Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
SERENA
T he chipper ringing of Kai’s phone alarm drags me out of the deepest sleep I’ve had in weeks. My body feels relaxed and heavy, like it’s being weighed down by a pile of blankets. It takes a minute before my brain wakes up enough to realize the weight is actually Kai, wrapped around me like an octopus. Arms banded across my chest, leg thrown over my own, his face buried in my neck, and his warm breath tickling my skin. His erection is pressed against my ass, hard and insistent. Before falling asleep, I stripped down to my cami and thin cotton pajama shorts. Kai must have done the same because all I feel is the burning heat of his skin against mine.
I hold my breath, waiting for the panic from being confined and held down to hit, but it never comes. Because it’s Kai, and I know I’m safe with him. I decide to have a little fun with him and wiggle my ass against his erection. There’s no response from Kai at first, so I press against him harder and let out a low lusty moan like I’m having a sexy dream. Kai’s arms tighten around me in response, and his voice, husky with sleep, causes goosebumps to erupt along my skin when he says, “Don’t start something you’re not willing to finish.” He nips at my neck as he rocks his hips into me, sending a new rush of arousal surging through my body.
“Who says I’m not willing to finish?” A smile plays across my lips as his arm moves down my body, stopping at the waistband of my shorts. When his hand doesn’t move further south, I pout, “Now who’s teasing?” I can’t see Kai’s smile, but I feel it against my skin when he traces gentle kisses along my shoulder and up my neck.
“Tell me what you need, baby.”
“You, Kai, I need you.”
“You’ve got me, baby.” Kai slips his hand under the waistband of my shorts, finding my center slick with arousal already.
“Is this for me, ReRe? Were you thinking about me in your sleep?” He teases my clit, slowly tracing circles around it. Enough to make me desperate for more, but not enough to give me the pleasure I’m seeking.
“Kaaaiii…” His name is a needy moan slipping from my lips as I grind against him, seeking more friction. His response is to tighten his hold on me, pinning my hips in place.
“Be good and let me give you what you need, baby. Let me take care of you.” When I’m too lost in the fog of lust to respond, Kai rubs his thumb firmly against my clit, sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my core. “Are you gonna let me take care of you, ReRe?” This time his tone isn’t a polite request. It’s a command.
“Yes. Please, take care of me.” Kai resumes his slow, torturous teasing, circling my clit before dipping his fingers between my folds, coating them in my wetness.
“God, baby, you feel so good. You’re so wet for me. You’re desperate to come all over my fingers, aren’t you?” Kai increases the pressure of his strokes, finding a pattern of dipping into my core while circling my clit with his thumb that causes my vision to go hazy and my breathing to become erratic.
“That’s it Serena; let go. Let me feel you lose control.” Kai’s soft lips latch on to my neck, and he sucks, the final sensation I need to shove me over the edge. My thighs clench, trapping his hand between them while my body spasms through my orgasm. Vaguely, I’m aware of his hips rocking against my ass, but I’m so lost in my own bliss, I don’t realize what he’s doing until I hear a muffled grunt and feel a hot, slick wetness spreading along the back of my shorts. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my lips as I realized he just dry humped my ass to the point of coming in his boxer briefs.
“I would’ve been happy to help you with that, Kai.”
Kai just laughs at my teasing before pulling his hand free. “Nah, baby, this was all about you.” My eyes go wide as I watch him lick his fingers clean of my release, and a new wave of arousal courses through my system. I’ve never seen a sexier sight in my life. How had I never realized how fucking sexy Kai is? Kai must know he’s stupefied me with that move, because he shoots me a wink before rolling away to clean himself up.
“Come on, ReRe. We’ve got places to be, and I want to feed you a real breakfast before you wither away to nothing and lose that delicious ass of yours.”
After checking out of the motel, we find ourselves eating breakfast at a small roadside diner not too far from Arianna’s house. True to his word, Kai made sure to get a real meal into me before our next move, and after spending a whole day eating nothing but junk food, I’ve never been more grateful for a bowl of fresh fruit and some scrambled eggs.
I’m nervous about being out in public, unsure of how far Dominick’s reach is through the brotherhood of the police force. My body tenses every time the bell above the door jingles signaling the entrance of a new customer. Kai must feel the same way because neither of us take too long to eat our meals, ready to get out of the public eye as quickly as possible.
“You ready to bounce?” Kai asks once he pays our bill. I nod and follow him out of the restaurant. On our way to the address Arianna gave us for her rental, Kai stops at a local superstore. I look over at him in confusion, trying to gauge his plan.
“Why are we stopping here?”
“I thought you might want some clothes that fit and don’t smell like man-sweat. Also, I wanted to pick up a prepaid phone for you since Dom has yours. I don’t want you to not have a way to get in touch with your mom if I’m not around.”
I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, feeling guilty over Kai having to spend so much money on me.
“Hey, none of that.” He reaches over, gently freeing my lip from my teeth. “The only one of us that will be biting those luscious lips of yours will be me.”
“But—”
Kai stops me with a finger to the lips. “No buts, ReRe. I told you I’m going to take care of you. I should have gotten my head out of my ass and done this a long time ago, then we wouldn’t be in this situation now. But I can’t change the past. All I can do is do better for you in the future. Let me do this, okay?”
My eyes sting from tears suddenly threatening to fall. I can’t believe I never saw how good Kai was to me before. How could I be so desperate and stupid to fall for someone like Dominick when Kai was there all along? Blinking back the tears I give him a small smile.
“Fine, if you insist, spend your money on me, boo. I won’t argue.” The smile that lights up Kai’s face is almost blinding, and my heart swells seeing how happy taking care of me makes him.
After a quick trip through the store, Kai waits for me in the car while I change into clothes that fit in the bathroom—black leggings and a long sleeve t-shirt to cover the marks left by Dom. I decide to keep wearing Kai’s hoodie though, because even if it smells like man-sweat, it smells like him, and it makes me feel safe. When I get to the car, he has the prepaid phone out of the packaging, activating it for me.
“Here you go. I’ve got my number, Mrs. G, your mom and my parents already added to your contact list.” Kai hands me the phone, and I shoot him a grateful smile. Having a phone again feels like having a lifeline, and a little more tension eases from my shoulders as I slip it into the pocket of my leggings.
“You ready to do this?” Kai gives me a hesitant look as he starts the car. He knows how nervous I am to bring someone else into the shitshow that has become my life, but if anyone can help, I believe Arianna can.
“Reenie!” Arianna’s excited gasp greets me as she opens the front door. She immediately pulls me into a tight squeeze, and I wince when she presses against the bruises on my arms. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry.” She pulls away, guilt flashing across her face at hurting me. Her eyes dance over to Kai, and she flashes him a warm smile. “Hey, Kai. Good to see you.”
“It’s alright. God, it’s so good to see you, Ari.” I go back in for a gentler hug, resting my head on her shoulder, breathing in the clean, soft smell of citrus from her freshly washed hair. Arianna is dressed in an oversized t-shirt and leggings, clearly ready to go to bed after her long overnight shift at the hospital. “I’m sorry we’re keeping you up, Ari… You sure you don’t want us to come back after you get some sleep?”
Arianna only responds with an eyeroll before pulling me through the front door into her living room. Kai follows behind, his hand on my lower back, reassuring me that he’s still there.
“Do y’all need something to drink? Coffee? Water? I’ve got some sweet tea too.”
I shake my head, my nerves jangling around my insides, causing me to vibrate with tension again. Now that I’m here, in front of someone else, covered in the evidence of Dom’s abuse, I feel a new surge of terror building in my chest. What will he do if he finds out? What if nothing happens to him? How will he retaliate? My breaths start coming in short gasps, and Kai and Arianna immediately close ranks on me, pulling me onto the couch, Kai’s arms wrapped around my shoulders, Arianna holding my hand.
“It’s okay, baby. Breathe. You’re safe here.” Kai’s honeyed voice is in my ear, pouring over my jagged nerves, soothing them, like a balm to my soul. I relax into his hold and take in a deep breath, steadying myself for what’s to come.
“Alright, Reenie. Tell me the whole story. Take your time; don’t leave anything out. I want to know the full scope of what we are dealing with here.”
My mouth goes dry at the prospect of reliving the entire nightmare of my relationship with Dom. Talking about the moments I haven’t told Kai about. The red flags I had ignored before now stand out in my mind like a bullfighter’s red cape. The “forgotten” birth control at the cabin paired with his relentless disregard for my pregnancy concerns. The way I just let him take and take and take from my body because I thought I owed it to him. His need for control over my whereabouts and my body and how he made me so dependent on him, so quickly. Then, once he had me cornered and alone, he finally let loose with the physical abuse.
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, readying myself to tell my story, but Kai puts a hand on my thigh, pulling my attention to him.
“ReRe, I think we should record this. It might help if you have to recount your story again to the police. Do you mind if I turn on the voice recorder on my phone?”
I glance at the phone Kai is now holding, his thumb hovering over the red record button in the app in question. I don’t relish the idea of having my pitiful life experience recorded, but I know he has a point, and I know if I do plan on doing something about Dom, this won’t be the only time I have to relive this nightmare. I jerk my head in a quick nod, and Kai taps the button, beginning the recording.
As I describe every awful, manipulative, gaslighting, controlling, abusive thing Dom did, watching Ari’s eyes grow wide in shock and feeling Kai grow tenser and tenser at my back, I realize how shockingly na?ve I must be to have fallen for his bullshit. Silent tears stream down Ari’s face as I finish my story. The room is so quiet, you can hear a pin drop.
It’s a long, strained moment before Kai says, “I’m going to fucking kill him.”