by Ella Miles
Beckett looks at me and sucks in a deep breath. “He wanted me to keep her safe until he gave the order to kill her.”
So much pain in those words. So much hurt. I thought he was my friend—my protector. Instead, he was the enemy.
Enzo looks to me. “He’s not your friend. He has to die for what he’s done. What he was willing to do.”
“Wait,” I say. I need closure before he kills him. I need to look Beckett in the eyes and understand why. I walk out from behind Enzo, who grabs my arm as I go by. Not able to stand me leaving his safety for even a moment.
I squeeze his hand tightly and give him a knowing nod. And finally, Enzo lets me go. I walk over to Beckett and look into his eyes. But I can’t trust my eyes. So I close them. I block everything out except my heart.
And I can still feel it. The calmness. The protectiveness. The conflict. There is more to Beckett’s story than he’s saying.
I open my eyes—they confirm what my heart feels.
I’m sorry, Beckett mouths to me. Not out of fear for his life, but because he’s genuinely sorry.
Me too, I mouth back. And then I slap him hard across the cheek. “Don’t ever lie to me again.”
He nods, standing taller somehow. He’s a tall man, easily an inch or two taller than Enzo. And then I see it—the missing piece to this story. Enzo doesn’t see it yet. I’m not even sure if Beckett knows it. But neither is ready to talk about it now.
“Can I kill him now?” Enzo says.
“No,” I answer.
“We can’t trust him, Kai. I’m sorry if you’ve grown feelings for him, but the first chance he gets he’ll go to Felix. And then you’ll be a target again. I can’t go through losing you again,” Enzo says with so much heartbreak in his voice. And in this moment I regret not coming back. Not finding him in the weeks he thought I was dead. But I had to protect them both.
“Killing him isn’t the only option,” I say, walking back to Enzo so that he can relax a little. “Dad!” I shout, knowing that he is right outside the door listening.
My dad enters slowly, with his own gun drawn, aimed at Beckett.
Enzo smirks, like this proves he’s right and that we should kill Beckett.
“I agree with Enzo, honey. Beckett betrayed us. He can’t live,” my father says.
“Well, I won’t let either of you kill him yet. Every person in this room has betrayed me at one point or another. And I didn’t kill either of you for it,” I say.
Both Enzo and my father look wracked with guilt at my words. I hate throwing the past in their faces, but if it saves Beckett right now, I’ll do it.
“Now, father go get some rope, something to tie Beckett up with,” I say.
He frowns but nods, leaving to only return a few minutes later with rope.
“Enzo, grab his gun and any other weapons on him,” I say.
“Hands up,” Enzo says to Beckett.
Beckett puts his hands up as Enzo roughly searches him for weapons. When he’s found two guns and three knives, he seems satisfied that he’s found everything and takes the rope from my father and roughly ties Beckett’s hands behind his back. Followed by his legs.
“Now what? What’s your plan?” Enzo asks me with a tiny bit of snark to his voice.
“On the bed,” I say to Beckett.
Beckett hops over to my bed and lies down.
“Tie him to the bed,” I say to Enzo.
He takes the rope and ties Beckett to the bed in a sitting position with his arms behind his back. It’s not the most comfortable position, but I don’t want to deal with Beckett right now. I want Enzo.
I turn to my father. “Are you okay to watch him?”
He nods, holding his gun.
I put my hand on my father’s chest. “Don’t shoot him. Not unless you have to. Promise me,” I say.
“I promise I won’t shoot the lying bastard without your permission or if my or your life is on the line,” my father says.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Where are you going to go?”
I look at Enzo longingly. Any place with a bed.
“Remember what the doctor said,” my father says with a cautious warning.
I smile. “I’ll be fine. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key. “It’s a gift—a house. I don’t know how secure it is because Beckett knows about it. But it should be good enough for tonight at least.”
I kiss him on the cheek with tears forming in my eyes again at the thoughtful gift that Beckett already showed me my father built for me so I would have my own space when the baby arrived.
“Thank you. Beckett showed me the house. It’s beautiful. I can’t thank you enough for it. It will be perfect for tonight,” I say, taking Enzo’s hand. I lead him out of the room. Out of the lies and betrayal. And into one tiny moment of happiness.
11
Enzo
As soon as we step out of the bedroom, my hands are all over Kai. Her face, her arms, her belly. I still can’t believe she’s alive. That this is real.
“You’re alive,” I cry, pulling her tightly against my body again.
“You’re here,” she cries back into my shoulder.
There are so many questions. So many things I want to know. But right now, what I need most is her in my arms.
The hug quickly turns into desperate kisses. God, how I’ve missed her lips. Her tongue dips into my mouth, and I swear I almost come from just her kiss. I never thought I’d feel this again. Never thought I’d feel love. Hope for the future.
Nothing will ever change that again. I will do whatever it takes to protect her. To protect the baby.
The baby!
Before I wouldn’t talk out loud about the baby for fear if I did, something would go desperately wrong.
And then I remember what her father said about doing what the doctor said.
I stop the kiss. “What did the doctor say? Is my son okay?” I place my hand over her stomach, which seems triple the size it was the last time I saw her. Has it only been a few weeks?
She smiles. “I just had a little scare. Everything is fine, though. The doctor just said to take it easy for a day or two and not do anything that raises my blood pressure so high again.”
The baby is fine. But that’s a no for sex. I won’t risk the health of the baby for my own selfish reasons. No matter how badly I want Kai right now.
Kai must be able to read my mind, though. “We have a lot to talk about, but not here. Is your car nearby?”
I nod. And then scoop her up in my arms. She smiles brightly like I just took the weight of the world off her shoulders as I carry her out of the small cottage.
“How did you find me?” she asks.
“Felix, he showed me a picture of you. I realized immediately that you went to Alaska. To the last place you thought anyone would think you would go to your father,” I say.
She nods. “I thought the best place to go would be the last place Felix would look. I guess I was wrong.”
I kiss her lips, to stop her from worrying about Felix.
“Felix is in jail. At least for now. I paid off enough people to put him in a max security prison. He’ll be there for a while. Eventually, he’ll find a way out, but I’ll be notified when that happens. I think Beckett was telling the truth when he said he was the only one who knew where you were. As long as Felix can’t contact him, then you’re safe,” I say.
She touches my cheek and then kisses me gently again. Damn tears dance in my eyes again. “I missed you so much, stingray.”
“I know. And I’m sorry for letting you think I was dead. I just—”
“Shh,” I kiss her soft lips again. “I know. You did the right thing. It wasn’t safe.” It’s still not safe. But for today, we are safe.
I carry her to my car hidden in the woods near the house. I still don’t like that we are leaving Beckett behind even though he’s tied up. And I don’t trust her father any more t
han I trust Beckett. But Kai does. Something has changed between the two of them. So for now, I’ll accept her judgment.
I set her down in the passenger side of the truck I rented. Seeming appropriate to handle the rough Alaskan terrain. And then I jump in next to her.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
She grins. “My house.”
“Your house? You have a house?” I ask. I assumed she was living with her father. I didn’t realize how settled her life had become here.
She nods. “My father saved all of his money for me. He bought this house; the rest is in a savings account for me. It was always meant to keep me safe. Beckett…I just saw it the other day.”
She gives me directions, and I drive the couple miles through the woods to her house.
When I pull into the driveway, I wasn’t expecting what I see.
“Your father bought you a mansion,” I say.
She bites her lip and tucks her hair bashfully. “I guess he wanted to make up for all the crap he’s put me through.”
I stare at her. “This doesn’t even begin to make up for what he did to you.”
She nods. “It doesn’t. But I genuinely think he is trying his best. I’ll explain later. There is a lot to talk about. But right now, I want to forget about all the dangers and problems we will eventually have to solve. I want to forget about Felix and my father and Beckett and the Black empire. I just want tonight to be about us.”
I lean over and kiss her lips gently again, trying not to get us both worked up when we can’t do anything about it.
“But first…” she starts.
I suck in a breath waiting for what she’s going to say.
“Langston and Liesel. Are they…?” She can’t even finish the question.
I should say they are dead. It would protect them both more until they are safe that I’m the only person that knows that they are alive. But I can’t put her through what I went through these last few weeks thinking she was dead.
“They are both alive.”
She exhales the breath she was holding. “Really? They are both alive?”
I nod. “Yes, I’ve seen them both. Langston wasn’t in great shape, though. I sent him away to recover. And Liesel wasn’t safe. So they are both hiding. Both pretending to be dead.”
“I know how that feels.”
Why?
Was it because of Felix? Or something more?
But I don’t ask, because right now it doesn’t matter. What matters is being with her.
I get out of the car and walk over to the door. I open it for her and scoop her out as I carry her to the front door. I take the key from her and carry her over the threshold.
And just like that the mood changes. The spark between us returns in full force. And I drive my mouth hungrily over hers at the same time her hands grip my hair, pulling me down roughly.
Kai nips at my lip as my tongue sweeps into her mouth. The kiss is everything and not enough at the same time. We both want more. Both desperate to feel alive again after both being dead for so long.
I can feel her heart thumping heavily in her chest, my own heart matching hers.
I have to stop this, my mind reminds me.
But my body can’t.
“Kai,” I say, sternly against her lips. “We have to stop. I have no control right now when I’m around you. And I won’t hurt you. I can’t.”
Kai places her hand on my lips, and I slowly lower her to her feet, knowing we need some separation.
“Is there anything I can say that will end in you fucking me?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Your father was concerned. I know you're minimizing whatever happened at the doctor.”
“So if I called the doctor who saw me, and they approved me for sex, then?”
My cock hardens painfully in my jeans, so desperate to be inside her.
“Yes, then I’d make love to you,” I say.
She smiles at my change of words from fucking to making love. For us, it will always be making love. And as much as I want to fuck her hard on every surface in this house, I won’t. I won’t hurt her or the baby. But I do want to fuck her—slowly, gently taking my time, so the moment lasts forever.
She pulls out her cell phone and dials a number. “Hello, doctor Aspen. I’m sorry to bother you; I just have one question I need answered.”
The man must say something back, and then Kai asks, “Is it safe for me to have sex?”
She presses a button for speakerphone and then holds the phone out so we can both hear the answer.
“Yes, I don’t see any problem with you enjoying intimacy. Just monitor how you are feeling and take it slow. But I would think it could actually help your anxiety and blood pressure.”
She smiles brightly. “Thank you, doctor.”
She ends the call.
She takes a step back, swaying her hips back and forth in the sundress she’s wearing with a light sweater. She looks so happy and carefree.
“Are you coming to help me find a bedroom in this place or not?” she asks, stopping on the bottom step.
“Definitely coming,” I run over to her, but she starts darting up the stairs, forcing me to chase her.
“That can’t be good for the baby,” I yell after her.
“Will you stop worrying? The happier I am, the better for the baby. And right now, I’ve never been happier.”
I grab her from behind as she hits the top step. I wrap my arms around her hips and pull her to me. I sweep her hair off her shoulder and kiss her tenderly on her neck.
She gasps at the simple touch.
“Still want to play games with me?” I ask as I thumb her neck teasing her.
“No, I just want you.”
I spin her around, and our lips collide again slowly, taking our time exploring each other’s mouths as I walk her backward carefully toward the door at the end of the hallway. I’m tempted each time we pass a door to throw open the door and pray it’s a bedroom. But I know the master is most likely at the end of the hallway, and I want the best room to be where I make love to her again for the first time.
Finally, we make it to the end of the hallway; I push open the door and break the kiss long enough to pull Kai into the room with me. When I flick on the lights, we both gasp at the sight.
The room is wall to wall windows that look like they fold back so the room can be completely outdoors. It backs up to the woods and a lake. And the lack of houses we passed on the way here tell me this room is completely private. There is a large deck off the back with a jacuzzi tub and another door that I assume leads to a bathroom.
Kai lets go of my hand long enough to walk over to the center of the bright white bed. She takes a seat on the edge as she takes in the scenery.
I want this to be perfect for her. So while she takes it all in, I fold all of the windows open, so it’s like the forest becomes part of the room. Then I find a few matches in one of the top drawers. I pull them out and light the candles lining the floor all the way around the room. I light every one of them until the room is glowing with soft light and the forest beyond.
“It’s so beautiful,” she says. “I can’t believe my father put this much thought into this house.”
I nod. I can’t believe the bastard did either. But I decide to keep my thoughts to myself.
I take her hand again, and she stands up. I consider my next move carefully. I want her. I love her. She’s mine in almost every way except one. The one way that I’ve wanted for so long but have been too scared to make happen. I’ve been afraid of what it would mean for the Black empire. Afraid of Felix coming along and destroying it. Afraid of what Kai would say.
But I’m not afraid anymore.
I’m more in love with Kai than I’ve ever been. And I can’t wait another moment for her to not be mine forever.
So I pull the scrunchie off my wrist as I get down on one knee in front of her. Knowing that I need this, that we both need this, to feel whole. I want our first
time together again to mean so much more than just reuniting—the start of a new life together.
“I love you, stingray, more than you will ever know. These past few weeks without you in my life have been the worst kind of torture. I’m not whole without you. I’m not me without you. I need you more than I need air to breathe. And I can’t spend one more second where you aren’t mine.”
I untie the ring from the scrunchie—that contains three pieces that represent the most important men in her life—Zeke with the scrunchie, Langston with the ring, and me with the wooden heart.
“Truth or lies, you mean the world to me?” I ask.
“Truth,” she says through tears.
“Truth or lies, I will never leave you again?”
“Truth.”
“Truth or lies, I will protect you and our baby with my life?”
“Truth.”
“Truth or lies, my heart only beats for you?”
“Truth.”
“Stingray, will you marry me?”
12
Kai
“Stingray, will you marry me?”
I must have imagined those words. Those words can’t be real. For the past few weeks, my life has been hell. My life has been figuring out how to get myself out of bed in the morning. How to put food in my mouth. How to survive without the man I love.
But it only takes a moment for everything to change.
I’ve experienced that enough times to know things can go from good to bad in an instance. Enzo knows that too.
But I’m discovering things can go from bad to good just as quickly.
I close my eyes and open them again, but Enzo is still kneeling in front of me in one of the most beautiful rooms I’ve ever seen.
This can’t be real.
I shake my head, trying to get the image to change back to the darkness I’m used to, but no darkness comes. The light of the candles still shines just as brightly.
This can’t be real.
Enzo takes my hand, his warmth shooting through my cold.
“This is real,” he says, reading my mind.
I swallow hard, trying to clear my throat so I can answer him. I’ve never been more thrilled and terrified at the same time.
