“I guess,” Kalyn whispers as she lifts her pretty gaze to meet mine. “It feels as if I’ve brought this all to Thorne Haven.”
“You’re as much a resident of this town as anyone else,” I remind her. Once you’ve lived here, gone to school here, there’s no walking away from this town. It has a way of burrowing itself inside your bones.
“I don’t know,” Kaly says. “Sometimes, my mind tells me I’m merely an outsider. Someone who should pack her bags and find a new home.”
“You have a new home.” My response is quick; there’s no doubt, no argument in my tone. When her brows furrow in confusion, I say, “This is your home.”
“Cassian, I can’t. You know this thing between us is…” Her words taper off. I’m not sure what she wanted to say, but there’s no way she’s walking away from me, not again.
“If you think for one second, you’re leaving again, that you’re going to pack your shit and go to LA, you have another thing coming.” I’m not taking no for an answer. “I’ve watched you leave once. I’m not prepared to do it again.”
“But—”
“There is no but, because I’m not letting you go.” I don’t smile. I don’t even offer a hint of a grin because it’s not a lie. I’m not joking either. “We’re going to make sure you heal from this addiction Paulo ensured you’re a prisoner to. You will get better.”
Kalyn has been mine for all the time I’ve known her, and I’m not letting her out of my sight.
Slowly, she nods. “I need help. I’ve needed help for so long but I never wanted to admit it.” Her words hold strength, and when she glances at me, I see the conviction in those pretty eyes. “But I’m tired of being a slave to the high. To something that could kill me.”
“You’re not dying under my watch.” My voice is rough with emotion. She’s always brought out my feelings, tugged at the walls I built around my heart and made sure I recognized I was human. Alive and breathing. “If I have to, I’ll lock you in my bedroom. I’ll keep you chained to my bed,” I promise, hoping to lighten the darkness that’s taken hold of the room.
“So, you’d chain me to your bed, huh?” she quips; a slight hint of a smile curls her lips as she looks up at me, with adoration shimmering in her eyes. She’s always looked at me that way—like I’m her hero.
“Yes, wrists and ankles, spread open, so when I’m hungry, I can feast; when I need a release, you’ll be the only person who will give that to me.” Her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink at my admission. “And the moment you finally submit to those feelings you have, then I’ll unchain you.”
“What if I’ve already submitted to them?”
Her question is interrupted by my phone. “Harris?” I answer quickly. How this man is standing, I have no idea.
“I found the girl; she’s at work. Nothing seems off, but I’m going to take a closer look. Went around her house, and it seems she was there all night. She lives alone, but there were plates in the sink, wine glasses on the countertop. Nothing is amiss.”
“Perhaps we need to talk to her, just to make sure. I’ll meet you at the shop. Keep an eye on her.” I hang up before he can say anything more. “Gen is at work. I’m meeting Harris to go talk to her.”
Kalyn nods. “Can I come?”
“Oh, trust me, you’ll come, but not right now. I need you safe. Stay here with Finn and Damien. They’ll keep you safe until I get back to you.” I press a kiss to her lips, and for a moment, I want nothing more than to deepen it, to claim her mouth properly, but I have to work.
“Come back soon,” she tells me when I make my way out of my bedroom to find my brothers. When I step into the kitchen, Finn is leaning over the counter, watching the coffee machine drip into a mug. Damien is at the table, his computer out as he taps on the keyboard.
“How are you two dickheads feeling?”
“That bastard needs to die,” Finn remarks when he turns to regard me. “Where are you going?”
“Harris and I are going to talk to Gen. Apparently, when Paulo left, he told Kalyn that he’s found a new plaything, a redhead. I sent Harris to check it out. He went to her house, but it seems Gen was home last night, and she’s at work now.”
“What is he playing at?”
“I think he was trying to upset Kaly, but I need to make sure it was bullshit,” I tell my brothers, who nod slowly in unison. I still feel like whatever they injected into my system has a grip on me, but I need to put that aside and focus on getting to Gen. “Keep an eye on Kaly; she’s in my room.”