Azeira
Beauty.
I knew I wasn’t imagining when I heard that name slip from Kairus’s lips. My eyes were closed and my breathing was heavy as my mind ran a mile a minute, trying to process this. Did that mean Kairus had been the man I had been sleeping with for months now? If so, why didn’t he ever say anything? Did he know who I was before my dad came to him? Was that why he sought me out? So many questions ran through my mind. Was he getting off on knowing who I was but I was in the dark?
My eyes fluttered open when he pulled out of me. I winced slightly, instantly feeling empty and sore below. I slowly pushed myself up on my elbows and glanced down at my now bruised breast. I wasn’t sure what it was with this man and leaving bite marks on me, but I was starting to feel like he was part vampire.
I brushed my hand over my breast and shuddered, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip. When I flicked my eyes up, Kairus’s attention was locked on the same place.
Anxiety filled my stomach suddenly. My skin became tight.
“Were you ever gonna tell me?” I questioned.
His eyes cut into slits and shot to my face. “Tell you what?”
I cleared my sore throat, flinching as I sat straighter. My body was sore and my legs ached. Now the familiarity between how Beast fucked me and how Kairus did became present. Both were like animals in the bedroom, ungentle and always in control. I should have put two and two together.
“That you were Beast.” My voice came out shaky. A crude, taunting grin split his face. One of his brows rose in amusement.
“So you finally figured it out?” His condescending tone caused my stomach to roll over.
I swallowed hard. Mirth bounced around his eyes as if this was all a game to him. My skin prickled with goosebumps.
Running my eyes down his body I took in how truly in shape he was. This was the first time I got to lay eyes on all of him and his body was built like an Adonis, with a dick to match. Even against the scarred tissue he was still beautiful. Still I couldn’t even appreciate it because I was too caught off guard.
“You knew who I was before my dad came to you?” I blinked slowly, trying to comprehend this. Did he purposely seek me out for his own twisted game? Was his plan always to keep me captive? He glowered at me with a penetrating stare.
“You give me too much credit.” He chuckled darkly. “When someone comes to me wanting to borrow money, I do my research because at that point they’re an investment and my money is something I don’t play about. Your dad was no different. People with something to lose are less likely to try and fuck you over.” That taunting grin reappeared. “Once I learned about you and laid eyes on you, I deemed you as mine.”
My brows dipped in confusion and my mouth turned upside down. The high I was just riding was starting to dwindle. “Is that why you suggested I stay here for six months? Has this all been some sick, twisted game?” My voice rose as I spoke.
He reached out to touch my face but I flinched away from his touch. He frowned and did it again this time, grabbing my hair, causing me to gasp. My heart slammed against my ribcage. He moved his face closer to mine, his dick brushing against my leg causing me to shudder.
“I told you that you were my toy, did I not? My reasoning was simple. I saw you, I wanted you, so I got you.”
“I’m not an object!” I spat. “You can’t claim me like I’m not a human being!”
“But I can and I did. And be honest, Beauty, you like that I claimed you, don’t you?” He brushed his fingers across the inside of my thigh. The same spot he’d cut me a couple weeks back. I stared at the still healing lines in disbelief.
“You’re ridiculous,” I whispered as my heart hammered away. I bounced my eyes around his face. Emotions I couldn’t put into words traveled through me.
“I’m a man taught to not let anything stand in his way. The moment I laid eyes on you and saw your smile, I felt like the part of me that died a long time ago had come back to life somehow. The first time I entered you in that hotel room, I knew I would do whatever I needed to make you mine.”
Kairus’s claim on me shouldn’t have made my heart skip a beat and my stomach feel fuzzy. “So why not just approach me like a normal person?”
He moved in, lips just inches from mine. “Be honest with yourself. If I approached you as I am, you wouldn’t have given me a second thought. Plus, what’s the fun in being normal when I can play with you before I attack?” His words stuck out to me. They made my chest hurt and my heart bleed.
I went to speak but he covered my mouth with his, pulling my bottom lip into his mouth and sucking on it roughly.
My eyes closed as passion shot up my spine. I tried to ignore the desire I was feeling for him knowing I needed to address what he just said.
“Kairus,” I moaned, pulling away from him. “Wait.” I swallowed hard, staring into his orbs. For the first time since being here I noticed how haunted they truly looked. Slowly I lifted my hand and went to touch his face but he grabbed me, frowning. “Kairus, you know your face doesn’t bother me, right? I wouldn’t have turned you away because of how you look,” I confessed sincerely.
The rumors I had heard about him would have had me running the opposite direction, but never how he looked. I believed a person was more than just their looks. Kairus’s inside might be jaded and tainted, but I was starting to see it was because of unprocessed trauma from his past.
Like a switch flipped, he shut down. His eyes clouded like a brewing storm, his face went blank. He stepped away from me and straightened his spine.
“Kairus,” I started but snapped my mouth shut when I saw the coldness on his face. I didn’t want him to shut himself off to me. Something told me Kairus hid behind this cruel demeanor to purposely push people away.
“Go clean yourself up.” That was it. He didn’t say anything else as he turned and walked out the room, like a bomb hadn’t just been dropped on me.
I wasn’t sure how long I stayed sitting where I was after he left my room. I didn’t like the sinking feeling that danced around in my stomach either. I wanted Kairus to open up to me and let me in. I wanted him to know that I saw beyond his scars and I wasn’t turned off. It was clear they were a sore spot for him.
I brushed my hand through my now sweated out hair, then ran my eyes around my room, pausing on the rose. Another petal had fallen and it made me frown. I was trying to keep it healthy and alive for as long as I could. Still staring at the rose, I made it my personal mission. While stuck in this house I would find a way to break down Kairus’s walls and keep my rose healthy.
“Let’s go,” Kairus demanded, busting in my room.
My head shot up and instinctively I hid my phone. My nerves had been bad the past couple of days. Today my mom was going in for surgery and I was tryna decide how I was gonna sneak out to be with her. My only issue was Kairus had been home all day. He didn’t leave the house as often as he had when I was first taken. When he did leave I assumed it was to go handle his financial firm, which the internet said was very successful despite people fearing him, or to go kill some poor soul that owed him money.
“No need to hide the phone. We both know you have it by now,” he mentioned. A grim expression was on his face. I scraped my bottom lip with my teeth and clenched my phone tightly, looking down at it. We hadn’t said much to each other since we had sex and I learned he was the man in the hotel room. Since then he’d been his usual detached self, except he still made sure we had breakfast and dinner together. It was usually silent and when I tried to spark a conversation he either shut it down or was short with his reply.
Most of the time I noticed he tucked himself away in his music room. I was still shocked to learn that he enjoyed playing instruments and had a whole room dedicated to it.
“Now come on.” Shooting my attention back to him, my face turned with curiosity. I poked my lips out and scrunched my nose.
“Where are we going?”
“Meet me downstairs.” He turned to leave my room. My hands fidgeted and my skin tightened. I wanted to defy him and go to the hospital. According to my dad, they were doing my mom’s check-in now and she was due to go under soon. I needed to get my car from Jatavia’s and hurry to the hospital.
Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair. I guess I could go with him, then sneak away and call a ride share wherever we ended up.
“Kairus.” I gulped in disbelief. My eyes went wide as I stared at the large, white building. He parked near the emergency entrance and cut his truck off.
“Let’s go.” He didn’t wait for me as he opened his door and climbed out.
I hurried and undid my seat belt, scrambling out of the truck behind him.
“What are we doing here?” I wondered. My blood hummed and rushed through my body. I tried to keep my excitement hidden but my heart danced in delight.
“Your mom is having surgery today, right?” he grunted.
I swallowed hard and nodded.
“A’right then.” His response was sarcastic as if the answer was simple, but I was confused. Kairus bringing me here didn’t make sense.
“You’re gonna stay with me?” I asked once we were in the hospital.
“If you think I’ma let you stay here alone then you must not know me yet.”
I cut my eyes at him. “What does that mean? It’s not like I’ma run.” He gave me a look of distrust but stayed silent.
Rolling my eyes, I followed him to the elevators and waited. Anxiety fueled my racing thoughts, not only about my mom but Kairus too. I hoped he didn’t have a motive today and wouldn’t cause a scene either.
We stepped into the elevator and he pulled his phone out, tapping away on the screen. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He was dressed in a charcoal gray suit, with his hair freshly lined up along with his mustache. His five o'clock shadow complemented his square jawline and offset the scars on his face.
“If you’re gonna stare at me then be more discreet with it.” Kairus didn’t take his gaze off his phone as he spoke. My eyes widened and snapped forward. Tension grew in my shoulders and filed through my body.
When the elevator doors opened on the right floor I couldn’t get out fast enough. I hurried down the hall to the room I knew my mom was in. As soon as I turned the corner I saw my dad in the hall on the phone.
He looked up and his eyes brightened when they landed on me until he noticed I wasn’t alone. A sullen expression formed on his face. His eyes darkened and he pinched his lips together tightly.
“We’ll talk more later.” He hung up when I was inches away.
“Sweetheart.” He smiled tightly at me.
“Hi, Daddy!” I rushed into him, throwing my arms around him. His body was tense but he hugged me anyway. When it came to my dad I had mixed feelings. I still loved him but I had some resentment toward him too.
“What is he doing here?” he asked.
I pulled away and looked over my shoulder. Kairus, who looked bored yet intimidating, glowered at my dad.
“Jeremy, is there a problem?” Kairus’s tone was taunting.
Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I bounced my gaze between the two. The last thing I wanted was issues between them or for anything to alert my mom that something was wrong.
“If you’ve come to cause trouble…” My dad went to step forward, but I placed my hand on his chest.
“Daddy, he didn’t. He’s just here so I can see Mom,” I insisted.
My dad kept his eyes locked on Kairus. His jaw ticked and his stare hardened more. “How’s the hand?” Kairus questioned, making me whip my head to him a scowl.
A man stepped out of my mom’s room. “You’re free to go back in, sir. Everything’s set to go. She’ll be taken back within the hour.” He stepped past us without noticing the building tension.
My dad muttered something then pushed past me into my mom’s room. I inhaled a deep breath, closed my eyes, and mentally counted to ten.
I released a few breaths before opening my eyes and facing Kairus. “Can you please not upset my dad today? I get he owes you money, but that’s why you have me right? My mom doesn’t need any stress before going into surgery,” I pleaded.
Kairus wasn’t the man to take orders from anyone, I knew that. By the look on his face I could see he was unmoved by my words.
Sighing, I shook my head and turned to go into the room. I didn’t have time to go back and forth with him.
“There’s my sweet girl!” Mom beamed at me when I stepped in the room.
“Hi, Mommy!” I rushed to her side.
“I was just asking your father about you. I thought you wouldn’t make it.”
I shook my head and hugged her, being mindful of the cords connected to her.
“ Nothing was gonna keep me from being here today.” I kissed her cheek and lifted.
My stomach was in knots thinking about her being put under. It should be a simple procedure, but with the cancer still lingering and the tumors, it made me uneasy.
“Now, now. Don’t look like that. I’ma be fine,” she stated as if she could read my thoughts.
My attention went to my dad. He looked even more tense than he had in the hallway.
The door opened and I thought it might be the nurses to take my mom back, but I was shocked seeing Kairus.
He scanned the room before his gaze landed on me. “I need to step out for a second. Don’t disappear,” he warned.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw my dad’s nostrils flare as he glared at the man turning our lives upside down.
Kairus looked toward my mom. His stare lingered and something I couldn’t make out passed through his eyes before they hardened. He stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
“Who was that?” Mom asked, wasting no time.
I chewed the inside of my cheek and looked at my dad. He was still glaring at the door.
“Uh, my boss.” I cleared my throat and faced her again.
Her brows knitted. “ That’s your boss?” Her mouth turned upside down. “He looks familiar and scary. Does he treat you okay? Is he safe?”
“He treats me just fine, Mommy. Don’t worry.” I tapped her arm. My dad gave me a look I couldn’t make out, but I ignored it. Right now wasn’t the time for anything but my mom.