Page 59

Nic

Five Years Later.

The Auckland sun is warm against my skin, the scent of roses thick in the air.

Manny’s sprawling home is quiet, save for the laughter drifting from the garden. It’s still the same infectious belly rumble, but no longer in the high-pitched tenor of boys. It’s now the deep, evolving baritone of fifteen-year-olds growing like weeds.

Five years ago, I never would have imagined sitting here with Manny with legs tucked under me on the cushioned patio bench, sipping chilled green tea and catching up like old friends.

Actually, we’re pretending to catch up. Because neither of us is actually talking. We’re both too busy watching the impossible.

The westward balcony is bathed in golden light, and Lana sits there with her head tilted back to catch the last rays of the evening sun.

"She likes to watch the sunset,” Manny murmurs.

Lana has changed. Not just her body which is rounder, softer and healthier, but her mind. The sharpness, the cunning, the rage, the pain—all of it erased.

She woke up from the ventilator with traumatic brain injury, her higher functions lost forever. A toddler trapped in a woman’s body.

This is only our second trip to Auckland in five years. On the first trip, Kai stubbornly stayed back at the hotel while we visited. This time I managed to get him to come all the way.

Which makes it the first time he’s seen his sister in five years.

And now—my ruthless, immovable husband is on his knees beside her, pressing a stuffed rabbit into her hands.

A toy I had no idea he brought.

A toy she’s giggling over.

Then—suddenly—Kai leans in and kisses her temple. And my breath catches—because his shoulders are trembling.

Kai is quietly, silently sobbing. And I don’t know if I’ve ever loved him more than in this moment.

A tear slips down my cheek before I can stop it. I swipe it away, swallowing hard as I turn to Manny, only to find him still watching Kai and Lana with a knowing tilt to his mouth.

"We bleed. We scar. But love never dies,” Manny murmurs,

I know he isn’t just talking about Kai and Lana. He’s talking about all of it—everything that led us to this moment. The lives lost, the betrayals endured, the wounds that refused to heal but somehow scarred over anyway.

"Did you know what was happening with your brother’s children? Is that why you moved to L.A.?” I ask softly.

Manny shakes his head.

"Malakai was the risk-taker,” he says. "I begged him not to chase the American dream. To stay and study like me. But he wanted quick money in the booming Citrus Belt. Figured he’d make it big, get rich, finally change things for us."

"And instead, he got himself killed and left his daughter reeling without a place in the world."

"So I got dragged into it . . . and well—” He gestures vaguely around him, like the past is still settling into place.

"I got the messy family I never would’ve otherwise."

A slow breath leaves him, his eyes drifting from where Lana is wiping the tears off her big brother’s face, to the backyard where Liam rocks my gurgling nine-month-old baby to sleep while Lucas hums beside him, both almost six feet tall now.

I study him for a moment, then lift an eyebrow.

"You know, Manny . . . that’s probably the most sense you’ve made since I’ve known you."

Manny guffaws, tilting his head back against the chair. "Well, then, it’s a good thing I didn’t teach you. You would’ve failed my class for sure."

I grin, shaking my head as I take another sip of my tea.

Manny swirls the last of his tea and drains it. "And what about that mouthy, spiky-haired friend of yours?"

I smirk, "Barry?"

Manny snaps his fingers. "That’s the one. Where’d he disappear to?"

"He’s left for New York two years ago.” I stretch my legs out beneath me. "He’s started a modeling agency and he’s doing really well.”

Manny lifts an eyebrow. "Sounds about right. And Bea?"

"You know her wedding’s in six weeks.” I bite my lip knowing the real reason he brought it up.

Manny hums, "Too bad. I really like weddings."

“Subtle, Manny,” I tease. "I’ll see if Kai’s willing to extend an invitation."

He laughs. "Oh, don’t bother. It took you four years to get him down to Auckland and one more to agree to see his sister. I doubt a wedding invite will ruck up in six weeks."

I don’t argue because . . . he’s probably right. Still, a part of me is stubbornly optimistic.

Manny leans back, stretching his arms behind his head. "And how’s Frank?"

My smile brightens. "Determined to walk Bea down the aisle without a stick, and with the way he’s practising, I think he’ll make it."

Manny grunts, satisfied everyone is okay. Then his gaze shifts back to the balcony.

Kai is standing now, one hand still on Lana’s wheelchair. He says something to her, then gently pulls her up when she giggles and nods.

Her spastic limbs tremble, and she leans heavily into him, but she wraps her arms around his waist. His head bows, his arms tightening around her in return.

We watch for a long moment before Manny sighs. “She would have liked what you’ve made of the charity.”

I rub at the tender ache in my chest. Five years ago, I salvaged Shine with Scars from its wreckage.

What Lana started as a front; an outreach created for the sole purpose of lining David Frayne’s pockets with money, has now blown up into something bigger than I ever imagined—a network of rehabilitation programs, therapy initiatives, and centers offering scholarships to kids with disabilities.

And now, standing here, watching Lana laugh softly against Kai’s chest, I wonder if maybe . . . maybe it’s time to bring a branch to Auckland.

“I was thinking,” I say, glancing at Manny. "We could open something here. A branch. It'd give me a reason to visit more often. And . . .” I hesitate, but the words feel right. "It could be in honor of Lana."

Manny’s eyes grow moist as he studies me. "And let me guess—Kai would love nothing better than to follow you to the fundraisers and events?"

I grin. "You know your nephew."

He narrows his gaze thoughtfully. "I do. And while you’re at it, you know, you also could talk him into teaching again."

I suppress a groan. Not this again. "Manny . . .” I warn.

He smirks. "What? I’m just saying—"

"You’re always just saying."

Manny grins like he knows something I don’t.

And honestly? That’s what worries me.

Liam and Lucas are exchanging non-stop barks and roars over a video game in the hotel lounge. I can’t believe Jade is sleeping through all that.

She’s probably used to their noise, by now, too often sprawled on the chest of one of her brothers who have all the volume control of a jet engine.

I feel bad for the other hotel guests. The hotel suite walls are thinner than we’re used to in the thick timber and glass chalet in Gstaad, but Kai insisted we stay here.

He wasn’t ready to put his family under the same roof as Lana, brain damaged or not.

I can't complain. Baby steps.

Kai’s been gone for nearly an hour, burning off the emotional weight of the day with a swim workout he probably sorely needs.

I just hope he saves some of that energy for me.

I shift against the pillows, tucking my legs under me as I focus on my spicy paperback. After pages of dead slow burn, they’re finally down to the one bed scene.

And it’s mating season.

I exhale sharply, pressing my thighs together.

I need Kai back.

Like, now.

As if on cue, the door slams open, followed by a burst of teenage laughter and the telltale sound of roughhousing.

Kai’s back.

In less than a minute, Kai steps inside the room, shaking out his damp hair, looking unfairly good for someone who just spent an hour in the pool.

Lucas follows him, still cradling Jade. He heads straight to the crib, tucks her in gently, then turns to leave.

He stops at the door and goes back to the crib

“Actually—can she stay with us?” He shoots a glance at me. “We’re about to get on and NHL tournament, so we’ll definitely be awake until her next feed at two so—”

“Nope.” Kai doesn’t even hesitate. “Leave Jade out of your roaring matches.”

Lucas rolls his eyes. “Fine. Whatever, Dad.”

Kai freezes.

Lucas does too, as if realizing exactly what he just said.

“Oh, shit! You’ve done it.” Liam snickers from the lounge. He scales the couch in a smooth jump and slides to a stop at the doorway as if he can’t afford to miss this for the world.

“Boys—” Kai begins, his throat working.

“What?” Lucas shrugs, then turns to me for backup. “He lets us swear but we can’t say the word Dad?”

Liam leans against the doorjamb. “Yeah, make it make sense, Uncle Kai.”

I glance at Kai and decide to say what he obviously can’t find the words for. “It’s fine. Your uncle doesn’t hate it. He just . . . hates how much he loves it.”

Lucas’s lips twitch.

“So you can call him that if it makes you happy,” I add.

Kai huffs out a breath but doesn't deny it.

Lucas grins. Then, he rushes toward me in bed, dropping a quick kiss on my cheek like the affectionate, unfiltered kid he’s always been. “Gosh, don’t know what Dad would be like without you, Mom.”

I go rigid.

Kai, who definitely heard that, turns, raising a slow, smug, eyebrow at me.

Liam chortles. “Relax, we’re just messing with you, Nic. But seriously, thanks for dragging Dad on this trip. It was great hanging out with our mother again.”

Oh my God. Mom. Mother. They were deliberate.

Before I can find words, they disappear into the other room.

I let out a long, shaky breath. “Did our teenage boys just railroad us into being called Mom and Dad?”

Kai just shrugs. Then, without a word, peels off his clothes and climbs over me.

I blink up at him. “Whoa, whoa, tiger. I’m still wrapping my brain around things.”

“And I’m about to fuck it out of you,” he murmurs, voice thick with heat, with need, “Spread those legs for me.”

God, this man.

I shudder, my book slipping from my fingers as he slides his through the slick mess between my thighs.

Kai brings his finger to his mouth and sucks it clean.

My heart kicks hard against my ribs.

He does it again, then pushes my nightshirt up, exposing me completely like he needs to see me.

His eyes drag over me, dark, ravenous. "Fuck me.” He drags another finger through my folds, gathering the moisture there before sucking it clean again. And again.

"Kai,” I whisper.

His head snaps up then he catches himself, as if he didn’t realize how long he was doing that. “Oh, yeah.” He takes out his cock and beats it against me. The heavy slap against my clit makes me jump.

He does it again.

And again.

I whimper, my thighs already shaking.

“Jesus, Kai.”I writhe beneath him, desperate. Surely, he can feel how soaked I am for him. Just as I’m about to protest, he grabs my hips, pins me down—and slams into me in one deep, devastating thrust.

I choke on a scream, my head kicking back into the pillows.

Kai groans against my throat, his voice raw, wrecked, somewhere between agony and worship. “Jesus fucking Christ—”

He stills, buried to the hilt, stretching me, filling me so deep I can’t breathe. His fingers dig into my waist, almost like he’s trying to hold himself together.

Then he pulls back—just enough to make me feel empty—and drives back in.

My body jolts. The mattress shifts under us. The heat is unbearable, suffocating, a wildfire consuming me from the inside out.

“I need more,” Kai growls, then swings both my legs over his shoulders and then he’s pistoning into me, brutal and deep, his thick length gliding through my wetness like silk.

I can’t do anything but take it.

He’s not gentle. He’s fucking me like he owns me, like he needs to break something open inside me and leave me so ruined I’ll never recover.

I claw at his back, panting his name, shattering beneath him—and then, I remember. "Kai, wait wait—you didn’t lock the door!"

He doesn’t slow down. "Not unless they want to get decked, they won’t come in here."

“But it’s just a suite, not back home,” I pant. “They’ll know—”

Kai starts to laugh—hard enough to lose his rhythm.

I dig my elbow into his ribs. He hisses, then grins down at me, still buried deep. "Nicole,” he rasps. "The boys are either wearing earmuffs by now, or throwing up."

I slap my palm over his mouth. "Stop it, Kai!"

Kai grabs my wrists and pins them to the bed, pressing his forehead to mine.

"Nic,” he murmurs, his breath hot and ragged. "You're an amazing, beautiful, nurturing mother, wife, mentor . . ."

He pulls out slowly, then drags the tip of his cock against my clit just enough to make me sob. "But you’re loud,” he whispers. "Very loud. Even Jade knows it."

Horror flashes through me. “Kai!”

His teeth graze my jaw. "Hey,” he chuckles, pushing back inside me inch by torturous inch. "We’re all used to it. And we love you just the way you are."

And then—he thrusts deep and hard, wrecking me until I’m melting into the sheets, the world blurring at the edges.

Even after my breathing settles, Kai stays inside me, his fingers tracing lazy patterns between my breasts.

"I held Lana today,” he whispers.

My breath catches as tears spring to my eyes. "I know,” I whisper back. "I’m so proud of you, Daddy."

He drops his forehead to mine, linking his fingers with mine as he swallows hard. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For stopping me.” He whispers.

I close my eyes, my chest aching. "Thank you for stopping her, Kai."

We stay like that, eyes searching, exchanging thoughts too deep for words. Until we hear a soft mewling sounds from across the room.

Jade is awake.

With a final kiss, Kai pulls out of me, then strides across the room to pick Jade up.

I watch him cradle her against his bare chest, so impossibly gentle after literally pounding me into a screaming mess just minutes ago. It’s . . . a lot for my brain to reconcile.

"Um, Daddy? You’re buck naked."

Kai glances down at himself, then chuckles. "Okay, so?"

"So go put some clothes on!"

"Why?” He smirks. "You think Jade minds?"

I gape at him. "You’re unusual, you know?"

Kai only shifts Jade against him, rocking her slightly, his smirk widening. "And you’re a dirty girl, Nic.”

I groan, yanking the sheets over my head as my face heats. This man is going to kill me.

My phone rings and I blindly reach for it.

"Nic! Thank God! I wasn’t sure—with the time difference . . .” Bea’s panicked tone makes my stomach instantly tighten.

"Bea? Are you alright?"

There’s a pause. "Don’t be mad, okay?"

I frown. "What’s happening?"

Another pause. Then, "Um . . . you used to stalk Kai, right?"

I blink, then glance at Kai, who’s now warming up a bottle of pre-made formula while bouncing Jade against him.

"Yeah . . . a little. Why?"

Bea exhales, like she’s ripping off a band-aid. "Okay. I think . . . no, actually, I know I have a stalker."

"What!” I sit up fully then put the phone on speaker because Kai’s definitely going to want to hear this.

"Does Dennis know?” I ask, referring to her criminal defense lawyer fiancé—a man I’m sure even his own clients are terrified of.

"Of course not, Nic, what am I, stupid?"

A little, yeah. “Your wedding is in six weeks, Bea."

"Don’t take that tone.” Bea huffs. "Look, it all started as a stupid thing in my senior year of high school. Someone left flowers in my locker every week. I thought it was sweet."

"And then?” I press, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

"And then . . . it never stopped."

My eyes widen. "Define ‘never stopped.’"

"It’s been five years. And there’s more. Wine. Chocolates. Sprayed-edged paperbacks, movie tickets—"

"Bea!"

"And . . . a puppy."

I blink. "Wait. What the fuck? I thought Angel was a rescue?"

"Yeah . . . well, I had to take off his diamond collar and rough him up a little before sending you the picture."

My brain short-circuits.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Are you insane? You have a dog from your stalker, and your fiancé—whom you live with—has no idea?"

Kai shoots me a dark look that makes my pulse jump.

"Don’t you dare judge me, Nic! You literally had a Kai shrine while engaged to Theo."

“Excuse me? You have a dog together. He takes you out to movies. This isn’t a shrine, Bea—it’s a fucking relationship.”

Bea groans. "God, I knew you’d make it weird."

I throw my hands up. "I’m making it weird!?"

A pause. Then Bea exhales. "Anyway . . . the problem is—he’s started showing up. At night."

My breath stills, my eyes falling shut. "Okay, that’s my limit. I can’t deal with this shit anymore."

I blindly hand the phone over to Kai, who’s already standing next to me, bristling like a storm.

His voice is lethal when he asks, "Who the fuck is this guy, Bea?"

THE END