to Jane’s, and that asshole Atticus brought his plan forward. There wasn’t any way of warning you.”
I turn sideways to look at him. “You don’t like him either, huh?”
“He’s a twisted old fuck, and he basically checked out for years, leaving Kai and Rick to run things when they were only kids themselves.”
“If that’s the case, why does he have such a strong hold over them?”
Jackson shrugs. “I used to joke it was like Stockholm Syndrome, and now I’m not so sure I wasn’t right.”
“He’s their only surviving parent,” Sawyer says, startling both of us as he steps out onto the deck. “And even if he’s a shitty one, he’s all they have.” He walks toward us, taking the space on the other side of me. I open up the blanket, and he tucks it up under his chin, smiling at me.
Twisted Betrayal Page 10
