Page 159 of Malice and Surrender
“I didn’t mean actually kiss him. Relax. Are you sure you’re okay,” I asked as he grimaced. “You look like you’re in a lot of pain.”
“Yeah I’m fine. I’ve had worse, but I’ll have it looked at later to be safe. The doc is coming by to check in on everyone that was injured.” Kai untangled me from the blankets. I jumped to my feet and darted to my clothes. “What are you doing, Wilder won’t come back up now, or at least I don’t think he will.”
“I know, but I think we should get you some ice and new bandages. I’m such an asshole. I never even thought about your ribs with…well, you know, all that we did,” I said, clipping my bra into place. I pulled on my top but didn’t get any further when Kai laid his hands on my shoulders.
“Stop and breathe,” he said softly. Everyone liked to tell me that lately. Kai’s lips made me shiver as he placed a soft kiss on the side of my neck. “Everything we did yesterday is worth every bit of pain today.” He ran his hand over the bruise from his bite mark.
I turned in his arms, my eyes flicking to the clear bandage over the tattoo of my name, and I smiled as happiness bubbled inside me. He seemed so different when we were alone like this. He was gentle and quiet, reflective. I’d never say it, but Avro was right. Kai and Jace seemed to have a lot in common. It was like they were completely different, yet cut from the same cloth.
“I love it when you look at me like that,” Kai said, his lips soft as they touched mine.
“You may not say that when I tell you what I agreed to do tonight, and no, I’m not asking,” I said. Kai froze, but his eyebrow arched up in question. And just like that, he went from sweet to intimidating with a single look. “Jace has two concerts over the next three days, and he invited me to go. Well, actually, Avro suggested that I go because I’m supposed to be going to some red carpet awards show, and going to the concerts will help sell us being a couple.” I rambled out and then shifted back and forth as Kai continued to stare and not say anything. “In hindsight, I probably should have told you about the coming out as a couple part, but I was just so excited. How many people get to say that they walked the red carpet? I really want to go to this and stop staring at me like that.”
I was getting ready for the explosion, planning my argument as to why I should go, and ready to race to the door and block it before he stomped out to find and kill Jace.
“Okay,” Kai said.
I stared after him as he stood up straight and wandered over to his closet. He said nothing as he pulled on a black T-shirt, and I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Okay? That’s all you have to say?” I crossed my arms over my chest as I analyzed his body language. He didn’t seem angry, but he could be faking it and waiting for me to let my guard down.
“Yeah, what else did you want me to say? You already made up your mind anyway, so what would it matter if I said no?” He slipped his leg into his jeans, and I still couldn’t decide if he was masking a meltdown or was really okay with this.
I shook my head. “Something is not adding up here.”
“What do you mean,” he asked.
“I don’t know, but…wait.” I tapped my chin as I ran through all the possible scenarios in my mind. “What do you already have planned that you don’t want me to know about?” I knew that look. His eyes shimmered with the truth. “That’s it, isn’t it? You have something going on and either didn’t want me around or weren’t going to have the time for me, and this helps you out?”
“You know, Tink, you always were the smartest in the room.” He smiled as he did up the belt on his jeans. “First, yes, I have a few things that I need to take care of for the club, and I wasn’t going to be around anyway, so yes, this helps me out.” Kai walked toward me, and I couldn’t decide if I should be happy that he was this calm and accepting or annoyed and worried. “Not that I don’t want you around,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. “But you’d be a sexy distraction, especially when you seem to like standing around half-naked.” His eyes lingered on my lips. “I do get you wanting to attend a red carpet event. I mean, I’m not a heathen.”
“Yeah…okay, I don’t trust this attitude. I don’t know if I should go.”
Kai laughed and then grabbed his side. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
“I’m serious. You can’t stand Jace. The fact that you’re this calm has me worried about what you’re planning on doing. I expected rage and a mantrum at the very least.”
His face sobered, and he cupped my cheeks. “I promise I’m not doing anything that will hurt me, and no, I cannot tell you, so please don’t ask.” I nibbled on my bottom lip, the worry settling into my gut regardless of what he said. “Look as far as Jace and Avro go.” Kai sighed. “Avro is okay. Jace…I don’t like at all, but I don’t have much of a choice and need to figure out how to deal. So this way, I’m busy, and if you’re out of town, it makes it hard for me to just kick in a door and wave a gun around.” Kai smiled.
“Not funny.” I crossed my arms. “But I get your logic. You promise me that you’re not going to get hurt.”
“I can’t promise I’ll never get hurt. It’s the nature of who I am, my club, and what I do, but I’ll always be as safe as I can.”
“This feels exactly like when you used to go to the fights. I’d worry and pace my room until I heard you come home and knew you were alive. It made me sick to my stomach to see you all bruised up. You have no idea how many times I was tempted to try and lock you in your room.”
“You paced your room?”
My cheeks warmed. “Yeah. I told you, I’ve always loved you.”
Kai dropped his lips to mine and kissed me softly, making my head feel light. Breaking the kiss, he leaned his forehead against mine and linked our fingers together.
“No matter what, our souls are forever twined,” he whispered, melting my heart as he kissed me again.
Kaivan
I decided what really annoyed me about Avro was that there was no way to get under his skin. At least, that’s what it felt like. I kissed Raine like I was going to eat her alive when he came to pick her up and the entire time, he just leaned against the car, sipping his drink. He acted like he was out there catching the sun for a modeling shoot as he leaned against his Shelby Mustang, which I had to admit I was jealous of. Even Avro’s fucking eyes seemed to be smiling, which of course, made me want to snarl at him. How was he so cool with all of this?
Despite my calm demeanor about Jace and Raine being alone together for three goddamn days, on the inside, I was a volcano ready to explode. Of course, the rich rock star would want to whisk her away on a fancy private jet and pamper the crap out of her with five-star meals. I had visions of her giggling and fanning herself as she sat backstage at his concert. I sipped my coffee and contemplated throwing it against the wall.
