Enzo turns quickly, shocked by the sudden loss of his enemy.
And then he spots me.
I figure he’ll be angry for me interfering. He wanted to do this by himself. He wanted to prove he was worthy. That he was capable of winning by himself. To ensure he kept the power in this game. To prove to the voters he deserves to be Black over me. But I don’t give a fuck what he thinks.
Instead of all those things, I see a bright grin on his face as he looks at me.
“That’s my girl. She’s back.”
9
ENZO
I’VE NEVER WANTED Kai more than I want her now.
I’m dripping in blood and sweat. My shirt is torn in a dozen places. My jeans are scuffed, and I have several bullet wounds and cuts that need attending to, but none of that matters. It will never matter as much as Kai does.
Everyone else disappears in my world. The crew members judging us. The dead men lying on the floor. Langston. Liesel. None of them exist.
My vision is solely on Kai—the strongest fucking person I know.
I grin looking at how incredible she looks, standing with a gun in her hand after killing a man threatening to shoot me in the back. I was ready for the attack, I wouldn’t have let him shoot me, but I appreciate the support from her all the same.
She won’t apologize for killing him or for interfering in my fight. She won’t apologize for looking stronger than me in the eyes of the crew watching, who will most likely vote her as their leader tomorrow. They would have already done it if they were smart.
Everything about her is strong—except her eyes. They soften for me. And I know. Her heart is stirring again, coming alive like a bear awakening from hibernation with unsure feet. It will take her a while to realize her heart is open again. That she feels things again. That she’s vulnerable to loving me again.
For now, I won’t push too hard. I don’t want to scare her into closing her heart again. For now, she cares if I live or die, and it’s enough. But soon she’ll feel everything I feel. She’ll love me as I love her. And for once, we will both be on the same page when it comes to our feelings for each other. And I can’t wait to see how incredible that would feel.
I take the gun from Kai’s hand and toss it gently to Langston.
And then I hold out my hand, begging her to take it.
She does, and I sigh into the touch.
She won’t open up any more here. I need to get her alone. I tug on her hand as I race inside the yacht. I want to pull her into my bedroom, but settle on hers, figuring she will feel more comfortable there.
I know nothing is going to happen; I just need her alone and close.
Fuck, do I need her.
I slam the door too loudly behind her and flip the lock.
She jumps at the sound but doesn’t release my hand. That has to be a good sign, right?
“Thank you for saving me,” I say.
She bites her lip to keep from speaking. Probably because she would say more than she wants to admit.
Slowly, she pulls her hand out of mine, and I feel the loss of my soul. There is nothing that can fill it, only her.
“You’re bleeding. You should call the doctor,” she says, her words cold and calculated.
I won’t let this end with her feeding me some bullshit excuse of why I should leave.
“I will when we are finished,” I say, stepping into her space, pushing her just a little.
She retreats until her back is against the wall.