I couldn’t describe this as lovemaking, and he’s avoiding kissing me, but I can deny I’m loving every second. I’m writhing on the bed as pressure mounts in my body again, and my need to come is almost unbearable. My fingers move of their own accord, sliding down my body to frantically rub at my clit. “No.” He slaps my hand away, replacing my fingers with his own as he toys with me, pushing down hard and then withdrawing, driving me fucking crazy with need.
My climax is lingering in the background, ready to burst forth and send me to heady heights, but every time I get close, he pulls back, either removing his fingers or his cock until I’m thrashing about underneath him in frustration and begging to come.
He flips me over, keeping a firm hand on my neck as he shoves my face into the comforter. His cock jams inside me and he resumes his relentless pounding. I push my hips back, gripping his cock with my pussy as I rock back and forth on his erection, desperately seeking my release.
“Who do you belong to?” he growls, swiveling his hips in a way that curls his cock inside me, and a whimper flies out of my mouth.
“You,” I gasp. “Always you.”
“Good girl.” He leans down over me, slowing his thrusts as he fucks me while covering my back with his hot body. One hand slips underneath me, and he cups my breast. “I should refuse to let you come,” he whispers, while nipping at my earlobe, “but I’m feeling generous.” He straightens up, clasping my hips again as he ruts into me like a wild animal, grunting and moaning as his climax builds. He furiously rubs my clit while pounding into me so hard I see stars. The instant he shoves his pinkie into my ass, my orgasm rips through me like a tornado, and I scream so loud there’s no doubt Jackson and Sawyer haven’t heard. Kai roars as his climax hits, continuing to pivot his hips and grind into me as we both ride the waves together.
We collapse in a sweaty, tired heap on the bed, both struggling to bring our breathing back to normal.
I drag him into the shower a few minutes later, because we’re both coated in his blood now and we need to get clean. After, he helps me change the bed linen before we crawl under the covers, exhausted. He pulls me into his body, spooning me from behind, and I latch onto his strong arms, closing my eyes.
A wave of contentment washes over me as we remain locked in our embrace. And it speaks volumes.
Because things are still unresolved between us.
I’m still destined for an arranged marriage to a man I don’t love.
And there’s still a hit out on Kai.
But for this one precious moment, it’s just him and me.
And it’s everything.
“Abby.” He brushes my damp hair aside, pressing a lingering kiss on my neck.
I turn my head slightly. “Yeah.”
“I’m yours.” He sucks harder on my neck. “I always have been.”
His words are music to my ears, and the biggest smile spreads over my mouth as my eyelids grow heavy, and I drift off to sleep.
“Get the fuck up!” Sawyer yells as I slowly come to.
Kai holds me against his chest, pulling the covers up over us to shield my naked body. But Sawyer is too busy racing around the room to notice. He grabs my bag and starts shoving stuff into it.
I have never seen Sawyer anything but cool and collected, and this panicked version terrifies me. “What’s happened?” Kai asks, already climbing out of bed.
“We’ve been compromised. We need to leave. Now!”
I’m already sliding out of the bed, hugging the sheet around me. “Go. I’ll grab the rest of my stuff.”
Sawyer nods, and a few strands of dark hair fall across his brow. “Be downstairs in five. There’s no time to waste.”
Kai grabs my face and kisses me hard on the lips. “Hurry, babe.”
I yank on jeans and a sweater before shoving my feet into sneakers. I’m just zipping up my bag when Kai comes back with a gray duffel bag slung over his shoulders. “Ready?”
I nod, and he grabs my bag as we run from the room.
Two blacked-out Land Rovers are parked at the entrance to the house when we step outside. Sawyer thrusts keys, a cell, and a gun into Kai’s hands. “It’s best to split up. Take the rear entrance, and we’ll head out the main one and hopefully draw them away from you.”
“Did you notify the Kennedys?” Kai asks.
Sawyer nods. “I sent the emergency code through the system Keven Kennedy set up, and I sent a message to Kyler directly. They have personnel on the way to secure the property.”
Kai nods, dragging a hand through his hair. “Good.”
“Drive as far as you can without stopping,” Sawyer suggests, “and once you’re sure you’re not being tailed, stop somewhere and call Drew on that line. It’s secure.”
“Wait. What?” I ask, my puzzled gaze bouncing between them.
“I’ll explain later,” Kai says, giving me a nudge. “Get in.”
Sawyer grabs me into a hug. “Stay safe.” He looks over my shoulder at both of us. “No heroics, Kai. There is still a hit on your head. Call Drew, and he’ll organize to get you out of the country safely.”
“I know what to do,” Kai shoots back.
I slip out of Sawyer’s embrace as the driver side door on the other Land Rover opens and closes, and Jackson appears, carrying a gun. He offers it to me. “I hope you won’t need this, but take it.”
I check the safety is on and slip it into the back waistband of my jeans. “Thanks. Be safe.” I fling my arms around his neck. “I don’t want anything to happen to either of you.”
“We’ll be fine. Just get our boy to safety and lie low.”
I move to extricate myself, but he pulls me in closer. He presses his mouth to my ear and whispers, “I’m so sorry about the babies.”
A messy ball of emotion lodges in my throat, and my stomach flips over as I nod. I can’t think about that now.
“We need to leave.” Kai pulls me back, steering me toward the car, and I hop in as I watch him hugging his friends. I slip the gun in the glove box, wiping my clammy hands down the front of my jeans, and praying like I’ve never prayed before.
If we’ve been compromised, it can only mean the bastard has located us and is on his way to kill my lover and drag me home. I don’t want to return to Rydeville, and I can’t lose Kai, so I hope we can pull off whatever plan he has in mind.
Tires squeal, sending plumes of dust and gravel in our wake as both cars head off in different directions. Kai drives across the field on the right-hand side of the property, and I grip the handrail as I’m bounced all over the place. But I don’t complain, and I don’t ask questions even though I’m full of them.
My eyes skim our surroundings in a continual loop, and I keep a close eye on the area behind us through the mirror as Kai maneuvers the car over uneven terrain. We drive across fields, the ground becoming bumpier the farther we go, until we come to a narrow dirt track. The brakes screech as Kai makes a sharp turn, and my stomach lurches to my toes. I grip the handrail tighter. Kai grasps my free hand, squeezing it briefly, and our eyes meet for a fleeting second. I squeeze his hand back, letting him know I’m okay.
We drive for a few miles until we arrive at a set of double gates. They are smaller than the main gates at the entrance to the property but made of the same sturdy wood, and there’s a keypad on this exit too. Kai punches in a code, easing the car out through the gates very carefully. We both strain forward, looking up and down the road, but there isn’t a sinner in sight.
Kai turns right, flooring it as we speed away from Kyler and Faye’s house.
It’s killing me not to ask about Drew, but Kai needs to keep his eyes on the road, and his wits about him. I won’t do anything to jeopardize our escape, so I save my questions for a later time.
We drive for hours, along back roads and side streets, avoiding the highways as much as possible, and I doze on and off.
I wake when the car jerks to a halt, squinting at the motel sign in the dim evening light. “Where
are we?”
“Maine.” Kai unbuckles his belt and rubs the back of his neck. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I twist around, glancing out the rear window. “We weren’t followed?”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t spot anyone. The guys met a couple vehicles entering Mistbury as they were leaving, and they purposely snagged their attention.”
My heart rate speeds up, and my breath falters in my throat. “Are they—”
“They’re fine,” he rushes to reassure me, threading his fingers through mine. “Jackson has mad skills, and he got away from them. They’re safe.” He presses a kiss to my brow. “Check us in while I make a call.”
My eyes meet his. “I want to talk to my brother.”
He contemplates it for a minute before nodding. Removing his wallet, he hands me a wad of cash. “Register us in false names, and don’t give up any personal information.”
I glare at him. “I am not an idiot. I know what to do.”
He presses a bruising kiss to my lips. “I know, babe. I just love winding you up.”
I stick my tongue out at him, and the ghost of a smile appears on his face. Removing his hoodie, he hands it to me. “Put that on and keep the hood up and your head down. Maintain a low profile. If you think anyone has spotted you, leave immediately.”
I do as I’m told, and adrenaline spikes at the inherent danger of the situation. He slaps my ass as I toddle off to the reception area, and I give him the finger.
I’m chuckling when I return to the car five minutes later with our room key. Kai is impatiently drumming his fingers off the steering wheel when I open his door. “What?”
“I’m waiting for Drew to call me back. Why are you smiling?” he inquires, slipping out of the car.
I follow him around to the trunk. “This will mean fuck all to you, but I registered us as Cole Reynolds and Austin Lowes.”
He shoots me some serious side eye while retrieving our bags from the trunk.
“They are characters from a book called I Dare You,” I explain. “It’s one of my all-time favorite books. Cole is the ultimate super-hot asshole bad boy, and Austin is this fierce leading lady who takes no shit from anyone, especially her boyfriend.”
“Huh.” He locks the car, slinging both bags over one shoulder, before taking my hand, and pinning me with a sarcastic grin. “Sounds like us. Good call, babe.”
The room is basic, but it’s clean and fresh smelling, and that ticks the main boxes. I flop down on the bed as Kai dumps our bags on the floor, stifling a yawn. I wonder if the reason I’m tired way more than usual is the aftermath of the procedures my bastard father forced on me. Pain penetrates my heart, and I close my eyes to ward off an incoming bout of emotion.
The bed dips beside me. “Talk to me.”
My eyes flash open, and I’m not fast enough to hide my pain. He lies down beside me, pulling me into the comforting embrace of his arms. “I’m so sorry, Abby,” he whispers, smoothing a hand up and down my back.
“For what?” I ask, surprised, because Kai isn’t one to apologize usually.
“For the things you’ve had to endure. For saying I wanted to fuck you up. For letting my anger get the best of me. For not being there to protect you and our babies.”
I rest my head on his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. “It shocked me when I first discovered I was pregnant, but the love I felt was instant,” I admit with a lump in my throat. I rub my hand across his chest. “I wanted to have your babies. And I hate that bastard for taking that from us.”
“I do too. I know we’re young, and we live in a shitty world, but I wasn’t unhappy about it. And I already loved them too.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head, and my heart melts at his words. “I’m sorry I failed you,” he adds, his voice choking. I look up into his beautiful brown eyes, spotting the pain there. “If I’d told you everything the night of the safe heist, you wouldn’t have left the house, and I could’ve kept you safe.”
I cup his face. “You didn’t do this, Kai. It’s not your fault.”
He opens his mouth to speak, but the vibration of his phone ringing ends whatever he was about to say. He removes his cell from his pocket, and I thrust my palm out, sending him a look that dares him to deny me.
He hands it over without protest, and I hit the accept button.
“Anderson.” My brother’s deep voice oozes down the line.
“It’s me,” I say in a level tone of voice. “We need to talk.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Are you okay? Is he keeping you safe?” Drew asks with worry threading through his words.
“I’m fine, and yes.” I glance at Kai. “What’s going on, Drew?”
“We’re working together to keep you safe and to take Dad down.”
I’m glad he didn’t lie or attempt to fudge his answer because I would’ve gone postal on his ass. On both their asses. Because Kai’s back on my shit list for concealing this.
“How long?”
“It happened after the shootout.” Air exhales down the line. “Look, I know you have tons of questions. Anderson should be able to answer them, but I need to talk to him now. Although this line is secure, I don’t like taking chances. I need to appraise him of the plan.”
“You know I hate being kept in the dark like I’m some feeble princess who can’t look after herself.”
“No one thinks that of you. There is a much bigger picture here, Abby. You’ve seen Parkhurst. Maybe now you have a sense of how completely fucked everything is.”
“This is about Parkhurst?”
“Parkhurst and Dad. I’ll fill you in when I see you. I promise. I need to talk to Kaiden.”
“When will I see you?”
“I don’t know, but hopefully soon.”
“Okay.”
“Abby.”
“What?”
“I trust Kaiden to keep you safe. You can trust him too.”
“I know.”
“Good. Talk to you soon. I love you.”
“Love you too,” I say, reluctantly passing the cell to Kai.
I listen to their conversation, but it’s mainly one-sided and I glean little. I try to summon patience as Kai scribbles illegible shit down on a notepad, but I give up and take a shower instead.
When I emerge from the bathroom, he’s propped up against the headrest, wearing only jeans. I try not to ogle his impressive chest, but it’s a challenge I don’t meet. I crawl up the bed in my towel with my damp hair clinging to my back. He rakes his gaze over me, smiling. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. But flattery will not get you out of this Q and A.”
He tweaks my nose. “I wasn’t trying to deflect. I was just speaking my mind.” He kisses me softly before climbing off the bed. “I need to grab a shower, but when I’m done, I’ll answer all your questions.”
“Kai.” I call out, and he stops in the bathroom’s doorway. “We’ll be okay, won’t we?”
He walks back to me, palming my face. “You can count on it.” This time his kiss is long and deep, and with every sweep of his lips and every thrust of his tongue, he’s reassuring me. “Okay?” He rubs his thumb along my swollen lower lip.
“Okay.” I sit up on my knees, curling my hands around his neck and pulling him down for another kiss. When we break apart, he rests his forehead against mine, and the words linger on my tongue. I want to tell him I love him. That he makes me feel safe. And I feel protected when I’m with him. But something is holding me back.
He saunters toward the bathroom, and I ogle his toned back, marveling at the way his muscles flex and roll as he walks, my libido well and truly reawakened since our hot sex session this morning.
I pull on clean jeans, a top, and Kai’s hoodie and wander to reception where I pick up some drinks, chips, and sandwiches. Kai is sitting on the bed in only his boxers when I return, and I lick my lips as my eyes trail the length of his body, remembering how his powerful thighs shook as he fucked m
e senseless a few hours ago and how little beads of sweat had glistened on his tattooed chest.
“Keep eye-fucking me and I’ll have you impaled on my dick, all questions forgotten, in less time than it takes to blink.”
“Maybe wear some clothes,” I suggest, waggling my brows as I remove some of my purchases, handing them to him. “If I’m hungry, you must be starving.”
“Ravenous,” he says with hunger in his eyes, but he’s not looking at the food.
I shouldn’t tease him, but it’s not in my nature to take the moral high ground, so I strip out of my clothes in front of him, standing in only my panties as I pull on sleep shorts and a top.
“If you’re trying to torture me, it’s working,” he admits, stroking his hard-on through his boxers.
I scramble onto the bed beside him, grinning smugly. “Eat, because you’ll need sustenance for my interrogation,” I say before leaning in close to his ear. “And if you’re a good boy and you answer all my questions, I’ll let you eat me after.”
I cross my legs, fighting the throbbing ache building between the apex of my thighs.
“Sounds like a fair deal with one alteration,” he says, sending me a wolfish grin as he toys with the hem of my flimsy top. “It’s got to be a naked interrogation.”
I roll my eyes. “If I interrogate you naked, we won’t be doing much talking.”
He plants his hand on my bare thigh, heating me on contact. “That doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.” He licks his lips, and my pussy rejoices.
I remove his hand, because I know it’ll distract me. “How did you end up working with my brother again? And are Charlie and Xavier involved too?”
“When you went missing, I broke into your house intending to murder your father.”
I almost choke mid-chew. “I know my father. Security must’ve been crazy after the gunfight, so how the hell did you get in?”
“We used your tunnel.”
My mouth drops open, and I blink excessively. “How did you know about that?”
“Drew told us.”
Jaw to the floor again.
“How did he know about it?”
Twisted Betrayal Page 17
