“Kai, you didn’t even use a condom!”
He shrugs his shirt on. “So?”
“What do you mean ‘so’? Do you want me to get pregnant or something?” I run a nervous hand through my sweaty sex hair.
He doesn’t answer, and instead continues to get dressed.
“What are you doing?” I ask, but I’m afraid I already know.
“I’m going back down to party and you’re going to stay here,” he says, and then he pulls some handcuffs out of his night table by his bed.
“Fuck you,” I seethe, embarrassed when tears fill my eyes.
He only smiles, walking slowly toward me like a predator, cuffs hanging from his finger. “Did you think I was going to stay and cuddle and we’d share all our deepest darkest secrets?”
“No, I expected exactly this from a fucking asshole like you,” I say back, but there’s not much heat in my tone because if I let loose all this pent up anger, frustration, humiliation, I’m going to completely fall apart and I will not do that in front of Kai Pierce.
The snap of the cuff locks with such finality that it sounds almost louder than the music blaring from downstairs.
“Now don’t you go anywhere,” Kai says with an evil laugh before storming out the door as if he can’t get away from me fast enough.
That’s when I let the tears fall freely. I make no noise, just sit there naked on the bed I was just royally fucked in, literally.
Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door. I hurriedly wipe my tears and cover myself with a blanket with my free arm.
“Desiree?” River’s voice comes through the door.
“Yes,” I croak, inhaling deeply, pretending I wasn’t just breaking down naked in fucking Kai Pierce’s bedroom.
“Can I come in?”
“Yes.”
In walks River, approaching slowly as if I’m a dying kitten, and I suppose that’s probably how I look.
“Nice outfit,” she says, grinning sadly.
I glare at her.
“Sorry, I’m not the best at comforting people,” she says shuffling awkwardly. “But...I brought water.” She extends her arm forward with a water bottle in it, and I take it.
“Thanks,” I sniff, giving her a small smile. She’s trying, and I need to take all the allies I can get in this fucked up place.
I take long sips and it does calm me a bit.
“Can I sit?” she asks, nodding at the bed.
I nod.
The bed dips when she sits, and we stay quiet a moment.
“You’re safe here,” she finally says.
I huff. “Were you doing some of the drugs downstairs? ‘Cause that doesn’t sound correct.”
I feel her eyes observing me, but I don’t meet her stare. I’m too tired.
“I understand you must be feeling so low right now, but I mean it. Kai is trying to protect himself right now, but he’s different with you.”
“That sounds cliche,” I huff.
“It’s the truth,” she says, smiling gently. “Kai acts all tough, and he is. You’d be a fool to cross him, but he will protect what’s his at all cost. So even if you’re feeling down right now, just know you’re at least safe.”
I sigh heavily. “Am I safe from Kai, though?” I ask.
She hesitates. “I don’t know,” she answers sadly.
12
Ava
I thought with the way Killian was last night, that I’d finally get a restful night’s sleep. But I don’t want to miss a moment of it. The way he sagged against me when sleep overtook him is something I’ve missed since we were young. The way his fingertips dig into my skin, gripping my hip a little too roughly while he dreams, is comforting. I want to run my fingers through his long hair, but I don’t want to wake him. He’ll be sober, and I already know which version of him I’ll get today.
He’s lying on top of me, his face pressed deeply into the crook of my neck as he breathes so peacefully, I almost don’t believe it.
“Touch me,” he says, and it startles me at first, but I realize he’s still not fully awake because his lips drag along my shoulder and his large frame presses me deeper into the mattress.
Obliging him, I wrap one of my arms around his back and let the fingers of my other hand tunnel through his hair. One of his hands finds my thigh and pulls it up over his hip. His thick cock is heavy against my pussy. I hate that even after everything, this is all it takes for me to be ready for him.
He rolls his hips purposefully, and the groan that leaves his throat soaks my already aching core. His hands find the shirt I’m wearing, and just when I think he’s going to slip it off of me, his body stills, and I can feel the tension coursing through his back.
He’s awake.
I brace myself for what I know is coming next.
He’s hovering over me, his hand around my throat and his eyes searching my face. He’s confused, but clearly ready to fight over something he doesn’t quite remember. His eyes snap over to the cuffs that aren’t around my wrist and then shift much more slowly back over to my face.
“I didn’t run, I should get points for that.” My voice is breathy from the constriction of his fingers digging into my neck. He scowls, squeezing hard one time before releasing me and pushing himself up off the bed.
I watch as he brings his fingers up to his lips and I know he’s remembering our kiss from last night. I can still feel his lips on mine, his breath on my face, and warm skin enveloping me. I know he feels it too, and it’ll make him angry because Killian Peirce hates that I’m the only thing that can still comfort his little black heart.
“Get up,” he growls the words, and when I don’t comply right away, he reaches out and yanks me up off the bed, and shoves me toward the bathroom. He doesn’t even look at me as he turns the shower on and tests the water. He’s acting
