Chapter Twenty-Five
Kay
The house came into view first, then the rest of the island appeared through the fog.
Xander was driving the speedboat, completely ignorant of the whitecaps across the dark water. It had been a bumpy ride, to say the least, much like my life.
My demon did it. He sent me away.
It hurt like hell, and I had been crying for the last five hours.
When Xander got me to the airport and I saw Gina waiting for me by the plane, completely oblivious to my pain, something snapped. Collin wanted me to go back to St. Louis. He was releasing me. Setting me free.
The asshole.
How could I be a prisoner if I wanted to stay?
I wanted to go back to his house, to wait for him, because even though my heart had been dragged through the mud, beaten and bruised, my soul still wanted to fight. She was a stubborn girl.
I told Xander I needed to go get Haley.
It was a lame excuse, because in the world of modern technology, I knew they knew that Haley was already gone. Did I know that for certain? No. Did I know in my heart that James got her out of there? Yes.
Xander refused me, of course. He was following Collin’s orders, and I couldn’t blame the man for doing his job. So as my tears still fell, I pretended to go along with it.
Until we were an hour away from Illinois.
I was a dumb blonde for a reason.
Which is why I kneed Xander in the balls, took his gun, and pointed it at Gina. I wanted to apologize to her, but I didn’t need her to see I wasn’t serious. Of course, I didn’t want to shoot her. I liked Gina, just like I liked Bella.
They had grown on me.
I made her tie Xander up. Honestly, thinking back on it, the big scary man let her tie him up. He could have easily overpowered me and her, but he didn’t. Then, I went into the cockpit and ordered the pilot to take me up to Chicago.
Two hours later, there I was, staring up at the mansion that had been my home for the last three months. This house was hauntingly beautiful, just like Collin. The lights were on downstairs, and I knew Bella would be there. I smiled at that.
I missed her.
“Cam, tell the roof to stand down.”
My head jerked to look at the big man. He was looking up to the high roof of the building, and I followed his gaze. Holy fuck. There were two men on the roof. With guns.
Big guns.
“Can I ask you a question, Xander?”
He was stepping out of the boat and onto the small dock. “That depends, Ms. Jones. Are you going to shoot me with my gun?” He was focused on tying down the boat, but I heard the amusement in his voice.
“Why are you guys loyal to Collin and not Romano?”
The man grunted and held his hand out to me. Once I was off the vessel, he ushered me up the iron steps, not answering until we were on the lawn. “I've never worked for Romano a day in my life, nor will I ever. Mr. Stevens recruited me.”
The front doors opened, Bella waiting in the foyer with a kind smile on her lips. A man was behind her, one I'd seen around before. He started showing up after the Romano cousins cornered me.
My brows came together as I processed his words, stopping to face him. “So where did he recruit you from?”
He smiled, his teeth flashing in the night. “Prison, Ms. Jones. Mr. Stevens gave me a second chance at life, which is why I let you have your way in the jet. He told me that if I so much as thought of touching you, he would cut my hands off.”
I gulped.
He chuckled. “After you, Ms. Jones.”
“Oh, you can call me Karina. I don’t mind.”
He nodded. “Mr. Stevens said you would say that. He also said that if I called you by your first name, he would rip my tongue out with a pair of hot pliers.”
“That’s a bit extreme.”
Another chuckle. He found this funny.
Bella greeted me, tipping her chin down. “Welcome back, Ms.—”
I lunged for her, wrapping her in a tight embrace. “I swear to God, if one more person addresses me like my grandma, I will riot.”
Her soft laughter filled my ears, and my eyes met very protective ones. The beast of a man who was behind her, propped against the wall, was watching my every move.
I’d put a pin in that for now.
“Is Haley gone?” I whispered to her.
“Yes. The FBI came for her two days ago.”
I released her from my embrace, my eyes scanning the foyer. “They didn’t hurt anyone or damage anything, did they? I told James not to.” When confusion settled over her features, I added, “I ran into James in Boston. He's the FBI Agent on the case. Was he nice?”
“There was no man named James here, Ms. Jones.”
What?
The man shrugged, pushing off the wall to stand behind Bella. “Just some Latina and a man named Jeremy.”
My stomach plummeted.
My brother had been here.
After my slight breakdown, I decided to head up to my room.
I hadn’t anticipated the extra security, but it made sense. It also made me worried Collin did something.
Something bad.
Whether I had returned to St. Louis or not, this was my demon’s home. His solitude. The fact that the most dangerous man in the world needed extra men on site had my stomach twisting.
I waited in my suite until the early morning, taking a shower and changing into some silk pjs. The crescent moon was high in the sky, and the fog from earlier remained, lingering over the dark water, hiding this fortress from the world.
Cracking open my door, I looked left and right down the hall before stepping into it. I knew where Collin’s room was; I had just never been in it. Seeing as how he had been inside me, it was only fair I got to be in his room.
That was where I would sleep every night until he returned. I knew what his motivation was. He was trying to protect me, but he failed to realize that a life without him wouldn’t be a life at all. Collin gave me the power to enjoy breathing again, instead of living my life in a safe bubble.
He didn’t want to fight for us, and I couldn’t blame him, not after the monsters that he'd to fight. I knew in my heart that accepting my love would be difficult for him, but he was worth it.
Underneath all that blood and pain, my Col was crying out for me.
Once I made it out of my wing, I tiptoed up the staff stairs and emerged in the west one. His wing. After I made sure the coast was clear, I darted for the large, dark wooden door at the end of the hall.
Please don’t be locked, please don’t be locked.
I twisted the handle and jumped for joy. Not locked.
A smile spread across my face as my soul peeked around the corner with anticipation. Once inside, I shut the door quietly behind me and let out a breath as I took everything in. I leaned back against the door, marveling at the beauty.
The room was grand, with some of the tallest ceilings I’d ever seen in a home. The far wall was all windows, covered by black curtains. To my right was a fireplace, with shelves of books on either side to the ceiling.
Gwen would fucking faint if she saw this collection.
After lighting the fire, I ventured around the room and ensuite. The all-black rain shower and a gorgeous black metal tub seemed to be from a dream. Across from the fireplace was the biggest bed I had ever seen. It had a black modern headboard, and a dark gray comforter.
There was also a mountain of pillows.
I smiled.
I would be sleeping soundly tonight.
Something caught my eye on the bedside table, a yellow ribbon sticking out of the closed drawer. Curiosity took over, and before I could stop myself, I pulled out a leather-bound book.
The yellow ribbon was a bookmark.
I opened it, ready to discover what it held—maybe a rare first edition?
It wasn’t.
This was a journal…Col’s journal. My heart skipped thousands of beats as my soul gasped.
My eyes began reading his handwriting.
Harsh, bold. Like him.
My eyes scanned over the first page, my lips parting.
He'd written about me. Each entry about a time he'd spent with me. The most recent entry was dated the day we left for Boston.
She's the only one.
Snapping the book closed, I put it back where I found it. I ran a hand through my hair as I tried to get my heart to calm down.
There were dates on the pages, from when I was first brought here. He had been feeling it too.
My tears fell, marking my PJ top.
When I fell asleep in the middle of my demon’s bed, his written words echoed in my mind…
“A little late-night reading, angel?”
I slammed the book closed as I let out a yelp. Turning, I found his silhouette leaning against the doorframe, the faint light of his cigarette hanging from his shadowed lips, the hallway light casting a glow into his room.
“Col,” I gasped, clutching the book to my chest.
“Put it down, Karina,” he growled.
“How long?” I demanded.
“Drop the book, angel. I won’t tell you again,” he said as he brought his hand up to his face. I heard the whispers of the embers crackling as the orange light grew brighter.
“How long?” I repeated, my voice shaking with emotion.
He charged me then, tossing the full cigarette aside on to the floor, stomping it out as he went.
His hands gripped my upper arms, the moonlight casting a cold glow on his face that made his icy eyes stand out in the darkness. His jaw was tight, his teeth bared.
“Drop the book.”
I shook my head, tears in my eyes. “Col, please.”
“Never,” he snapped, yanking the book from my arms and throwing it across the room. It hit his bed with a bang, sending the ink-stained papers all over.
He turned back to me and gripped my throat, backing me up into a wall. My hands touched his wrist gently as my airway was cut off.
“Collin,” I choked out.
“What do you want from me, huh? Why can’t you just leave shit alone? Leave me alone.” His hands loosened a fraction, and I sucked in as much air as I could.
“I love you too,” I whispered.
His face changed then, those icy eyes growing wide, his lips parting as he released me, as if touching my skin burned him. He backed away, his eyes never leaving my face. I followed, reaching my hand out to grab his.
“I love you,” I repeated, knowing he had never heard those three words in his entire existence.
“Stop.”
“No. Collin, I love you! I have always loved you, from the moment I saw you,” I cried as he yanked his hand away. He backed into the door, as if he was afraid of me.
“I’ll kill you,” he snarled.
“Do it,” I challenged. “I will love you even when I am buried in the damn ground, Collin Stevens.”
He shook his head. “No, Karina,” his voice cracked.
“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours. You own me. You own my body you didn’t want to look at and my soul you were afraid to taint.”
He released a guttural cry before launching at me, his hands encasing my face as his lips crushed against mine. I whimpered and put my hands on his face too.
“I hate you,” he breathed, resting his forehead against mine.
“That’s okay, Col. I’ll love us both,” I said, taking his lips again.
He crumbled then, his tongue invading my lips, his dark soul touching mine.
His arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly as he walked us backwards. He laid me down on the floor, in the moonlight, on top of his words he was too afraid to say to me.
He fell to his knees before me, his eyes dilated.
“You are a vision. My only vision, Karina.”