[English] Obligation

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My long, blond hair had been highlighted, with caramel lowlights added in too, and blown out completely straight so that it hangs down to the middle of my back. My skin, which has gotten darker from the Hawaiian sun, now glows from the lotion they used.

The dress I have on shows off my figure and does this crazy lift to my breasts that makes them look like they are fake, and the heels I have on make my legs look a mile long. His eyes look me over again, and when they meet mine again, I can feel the heat in his eyes.

I inhale a deep breath and take him in for the first time. His hair is back and his jaw is shadowed, making him look even more warrior-like than he normally does. His hands flex at his sides, and I notice he’s not wearing his typical suit, but a pair of light dress pants and a white button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone. His eyebrows pull together, and he walks towards me when he realizes I’m not coming to him.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, stepping up to me.

“I… Well…” I pause and look behind him at the closed door. When I decided to do this earlier, it seemed like an okay idea, but now that I’m in the moment, I’m not so sure.

“If you don’t want to go, we can get undressed, put in a movie, lock the door, and put Aye and Pika on guard,” he says, looking concerned.

I feel that feeling in my gut expanding further, making me warm all over. “You would do that, wouldn’t you?” I lean into him, place my hands on his chest, and look into his eyes.

“Of course.”

I swallow and let the feeling coursing through me settle in before I start to lean back.

“Where are you going?” he questions, snaking one arm around me while his other hand cups my cheek and his thumb runs over my bottom lip.

“You’ll mess up my lip gloss,” I complain.

He smirks then lowers his mouth, kissing me wet and deep before pulling back slowly, leaving me panting.

“Now, what were you going to say?” He leans back, and my fingers go to his mouth, where I wipe my lip gloss off his lips.

“I…” I clear my throat, feeling nervous all of a sudden. “I have something for you,” I say, taking a step back, needing to have a little space between us. “I just want you to know you can always say no or that it’s stupid—”

“Myla,” he cuts me off, pulling me closer. “What is it?”

I bite my lip and step away from him again. This time, I go over to the dresser and open the top drawer, pulling out the small, black box I placed there earlier.

I realized this morning that the ring Kai had given me tethered me to him. I had a constant reminder of him with me, and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted him to be tied to me in a way that could be seen by anyone who happened to be in his presence. I could lie and say that I wouldn’t be disappointed if he told me he wouldn’t wear the ring I was about to give to him, but I knew deep down that this was going to be one of the moments that defined us and where we were going.

I turn towards him, and his eyes drop to the box in my hand. When his gaze comes back to mine, his eyes are filled with confusion. When I’m finally standing in front of him, I hand the box to him and he opens the lid.

“It’s okay if you don’t wear it,” I whisper, unsure of what to say because I can’t read his face as he removes the ring from the confines of the box.

“Put it on me,” he says, lifting his eyes to meet mine.

I take a deep breath then take the ring from him, feeling the ridges from the design and the weight of the heavy metal between my fingers as I take his hand and slide the ring onto his finger.

When the idea about getting Kai a ring came to me, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I went to the jewelry store and was escorted to the gold wedding bands most men wear, but none of them seemed like Kai. I gave up and was leaving the store when I noticed a ring in one of the display cases that held some pieces of tra***ional Hawaiian jewelry. The large, silver band with a black design engraved into the metal looked like the tattoo on his arm, and I knew it was something I could see on him.

I’m so caught up in my own head that I don’t realize I’m moving until the backs of my knees hit the bed and I’m lying down with Kai covering me.

“You bought me a ring,” he growls.

I can’t read the look on his face, so I just nod.

“Thank you,” he whispers, kissing me on my lips then down my neck to the tops of my breasts.

“Kai,” I whimper.

“Yes, makamae?” He licks back up to my mouth, kissing me again.

“The party,” I whisper as I feel myself falling deeper into the moment.

“I’m going to make love to my wife,” he grunts, causing moisture to flood my center.

“Okay,” I whisper then hear him chuckle as his hands go to the back of my dress.

“Come out here right now!” is yelled as someone bangs on the bedroom door.

“****!” he roars.

I hear giggling outside, and then Kai’s soft eyes look down at me.

“After this, you’re mine,” he says quietly, placing a soft kiss on my jaw.

“Yes,” I agree immediately.

He smiles, gently kisses me, gets off the bed, and then pulls me up with him.

“So, is the ring okay?” I ask him, looking at the ground, feeling unsure.

His fingers go to my chin and he lifts my face towards his. “It’s perfect.” He kisses me again then searches my face. “You’re perfect.”

I bite the inside of my cheek to avoid saying something stupid or pushing him back over to the bed. “I just need to fix my lip gloss,” I tell him, and a smile appears on his face.

“It won’t last long.” He kisses me again, making me laugh.

“Good thing I have a whole tube of it,” I say, stepping away from him and into the bathroom.

I hear the door to our room open and his sister come in, and I smile and look at myself in the mirror, seeing a look of almost-blinding happiness in my eyes.

“Ready?” Kai asks, walking into the bathroom after a moment.

“Yep.” I smile as he takes my hand and leads me out of the room.

When we make it down to the party, I’m astounded by the number of people who have shown up. One hundred and fifty people sounds like a lot, but seeing that many people is overwhelming.

“We were wondering if you guys were going to show up,” my dad says, walking up to us, carrying a glass of wine in one hand and a beer in the other.

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“I don’t think Mom would let me skip this even if I wanted to.” I smile, taking the glass of wine he holds out to me. Then I give him a hug.

“You look beautiful, honey.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I whisper and then lean against Kai when he pulls me back into his side.

“Kai.” My dad smiles, shakes Kai’s hand, and then hands him the beer. “You’re going to need that,” my dad tells him.

Kai’s lips tilt up as he mutters, “Thanks.”

“I’m going to go find your mom. I’ll see you soon,” Dad says and walks off into the crowd.

I take a sip of wine and look around then up at Kai. “It’s going to be a long night.”

“Tell me about it,” he mumbles as his eyes drop to my breasts.

I can’t help the laugh that escapes, and I lean up to kiss his cheek. It doesn’t take long after that for everyone to notice that we have arrived, and they begin to come up and offer congratulations to us. It feels like we stand in the same spot forever, only having a moment’s break when my mom brings the photographer over to snap a few pictures of us. When I notice a lull in the crowd and see that Kai is caught up talking with a group of people I don’t know, I tell that I’ll be back and make a quick escape to the bathroom. Inside the house, there are people everywhere, and there are long lines at both the bathrooms, so I make my way to our bedroom and quickly use the restroom there then head back outside.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” one of the servers asks, stepping in front of me.

I debate for a moment then decide yes and take the glass from his tray, giving him a quiet thank-you before I take a sip. I start back towards Kai then detour when I spot his mom, waiting until she is done talking to the person in front of her before telling her quietly, “Thank you for doing this for us.”

She turns to face me and her eyes go soft as she runs her down my cheek. “I should be thanking you. As a mom, you always want what’s best for your kids, and I’ve been worried for a few years that Kai was not going to find someone worthy of him. I’m glad he found you,” she whispers, and I feel tears begin to fill my eyes. “No crying,” she chides, leaning forward and giving me a hug while accidently knocking the drink out of my hand.

“It’s fine.” I smile as she apologizes.

“Thank God I didn’t spill that on your dress.” she mumbles, picking up the plastic glass and handing it to a passing waiter. “You go find your husband while I go and get you another glass of wine.”

“Maybe that was a sign that I shouldn’t have any more wine,” I laugh, and her face goes soft again.

“You remind me so much of her,” she says faintly then looks around.

I know this is making her uncomfortable, but I still have a lot of questions to ask her about my parents. Just…now isn’t the time or the place.

“I’m going to go find Kai, but I would like for us to have lunch when my mom leaves. If that’s okay?” I question, placing a hand on my stomach when it begins to turn.

“I would enjoy that. We’ll work out the details later. Just go enjoy your night.”

“Thank you.”

She smiles then walks off as a wave of dizziness hits me. I brush it off and take a deep breath then head towards Kai.

When I reach his side, his eyes come to me and a small smile lights his face before he leans down and presses a kiss to my lips.

“Missed you,” he mutters against my mouth.

As I start to reply, I feel like I might faint.

“What’s wrong?”

I look up into his blurry face and everything tilts as I fall against his chest.

“What the ****?” he growls, and I feel myself being lifted then carried.

I hear commotion going on around me, and I want to ask what happened, but everything goes black.

*

The sound of beeping off in the distance begins to grate on my nerves. When I finally get one eye open, I can tell I’m in Kai’s and my room.

“Turn off the alarm,” I croak, and my hand goes to my throat when I feel it burn. I try to sit up, and suddenly, strong arms are stopping me.

“Easy,” Kai’s rough voice commands.

I look at him, and there are dark circles under his eyes and he looks like he hasn’t slept in days. My mind reels as I try to remember anything at all.

“What happened?” I ask as he helps me sit back against the headboard before reaching across me and grabbing a glass of water from the bedside table. When I lift my hands to take the glass from him, I notice an IV.

I look at Kai and try to understand what’s going on, and he just shakes his head and lifts the cup closer to my mouth. I feel tears sting my nose as I take the glass from him and hold it between my shaky hands. I slowly take a sip of water and look around the room. Everything looks the same, except there is now an IV stand and a large machine next to the bed, which I instantly recognize as where the beeping is coming from.

“I’m sorry,” Kai says, and my gaze goes back to him.

“What happened?” I repeat through the pain in my throat.

“You were poisoned.” He rubs the back of his neck. “It was a small amount, but still enough to make you very sick.”

“Oh, God,” I breathe.

“They pumped your stomach. That’s why your throat is so sore. The doctor assured me it would get better after a few days.”

“How?” I whisper, still in shock.

“Mom said you had a glass of wine at the party, and it wasn’t one that anyone recalls giving you.” He rubs the bridge of his nose. “She said she accidently knocked it out of your hand when it was still full.”

“I had a sip.”

“That’s what we figured. Do you remember anything about the waiter who gave it to you?”

“No.” I shake my head, not recalling anything about him. “There were so many people there.”

“I know.” He sounds angry as he shakes his head.

“Are you okay?” I whisper when he doesn’t look at me.

“Fine. Just glad you’re awake.” He leans in and places a kiss on my cheek. “Why don’t you lie back down and I’ll get your parents.”

“My parents?” I ask.

“They’ve been worried they wouldn’t get to see you awake before they left, and I wanted to be able to talk to you, tell you what was going on before you had visitors,” he mutters, and I can tell from his demeanor and tone that he is exhausted.

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“You should lie down here with me. You look tired. They can wait a little longer,” I tell him, not liking the feeling in the pit of my stomach.

He shakes his head and takes the water from my hand, setting it on the table next to me before helping me lie back down.

“Kai,” I whisper, noticing he’s avoiding looking at me.

His eyes come to mine and I see pain flash through them before it disappears, when his face lowers and he mutters, “I’m sorry,” against my mouth. He rests his forehead against mine for a moment. Then he gets up and leaves the room without looking back.

I watch him go, and tears fill my eyes because I know that was the end of us.

“Oh, honey, don’t cry,” my mom says when she finds me curled into a ball on my side, tears dripping onto the pillow, a few minutes later. She pushes my hair away from my face then hands me a tissue. “We’re so relieved you’re okay.”

“Just a bad case of food poisoning.” I spit out yet another lie, knowing there is no way I can possibly tell my parents that someone tried to kill me.

“Good thing your husband thinks fast on his toes,” Dad says.

I tilt my head back to meet his eyes then nod in agreement.

“Do you feel okay?” Mom questions, looking at the machine next to the bed.

“Tired but fine,” I assure her.

“We’re glad you woke up before we left.”

“You’re leaving?”

“We wish we could stay, but the bakery’s been busy and we don’t have a lot of help right now,” my dad mutters, looking guilty.

“Of course,” I whisper, taking his hand. “I’ll come see you guys soon,” I promise him and actually mean it.

“Maybe we will be back before that. Perhaps for a baby shower.” My mom smiles, and new tears begin to sting my nose, but I fight them back. “We love you, honey.”

“Love you too, Mom,” I whisper as a lump of emotion clogs my throat.

She moves out of the way, and my dad takes her place, leaning down and kissing my forehead.

“Remember you always have a safe place to fall,” he tells me before kissing my forehead again and standing to his full height.

“We’ll call as soon as we land in Nevada. Just make sure you rest and that your husband does as well.”

“I will, Mom,” I reply and then kiss her cheek when she leans down to give me another hug.

“Bye, honey,” my dad says as he takes my mom’s hand, and they leave the room.

I stare at the closed door for a moment before turning onto my side and carefully pulling the covers up over my shoulder.

*

I wake up and the room is dark, but I feel the weight of Kai’s arm around me and his warmth at my back, so I push myself deeper into him. He tightens his hold on me as he whispers something I can’t understand. I try to pull myself out of my sleep-ridden state enough to ask what it means, but exhaustion takes me away before I ever get the chance.

*

I wake up with the sun shining on me and the bed behind me completely cold. I lift my hand, and the IV that was there is gone, along with the machines. I roll over and look at the clock—it’s after two in the afternoon. I almost think that yesterday was a bad dream, but then my eyes land on a folded piece of paper on the pillow next to me. I scoot up in bed, and with shaky hands, I unfold the note.

I was wrong. I couldn’t keep you safe. My lawyer will be in touch with the divorce papers, and my men will take care of you until I know you’re safe to go home.

XX Kai

My lungs compress and I fight to take a breath, as it feels like my heart is being ripped from my chest. Even though I knew it was coming, it still kills me. I carefully sit on the side of the bed, and the door opens. I turn my head and my eyes collide with Pika’s.

“Do you need help?” he asks softly.

I want to scream at him to go away, but instead, I shake my head and stand slowly.

“Let me help you,” he says, ignoring me and walking into the room.

Tears begin to fall again and I swipe them away with the back of my hand.

“It will be okay,” he consoles quietly.

The pity I hear in his tone causes a ball of anger to build in my stomach. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I push him away, stumbling slightly.

“Careful,” he growls, sounding just like Kai, making fury explode through me.

“Go away!” I scream, pushing him away again. “Get out of my room!”

His arms come around me, and I pound against his chest with the back of my fist as tears stream down my cheeks.

“Shhhhh,” he hushes me, forcing me closer to his body, where my fists wrap into his shirt and I bury my face in his chest to cry harder. “It will be okay.” He rubs my back as my legs give out under me. He catches me before I fall to the floor, picks me up, and carries me to bed, laying me back down. “Do you want me to stay with you?” he asks, pulling the covers back over my shoulder.

“No. I just want to be alone,” I breathe through my tears and attempt to pull myself together.

“I don’t mind,” he whispers.

I look at him and shake my head.

He nods, looking around and then back down at me. I can tell he wants to say something else, but instead, he kisses my forehead and stands. I hear the door close, but my eyes stay locked on the sky I can see out the window.

Myla, this is stupid. You weren’t even in love with him. Stop acting like a lovesick fool, I lie to myself then bury my face in my pillow and cry harder.

Chapter 7

Limbo

“Now what are you baking?”

I look at the open kitchen doorway and narrow my eyes at Aye. “Nothing for you, and don’t even think about coming in here.” I wave the spoon at him, trying to sound firm. It never fails that he shows up when I’m in the middle of baking.

“You’re really going to do that to Daddy?” he asks, and I can’t help but smile at him.

“Fine. You can have one, but first, you have to promise you will take me somewhere.”

“I’ll take you,” Pika says, joining us.

“You don’t have to do that,” I reply softly, watching as he comes over, dips his finger into the bowl of cookie dough, and swipes some off the edge before licking it off his finger.

“You know I don’t mind.” His eyes go soft, making me shift uncomfortably.

Since Kai left, Pika and Aye have constantly been at my side. I would honestly be lost without either of them, but over the last week, I have started seeing a change in the way Pika looks at me.

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“I’ll take her,” Aye says, saving me.

“Thanks,” I tell him, going back to placing some more dough in balls on the cookie sheet while ignoring the heat I feel coming of Pika, who is standing too close to me.

“Where are you guys going?” he asks after a moment.

I look over my shoulder at him and debate how to answer. “I have yet to receive divorce papers from Kai’s lawyer, and you guys won’t tell me anything, so I’m going to talk to a lawyer.”

“Myla,” Aye says.

I quickly swing my head towards him. “No.” I shake my head. “I know you’re his friend, and I totally get that this puts you guys in an awkward situation, but I have to do this. I will not be in limbo.”

“I’ll take you if Aye refuses,” Pika says.

I look at him again then jerk my head up and down once.

“Pika.” Aye throws his arms up in the air.

“I’m taking her,” Pika replies evenly.

“**** this!” Aye shouts and leaves the kitchen.

“Come find me when you’re ready,” Pika rumbles.

I nod and let out a long breath as I listen to Pika and Aye fight somewhere in the house. I hate that I’m causing a rift between them, but I can’t do this anymore. I moved out of Kai’s room the day he left and haven’t been back in there since then. I couldn’t wake up in his bed again, with his smell surrounding me.

I hate that, every time I think about Kai, I still feel the pain in my chest that I felt when I read his note the first time. I hate that he did what he did, yet I can’t bring myself to hate him. I didn’t realize until it was too late that Kai had gotten under my skin. He came into my life, made me believe I was going to be given something beautiful, and then took it away from me without any warning.

I look down at the bowl of cookie dough and my eyes catch on the ring I haven’t had the courage to take off. I let out a ragged breath and know exactly what I need to do. I just need to be strong enough to do it.

Kai

I look out over the water for a moment and then turn my head back to face my computer. My eyes land on the picture that is now the screensaver on my personal laptop.

It’s one of the photos taken the night of the party my mother threw for us. Myla was at my side, the front of her body plastered against me. My hand was on the top of her ass, her head was tilted back, and she was smiling up at me, with my face tilted down looking at her. You can’t see it in the picture because of how the photo was taken, but I remember looking into her eyes, not understanding the look of wonder I saw there.

Myla has to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. I now regret never telling her how beautiful she is every chance I got, but when I first met her, I assumed that, like with most women who look like she does, she knew it and knew how to get men to grovel at her feet.

I came to realize that she didn’t understand the power she held over men with her looks alone. She didn’t know that one smile from her could put a man on his ass. I look down at my hand and pull the ring off my finger, putting it back into my pocket. I only wear it when I know I’m going to be alone for a length of time.

I need everyone to believe Myla and I are done, even if I know within myself that it’s not the case. When I left Myla behind, I knew it was going to be difficult, but I also knew that, if I stayed with her in Hawaii, I was putting her at risk of being harmed again.

I found out after she was poisoned that the culprit was an enemy of mine, and rumors were being spread that I now had a weakness. Before Myla, I had never been vulnerable. I never worried about my siblings because I knew they were under the radar and always protected. And I knew the same thing went for my parents. I didn’t take into account that Myla would be seen as a way to push me off my throne until I was holding her in my arms as she fought to breathe.

In that moment, I knew I couldn’t put her at risk. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to her, and although I had married her for my own selfish reasons, those reasons no longer applied, and the only thing that matters to me now is her safety and well-being. I also know that my leaving her is not enough to stop the threats against her, and in order to make sure she stays safe, I need to make an example out of the men who threatened her. As long as I am alive and breathing, no one will ever have the ability to harm her in any way.

I lift my head and look at the door when there is a knock on my office entrance. “Come in,” I call while rolling my chair back. My brother informed me moments ago that Snider was on his way up with only one of his men. This pissed me off; he is basically saying that he doesn’t believe I am a threat.

Since taking over for my father, I have lain low, staying out of all of the back-and-forth between families, and just concentrated on turning the family business into something my children could inherit. Because of this, my guess is some of the people I have done business with have begun to believe I’m weak. They seem to have forgotten that my family holds a power that goes back generations. In the past, there were not many people stupid enough to mess with us. The day Myla was poisoned, that all changed.

As soon as the door opens, Snider walks in with his bodyguard at his side. I stand and take him in, wondering how the **** he has the ability to cause fear in people. Over the years, he has let himself go. No longer concerned about his appearance or health, he now carries around at least fifty extra pounds on his gut. He is balding on top, with long wisps that lie over his bald spot, a sad attempt at giving himself the appearance of hair. The navy-blue, velour tracksuit, gold jewelry, and sneakers make him look like he’s watched too many episodes of The Sopranos.

“Nice digs,” he says, taking a seat in front of my desk. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?” He sits back and laces his hands in front of him, looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

I take a seat and slide the gun from its holder under my desk, flipping the safety off. “My wife was poisoned a month ago. I got word that you were the one to instigate that hit.”

“Ex-wife, you mean?” he inquires, and the guy next to him laughs. “She went and spoke with a divorce attorney today.” He smiles. “Oh, you didn’t know that, did you? I knew you would think we are all idiots when you left her, but I had a feeling you were full of **** when you said you were done with her.” He looks from me to the man next to him and begins speaking in Russian. “A piece like her you could **** for the rest of your life and still find new ways to fill her with your come.”

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“I would tire of her quickly when she got fat from having my children,” his man replies in Russian.

I see red, lift my gun, put a bullet through his head, and then turn the gun on Snider as his bodyguard’s body crumples to the floor.

“Who do you have on her?” I growl, ready to put a bullet though his skull as well.

“You can’t kill me, Kai, and you know it,” he says, taking a Kleenex out of his pocket and wiping the blood splatter off his face.

“You must have forgotten who I am, who my family is.” I shake my head in disgust.

“I’ve forgotten nothing. Just because you inherited the seat from your father doesn’t make you as powerful as he was.”

I smile and pull the trigger, putting a bullet through his shoulder. “You forget that, for years, I was my father’s watcher.”

His eyes get big and he cries out as he looks at his shoulder then back at me again. “You can’t do this!” he groans.

“You think I fear you or them?” I shake my head and stand up. “I fear no one but the gods, and when my time comes, they are who I will answer to. Now, tell me. Who do you have watching my wife?”

“You kill me and you’re as good as dead,” he says pathetically, ignoring my question.

“Ah.” I shake my head, stand, and walk around to sit on the front of my desk. “You’re stupid, Snider. You have always been rash, and this situation is no different. You didn’t think before you did what you did.”

“If you kill me, there will be war.”

“The moment you put Myla on radar, you started a war with me!” I roar, and fire a bullet through his other shoulder.

His body slumps lower in his chair, and he fights to lift his head to look at me.

“I will make sure pieces of you are divided evenly amongst your friends.”

“Everyone knows who she is. Paulie Jr. wants her for himself,” he wheezes out.

Ice-cold fear floods my veins, but I push that feeling aside and growl, “He’s going to have to get through me.” I pull the trigger and the bullet hits him between the eyes.

A moment later, the door to my office opens and my brother walks in.

“Did Myla go and file for divorce today?” I ask him.

He looks at the guys on the ground then at me. “She did. Aye told Pika not to take her, but he wouldn’t listen. He thinks Pika has feelings for her,” he replies.

“She’s my wife!” I roar and push everything off my desk with a sweep of my hand.

“Not for long,” he says calmly, shaking his head.

When I left Hawaii, I left all of my men with Myla and brought my brother with me. I also told him what had happened with Myla and that, although things between us had begun on a lie, that was no longer the case now.

“What attorney did she go to?”

When he looks at me, I can tell he doesn’t want to answer, and I know exactly why.

“****,” I growl.

There are only two divorce attorneys I know who would be around this time of year, and one of them would be more than willing to help Myla divorce my ass. The lawyer would also do it quickly and enjoy every moment of it.

“Are we going home?” he asks, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

“Yes, and call the cleaners,” I tell him while pulling Snider’s phone out his jacket pocket and looking through his call log until I find the number I’m looking for. I press send on Paulie Jr.’s number and then hold the phone to my ear.

“What?” Paulie answers after a moment.

“I hear you’re interested in my wife.”

“****,” he breathes, and I can hear shuffling coming down the line.

“Let me give you the message Snider will unfortunately be unable to deliver. You so much as even think about my wife and I’m coming for you.”

“Kai,” he says, and I can hear fear in his voice.

I have known Paulie Jr. since we were both ten and our fathers began molding us to take over the family businesses. It was during our first meeting that I learned the difference in ways our fathers were raising each of us. Where my father had raised me with a firm hand and a large amount of respect, Paulie Sr. had been raising his son to fear him, and over the years, that fear has slowly caused his son to resent him and crave the power he held over his head. But just because he wanted to dethrone his father doesn’t mean he wants his father to know he is after his seat. If his dad ever caught wind of what his son was up to, Paulie Sr. would take his own son out without a second thought.

“Be smart. Forget you know anything about my wife.” I hang up then look at my brother, who is just getting off the phone as well.

“Sweepers are on the way, and the plane is ready when we are.”

“Thanks,” I mutter, walking over to my laptop, shutting it down, and watching the picture of Myla and me disappear. Even with the war that is brewing, I know the most important fight I will ever be in is waiting for me at home.

Chapter 8

Honey I’m Home

Myla

I walk through the house looking for Pika and Aye. Since I woke up this morning, they have been incognito.

Yesterday, Pika took me to begin the process of filing for divorce. When we arrived at the lawyer’s office, I was a nervous wreck. The old brick building looked like all the others in the area, but there was something about it that put fear in me.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Pika asked.

I looked over at him and then back to the building. “I’m sure.” I opened the car door and climbed out. “I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Thanks,” I murmured before slamming the door closed and heading for the building.

When I was halfway there, I stopped myself from turning around, heading back to the car, and telling Pika to take me home. I knew I couldn’t do that. I knew I couldn’t let Kai be the decider of my future, and waiting for him to get me the divorce papers was doing exactly that.

As soon as I opened the door to the building, the bell over the door rang and a beautiful woman wearing a business suit walked out of the back office and greeted me in the lobby.

“Myla?” she questioned, giving me a small smile and sticking out her hand.

“Hi,” I replied, placing my hand in hers, surprised by the firmness of her shake.

“I’m Tammy. My receptionist took the afternoon off, so I hope you don’t mind if we just get down to business?” she asked.

“No, that’s fine.”

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“Would you like a bottle of water or a soda?” she asked.

I shook my head and wrung my hands together.

“It will be okay.” She smiled again. “Just follow me and we can get started.”

“Sure,” I agreed and followed her into a large office, where she nodded at me to sit down in a chair in front of her desk.

“When we spoke yesterday, you said that you were wanting to file for divorce. Is that right?”

“Yes,” I whispered, and then I looked at the door, wanting to make a run for it.

“Can I ask you why?” she probed.

I looked at her then back at the door. “I think I made a mistake,” I whispered.

“I think a lot of women feel like that,” she muttered.

I started to laugh hysterically until tears were falling down my cheeks. It took a minute to get myself under control, but when I did, I looked at her and found a smile on her face.

“I needed that,” I told her, wiping under my eyes and relaxing into my seat. After that, the rest of the meeting went by quickly, and when I left, I felt like I had not only made the right decision by filing, but that I had done the right thing as far as stopping all the lies.

Tammy had told me that she would get the papers prepared and have Kai served. She’d also explained that, if Kai didn’t agree to sign them, we could proceed without him because I wasn’t requesting any of his assets that had rightfully become half mine when we’d married without a prenup.

I come out of my thoughts when I hear voices coming from Kai’s office. Since he’s been gone, no one has been in this part of the house, so I’m surprised to hear the hushed tones of men speaking behind the closed door. I tiptoe across the hall, careful not to make any noise. I slowly put my ear to the door and my hands around my ear so that I can zero in on the sound.

Weight and warmth press me harder into the door.

“What are we listening for?” is whispered in my ear.

I scream as strong arms wrap around me.

“Easy,” says an all-too-familiar voice, causing my body to instantly react and pain to compress my chest.

“No,” I whisper as Kai’s office door is opened and Pika’s and Aye’s eyes land on me. I tilt my head back, praying I’m wrong—that Kai isn’t home—but my eyes collide with his.

“Let me go,” I whisper, bucking against his hold.

His eyes go soft as he whispers, “Makamae,” tightening his arms around me almost as if he doesn’t want to release me.

“Let me go,” I repeat a little louder this time.

“We must talk,” he says calmly.

“Ha!” I lean my head back and scream at the top of my lungs. “Well, then, if you say we must talk, Kai, by all means, let’s talk.”

“I know you’re upset.”

“No, Kai, I’m not upset.” I franticly shake my head back and forth, knowing I probably look insane.

“If you’ll just listen for a moment, I can explain everything.”

My body stills and I force myself to relax as his hold on me tightens almost painfully. “Okay,” I breathe, wanting to hear what he’s going to say. I so badly want him to make this right, to make me understand so the pain in my chest will go away.

“I needed the people who were trying to harm you to believe we were no longer together.”

My gut twists, and I know that, even if that were the case, even if he was doing it as a way to protect me, no one would have known he’d left me a note. No one would have known he told me that his lawyer would be in touch. No one would have known I cried for hours, alone, in our bed, surrounded by his smell. He could have spoken to me, could have told me what he wanted to do, but he didn’t even give me a choice in the matter. He left me without so much as a “**** you.”

“You did a good job,” I say snidely.

“You have to understand,” he says quietly, giving my waist a squeeze.

I jerk away and turn to face him. “I understand I told you before that I needed you to be up-front with me about everything.” I accentuate the last word. “I understand that you could have talked to me, but you chose not to. And I also understand that what we had was never real, so the fact that it ended shouldn’t really hurt.” I shove past him and head towards the kitchen.

“Myla, I’m not going anywhere!” he shouts down the hall.

I turn to look at him. Words get stuck in my throat, so without another word, I turn away and head towards the kitchen. There, I grab a glass of water before making my way down to the beach, where I sit staring off into the ocean until a chill fills the air and I’m forced to go inside.

*

I get out of bed, pulling on a pair of shorts and a hoodie before heading to the kitchen, finally giving up on getting any sleep. I have tossed and turned for the last hour, unable to turn my brain off. I finally decided I would just get up and bake something.

Since I was young, baking has been an escape for me, and I know it’s the one thing I can do right now that will help me clear my head. I make it to the kitchen and turn on the light. Then I pull out all the ingredients I need to make pineapple cupcakes with rum cream frosting. Just as I begin to crack eggs into the bowl, I see movement out of the corner of my eye. My belly does a flip, expecting to see Kai, but instead, my eyes connect with Pika’s.

“I see you,” I tell him, going back to putting the ingredients into the bowl.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, coming to sit on the counter next to me.

I think about his question for a moment then think about the way my stomach felt every time I thought about Kai, and I honestly didn’t know how to answer.

“I don’t know.” I shrug, pull out a baking pan, and fill the holes with cupcake liners.

“I have known Kai for a long time.”

I swallow but don’t look at him.

“I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but he was right in his actions.”

My head lifts and my eyes meet his. “You don’t think he should have told me something? Anything? At least given me some kind of clue he was coming home and we were not over?” I feel the pain in my chest expand. “I’m sorry, but I cannot imagine being with someone, caring about them, and then leaving them without a backward glance…without even a proper goodbye.”

“Myla, think about where he’s coming from. You meet this girl, and out of nowhere, your life changes and she becomes someone worth fighting for, worth protecting. Think about the kind of guy you know him to be, and then tell me he wasn’t doing the right thing.”

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“He didn’t do that, Pika. He didn’t fight. Not for me,” I whisper and then look down at the bowl in my hands. “So if youre going to stay in here and try to convince me that what he did was okay, you might as well just go.”

“I’m here for you as your friend,” he says then tugs on my arm until I go to him.

My waist goes between his legs, my head leans on his chest, my arms wrap around him, and I feel his lips on the top of my head.

“One day, Myla, you will see he was right.”

*

I look out the window, down at the rain falling into the ocean, which makes it look as turbulent as my emotions. Kai came to my room an hour ago and knocked on the door, yelling through that his mom would be here at noon. I ignored him and the feeling I got when he didn’t say anything else or try to and kick down the door to get to me.

I hate that I am feeling so confused. I can’t figure out what I want him to do. Do I want him to fight for me, or do I want him to just leave me alone?

I shake my head at my own stupid thoughts and turn towards the mirror to look at myself. I want to look decent for Kai’s mom. I don’t think she would understand my showing up in a pair of sweats with dark bags under my eyes from not being able to sleep properly over the last month. Actually, I know that, if I showed up like that, she would have a million questions I’m just not ready to answer.

So, instead of sweats, I pull out my favorite jeans. They have seen better days, and those days were about ten years ago. They are a pair of medium-washed jeans with holes along the front. I bought them that way, but over the years, those holes have gotten bigger and bigger—some from normal wear and tear, and others from me and my constant picking at the material when I have them on.

I put on a plain, white tank top, and since it is raining, I put on my favorite orange sweater that has bell sleeves and little white polka dots on it. Then I put my hair in a bun on top of my head and dab on some concealer, a little blush, and some mascara. I sigh, slip on my flip-flops, and head for the door.

If you would have asked me a month ago to sit down with my real mom’s best friend and talk to her about the kind of person she was when she was alive, I would have jumped at the chance, but today, I don’t feel like doing that. I don’t want to talk about my past. I don’t want to talk about anything. I want to lie in bed and feel sorry for myself. Or maybe lie in bed, turn the air con***ioner on high, bury myself under a million blankets, watch movies, and eat ice cream.

I open the door, and my eyebrows pull together when I come face-to-face with a man I have never seen before. He is large—at least three hundred pounds and six two. I would guess he’s in his early forties. His skin is the same color as Kai’s, and his hair is long and slicked back from his face. He is wearing a bright floral shirt with the top two buttons undone, showing off the mass of hair on his chest and a thick, Cuban-link, gold chain. My eyes travel farther down and take in his beige khaki pants and a pair of leather sandals on his feet, which have thick black soles and large straps that wrap across his feet then around his ankles.

“Who are you?” I ask, taking a step back.

“Frank.” He smiles, showing off a set of perfectly straight, white teeth with one of the front two outlined in gold.

“Um…” I look at him, confused, and his smile gets bigger.

“Uncle Frank,” he says like I should know exactly who he is. “Aww, come on!” He throws his hands up in the air, and I notice that every one of his fingers has a gold ring on it. “That damn boy never gives me any cre***.” He shakes his head. “Kai’s my nephew. His mom is my sister.”

“Oh,” I mutter, still confused on why he is standing outside my bedroom door.

“He sent me to look after you.”

“What? Where’s Aye or Pika?” I question, and his face changes slightly.

“They were needed elsewhere.”

“Where’s Kai?”

“Don’t know.” He shrugs then smiles again. “You ready to do this thing?”

“What thing would that be?”

“Go down to the library,” he explains like we are going to be doing something much more exciting than just going to the library.

“Sure,” I mumble, still confused.

He smiles bigger then pulls a gun out from behind his back. When I see it in his hand, I scream then back up into the room and quickly shut the door. My heart is pounding hard as I get down on the ground and crawl over to the window, not wanting to be shot if he decides to shoot through the door.

“Aw, geez. I’m not going to shoot you, girl! I’m here to protect you!” he yells through the closed door.

“Go away! I have a gun and I’m not afraid to use it!” I yell back, knowing damn well I don’t have a gun. I don’t even know how to shoot a gun, and God forbid I ever be given a gun. I would likely shoot myself by accident.

“****ing great,” he mumbles, and then he lightly knocks on the door. “Please come out. I put the gun away.”

“Go away!” I yell then open the window and look down to the ground below, realizing I’m stuck. If I jump out the window, I would likely fall to my death, but if I go to the door, I might be shot by a crazy man.

“I’m going to get my sister,” he says, knocking on the door again. “Could you please not tell her or Kai about the whole gun thing?” he asks, and I begin to wonder if he is fricking crazy. “I’m going to take that as a yes,” he says, and then there is silence.

I look around the room. It’s huge, with a king-size bed, two nightstands, two dressers, a large closet, and its own bath. But what it doesn’t have is someplace to hide. I look at the door again and know that “Frank” could be trying to trick me and still be standing outside the door, waiting for me to be like all the dumb chicks in every scary movie ever made and walk out into the hall, right into his grasp.

“Myla,” the familiar voice of Kai’s mom, Leia, calls though the door, and my stomach pitches, because now, she’s in danger. “Myla, honey, please open the door. My brother is an idiot. He didn’t mean to scare you,” she says, and I swear I can hear the smile in her voice.

“I told you, girl. I’m here to protect you,” Frank says, and I hear a loud thwack!

“Can you please stop until I get her to come out here?”

“I just want her to know that I’m her bodyguard,” he whines.

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“You already said that, Frank, and you obviously scared the poor girl to death. So why don’t you let me take it from here?”

“Fine, fine.”

“Myla, honey, please come out.”

I look around the room for some kind of weapon, and the only thing I can find is one of the lamps from the bedside table. I pick it up, take off the shade, unplug it, and carry it to the door. If I needed to, I can try to at least save Kai’s mom. I slowly open the door, and my eyes lock on Leia’s.

“Ah, thank ****,” Frank mutters, throwing his hands in the air and looking up at the celling.

“You will have to forgive my brother. He can be a little”—she pauses, searching for the right word—“excitable.”

I look at her then Frank and shake my head, thinking “a little excitable” is a giant understatement.

“Sorry, girl,” Frank says then smiles, throwing his arm around his sister’s shoulders. “She’s cute,” he tells her, and then his face goes serious. “Don’t tell Kai about this.”

“Ugh…sure.” I bite my lip to keep from laughing at the look on Leia’s face. I can’t believe that someone as elegant as she is is related to this guy.

“You’ll learn to love him,” she mutters, taking the lamp out of my hand and setting it inside the room. Then she takes my hand and leads me down the hall.

“Hold up,” Frank says, and we stop in our tracks.

He gets in front of us and begins walking down the hall, looking right and left like he is making sure the coast is clear. Kai’s mom wraps her arm around mine and leans into my side, and I feel her silent laughter as we watch her brother the whole way to the library.

I look at the picture that was just handed to me, and I can’t believe how absolutely stunning my mom was. She looked like she could have graced the cover of Vogue. Her hourglass figure, beautiful, porcelain skin, and long, thick, blond hair were all perfect in a way that people today pay loads of money for.

“You look just like her.”

I look up from the picture and into the smiling face of Kai’s mom and shake my head.

“You do. You have your dad’s nose, but everything else is all your mom.”

I look down at the picture again and notice that my lips are the same as hers, the bottom one full and the top one slightly thinner. Her cheekbones were pronounced, just like mine, and her eyes were almond-shaped, also like mine.

“See? Your nose is all your father’s.” She smiles, handing me another picture, this one of a handsome man wearing a suit that fit him well, showing off his toned physique.

I can tell, even through the photo, that he took care of himself. His hair was dark brown and styled in a way that said that he took his time to tame it, and his skin was naturally tan. I look at his face, my eyes zeroing in on his nose, and I can see we do have the same one.

“How old were they in these pictures?” I ask, still staring at the photos.

“This was right after they were married, so I would guess early twenties. Your mom was about a month pregnant with you when this picture was taken. She had griped that she looked terrible because she had been having horrible morning sickness. I told her she was crazy. I had never once seen your mother look anything but perfect,” she says with a giggle.

“She was really beautiful,” I whisper, taking another picture when it’s handed to me, this one of my mom and dad together, my mom with a large, round belly that looks like a perfectly shaped basketball under her form-fitting dress.

“She was beautiful.”

I look up from my position on the floor and see a sadness in her eyes that makes my heart hurt. “We don’t have to do this,” I whisper, not wanting to cause her any more pain.

“Oh, honey.” She shakes her head, her hand coming down, running over my hair. “Even though this hurts, it feels good. Your mom was my best friend. She was someone who could walk into a room and everyone would stop to take notice that she was there. It wasn’t her beauty that did that, either. Her spirit called to you, made you want to be around her. I’m sad that you will never know what it was like to be in her presence, to have her shine her light on you. So if this is the only part of her you will be able to experience, then I’m so happy to be the one to share it with you.”

Wow, I think, loving Leia just a little more than I already did.

“Thank you.” I clear my throat as tears begin to clog it.

She smiles then hands me another picture, this one of my mom sitting on a bed with my dad next to her, one arm holding her close, the other wrapped around a tiny baby.

“You see what I mean? Your mom had just given birth, yet she looked absolutely perfect,” she says, and she is not wrong.

My mom’s hair was on top of her head in a tight bun, and her makeup was still perfectly in place. She looked like she had just gotten through with a day at the spa, not just given birth.

“They look like the perfect couple,” I say wistfully.

She laughs and her face lights up. “They were crazy about each other. Your mom told me she was going to marry him the first night they met.”

“Really?” I ask, looking at the picture again.

“Oh, yeah. We were both in our freshmen year of college and had just passed our first semester exams, so we decided to go out to dinner to celebrate. The moment we walked into the restaurant, your mom stopped dead in her tracks, causing me to plow into her. I looked around to see why she was stopping, but then I noticed a tableful of men. All of them were handsome. I told her she was staring, and she whispered that she couldn’t help it—her future was sitting right in front of her. At this point, I swore she was crazy. Honestly, who sees a man and says something like that? But then your dad’s head turned our way and his eyes locked on your mom, and without another word to the men at the table, he came over to us, stopped in front of your mom, took her hand, and led her to the bar.”

“No way.” I smile. My dad had balls.

She laughs hard and her eyes go soft. “Yes way. I stood there for a few minutes, wondering if I was seeing things, but I wasn’t. A few minutes later, your dad brought your mother back to me, introduced himself, and then went back to his table.”

“What happened next?”

“It’s like you say—the rest is history. Your dad made plans with your mom for the next night, and from that moment on, they were inseparable.”

“That quickly?” I ask, running my finger over another picture of my parents, this one of them laughing while looking at each other.

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“That quickly. Sometimes, you just know, and your mom and dad both knew. It was almost as if, the moment they saw each other, their souls had recognized the other as their perfect match.”

“That really sounds crazy,” I murmur, but an image of Kai flashes through my head and how something deep in me knows him and went to him without a fight the moment I saw him. I think about how, every time I have been with him, it has been easy, about how he makes me feel. I shake off that thought, not wanting to feel the pain I feel every time I think about him now. Not right now, when I have the opportunity to learn about my parents.

“Sometimes, you just know,” she repeats. She smiles then pulls out another stack of pictures.

For the rest of the day, I sit on the floor while she sits on the couch, and she shares pictures and stories of my parents with me. By the time she leaves, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. She unconsciously helped mend some of the pieces of my heart back together again.

Chapter 9

One Day at a Time

“Where’s Pika?” I ask Aye.

He looks at me, presses his lips tighter together, and then looks back to the TV.

“What does that mean?” I question, confused by that response.

“He’s not here.”

“I obviously know that. He hasn’t been here in two days, but I’m asking you where he is.”

“You’re going to have to speak with Kai about that,” he mutters, not taking his eyes off the TV, knowing damn well there is no way in hell I will be speaking to Kai about anything, let alone where Pika is.

I haven’t talked to Kai since the day he arrived home, and at this point, I’m not sure who has been avoiding whom.

“Guess you don’t want to know that badly,” he mumbles.

I feel my pulse start to pick up when I remember how I met Pika for the first time.

“Is he okay?” I whisper. Pika has become a friend, and the idea of him being hurt doesn’t sit well with me at all.

“He’s fine,” I hear growled, making me jump, turn my head, and look over the back of the couch at Kai.

I feel my stomach drop. I’ve seen Kai angry before, but I have never had that anger directed at me. I shrink down into the couch but can’t break eye contact.

“Aye, go. Myla will be with me for the rest of the day. I’ll call you if you’re needed,” he says, and his eyes never leave mine as his energy pulses against my skin.

“Sure,” Aye says.

I want to tell him not to leave me, but I can’t do anything but stare into the cold eyes that are boring into mine.

As soon as Aye’s gone, Kai runs his hand over his hair then looks at me and shakes his head. Then he looks at me again and growls deep in his throat, “We’re going out.”

“Um…” I mutter under my breath as I watch his chest expand with a deep inhale.

“Be ready in ten minutes.”

“I…” I shake my head. There is no way I will be able to get ready in ten minutes. I’m still wearing my pajamas. It takes me longer than that just to shower.

“Ten minutes,” he repeats then turns around and leaves the room.

I look at the doorway, shake my head, get off the couch, and head to my room. I doubt I can get ready so quickly, but I sure as hell am going to try. Kai has never scared me before, not even a little bit. Even when I’d watched him kill someone, he had never appeared as angry as he did a few moments ago.

Kai

I leave the living room and prowl straight to my office, slamming the door behind me. I try to breathe, but it doesn’t cut through the madness that has been building and expanding since our fight, and then seeing her in the kitchen in the middle of the night, with her arms wrapped around another man while he kissed her, even if it was not an intimate kiss, was too much for me to handle.

Every day has been an internal battle of self-control, and the constant weight in my gut and ****ing irritant under my skin has not been helping. When I married Myla, I had no idea this was going to happen to me. I didn’t understand what I was feeling when I looked into her eyes when we said our vows to one another. I might not have expected these feelings when I married her, but I have them now, so there is no ****ing way I’m going to sit on the sidelines and let someone—who I have known since I was a kid—come in and steal away the woman who belongs to me, a woman I know, if I admitted it to myself, I am falling in love with.

A woman who I know was feeling the same thing I am right now before I left.

I take another breath, and then another. Pika is lucky he is still alive. After what I had seen, I wanted to ****ing slaughter him, but I knew that, if I walked into the kitchen and did that, it would only make her believe she was right about me.

It wasn’t like me to sit and wait, but I had to do it. But that didn’t mean I had to let Pika stick around. I sent him away two days ago. He was back on the mainland, helping my other men keep track of Thad and Paulie Jr. When I confronted him about his relationship with Myla, he told me that he had feelings for her. I decked him and he didn’t back down. He even told me that I was a moron for having left her without telling her anything. Then he told me that it didn’t matter how he was feeling about her because she couldn’t see past me, and he didn’t suspect she ever would.

His words gave me a margin of hope of winning Myla back, but I’m not a stupid man. I know that it is going to take work. I know I’m going to have to take it slow. But slow with her feels impossible.

****. The moment I brought her into my home, I had her in my bed, even if I wasn’t sleeping in there with her. I just knew that I wanted her in my space, wanted to know she was in a bed I would share with her eventually. Sleeping with her those few nights her parents were in town also changed things. I have slept with my share of women, but I never felt a connection to any of them. Even just holding Myla eased something within me, brought peace I thought was long gone to my soul.

She was my peace in a world I knew was ****ed up beyond most people’s understanding.

I look at the door and let out one last breath. I probably just scared the **** out of her. She is probably running for the hills, but Pika’s name leaving her mouth, the soft tone in her voice from worry over him, had set me off. Even if I know she doesn’t see him as anything more than a friend, I know he doesn’t feel the same.

I also know that Pika is a player. He has a girl in every town he visits, and often two if he is in the mood for that kind of play. Women throw themselves at him, and having Myla around him right now is not a risk I am willing to take.

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I move to the door, opening it then moving down the hall to the room Myla has been staying in before knocking once.

“Yes?” her quiet voice asks through the door.

“Can I come in?”

She doesn’t reply for a moment, but when she does, it’s soft and unsure. I push the door open and see that she’s sitting on the side of the bed with a pair of sandals in her hand.

“I’m just about ready,” she mutters, ducking her head to look at her feet as she slips the sandals on one at a time.

“I wanted to tell you that you can have more time if you need it.”

“I’m ready now. I hurried,” she whispers, and my gut clenches when I hear the fear in her voice.

I live off power.

I have my whole life.

In my business, fear is power.

You can control most people by using fear.

With Myla, I do not want that. I do not want to think she is with me out of fear of repercussion.

“Take your time,” I tell her.

Her head lifts, her gaze meets mine, and she looks confused. “I thought you said we were going somewhere.”

“We are, but it can wait. Take your time.”

“I’m ready now.” She stands.

My eyes travel over her the plain, black dress, which is loose with thin straps that show off the fact that she isn’t wearing a bra. Then it billows out down to her feet.

“I didn’t know what I should wear,” she mumbles, looking uncomfortable.

I shake my head then tell her what I should have told her a million times before. “You look beautiful.”

Her head lifts and her gaze meets mine. “I…” She pauses, and her eyebrows pull together. “What?” she questions, looking completely confused and cute as ****.

“You look beautiful.”

“Okay.” She looks at me again then straightens her shoulders almost like she’s preparing for war. “Are we going?” She tosses a hand out towards the door.

“We are.” I smile, take her hand, and hold it tighter when she tries to pull away.

I lead her out of the house to my Jeep, helping her in before jogging around and getting in behind the wheel. I have absolutely no plans set for today, so I’m going to have to make some **** up.

Myla

I look at Kai out of the corner of my eye and feel my eyebrows pull tighter together in confusion. I have no idea what he’s up to, but I know it’s something.

“Where are we going?” I ask after a few minutes of silence.

“Dinner.” His hands tighten on the steering wheel, and I wonder if this is some kind of business dinner.

Then, butterflies erupt in my stomach once again. Chances are, if we are having dinner, I will have to play the role of his wife, and as much as it pisses me off, I’m secretly excited about it.

We only drive for about ten minutes, and when we reach our destination, I’m even more confused. I look out the front window and double-blink. It’s not a restaurant he would usually have a dinner meeting at. It’s not even really a restaurant. It’s a small trailer with a few tables set up outside of it. The sign out front says Tides in large lettering, the small sign under it claims that restaurant has the best fish tacos in Hawaii.

“I thought we were having dinner.”

“We are.” He shuts the Jeep off, opens his door, and hops out, and I watch him jog around to my side. When he opens my door, I turn to get out, but he mumbles a quiet, “Just a moment.” He slips his jacket off and then his tie and cuff links before unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt and rolling up his sleeves. Once his appearance is more casual, he takes ahold of my waist and helps me out of the Jeep. Then he turns with me in his arms and shuts the door before taking my hand again and leading me towards the trailer.

“Aloha, brother.”

“Aloha, friend,” Kai returns to the large guy whose head is sticking out of the small window.

“Who do we have here?” he asks, looking me over.

“My wife, Myla. Myla, this guy here is Derek. He and his wife are the owners of Tides.”

“Wife?” the guy says, seeming shocked.

“Nice to meet you.” I smile through the anxiety I’m feeling.

“I didn’t know you got married. Babe, did you know Kai got married?” he shouts, and a petite woman comes to the window and smiles at Kai and me.

“I had no idea. It’s about time.” She smiles bigger while wrapping her small hand around her husband’s large bicep.

“Got that right. Been waiting years for you to settle down,” Derek says.

His wife comes to stand in front of him. “Do you want the usual?” she asks, leaning slightly out the window, looking down at us.

“Do you like fish?” Kai asks softly.

I look up at him and feel the weight of Derek and his wife watching us. “I do,” I reply just as softly.

“Make the order double, Derek, and do you have any fresh pineapple juice? Myla loves it,” Kai adds, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

I unconsciously lean against his side and then try to lean away when I realize what I’m doing, but his hold tightens, preventing me from moving.

“That I do. Take a seat, and we’ll bring you your order when it’s up.” He waves us off.

Kai turns us around, leading me over to one of the picnic tables that are set up. I sit and look around, avoiding looking at Kai. Once again, my emotions are in turmoil, and it is all his fault—or at least I’m going to blame him for it.

“What are you thinking, makamae?” His hand takes mine.

Part of me wants to pull away, but the other part of me, the part that is tethered to him, wants to grab him and never let go.

“I’m so confused.” I shake my head then turn to look at him. “I really hate that you make me feel like I’m two completely different people.”

“What do you mean?”

I let out an irritated huff before answering him. “There is this side of me that really dislikes you and the things you do. Then there’s this other side of me that doesn’t care about the part that dislikes you. She just likes you, all of you.” I let out a breath then glare when I see his smile. “You should know I think the part of me that likes you is an idiot.”

He presses his lips together then lets his head fall back, and roaring laughter comes out of his mouth. I have seen him laugh before, and like all of those times, my stomach flutters.

“It’s not funny.” I roll my eyes.