“Mikey.” His voice is a low, deadly whisper. “What did they do to you?”
I don’t answer immediately. I’m too busy bracing myself on the sink as the room spins. Blood from my eyebrow and lip drips onto the porcelain.
Kai’s reflection behind me is pure fury.
“They want her,” I manage to get my words out.
His jaw snaps shut. “Who?” I look up, meeting his eyes in the mirror.
“De Luca. He wants Julia back.”
Kai goes still. Absolutelymotionless.
“...Back?” The one word is so soft it's dangerous.
I nod, “...He wants her back. You know damn well what that means.”
Kai’s hands curl into fists. “That motherfucker…”
“There’s more,” I rasp out, and his eyes lock on mine.
“He arranged a marriage for her. Years ago. She was his bargaining chip. He found out she was planning on running, so he sent his guys to find her and ‘discipline’ her.” My voice cracks. “He… ordered it.”
Kai’s face drains of color, and for a heartbeat, he looks like he might kill someone, or collapse. Fuck maybe both.
“No,” he whispers. “He’s not taking her.” He shakes his head violently. “He’s not fucking touching her. He’s not getting anywhere near her.”
“He said he’ll come for her…” I say quietly. “If I don’t bring her by midnight tomorrow… he’ll come himself.”
Kai slams his fist into the wall, cracking the tile. “Over my dead fucking body.”
I push off the sink, groaning as pain spikes through my side.
“We need a plan,” I grit out. “And we need to keep her out of this.”
Kai steps forward again, this time gripping my shoulder, careful but firm.
“We will,” he says. “But first, sit your ass down so I can clean you up. You look like you got hit by a fucking train.”
I almost laugh, but my ribs protest, so the sound comes out strangled.
Kai lowers me onto the edge of the tub, then starts gathering supplies– alcohol wipes, butterfly bandages, gauze– by the time he comes back, his hands are shaking with rage he is trying to contain.
He kneels in front of me and starts to clean the blood off my face.
“You’re not dying on me,” he whispers. “Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Not fucking ever.”
I close my eyes. Thinking about the fact that Julia is asleep just down the hall, curled in safety that she doesn’t know is seconds from shattering.
And I don’t know how the hell I’m going to tell her the truth, or if I even should.
Chapter 21
Julia
Asound pulls me out of my sleep.
It’s a low hiss of pain behind the door.
