[English] Obligation

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“Yes, it’s funny.” He continues laughing.

A smile forms on my lips from watching him. His eyes drop to my mouth and his expression goes soft.

“All the parts of me like you, lakamae,” he tells me with such sincerity that the warm feeling begins to seep back into my belly.

“What does makamae mean?”

His hand comes up and he cups my cheek, his thumb running over my bottom lip. I don’t expect him to answer me, but unlike all the other times, his face comes closer to mine so close that I can feel his lips brush mine as he whispers, “Precious.”

Holy ****! I jerk my head back in shock and search his face.

“Grub’s up!” is yelled, breaking the moment, and I face forward just as Derek sets a plate in front of me and another in front of Kai.

“Thanks,” I tell Derek while my insides churn.

Kai calls me precious? I look over at him, and his gaze is still on me.

“Let us know if you need anything else,” Derek mutters, and I’m sure he can feel the strange energy that is floating around between Kai and me.

“Will do,” Kai assures him, his stare never leaving mine.

As soon as Derek is out of earshot, Kai speaks again. This time, his voice is soft in a way that wraps around and inside me.

“I know this is difficult for you, Myla. I know I’ve done wrong, but I want you to understand something. I’m a man who was raised to do what needs to be done, never taking into consideration anyone else. I know the results of that have hurt you, but as I’ve told you from the beginning, I will tell you again. I will do whatever I have to in order to protect you. So, at the end of the day, even if you’re pissed at me, that works, ‘cause that means you’re still breathing.”

He looks over my shoulder then back at me again, letting out a long breath before continuing, “I will not give up on there being an us because I know we are worth fighting for. So you can be pissed and hold your ground, but I’m going to do the same, and while I’m doing it, I hope you will give us another chance.”

“You’re really good at this apology stuff…when you’re not being a jerk,” I mutter.

He smiles then takes my hand, placing a kiss over the ring I still haven’t taken off. It’s almost like he’s telling me that he sees it and knows that, as upset as I am, I still haven’t given up on us either. I look at his hand and notice that the ring I gave him is still sitting on his finger.

“One day at a time, Kai. That’s all I can offer you,” I whisper.

“I’ll take it, makamae.” He places another kiss on my hand then nods down at my plate. “Eat. They really are the best fish tacos in Hawaii,” he divulges to me.

He isn’t wrong—though I’m not sure if it is the tacos or the feeling of warmth I have back that makes them taste so good.

*

I watch the sunrise and take in the beauty of the moment. From the sound of the ocean to the smell that’s surrounding us, I can’t quite figure out what it is, but I know that it’s perfect. I lean back against Kai, and his arms wrap tighter around me, his thighs tightening against my sides. Since our dinner of delicious fish tacos two weeks ago, we have been working on us, and this us is way better than the previousone. I have let down my guard slightly, and I’m just enjoying the day-by-day time we spend together.

It isn’t so much that I have forgiven him for leaving me the way he did, but I’m trying to be understanding of the man he is, and like he told me, he is a man who is not used to answering to anyone. He is a man used to doing what needs to be done—damn the consequences. I can’t say I completely agree with this way of thinking, but I’ve been trying, and I can tell he is also trying to care when it comes to me and what I need from him.

“This is my favorite time of day,” he whispers, placing a gentle kiss on the side of my neck.

I have also learned something else about Kai; he is seriously romantic, even if he isn’t trying to be. Just this morning, when he woke me up, he handed me a sweater and led me out to the beach so I could experience my first Hawaiian sunrise. He often does small things that let me know he is thinking of me.

“It’s so quiet,” I tell him, rolling slightly to my side, letting my face rest on his bare chest while wrapping my arms around him.

“That’s why it’s my favorite. I have a moment to think. No phone, no one telling me that I’m needed—just me and nature.” He kisses the top of my head. “And now, you.”

Okay, that was sweet…really sweet. See what I mean when I said he is seriously romantic?

I tilt my head and place a kiss to his skin, wordlessly letting him know how much that means to me. We sit here for a long while, watching as the sun rises into the sky. I’m not sure what he’s thinking about, but I know I’m silently hoping that we have hundreds more moments just like this one.

Chapter 10

Consummation

I walk into Kai’s office when I hear him calling me. I have no idea what could have set him off now, but judging by the bellowing of my name, I’m assuming it’s not a good thing.

“What’s going on?” I ask as soon as I walk over the threshold.

“What the **** is this?” he roars, shoving a stack of papers at me.

I take them from him and instantly feel guilty. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Tammy about the divorce. I’ve been so caught up with Kai and us spending time together, getting to know each other, that it didn’t cross my mind. Not even once.

“Divorce papers,” I whisper when I read the first page.

“I see that, Myla. Why the **** did I just get served with divorce papers?”

Oh, ****.

“I wanted a divorce?” I whisper then look up in time to see him plowing towards me.

I naturally back up until I feel the wall behind me. His face comes within inches from mine, and my pulse picks up.

“I told you I’m not going anywhere,” he growls, caging me in.

“I know.” I close my eyes and turn my head to the side.

“I told you that we are going to work this out,” he snarls, and I feel his hand on my side. “I told you we will never be over.” His hand comes up and he cups my breast through the material of my top as his teeth nip into my earlobe.

“Kai,” I breathe, and then I’m turned around and moving backwards. My ass hits his desk, and he leans over me slightly as he pushes all the papers and items off the top of his desk and onto the floor. “Kai,” I repeat nervously as his hands go to my shorts.

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He quickly unbuttons them, sliding them down over my hips along with my panties. He takes the papers I didn’t realize I was still holding out of my hand, setting them on the desk. Then he lifts me to sit on top of them, spreads my legs wide, lowers his head, and buries his face between my wide-open thighs.

“Oh, God,” I moan, holding on to his hair.

“Not God, Myla,” he growls against my *****, his teeth and tongue bringing me closer to orgasm.

“Kai!” I cry out, squeezing my eyes closed.

“Who’s your husband, Myla?” he growls, burying two fingers inside me.

“Oh, God.”

A loud slap sounds in the room as a sting tingles the skin of my thigh. My eyes fly open and I look down at him.

“Not God. Who’s your husband?”

“You are.”

“What’s my name?” he demands.

“Kai,” I whimper as his fingers move more quickly, curling up to hit my G-spot.

“Oh yeah.” His mouth latches on to my clit, and I feel my body light up as my orgasm rocks through me.

My clit pulses in beat with my rapid heart rate. I squeeze my legs together as my thighs begin to shake with the intensity of every feeling coursing through my body. I look down at him as he lifts his mouth away. Then he wipes his chin on the inside of my thigh. I take a trembling breath, and my body relaxes back onto the desk, unable to hold myself up any longer.

“You okay?” he asks, leaning over me, taking my mouth in a deep kiss before I have a chance to answer.

“Awesome,” I whisper when he pulls away.

He helps me sit forward, pulls my shirt off over my head, and then unhooks my bra, tossing them both to the floor. He then chuckles, leaning me back against the desk when he realizes that my body is of no use to me right now. I hear the soft whoosh of material and open my eyes just in time to see his shirt hit the floor. I look back up at him, and his hand lowers to his pants, undoing his belt and button then sliding them down. For the first time, I see how truly beautiful all of him is as his **** springs free then bounces against his lower belly.

He wraps his hand around his girth and pumps up and down, with his eyes locked on me. “Open up,” he grunts as his hand runs up the back of my calf then up over my knee, pulling my legs apart.

I spread my legs, and he hooks his arms under my knees, pulling my ass to the edge of the desk. My legs wrap around his hips as my thumb runs over my oversensitive clit, making me jump.

“Easy, love,” he whispers as I feel the head of his **** sliding over my clit then down, and I feel the crown press in as his head lifts and his eyes lock on mine. He slowly slides inside me. “TU Kai,” he rumbles, sliding out then back in. My thighs wrap tighter around him, and my hips lift off the desk so I can take him deeper.

“Yes,” I hiss as his hands go under my ass and lift me into each of his thrusts.

I move my hands up over his abs, feeling the strength under my palms then sliding them farther up over his chest and around his neck. His hands wrap around my waist, holding me in place as his thrusts speed up.

“I’m going to come again,” I whimper.

His mouth comes down on mine, his tongue sliding into my mouth. I kiss him back then feel the waves of another orgasm close in, so I turn my head and, without thinking, sink my teeth into his shoulder. He roars as his hips jerk before planting himself deep inside me. I wrap my legs and arms tighter around him, not wanting to lose the connection. Not yet.

“Are you okay?” I whisper after a moment.

His head comes away from my neck, and his eyes lock on mine. “I had no idea,” he says after another moment of silence.

“No idea what?”

“No idea that, when I married you, I would end up with this.” He presses deeper into me. “I knew when I told you we should try to make this work that I wanted it to, but I didn’t realize how important it was going to become to me. The idea of being without you is almost unbearable.”

His soft-spoken confession causes warmth to spread deeper, but then I realize what set him off.

“I forgot all about you being served. I’ve been so caught up with us that I haven’t even thought about anything,” I confess, watching as understanding fills his eyes.

“They’re ruined now,” he smiles, and I realize that the papers are still under me and covered in us.

“Ewww.” I frown.

“We just consummated our marriage on our divorce papers.”

“That’s very ****man-ish.” I shake my head.

His smile softens, and his eyes search mine. “How are you feeling?”

“Happy.” I run my fingers through his hair, and his eyes turn lazy.

“We need to get just enough clothes on to make it to our bedroom.”

“Why?” I ask, feeling my eyebrows pull together.

“Because we’re going to spend the rest of the day in it making up for lost time.” His head dips and he licks up my neck. “I really need to be better acquainted with my wife’s body.”

“Okay,” I breathe, pressing my thighs tighter around his hips.

“Hold on, love.” He nips my neck and leans back, watching my face as he slides out. The endearment causes those ribbons of warmth to wrap tighter around me.

“Oh no.” I close my eyes and cover my face. “No, no, no…” I shake my head. I can’t believe how stupid we were.

“Myla, what is it?” He pulls my hands away from my face and looks down at me, frowning.

“We didn’t use protection, and my birth control ran out.”

“We did use protection.” He smiles before pulling out completely.

I watch him pull the condom off, tie the end, wrap it in a tissue, and throw it away. I let out a silent, Thank God. This situation between us is complicated enough, and I cannot imagine adding kids as a factor.

I let out a breath and sit up, watching as he fixes his pants before coming back to me with his shirt. He opens it up, helping me put it on. He leans in, and his fingers go under my chin, tilting my head back and locking his gaze with mine.

“I would like you to get back on birth control. I almost didn’t remember to use a condom, and I have a feeling it’s going to be difficult to stay prepared.” His hands run up my inner thighs before curling around my waist.

I think about how amazing it felt having him in me and how much better it would be if we didn’t have anything between us, and my legs tighten.

“Oh yeah,” he breathes. “I can imagine it too, sliding into you, feeling your hot, wet heat strangling my **** while your nails dig into my back.”

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“Kai,” I whimper at the image then squeak when he lifts me. My arms go around his neck, my legs wrap around his hips, and his hands go to my ass.

“Hold tight.” He opens the door to his office then quickly walks to his room, taking me into the bathroom. “Let’s get cleaned up, and then I’m going to have a closer look at your tan lines.” He sets me on the vanity.

“You’re obsessed.” I laugh, remembering all the times he has brought them up before and how strange I thought it was at the time.

He walks over to the shower then looks at me over his shoulder. “For months, I’ve had to look at them from afar, watch your skin darken, knowing that parts of you would forever be creamy white, and those parts are the best ones. So, yes, I’m ****ing obsessed with your tan lines because I know that no one else will ever be able to see them but me.”

He starts the shower then comes back to me, his hips going between my legs. My breath is still paused from his words, and I let out a harsh exhale as his hand comes up and his fingers run along the underside of my jaw. Then they move down to trace my collarbone and farther down between my breast before undoing the buttons of his shirt to spread it open.

I look down at myself, seeing what he’s seeing. My breasts are pale, along with my lower stomach and hips. His finger traces the outline where dark meets light before going lower and doing the same along my stomach, making my muscles contract as his fingers run over my skin.

I take my hand and place it over his, admiring the contrast in our colors. He grunts, pulling me from the counter with his hands under my ass, carrying me into the glass-enclosed shower. As soon as we enter, the spray of warm water engulfs us, causing a moan of pleasure to leave my mouth.

“You can’t make those noises right now—not when I don’t have a condom in here and my **** is so close to the heat I can feel coming off your *****.” He slides me down his body, his **** hard against my belly as my feet touch the floor. “Step back.”

I do and tilt my head back under the spray, wetting my hair as his fingers work through it. Then I lean my face forward, my gaze colliding with his as he pulls a bottle of shampoo off the shelf. He runs some through my hair before he tilts my head back again, rinsing the suds clean. When I step forward this time, he smears some con***ioner in my hair and starts to lean me back again, but I stop him.

“My turn.” I turn us and step up in front of him, grabbing the bottle of shampoo. I look at him, wondering how I will be able to reach the top of his head.

He smiles then mutters, “Hop up.”

I put my hands on his shoulders and hop, wrapping my legs tight around him, the slickness of our bodies making him hold me tighter to him so I don’t slide down. I reach over and grab the bottle I set down moments ago, squirting some in my hand then massaging it through his hair, using my nails to scrape over his scalp.

“Hell,” he mumbles, closing his eyes.

I smile and press a quick kiss to his lips, whispering there, “Lean back.”

He does, and I rinse the soap from his hair then grab the con***ioner, following the same steps, only this time, his eyes are locked on mine as my fingers move through his hair, making the moment feel even more intimate.

When I’m done with his hair, his hands squeeze my ass once, signaling for me to hop down. When my feet hit the ground, he turns me in his arms and grabs a bar of black soap off the shelf. Holding it in his hand, he starts at my arms and slowly moves to my chest. Then he works it down over my stomach and lower to slide between my legs, where he carefully washes me. When he’s done, my body is on fire.

I take the soap from him and lather my hands up before running them up his chest, over his smooth skin, which is warm and hard to the touch. As my hands travel over his abs, I become fascinated as his muscles twitch under my touch. My eyes travel lower, noticing the bead of pre-cum on the tip of his ****. Without thinking, I lean lower and lick the head, the salty taste of him exploding on the tip of my tongue.

“TU Kai,” he groans, taking hold of my chin, forcing my face up to his. “Don’t test my willpower right now, makamae. I’m hanging on by a thin thread.”

The thrill of his words causes my eyes to go half-mast. I love that I can do that to him. I swear I feel my body feeding off the power I have over him, knowing he wants me so badly that he might snap. It causes me to sink to my knees, place my lips over the head of his ****, and swirl my tongue around it once. Then I wrap my hand lower, using my fist and mouth at the same time. My head tilts back as his hand tugs on my hair.

“I’m going to punish you for this,” he growls, causing my ***** to convulse and a whimper to climb up my throat.

I take him as deep as I can as he thrusts into my mouth. Without warning, he pulls me up, the sound of me releasing him from my mouth echoing through the glass-enclosed space.

“I—” I start to tell him that I wasn’t done, but his mouth crashes down on mine and he lifts me up, spreading my legs and impaling me on him. I cry out, my hands go to his shoulders, and my nails dig into his skin as he ****s into me hard and fast, my body gliding easily against his with the wet sheen of soapy water that is coating our skin.

“Come!” he roars.

My body takes over, listening to his command, my ***** convulsing as his hips jerk then still.

His forehead lowers to mine. “Yes, you’re going to be punished. That time, I didn’t use a condom,” he says, but I hear no anger.

My eyes slowly open, my orgasm still floating through my system, making it hard to focus. His hand comes up, running from my temple down along the underside of my jaw. I lean in towards his touch and sigh when he pulls me away from the wall and back under the water.

“I’m clean,” I mumble as the haze clears.

His hold tightens, and my arms slide farther around his shoulders as my ankles lock behind him.

“Not worried about that.”

“We will be more careful.”

He shakes his head, pulling out of me and setting me gently on the floor once again.

“The first chance I get, I’ll get on birth control.”

“We have a lot to learn about each other.” His hand cups my cheek. Then he lowers his head, placing a kiss on my lips. “And if the gods are in our favor, a lifetime to do it in.”

I like that a lot. I like that he wants this thing between us to work. “You’re pretty amazing,” I tell him honestly, feeling the warmth that is always in my stomach engulf me.

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“It means a lot that you believe that.”

His words catch me off guard, and I search his eyes for understanding. He carries himself with an air of confidence that is almost intimidating. Since I met him, he has seemed so sure of every single thing he has done, even things that have put a strain on our relationship.

“You don’t believe that?” I question as he begins washing me up again.

His hands pause, and I can see that he’s really thinking about how to respond. “Like I have told you before, I have never taken anyone else’s opinion into consideration, good, bad, or indifferent. In my business, it’s about how you respond to each and every situation. There has never been a time that I have considered someone’s opinion of me.”

“What about when you have dated?” I ask even though the thought of him with anyone else makes me feel uncomfortable.

“You’re the first woman whose opinion of me I’ve cared about. I was never concerned with an assessment of the kind of man I am from the women I have been with before you.”

“It seems like you’ve closed yourself off from everyone,” I whisper sadly.

“It comes with the territory. I’m not talking about my family or even some of my men, but with others, you never know who could turn on you. You never know if the man who is laughing, showing you pictures of his children, is poisoning your drink behind your back.”

His words cause a wave of sadness to crash over me. I can’t imagine living my life in a constant state of worry, having to be on guard at all times. Without even thinking, I wrap my arms around him and burrow my face into his chest.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell him, and his arms, which have wrapped around me, tighten.

“It’s not going to be forever, Myla. I have been working to make sure that I will not have years of this left. When my kids come into this world, they will be able to live normal lives, never knowing about the life their father led before them. It’s important for me that you understand that as well. This is not going to be forever. There will come a time when the house is just ours and there are not going to be others around on a constant basis. I hated having guards when I was growing up. It wasn’t a good feeling when I went to speak with my father only to have one of his men stop me. I don’t want that for my children, and I don’t want that for you.”

“I never thought about that.”

Since I have been with Kai, there has always been someone around, and I have known since day one what they were here for, but I honestly never really thought about what their roles were in being around, never put much thought into why exactly they were here. And now that he has me thinking of it, I wouldn’t want my kids to grow up with constant guards either.

I kiss his chest then step back. He turns off the water and opens the shower door. Then I follow him out, and he wraps a towel around me. I watch as he dries himself off and turns his head to look at me.

“I normally find it annoying that there are people around all the time. But I think I might find them useful tonight,” he mutters.

“Pardon?”

“I only have a few condoms, and they can run to the pharmacy.”

“You wouldn’t,” I gasp.

He kisses the frown off my face then swoops me up into his arms, making me scream out and clutch his shoulders. “I would.” He smiles, tossing me onto the bed before following me down.

“You won’t,” I tell him as he spreads my towel open.

“I will.”

And he does.

It’s after midnight, I am starving, we only have one condom left, and I know that, at the rate we were going, we are going to need to stock up. At this point, I am thankful for having people around. That means I get to ride Kai to completion right before Chinese food and condoms are delivered to the door by one of his men.

Chapter 11

New Dreams

I walk out to the water and dive under, needing to forget the last two hours. My mind is reeling over the information Kai has just shared with me. I do not want to be angry with him about keeping yet another piece of information from me, but I feel like I’m repeating myself over and over.

“Talk to me.”

“Be honest with me.”

“Tell me what’s going on and don’t surprise me with stuff.”

Why is that so hard to understand?! I scream in my head, diving down deeper.

Kai and I had the perfect morning. He woke me up with his mouth between my legs. I love waking up with Kai, but I love even more the way he wakes me up most mornings—like I’m his breakfast and he’s starving.

I have learned over the last week that Kai likes me on my hands and knees in front of him, and normally, after he has his fill of me, he flips me onto my stomach and pounds into me until his own orgasm takes him over. But this morning, he didn’t do that. He took me slowly, his face close to mine while he rocked gently into me. I loved it, every moment of it, and when I was looking into his eyes as the waves of my orgasm hit me, I could have sworn I saw love there as he looked down at me.

When we finally got out of bed and showered, we had a small breakfast out on one of the balconies before heading into his office. I hadn’t had a job and had gotten to the point that I was ready to jump out the window if I didn’t find something to do with my days, so Kai had told me that I could help him out and get him organized. His office was a mess. There were papers and folders everywhere, and he didn’t even seem to have a system.

So, a few days ago, I started getting things separated and put away into a filing cabinet I found, and then I scanned others things that could go straight into the computer. Today, I found a paper with my name on it. I was confused by the wording and didn’t really understand what I was looking at, so I took it over to Kai, who had just gotten off the phone. When he saw the paper in my hand, his face had closed off and my stomach had dropped.

He sat me down on the desk in front of him to explain. My father had left real estate in my name before he passed away, and Kai’s father—and now Kai himself—held the deeds to those properties. Not only was the land left to me worth millions of dollars, but the casinos that now sit on the land that was once owned by my father produced extra income.

I swim harder, cutting through the water, and then come up for air, inhaling deeply.

This whole thing wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t falling in love with Kai.

He has done everything within his power to make me feel like he needs me as much as I need him, but this has me doubting his real reasons. Millions of dollars are attached to me, giving me the knowledge of why Thad was attempting to kidnap me. Whoever I married would have access to that property and, in turn, have access to all the money that was now mine.

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And that is why my heart hurts. I married Kai without really questioning his motives. I didn’t question why he would insist that it was the only way for him to keep me safe.

You’re an idiot, Myla, and your self-preservation is basically nonexistent, I reprimand myself, looking at the horizon. It’s so beautiful, almost as beautiful as the man I just ran out on. The life he has given me has all the makings of the perfect fairytale—a handsome knight saving the day, living in a beautiful castle, and falling in love.

“Fairytales don’t exist,” I whisper into the salty air then turn around and swim back to shore.

As I come out of the water, I see Kai sitting on one of the chairs that are closest to the beach. His eyes are covered with his sunglasses, but even through them, I can feel the burn of his gaze on my skin.

“We’re not done talking, Myla,” he growls, standing up and walking towards me.

I ignore him and walk into the house, not caring that the clothes I have on are the ones I just dove into the ocean wearing, dripping water everywhere.

“We need to talk.”

I round on him and know that, if he would just give me a little bit of time, I would be better adept at understanding how I’m feeling, but like always, when he wants to talk, we must talk, and now isn’t any different. All that does is serve to piss me off further.

“Stop.” I hold up my hand when he starts towards me.

He pulls his sunglasses off and his gaze drops to my hand then lifts to meet my eyes again.

“I never wanted this—any of this.” I wave my hand around. “I didn’t want my parents to die, I didn’t want my childhood to be blackened by someone I had trusted, and I didn’t ask to fall in love with a man I’m not even sure I really know. So if you could just give me five ****ing minutes to deal with how I feel, I will get back to you!” I scream and start to storm off again, but this time, I’m stopped when I’m suddenly pinned to the wall by Kai, who is breathing heavily, his face inches from mine.

“What did you just say to me?” he growls.

I push against his chest, wanting to get away.

“What did you just say?!” he roars.

My body stills, and I lean away from him. “I said I didn’t want any of this,” I whisper, closing my eyes.

“No, Myla. You said you didn’t ask to fall in love.”

“I never said that.” I open my eyes and then close them when I realize he is right—I did say that.

****, that was not good. Not good at all.

“Do you think you’re the only one with **** on the line here? Do you think it’s easy for me to know that the woman I married—the woman I love—has a ****ing target on her back? One that gets bigger every ****ing day I spend with her? I make that **** worse. Knowing I could be the reason she’s hurt—or worse—but not having the ****ing balls to stay away from her because I knew she was meant to be mine from the moment I met her when I was ten years old…” He pauses, taking a breath. “This isn’t ****ing easy, Myla, but nothing good ever is.”

His hand comes to wrap around the back of my neck, and his face dips closer to mine. “I understand that you need me to be honest with you, but I know—I ****ing know—there is **** you’re keeping from me as well. **** that is big. So big that it forced you away from your family.”

I inhale, feeling my pulse spike.

“I have let you have that, been waiting for you to figure out when you would be ready to talk to me about it, not wanting to push you too hard.” He pauses again.

My insides feel like they are going to collapse in on me with the weight of his words.

“I should have told you about the **** your dad left you, but I didn’t really see the point in doing that. You will never touch the money that comes from that land, even if we’re not together. I won’t allow you to touch it because it’s ****ing dirty. The men who want it are not good men, and I mean they are not good men in a way that they will kill you without even thinking twice about it. That is not what I want for you, and that sure as **** is not what I want for any children we bring into this world.”

His hand lets me go and he takes a step back. “So you can be mad that we didn’t talk about it, but you need to get over it and trust me.” His jaw ticks and his hands fist before his voice softens to a tone I have never heard from him before. One that makes my insides feel like they have withered up and died. “This is what I was raised to do, and no one—not even you—will stop me from doing that.” He snarls the last words then storms off down the hall.

I stand there stunned for a moment as tears fall down my cheeks before walking to our room, where I start the shower, pull my wet clothes off, and get in. Then I slide to the floor, letting all of his words sink in. He loves me. He said that he loves me in a way that I know he really meant it, and I have no doubt that it is true.

I also believe him. He wouldn’t want me to deal with anything that came from the money from the casino, and if I were honest with myself, I wouldn’t want anything to do with that money either. My parents died, and before they did that, they’d sent me away, never wanting what was happening to them to touch me. I hate that I didn’t have them, but for me, the idea of growing up knowing that the things I had around me had been purchased with dirty money didn’t sit well with me.

I would never want that. And I understand why Kai has been working so hard to get his family out of the business they are in. I wrap my arms around my legs, put my forehead on my arms, and let the tears fall. I don’t know how long I sit on the shower floor, but when I sit up, my body is stiff and the tears have finally started to lessen. I get up and take my time washing myself, not wanting to face the consequences of my actions.

It’s so hard to trust anyone. And even though Kai has never given me a reason to doubt him, I have. I get out of the shower, go to the bedroom, and crawl under the covers without even drying off. I know I need to go find Kai and apologize for running out on him without giving him a chance to explain, and then I need to apologize for acting like a crazy women. Then I need to tell him that I love him and hope he forgives me.

More tears begin to fall as I think about the look in his eyes as he spoke his last words to me. I hate that I did that to him. I hate that I’m so screwed up that I didn’t even take a moment to think about what I have learned about Kai over the last few months. I just jumped to the conclusion that he was out to hurt me and road that train all the way to Crazyville. I press my face deeper into the pillow, just wanting to forget everything that has happened.

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I wake up and the room is dark except for the moonlight that is glowing through the window. I roll over and realize that the bed is empty, and my pulse skids at the thought that Kai didn’t come to bed. Sitting up, I push my hair out of my face. I gather my courage and get out of bed, walking to the dresser and finding a pair of panties and a top to wear before pulling my hoodie on over my head. I don a pair of sweats and head out of the room.

“Do you know where Kai is?” I ask Aye as soon as I open the door and step out into the hall.

“No. He hasn’t been this way yet.” He moves to my side. “What’s up? You feeling okay?” he asks softly.

I’m sure that I look horrible. I don’t even have to look in the mirror to know that my eyes are red and swollen from crying.

“I’m fine. I just need to find Kai,” I mumble.

He starts to say something, but I shake my head and begin walking. I go to Kai’s office first. The door is wide open, and the dark room is empty.

I continue on my way, and with every empty room, my anxiety begins to grow. Pausing in the main hallway and look out over the ocean at the moonlight that has cast a glow on the water. Inhale a frustrated breath then see Kai standing on the beach with his hands in his pockets. I swear I can feel his pain even from so far away.

I run down the stairs, out of the house, and onto the beach. I hear Aye yell behind me, but I ignore him and head straight for Kai, whose body has turned to face me. His arms open, and I jump into his embrace, but unlike the movies, where he should have caught me in flight, I knock him down, his body hitting the ground in a harrumph as the air is knocked out of his lungs.

“I’m sorry,” I tell him, straddling his waist and kissing his face. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper, looking into his eyes. “I promise, from now on, I will try to give you a chance to explain yourself instead of going off half-****ed. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I would never want to hurt you.”

“I know, love,” he says gruffly, pushing my hair out of my face.

I close my eyes then open them up slowly, looking down at him. “I love you. I know I haven’t done a good job of showing that, but I do love you.”

His eyes close and he pulls my head down to his chest. “We both have a lot to learn,” he repeats, something he has said to me a few times in the past.

“If the gods are smiling down on us, we will have a lifetime to do it in, right?” I question quietly.

“The gods have been smiling on me since I was ten years old and found a beautiful little girl crying in her tree house.”

Tears begin to fill my eyes, and I place my chin on his chest so that I can look at him. “You saved me,” I whisper. “I don’t just mean what happened in Seattle. You saved me from myself. You have shown me that sometimes things that are a little scary and new can be the best possible things for you. You have shown me that I can trust again, and you have given me my family back. You saved me from me, and I would be lost without you.” I sob, burying my face in his chest.

He holds me tighter to him, my tears continuing to fall. I cry until I can’t cry anymore, until Kai shifts me in his arms and carries me inside. Then he lies with me in bed, holding me close to him, letting his warmth and love seep through the years of heartache.

I roll over, and Kai tightens his arms around me as I turn to face him. Once I’m comfortable, I study his face as he sleeps. It almost seems like all the power he normally has buzzing around him is shut off. I never would have believed I’d end up falling in love with a man like him. I lift my hand and run my finger along the scruff that has taken up residence on his chin.

“Why are you awake?” his sleepy, rough voice asks as his head tilts down and his eyes meet mine.

“I just couldn’t sleep.” I snuggle closer to him.

“Do you miss Seattle?”

He catches me off guard with his question, and I think for a moment about what I left behind. I miss the few friends I have, and I miss my bakery, but I don’t miss Seattle.

“I don’t miss it. I miss my bakery and some of my friends, but that’s it,” I say.

“When things settle, you could open a bakery here,” he says quietly.

“I could call it ‘Sunshine and Sprinkles.’” I smile at the thought. I have been so caught up in everything that has happened that I haven’t really thought about what I want to do when life goes back to normal.

“You could. I want you to make a life here with me. I want you to be happy.”

“I’m happy.” I frown at him.

“You’re happy now, but I’ve seen you bake. You smile when you’re baking.”

“My real mom used to bake. I don’t remember much about it, but I know it was something she loved doing, and when I moved, my adoptive dad taught me how to bake. I used to love that quiet time with him. Then, when I left home, it was something that made me feel connected with a time when I felt loved,” I say, whispering the last part.

“You wanna talk to me yet?” he asks cautiously.

“Not yet,” I reply just as carefully, hoping that, one day, I will have the courage to open up to him. He’s right. It’s not fair for me to expect so much from him when I haven’t fully been honest.

He rolls to his side and places his face near mine. “When you’re ready, love, I’m here.”

“I know.” And I do know that I need to talk to him about it, but I hate myself a little for what was done to me. Even with the counseling I received and knowing that it wasn’t my fault, I still hate that I wasn’t stronger, that I didn’t fight harder.

His arm slides around my waist, and his hand goes under my neck then up to thread through my hair at the back of my head, pulling my face closer to his chest. I wrap an arm around him in return then drift back to sleep.

When I wake a couple of hours later, I hear Kai talking to Aye at the door, and when Pika’s name comes up, my ears perk up.

I have been worried about my friend, and Aye seems to be keeping his lips sealed on where he is, so the only thing I can imagine is that wherever he has gone to is not safe. Kai turns around to face me then says something out the door before walking over to where I’m still lying.

“What’s going on?” I murmur as he comes to sit down on the side of the bed.

“Nothing.” He leans over and kisses me, but I can tell that something’s wrong.

“Please talk to me,” I beg him.

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“I have to go away for a few days.”

“Why?” I sit up, pulling the blankets up with me, and scoot back to the headboard. I don’t know what I will do if he tells me that we’re over now.

“There’s some business I need to attend to in Vegas.”

“Okay,” I say slowly, hoping he will continue. But instead, he looks around the room, anywhere but at me. “What is it?”

He stretches out his neck then looks at me again. “Pika’s in jail.”

“He’s in jail?” I feel my eyes get wide. “What did he do?”

“Don’t know. No one knows. The cops aren’t letting him speak to anyone.”

“That’s illegal,” I tell him.

He smiles then frowns. “I really don’t want to leave you.”

“I can come with you if you want,” I suggest.

“You’re not coming with me. You’re safest here.”

He’s right. Here, all the flights and boats that come to the island are monitored, so Kai’s men know if someone shows up. Plus, the house is completely secure. I feel safe here, and I know I wouldn’t be able to say the same thing if I went to Vegas, even with Kai.

“I’m not sure how long I will be gone, but I need to go and make sure he’s okay.”

“I understand. I’ll be fine. Is Aye staying with me?”

“Aye and Frank,” he replies.

“So, basically, Aye is going to have to watch over Frank and me while you’re gone?”

“Basically.” He smiles and I giggle. “It makes my uncle feel useful.”

“I like him a lot, and, your mom’s right. He’s funny, even if he is crazy.”

“He likes you too. All of my family does,” he says in a tone I have come to crave from him. Something about the way his voice goes soft makes that warmth seep into every cell in my body.

“Who are you taking with you?”

“My brother. I have my cousin and some men in Vegas, so I know that, once I get there, we’ll be good.

“I hope Pika’s okay. He didn’t even say goodbye to me before he left,” I whisper.

“He’ll be fine,” he says gruffly, and I nod.

I know Kai will make sure Pika is okay. I just wonder why the police are keeping him quiet.

“When do you need to leave?” I ask.

“After I get ready. The plane is being prepared as we speak.”

“Do you want me to do anything? I can pack you up some clothes while you shower if you want.”

“I have a place in Vegas. I keep clothes there.”

Of course he has a place in Vegas, I think, and then I gasp as his finger runs over my nipple.

“There is something you can do though.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“I need you to come shower with me.”

A smile forms on my mouth and grows wider as his eyes heat. “You want me to come shower with you?” I scoot to my knees on the bed so I can get closer to him.

“Need,” he rumbles as his hand wraps around the back of my neck, pulling my mouth to his.

His hands go to my waist and travel up my sides, pushing my tank top up and over my head, his mouth only leaving mine for a brief moment. His hands tug at my pants and he quickly pulls them off, placing his hand between my legs, his fingers zeroing in on my clit.

“Oh,” I moan, and he pulls me onto his lap.

My hands go to his shoulders and my head falls back as his mouth leaves mine to trail down my neck. He widens his thighs and opens me up to his touch. His lips lock around my nipple as one finger enters me for a moment before trailing up and over my clit, circling it again. I grab his hair as his mouth trails over to my other nipple and tugs hard.

“Kai,” I whimper as my nails scrape across his scalp and my hips buck against his hand. I trail my hands down over his chest to claw over his abs then run my fingers under the edge of his boxers, over the head of his ****.

“You want it?” he growls.

My head comes up and my eyes meet his. “I want it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

My head flies back as he enters me with two fingers. His other hand holds on to my ass, helping me to rock against his hand. I come on a moan, my face going to his neck. I come back to myself as his fingers leave me. I pull my face away from his skin and lean back enough to look into his eyes.

“Lift.”

I lift my hips at the same time he works his **** out of his sleep plants. He reaches over to the bedside table and pulls out a condom. Then he uses his teeth to rip open the gold foil packet, making quick work of sliding the condom down his length.

“Com’ere.” His hand wraps around my hip and he pulls me closer while he holds himself in place.

I slowly slide down, feeling every inch of him stretching and filling me. I still my movements when I have taken him in fully. His hands come up to frame my face, and no words need to be said. I can see everything he wants to say right there in his eyes. I hold on to his shoulders, using them as leverage as I lift and roll my hips. Our eyes stay locked on each other, just our hands moving. His cups my breast and rolls my nipples then slides down my waist, his thumb running over my clit. My hand drops and goes to our connection, feeling his **** entering me.

“You feel that?”

“Yes,” I breathe as his thumb rolls over my clit. “So full.”

“TU Kai.” His eyes close, and when they open, he takes his bottom lip between his teeth and starts pulling me up and down on him hard.

I whimper when he reaches a place deep inside me that has never been touched before. The pain mixed with pleasure brings me closer to orgasm. I lean forward and bite his chin then pull his lip between my teeth, nipping it before licking his mouth until his tongue tangles with mine and the taste of him I love so much seeps into my pores.

His hips begin to buck, and I grind myself down, crying out into his mouth as my orgasm erupts through me, causing a wave of pleasure to roll along every cell in my body. I distantly hear Kai roar my name as I slowly come back to myself. I feel his arms wrap around me and his face bury in my shoulder. Our breathing is labored, and my body feels like it weighs a million pounds as I slump against his chest.

“Are you going to be okay while I’m gone?”

I lazily lift my head and look into his eyes. “If I say no, would you stay with me?”

“Absolutely.”

I blink at the absolution in his tone and swallow back my emotions. “I’ll be fine.” I don’t want him to worry about me. I know he has his friend to think about. And I hope he can get things sorted out with Pika so that he can come home quickly, but I really don’t want him to worry about me when he’s away.

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“While I’m gone, Mom’s going to come over and go with you to look at some real estate.”

“Real estate?”

“Just a few spots that you could open up a bakery at.”

I take in his words and lean forward, kissing him again. “I should be receiving the money from the fire in the next few weeks.”

“Then it’s perfect timing.” He smiles and my heart soars. “Though I will be paying.”

“Paying for what?”

“Your new bakery.”

“No.” I shake my head. “You’ve already done too much for me.”

He studies my face for a moment before looking away, and I have a feeling he just mentally erased everything I just said.

“Let’s go shower so I can get to the airport.” He lifts me off him and sets me to my feet before taking care of the condom, wrapping it in a tissue, and then throwing it in the trash.

I put my hands on my hips. “I’m serious, Kai.”

His eyes take in my posture before he mutters, “We’ll talk about it when I get home.”

I bite my bottom lip to try to keep quiet. I really don’t want to fight with him right before he leaves, but I know we’ll be talking when he gets home. When I first arrived in Hawaii, I tried to give him money for some stuff I needed from the store, but Kai turned me down and absolutely refused to even discuss my giving money for the things I needed. At the time, I was in such a bad place in my head that I didn’t fight him harder on letting me pay my way.

He places his hand on my lower back, leading me to the shower and pushing me inside before following me. After the shower, we both get dressed—Kai in his usual suit and me in a pair of sweats and a tank top.

“I know you want to stop working how you work now, but does that mean you will stop wearing suits?” I question, taking him in. The dark-blue suit with the white dress shirt and tie all fit him like a second skin, showing off the taper of his hips and the wide expanse of his chest. I have never put much thought into men’s clothing, but he seriously knows how to dress and does it well, so the thought of never seeing him dressed like he is now is slightly disappointing.

“Don’t look at me like that when you know I have to leave,” he growls, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling my body flush with his.

“I was just asking a question,” I mutter against his lips when his mouth connects with mine.

“Be good for me while I’m gone.”

“You be careful,” I whisper gently, trailing my fingers down his neck.

His eyes go soft as he shakes his head, kisses me once more, and then pulls me out of the room. I walk hand in hand with him to the front door, where he kisses me one last time before stepping outside and heading to his car, which someone has pulled up in front of the house for him. Once he’s behind the wheel, he gives me a chin lift and I blow kisses at him.

Chapter 12

A Bullet and a Band-Aid

“So, what do you want to do?”

I turn, come face-to-face with Frank, and smile. “Go to the beach.”

“Oh,” he says, sounding disappointed.

“What did you have in mind?” I ask him, and his face transforms and he gets a glint in his eyes.

“Have you ever shot a gun?” he asks.

I shake my head before replying, “I took self-defense classes and have done some martial arts training, but I have never shot a gun.”

“Well, there is no better day than today.” His smile widens, and he puts his arm around my shoulders.

“What’s going on?” Aye asks when we walk into the kitchen.

“I’m taking Myla to learn how to shoot,” Frank says.

Aye looks at me then to Frank and frowns. “Myla is not going to be anywhere near a gun. She would end up killing herself…or one of us.”

“Hey!” I pout.

He looks at me and shrugs. “You know it’s true.” He raises a brow.

I roll my eyes.

“What if we get in a shootout?” Frank asks.

I look at him like he’s crazy.

“It could happen,” Frank adds.

I feel the blood drain out of my face, because I know he’s right. It could happen.

“It won’t,” Aye assures me when he takes in my ashen appearance.

I swallow and think about what Frank just said. As nervous as it makes me, I know that he’s right. I need to learn how to shoot.

“I want to learn,” I say.

Frank’s, “Really?” and Aye’s, “Not happening,” come at the same moment.

I ignore both and carry on. “I think it would be good to know…just in case.”

“Kai won’t like it, Myla.” Aye argues.

“Kai isn’t home and never has to know,” I assure him.

He looks doubtful, but I can also see that he knows I’m right, even if he doesn’t want to admit it.

“Fine, we’ll go to the range, but you have to swear to do everything I tell you to do,” Aye negotiates.

“Swear.” I cross my fingers over my heart.

He mutters something under his breath then looks at Frank. “If she gets hurt, I’m blaming you.” He points at Frank’s chest.

“Sure,” Frank says then smiles at me and winks.

“This is going to be bad. I’ll go get the car,” Aye mumbles, leaving the kitchen.

“It will be fine,” Frank states.

I hope so.

*

“I can’t believe you shot me,” Frank groans, lying back on the stretcher.

“It’s barely a scratch.” Aye rolls his eyes.

I squeeze Frank’s hand, because even if it is just a scratch, he is right. I just shot him.

“A bullet hit me,” Frank growls.

Aye just shakes his head.

“All right. You’re free to go,” the EMT says after placing a Band-Aid over the small wound.

“Are you sure that’s safe? What if I have a concussion?” Frank asks.

The EMT looks at him like he has lost his mind.

“Come on, Frank. Let’s get you home so you can lie down and rest,” I interject.

“That’s probably smart. I’m a little tired,” he tells me, and I fight not to laugh at him. “And you should call me Uncle Frank.” His arm goes around my shoulders and I feel myself stumble slightly from his weight.

“Okay, Uncle Frank.” I tilt my head to look up at him.

He smiles, but then his face goes serious. “Don’t tell Kai about this,” he pleads.

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I press my lips together to keep from laughing and nod my head once. Then I help him the rest of the way out to the car. No way would I tell Kai about this. I could only imagine his reaction.

Kai

As soon as I get off the plane in Vegas, I head to the car that is waiting for me. Frank Jr., my uncle’s son, is standing outside with his arms crossed over his chest and a look of displeasure on his face. He looks just like my uncle, but where Frank Sr. is slightly crazy, Junior is serious and has been my right arm since I was just a little kid.

“Brother,” he rumbles, greeting me with a handshake and a half hug.

“How’s it going?”

“Could be better, but then you know that or you wouldn’t be here,” he says.

“Did you get in touch with Rosenblum?” I ask him, opening the back door to the car and tossing my bag inside before heading to the driver’s seat.

“He’s meeting us there,” he mutters once we’re both seated.

I start the car but pull my phone out of my pocket, sending a quick text to Aye to let him know that I’m on the ground and ask him what Myla’s doing. His text of, Good. She’s in the kitchen baking, comes in almost immediately. I ease back in my seat, put the car in drive, and head for the police station downtown.

“My dad phoned this afternoon when you were in the air. Said he got shot today,” Junior says nonchalantly.

My eyebrows pull together. If something happened, I would have been notified at the time.

“Did he shoot himself?” I half joke.

“Said your wife shot him.”

I slam on the brakes, look over at my cousin, and pull my phone out, dialing my uncle’s number before putting it to my ear.

“You land?” he asks on the first ring, sounding normal.

“About ten minutes ago.”

“Good. Myla’s safe and in my direct line of vision. I will keep you up to date on her whereabouts.”

I grit my teeth and growl, “Heard you got shot today.”

“Dammit, woman. I told you not to tell him you shot me,” he complains.

I hear Myla in the background reply, “I haven’t even talked to him!”

“How the **** did Myla shoot you, Frank?” I bark.

“She wanted to learn how to shoot a gun,” he says, and I hear Myla ask him what I’m saying.

“Goddammit, Frank! What the **** were you thinking?” I holler.

“How was I supposed to know she was such a bad shot?” he protests.

“I’m going to kill you, Frank. Swear to Christ, when I get home, I’m going to kill you.”

“Hey, now. I should be the one complaining. After all, I did get shot today.”

“Where’s Aye?” I demand, and the phone goes quiet for a moment.

“You don’t even have to say it,” Aye sighs.

“Apparently, I do. What the **** were you guys doing?”

“Frank said it would be good for Myla to learn how to shoot, she agreed, and I agreed with them. The plan was good, man. Just the situation got ****ed up.”

“Do not…under any circumstance…leave Myla in Frank’s care. You got me?”

“You know I wouldn’t,” he assures me.

“Good. Now, how bad was he hurt?”

“Grazed,” he whispers, and I can only imagine my uncle eating that **** up like it was a near-fatal wound.

“Put Myla on.”

“Hello,” she says softly.

“No guns, makamae,” I tell her firmly and hear her move around for a moment.

Then her soft, sweet voice slides down the line, wrapping around me. “I thought it would be good to know how to use a gun…just in case.”

“If you still feel that way when I get home, I will teach you how to use one safely,” I promise.

“Don’t be mad at Uncle Frank. He was just trying to help.”

“You shot him, which means you could have shot yourself, so he may have been trying to help, but he wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“In all fairness, I didn’t know the gun was going to jump like it did,” she confides.

I do not even want to imagine the kind of gun she was using that would jump the way she described. “No more guns.”

“No more guns,” she repeats. “Love you,” she whispers after a moment.

I let those two words wash over me before replying just as quietly. “You too, makamae. Be good, and I’ll call you when I can.”

“Promise,” she says before I click the phone off.

“I’m going to kill your dad one of these days,” I tell my cousin.

“He tries.” He shakes his head.

“He’s crazy.”

“True,” he mumbles.

My uncle is a good man, but **** if he isn’t constantly causing drama. I stop at a red light and rub my hands over my face, thinking about everything that has happened and the battle I still have on my hands.

“How’s Myla?”

“Good,” I say, telling him the truth. She has put everything in prospective for me, and I know that, one day, when we’re sitting on the beach, watching our babies play in the ocean, I will look back on these times and know that all the bull**** I had to deal with was worth it.

“So, you guys are for real?”

I look over at my cousin, a man I love like my brother, and speak the only truth I know. “There was never a time when it wasn’t real. Even when I was fighting it, I still knew I would fight for it.”

He grunts and shakes his head as the light turns green and I take off again.

Once we arrive at the police station, I see Richard Rosenblum, my attorney, standing near the front doors with his phone to his ear. We park, get out of the car, and head up the stairs.

“Just got off the phone with Judge Connell and explained that they have been keeping a client here without any explanation. He said he would be calling the chief now, so hopefully, by the time we get up there, they will have this **** sorted out.”

“Nice to see you too, Rich,” I mutter, but I feel my lips twitch. Rich, and his father before him, has worked with my family since I can remember.

“Yeah, yeah. We can catch up with a beer after we get your man out.” He smiles as Junior opens the door and we all walk inside. Rich leads us to an elevator, then up another set of stairs, and into a large waiting room. “Wait here,” he tells us.

I nod and watch him go to the desk and begin talking to the woman sitting there. When she picks up the phone, he shakes his head and says something that has her sitting up a little taller and glaring at him. I watch her mouth move but can’t make out any words as she speaks to someone on the line before hanging up and saying something to Rich. He shakes his head and walks back over to us.

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“The chief’s in a meeting.”

“Seriously?” Junior says, voicing my own question.

“My guess is he’s on the phone with the judge. We’ll give him a few minutes. After that, I’ll make another call.”

We sit there for another five minutes, and then one of the doors opens up and Pika comes walking out looking a little worse for wear. His clothes are wrinkled and his hair is in disarray, but he doesn’t appear to be hurt in any way. He walks over to us as Rich walks over to the side to question the officer who brought him out.

“Glad to see you, man. A jail cell is not my ideal location to catch up on sleep,” he grumbles, shaking my hand then doing the same to Junior.

“Did they say anything to you?” I ask.

He looks over his shoulder then back at me. I can tell he doesn’t want to get into it here.

“We’ll talk once we’re out of the building.”

I nod as Rich comes over to us. “Told me they can’t talk to me.” He shakes his head and looks at Pika. “We need to have a word once we’re outside.”

Pika nods, and we all leave, heading out to the large SUV we arrived in.

“You wanna tell me what all that was about?” Rich asks.

Pika rolls his head around his shoulders and looks at me. “Appears that someone knew I was keeping an eye on Paulie and Thad.”

“What does that mean?” Rich asks, unaware of the weight of the situation.

Pika looks at Rich then back at me for permission, so I nod for him to continue.

“I was following Thad on his way to Paulie’s house when, halfway there, the cops pulled me over. I didn’t think much about it until they told me I was under arrest as a suspect in a burglary that happened in the area.” He pauses, shaking his head. “I explained to them that I was nowhere around the area until that moment and they had the wrong guy. They explained that I fit the description of the suspect who was reportedly spotted in the area and I would need to go down to the station.

“Now, I may not be black, but my skin color is on the dark side of the color spectrum, so I did what they asked and went with them. I didn’t think anything was strange until they kept me in lockup without even a phone call.”

“This is bull****,” Rich says.

“This just proves there are a lot of dirty cops in this town, and the few who aren’t dirty are afraid of what will happen if they try to go against the grain,” Pika says.

“You want to fill me in on what’s happening?” Rich asks.

I look around then back at him. “Not here,” I reply.

“Let’s meet at my dad’s office in an hour,” he offers.

“Pika can get a shower and something to eat before we meet you over there,” I agree.

“See you then,” Rich says, walking to his car as we all get in the SUV.

“Thanks for coming and getting me.”

I look in the rearview mirror at Pika and shake my head. It’s not his fault he has feelings for Myla; there isn’t any helping it. If you’re in her presence for a mere moment, you feel clean, and for men like us, that does something for your soul.

“We’re family,” I tell him simply.

He nods, and I look back at the road.

Once we get to my condo, Pika goes upstairs and showers. When he comes down, I’m on the phone with Kenton Mayson.

“You’re sure Amidio is the one who was sanctioned to do the hit?” I question, ‘cause if so, that is not good at all.

A few years ago, I would have said that that didn’t matter, but now, it does. The man has gone crazy. There are whispers that he started using meth and that’s why he’s had a sudden change in personality, but I just thought all of those demons he had been carrying around had begun picking away at his conscience and what was left of his soul.

“That’s the word on the street, so that’s what I’m going to believe. They say there was some big real estate deal about to go down and not all the players thought it was a good idea. When they didn’t back down and set up the meeting anyways, they decided to take out the threat indefinitely,” Kenton explains.

That sounds about right. Real estate is huge, not only for the market value, but also for the street value. If you have a piece of property in a prime location where you could put girls, guns, or drugs, you could take over a city. That is the exact reason why I am never going to let Myla touch the property her parents left to her.

“I’m going to put in a call and see what I can do. For now, just keep your woman close.”

“You know I will,” I reply.

He hangs up, and I look at Junior then Pika.

“We may have to come back to the mainland for a bit. I’m going to need you guys to get everything set up for Myla here in Vegas. I want to find a house near the city, but far enough out that we have at least fifteen acres. I need you guys to make sure it’s secure. Do whatever updates you need to do to it before I bring her here from Hawaii.”

“What’s going on?” Pika asks.

“I believe the relationship between Paulie and his son is about to change drastically.”

Understanding flashes through Pika’s eyes before he asks, “How long do you think we’ve got?”

“Not sure. I know it will take a couple of months to get stuff set up, and I won’t bring her here until I know the new house is secure. This situation has been in the works for a while, so we have time, but I need to be here when **** goes down.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised he’s waited this long,” Junior mutters and leaves the room with his phone in his hand.

“What do we need to do?” Pika questions.

“We need to figure out who all the players are before we make our move. From what I understand, Thad told Paulie Jr. he knew who Myla’s parents were. Paulie, being who he is, knew that, if he could marry her, he would gain access to all of the land and properties her father had. In turn, he would become more powerful than his father, finally getting what he has wanted since he was sixteen.”

“Why would Thad be involved? What does he have to gain from the situation?”

“That’s what I want to know,” I mutter, running a hand over my jaw.

“She’s afraid of him,” Pika says quietly.

“She is. She hasn’t spoken to me about why she fears him, but I know she does. She moved in with his family when she was young. She wasn’t even really old enough to build real memories of her biological parents at that point, so all I can think is he scared her and she never got over it,” I say, but something in my gut tells me that her fear has a much larger foundation than that.