Page 23

Nic

I surface slowly, pulled from the depths of sleep by the low hum of an engine.

Streetlights flicker past in gold and amber streaks against the dark, their glow stretching over the dashboard before dissolving into shadow. I blink, groggy, disoriented, until my gaze shifts to Kai.

With one large hand gripping the wheel, the other casually resting on the stick shift, Kai drives like he owns the road.

I hate how natural this feels. How comfortable I am in his space. I don’t even remember getting into this car. He must have carried me.

I push myself upright, my voice thick with sleep. “You could have woken me.”

His lips twitch. “You needed it.”

A warmth I refuse to acknowledge unfurls in my chest. He’s right—it was a deep, dreamless sleep, the kind I haven’t had in weeks. And we both know why.

Rubbing my hands over my face, I force the thought away. “You didn’t have to drive me all the way home.”

Kai doesn’t respond as he slows in front of my house.

My stomach knots as the reality of home sits just beyond the windshield—Bea, Dad, all the responsibilities waiting. I should go inside. I should leave.

I don’t move.

“By the way,” Kai says, breaking the silence. “The answer to growing your brand is networking.”

I blink. “Huh?”

“There’s a gym on Percy Avenue called Primal Fit.”

“The brand-new, totally over-the-top gym?” I ask.

He smirks. “That’s the one. If Lana Withers puts in a good word, the owner will let you use one of his studios for free.”

My brows shoot up. “Really?”

He chuckles like he’s in on a private joke. “Yep. Hell, he’ll pay you to use it.”

“Why on earth would he do that?”

“Because Lana is my sister. And the owner of Primal Fit is in love with her.”

Something uncomfortable unfurls inside me. I already knew that. Pretending I didn’t feels like a crime—but it’s nothing compared to the other ones hanging between us.

And Cass.

Wise, brave and beautiful Cass.

No one wept for her when she died. Not Bea, who never knew her—she was only four months old when she left. Not Dad. Why would he care that the twenty six-year-old step-daughter he hadn’t seen or spoken to in ten years suddenly wound up dead?

“Nicole?” Kai’s voice feels far away

“Yeah, I—um, thanks, Kai.”

“Anytime.”

My fingers curl around the strap of my bag and

“So, how does this work?” The words spill out before I can stop them. “In class, I mean? Are we going to keep entertaining the class with mudslinging?”

He shrugs. “Not unless you want to.”

“What, so now it’s up to me?” I scoff.

“Exactly. You’re free to do anything you want. Except run from me.”

My pulse quickens. “What happens if I run?”

“I’ll chase you.”

His simple answer sends my pulse into overdrive, but fuck if I’ll let him see it. I arch a sardonic eyebrow. “Really? Does that line work for you?”

Kai chuckles—a low, rich sound that makes my stomach clench. “Take an Advil, put some arnica on your ass and go to bed, Nicole. You’ve learned enough lessons for one night.”

Heat washes over me as I shift in my seat. The man spanked me—hard—and I cried like a fucking baby. “You’re too arrogant for my liking, Kai.”

“And you’re too stubborn for mine.” His gaze flicks to my lips, lingering too long. “But here we are.”

The car suddenly feels too small. Too warm. I reach for the door handle, desperate to escape. Before I can step out, his hand shoots out, tangling in my hair.

A sharp gasp leaves me as he pulls me back and right into a kiss. His mouth is hot. Demanding. A claim. I kiss him back, my mouth opening under his and welcoming the bold sweep of his tongue with eager flicks of mine. Heat unspools inside me as a moan escapes me.

It’s the contact I didn’t realize I needed after tonight’s catharsis. A moan escapes me, unbidden, as my fingers curl into his shirt.

Then, just as abruptly as it started, it’s over.

Kai pulls back, his breathing steady, but his expression unreadable. “Go.”

I stumble out of the car on shaky legs. The chill of the night does nothing to cool the fire burning under my skin. I don’t have to look back to know he’s still watching me.

The house is silent, save for the low hum of white noise drifting from the TV room. The faint creaks of old wood follow me as I cross the hall to my old room.

I close the door behind me and sag against it, pressing trembling fingers to my lips. They still tingle from his kiss.

Kai could’ve swooped in, fixed my problems, made it easy for me to forget the Aldridges. But he didn’t. Instead, he showed me how I could stand on my own.

It’s fresh. Exciting. And also horribly tainted.

I don’t turn on the lights. I don’t check on Bea or Dad, but go straight to my room. I sink to the floor at the foot of my bed.

I’m so tired of fighting this. Kai is too formidable. Too unpredictable. And now, he won’t let me run. Every time I’ve tried, he’s sunk his claws deeper into me. He doesn’t even seem to care that I hate him. He still kisses and fucks and spanks me at will,

He’s obviously better at playing the hate game. It’s time to try another tactic.

Kai wants me. That much is clear. I can use that. I can get closer. I can find something to nail him. I could even hire someone to dig, who wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.

I grab my laptop and start searching.

A futile hour later, I find my fingers hovering over the shortcut I’ve been ignoring for the past two days. After a moment’s hesitation, I click it open and type in the password. It unlocks my dark web chat room.

Two new messages flash at the top of the feed like venomous neon signs.

They’re from my latest supplier of knickknacks.

Anon419:

As per your request. C. Mitchell, swimming. 2-minute video, $400. Photos for $50 each.

A second message follows, dated two days later.

Anon419:

??

My stomach churns as my finger twitch. It’s just one click.

Kai’s voice slides through my mind. If you need something, ask me.

Even without the sharp reminder Kai left on my ass, I know I can’t keep doing this. I press delete and log out.

I collapse onto the bed and stare at the ceiling, shame threatening to suffocate me. But beneath it, something darker stirs—a sick craving I can’t seem to shake.

Maybe it’s beyond just wanting to find the truth about Cass’s death and everything to do with that invisible tether that keeps pulling me to the man who completely unraveled on what should have been the greatest night of his life.