Page 91 of Theirs to Desire (Club M: Boxed Set)

KAI

A very’s asleep in my bed by the time Maddox gets back from his father. I hand him a beer, and we sit in the backyard. “How was it?”

“About what I expected. His apartment had no furniture. He likes being able to pick up and go at a moment’s notice.

” He takes a long sip of his beer and stares into the dark.

“I don’t want to be like him when I’m sixty, you know?

I’m ready for something meaningful.” His lips curl up.

“We got lucky, you realize? We found the perfect girl.”

“Twice.”

“Yeah.”

He looks pensive, not happy. “What’s bothering you?”

“Brody called,” he admits.

I look up automatically, though my bedroom is in the front of the house, not the back. All the windows this side of the house are closed, and Avery’s sound asleep. “And?”

“It was all a lie. Being broke, being in debt to the mob, all of it.”

“Fuck.”

“Tell me about it.” He drains the rest of his beer and fetches himself another. “Ever since I heard, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do. Whether I should tell her or not.”

“And?”

“I don’t have a clue, Kai. You tell me. What should I do in this situation?

Should I tell Avery that her parents manipulated her into marrying someone?

Should I tell her it’s their fault that we were torn apart ten years ago?

Should I tell her that if her father was standing in front of me, that I’d break his jaw for what he did to her? ”

I clench my eyes shut. I don’t think I can tell Avery. I don’t think I can destroy her like that.

“I can’t do it.”

“Yeah,” he sighs heavily. “Neither can I.”

I think about Avery sitting on the couch with me earlier, Betsy curled up next to her. About how absolutely lucky we are that despite everything, the three of us found each other again.

“I want to get her a collar.”

Maddox looks up. “Am I hearing right? Is Kai Two-Week Bowen actually making a commitment?”

“Nobody has ever called me that.”

“Sure thing, buddy,” he laughs. “Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night.” His expression turns serious. “A collar is a commitment.”

“I know. It’s not an impulse. I’ve given it a lot of thought. Is it too soon for you?”

A smile spreads across his face. “No,” he says. “It’s not too soon at all. As I learned tonight, I’m more than ready for this.”