Seeing that violent side of Kai brought back all the bad memories from my past. I take a few deep breaths, and when I turn around Kai and Killian are standing next to Ava as well and they all just watch me. I glare at them all, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than before.
Kai’s glaring at me, his jaw so tight that his cheeks look concave.
He stalks forward and I flinch, and he actually stops for a moment, but then he continues. He grabs my arm, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s not as hard as it was before.
“We’re leaving,” Kai mutters.
“I’m not leaving with you,” I say shakily, stiffening my legs, trying to stop Kai’s forceful strides.
He turns to me so quickly that I bump into his chest and he holds me so tightly, I can barely breathe. When he leans back, his eyes look murderous, and his nostrils flare. Then, he just picks me up and throws me over his shoulder.
“Kai!” I squeal.
But he’s already marching out the door.
He tosses me inside his car, and then buckles me in as if I’m three.
“Fuck you!” I scream as he slams my door shut.
And that’s when I see Killian doing the same thing to Ava.
What the fuck?
Kai gets in the car and starts the engine, peeling out of the school parking lot.
“Where are you taking me? School isn’t even over yet. God, Kai,” I say, shaking my head. “Why me? Just leave me alone. I’ll stay out of your way. Just let me live. Please.”
His jaw clenches. “I’d already warned you once, and you didn’t listen. These are the consequences.”
“What consequences?” I yell, getting more and more frustrated. “Why did I need to leave in the first place? I’ve never even met you!”
Kai glances at me for a moment, his face completely emotionless, before turning back to the road. “We’re going to your house to get your things and then you’re coming back to my house,” is all he says.
I start laughing. “You’re delusional. Like, seriously, what is wrong with you?”
He doesn’t say anything, but I see his knuckles tighten on the steering wheel.
“I’m not going back to your house, Kai. You’ll have to drag me kicking and screaming.”
“You will do what I say, love,” he says, his voice low and menacing. “Or your mother will pay the consequences this time.”
“You would hurt my mom?” I whisper. My lip quivers, but I bite down on it hard, and sit back in my seat with my arms crossed.
He never answers my questions and we pull up to mine and my mom’s tiny apartment complex.
I get out on shaky legs and numbly walk to the door.
Once it’s open, I scream.
I scream until my lungs are raw and I run to my mother lying on the floor, pale and unmoving.
“Mom!” I reach for her neck, feeling for a pulse. I feel none. My chest heaves with a sob. “Come on, Mom. Wake up!”
I start performing CPR. I don’t even know how to do it. I’m just going off of what I’ve seen on TV.
Muscular arms wrap around me as Kai jerks me away from my mom.
I flail and buck against him, hearing sirens in the distance.
“You did this!” I scream at him. “You threatened her! You said she would suffer consequences. You killed her!” My throat’s raw and my eyes are blurred with tears.
“When would I have killed her?” Kai hisses. “I’ve been with you all day.”
My face falls to my hands while my shoulders shake with sobs. I know he’s right, but I’m so angry, and he’s the only one here to blame. But the door was locked when we left this morning and there’s no sign of forced entry.
And I’m willing to bet it was my father.
Cops and paramedics burst through the room. Their gazes instantly fall to Kai and me, and once again it looks as if we’re a typical couple. Him, comforting his distraught girlfriend.
They escort us out of the house and ask me some questions.
I answer everything, but I don’t feel like I even belong in my body anymore. It’s as if I’m outside of my body, watching as I talk to the officers. I always knew this was a possibility with someone like my father, but my mother always loved him, regardless. If he would’ve shown up here today, she definitely would’ve let him in.
“She can stay with me, Sir,” Kai assures, his rough voice sounding almost gentle, and I don’t even have the strength to fight him on it.
“Thanks, son,” the officer says, giving Kai a look of admiration as if he’s such a nice guy to offer that to someone like me. Then I watch as they make the final confirmation that my mother is actually dead.
They cover her face with a black body bag and I think I’m going to be sick.
And as I take Kai’s hand while he leads me back to his car, it feels as if I've traveled down to Hell, and made a deal with Satan himself.
6
Ava
I can’t believe Desiree’s mom is dead. My stomach twists because I don’t want to think the boys had anything to do with it, but I also wouldn’t put anything past them at this point. If she got in the way of whatever fixation Kai has on Desiree, I’m not sure what length he would go to stop her. I shake my head, rattling my racing thoughts around in my brain. Killian drove me to my place last night, watched me go inside, and told me not to leave the house until he picked me up this morning. I wasn’t in the mood to be jerked around again or have my mind all twisted up, so I left for school an hour early. I haven’t seen Desiree or
