Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Lily
Getting out of wet clothing is more challenging than you’d think.
Dry clothes feel nice to have back on. When I get outside, the air is colder, but the blazing bonfire where everyone is seated around is toasty.
The smell of steak makes my mouth salivate.
Killian is speaking to Mickey but keeps his eyes on me.
I’m thankful everyone is here. I don’t want to talk about what happened this morning.
He probably thinks I’m always horny, although around him I can’t help it.
The way he looks at me sets my skin on fire.
He seems to be keeping his distance because he doesn’t speak to me the entire time.
I help Jodi and Izzy set up a folding table and folding chairs for us to eat on.
Steak, potatoes, and string beans. We eat, I help clean up, and then sit with everyone around the fire, listening to them speak about their mom.
I am given a hoodie, and Izzy wraps herself in a blanket.
It’s a bonding moment, and I sit, soaking it all in until I realize Killian isn’t here.
I notice the light inside the stable is on and start walking toward it, away from everyone. I stand at the entrance to find Killian petting a horse.
“Didn’t take you as a horse lover,” I comment, walking in.
He doesn’t look at me. “There are lots of things you don’t know about me.”
I cross my arms at my chest. “Can we get the elephant out of the room?”
“Something on your mind?”
“This morning…” I trail off, not wanting to say it out loud.
Continuing to pet the horse and not look at me, he responds, “Which part? Spying on me naked or touching yourself to my naked body?”
My cheeks flush. I didn’t think of it that way, spying on him naked. “All of it. That was wrong.”
“Did you think it was wrong when you were doing it?”
“Yes.”
“Yet you still chose to do it.”
I don’t realize I am walking toward him. “I did.”
He finally turns to me. “Do you always behave this way, or is it a new trick you learned here overseas?”
That is a low blow, and I won’t let anyone ever speak to me that way.
I bring my palm down sharply against his cheek, the sound echoing in the stable.
His eyes flash with anger, and in an instant his hand is grabbing my hoodie.
I can feel the heat radiating from his body, his breath heavy with danger that is getting me wet.
“Hey! We are going out to the open field.” Izzy comes in out of nowhere, breaking up the tension.
He lets go of me. “It’s not safe,” Killian says to her. “Just look at the stars from here.”
“No way!” Izzy ignores him. “Liliana, I’m sure you won’t see a beautiful night sky like this back home!”
“No,” he says, walking out of the stable and pulling out a cigarette.
“Ugh,” Izzy pouts. “Feeling rebellious?” she whispers conspiratorially.
“What do you have in mind?” I reply.
“We’ll wait till everyone is asleep then sneak out.”
“Your brother, Killian, doesn’t seem like an easy person to get around.”
“Scared?” she challenges.
“Never.”
Her face lights up. “I’ll tell JoJo to get us flashlights.”
And like teenagers, that’s what we do. Once the house is quiet, I sneak downstairs to meet Izzy and JoJo.
Quietly, we exit the house and make a run for it.
I have no idea where we are going, but I haven’t felt this free in so long.
We make it to an open field where we lie on the grass and look up at the most beautiful night sky I’ve ever seen.
It’s breathtaking. The sky is lit up with thousands of stars.
Eventually, we hear JoJo snore away and we laugh.
“You have anyone back home waiting for you?” Izzy asks me as our eyes are glued to the sky.
“I guess I have a few people.”
“No, I mean like a guy. Or a girl, if that’s your thing.”
Alessio pops into my head, but he’s not really mine, so he doesn’t count. “No,” I reply.
“A pretty girl like you, and you don’t have men lining up?” she challenges.
“None worth running home to,” I admit. “You?”
“Just broke up with a longtime boyfriend.”
“How come?”
“He wants a thousand kids.” She laughs. “I mean, just because my mum had a litter doesn’t mean I want to.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Fair. My mom’s reputation rubbed off on us too. So I get it. You don’t want kids at all?”
“Nah. You?”
“Yes, just not sure if it’s in my cards.” I don’t know if it’s the calming of the night sky, so peaceful and bright, that I open up about my ailment. “I have stage three endometriosis, so the doctors say fertility won’t be easy.”
“Shit, sorry to hear that.”
“There they are!” We hear a voice in the distance, making us sit up.
“Shit!” Izzy says. “We need to run.”
Shaking JoJo violently, he jolts awake. “Run!!” Izzy shouts.
We see and hear two men on horseback charging at us. And something is shouted out about being dead. The three of us bolt.
“We need to split up,” JoJo says.
“I don’t know where I’m going!” I shout.
“We will find each other once we lose these guys.” JoJo is trying to breathe as we run. “You both go.” He pulls out a gun. “I got it from here.”
Izzy steers to the left and I go right. I’m not scared about being chased, but I am scared I’ll get lost and never see my family again.
I run as fast as I can, but the horses behind me seem to get louder.
I hear the water in the distance and go in its direction.
When I reach the river, I try to find a hiding spot, but when I hear someone approaching, I jump into the river without thinking.
“Liliana!” I hear my name called out.
A man comes into view as I try to stay afloat with only half my head out of the water. When he comes into view, I see it’s Killian. He flashes a light and sees me. I swim back toward the edge. I’m barely out of the water before Killian is knee-deep, dragging me out.