[English] Obligation

Author: Aurora Rose Reynolds

“Everyone is looking for you.”
I turn my head, pulling my hair out of my face as I watch a boy I’ve never seen before climb up the stairs and into my tree house.
“Who are you?” I ask him as he sits across from me.
“Kai,” he smiles, looking around. He looks a lot different than the other kids I know. His hair is long, and his skin is a lot darker than mine. “Why are you hiding?”
I shrug and look away from him. Daddy was yelling earlier; he was so mad that he was turning red. Then Mommy started crying, and Daddy started yelling louder. I heard Mommy telling Daddy that he had to send me away. I don’t want to go away. I try to be good, but sometimes, I forget to listen.
“Why are you crying?”
I look up at him and wipe my face. “I’m scared,” I whisper, wiping my nose.
“Come on. I’ll protect you,” he says, holding his hand out to me.
Then my mommy calls my name again. I look at his hand, move Mr. Bear under my arm, and put my hand in his.
“Myla!” Mommy yells, running towards me.
I can tell she has been crying again.
“Where did you go?” Her hands grab my shoulders and she shakes me hard.
“It’s my fault. I asked her to show me the tree house,” Kai tells her.
She stops shaking me then looks at him. “You shouldn’t have done that. You knew we were looking for her,” she says angrily her head.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” Kai says softly, putting his hands in his pockets and looking at the ground.
I look back at Mommy, and she shakes her head before grabbing my hand and pulling me with her. When I look over my shoulder at Kai, he smiles, making me smile back.

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First moments

“Everyone is looking for you.”

I turn my head, pulling my hair out of my face as I watch a boy I’ve never seen before climb up the stairs and into my tree house.

“Who are you?” I ask him as he sits across from me.

“Kai,” he smiles, looking around. He looks a lot different than the other kids I know. His hair is long, and his skin is a lot darker than mine. “Why are you hiding?”

I shrug and look away from him. Daddy was yelling earlier; he was so mad that he was turning red. Then Mommy started crying, and Daddy started yelling louder. I heard Mommy telling Daddy that he had to send me away. I don’t want to go away. I try to be good, but sometimes, I forget to listen.

“Why are you crying?”

I look up at him and wipe my face. “I’m scared,” I whisper, wiping my nose.

“Come on. I’ll protect you,” he says, holding his hand out to me.

Then my mommy calls my name again. I look at his hand, move Mr. Bear under my arm, and put my hand in his.

“Myla!” Mommy yells, running towards me.

I can tell she has been crying again.

“Where did you go?” Her hands grab my shoulders and she shakes me hard.

“It’s my fault. I asked her to show me the tree house,” Kai tells her.

She stops shaking me then looks at him. “You shouldn’t have done that. You knew we were looking for her,” she says angrily her head.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” Kai says softly, putting his hands in his pockets and looking at the ground.

I look back at Mommy, and she shakes her head before grabbing my hand and pulling me with her. When I look over my shoulder at Kai, he smiles, making me smile back.

Prologue

“Time for bed, zvyozdochka,” Papa says as he walks into my room.

I run to my bed and jump in, making all of my stuffed animals fly out of the bed before standing up, jumping once, and falling to my back, which makes him laugh.

“Your mama has told you about jumping on the bed, Svezda.”

I know that Mama doesn’t like it when I jump on the bed, but it always makes Papa laugh.

“Will you sing me my song?” I ask him as he move towards the bed.

“Have you brushed your teeth?”

“Da,” I answer affirmatively in Russian, making him smile.

“Did you wash your face?”

“Da,” I repeat, giggling.

“Did you wash your smelly feet?” he asks while bringing my feet towards his face.

“Nyet.” I giggle harder, wiggling my toes.

“Ah, zvyozdochka, what should I do with you?” he asks, calling me his “little star” while tickling me.

I roll around on the bed, trying to get away from him as I cry out in laughter. When he stops tickling me and I stop laughing, he picks me up and pulls my covers back before laying me back down.

“Now will you sing me my song?” I ask him again, tucking Mr. Bear under my chin, feeling my eyes start to close.

“Da.” He kisses my forehead before sitting down on the side of the bed. His fingers run over my eyelids, causing them to close completely before he starts to sing quietly. “Zvyozdochka, zvyozdochka, you outshine the sun. Zvyozdochka, zvyozdochka, nothing compares to you. Zvyozdochka, zvyozdochka, the holder of my treasure. Zvyozdochka, zvyozdochka, I will always love you dearly, for you are my star who guides me from far and will always lead me home.,”

Then I fall asleep.

“You know where to take her,” Papa tells Philip as he carries me outside.

I cling tighter to Papa. Mama ran out of Papa’s office soon after she woke me up, telling me to get dressed, and then took me to him.

“I don’t want to go!” I cry, kicking my legs and wrapping my arms tighter around Papa’s neck as he tries to hand me to Philip. I don’t want to go away. I want to stay with him and Mama.

“Zvyozdochka, you must be a big girl and go with Philip.”

“I won’t be bad anymore!” I sob, screaming out as he pulls my hands from around his neck.

Philip’s hands wrap around my waist, pulling me from my papa.

“You’re our greatest treasure, Svezda. We love you,” my papa says as he opens the door for Philip, who sits down in the back of the limo, holding me in his lap.

“I love you, Papa!” I cry and see that my Papa is crying too before he turns his back on me.

“Pah idiom!” Philip says, and the limo begins to move.

I turn in Philip’s arms and look out the back window, watching as Papa pushes the front door of the house open. Then I see Mama on the floor. Papa picks her up, and I hear her scream my name as the door closes.

Chapter 1

My Husband

I feel the sun on my closed eyelids and something sharp poking me in the face. Moving my hand, trying to get away from the pain, and whimper when it scrapes against my cheek. I lift my head and run my fingers along the side of my face, feeling wetness. Opening my eyes to see a light smear of blood on my fingers. I flip my hand over, and then I see the gaudy ring that is now taking up residence on my ring finger.

“Great,” I whisper, closing my eyes and laying my head down again.

I prayed earlier, before I went to sleep, that when I woke up, the ring I’m wearing now and the man who put it there would be nothing but a bad dream. No such luck. I roll over and take a shaky breath, wanting to close my eyes for a few more seconds, wishing I could just sleep until everything was back to normal.

“Time to get up.”

I turn my head and meet my new husband’s eyes as he looks at me through the open bedroom doorway. He looks like an ancient Hawaiian warrior. His long, wavy hair is tied into a ponytail at the back of his neck with a piece of leather cord. His wide nose and square jaw make his full lips and long eyelashes somehow appear masculine. At five eight, I have never felt short, but next to him, I feel minuscule. He must be at least six seven. His shoulders are so broad that I wouldn’t be surprised if he had to turn slightly to fit through most doorways.

“If we didn’t have to meet with my lawyer, I would let you sleep,” he says, bringing me out of my perusal.

One thing I have to be grateful for is that, ever since the moment he saved me, he has been kind and surprisingly soft with me.

“I’m getting up,” I tell him quietly and start to sit up, but pain slices through my side, causing me to inhale sharply.

“I thought you said you weren’t hurt?” he growls.

I’m gently lifted to a sitting position on the side of the bed. I’m so focused on trying to breathe that I don’t even notice his proximity until I feel his hand on the bare skin of my shoulder.

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“I’m fine,” I mumble, trying to breathe through the pain and the feelings that are swimming around in my stomach.

“You’re going to the doctor.”

“I’m not,” I say, lifting my head and meeting his eyes.

“Myla.” His eyes go soft as my name leaves his mouth, and his hand comes up, causing me to flinch and his jaw to go hard.

“Sorry,” I whisper while standing.

“We need to talk about what happened,” he commands as his hand drops to his lap.

“How long do I have to get ready?” I ask, walking towards the bathroom.

“Thirty minutes,” he replies as I turn to face him.

When our eyes connect again, his flash with annoyance as he stands.

“We will talk,” he declares, walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him without saying another word.

I stare at the door for a moment before turning around and walking into the bathroom, where I turn the faucet on, place my hands on the counter, and look at myself in the mirror, watching as tears begin to fill my eyes.

“You’re strong, Myla. You can do this,” I whisper to myself, taking a deep, shaky breath and then letting it out as I splash cold water on my face.

When I look at myself again, the tears have been washed away with the water, no trace left behind. I grab a towel out of a built-in shelf and bury my face in it, muffling the sound of the sob that climbs up my throat.

My soul feels like it has been blackened by not only what I witnessed, but what I did. I have no idea how I’m supposed to get over seeing people die right in front of me or knowing I’m the reason they are dead.

I wipe my face on the towel and go to the glass shower door, sliding it open before turning the water on. Once I feel that the water is warm enough, I carefully remove my clothes and step into the shower, letting the water from the showerhead pour over me. I really want to sit on the shower floor and cry, but right now, that is not an option.

I wet my hair then look around the shower stall, finding a shelf full of bottles of different body washes. I quickly sort through them, find one for women, and then pour a big glob onto my hand and lather up. I don’t know for sure if this is Kai’s bathroom, but if by chance it is, I don’t want to use something of his and smell like him for the rest of the day. As it is, it’s difficult to be around him.

I rinse off and get out of the shower before drying off and picking my clothes up off the floor. When I step back into the room, I take it in for the first time since arriving here last night. The room is huge, with large, glass doors that look out over the ocean. I walk toward the doors and look out at the water.

In Seattle, I live in a beautiful two-bedroom condo. I chose my condo because of the ocean view I have, but the view I have back home is nothing like this. Other bodies of land block my view, and the water is so dark that it’s almost black. Here, the water is a blue I have never seen before. So blue that it almost looks like the sky on a crystal clear day.

My eyes travel from the view outside to the giant bed that is covered with a set of pure-white sheets. It’s even bigger than the California king a friend of mine has, and it would be a perfect fit for a man Kai’s size. On each side of the bed, there’s a table with a lamp that looks like a piece of driftwood on it. The lamps match the dresser in the room, which is long with a few odds and ends on it. There’s another tall one, but it’s completely clean.

The room has no paintings or anything else to give it life or say whose room it is. I shake my head at my own thought and look at the clothes I had on earlier, scrunching up my nose. Even though I was exhausted enough to fall asleep in them last night, I do not feel like having them on again today. I walk to the long dresser, pull the top drawer open, and find men’s boxers. I pull a pair out and slip them on under my towel. When I open the next drawer, I find socks and slip them on as well before searching through the rest of the dresser and finally finding a shirt, being careful of the bruises on my side.

Once I’m dressed, I take towel into the bathroom and hang them up. I find some toothpaste and use my finger to brush my teeth before taking a breath, preparing myself to face Kai and his lawyer. Yesterday, when we got married, I didn’t sign a prenup even though the men with Kai had insisted. I really didn’t understand why they were so adamant until after we were married and at the airport.

I’d expected us to just get on a flight. I was shocked when we were escorted to a private plane. I was more surprised when the name on the plane happened to be my new husband’s. I had somewhat gotten myself under control by the time we arrived in Hawaii, but I was shocked again when a Bentley picked us up at the airport and took us to a mansion. I have been around people who have money, but I have never been around anyone with the kind of money Kai obviously has.

I go to the door and run my fingers through my wet hair before turning the knob and opening it an inch to peek out. It takes a second for my eyes to adjust to the darkness of the hall, but when they do, they connect with a set of hazel eyes surrounded by dark lashes.

“Myla,” the man says.

I double-blink and take in his features. His hair is dark brown, his nose is wide, and his skin color is similar to Kai’s. My eyes drop to his mouth, and he smiles, making my eyes narrow before they lift to meet his again.

“Who are you?” I ask, opening the door the rest of the way and crossing my arms over my chest.

His eyes move to my arms and then back up, and his smile gets wider. “Aye.”

“What?” I frown when he chuckles.

“Name’s Aye.”

“Like when a pirate says yes?” I inquire. Then I growl, “What’s so funny?” when he bends over, holding his stomach and laughing.

It takes a moment, but eventually, he pulls himself together and stands back up to his full height.

“My name’s Aye, but my friends call me Daddy. How about you just stick with that?” he asks, sticking out his hand.

“I’m not calling you Daddy,” I frown, watching his lips twitch.

“You don’t have to call me Daddy.” He smiles, reminding me of a little boy. “You can call me Aye.”

My frown grows deeper. “Do people really call you Daddy?” I narrow my eyes, daring him to lie.

“Sure do,” he smirks, wrapping the hand he had out for me to shake around my upper arm. Then he moves me from the door and closes it before putting his arm around my shoulders and leading me down the hall.

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“What are you doing?” I step out of his hold.

His eyebrows pull together and he looks down the hall to where we are heading. “Kai didn’t tell you I’ll be your security?” he questions, and I shake my head. “Well, me and Pika will be, but he is not here right now, so it’s just me until he gets back.”

“I thought I was safe now?” I murmur, wrapping my arms around myself.

“You are safe,” he says, concerned, looking me over. “No one will get to you.”

“Can you just take me to Kai?” I ask softly, feeling anxious. Even though I don’t really know Kai, he is the one person I trust right now.

“Of course,” he says quietly, taking my hand and leading me down the hall.

When the hall opens up, we are on the third floor. A glass banister that gives a clear view of a large, wooden staircase is in front of us. The stairs lead down to a level with wooden floors. Then another set leads to the beach below. I have never seen something so amazing. The ocean is just yards away, but the beach is literally inside.

“It must be expensive to keep this place clean,” I mutter to myself, looking out at the ocean and the sand that is spread across the bottom level of the house.

I hear Aye chuckle again before he tugs on my hand and begins leading me over a bridge, down another hall, and into a large dining room, where Kai and another man are sitting with papers spread out in front of them. As soon as we enter the room, both of their heads turn towards us. Kai’s eyes travel from my still-wet hair to my sock-covered feet before he holds a hand out in my direction, nodding his chin ever so slightly. I don’t want to go to him, but something in the look he’s giving me tells me to do it. I walk to him and take his hand, not even flinching when he pulls me down onto his lap.

“Makamae,” he whispers against the shell of my ear, placing a kiss there.

My stomach knots and I dig my nails into the palm of my hand as I turn my head to look at him. When our eyes connect, I try to silently understand what he’s doing.

“You found some clothes,” he says quietly as his fingers play along the edge of my shorts.

“I hope you don’t mind,” I murmur, grabbing his hand and stilling his movements.

“I would never deny my wife,” he mutters, holding my eyes.

I fight to not look away, to not cower.

The moment I met him, I knew he was not someone I would ever want to cross, but he was my savior. Even knowing he promised not to hurt me, I still feel the urge to pull away from him and the energy that is wrapping around me.

“Are you feeling better, now that you have showered?” He searches my face as his fingers come up to run along the underside of my jaw.

“Yes,” I mutter as that knot in my stomach loosens and another feeling begins to take root.

“Good,” he murmurs, leaning forward and brushing his lips lightly over mine.

My hand goes to his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin and the beat of his heart through the material of his shirt. When he leans back, his eyes search mine for a moment before looking away. The moment the connection is broken, I pull in a breath and turn on his lap to face the man across the table.

“Myla, I would like you to meet detective, Nero Wolfe. Nero, this is my wife, Myla Kauwe.” He squeezes my thigh when my nails dig into his.

“Nice to meet you, Myla.” He smiles, showing off a dimple in his left cheek, which is highlighted by his tan skin. His dark-brown eyes look between Kai and me as he shakes his head, causing his shaggy, dirty-blond hair to slide against the collar of his dress shirt. If he weren’t wearing a suit, I would’ve guessed he’s a surfer, not a detective.

“Nice to meet you,” I murmur, shifting slightly under his gaze. I knew we would eventually need to talk to the police about what happened, but I was hoping I would have a few days for myself to accept everything.

“Kai has filled me in on most of what occurred, but I do have a few questions for you. If that’s okay?” he asks softly.

I war with myself on turning to look at Kai for permission. I was not prepared for this, and I feel like I have been put on the spot.

“Of course.” I nod and pull away from Kai, moving to my own seat.

I need to remember that this is all a lie; we may be married, but it’s not out of choice—it’s out of necessity. I can’t let my personal vulnerabilities affect this situation. And as much as I hate to admit it, Kai has an enormous effect on me.

“Well, let’s get started, then,” Nero says, rearranging some papers on top of the table. “I know you and Kai were married yesterday in Vegas, but can you tell me what happened the day before?”

I wrap my arms around myself and look over my shoulder towards the door, where I want to escape, but my eyes land on Aye, who nods and gives me a small smile. Then I feel a squeeze on my thigh and the roughness of Kai’s palm as it moves along my skin.

I turn my head back towards Nero without acknowledging Kai. “What would you like to know?”

“Start from the beginning.” He gives a slight smile, picking up a pen.

I nod again and pull my feet up under me on the chair, trying to get my thoughts in order before I begin.

“I own a bakery in downtown Seattle called Raining Sprinkles.” I swallow, remembering that my bakery is nothing but ash and rubble now.

“Take your time,” Nero says comfortingly.

“Like I said, I own a bakery, and on Sundays, I open the bakery alone and give my girls the day off because it’s normally pretty slow in the shop. Really, the day started out like any other day. I got there around five, made a pot of coffee, and took care of some stuff in the office until around six. At six, I went to the kitchen and threw together a few batches of muffins, put them in the oven, and then went out to start stocking the display cases. At eight, I flipped the sign from closed to open, and not long after that, my first customer came in.”

I pause, taking a breath while wrapping my arms a little tighter around myself. “The rest of the day was uneventful. There was nothing out of the ordinary. I was busy because I was on my own, but I expected that. At around two thirty, I went to the back and pushed a load of dishes through the dishwasher, and when I got back out front, I realized the man from that morning was still sitting at the same table he had been when I first opened.”

I close my eyes and open them slowly. “I went and made sure he was okay and that he didn’t want anything. Then I told him I closed at three. When three o’clock came around, he was gone. I took care of a couple of customers who had been waiting for me to box up their items and walked them to the door to leave. As soon as they were gone, I shut the door, and I was flipping the sign over when the man from earlier came running up to the door, telling me through the glass he thought he left his phone in the bathroom.”

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I bite my lip and, without thinking, look at Kai and then back at Nero before speaking again. “I got a weird feeling, so I stood by the door while he looked around for his phone. I was watching him when the door was shoved open and I stumbled back. I thought it was a customer, but that’s when I looked up and saw my brother, Thad.” I shudder as bile crawls up my throat and nausea rolls in my stomach.

“Are you okay?” Nero asks as I pull in a deep breath.

“Fine,” I whisper, putting my feet on the floor while sliding away from Kai’s touch. “I was taken aback when I realized who it was. I had not seen him since I was eighteen and moved away from home. He pushed his way past me and then let in a few other men,” I say, and I feel Kai’s hand on my lower back as he lifts my shirt slightly. Then his fingers begin to move over my skin. I wonder if he is trying to remind me of the things I’m not supposed to talk about.

“Then what happened?” Nero questions softly, and I lean back slightly into Kai’s hand, who pauses his movement before resuming.

“He forced me into the back room. My brother said he owed some men money and that I needed to give it to him. I don’t know if he was on drugs or what, but he seemed really afraid. I told him I didn’t have the kind of money he was asking for, and he proceeded to tie me to a chair.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know,” I say faintly. “I was hit over the head, and when I woke up, Kai was pulling me out of the burning building,” I look over at Kai, and even if I never tell anyone every detail of what really occurred, I do know that that part is not a lie, and I will forever be indebted to him.

“Then you went to Vegas and got married?”

I pull my eyes from Kai to look at Nero. “Yes. Well…we had been planning on getting married,” I lie.

Kai’s hand pauses on my back. We never discussed what exactly happened to me or what we would say if someone asked me about this, so I was trying to think on my toes.

“After what occurred, I realized how short life is, and I told Kai I didn’t want to live another day without him and that I was tired of putting off our relationship. So we stopped in Vegas on the way here and got married,” I tell him.

Nero searches my face. Then his eyes drop to the pad in front of him, where he begins to write again.

I bite my lip, feeling like I have done something wrong. I have no idea what I should have said. I don’t think, “I met him for the first time yesterday, and I married him because he told me that was the only way he could keep me safe at this time,” would have gone over so well.

“And you don’t remember anything else?” he asks, lifting his head to look at me.

I shake my head and pull my feet back up under me. “Nothing,” I mutter, pressing my lips together.

“Can you tell me a little about your brother?”

My body stills and I feel all the blood drain out of my face. “There is nothing to tell,” I whisper, hating myself a little bit for being so weak when it comes to him.

“Are you okay?” Nero asks, reading my face.

“Fine. Just tired.” I sit up, putting my elbows on the table, holding my hair back from my face as images from my past flash through my head.

Being taken from my parents when I was little and told that they were dead.

Moving in with Modesto and Ida Akskvo and their two sons, Thad and Royce.

Being told that, if I ever spoke of where I really came from, I would die.

Having happy memories of my life with my new family.

Working in my dad Modesto’s bakery. Shopping with my mom Ida.

Hanging out with my brother Royce.

But then everything changed when I turned sixteen and Thad started sneaking into my room at night, showing me that Hell can exist on Earth.

The memories alone of the things he did to me, the things he took from me, cause me to gag. I stand from the chair and run out of the dining room. I have no idea where I’m going and begin opening and closing doors along the way until I finally find one that leads to a bathroom. I slam the door behind me, fumble with the lock on the door until I hear it click, and then feel along the wall, finding the switch and turning it on.

The moment my eyes adjust to the light, I see my refection looking back at me. My face is pale, my dirty-blond hair looks stringy, and my lips are a darker pink than normal. Another wave of nausea hits me, and I lunge for the toilet. It takes a few minutes to get myself under control, and when I do, I realize someone is pounding on the door so hard that the painting on the wall is shaking.

“I’m kicking it in!” Kai yells from the other side.

I’m about to tell him that I’m opening it when the door crashes in, banging against the wall, and wood flies everywhere. Kai appears in the bathroom doorway. Our gazes lock, and I see something flash within his eyes as he storms towards me.

“I’m going to carry you so you don’t get anything stuck in your feet,” he says softly, picking me up. “Aye, tell Detective Nero we’re going to have to reschedule. My wife isn’t feeling well,” Kai mutters, carrying me into the room I was in this morning and shutting the door with his foot before carrying me to the bed, where he gently lays me down. “Let me get a washcloth for you,” he says, walking into the bathroom.

I hear the water turn on, and a moment later, he comes back carrying a rag.

“You need to tell me what happened at the bakery before I showed up.”

He sits on the side of the bed and holds the wet cloth out for me. I take it from his hand, trying to control how badly I’m shaking. What happened begins to play in my head like an old movie.

“Myla, I’ve missed you,” Thad said, wrapping an arm around my waist, walking me backwards into the shop.

His body bent, his face went to my neck, and I felt his tongue touch my skin. My body froze and I instantly hated myself for not screaming, for not fighting, but like all those years ago, my body had stiffened in fear.

“What are you doing here?” I whispered as two more men walked in. My stomach dropped as I watched one of the men close the door and turn the lock.

“It’s your birthday,” he said as he began to pull me with him towards the back of the shop.

I cried out and tried to pull away, and he smiled evilly and started to laugh. His fingers dug into my skin so hard that I knew I would be bruised.

“Please let me go.” I tried to pull away again, but his grip tightened, and he dragged me to the back room, shoving me into a chair.

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“Shut up,” he ordered with a finger in my face. Then he looked over at one of the men who had just walked in. “Go to her place and get all of her ****. Then meet us here,” he said, tossing my purse at the guy.

“Got it,” he said, digging my keys out of my bag and leaving the room.

“What’s going on? Why are you here?” I whispered.

Thad turned towards me. His hand went to my jaw, his thumb and middle finger on either side, where he squeezed hard.

“I’m taking you home and you’re getting married. Mom is going to be so happy,” he smiled.

I felt bile fill my throat, making it hard to breathe. “What are you taking about?” I finally got out through my fear.

“Oh, princess, there is so much you don’t know.” His hands went to each arm of the chair and his body caged mine in. “Don’t worry though. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about it.” He licked my neck, making my stomach roll.

When he pulled away, my eyes locked on the man’s across the room, the man who had been in my shop all day. Something flashed in his eyes, but he turned his face away from me before I could catch it.

“We have a busy day ahead of us,” Thad said.

I looked around, trying to plan my escape.

“Myla? Myla.”

I realize I’m being shaken. My eyes focus in on Kai’s face above me, and I quickly scoot back in the bed, hitting my head on the headboard in the process.

“Careful,” he complains as I rub the top of my head.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” He looks away from me to the view outside. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

I shake my head and then realize he’s still looking out the window. “No.” I lean my head back and close my eyes. “I’m sorry about telling the detective we were dating. He caught me off guard and I was already flustered, and honestly, I had no idea what to say. We probably should have talked about that. I mean, I don’t even know if you have a girlfriend.” My eyes fly open and connect with his, and I can see laugh lines around his eyes and a smile on his lips. “Do you have a girlfriend?” I hiss, watching as his smile gets bigger.

“You talk a lot,” he chuckles, shaking his head.

“Well, do you?” I growl. I never even thought about that for one moment, and something about the thought of him having a girlfriend makes me feel a different kind of nausea.

“No.”

“Good.” I nod, and his smile gets bigger. “I just mean good because I would feel horrible if you were dating someone and then got married to someone else.”

“Myla, I know.” He rubs my knee, and a tingling sensation begins to fill my lower belly.

“How badly did I mess up with Nero?” I question, sitting up farther and moving away from his touch.

“You did fine. We spoke before you came in, so he understands you’re still trying to deal with what happened.”

I bite my lip while wrapping my arms around myself. Then I look out the window. “So, now what?”

“Now what?” he repeats, and my eyes travel back to him.

“Yeah. Now what do we do? You said we needed to talk to your lawyer.”

“You do nothing. I canceled the meeting with my lawyer when Nero showed up, and now, I have business to take care of. If the gods are working in my favor, we can get everything resolved and things can get back to normal,” he says softly.

I dip my head slightly in agreement, even if my normal was lost a long time ago.

Chapter 2

I Know You

I look over my shoulder at the house behind me when I hear Kai yelling. I push my sunglasses up to the top of my head and put my Kindle down on the table next to my lounger.

“Stay here,” Aye says, taking off towards the house.

When the voices begin to get louder, I get up and head inside. I walk softly down the hall and peek around the corner, seeing the guy who let Thad into the bakery. He’s standing in the kitchen alone, his body pressed close to the wall, his head tilted back like he’s waiting for the moment to strike.

My gut twists with anxiety, but I battle it back, head down the hall, and open the bathroom door, looking for anything to use as a weapon. It’s a half-bath with a pedestal sink and a mirror; there are no drawers or cabinets. I’m about to give up and go search out somewhere else when the plunger catches my eye. I pick it up and test the weight in my hand. It’s a heavy, wooden one with a large, black, rubber end. I take it with me down the hall and wait just outside the kitchen.

The guy is no longer there, but Aye is standing next to the counter. I start to walk towards him, but the guy begins to sneak up on Aye. Without thinking, I charge at him with the plunger over my head and bring it down hard on his head. The rubber end flies off and bounces across the kitchen floor as the guy crumples to the ground.

“Wh—” Aye looks down at the guy, who is now knocked out, then looks back at me with wide eyes. “Why did you do that?” He takes the plunger stick from my hand and looks at it then back down at the guy.

“He was sneaking up on you,” I tell him, turning the guy onto his stomach then pulling his hands behind his back, using the skills I learned in a self-defense class I took, to make sure he is immobilized. “Do you have cuffs or something?” I ask, looking up at Aye from my bent position.

“We’re not cuffing Pika,” he mutters, shaking his head while looking at me like he has no idea who I am.

“This is one of the guys from the bakery,” I tell him.

His eyes flash with understanding, and Pika starts to moan, so I grab the stick from Aye’s hand and start to hit the guy again, but then it’s snatched away from me.

“Myla?”

I turn my head towards the kitchen opening when Kai says my name. His eyes travel down my body, over the bikini I’m wearing, making goose bumps break out along my skin. When his eyes reach my toes, they widen at the sight of the guy lying at my feet.

“What’s going on?” He steps into the kitchen and over to my side.

My belly dips as his smell surrounds me. He smells like spice, coconut, and the hot sun. Every time he’s near, I have to stop myself from leaning closer.

“This is the guy who let Thad into my bakery. The one who said he left his phone,” I tell him.

His eyes go soft, and he unbuttons his shirt so he’s wearing nothing but a pair of black dress pants and his shoes. I watch as his abs flex. Then he opens the shirt and slips it around my shoulders. I pull away slightly and push my arms through the holes, holding my breath for a moment, keeping his scent in my lungs as long as I can.

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“This is one of my guys,” he tells me, crouching down and rolling the guy over.

“He was at my bakery. He…he is the reason Thad got inside,” I repeat in a stammer, watching as the guy’s eyes open and then focus on me.

“He was my inside source for the men Thad was working for,” Kai says, helping Pika sit up.

“What do you mean he was working for you?” I look at the injured man then at Kai.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Aye suggests softly, grabbing my hand.

“No.” I shake his touch off and cross my arms over my chest. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” I glare at Kai.

“There was no reason to,” he says, looking at me like I’m crazy for even asking.

“No reason?” I shake my head in disbelief. His audacity is absolutely ridiculous.

“He was doing a job,” Aye chimes in.

My head swings his way and his hands go up in front of him to warn me off.

“I’m sorry,” Pika says as Kai helps him to stand.

“You’re sorry? You’re sorry you allowed men to follow you into my shop, or are you sorry you watched as Thad kicked me in the ribs while I was curled up in a ball and begging him to stop? Or are you sorry that you set my bakery on fire? Please clarify which part you’re sorry about!” I yell, and my chest heaves as I attempt to take a full breath.

“All of it,” he whispers, unsure, looking at me then Kai.

“Thanks. I feel so much better now that I know you’re sorry,” I say, shoving through the three of them and walking down the hall towards the living room.

I need to go clear my head. I can’t say that I have gotten over what happened, but since being here, I’ve found it easy to pretend like I’m safe. Now, seeing him makes me realize how much I have let my guard down, and that is something I never want to risk happening again.

I rush out of the house and walk out to the water’s edge until the waves rush over my feet.

“If he could have helped you, he would have.”

I look over my shoulder, toward the sound of Kai’s voice, and watch him walk up to me wearing another shirt.

“He would have, but he knew he couldn’t risk them finding out he worked for me.”

I feel my throat clog, turn my head away, and look back out over the ocean, not wanting to acknowledge his words. “He watched.” I take a deep breath, letting the smell of the salt water clear my head. “He watched and did nothing,” I murmur, wrapping my arms around myself as my words get lost in the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

“I’ve known him since I was seventeen,” Kai says closer to me than I expected, surprising me by wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “If he could have stopped it, he would have.”

I stiffen slightly before forcing my body to relax and lean into his embrace. Deep in my soul, I know he’s right, but I’m still angry. I’m angry that Pika saw me in a moment of weakness, angry I couldn’t do anything even when I had done everything to make myself stronger. Angry that I never took into consideration the amount of fear I would feel when I came face-to-face with a part of my past that had terrified me for so many years.

“I forgot,” I whisper, shaking my head, watching as the sun turns the sky orange and red.

“Forgot what?” he asks softly, his fingers sending tingles down my arm through the fabric of his shirt.

“That I’m in danger. That I need to watch my back,” I say, and his arm tightens around me.

“You’re safe here.”

I tilt my head back and look up at him as he towers over me. His chin dips, and our eyes connect.

“I promised you I would protect you. Trust me to do that,” he says softly as his eyes search my face.

My eyes focus on his, and I notice for the first time that he has a dark ring of brown around the outside and an almost-copper color that shoots out from around the center.

“Trust me to do that,” he repeats.

I feel his warm breath against my skin. And I wish in that moment that I were someone worthy enough of someone like him.

“I’m trying.” My eyes close. I pull away from him and then step farther out into the water.

“I need to go meet someone,” he says regretfully after a moment.

“Sure,” I murmur without taking my eyes off the sea.

“I’d like it if you’d go with me.”

I turn my head to look at him. His hands are in his pockets and his shoulders are slumped forward. The vulnerability I see on his face makes me nod in agreement immediately. The only time we have spent together is when we have met for meals or when he has needed me to talk to someone with him. I only recently found out that the room I have been staying in is his. He claimed that the bed is much better than the others in the house and refused to take the room back even after I insisted. And something about sleeping in his bed has made me feel closer to him—and safer in a strange way.

“Where are we going?” I ask after a moment.

“You’ll see. Dress casual.” He smiles, and a piece of hair blows onto his lip.

I fight the urge to close the space between us and remove it with my finger, using that as an excuse to see if his lips are as soft as they look.

“Did you hear me?” he asks.

My eyes focus on his. I feel my cheeks get pink when I notice the small smile on his handsome face.

“Sorry. No,” I admit.

“I asked if you could be ready in the next hour.”

“Oh, yeah… Sure,” I say, hoping I don’t sound as anxious as I feel.

He watches me for a moment before nodding once, turning away, and walking back towards the house. I watch him go, wondering what exactly I’m feeling. Since the moment I met Kai, I have felt some kind of strange pull towards him. But as much as he entices me, he scares me.

The only men I have been with have been lanky and soft-spoken, men I knew I could get away from if I needed to. I hate to say it, but I was very promiscuous for a while. It was like something in me had flipped and I realized the power I had. I realized I had the ability to say yes or no when it came to ***, and I wanted to prove to myself I could be intimate with someone—and maybe not completely enjoy the act—but it would be my choice.

I’m not proud of the way I acted or the way I used men. But like most things in life, it’s something I learned from, and it helped me grow and become a better person.

Kai is like none of the men I’ve been with. He’s large and intimidating. Though he is soft with me, I have seen him speak to some of the people who work for him, so I know that his gentleness is not always his way. I also cannot imagine him letting me be in charge the way I’m used to.

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I haven’t been intimate with a man since my last relationship, and that was a few years ago. After Fredrick broke up with me, I was left confused. He was the person I’d planned to spend the rest of my life with. We’d met when I bought my bakery, and he’d helped me get my loan.

He was so funny; he had the ability to make me laugh at nothing. He was not much taller than I am and cute in that nerdy-guy kind of way. He was soft-spoken and gentle, and he said all the right things. After six months of dating, he asked me to marry him. I, of course, said yes. Our wedding was set for the fall, and we were planning on having a baby right away, hopefully with conception occurring during the honeymoon. Everything was perfect. I was getting the one thing I had craved since moving away from home: a family of my own, people who loved me, and somewhere I belonged.

Then, like everything in my life, it came crashing down around me.

Fredrick had been away for a week at a conference, and when he arrived back in Seattle, he asked me to meet him for dinner. I got dressed up, packed an overnight bag, and met him at one of my favorite seafood restaurants.

The moment I saw him, I knew something was off. He didn’t greet me with his normal hug and kiss. He took my hand and helped me sit down across from him. Without a word from him, I knew we were over. I remember sitting there, looking at him sitting across from me, wondering, Why? That’s when he told me that he believed our lives were going in two different directions and he wasn’t ready to settle down.

I told him that I would wait for him, that we didn’t need to get married, that we could put off the wedding until he was ready, and that was when it seemed like I was begging to be with him. That was the moment I realized he didn’t love me the way I loved him, so I lifted my chin, scooted the chair away from the table, and walked out of the restaurant, never looking back.

I loved him, but there was no way I would ever feel like I was begging someone to be with me again. I wouldn’t ever let someone have that much power over me.

I come out of my thoughts when the sound of seagulls fills my ears. I lift my face towards the sun, letting the rays warm my skin for a moment before turning and heading to the house to get ready.

“Let’s go.” I look at Kai, who is leaning against the side of a black convertible, dressed more casually than I have ever seen him.

Even when he comes to breakfast in the morning, he is normally wearing a suit, so seeing him in a pair of khaki shorts and a white, linen shirt with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up—showing off a tattoo I never noticed before that wraps around his forearm—has stunned me.

I start down the steps, my eyes meeting his, and my step falters slightly when his eyes sweep me from top to toe before locking on mine.

“You look nice,” I say, immediately feeling like a fool when he gives me a slight smile and opens the door to the car without telling me something relatively the same.

I know this isn’t a date, but I took extra care in getting ready. I have no idea where we are going, but I wanted to make sure I looked nice. I chose a dress I had gotten from one of the few shops in town. The strapless, cotton dress covered in bright, tropical flowers looks nice against the creamy color of my skin, and the sandals I chose are black and wrapped around my big toes then up and around my ankles. I thought I looked attractive, but as Kai gets behind the driver’s seat, I’m beginning to have doubts about my choice.

“It’s about an hour drive,” he mutters as the car roars to life.

I nod then realize he can’t see me, so I clear my throat and murmur a quiet, “Okay,” as we pull away from the house. “Is Pika okay?” I ask, wanting to fill the silence. I turn my head to look at Kai.

His eyes come to me for a moment before he focuses on the road again. “He’s fine. He has a bump, but he’s had worse.”

“Oh,” I mutter as my eyes drop to my lap, and I begin to turn my ring around on my finger, watching as the light bounces of the diamonds. “Why did you have him working with Thad?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything else.

“Your father was a very good friend to my dad.” He lets out a breath, and his hand wrings the steering wheel. “Before your father passed away, he told mine his plan for keeping you safe.” He pulls his sunglasses over his eyes, turns his head, and looks at me before turning towards the road. “Your father asked mine to help keep an eye on you. He knew that, even with everyone believing you had also been killed, there would still be some who would be looking for you.”

“What do you mean they believed I was killed?” I whisper.

“Your parents’ remains and the remains of a child were found after they put out a fire in your parents’ home,” he says, and I turn my head to look out the window as a loan tear slides down my cheek.

I have small memories of my real parents. Every time I pull a batch of snickerdoodles out of the oven and the smell of vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar hits my nose, I think of my mom. I can remember her baking them often when I was little and the way she would yell at my dad when he came into the kitchen to steal them off the counter when they were fresh out of the oven. I can remember laughing when he would quiet my mom with soft words and a few kisses before leaving and going back to his office.

I remember the way my dad was so large and everyone seemed so afraid of him, but to me, he was so gentle. He always smelled like mint, and if I were around, he would pull me up against his chest and kiss my hair no matter what he was doing.

I know that my mom and I were his whole world. Even if I can’t remember much from my childhood, the memories of my parents always bring me comfort. So even though I have known for years that they are gone, hearing that their bodies were found has the already-shattered pieces of my heart crumbling a little bit more.

“Who was the child?” I wonder out loud as I watch a group of seagulls fly off in the distance.

“I would guess they got a body from a morgue,” he says easily, and my stomach turns as I wonder what kind of people would do something like that.

“My dad was a bad guy, right?” I ask as some puzzle pieces begin to fit together.

The car slows down suddenly and veers off to the side of the road. My head turns and I look over at Kai, who now has his sunglasses up on top of his head and his eyes on me.

“Your father was a good man. He was a man of honor and a man who loved his only child enough to make sure she’d have a future. He may not have been a man who lived on the right side of the law, but he was not a bad man,” he says firmly, making me feel instantly relieved.

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“Why is this happening now, then?” I don’t realize I ask that question aloud until Kai’s eyes soften, his hand comes up to my face, and his thumb runs over my cheek, sliding away another tear.

“There is so much you don’t know, Myla.”

“Like what?” I whisper.

“When the time is right, I will tell you.”

A part of me wants to demand him to tell me what he knows, but there is another part of me that wants to ignore everything happening around me and leave all of this behind.

“How difficult is it to get a new identity?” I mutter, surprised when I hear a chuckle come from Kai. “I’m serious,” I complain, turning my head to catch a smile that makes my heart constrict from how beautiful it is on Kai’s face. I swallow hard and look back out the window, trying to ignore the feeling I have from knowing I made him smile.

After a moment, the car fills with music, and my body relaxes into my seat as The Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly” fills the air. When I peek at Kai out of the corner of my eye, I wonder if he’s hearing the song like I am in that moment and if he knows that the lyrics of this song say so much more than I ever could.

Chapter 3

Looking in a Mirror

“Myla.”

My shoulder is nudged. I lift my head just in time to see a group of laughing kids run in front of the car.

“Where are we?”

“A luau.”

I turn and look at Kai, who is watching out the front window of the car. When his head turns and his eyes meet mine, he smiles, and then his hand lifts and his finger runs down my cheek.

“You need to learn not to sleep on your hand. Every time you wake up, your ring is imprinted in your cheek,” he mutters.

My hand goes to my face, my fingers running over the skin. I swear I can still feel the tingle from his touch.

“It’s a big ring,” I point out and glimpse at him when he doesn’t say anything. His eyes are on the ring on my hand, and regret is bright as day in his eyes.

I pull my eyes from him, tug the visor down, and look at myself in the mirror, wanting to ignore the feelings seeing that look on his face caused. I thought at first that the ring was just something he had picked up in Vegas, but then I noticed an inscription on the inside of the band that reads, In this lifetime and the next, with the initials B and N.

After I saw the engraving, I knew that the ring that now sits on my finger had once meant a lot to someone, and even if I had hated it at first, there was something beautiful about it now. I also understood why Kai hates that I have the ring. Before me, the ring was a representation of love, and now, it’s the symbol of a lie.

“Are you ready?”

Without looking at him, I nod and unbuckle my seat belt, and once I’m out of the car, I look around. Kids are playing in the sand, building sand castles, or chasing each other near the water’s edge. There are teenagers in small groups scattered along the sand, some sunbathing, others talking in groups, while the adults stand around chatting and laughing. I run my hands down my dress, feeling a little overdressed since a lot of the women are only in their swimsuits while the men are dressed similar to Kai.

“Ready?” Kai asks again when he reaches my side.

“Yep,” I tell him with more certainty in my voice than I actually feel, shocked when he takes my hand. “What are you doing?” I ask, trying to pull my hand free from his grasp.

“Holding your hand,” he replies, entwining our fingers.

“We’re in public,” I hiss.

His head dips, his sunglass-covered eyes meet mine, and his energy changes, beginning to beat against me. “What does that have to do with anything?”

I look at him like he’s crazy and then around at the people on the beach. “All of these people can see us.”

His frown grows deeper. Then he drops my hand, lifts his sunglasses to the top of his head once more, and turns his body so he’s standing right in front of me.

“You’re my wife.”

“Pretend wife,” I remind him quietly.

His eyes flash with something I haven’t seen before and his jaw goes hard, making my breath catch.

His face dips and he whispers against my ear, “None of these people know that it’s pretend.”

It wouldn’t be so bad if the effect he has on me was also pretend, but when he’s touching me in any way, it’s difficult to keep things separate.

I let out the breath I was holding and pull back so I can look into his eyes. “You’re right,” I acknowledge, hoping he will let me go.

He searches my face, and without another word or giving me any other option but to walk with him, he takes my hand, intertwines our fingers, and leads me towards a giant fire that is set up in the middle of the beach. As we approach the bonfire, I notice the men lifting their chins to Kai. He does the same in return. I also notice that the women we pass all devour him with their eyes before shooting daggers at me.

I’m so caught up in watching the people we pass that I don’t notice that Kai has stopped until my hand is tugged. I turn my head to see what’s holding him up.

“Kai!” a beautiful woman wearing a gold bikini yells, running up to us, looking like she just stepped out of an episode of Baywatch. Her hair is dark brown and down around her shoulders. Her body looks like she spends her days counting calories and working out. Even from just looking at her, I feel insecure.

As she nears us, a smile lights Kai’s face up, and he drops my hand just in time to catch her as she throws herself into his arms. Jealously like I have never felt before ignites in my stomach as I watch them embrace. She is the first to release him, but even then, his arm stays around her. I have never been one for violence, but the urge to rip his arm off and beat him with it causes me to fist my hands at my sides.

“Myla.” Kai says my name and the woman’s face lights up again.

She catches me off guard when she steps away from Kai and throws her arms around me. My hands go out to my sides, and I stand there awkwardly, not knowing what I should do.

“I’m so happy to finally meet you,” the woman tells me as she releases me and steps back to stand near Kai.

“I—” I look at Kai when I have no idea what I should say or who this woman is.

“Meka,” Kai says warningly, grabbing my hand again and pulling me closer to his side.

The woman looks up at him, and I realize she is not quite as old as I first thought she was. And she has the same lips and eyes as Kai.

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“Myla, this runt here is my sister, Meka. Meka, my wife, Myla,” Kai says, making me feel instantly nauseated.

I didn’t realize I would be meeting his family, let alone meeting them as his wife. I can’t imagine that this will be easy to explain or easy to undo when the time comes, and having other people involved will only make it that much more difficult.

“It’s nice to meet you, Meka,” I finally get out.

Another smile lights Meka’s pretty face up as she looks at her brother then back at me and shakes her head. “You said she was pretty, but you didn’t tell me how pretty,” Meka says, making butterflies erupt in my stomach as Kai’s fingers flex around my hand. She takes a step back then holds up her hands in front of her, forming a box with her fingers before squinting and closing one eye. “You guys look perfect together—her with all that blond hair and you with that long, womanly, dark hair.” She giggles, and I cover my mouth when an unexpected laugh explodes from it.

“Don’t encourage her,” Kai grumbles from my side, but I can see the side of his mouth tip up slightly in a smile.

“Seriously, you guys look good together,” she says as she looks at her brother, her eyes going soft.

“All right, kid, If you’re done annoying me, tell me where Kale is.”

“You’re never any fun.” She pouts, putting her hands on her hips.

“And you’re always a brat,” he tells her, but his tone is loving.

I have seen Kai be soft before, but I have never seen him the way he is with her.

“He was near the barbeque pit the last time I saw him.” She shrugs then waves off in the distance when someone calls her name.

“Thanks, runt.”

“Anything you want to know, Myla, you call me. I know all of his dirty secrets,” Meka says, making me smile before she walks off towards the water.

“I might do that,” I say under my breath as Kai begins walking again. “I didn’t know I was going to meet your family,” I tell Kai as my feet move double time to keep up with him through the thick sand.

“It’s not a big deal.” He shrugs.

I can feel myself frown at his words. I have no idea how he can say that it’s not a big deal when, to me, it’s huge.

“They know we’re married. We’re not staying married, so I think it is a big deal,” I say, tugging his hand and forcing him to stop.

“Myla, I’ve told you from the beginning that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I know what I’m doing.”

“This isn’t about you keeping me safe, Kai. This is about you lying to your family.”

“My family knows me. They trust me to always make the right decisions. So, no, it won’t be easy, but in the end, everyone will know I did what I had to do,” he says adamantly.

“Why don’t you just tell them the truth now? Be honest about it. That way, they’re not surprised.”

“I can’t. If that information falls into the wrong hands, then this whole thing was for nothing. Our marriage needs to seem as real as possible. Only my closest men know the truth,” he informs me.

“But it’s your family. Don’t you trust them?” I ask, feeling my eyebrows pull together in confusion.

“I do, but I also know they are not my employees. I can’t kill them if they disobey me.”

I feel my eyes widen and my mouth drop open with shock at his words.

“I’m kidding, Myla.” He shakes his head.

I search his face, but he doesn’t appear to be joking, and all of a sudden, I feel like Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole.

“All you need to know is you’re safe. Trust me to keep you that way.”

“Alrighty,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.

“Are we done?” he asks impatiently, but I can tell that, if I wanted to talk, more he would put off whatever he needs to do and take some time to talk to me. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that that makes my heart lighten towards him.

“Well, it’s your soul, so sure.” I shrug.

His lips twitch, and I notice a small scar that slices through the middle of his full bottom lip. I also notice how his lips look so smooth. I have never been one who really enjoyed kissing, but I could imagine myself really enjoying kissing him.

“Myla?” he rumbles.

My eyes lift to his, seeing that they have darkened. I swallow and take a step back, needing to put some space between us. He clears his throat and lifts his hand to the top of his head, pulling his sunglasses down over his eyes, and I immediately feel like I have been blocked out.

Without another word, he takes my hand again and begins to lead me across the beach. This time, his pace is slower, like he’s more aware of me. As soon as we reach the bonfire, he pauses and begins to look around. I don’t know who he’s looking for, but my body is wound tight and the butterflies that erupted in my stomach earlier have not lessened. Plus, it’s not helping that his thumb is continuously moving in circles over my skin, causing my awareness of him to never calm.

“Kale!” Kai shouts, and I follow the direction of his gaze.

My eyes land on a man with short hair who is almost as handsome as Kai. He’s wearing a pair of swim trunks printed with large Hawaiian flowers on them. He starts towards us, his eyes locking on our entwined hands, and I can see trepidation in his gaze as he comes to stand in front of us.

“Mom and Dad are here,” the guy named Kale says.

I feel my body freeze, and I begin to look around, trying to pick people who also could be related to Kai out of the crowd.

“I thought they weren’t going to be home for another week,” Kai mumbles, holding my hand a little tighter.

“Did you really believe you could call Mom with news that you got married and she wouldn’t rush home to meet her new daughter?” The guy scoffs like Kai’s an idiot, and I’m beginning to believe that that might be the case.

“They were in Australia,” Kai says.

I twist my hand slightly to pinch his skin between my fingers as hard as I can, needing to get some of my frustration out. If I could knee him in the nuts without causing a scene, I would do it without a second thought.

“You got married,” Kale repeats.

I stop pinching and begin digging my nails into Kai’s palm. I’m so angry that I could spit fire. I can’t believe he brought me here knowing his family would be here, and I really can’t believe he at least didn’t tell me that he’d told his family we got married.