Page 19

She gasped when she saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
“My hair,” she squeaked before jumping off the bed.
The braid she made the night before was now messy and tangled. She groaned in frustration as she tried and failed to save what was left of her hair.
Kade’s heavy footsteps soon got closer to her cries for help, and he laughed at what he saw.
He took the braid apart and then got a brush that he never used because he usually finger-combed his hair. He stood behind Isla and worked his way up her hair, starting at the bottom and working his way up.
“Look! Beautiful.”
Isla smiled at Kade and admired her blonde interviewer hair, which was now smooth and free digits. She didn’t want to deal with the weight of her hair today, so she asked Kade for an elastic band to put it in a messy bun on top of her head. A few strands and wisps would frame her delicate face.
Kade took her hand and led her to the elevator when she was done.
“Some of my workers live in a different part of this building. They work for me, and I give them places to stay like these.”
Isla nodded to show she understood and got into the elevator with Kade right behind her. She pushed the button that opened the doors to the lobby and put her hand back in his when they opened.
Kade walked to the other end of the lobby, where he typed a pin into the keypad that opened a set of large double doors.
When the doors opened, they showed another set of doors that pushed open and led to a group of guys eating breakfast and joking around.
Everyone looked up at the couple standing together when the doors slammed shut.
“Hey, Kade, what are you doing here? You never stay long enough to enjoy our company,” one of them joked.
He was of average height and build, with a buzz cut and an eyebrow piercing. His smile started to fade when Kade’s face didn’t look like it was having fun.
Seeing his close friends brought back memories of the night before, when he found out that a rat had gotten into his business.
He was making sure that all the hard work that got him to where he was didn’t go to waste because of a traitor, even though everyone else was having a good time and laughing.
Without realizing it, he tightened his grip on Isla’s hand, and she whined in pain.
“Kade, you’re squeezing me,” she said softly.
Kade let go of her small hand right away and pulled her to his side, stroking her skin, which was a little red.
“Sorry, baby, I wasn’t paying attention.”
Isla mumbled something in response and then followed him to the island, where she sat down on a stool. She was next to the guy who had talked to Kade when they first came in.
Kade had to remind himself to stay calm so he didn’t accidentally give away that there was a traitor in a fit of rage.
After a brief period of uncomfortable silence, the conversations started up again, and the doors opened again to show Marco, the enforcer from the night before who had told Kade about his rat problem.
Marco walked over to the kitchen island and sat down on the stool next to Kade.
Kade asked coldly, “What do you want?” He didn’t want to deal with the problem so early in the morning.
Marco opened his mouth and stopped, afraid that his boss would get angry if he told him what he knew.
“Just say it already,” Kade said, putting his big plans on Isla’s knees.
Marco nodded sharply and said his words in a harsh whisper.
“So, about our… rodent problem, I was wondering who you wanted me to work with so we could get started right away.”
Kade hummed in agreement with what he said and thanked him for taking the lead.
He tapped Isla’s thigh with his fingers, and she looked at him with an unimpressed look and moved away from the feeling.
Kade laughed before he answered Marco’s first question. “Just work with Mateo,” he said.
Marco nodded and motioned for Mateo to follow him outside so they could talk about the problem.
Isla sighed with happiness as she finished her last spoonful of Lucky Charms.
Her life had become a crazy ride.
“Do you want to go with me to do some errands?” Kade asked as he drove towards the orphanage. His big hand wrapped around her thigh as he stroked her soft skin.
Isla smiled at what he said and said yes. “Of course”
When she sat down, Kade pinched her chubby cheeks and laughed.
“Great. We’ll stop by your house so you can change,” he said. He reminded her that she was still wearing the big hoodie she had on this morning.
It wasn’t a long drive, and he parked like a pro across the street.
Isla opened the door and asked, “Aren’t you coming?”
Kade looked at her with doubt. “You want me to see Clarice?”
“You’re the most important person in my life, Kade. Of course I want her to meet my boyfriend.”
Even though Isla was excited, Kade still looked wary. He was an older man, and he didn’t seem very friendly. He knew that most parents would be upset if Isla, who was 18, saw her with someone older, even if it was only a few years.
Kade held her hand and let her lead him to the front door. Isla’s eyes darted around the room after they walked in, looking for the woman’s familiar face. She hummed and led Kade up the stairs to her bedroom, where no one else was.
She closed the door and started looking through her closet for the right outfit. Kade carefully sat on her bed, worried that the twin-sized mattress would break under his weight.
He watched Isla choose a taupe sweater and a skater skirt, but when she took off her clothes without thinking, his eyes grew wide with greed.
“Damn,” he groaned after she pulled on her skirt.
The white fabric barely covered her thighs, and her b**t looked great in it.
Kade’s jaw tightened when she put on the same boots again. He couldn’t help but give her a hard smack on the a*s when she bent down low and put her a*s in the air.
Isla screamed and stood up straight.
“What was that Basin for?” she said, rubbing her now-red cheek.
“For teasing me, pretty girl.” He leaned over and put his elbows on his knees, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Isla rolled her eyes and huffed in fake annoyance.
Kade got up and walked over to her. He reached out with his hand to take off the hair tie that was holding her hair in a messy bun. Her blonde hair fell softly down her back in tendrils that framed her face.
“Beautiful,” he said quietly as he looked into her eyes.
Isla’s face softened when he complimented her, and she was able to say “thank you” softly as he opened her bedroom door so they could leave.
Isla ducked her head as she left her room. Her cheeks were hot to the touch. But when she looked down, she bumped into someone and gasped in shock.
“Isla? What are you doing here? I thought you were staying at Brynn’s until tomorrow morning.” Clarice’s grown-up face looked confused until she heard footsteps coming and her face turned to fear.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Clarice said slowly. She tried to hide the shaking in her voice by being stern, but the way she moved Isla behind her showed how she really felt.
Kade simply said, “I’m Isla’s boyfriend.” He spoke in a calm, unbothered way and tried to be respectful. But he was upset that the woman thought Isla should be on her side because she thought he was a threat to her.
Clarice’s eyebrows went up to her hairline, and she looked him over in disbelief.
“I don’t believe it,” she said, out of breath. “Please leave my property now, or I’ll call the police.”
Isla’s eyes got big when she heard the threat, and she pulled her arm out of Clarice’s grip to face her.
“He’s right. We’ve been going out for months.”
Isla’s confession shocked Clarice so much that her mouth dropped open. “But you said you were with a friend. I—”