My lying paid off.Niko successfully bought my bullshit. Now I’m going to be forced to resurface from the darker parts of life every six months to stop him from acting like a worried motheror putting up missing posters. I wouldn’t put it past him to go on the news like he threatened to.
I carry the duffel bag with Kid’s new clothes, shoes, and toys onto the jet, then wait until Lennox is seated to ask, “Can we go to the island?”
My mind is clearer now. I’ll be able to calculate the distance, use reference points to determine exactly where it is. Anything. If I’m forced to be around normal people, then Niko can get Delilah while I’m stuck there. She’ll be safe while I befriend Rowan, convince him to allow Kid to leave with me, then we’ll join her. I haven’t managed to work out how to get a message to him when Lennox will be watching, but I have six months to figure it out before I see him next.
I play my part as my uncle hesitates. “I can’t fulfill the agreement when we’re nowhere near each other.”
“Is that what you want?” he asks, disappointment briefly pulling his features down.
“Yes,” I say without missing a beat.
The chastity belt will be hurting her, so I need to take it off, allow her time to breathe. If I can’t be with her, she needs the key. I also really want to hold my wife more than anything.
He nods as he stands, then walks over to the cabin to switch places with the pilot. All the secrecy around the island is making it harder to know where it is. They don’t allow anyone other than a select few to know the location. I’m clearly not in that category as Lennox locks the door. The blinds automatically lower. I wait until we’re in the air to pull the tab up, but it doesn’t fucking move.
Fucking prick.
I set a timer instead. If I time it, I’ll know the radius to check for an island.
33
DELILAH
It’s dark when I feel a presence looming over me. I refuse to acknowledge Helene, so I pretend to be asleep, but she gets closer and softly kisses my temple.
“Koukla mou?”
“Kane?” I spring up.
Cupping the side of my neck, he traces my bottom lip as he holds his finger in front of his lips. He’s here and he’s had a haircut, but there’s so much sadness in his eyes as he leans over me. Before I can ask him if we’re leaving, he draws me into his arms like he needs me to breathe as he shakily whispers, “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too,” I admit.
He buries his face into the crook of my neck. “My Delilah.” His arms are like iron bands caging me in as he carries me into the bathroom without turning on any of the lights until we’re trapped inside. I’m unprepared for the sheer exhaustion on his face when he flicks the switch.
“Are we leaving?” I ask, clutching his face with both hands.
He shuts me up by softly kissing me. I don’t want a distraction anymore, so I push my weight down to escape him.Weaving his fingers through my hair above my nape, he pulls my head back to lightly nip under my jaw with his teeth.
“Ka-Kane.” My voice wobbles as I try to claw his attention back to the conversation, but he continues kissing a path down my neck while lowering to his knees. He holds my waist, nosing my hoodie up to uncover the belt. As soon as it comes into his sight, he relaxes. He jumps up, wrapping his arm around my waist, the other hand around my neck. His kiss is full of need, forcing me to lean back to escape the intensity. Only for him to guide me into the shower without removing his lips from mine. When he reaches for the switch to turn on the spray, I lightly push against his chest. “Your clothes are going to get wet.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” he snaps, pulling my hoodie over my head. “I need to fuck my wife.”
He lifts me off my feet to drag my sweats down my legs, then uses his foot to pull them off in his urgency. The chastity belt doesn’t allow any space for his fingers, and he groans before he abruptly drops to his knees, tugging at something under his collar.
The shoelace holding the key leaves red lines on his cheeks as he roughly drags it off. It doesn’t stop him from unlocking the belt as it clatters against the tile.
I’d become accustomed to feeling it on my skin, so the air touching me is strange. Kane reverently traces the small bruises the belt left behind, his lips fluttering against them as he whispers, “I’m sorry, pretty girl.” He continues kissing down my stomach.
I panic when he reaches my hips, slamming my palm against his forehead to push him back, my face heating.
“Don’t stop me again.” He wraps his fingers around my wrist. “You are mine.”
“I’ve had it on for ages,” I whisper, skin flaming.
Why am I embarrassed? He’s the one who put it on me, and his face is righttherewithout any disgust. I’ve kept myself clean, but I can’t stop the thought that I’m not cleanenough, so I push against his head again.
“If you’re not going to let me eat my favorite meal,” he says lightly, “put on a show for me.”
