For a moment, neither of us moved. Just stood there processing what had just happened.
Then I started spiraling. Kai went to the door to make sure Luca was gone and hurriedly came back because he knew we had minutes.
"Oh god. Oh god, he knows. He knows everything and he's going to tell your father and we're dead. We're both dead. He's going to kill us or worse, he's going to torture us first to make a point and then kill us and Lia will be forced to marry that monster Moretti and everything we've been fighting for is gone. It's all gone. We're so fucked, Kai. We're so completely..."
"Aria. Breathe." Kai gripped my shoulders. "Just breathe for a second."
"How can I breathe when Luca just caught us and is going to report everything to your father and..."
"Maybe he won't. Maybe he was just doing his rounds. Maybe he didn't see anything suspicious."
But his voice lacked conviction. We both knew he was lying. Trying to make me feel better when we both understood the truth.
We were out of time.
"We need to move up the plan." Kai's jaw clenched. "I'm going to Marco tonight. Right now. We're taking this to the Council tomorrow whether we're completely ready or not. Father Benedetto will have to move fast.Present all the evidence. Force them to act before my father can retaliate."
"And if they don't act fast enough? If your father moves first?"
"Then we run. Take Lia and disappear. Use the contingency plans I've been setting up. New identities, offshore accounts, everything."
My mind was spinning. Racing through worst-case scenarios. Salvatore finding out before we could present the evidence. Him killing Kai. Locking me away. Forcing the wedding immediately. Making me watch while he destroyed everyone I cared about.
"I can't lose you." The words came out broken. Desperate. "I just found you. I can't lose you now."
Kai pulled me against him. His arms wrapped tight around me. His chin rested on top of my head.
"You're not losing me. You're never losing me. No matter what happens tomorrow, no matter what my father does or doesn't find out, we're in this together. You and me. Always."
I looked up at him. Saw the determination in his dark eyes. The absolute certainty that we'd survive this somehow.
Then his mouth was on mine and everything else disappeared.
His lips moved against mine like he was memorizing the taste of me. One hand cradled the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair. The other pressed against the small of my back, holdingme close.
I poured everything into responding. Every ounce of love I felt. Every bit of fear and hope and desperate need. My hands fisted in his shirt, holding on like he was the only solid thing in a world that kept shifting beneath my feet.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard. His forehead pressed against mine.
"I love you." His voice was rough. Raw. "God, I love you so much it terrifies me. You've become the center of everything. The reason I keep fighting when everything seems hopeless. The only good thing in this nightmare existence."
Tears blurred my vision. "I love you too. So much. More than I thought it was possible to love anyone. You make me want to be braver than I am. Stronger than I feel. You make me believe we can actually survive this."
"We will survive this. We're going to expose my father. Save Lia. Get our freedom. And then I'm going to take you somewhere far away from all of this violence and darkness. Somewhere you can just be Aria instead of a transaction or a prisoner. Somewhere I can wake up next to you every morning without fear."
"Promise me." I gripped his face. "Promise me that no matter what happens tomorrow, you'll survive. That you won't do anything stupid or heroic that gets you killed. Promise me."
"I promise to do whatever it takes to keep you safe. That's the only promise I can make."
It wasn't what I wanted to hear. But it was honest. And I loved him more for that honesty.
He held me for another long moment. Then pressed one more lingering touch of his lips to mine before pulling away.
"I need to go. Find Marco. Set everything in motion. Stay in your room tomorrow morning. Lock the door. If my father summons you, find an excuse. Delay as long as possible. Give me time to get to the Council."
"Be careful. Please be careful."
"Always." He touched my face one last time. Then he was gone.
