Page 36

Nic

I press the code into the electronic gate, leading to Lana’s Malibu estate, each number a countdown to what I'm about to lose.

The gate's soft whir cuts through the night air, and I guide the van up the long driveway, remembering how just this morning Kai drove me down, his hand warm on my thigh.

I texted to tell him I was coming to see him because I couldn't trust my voice not to break if I called. His reply was maddeningly simple.

I'll be waiting for you, love.

Like this was any other night. Like I wasn't about to shatter everything between us.

The fountain's gentle trickle does nothing to quiet the roaring in my head as I park, my hands clenching the steering wheel.

I can't face going inside, can't bear to see Lana's face when she learns the truth—how I've been stalking her brother for years. Or worse, the twins hearing whispers of it. These people welcomed me into their home, treated me like family. And all along I've been . . .

I grab my phone, fingers trembling as I text.

I'm in the driveway. I don't want to come inside. Can we talk out here?

His reply is instant:

Perfect. I'm in the pool. Follow the cobbled path. We'll be alone.

Shit. I slide out of the van on legs that feel like jelly. The sprawling estate looms ahead, lit faintly by moonlight. The night air clings to my skin, heavy and oppressive, like it knows what’s coming.

I step onto the stone porch and turn to the path that winds around the house instead of heading for the front door. The cobbled path Kai mentioned is almost hidden beneath heavy foliage and flowering vines.

The elevated side deck comes into view, chairs arranged beneath a canopy of vines that parts to let moonlight flood the space. It’s serene. Intimate. Like something meant for lovers. The ocean glitters faintly in the distance, and I pause, trying to gather what's left of my courage.

I’m grateful Lana managed to keep this address away from prying eyes. Like me.

Just like Gstaad, this is another achingly beautiful sight that wasn't tainted by my sick obsession.

I spot the steps descending from the deck. They must lead to the back of the house, where Kai is waiting.

I start down, but something makes me glance toward the side of the house which is entirely made of glass, and what I see through them makes my blood run cold.

It’s a large kitchen. Dimly lit, but visible enough for anyone standing outside to see what’s happening.

David and Lana are there. They’re standing close—too close, and seem to be arguing. David’s face is twisted with anger, his gestures sharp and jerky.

Then he suddenly shoves Lana hard against the wall and the impact reverberates through my chest like I felt it myself.

His hand wraps around her throat.

Panic surges through me, and I’m running before I realize I've moved, my pulse thundering in my ears as I race down the remaining steps and run the rest of the way until I burst through the vine-entwined wrought iron gates and into the back of the house.

The pool area is flooded with light, the water shimmering blue and silver. The house rises behind it, its clean, modern lines framing the scene like something out of a dream.

But none of that registers because I got in just in time to watch Kai leap into the pool.

Fuck. He’s breathtaking when he does that.

His body slices through the water in a perfect arc,his muscles rippling as he dives deep. His legs kick in a powerful, synchronized rhythm I’ve watched in a thousand YouTube videos, but nothing compares to seeing it live.

For a hot second, I forget why I'm here, transfixed by the way he glides through the water like some aquatic god. Then he breaks the surface and reality crashes back.

"Kai!” My voice cracks with panic.

He flips instantly, treading water with practiced ease. His hands sweep wet hair from his face.

“You need to get out. Now!” My voice trembles, my chest tight. “Please. Something is happening.”

He's out of the pool in one fluid motion, water streaming down his body as he strides toward me, not even bothering with a towel.

The sheer presence of him—bare, wet, focused entirely on me—makes my stomach flip. But terror for Lana overrides everything else.

“What’s the matter, Nicole?”

“It’s Lana,” I manage, my breath coming in shallow bursts as I jab my thumb toward the house. “I think she’s in trouble. She and David . . . They were fighting in the kitchen. He pushed her into the wall.”

Kai goes still. For a second, his expression is unreadable, like he’s trying to process what I just said. Then fury seeps into his features, transforming his face into something dangerous.

“Son of a bitch!”

He grabs a terry robe then reaches for my hand with his other. Tension radiates off him. “Come on,” he urges me toward the house.

I have to jog a little to match his long, controlled strides, but Kai doesn’t drag me along in furious haste, nor does he leave me behind to catch up.

Somehow, that says more in this moment than any declaration ever could.

His sister might be in danger, yet he doesn’t leave me. He’s choosing me first.

It’s sick that, even at a time like this, I can catch the message he’s not even consciously relaying. A testament to how attuned I am to him—-a chilling reminder of why I came here in the first place.

I shove the thought aside and focus on Lana, praying she’s okay.

His bare feet and my sneakers barely make a sound as we approach the kitchen, dread blooming in my chest the closer we get.

What I see through the open doorway makes my mouth go dry.

Lana half reclines on the counter, legs spread wide, head thrown back. A long, throaty moan escapes her lips as she falls back onto one arm. David kneels on a dining chair before her, his hands pinning her soft white thighs open, his head buried between them.

My jaw slackens with shock, and my face heats with mortification. I feel like a child caught in a lie.

"What the fuck?” Kai's voice slices through the haze.

Lana's flushed face whips toward us, her unfocused eyes widening as she sees us. She pushes at David’s shoulder and tries to scramble away at the same time.

David raises his head but his grip on her thigh doesn’t relent.

"Oh my God,” she clamps a hand over her mouth. "Nic! I’m s—”

Kai cuts her off. "Where the fuck are my nephews?"

"Asleep,” David says, straightening with deliberate slowness. He wipes his mouth with his thumb, his expression unapologetic. "Tucked them in myself."

Lana hops down, smoothing her silk black robe, face flaming "We, uh . . . got carried away."

"Clearly,” Kai snaps, his glare fixed on David, whose smugness only deepens.

I feel the tension thrumming through Kai as he pulls me into the kitchen then grabs wine, vodka, and a glass. He tosses in crushed ice and mint before pressing the makeshift cocktail into my hands.

I take it, more out of reflex than anything else, marveling at how he manages to be this composed when my insides feel like they’re twisting in on themselves.

“Won’t you ask why we got carried away?” Lana ventures, her voice breaking the tense silence. Her nervous smile wavers when Kai turns his glare on David again.

“Did he put his hands on you, Lana?” Kai’s voice is soft, deadly.

Lana’s brows knit. “Well, yes, he’s obviously had his hands all over me.”

Feeling the need to say something, I swallow hard and step forward. “I saw you two . . . from outside and it looked . . . a little violent.”

David’s eyes flash before he scoffs and schools his expression into something neutral.

“Oh God, no.” Lana’s sheepish smile widens as she steps between the two men, her tone bright but forced. “I’m so sorry if we traumatized you, Nic! You see, David . . . was actually proposing.”