Chapter 30
“Why is therea lock on the outside of this door?” I ask, stopping in the open doorway.
“Because Freya moved herself in a few weeks ago and kept trying to fuck Wren,” Kai answers, moving around me to fall back onto the huge bed in the middle of the room.
Levi glares, and I look at Wren, who shrugs and runs a hand over the back of his neck. “He’s not lying. We had to lock her in here at night.”
I cock my head at him, making him laugh as he drops two keys into my open palm.
“We won’t lock you in,” he says. “I promise.”
Believing him, I slide the keys into my ass pocket, awkwardly tucking my hair behind my ears as I walk inside the room and take a look around. It’s more like a studio apartment than a bedroom. The bed is made up with black and gold sheets and a mountain of matching throw pillows. There’s a sitting area on one side of the room with a black leather couch and a reclining chair, a coffee table, and a TV on the wall. Behind the couch, the wall-length, sliding glass doors lead out to a furnished balcony overlooking the city. On the other side of the room, there’s a walk-in closet and another door leading to the bathroom. The only thing I’m missing is a kitchen.
“Wow. This is…”
“It used to be Derek’s room,” Wren says quietly behind me. “When we were younger, he used to sleep over here almost every weekend. When our dad took him out for a few hours every Saturday, he told us it was for football practice.”
“Derek sucks at football.”
“Yeah,” Wren says. “He does.”
I set my bag down on the bed next to Kai, looking at the others over my shoulder when I realize they’re all standing behind me as if they’re waiting for something. I frown at them. “What?”
“Do you want revenge?” Damon asks. It’s the same thing Elijah asked me the day of Valerie’s funeral. My answer hasn’t changed. I would love to see Maverick Kingston in the ground or behind bars where he belongs, but I’m not going to get myself and my brother hurt or killed trying to put him there. Nothing I do is going to bring Valerie back. I just want to run my coffee shop and be left alone, for Derek and I to be able to live our lives without the fear of being caught by the sick fuck who took the person who meant the most to us.
“No,” I finally say.
I expect Damon to say more, but he simply nods as if he gets it, taking Callie’s hand and leading her out the door. Wren and Levi walk out as well, leaving me alone with Kai. Still lying on his back on the bed, he leans up on his elbows and watches me take out a T-shirt to sleep in. He doesn’t miss the way I set my photo face down on the bed next to my duffel.
He opens his mouth, and I glare at him, making him laugh as he snaps his lips shut.
I expect him to insist on staying, but he gets off the bed and stands in front of me, taking my face in his hands to press a soft kiss to my forehead. “You need anything?” he asks.
Chewing the inside of my cheek, I shake my head, ignoring the part of me that wishes he would stay.
Lifting my chin up with his knuckles, he searches my eyes, smiles devilishly, and then kisses my lips. “Get some sleep, beautiful.”
I don’t getany sleep.
I’m too worried about my brother and his psycho father to close my eyes and keep them that way, too pissed at myself for missing Kai like some kind of needy girlfriend.
Creeping out into the hallway, I stop outside Kai’s bedroom for a few beats, but I don’t have the balls to go in there. A few moments later, I find myself standing at the top of the stairs in the middle of the night, leaning on the railing overlooking the living room.
I feel him standing behind me, watching me while I watch my brother sleeping on the couch, but I’m too stubborn to turn around and acknowledge him.
I don’t know how much time passes before he finally steps forward, his heat at my back causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.
“He’s depressed,” I say, keeping my eyes on Derek.
“Yeah, I figured,” Kai says quietly. Wrapping his arms around me from behind, he rests his chin on my shoulder, his fingers curling around the fabric of my shirt. “When our mom died, my brothers became different people overnight. Damon was so angry, and Wren just kind of…lost himself.”
I nod silently, my lips trembling as I lean back into his warm body.
“Valerie was your mom, wasn’t she?”
I close my eyes, struggling not to choke. “She was the only one I ever knew.”
“I’m sorry,” Kai whispers, tightening his arms around me. “I’m so fucking sorry, baby.”
“It’s not your fault,” I tell him again.
“Are you sure you believe that?”
“I’m sure.”
Kai buries his face into my neck, watching Derek with me. “Does he drink and get high a lot?”
“All the time.” I pause, then ask, “Is that when Wren started smoking? After your mom died?”
“No. He’d never touched drugs until the night he caught Freya cheating on him.”
Rolling my lips, I drop my eyes. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Did you change like your brothers did?”
“Not really. I’ve always been a cocky little shit. I just became a fuck boy.”
“When you were thirteen?”
He turns his head, brushing his mouth over the pulse point in my neck. “No, smartass. I was fifteen when I lost my virginity.”
“Hm.” I smile and take his hands in mine, crossing his arms over my stomach. “How many girls have you been with, Kai?”
“I don’t know, baby,” he admits, and I don’t miss that hint of sadness returning to his tone. “I lost count a while ago.”
“Why do you do it?”
He shrugs against me, his tongue on my neck making me shiver all over. “I like the attention. Touching and being touched. Mostly I do it to fuck all the pain away.”
“Does it work?”
“Yeah,” he says. “For a little bit.”
“Is that what you’re doing with me?” I ask. “Trying to fuck it all away?”
He hesitates, his mouth pausing. “You sure you’re ready to hear the answer to that?”
“No,” I say honestly. “Don’t tell me.”
He breathes a laugh. “Come on.” He takes my hand, leading me back toward the bedrooms. “You need to sleep.”
Taking one last look at my brother, I follow Kai back to the bedrooms. Once we get to my door, he backs away, and I tighten my grip on his hand, locking our fingers and pulling him inside my room with me. He grins, taking my waist and walking me back toward the bed. I lie down on the pillows, and he lies down behind me, wrapping his arms around my body and pulling me back into his chest.
“You like me,” he teases, moving my hair out of the way to put his mouth back on my neck.
“No.”
“Tell me about the daisies, Hails.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
He laughs again, running his knuckles over my side and gently kissing my neck until I fall asleep in his arms.