[English] Obligation

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“I don’t know, man.” Pika shakes his head.

I know he has seen the fear that comes into her eyes even when just her brother’s name is brought up.

My jaw clenches and I growl, “Let me worry about Myla.”

“Done,” he mutters, holding up his hands, hearing the warning in my voice.

“We need to meet Rich,” Junior says, coming back into the room.

“Let’s go,” I say.

We go out to the car, and this time, Junior gets behind the wheel and Pika hops in the back seat. When we arrive at the law firm, Rich and his father are both waiting. I let them know as much as I can. Rich’s father has been taking care of my family since before I was born, but I trust anyone only so much.

“Are you heading back home?” Rich asks.

I look at him and shake my head. “No, I need to find a house here in Vegas before I leave.”

“You’ve got your condo,” he says, confused.

“I can’t control the building. I need to find something out of town that has a few acres.”

“I know an agent. I’ll get you the info.”

“Thanks,” I mutter, shaking his hand before heading back out to the car.

I now have a few days to get things done before heading back to Hawaii and explaining to Myla why we will be staying in Vegas for a while. I know she feels safe at home, and I hate taking her out of that environment, but I need to be here, and I won’t be here without her.

Over the next two days, I look at over two dozen houses, and I am just about to give up and go home to my wife when I finally find a house I know Myla will love. It’s a two-story adobe-style home on twenty acres. The house is much smaller than our house in Hawaii, but its open floor plan and updates are perfect for what we need, and I know my men can make it secure enough for us to live there comfortably while staying in Vegas.

*

I walk into the house and go to the kitchen, wanting to grab a bottle of water before heading to find Myla. She doesn’t know I’m home yet. We spoke earlier in the afternoon, and I told her I would see her tomorrow, but after signing the contract on the house, I got on the plane to come home. My body felt like I was going through withdrawals from being away from her.

I open the fridge, and I’m grabbing a bottle of water when something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. I stand to my full height and flip the overhead light on. My eyes take in a cake that looks like it could grace the cover of a cookbook. I walk towards it and take in all the detailing. The white frosting looks smooth yet creamy. Three layers sit tiered one on top of the other, each layer displaying a single flower so perfect that, if you were not looking closely, you would believe they were real.

“You didn’t tell me it was your birthday. Uncle Frank mentioned it, and I couldn’t believe that I didn’t know.”

I look from the cake to my woman, my wife, who is wearing a pair of light sleep pants and a tank top. Her shoulder is resting against the doorjamb, her arms crossed under her breasts, lifting them higher, and the mass of hair she normally keeps tied up is down around her shoulders, framing her face.

“I never celebrate it,” I tell her, and I honestly didn’t even remember it’s my birthday until this moment.

“That’s what they said, but I wanted to make you a cake anyways.” She shrugs.

I like that. I could imagine her floating around the kitchen, baking a cake with a smile on her face—the smile I only ever see on her when she’s doing something she loves.

“You gonna feed me a piece?”

Her eyes go half-mast, and that look has my **** jerking in my pants. I step towards her, placing a hand on her hip, then look over her shoulder, seeing my uncle standing in the hall.

“Frank, you’re dismissed.”

He smiles and shakes his head, knowing exactly why I’m being so short with him.

“Thanks, Uncle Frank,” Myla tells him then turns red when he gives her a wink.

Once I know he’s out of earshot, I use my hand on her hip to pull her closer to me. “Missed you, makamae,” I whisper against her mouth before kissing and licking the seam of her lips.

Her mouth opens and her body melts against mine as her taste floods my system. Her nails dig into my skin through the material of my dress shirt. With my mouth still on hers, I lead her backwards to the counter, lifting her up, spreading her thighs, and making room for my hips.

“I missed you too,” she hisses as I nip at the skin on her neck and make my way over the swells of her breasts. She grabs my hair, causing me to growl as she pulls my mouth away from her skin. “Hold on,” she whimpers.

I lift my head to look into her eyes. “What?” I question, breathing heavily.

She pushes my chest, and I regretfully help her off the counter and watch her as she goes to the fridge and reaches on top of it. Then she pulls a small box down before she turns the lights off. I wonder what she’s doing, and then I see a flicker of light as a single candle on the top of the cake is lit.

“You have to make your wish,” she tells me shyly.

I look at her beautiful face, which is only lit by the small candle, and wonder, not for the first time, what the **** I did to please the gods so.

“I already got my wish,” I tell her gruffly.

Her eyes go soft and her hair moves slightly as she shakes her head. “Do you know the reason you blow out a candle on a cake on your birthday?” she questions, carrying the cake towards me.

I shake my head.

“In ancient Greece, they did it to pay tribute to the goddess Artemis. They made a round cake to represent the shape of the moon and added candles to represent the moonlight. Later, people believed that, when the candle was blown out, your wish would go to the gods to grant. Some people believe the smoke from the candles will chase away evil spirits for another year. There is tra***ion in everything, every event, every holiday, and this is one tra***ion I want to share with you and, someday, share with our children.”

Oh yeah, I like this. I don’t know what I did to deserve having this for the rest of my life, but I know I will find a way to be worthy of it. I walk towards her, not even thinking about my wish, knowing what it is before I step in front of her and blow out the candle. I take the cake from her hands and gently set it on the counter before turning back to face her. Then I pull her by the waist, sliding my hands under her tank top, around her back, down over her ass, and inside her pants.

I slowly pull the thin material of her sleep pants over her hips and ass then down her thighs until gravity takes over and they fall to the floor. Then I travel my hand up over the curve of her hips and the dip of her waist until my hands meet the material of her tank top, pushing it up her sides and over her head.

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“This is how you should always greet me,” I say, bending and brushing my lips against her ear, feeling her shiver.

“There are too many people around,” she moans as my hand slides around and down her belly.

My fingers slide between her folds then circle her clit. She’s right; there are always too many ****ing people around. But I know we are alone right now. I lift her up on the counter and hear her gasp when her skin touches the cool granite.

“What kind of cake did you make me?” I lean back and swipe my finger through the creamy white frosting.

“French vanilla with a mango center.”

I hold my finger out and her tongue comes out. Her eyes lock with mine as she licks the frosting off slowly.

“You don’t want any?” she asks.

I smile and lean back, taking another swipe of icing. This time, I gently smear it on the tips of her breasts before lowering my head and pulling first one then the other nipple into my mouth. Her body arches under me, and her feet dig into my back. I pull my mouth from her breast and kiss down to her belly button.

“It’s good,” I whisper against her lower stomach.

Her stomach quivers, and I nip the skin over her lower belly before locking my gaze with hers.

“But I’ve had better.” I swipe my tongue over her clit before pulling it into my mouth with a gentle tug.

Her body starts shaking, and I pull away, breathing against her perfect core. Her eyes lock with mine and heat. I stand and slowly take my tie and shirt off before dropping them to the floor. The heels of her feet go to the counter, which opens her up to me. I growl in approval, quickly unhook my belt just enough to release my **** from the confines of my pants, and then slide the head through her wet folds twice before slowly edging inside her.

“Kai,” hisses from her lips. Her back arches and her chest rises, causing my hips to buck and my length to slide in even deeper.

I have dreamt about her since I’ve been gone, and I haven’t even used my hand to relieve the tension that has been building from waking up without her, so I know I will not be able to hold back the release I already feel building.

I roll my hips forward, and her hands come up to my shoulders. ****. She looks like some kind of pagan sacrifice spread open before me, her legs wide, her head back, the length of her hair touching the counter, and the moonlight bouncing off her features. I put a hand on her ass to keep her in place while my thumb goes to her clit, circling it. Her head lifts and her eyes meet mine as I begin pounding into her hard, each thrust causing her to tighten around me.

“You need to come.” I slap her thigh, causing her to get wetter as her head falls back and her hands slip off my shoulders.

She lies on the counter, her back arches, and her hands roam up her stomach to hold on to her breasts, her fingers pulling on her nipples. ****ing beautiful. I have never seen anything more erotic than her writhing on the counter, getting off on the way I’m ****ing her.

My thrusts speed up, and her hand travels down to where mine is rolling over her clit. Her legs wrap tighter around my hips as her ***** begins to convulse, her orgasm milking mine from me.

I lay my head on her chest, trying to catch my breath as I listen to the sound of her heavy breathing and enjoy the feel of her heart. I feel her shaking, and I wonder if she’s crying. When I look up at her, her head is back and there is a stunning smile on her face, which I can see even in the moonlight.

“I’m going to get offended in a minute,” I tell her.

Her head tilts down and our eyes lock. “Don’t. That was awesome.”

I chuckle and pull my weight off her, helping her to sit up while simultaneously sliding out of her. “Why were you laughing?”

“It’s nothing.” She closes her eyes.

I look down, seeing that I have once again ****ed up and not worn a condom. I have never had this issue before her, and I don’t understand what it says about her that she has the ability to cause me to be so reckless. Not that I would mind her ending up pregnant, but I know that that’s not something she is comfortable with at this time, and I respect and love her enough to give that to her—at least for the time being.

“Tell me?” I pick my shirt up and help her slip it on.

“Just…at the rate we’re going, I will never be able to start birth control.”

“Pardon?”

She bites her lip then looks around before looking at me. “The doctor said I couldn’t start until after I have my period.” Her brow furrows and then her eyes get big.

“What?”

“Oh no,” she whispers, covering her mouth.

“Myla, what?”

“I’m late,” she breathes as all the color drains out of her face.

“Late for what?” I question, still confused.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no…” she chants, her eyes still locked with mine.

Then it hits me.

Late. She is late for her period.

I feel my body lighten, but then I take in her ashen expression and instantly become concerned. “Talk to me,” I tell her gently while tucking myself back into my slacks.

“It’s too soon. We’re not ready.”

“It’s not too soon.” I gently place my hand on her stomach, overwhelmed by the thought that my child could be growing in there right now.

“We need to go to the store,” she says, moving my hand and jumping off the counter.

“I’ll send someone.”

“No,” she pleads, grabbing me with both hands. “If I am, I don’t want anyone to know.”

“We, makamae,” I growl.

“What?” She shakes her head, looking around the kitchen.

“That’s my son growing inside you. You’re not in this alone, nor will you ever be.”

“Kai.” She shakes her head and tears begin to fill her eyes.

“This is our moment, and we won’t share it with anyone else, but this is about both of us,” I tell her firmly.

“You’re right,” she whispers. “I just… I just never planned for this. For any of this.”

I catch a tear as it falls and remind her softly, “I never planned for any of this, either.”

“I know.” She closes her eyes then opens them back up. “I need to know if I am.”

“I’ll take you to the drugstore. We don’t even know if you are, so you may still get your wish.” I hear the deadness in my tone as I lead her back to our room. I grab a clean shirt as she quickly gets dressed.

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The trip to and from the store is silent. I’m trying not to be pissed about this situation. I understand there is a lot to take into consideration, but I’m angry that she acts as if it would be the end of the world to have my child.

“Let me do that,” I tell her, noticing that she is shaking. I take the box from her hand and open it up.

“What if it’s negative?” she whispers, looking at the test.

I fight back the words that are on the tip of my tongue, and when she speaks, I’m glad I did.

“On the way to the store, I imagined what it would be like to know that I was pregnant. I was still scared, but there was also excitement mixed in there. Now, if I go and take this test and it’s negative, I think I may be disappointed.”

The anger that was building simmers down. I tilt her chin up so that I can look her in the eyes. “There’s always someday, Myla.”

She nods and walks to the bathroom, pausing to look at me over her shoulder before walking in and closing the door. It feels like forever that she is out of my sight, so when the door opens and she walks out, I pull her into an embrace.

“Do you have a watch?” she asks quietly.

“Yeah.”

“We’re supposed to wait three minutes,” she whispers before burying her face in my chest.

I look at my watch, set the timer, wrap my arms around her, and then wait. When the alarm goes off, I press a kiss to the top of her head before she pulls away. She comes back a second later, holding the test in her hand.

I can’t read the look on her face, so I hold out my hand to take the test from her. “What does it mean?” I ask, seeing two pink lines.

“I’m pregnant.”

I look from the test to her and smile. “Yeah?” I question, my smile getting bigger.

Her face softens and she leans forward, taking the test out of my hand and looking at it again. “You’re happy about this?”

“Yes,” I tell her, not even a single ounce of doubt in my head. I know that this is right.

“I’m pregnant,” she repeats then looks up from the test, her gaze meeting mine. “I feel excited. Is that weird?”

I exhale a breath, the stress I was feeling immediately leaving my chest. “It’s not weird,” I assure her then smile when she jumps up, wrapping her legs around my waist.

“This is crazy.”

She is right about that, but since the moment I saw her in Seattle, our relationship has been crazy.

“Now let’s go have some cake since you already gave me my wish,” I tell her, and her face goes soft and her hands come up to either side of my face.

“Let’s have cake,” she whispers, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

Chapter 13

Oh Baby

Myla

Since finding out I am pregnant, all the plans for going to Vegas were put on hold. Kai didn’t want to risk something happening to the baby or me, and to be honest, it was one less thing for me to worry about. I hated the idea of being in an unfamiliar place, where I didn’t have anyone to lean on. Kai’s family has become mine during my time since I moved to Hawaii, and his mom is excited to be a grandmother. Even though I am just weeks along, I don’t want to take that from her. Especially when we didn’t know how long we would be in Vegas.

Now, as I look down at the water and watch Kai come out of the ocean looking like a warrior ready for battle, my insides become liquid. I never in my wildest dreams would have believed that someone like him would be my husband and the father of my child, but things always have a way of working out, just like they are supposed to.

He prowls towards me, the ocean water still running over the contours of his skin, and doesn’t stop until he’s caging me in, one hand on each side of the lounger I’m lying on.

“You should go inside.” He kisses my nose then my lips as his hand at my side moves to lie on my lower stomach.

“I’m comfortable.” I smile, stretching up and kissing him.

“Have you been drinking water?” he mutters as his fingers play along the edge of my swim bottoms.

“Yes.” I roll my eyes when his eyes stay locked on where his fingers are touching me.

“It’s hot out today.” He finally brings his eyes up to mine and I notice they are darker than normal.

“Honey, we’re in Hawaii. It’s always hot.”

His eyes go soft, and he presses another kiss to my lips. “I’m going to see about getting a chair that has a cover over it.”

“I like the sun,” I complain.

I love that he cares about me, but I swear, since we found out about the baby, he has been high-strung and doing everything within his power to drive me absolutely bonkers.

“It’s not good for you, makamae.”

“Kai.” I shake my head.

He brings his hand up, his fingers tracing the edge of the top of my bikini, pulling it down slightly so the skin that is still untouched by the sun is exposed.

“Let’s go inside.” His finger runs under the material and over my nipple, causing me to gasp. “I’m hungry.” He licks his lips, and my eyes follow his tongue. That liquid heat in my belly expands and spreads between my legs. “Myla.” My name comes out like a warning as I lift my hand from my lap, running it over his abs and along the elastic of his shorts.

It’s so difficult to keep my hands off him, and over the last couple of weeks, my need for him has only gotten worse. Luckily for me, Kai never denies me anything.

“I can see that you’re wet,” he whispers near my ear.

I pull away to look into his eyes. His gaze is locked between my legs, and I notice the damp spot on the piece of material.

He pulls his lower lip into his mouth, and his fingers flex into my skin. His face lowers towards my belly and he places a kiss there. Then he sucks, making my belly clench and more wetness spread between my legs.

“I can smell you.” He nips lower on my stomach, right above my mound.

My hand tangles in his hair and I try to pull him away.

“TU Kai,” he rumbles, making me squirm. “Up,” he says.

I don’t even realize he’s lifting me until my ass is off the lounger and my arms are forced to wrap around his neck so that I don’t fall to the ground.

I cling to him as he carries me inside to the bedroom. He kicks the door shut with his foot and carries me to the bed, gently setting me down before stepping back and pulling his shorts off. I lick my lips when his **** bobs against his stomach as he steps in front of me. When he pulls the string on each side of my waist, my bottoms drop to the bed, and then his hands quickly remove my top.

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“Um,” I whisper as he gets on the bed and adjusts me so that I’m facing the headboard and my ***** is right over his mouth.

“Feed me, makamae.”

I look down at him and my hands press against the wall as I exhale slowly before lowering my hips. His eyes, which are locked on mine, heat, and I pause, leaning back so I can fully see his face and not just his eyes. His hands go around my thighs, and he pulls me down onto his waiting mouth.

At the first touch of his tongue, I watch his eyes close like he just tasted the most amazing thing he has ever eaten. When he licks me again, his tongue swirls around my clit, and his fingers dig into my thighs, pulling me deeper into his mouth.

“Kai,” I whimper.

“Ride my tongue, baby,” he growls, causing my ***** to contract and my hips to rock against his mouth.

My hands go to my breasts and I pull my nipples, which have become extra sensitive. I’m so lost in the way my body is feeling that I’m startled when Kai’s mouth leaves me.

“Turn around.”

It takes a moment to get adjusted, but when I do, my hands go to his stomach and run down his abs. One hand wraps around his **** and the other holds his heavy sac as I lower my face and lick the head of his ****, tasting the salty taste of him on my tongue.

His hips lift, and I suddenly feel powerful. Even with his mouth devouring me, I’m in control of the way he feels. I lower my mouth just enough to swirl my tongue around the head of his shaft, not going any farther down, even when his hips lift like he’s begging me to. I remove my mouth and slowly slide my hand up and down, enjoying the feel of him in my hand, the way he feels smooth and hard.

I lick the head again, only this time, I take him to the back of my throat and moan when he rewards me with his fingers entering me. I lift then lower my mouth; each action is rewarded with a pull or a tug from his mouth. I’m getting close and know that, when I finally fall over the edge, I am going to be lost.

When his fingers begin moving faster, I whimper around him and start moving faster. I know that, when he comes, I will come too. I begin using my hand in sync with my mouth then gently cup his balls.

That’s when it happens. His mouth latches on to me, quickly flicking my clit. I cry out around his ****, and the taste of him erupts on my tongue. I swallow him down as lights flash behind my closed lids, and my body explodes in the most mind-blowing orgasm I have ever had. It is like nothing I have ever felt before.

I lay my head on his thigh, taking large gulps of air while trying to get my body under control. He rolls me to my side then turns around to lie the way I’m facing, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me into his chest, and running his hand up and down my back while our breathing returns to normal.

“That was insane,” I tell him, lifting my head and resting my chin on his chest.

His head tilts down so that his eyes meet mine, and a look I have never seen before fills his eyes.

“You come hard, Makamae, every time I eat you, but that time, you soaked my face.”

I lower my face so that he can’t see how red I am, but his hand tugs on my hair, lifting my face up until our gaze locks again.

“It’s beautiful knowing I have that kind of control over you,” he says softly.

He’s right. When we’re together, I find it easy to hand everything over to him. I love knowing he’ll take care of me, I think as I drift off to sleep.

*

“Tammy!” I call out when I see my lawyer—or, I guess, ex-lawyer—walking across the street.

Her head turns, she looks between Kai and me, and I see something in her eyes, but from the distance between us, I can’t make it out.

“Myla.” She smiles, schooling her face and walking towards us.

I look up at Kai to see if he noticed anything strange. His jaw is clenching, and the vein I have occasionally seen pop out of his neck when he’s mad is displayed above the collar of his white shirt.

“How are you, Myla?”

I swing my head to Tammy and smile, stepping away from Kai to embrace her. “Good. How are you?” I question, stepping back.

Her eyes go from me to Kai, and she swallows then smiles. “Really good. I’m seeing someone,” she says then looks up at Kai before bringing her eyes back to me.

“Sorry for being so rude. This is my husband, Kai. Kai, this is Tammy,” I say.

Tammy smiles, but Kai doesn’t say anything.

“So, you’re seeing someone? That’s nice.” I smile awkwardly and feel Kai move slightly behind me.

“Sorry, makamae, but we need to hurry,” Kai says.

I look up at him and nod before looking at Tammy once again. “Sorry. We have a doctor’s appointment today to find out what we’re having. He’s a little anxious.” I grin, setting a hand on my stomach.

You have to look close to see that I’m pregnant, but there is a roundness that wasn’t there before, and today, we just hit our fifteenth week, so we will finally know for sure what we are having. Though Kai swears that it’s a boy.

“You’re pregnant,” Tammy whispers, looking at Kai, me, and then my belly.

“That’s why you didn’t follow through with the divorce,” she says, and I feel myself turn red. Her hand covers her mouth. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

My gut clenches and my stomach is starting to feel sick. “We didn’t know at that time.” I shake my head, feeling like I need to make it clear that we had agreed to be together before we found out we were having a baby.

“I gotta go,” she says, and I watch her leave in a hurry.

I turn to face Kai and search his face for a moment before letting my eyes drop to the ground. “That’s your ex-girlfriend, isn’t it?” I whisper, feeling like a complete idiot. And a bitch—an idiotic bitch.

“She is,” he confirms, making me feel worse.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, watching as my tears fall to the concrete at my feet.

“You have nothing to be sorry about, Myla.” He tilts my head back to meet his eyes. “We were over long before you came into the picture.”

“She still loves you,” I tell him, but he shakes his head.

“She liked the idea of being with someone more than the actual part about having a relationship.”

“What?” I ask, feeling my brow crease.

“She is one of the only lawyers in town. She has an important job, and that was always more important to her than building a relationship with me. I accepted that, and I also accepted that she wasn’t my future. She’s a sweet, beautiful woman, but she is married to her practice.”

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“You loved her.”

“No, makamae.” He runs his finger down the bridge of my nose. “I cared for her. She’s a good person, but I never loved her. Love is an obsession that, no matter how hard you try, you can’t fight. I love you.”

“I hope that she finds that,” I tell him.

His face goes soft and his fingers skim along the underside of my jaw. “I hope so too.”

He takes my hand again and leads me down the street to the doctor’s office. Once inside, we head straight to reception, where we’re given a form to fill out before being taken back to one of the exam rooms. As soon as I’m settled on the table, the doctor comes in with a smile on her face. She’s short, about five one, with jet-black hair that sits at the edge of her jaw, making her already striking Asian features stand out even more.

“Myla.” She pats my leg then looks at Kai and mutters, “Hi.”

Did I mention that she hates my husband? Okay, hate is a strong word; she strongly dislikes him. During my first visit, Kai freaked out when I started spotting after the internal exam. He threatened to have the clinic shut down. That did not go over well at all. I swear I thought the small woman was going to murder him. It took ten full minutes to get Kai calm enough to listen that I was okay and it was normal.

“How are you?” I ask her.

She smiles then looks at Kai and glares. “I’ve been good.”

“That’s good,” I mutter, squeezing Kai’s hand hard enough that I see his skin turn a shade lighter in color.

“Let me get stuff set up for the ultrasound,” she says quietly, walking over to the sink to wash her hands.

“Sounds great.” I put on my cheerful voice, and her face softens some, but then it goes hard when Kai moves and reminds her that he’s still in the room with us.

When she comes back, she feels around on my belly for a moment then squirts the clear gel onto my skin and begins moving the device that looks like a remote control around on my stomach. The swoosh, swoosh sound comes before the rhythm of a quick heartbeat fills the room.

Kai’s hand tightens around mine. This isn’t the first time he has heard our baby’s heartbeat, but even now, I can see the look of wonder in his expression as he searches the screen in front of the doctor.

I was scared when I realized I was late for my period, but the more I thought about it, and the more I thought about who the father of my child is, the more excited I became. I knew that Kai and I still have a lot to learn about each other, but I also knew there was no one else I would want to have a family with. I knew that Kai would always do everything within his power to protect me and any children we have together, and really, when you’re looking for someone to be the father of your child, I think that is the most important quality there is.

“I need you to sit up a little for me,” she says.

My back comes slightly off the table. Her hand presses around on my stomach before helping me lie back down.

“Let’s see if that helped.” She begins rolling the device around on my stomach again before looking up at me and smiling. “There you go.” She gets a strange smile on her face then looks at Kai. “You’re having a boy.”

“I know,” Kai tells her.

She narrows her eyes then looks at me like, What the hell are you doing with a jerk like him? All I can do is shrug, ‘cause the way I see how Kai comes across to everyone else is not at all how he is to me. I can count on one hand the amount of times he’s even slightly raised his voice at me.

“He’s been saying for weeks that it’s a boy.” I smile, looking up at him.

His eyes come to me and his face lowers as he presses a kiss to my lips before he stands to his full height again.

“Would you like some pictures to take home with you?” she questions, ignoring my last comment.

“Yes, please,” I whisper.

She begins clicking away on the screen as I try to see more. Once she’s done, she prints off a few of the pictures and hands them to me before making her way out of the room without even saying goodbye.

“I think we’re going to have to find a new doctor, or you’re going to have to find a way to apologize to her somehow so that she doesn’t make it uncomfortable for me to be here.”

“You’re uncomfortable?” he asks.

I look up at him and wonder if he’s oblivious to what just happened. “Yes, I’m uncomfortable! It’s awkward to be in the same room with you two.”

“I’ll apologize,” he promises, taking the towel I was using to clean the gel off my stomach away from me and cleaning me up.

“I didn’t even get to enjoy the moment,” I pout. When his eyes change slightly, I immediately regret saying anything.

“Do you want her to come back and to do it again?”

“No.” I shake my head frantically. “Just apologize to her.”

“Told you I would,” he mutters, but I can see it in his eyes that he doesn’t want to.

“Good.” I slip off the table and fix my pants, my mind finally focused on what the doctor said. “We’re having a boy,” I breathe, adjusting my clothes. “You’re really not surprised that we’re having a boy, are you?”

“No. I knew.” He kisses the top of my head and opens the door.

“How?” I ask, pausing in the hall to search his face.

“Don’t know. I just knew it was a boy.”

“Strange.” I shrug and begin walking again.

His arm goes around my shoulders, and we make a quick stop to schedule our next appointment before heading out to the car. We don’t talk on the way back to the house, but our hands stay locked together on my lap, the fingers of my free hand running over his skin.

“Thank you,” I tell him, looking down at our entwined fingers when he pulls up to the house and puts the car in park.

“For what?” he questions, confused.

I lift my head and look at him, thinking about all the things I want to say. “For giving me everything.”

His eyebrows pinch, and I soften my voice.

“For marrying me, for loving me, for giving me a child. Even if I was never expecting any of this, I’m still thankful for all of it.”

“The gods had written you into my destiny a long time ago, makamae,” he says quietly. His face softens as he lifts my hand to his mouth, where he places a kiss on my ring.

Chapter 14

Explosion

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“Pika!” I yell from upstairs when I see my friend sitting in the living room, looking out at the ocean.

His head turns towards me, and I carefully run down the stairs and throw myself into his arms. He catches me on a humph and gives me a squeeze before pulling away and removing his hands from me.

“How are you?” I smile, happy to see him.

“Good.” He smiles back then looks me over, his eyes settling on my round stomach for a moment. “You look happy,” he says as his eyes meet mine again.

“So happy,” I whisper, and he nods as his face softens.

“Myla.”

I turn my head to look at Kai and smile, putting a hand on my hip, giving him a mock glare. “You didn’t tell me Pika was coming home.”

“It slipped me. Can I please see you in my office for a moment?” he asks, and I notice the agitation in his voice as he speaks.

“Um…” I look at Pika then back at Kai, wondering why the guys are acting so strange. “Sure,” I tell him then turn and give Pika another hug, whispering that I’m glad he’s back before pulling away, but not without noticing the embrace is not shared and his hands stay at his sides. Before Kai came home all those months ago, I would often lean on Pika, so the distance he’s putting between us is slightly unsettling.

“Myla,” Kai growls.

I nod then head towards his office, wondering what the hell happened. He’s standing in his doorway when I get there, and all I can do is pray that something bad hasn’t happened. Things have been quiet lately, and I would like them to stay like that. As soon as I cross the threshold, he closes the door behind me and begins pacing back and forth.

“Is everything okay?” I whisper, sitting down in his chair and watching him.

“Do not touch Pika again.”

Of all the things I thought he might want to talk to me about, this was never one of them. I study his face and notice that his jaw is tight and there is a slight tick in his right cheek—the tick he gets when he is pissed off.

“Can I ask you why?” I question softly, leaning back in the chair.

“Because I don’t like it.”

“Kai—”

“No, Myla. All I need you to say is that you won’t touch him again.”

“You act as if I tried to make out with him,” I mutter.

“You threw yourself at him,” he snarls, ripping a hand through his hair, his gaze going out the window.

“I missed him. He’s my friend,” I say softly, watching him.

He prowls towards me until his face is inches from mine. “Do not do it again. Got it?”

I lean back, struck by his words and the intensity in his voice. “Do not tell me what to do, and do not ever get in my face like that again.” I go to stand and his hands go to either side of the chair, caging me in, forcing me to stay seated.

“You do it again, Myla, and I will send him away. And this time, it will be for good.” His tone is so deadly that a chill slides down my spine.

I have never, not once, been afraid of Kai, but this guy in front of me right now is not the man I fell in love with. This guy is someone completely different—someone who I don’t like very much. I want to ask him what happened and why he’s acting like this, but instead, I nod and swallow the hurt down so that I can get away from him.

“I won’t do it again,” I whisper.

His position in front of me doesn’t change, and he searches my face for a moment then leans in. When I see his intention, I turn my head just in time for his mouth to miss mine and his lips touch my cheek.

“Myla,” he says softly, and that softness only helps to piss me off further.

“I don’t feel well. I think I need to go lie down,” I say, looking back into his eyes. Concern transforms his features and guilt settles in my gut, but I don’t let that stop me.

“Let me help you to bed.” He stands to his full height but doesn’t step back.

“No. I’ll be fine.” I drag my eyes from him and use the wheels of the chair to scoot back enough to stand. I walk around him and pause when my hand touches the knob.

I turn my body around and straighten my shoulders, knowing that, if I just leave right now with the things he just said ringing in my ears, I won’t be able to even look at him or myself in the mirror.

“I don’t know what happened or why you’re acting the way you are, but let me make one thing clear so this doesn’t happen again.” I inhale a deep breath, letting it out slowly, making sure the words are well defined in my head before I spew them out. “I’m not one of your men. I’m not someone you can boss around and tell what to do. I’m your wife by choice, and like all choices in life, they can always be changed. So if you ever talk to me like that again, we will be talking through a lawyer when you’re done.”

I turn, open the door, and step out, shutting it behind me before taking off to our room. As soon as I reach our door, I notice that Aye is standing in the hall. I give him a wave, walk into the room, close the door behind me, and lean my head back against the wood as tears begin to slide down my cheeks. I know that jealousy was fueling his emotions, but I just don’t understand why.

Then his words filter into my mind. He said that he would send Pika away for good this time, meaning he had sent him away before. I had never even thought about Pika—or Aye, for that matter—in a ***ual way. Kai had consumed my every thought from the moment I’d met him, and he’d continued to do so.

I step away from the door and begin pulling my clothes off as I step towards the bed. My reflection in the mirror over the dresser catches my attention, and I pause, looking at myself. My hand goes to my stomach and I lay my palm over our son, whispering a silent prayer that his dad and I can find a way to work things out.

I feel a flutter and press my hand closer to my stomach, trying to feel it again. I have never felt him move before, and a smile spreads across my lips when there’s another flutter, this one stronger than the last. I go to the bed and lie down on my back, placing my hands on my stomach and smiling again when there’s another movement. It feels like butterflies are dancing in my stomach, and I can imagine my tiny baby boy rolling and doing flips.

“Why are you smiling?”

“The baby’s moving.” I smile then press my lips together when I realize I have just spoken to Kai when, only moments before, I had plans to give him the silent treatment for a few days at least.

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“You can feel him?” he asks, and I can actually feel him getting closer to me, his energy wrapping around me.

I don’t want to answer him, but I can’t help it. “I can feel him,” I tell him, not opening my eyes.

The bed dips, and his hand slides under my palm to settle on my stomach. I place my hand at my side and silently lie there, listening to him breathe. I don’t like feeling uncomfortable around him, but right now, I don’t even want him to touch me.

“Do not ever threaten to leave me again.”

My chest compresses, and I inhale through my nose at his words.

“I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did.”

Got that right, jerk, I think.

“Look at me, Myla.”

I squeeze my eyes tighter in refusal, and his free hand comes up to hold my jaw.

“He told me he was in love with you,” he snarls, and my eyes fly open. “Do you know how it feels to know that another man is in love with your wife?” His fingers at my jaw move so his thumb can run over my bottom lip. “Knowing that, when you were not around, she accepted comfort from him?”

“I nev—”

He cuts me off, pressing his thumb over my lips as his face dips closer to mine. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve tried to tell myself that it didn’t mean anything, that you didn’t feel the same.”

“Pika is a friend, the same as Aye,” I whisper.

“I know this, Myla,” he growls.

I scoot away from him leaning against the headboard.

“My world is consumed by you and thoughts of you. The idea of someone interested in you makes me ****ing homicidal. Knowing that he’s someone I consider a friend, someone I entrust with your well-being, does not make me feel better. Then seeing you happy to see him, watching your face light up when you realized he was back—it was like a ****ing knife to my gut.” He moves closer to me, and his body turns so that one hand goes on either side on my hips. “I reacted poorly, makamae,” he says gently, and my heart hurts from the vulnerability I see in his eyes. I hate this.

“I don’t even know what to say right now. You really scared me.” I close my eyes then feel his arms wrap around my waist and his head lie gently on my stomach. We are going to have to find a way to work this out or it will be something that drives both him and me insane. “I love you and only you,” I tell him, lifting my hands to run through his hair. “You said that I consume you. Well, you have consumed me too, from the moment I wake in the morning until I go to bed at night.”

I take a breath and tug on his hair until his eyes come to me. “I love you, Kai. When you make me mad enough that I swear I could spit fire or happy enough that I feel like I’m walking on air, I’m always yours and no one else’s.” I whisper the last part.

His eyes search my face for a moment before he ducks his head, kisses my stomach, and then lifts up, taking my mouth in a kiss I feel throughout my body, one that causes the warmth to seep back in.

“I don’t know how I will be able to handle your friendship with Pika, but for you, I’ll try,” he tells me, pushing my hair away from my face.

“If you would have explained to me what was going on without freaking out, I would have respected your feelings,” I assure him, lifting my hands up to run along the underside of his jaw. “You have to learn to talk to me without talking at me.”

“I’m working on it,” he says, leaning down and pressing another kiss to my lips before rolling to his side and placing his hand on my belly. Then he looks up at me. “Did you really feel him move?” he questions as a look of fascination fills his eyes.

“I did. It was more of a flutter than anything, but I felt it.”

“I missed it,” he says, and I can see the disappointment in his eyes.

I shake my head. “No, you didn’t. I don’t think anyone can feel him moving yet but me,” I tell him, running my hand over his hair.

“Next time, tell me when it happens so I can try,” he says before he kisses my stomach again.

Then he rolls to his back and pulls me to lie at his side, being careful of my belly as he adjusts me until my body is draped over his. His hand runs lazily over my back, and before I know it, I fall asleep only to wake hours later to an empty bed.

I get up, find a shirt and a pair of sweats, and then make my way out of the bedroom. I pad across the house to Kai’s office. His door is slightly ajar, so I walk in, finding him sitting at his desk, looking at the phone.

“What’s wrong?” I ask him.

His head lifts and his eyes sweep over me before he takes my hand and gently pulls me into his lap.

“Kai,” I whisper as his face goes into my neck and he inhales. “Talk to me.”

“I need to make a phone call.”

“Okay,” I say, confused.

“A man I know told me a woman was hurt last night and she’s in bad shape,” he says quietly.

“What happened?” I ask, wrapping my arms around him.

He’s quiet for a long time, and I think he’s not going to talk to me. “She was shot at close range,” he says.

Every muscle in my body goes tight. That is not what I thought he was going to say.

“Thankfully, she was right outside of the hospital when it happened, and they were able to get to her fast enough. She almost died.” He whispers the last part as his arms go tighter around me. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. The men involved agreed that she was off-limits.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“This is why I will ****ing work myself to death until we don’t have to worry about this kind of ****. She was innocent, just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

I can tell he’s having a hard time keeping it together, so I get as close to him as I can. “What are you going to do?” I ask him softly while watching every emotion cross his face.

“When Kenton called a while back, he asked if I’d be willing to put in a call for him. I did, and it was agreed upon at that time that she would be off-limits. I set that meeting up.”

I nod and hold his cheek.

“My guess is he wants to set up another meeting so that he can figure out what happened and why the order to leave her alone was ignored.”

“Do you know why?” I ask.

“She witnessed a hit. She was the only living witness. The man who went after her is known for not always doing what he’s told and going his own way. This time wasn’t any different.”

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“Oh my God,” I whisper as my heart breaks for her. “I know that you’re torn about getting involved, but you should call him.”

“I know, love.”

He lays his forehead against mine and his hand over my stomach before lifting his head and kissing me. Then he adjusts me in his lap and picks up the phone, dialing a number then putting the phone to his ear.

“I was told you need to speak with me,” he says, and I’m surprised by the coldness in his voice after the moment we just had. “I’m sorry about your situation, but—” he replies after a moment then is quiet again for a few seconds.

“You’re putting me in a very bad position,” he growls. Then his hand around me tightens even further before he snarls, “Kill every single mother****er who even thought about hurting her.”

I know he’s talking about me when he says those words.

“I’ll make the call, but you owe me,” he replies, and I look at him, wondering why he would say that. His voice softens when he says, “I’m very sorry about what happened,” before hanging up. “I have to go to Vegas,” he tells me.

“I know.”

His nostrils flare, and he pulls me tighter against his body. “I know this is the place you feel the safest, but I need you to come with me.”

“Of course,” I assure him, sounding much braver than I feel.

“Nothing will happen to you. You have my word.”

“I know,” I whisper, wrapping myself tighter around him.

“This will not always be our life. I promise you,” he vows.

“How did this become your life?” I ask softly, pulling away so I can see his face.

He exhales, lifts me off him to stand, and then takes my hand and begins leading me out of his office. I think he’s taking me to bed, but instead, he leads me outside, down to one of the loungers that is set up near the water, and sits before pulling me to sit down between his legs.

“My family was involved with the mob since my great-grandfather first moved to America from Fiji. He started a business in Hawaii and knew that, if he wanted it to expand, then he would need people with money to back him. This was not easy. No one wanted to take a chance on him, and no one believed that his business would take off, but then one day, a man came to him with an offer. He would help him if my great-grandfather would, in return, do him a favor. Every month, he would receive a shipment, and that shipment would contain drugs or other items that would be distributed in the black market in Hawaii. My great-grandfather agreed, thinking his hands were clean and that, if anything ever came to light, he could say he was in no way involved.

“After a year, he got greedy and decided to begin moving some of his own items. Five years in, he was one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. It was around that time that he met a young socialite, fell instantly in love with her, and demanded that she marry him.”

I smile and shake my head.

“She made him realize what was really important, and he started becoming concerned with his business. He could no longer say that his hands were clean, so he began cutting his supplies down and trimming back on orders.

“He and my great-grandmother were married in a private ceremony on the beach, and nine months after they said their vows, my grandfather was born. He believed he had everything he could ever want. The day he went to pick up his wife and son from the hospital, his wife was murdered.”

“No,” I whisper.

“After that, my great-grandfather lost all hope and began doing everything within his power to take over and get rid of the men involved in killing his wife. He vowed that, one day, he would take control of all of them and then crush them. I ulu no ka l?l? i ke kumu.”

“What does that mean?” I ask as his fingers slide away my tears.

“The branches grow because of the trunk.” He tilts my head so that our gazes connect. “He died before his wish could be realized. My grandfather, father, and now I have become stronger than they are, and we have been slowly cutting their supplies, making them turn against each other. One day, they will fall, and I will be the only one standing.”

I pray that he is right, that, when this is all over, we will all be standing. “I’m scared,” I say, vocalizing my fear.

“A lot of thought has gone into this, Myla. This is not something that will just happen. This is something that has been planned for years. I will not say it’s easy to do, but every day, we’re one step closer.”

He moves and helps me lie down next to him with my head in the crook of his arm and his hand resting on my belly. We lie there in silence, looking up at the night sky, then watch as the sun rises up over the ocean, and only then does he take me inside and climb into bed with me.

*

“We’re landing,” Kai tells me, kissing my hair.

I lift my head, look around the plane, and feel lighter. After Kai told his mom and dad what was going on, they insisted they come with us to Vegas.

We didn’t know how long we would be in Vegas, so having them with us puts my mind at ease. I also think Kai was relieved that his dad would be with his mom and me, someone he trusted completely, since, from what I understand, most of my time would be spent at the house while Kai takes care of business.

It takes another ten minutes for the plane to land. As soon as we touch down, Kai is up and getting a bag down from the overhead compartment, which he sets on the seat he was sitting in, and opens it up, pulling out some leather and slipping it on like a vest. I notice that it has a holster for a gun under one arm and then a place for a knife under the other. Once he has the holster in place, he pulls a large knife out of the bag then a gun, and he clicks them both in place. He then reaches up, pulls his suit jacket down, and pulls it on, hiding away the weapons.

“Do you always carry weapons like that?” I ask as the feeling of unease comes back.

His eyes come to me and go soft as he squats down in front of me. “I don’t plan on anything happening, but I need to be cautious.”

“Cautious is good.”

He smiles and leans in to touch his forehead to mine. “You guys are my life, and I would die before something ever happens to either of you,” he says as his hand comes up to hold my cheek.

“Don’t say that,” I whisper.

He grunts and presses a kiss to my forehead then lips. “I want you to stick close to Pika when I’m not around.”

“I will,” I say as everyone on the plane begins to stand and retrieve their things from the overhead bins.

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He nods and kisses me once more before standing and helping me get my things together so we can get off the plane.

“Are you sure you don’t want me with you?” Uncle Frank asks Kai, and I turn my head away from them to keep from laughing.

“Frank, I told you before that your son will be with me while I’m here.”

“I think you should let me go with you. You never know what could go wrong.”

“I know what could go wrong,” Aye mutters and then winks at me when I laugh.

Uncle Frank is a good guy, but he is seriously a disaster waiting to happen.

“Fine. I’ll help look out for Myla,” he grumbles, grabbing his bag and heading off the plane.

“This is going to be a long trip,” Kai’s dad says, shaking his head, watching as Frank stomps down the plane stairs.

“He means well,” Kai’s mom says.

“He’s still not helping me out. He will end up doing something stupid, and then I will have to clean up his mess,” Kai replies.

“He thinks you’re still mad about him teaching Myla to shoot a gun,” Leia tells him.

“I am still mad about that, and he didn’t teach Myla anything except that she should never agree with anything Uncle Frank says.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” she concurs.

“I am right.”

“He just wants to feel useful,” his mom mutters, and his dad rolls his eyes.

“He’s not going with me, and I don’t care if he stomps around for the next few days. It’s not happing,” Kai says.

His mom nods then turns and walks off the plane.

“She’s right, you know. Uncle Frank is just trying to help,” I say quietly.

“That may be, but right now, I have my hands full and can’t babysit him.”

“I know,” I mutter, walking out of the plane and into the sun. As soon as my eyes adjust to the light, I notice two large SUVs.

“We’re riding with Junior,” Kai tells me, leading me to one of the SUVs, where there’s a large guy who looks like Uncle Frank standing with his arms crossed over his chest. “Brother,” Kai says.

The guy uncrosses his arms and greets him with a half hug before stepping back, and I notice that he’s one of the guys who was there when we got married.

“You remember Myla,” Kai says, reintroducing me.

The guy leans in to kiss my cheek, saying, “Myla,” quietly before pulling away.

“How have you been?” I ask as Kai opens the door.

“Been good.” He shrugs, and I realize how different this guy is from his dad.

“That’s good,” I mumble when he doesn’t say anything else.

Kai helps me into the car, and he and the Junior sit in the front seat talking quietly while I sit looking out the window in the back seat.

When we arrive at the house, I’m stunned by how beautiful it is. Kai told me that he knew that it wasn’t our house in Hawaii but it was good enough for us to stay in while we were in Vegas. My husband is obviously crazy because the house isn’t just okay—it’s beautiful. The outside is white, and the texture reminds me of icing. Around the windows are red shutters that match the red beams that are sticking out of the roof. When we get inside, I am even more blown away the floors, which are all white marble that is cool on the bottom of my bare feet. Everywhere I look, there are windows that display the vast desert landscape.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper as Kai wraps his arms around me.

“I’m glad you think so.” He kisses the back of my head then holds me like that until he tells me that it’s time to leave.

Chapter 15

Demon slayer

I kiss Kai and get into the back of the SUV with Pika and Aye, watching as Kai walks towards a group of men. Even through the dark, I can see one of the men that he was walking towards is struggling to keep himself under control, and I know that is Kenton.

“Will they be okay?” I ask, not taking my eyes off them.

“You know they will.” Aye answers.

I nod. He’s right. Kai wouldn’t be helping if he thought for one moment that something could go wrong.

I put my finger to the glass as we pull away, and then I see him. My gut goes tight and bile crawls up my throat, making it hard to breathe. I knew he was in Vegas, but the idea of seeing him never crossed my mind, not even once. Like he realizes that I’m near, his head turns and his eyes lock on me through the tinted glass. His face goes hard for a moment, but then a sinister smile appears on his mouth and he winks, lifting his chin. I swallow, turning away from the window as my hands begin to shake.

“You okay?” Pika asks.

I nod and lower my face to my lap, taking deep, silent breaths. I don’t want them to call Kai and have him worried about me—not right now, not when he’s dealing with something that needs his full attention.

“Myla, talk to me,” he says gently, moving to sit closer to me.

I shake my head and scoot away from him. I do not want to be touched by anyone. I place my hands on my ever-expanding stomach and try to calm down. One thing I know is that freaking out would not be good for our son, and I would never do anything to endanger him.

“Do you want me to call Kai?” he questions.

My eyes lift to meet Pika’s, and I know that it would be so easy to call my husband and have him make me feel better, but I can’t.

“No, I just…” I pause. “I just have a bad case of heartburn,” I lie.

He searches my face then nods once, and without another word, we take off back to the house. As soon as we get home, I go directly to our room, not even saying anything to the guys before putting PJs on and crawling into bed. I wake up when the bed dips and the scent of Kai fills my nose.

“Myla, I need you to wake up.”

I roll over at the sound of pain in Kai’s voice. I go to sit up, but his hand at my waist keeps me in place.

“Is everything okay?” I ask sleepily, pushing my hair out of my face.

He shakes his head, and anguish appears on his handsome face.

“What happened?”

“I need you to talk to me, Myla. Pika told me that you saw Thad tonight and immediately closed down. I know that this is something you don’t want to talk about, but I need you to open up to me. I need you to make me understand why, even if his name is mentioned, fear floods your eyes and your body goes rigid. I’m honestly begging you to talk to me about it, to trust me with whatever it is. I do not want our child growing inside you to feel that energy, and I don’t want that for you,” he whispers quietly.

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Each and every one of his words causes pain to expand in my chest. The only person I have ever spoken to about what happened was my therapist in college. But I know I need to open up to Kai. He deserves to understand, and it’s not fair for me to keep even the darkest parts of my life from him.

“Please,” he whispers sounding completely gutted.

“Will you lie with me?”

He nods and slips his clothes off before getting into bed with me. He wraps himself around me, and that feeling of safety gives me the courage I need. I swallow and squeeze my eyes closed. I hate that this is something I have to share with him. I don’t want what Thad did to me to taint what we have. I open my eyes and look up at him.

“My life was amazing growing up. I know my real parents suffered, but they did give me to a family who loved me and wanted me.”

His face goes soft, and his hand runs over my hair and down my back, pulling me closer.

“Did you know that my mom couldn’t have more kids?” I ask.

He shakes his head no, and I continue.

“She and my dad had tried for more kids after having Rory and Thad, but it just never happened, so she gave up, just happy to have them. Then my dad came to her one day after talking with my father, and he told her about me and the situation with my parents.” I pause and let out a breath. “She said yes immediately. She was excited to have another child, and even more excited to be getting a daughter. My life was good. There was never a time that I felt like I wasn’t wanted or like they didn’t love me,” I stress, wanting him to know that this wasn’t my parents’ fault. None of this was their fault. They were victims as much as I was.

“I get that, Myla.”

I take a breath and let it out slowly, gathering the courage to say what I have to say next. “On my sixteenth birthday, my mom and dad took me and a group of my girlfriends out to dinner. Birthdays were always a big deal, but it was a school night, and I wouldn’t be having my party until the weekend, so they wanted to do something small until my party.” I lift my hand, tracing his lower lip. “I remember having so much fun that night. My friends and I were all boy-crazy at that point, and my dad was always a good sport, joking that he would invite whatever boy was near over to our table and introduce us to him. My dad was the best. Still is.”

“He’s a good man,” he agrees, and I snuggle closer to him.

“That was the night my life changed…or life as I knew it, rather. When we got home, I went upstairs to my room, did my homework, and then went about getting ready for bed. My brother Rory came in and told me about some game he was going to be in that Friday and made sure I knew what was happening for the weekend. We had all the same friends, so my birthday party was going to end up being more than just the girls I hung out with. I was excited to have my first boy/girl party, and Rory was just as excited because he had a crush on one of my friends at the time.

“Not long after he left, my mom and dad came in and kissed me goodnight like they had always done. I was lying in bed thinking about how awesome my day had been when the door opened and a small beam of light shone in, only showing the outline of a figure. I wasn’t even afraid.” I feel tears fill my eyes and I rub my face against his chest.

“Thad came in, closing the door behind him, causing pitch blackness to fall over the room. I wasn’t even worried that he didn’t answer when I called his name, and I didn’t even think to be nervous when he came and sat down on the bed next to me.” I whisper the last part.

“Stop!” he thunders, making me jump.

But I don’t quit. I can’t. I need him to understand.

“He raped me for three years,” I whisper. “It wasn’t every night, but it was often.”

“He’s dead. I’m going to ****ing rip off his dick and feed it to him. I swear to Christ, he will not be alive long.”

“He told me he would kill my parents if I told them, and I believed him. I hated it, but I didn’t know what to do. I felt like I was alone.” I sit up and pull away until my back hits the headboard. “I stopped doing well in school. I stopped caring about life in general. All I wanted to do was get away. That’s why, when I got accepted into culinary school, I took it and ran.”

“I wish I would have known then,” he growls.

“No one knew. I was worried about him killing the only people I considered family, two kind people who had accepted me with open arms into their family. I hated it, every second of it,” I cry, covering my face with my hands.

“Come here, makamae,” Kai says, pulling my hands away from my face and tugging me into his chest.

Even though he’s comforting me, I can feel that every muscle in his body is taut, like he’s preparing for battle.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just couldn’t, no matter how many times I tried to convince myself to,” I whisper.

“I know now,” he whispers back as his hand at the back of my head travels down over my hair and to my back so that he can pull me closer to him. After a few minutes, he pulls my face away from his chest and tilts my head back to look at me. “I’m going to go get Mom so that she can stay with you while I’m gone,” he says.

My body instantly stills. “Where are you going?” I breathe out in a panic.

“I’ll be back.” He evades my question as I attempt to cling tighter to him. “I have to go, makamae. I’ll be back. I promise.” He kisses my hair then pulls me off him as I struggle to keep ahold of him. He walks to the door, leaving me on the bed sobbing.

A few minutes later, his mom comes in, crawls into bed with me, and holds me until I cry myself to sleep.

Kai

“Get up and get dressed.” I kick Aye’s bed then walk across the hall and do the same to Pika’s.

It takes two minutes for them to come out of their rooms dressed and ready to go. I knew in my gut what was going on with Myla, but I didn’t want to believe that something so ****ing horrific could have happened to my beautiful girl.

“What’s going on?” Pika is the first to ask as he tucks his gun into the back of his jeans.

“I need you two to help me track down Thad.”

“What happened?” Aye asks, but when my eyes meet Pika’s, I see understanding.

“We’ll talk in the car,” I mutter, heading towards the front of the house.

I know where Thad was a few hours ago when I saw him, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to get him while I can. And since he has been hanging out with Paulie Jr., there’s a good chance he would hide him away if he found out I was looking for him.