I hate that he’s looking at me like I’m some stupid innocent kid. I just… don’t know how to feel anymore.
I cross my arms. “Don’t look at me like that.”
He smirks faintly. “Like what?”
“Like I’m… naive.”
He doesn’t deny it. Which makes it worse.
Before I can push back again, his voice cuts through the air. “Tell me about the guy from the club.”
My whole body goes still.
“You’re kidding,” I blurt.
He raises a brow. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
I think he knows he’s breaking my brain.
“You just told me my father—” I choke on the words. “You just told me my papa is running a—an extensive sex trafficking ring with Viktor Orlov. That theykillthe women who birth their sons, and hand over the daughters to the other family as—”
“As a way to keep the peace,” he finishes quietly.
My fingers curl into fists, my knees feel weak. I want to scream, cry, run. I want to tell him he’s wrong, that he has to be wrong.
“And then,” I press on, shaking now, “you tell me Viktor’s betraying him? That he’s trading lives and loyalty for power off the island, with some type of gang?”
“Yes,” he says simply.
“No,” I manage to choke out, while trembling.
“Yes, princess,” he says quietly, my chest tightening at the nickname. “… and remember, that’s a secret.”
I turn away, staring out at the city below. The lights blur, and the world feels tilted, as if the ground could drop out from under me.
I have to keep this from Enzo? From everyone? How am I supposed to protect them?
Keep your shit together, Ace.
“Why… why are you telling me this?”
“Because, like I said, I feel protective of you. You should know what’s going on around you. Who you’ve been living with.”
I swallow hard. I want to cry, but I also want to laugh and scream. My mind is spinning so fast it hurts.
We sit in silence for a moment. A really long moment. I think at least forty minutes have passed. My chest is tight, my head is spinning, and my thoughts are a mess.
“I have to go,” I say suddenly, standing before I can think better.
He follows, moving smoothly, silently. Before I can take a full step, his hand wraps around my arm, pulling me back, his lips claiming mine fiercely.
Hard, fast, and real. My knees go weak, my chest races, and all the chaotic thoughts in my head stop. Just for a second, I breathe.
“This has been an insane day,” I manage to whisper, half laughing, half panicked, still pressed against him.
“Hey,” he murmurs, lips brushing mine with that infuriating grin, “at least you got your first kiss.”
I can’t stop the shaky laugh that escapes me. I want to shove him, kiss him harder, tell him to leave, tell him to stay. My brain can’t even pick one.
