He grins at my reaction. “You’re jumpier than the last time we met. Is there a reason for it?”
I growl. “You’re a monster.”
“No.” He leans down until his breath is at my ear. “I’m your new master.”
I shiver.
“And if you don’t get in the car right now, I’ll beat you until our previous meeting doesn’t even register on your pain scale anymore,” he says.
I glance behind me to the door of the beach house I’ve come to feel like home.
It’s not my home. It betrayed me.
And even though the only people who give the tiniest of shits if I live or die are all inside its walls, none come for me. None fight for me. I’m on my own.
I take a deep breath, knowing I have to choose my battles if I’m going to survive. And refusing to get into the car won’t help me. Not when Enzo will order Langston or Zeke to put me in the car themselves if I try to run.
I climb into the car, all the way to the far side, and then Milo slides into the seat next to me. Two men sit in the front seat. Neither of them speak or turn to look at us; they remain focused on the windshield as if they are statues.
But Milo nods, and the car starts driving forward. As soon as we exit Enzo’s property, we are surrounded by half a dozen more cars that feel more like tanks than ordinary vehicles. All driving around us, like Milo is the fucking president or something.
“Is the protection really necessary? Enzo sold me; I don’t think he will be rushing to try and get me back,” I snap.
“Enzo isn’t my enemy—at least he isn’t today. I have many enemies in this country. But don’t worry, I have the best team; I won’t let anyone hurt you but me.”
I want to fight—that’s my initial reaction. It’s been a long time since I truly got to fight.
With Jarod, I learned to lock my mind and heart away. I blocked it all out after the first few months.
But I’m tired of blocking it all out. I won’t let my mind shut down and put up walls anymore. I’m still just as fucked up after shutting it all out. It didn’t truly protect me. Maybe if I had continued to fight day after day, I wouldn’t be so fucked up now?
So that’s my plan. To never stop fighting. To fight until I have nothing left. To fight until Enzo saves me or I die.
Enzo Black may be a monster. The kind of man who would sell me because of my disloyalty. But that is only half of who Enzo is. The other half protects the innocent and deserving. He will do everything he can to protect me. Even if it takes him years, he will come for me. And I won’t lock away what’s left of me while I wait. I won’t go backward. Enzo helped me heal, and although I have a long way yet to go, I won’t let Milo break any of my progress.
When Enzo saves me, I will remain as I am. Not because Enzo deserves to have me whole, but because I do. I deserve to stay healed. I deserve to remain strong. I deserve to remain Kai Miller.
“I can’t wait to get you alone,” Milo says, reaching over and stroking my arm with his finger.
Fight.
I grab his finger and twist as hard as I can, hoping to break it, and if not, do some amount of damage.
He doesn’t make a sound. Not one moan of agony. He removes his hand seamlessly from my grasp.
“You’re a fighter, I’ll give you that. I wasn’t sure after our previous encounter where you just locked that pretty little mind away. This version of you will be so much more enjoyable.”
He slaps me across the cheek. I feel the burn of his touch. I feel the sting as our skin collides. My head whips to the side, but I feel nothing beneath the outer layer of my skin.
No fear.
No pain.
Nothing.
I study myself, trying to determine if I locked my soul inside again to protect myself.
I didn’t. I’m still here. But my fury is bigger than the pain. My determination at fighting is stronger.