He holds up both hands, palms facing me. “Calm down.” I scoff at his words, tugging at my restraints to show him what a stupid thing that was for him to say. Kai at least has the decency to wince slightly, but still, he continues. “We need to talk, but you’re not hearing anything I say when you’re all worked up like this.”
My eyes widen, and he opens his mouth to back pedal but I cut him off.
“Let. Me. Go,” I say firmly, even though every limb is trembling with rage and my heart is about to beat right out of my chest.
“I’m just going to let you cool down,” he says as he starts to back toward the bedroom door.
“That’s never going to happen when I’m trapped here like this!” I shout as he walks backward out the door.
He’s acting like I’m a wild animal, and it only fuels my anger.
“Just try,” he says. “I’m not losing you or wasting another ten years.” Kai sears me with a look, one that has my breath catching in my throat.
This man is as infuriating as he is genuine. I know he wants me. I know he loves me. But right now? None of that is registering. All I can think about is how life as I know it is completely fucked.
“I’ll be back soon,” he promises.
With that, he disappears from my view and I seethe as I stare up at his bedroom ceiling.
I have to admit, with all of the times that I imagined being in Kai’s bed, it was never like this.
EIGHT
Kai
I findall of my brothers in the west field repairing a broken fence line, and I steer my horse in that direction. I need to talk to them and get their insight on how to fix this.
I fucked up, but what else was I supposed to do? Oakley was sobbing and yelling and almost hyperventilating. She was about to drive, which she definitely shouldn’t have been doing in that condition. More important than the two mile drive to her house is the fact that her parents would have been there.
I shudder just thinking about their reaction. Oakley’s mother and father are selfish, shallow people who don’t know what a precious daughter they have. They’ve done nothing to protect her fragile heart, only leaving it bruised from their mistreatment. I can’t imagine the fight that would have ensued if Oakley stormed in with tears in her eyes and anger in her voice.
At this point, I’m just finding ways to justify tying Oakley up to my bed. Fuck, I tied her to my goddamn bed and told her to calm down. How did things end up like this? All I know is that I panicked at the thought of her leaving. I need her, everything about her. Her pure heart and radiant smiles, her luminous blue eyes and sassy little mouth.
I meant what I said when I told her I wasn’t wasting another ten years. No fucking way.
Guiding my horse over to where my brothers are, I stop next to them and dismount, heading over to help.
Griz spots me first and he grins at me. “Back from the wedding already?” he asks.
“How was it?” Wyatt asks as he holds the new fence post in place for Remy.
“I just tied Oakley to my bed,” I blurt out, ignoring both of their questions.
Wyatt drops the piece of wood and Remy curses, but I can’t be sure if it’s from what I just said or that Wyatt almost dropped the post on him.
“Are you insane?” Griz asks. I’ve never seen him look so shocked in my life. It’d be funny if I didn’t have a pissed off Oakley planning my death back home.
“Are you kidnapping her?” Remy asks. “Because everyone knows that you went to the wedding together. When she turns up missing, you’re going to be the first person they go to.”
I roll my eyes.
“I’m not trying to kidnap her. I’m trying to get her to calm down,” I argue.
“Oh, then solid plan,” Remy says sarcastically, shaking his head. I narrow my eyes at him, then turn to my other brothers. Maybe one of them will have more encouraging words.
“Yeah, tying her to your bed is never going to get her to cool off. It’s probably just going to do the opposite,” Wyatt says.
Well, so much for that.