“This is how you do it. Steady. Don’t jerk the trigger,squeeze. You’re never going to be vulnerable again.”
I feel him nod slightly, his back pressing harder against my chest like he’s drawing strength from me.
Ray stays silent, observing with a faint smirk, but I barely register him. Right now, the world has narrowed down to Kit in my arms and the two pieces of shits tied to the chairs in front of us.
I lift our joined hands, aiming the gun at Mitch’s chest. Mitch’s eyes are wide with terror, blood still trickling from the wound under his jaw.
“You ready?” I whisper against Kit’s ear.
Kit’s voice is small but steady. “Yeah.”
Together, we squeeze the trigger. The gunshot is deafening in the small room. Mitch’s body jerks violently as the bullet slams into his chest. A wet, gurgling sound escapes him before he slumps forward against the ropes. James starts making horrified, muffled noises behind the tape over his mouth, eyes bulging in panic.
I don’t let go of Kit. If anything, I pull him tighter against me, my free arm wrapping around his waist, holding him close as the echo of the shot fades. He’s breathing hard, his smaller body trembling in my arms, but he doesn’t pull away; he leans back into me like he needs the contact.
I press a slow kiss to the side of his head, my voice dark with satisfaction. “Good boy. That’s the start. No one will ever hurt you again. I’m going to make sure you can protect yourself… even from people like them.”
Ray lets out a whistle from the side. “Well… that’s one way to bond.”
I don’t even look at him. My attention stays entirely on Kit… on the way he’s still pressed against me, on the way his breathing slowly evens out in my hold.This is only the beginning.
I take the gun from Kit’s hands, click the safety on, and toss it toward Ray; he catches it without a word.
Without hesitation, I turn Kit around and lift him easily. His legs instinctively wrap around my waist as he lets out a small, surprised squeak. He settles against me, resting his chin on my shoulder, his arms loosely looped around my neck.
“That’s enough excitement for one day,” I murmur.
Ray nods once, understanding; he’ll finish up here.
I hold Kit close, but not too tight, mindful of his injuries, and start walking. We move down the long corridor, up the stairs, and push through the heavy steel door back into the cool night air.
As we cross the lawn toward the main house, Kit shifts in my arms and sits up a little. He doesn’t say anything, he just looks at me. Not into my eyes… but at my face, my neck, my shoulders… his gaze is quiet and curious, like he’s seeing me for the first time.
I feel his fingers gently trace up along my stubbled jaw. I grin, but I have to stop walking, I don’t want to trip over my own feet while he’s exploring me like this. Kit doesn’t even to seem to notice we’ve stopped, he’s too focused. His fingertip slowly drags along my neck, brushing up just beneath my ear.
I let him have this moment, standing here in the middle of the dark lawn. I keep holding him securely, wondering what’s going through that pretty head of his right now.
After a few minutes of quiet exploration, Kit gently cups my face with both of his small hands. I search his eyes, wishing I could crawl inside his thoughts. Before I can say anything, he leans in and presses a soft, tentative kiss to my lips.
Oh… I wasn’t expecting that.
Kit pulls back, cheeks flushing a deep pink. Then, like he can’t help himself, he leans in again. I let him lead, staying perfectly still as his lips move against mine. When he shyly sweeps his tongue into my mouth, a low, hungry growl rumbles up from my chest before I can stop it. The second Kit hears it, he whimpers softly and pulls back, hiding his face by tucking his chin against my shoulder again.
Fuck. The sweetness of that moment hits me harder than it should.
I continue walking back toward the house, one arm under his thighs, the other wrapped around his back to keep him close. Kit stays curled against me, quiet and warm, his breath brushing my neck.
I don’t say a word, I just hold him, a strange possessive satisfaction settling deep in my chest.
Chapter Thirty-One
~ Jealousy ~
Kit
It’s been four days since I got home, since the doctor stitched my face back together. It still hurts like hell, a constant, tight, burning ache that pulses with every heartbeat.
I’m lying on the hospital bed in the smaller living room again. I tried sleeping in Soren’s bed, but he kept wrapping his arms around me in his sleep, and the pressure on my bruised ribs was unbearable. The doctor thinks I might have one or two fractures.
