Chapter 14 #4
“I respect that. This is my fault. You’ve done nothing wrong. I’ll go.” I turn to leave again, afraid of what will happen if I stay, but Kit spins and grabs me by the wrist—hard.
His eyes are on fire.
I don’t know whether he hates or loves me right now.
I don’t struggle. I allow him to do what he must to somehow feel better.
Whatever that may be.
“You lied to me. How can I trust a word you say?”
“You can’t,” I whisper, licking my suddenly dry lips. “But actions don’t lie, Kit. You’ve felt the response you provoke in me.”
A low hum slips past his parted lips.
“That’s not a lie. My feelings for you are not a lie. If they were, do you think I’d continue seeing you, knowing what’s at stake? I knew being around you was dangerous, but I couldn’t stay away.
“Just how you couldn’t with me.”
He hisses, turning his cheek as if he’s been burned. “What a fucking mess we’re in.”
“I know. That’s why I kept you away.”
Kit slowly turns to look at me. “Stopping this was impossible. We were doomed from the very beginning. So, the question is, what happens now?”
The silence is tense with expectation.
Without pause, I peer up at him from under my lashes. “I fucking kill Rebecca, and I destroy the Bloom name.”
Kit’s jaw tightens, aware he can’t stop what’s unfolding. He lets go of my wrist and grips my nape, pulling us face-to-face. His breath is warm against my lips. “We do this together, then. You’re not alone. Not anymore.”
“I can’t ask that of you.”
“You’re not. I’m doing this because I want to. I’m doing this because…I want you.”
“You want me? Even after everything I’ve done?” I whisper, unsure if this is a dream or not.
Kit softly says, “Maybe we’re both a little crazy.”
“Kit, you can leave anytime. You should.”
He looks at me with longing, knowing that’s impossible for us both. “I promised you that when I catch you, I’ll never let you go.”
“This is dangerous.”
“I know.”
“Yet you’ll stay?”
“Where would I go? Wherever you go, I follow.”
“But why risk everything for me?”
Kit grips my nape and presses his forehead to mine. “Because you are everything to me. And I protect what’s mine. No matter what you’ve done, it doesn’t change my feelings for you. It kills me inside knowing what was done to you. And that I wasn’t there to protect you.”
“You didn’t know.” My heart hurts, but in a good way.
“But I know now, and that’s why, please, let me do this my way. If something ever happened to you…” He stops for a moment, his head shaking in fear.
I want to fight him and tell him no, but that’s my stubbornness. I have a good man begging me to allow him to protect me. This wasn’t the plan, but there never was a plan. I didn’t care what happened. All that mattered was that I got my revenge.
But now, things are different. I have people who care about me wanting to help. I now see Jupiter never wanted to help me. She was helping herself and dragging me down with her.
And that’s why I nod. “Okay.”
It takes Kit a moment to realize I’ve agreed. “Okay?”
“Yes, we will do things your way. But promise me that Rebecca will get what she deserves.”
“I promise,” he says, visibly relieved, kissing my lips briefly before pulling away.
“You may want her dead, but she values the Bloom name above her own life. Killing her is easy. Destroying her legacy and tarnishing her family name is a punishment far worse than death. She will be forced to live with that shame forever. Each day will be a living hell where she will be begging for you to kill her.”
He’s right.
Without the Bloom name, Rebecca is a nobody. Worse still, she is just like everyone else.
Even though a part of me feels cheated for not ending her life as I’ve imagined doing for years, this is the plan where I get my revenge repeatedly. I can only kill her once, but I can humiliate her for the rest of my life.
There’s only one problem.
“How do we prove she’s guilty? I mean, the Blooms control everything, everyone. Including the police.”
Kit takes a moment before revealing, “There have been rumors circling about Jack for a while now. Apparently, he’s done this to others.”
My jaw drops.
“I think you were the first, and he got a taste for it,” Kit says, clearly disgusted.
“It was a welcoming home present for Jack. He came back from boot camp. He wanted to pop his cherry.” Smokes’s confession plays on repeat.
I want to be sick.
“No one has come forward in fear, no doubt. But what if they had a fearless leader, a woman who fights for what’s right? What if that woman spoke up and showed them there is solidarity in numbers?”
“You’re one clever man, Kit Rivers.”
He smiles. “But there’s more.”
I arch a brow, intrigued.
“What if you confront Jack? For so long, he’s been your monster in the shadows. Now, it’s time for you to be his. He thinks his actions have made him invincible. Untouchable. Jack relies on the Bloom name for protection.
“So you confront him and tell him you’ve spoken to the girls he assaulted, and they’re ready to confess what he did. It will ruin him. His reputation. His military career gone.
“Money talks, so he will attempt to bribe you. You take that money because you deserve every cent, and you share it with Jack’s victims, I mean, they’re sticking their necks out for you.
But there’s a catch. You tell him you won’t go public with the info and won’t implicate him if he turns on Rebecca. ”
I’m speechless.
“He’ll do it because it’s better for Rebecca to take the blame than him.
He’s the younger brother. She’s older and should have known better.
So the plan is we speak to the women, get their stories, confront Jack, and then we blackmail him.
He turns on Rebecca, saying the night you were attacked, he heard her telling those assholes to harm you.
He will attest to you telling the truth. ”
“Why would he do that?”
“Better her neck than his. His parents would cut him off. No more inheritance. No more using the Bloom name to hide behind. There’s no loyalty to people like the Blooms when it comes to saving oneself.
“Not only is he to rat on Rebecca but he’s to pay you for your silence.
“You get your revenge by exposing Rebecca for the bitch she really is, ruining her, and getting revenge on Jack, who will do anything to ensure you stay silent. Once he thinks the storm has passed, then we expose Jack too. The girls will want their retribution. We explain that they will get their revenge and that this is asking a lot, but we hope they understand your situation and work with you. But first, we take Rebecca down, then play with Jack until we get bored. You take the power back. As do the girls he assaulted.”
And with that, Kit is finished.
I process everything he’s just said and soon realize this is a solid plan. If Jack hadn’t continued his nefarious behavior, it wouldn’t have worked.
But this will.
I do have some concerns. “This is asking a group of strangers to take a risk on my behalf. They don’t know me. So why would they put themselves on the line and risk everything for me?”
Kit nods. “Because they’re you. They’re the other women who have fallen victim to Jack. In the end, they will do what’s right, knowing they’ll get their day in court. On their own, they’re scared, but together, you all get what you want… To see that fucker get what he deserves.”
This takes care of the Blooms, but what about Jupiter? She’s still out for blood.
“What’s the matter?” Kit senses my worry.
“Jupiter.”
He nods. “Yes, I’m working on that. She’s a little trickier. But we will work it out.” The relief I feel is tremendous.
Jupiter has nothing over me now.
I’m free.
You’ll never be free of me, Hallie. We are one and the same.
I quash down her voice inside my head.
This plan will work because Kit is right. Jack won’t want to be exposed and shamed for what he’s done. He will happily throw Rebecca under the bus to save his own ass. Kit spoke about money. I’ll ensure his victims get some form of monetary compensation.
This might actually work.
So why is there a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach?
“Go inside. Take a shower. Get into bed. It’s been a long day.”
“Here I am, stealing your bed again.” I try to lighten the mood after the heavy talk.
Kit moves closer, kisses my nose, and says, “You’re not stealing anything. I’ll be joining you soon.”
Every part of me ignites.
All I can do is nod and head back into the house.
Dandy is nowhere to be found. I decide to leave him be, assuming he needs some space, like we all do.
I wish I could take the time to appreciate Kit’s house, but I am suddenly dead on my feet.
I find the bathroom, take a quick shower, and stumble into Kit’s room.
I know it’s his because his signature fragrance lingers.
I hunt for a T-shirt and slip it on, inhaling the intoxicating scent that is purely Kit.
Pulling back the covers, I crawl into bed and pass out before my head hits the pillow.
I wake in a sweat.
But I’m also shivering, shivering in desire, thanks to Kit placing butterfly kisses along the slope of my upper shoulder. He’s pressed to my back, very naked. And very aroused.
He slips his arm around me and starts caressing my breast.
A moan escapes me.
Instead of overthinking, I just let go.
I grant him total control, something terrifying but empowering in the same breath.
He pinches my nipple while gliding his tongue up my neck before taking my earlobe between his teeth. I close my eyes, seeing stars.
He walks his fingers downward, circling my belly button before skimming the outside of my sex. Usually, I would shy away, but something has changed inside me. Perhaps it’s Kit’s devotion to me that has me realizing I’m safe in his arms.
And I want to replace the horrible memories of that night with something unforgettable.
Placing my hand over Kit’s, I coax him to slip his fingers into me.
He slides in with ease, and my body responds to him as if it were created especially for him.