Chapter Twenty-Five
SILAS
However, we hit a snag fairly early in. Turns out Kai and I could no longer be put in a confined space without one of us trying to cop a feel of the other.
Thank fuck, Dylan and Rhys had been there to get the NDAs signed. Any leaked footage would have bordered on pornographic.
It niggled in the back of my mind that to the staff here at least, we were confirming we were together. I didn’t have a problem with that…and from what he’d said in the recording studio, I didn’t think Kai would either.
But he’d made it clear he hadn’t enjoyed our onstage antics. The last thing I wanted was to put him in a similar position.
Needless to say, we didn’t escape in time. Not that either of us really cared. We’d joked together. Laughed. Flirted. Kissed.
Like I’d told Kai, it was the same as it had always been…just with lots of fun extras.
Both our guards accompanied us to Mango. With us doing little to hide our relationship, we thought it best to bring them both along. We invited them to join us, but they declined, opting to sit at the bar.
The pretty woman behind said bar had no impact on their decision, I was sure.
I was grateful it was just Kai and me. We’d been coming to this restaurant since we were twenty, before the band took off. The only difference in coming now was that they sat us in a quiet corner, tucked behind a decorative screen.
It was a considerate touch. Most restaurants liked to seat us as though we were on display. Using us as an advertisement to draw others in.
But the owners here never did that. As a result, not only did we come here often, but we hyped it on our socials as often as possible.
Being kind and considerate works, people.
We were on dessert when Dylan approached our table, Rhys hot on his heels.
“What’s wrong?” I said immediately, noting Dylan’s ashen face.
“It’s my sister.” He swallowed hard. “She’s been in a car accident.”
“Oh my god.” I jumped up, my hand gripping his arm. “Is she okay? What can we do?”
“She’s been taken to Southampton General.” His voice shook. “I need to get over there, but…”
“Go,” Kai said firmly, standing too. “You need to go now.”
Dylan nodded, tears falling down his cheeks. “I’m sorry to leave you.”
I exchanged a glance with Kai. “Dylan, I’m not sure you’re in a fit state to drive.”
“I’ll drive him,” Rhys said gruffly. From the tense way he watched him, I doubted he’d leave his side until they had news.
“We can’t both leave,” Dylan said helplessly. “They need a protection detail.”
Kai and I rolled our eyes in unison. “Yes, you can. We’re grown-ass men. It’s not like we’re on tour or there are screaming hordes of fans outside. Besides, we’ve almost finished here. Our car is outside.”
“We’ll be fine,” Kai added. “Go. And if you need anything, anything, just call.”
Dylan nodded numbly, but I wasn’t sure he even heard. He was lost in thought, his body crumpling inwards as he walked towards the door.
“Text when you’re home,” Rhys barked over his shoulder as he raced after the other man. “Dyl, wait up!”
A hollow silence followed in their wake as we slipped back into our seats. “Oh my god.”
“I know,” Kai said grimly, reaching across the table to grab my hand. “I just keep thinking, what if that was Ruby? Or Mia?”
“Same.” They weren’t related to me by blood, but they were my sisters nonetheless. “Fuck, I hope she’s okay. We need to offer to pay for private treatment if it’s needed.”
“Of course we will,” Kai said as he tapped on his phone with his spare hand. “I’ve already let Betty know. She’ll be in touch with Dylan tomorrow to offer whatever he needs.”
“Good.” To be fair, Southampton General was one of the top trauma centres in the country. She was in the best place possible. But if she needed further treatment or recovery, we could make sure that happened somewhere nicer than the standard NHS hospital.
And that wasn’t knocking the staff, one of whom was Ruby. They were fucking awesome. But there was no getting away from the fact that the NHS was massively underfunded and majorly overworked.
Neither of us touched our desserts after that, too preoccupied with Dylan and what he was going through.
There was a bite to the air as we stepped outside, a reminder that autumn was just around the corner.
We were within six feet of Kai’s car when a shadow broke away from the wall. The man stepped in front of me, cutting off my path.
Ice raced through my veins, my stomach lurching as the voice from my nightmares manifested itself. “Hello, son.”
I was frozen in place. Kai had no such issue. He moved in a flash, pushing me behind him as he stepped between us. “What are you doing here, Frank?”
Over Kai’s shoulder, I watched numbly as my father sneered at Kai. “Oh, it’s you. Still sniffing around after my kid, I see. Disgusting.”
My stomach rolled. He could say whatever he wanted to me. But not to Kai. Never Kai.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped to the side, pulling level with Kai. I kept my face blank as I surveyed the man before me. The man who I wished only fucking existed in my nightmares.
The years had not been kind to him, no thanks to the drugs and alcohol he’d pumped through his system. His hair hung in greasy strands around his face. The sneer revealed yellow teeth with a couple missing.
“Don’t talk to Kai like that.”
“Oh, you’re going to speak to me now? Thought you liked to pretend you don’t have a dad.”
“I do have a dad. But he’s sure as shit not you.”
Frank moved to grab my collar, but Kai’s arm shot out to stop him. “Back the fuck up, Frank.”
“Don’t touch me,” he spat in Kai’s direction. “He’s my son. I’ll treat him however the fuck I want to.”
Kai stepped forwards, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. “Oh, I’ve seen how you treat him. I saw it back then when he’d turn up at my house with bruises and broken bones. And I’ve seen it since, every time you’ve sold your story trying to cash in on his success.”
Numbness started tingling my fingers as that yawning darkness crept in.
“So what if I did?” Frank jeered. “He owes me fucking everything.”
“He owes you nothing,” Kai countered hotly. “So whatever you think you’re here to achieve, it’s not going to happen.”
Frank bristled. “We’ll see about that—”
I interrupted him, my voice hollow. “What do you want?”
Kai shot me an incredulous look, but I just wanted this over with.
His beady eyes darted between us, no doubt noticing how Kai was hovering protectively. “Well, I have one story left to sell. How two members of the biggest band in the world are fucking. Have been since they were teenagers.”
Kai’s voice was level. “How much are you asking for?”
“I think ten grand should hold me.” His voice was as greasy as an oil slick. “For now, anyway. And you’ll give it over unless you want everyone to think you actually are a couple.”
I chuckled, the noise making both men snap their attention to me.
“That’s the best you can do?” I slipped my hand inside Kai’s, stepping closer. “Threatening to out me and Kai? Unluckily for you, Frank, we couldn’t give a shit about that.”
Frank reeled back in disgust as Kai smiled at me proudly. “You fucking what? You’re…fucking a man?”
Suddenly, I was looking at him and wondering what I’d ever been afraid of. Sure, he had a few inches on me, but I was no longer the scrawny kid I’d once been. I’d packed on muscle over the years, and I was certain I was faster on my feet than this cunt.
Still, I didn’t let go of Kai’s hand as I went toe to toe with Frank. Not because I needed him to protect me, but to ground me. “Actually, if you wanna be specific, that man is fucking me.”
Frank literally stumbled back a step, his mouth falling in horror.
“Oh look, he’s a homophobic twat too,” I said to Kai mildly. “He really is going for the full bigotry bingo card.”
“Think he scored a full house on that years ago,” Kai said darkly, not taking his eyes off Frank.
“I still want my money,” Frank spat out stubbornly.
“Well, I wanted a dad who gave a shit,” I said bitterly. “I didn’t get that from you, but I got that from Mike. So, you can go and find your money from someone else. Because you’re not getting a penny from me.”
That was Frank’s breaking point. With a muffled curse, he swung one of his meaty fists.
Even if Kai hadn’t caught it with his arm, I could’ve easily evaded it. I’d been right. The years had slowed him down.
But him taking a swing was apparently Kai’s breaking point too.
Grabbing my dad by the collar, he swung him up against the wall of a nearby shop. I glanced around frantically, but we were alone. Thank fuck.
“Now listen here.” Kai’s voice was dangerously low as he pinned my struggling sperm donor in place. “I might’ve listened to Silas when we were kids, but I won’t let you touch him now. Silas is mine. If you ever come near him again, I’ll kill you.”
Frank gave an incredulous laugh. “You can’t kill anyone. You’re one of the most famous people in the world, for fuck’s sake.”
“Exactly.” There was an icy malevolence in Kai’s voice that I’d never heard before.
“I’m famous. And disgustingly rich. Rich enough to hire someone to do my dirty work for me.
Rich enough to bribe whoever the fuck I need to turn a blind eye to your disappearance.
Not that it would even be a problem. I doubt anyone would even notice you’d gone missing, let alone give enough of a shit to do anything about it. ”
“I’ll tell everyone about this,” Frank seethed. “I’ll go to the press and tell them you threatened me.”
Kai smirked. “You do that. Let’s see who they believe. Me and Silas, upstanding celebrities who actively volunteer for child abuse charities. Or you, a washed-up drunk whose only known connection to his son is the stories he sells for money.”
I stepped next to Kai, looking Frank in the face for what I prayed was the final time. “Not only will no one believe you, but if you do that, I’ll tell my own story.”
Kai’s head whipped to me. He knew better than anyone how well I hid my past. But no more.
I wasn’t letting Frank have any power over me.
“I’ll tell them about the beatings. How you’d lock me in my closet.
How you’d purposefully starve me until I was too weak to fight back.
I’ll tell them all of it, Frank. I’ll go to the fucking police if I have to. ”
“And we’ll add that you are threatening him and trying to extort money,” Kai said. “Our words against yours, Frank. Who do you think they are going to believe?”
Kai glared at him for a moment longer before releasing him. He wiped his hands on his coat like he was trying to remove the feel of him.
Frank shoved past us, muttering under his breath and eyes on the ground.
Kai waited until he was a few feet away before speaking. “Oh, and, Frank?”
He looked over his shoulder.
“I meant what I said.” Kai spoke like he was commenting on the traffic. “Touch Silas again, and you’ll end up at the bottom of a river somewhere. I mean that.”
For the first time, there was fear in Frank’s eyes. He nodded once before scurrying off into the night.
I kept my knees locked in place until I could no longer see him.
Only then did I let myself break. I sank forwards, knowing Kai would catch me.
He did just that, supporting our weight and holding me as shuddering sobs tore from my chest.
“I got you,” he whispered, cradling me to him. “I’ll never let him hurt you again.”