Chapter 11
Mia
Angelo’s here. I don’t know how I know this, but I do. I can feel it in my gut. Angelo’s here, and he’s going to kill Killian, and then he’s going to kill me.
I’m standing outside in the backyard of Killian’s parent’s estate. I’m crouched behind a bush, wearing nothing but a flimsy white nightgown. I have no shoes on, and my bare feet are cold as they dig into the hard, freezing dirt.
I can’t remember where Killian is, and then it suddenly dawns on me that he’s in the cottage.
Fuck! I have to get to the cottage. I can’t let Angelo get to him. I don’t remember why I’m out here, but Killian’s sleeping right now, and he’s going to be completely unaware when Angelo comes for him.
I won’t let him hurt him. I can’t.
I creep through the yard, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. It’s so dark that I can’t see in front of me, and every step that I take is a guess as I make my way back to the cottage.
The front door is slightly ajar, and I slowly and quietly head inside. I give myself a minute, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Once they do, I head towards the stairs, climbing up them slowly.
The bedroom door is slightly ajar, too, and I take a deep breath before I push it all the way open.
Angelo is standing over the bed, where Killian is sound asleep. He has a knife raised high above his head, and the rush of fear that courses through me is unlike anything that I’ve ever experienced before.
I let out a shrill scream as I charge at him –
“Mia!”
Killian’s strong arms are holding me down, and my body finally starts to relax, and I stop thrashing.
I’m shaking, and I realize that I’m crying.
Holy shit, I can’t help but think. It was a dream. It was just a dream.
“Fuck, Mia,” Killian swears, shaking his head. He takes my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Are you okay?”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.
“It was a nightmare,” he says. “It wasn’t real.”
I nod, swallowing anxiously, my heart still beating much too fast in my chest.
He surprises me by brushing my tears away with his thumb. I freeze, staring at him in shock.
We barely spoke when we got back to the cottage tonight. I said nothing when Killian cuffed one of my wrists to the bedpost, and I drifted off to sleep shortly after.
Killian leans over and grabs something off the nightstand. It takes me a minute to realize what it is – the keys to the handcuffs.
He leans over and uncuffs my wrist, and I just blink at him in disbelief. To say that I’m shocked would be an understatement.
He notices the expression on my face, and I see a slight smirk begin to form on his lips.
“Don’t make it a thing,” he grumbles.
I just shake my head, watching him.
We’re both just staring at each other, and I eventually clear my throat.
“Thank you,” I say quietly as I lay back down. I turn on my side, with my back facing him.
He pulls me into him, and my entire body freezes.
“Your heart is still beating so fast,” he murmurs in my ear. “It wasn’t real, Mia.”
I should move. I shouldn’t be laying here in his arms. This is only going to end disastrously for me. But I can’t bring myself to do it. It feels so good. It feels right.
“It felt real,” I whisper.
“Who hurt you, Mia?” he asks, and I’m surprised by that question.
I don’t even know how to answer it.
“It doesn’t matter,” I mumble, and Killian sighs, sounding disappointed.
When he presses a kiss to the back of my head, I wonder briefly if I’m dreaming.
“Go back to sleep, Kitten,” he whispers. “I’ve got you.”
I drift off shortly after, feeling safe and warm in Killian’s arms.