I turn and start walking away. Where to, I don’t know. Just away.
“Wait,” Enzo says his hand brushing against the same wrist my father gripped before Enzo realizes what he’s doing and begins to pull away.
I place my hand over his, stopping him from letting me go because unlike the pain I felt with my father touched me, I feel something different with Enzo. A feeling I’ve only ever felt with Enzo. A feeling I can’t even describe. I feel weightless, floating through the air above my body. I’m no longer weighed down with grief and anger. I’m flying. I’m free of my past when Enzo touches me.
Every time he does I feel more alive than before. Even when he purposely hurt me with his touch, it wasn’t the same as when my father touched me. Enzo’s touch calmed me even if it was too much at the same time.
His eyes widen as he looks at us touching.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to touch you. You just can’t run off. Our enemies could be lurking nearby. It’s not safe to leave without protection,” he says.
I barely register his words. All I feel is our bodies connecting in a way that is bigger than the flesh contacting. It’s more than emotion or feelings. It’s like his presence is bringing me back to life.
I lick my lips.
Why does Enzo’s touch save me, when even my own father’s hurts me?
6
Enzo
I touch Kai and my world stills.
All of my focus, energy, everything becomes hers.
I’ve claimed her as mine, but I am just as easily hers. I’m captivated and engrossed in her body. And I would worship at her feet for a chance to be with her.
Despite my desire that grows more restless in my body with each passing second, my lust isn’t my focus. My body may be hard and growing harder having her in my clutches. But the calmness on her face covering the pain that was there a moment ago is what has me fascinated.
I shouldn’t be able to calm her.
She should tremble every time I touch her. But it seems after I gave her my mother’s ring, giving her security for the rest of her life, she no longer feels panic at my touch. By protecting her, I gave up my greatest strength against her. I can no longer control her with a simple caress.
“Does everyone lie to me?” she asks, her hand still holding mine to her wrist in the same place her father was grabbing her when I came out.
Zeke warned me he was concerned Kai would run. He saw the look in her eyes as she wandered through the hallw
ays.
I knew she needed air after our meeting with Dallas. But I never expected what I saw when I chased after her. I expected her to run as soon as she tasted fresh air. I expected to chase her through the city. Instead, she stood terrified by the grip of her father.
I’d known that he had worked for my father and then me when I took over. As he’s a ship captain, I’ve rarely seen him. He’s almost always at sea. But I pay him well as I do all of my men. He shouldn’t be living in a trailer. His daughter shouldn’t have had to steal to survive. Even if he did owe a debt for his wife’s medical bills. He shouldn’t have been living with nothing.
And Kai should have had plenty.
Instead, they lived in destitute. Her father lying to her every day about the money he has, who he works for, and even her own destiny.
Seeing him grab her, and the pain it caused her, took every drop of self-control in my body not to attack him. The only thing keeping me from doing so was knowing that he is still Kai’s father. That she still loves him despite the pain. And I don’t understand his intentions.
My father was the devil. That was clear from the moment I was born. There was no question who he was or what he wanted.
But Kai’s father is a mess of contradictions. Does he love her? Is he trying to protect her by lying? Keep her out of this world? Or is he hiding his demons inside?
I don’t know the answer, but I will find out.
Because if her father is her ally, then I need to keep him away to ensure he doesn’t help her win.
And if he is her enemy, then I need to keep him away to protect her.