Page 70 of KAI Tortured

Apparently, the club is where all the fun is, and tonight they were particularly happy to bring me because they wanted to surprise their half-brother. He was going to win the championship belt for the streets.

He was gonna win a fight for me.

I’m not too keen on watching his face getting pummeled, so I tried not to look at him often and instead chat with Orion and Logan. Both of them look so smart every time we go out that it’s hard not to look at them. Logan’s hair is sleek, and Orion’s wavy. And I felt like a million-dollar woman in my red dress with two tall, muscular, suited men accompanying me. Not only are they stupidly handsome, but they rule the city with their brains.

As a lawyer, Orion is slaying the district attorney’s cases one by one. He even invited back every Slav who relocated with the help of the U.S. Marshal, Christopher – who, coincidentally, was outraged when the case against me collapsed because of lack of evidence. But I won’t spare one thought about him.

As for Logan, he dons a white coat to go to work these days. A doctor. We need a doctor in the family, anyway. That spark from inside him, that compassion and empathy that shine through – no one could tell that he’s a cold-blooded killer when he needs to be. At times it confuses me, because I know him and I see him for who he is. I was also there when he was being tortured, so I feel like I know Logan most intimately. After his torture, he could have become a ruthless asshole who didn’t care about anything or anyone, and yet, he didn’t. He is the sweetest man on earth. When he wants to be.

And Kai, Kai is incorrigible. He loves riding bikes, and boxing. Oh, and his new obsessions, Ava and Grace. He really is prepared to walk on razors for them. Which sounds a bit dramatic, but it’s true nevertheless.

Usually, I wouldn’t be persuaded to attend today, but if I’m honest, I succumbed to my desire; I wanted the three of them in one go.

The club was packed, the crowd was loud, and I sat between Orion and Logan, watching Kai on and off, hoping to avoid any messed-up hits he took, when I noticed someone watching me from the other side of the ring.

Everyone in there knew who my men are, who I belong to. Everyone.

Scratch that – apparently not everyone. This young cock dared to approach me and ask for my number. The fact that I was sitting between two men didn’t stop him. Clearly, he’s new. It’s what they say: the man who fucks is not the smartest or handsomest, but the one who’s most persistent.

In any case, Kai saw him, jumped out of the ring – forfeiting the match altogether – and started punching the poor guy. Orion and Logan joined in, and Emilio just pulled me out of the commotion and took me straight to the car.

And now I’m sitting in the backseat of our car, still reeling from the adrenaline. Emilio is at the wheel, and Orion, Logan, and Kai are here with me, each of them with a bloodied face and knuckles. Still, they’re buzzing from the evening’s events.

“The nerve!” Orion exclaims. “But did you see me? I gave him my best left hook!”

“What a fucking asshole!” Logan agrees. “He’s lucky I didn’t cut off his balls right there, in front of everyone!”

“Yeah, right. If I didn’t jump in, you two would’ve been squashed by him,” Kai smirks as he undoes his boxing gloves. He’s still in his shorts – he didn’t even wait to change.

“Yeah? You want some? Come and get it!” Orion nudges Kai, and I immediately separate them.

“Hey, hey, stop being kids!” I laugh. This evening, no matter how short it was, was great. I dressed up, which means I felt good about myself, and now I get to take the three of them home.

The mood in the car shifts from one of excitement to one of anticipation. I think it’s on all of our minds what’s to come, but if and only if the children are asleep. Most likely they won’t be. But we’re hopeful.

Emilio navigates the streets with ease, a route he’s driven many times before, only occasionally glancing at us in the rearview mirror whenever our laughter grows extra loud.

When we finally pull up to the house, I thank Emilio as always, and he offers a slight nod and a smile.

Our house ended up bigger than I could’ve imagined. Than any of us imagined. We kept amending the initial plans. And I can’t get enough of the end result. I love the fact that the front door opens into a spacious open-plan area where the living room and kitchen blend seamlessly into one another. Despite its size, the living room feels cozy, with a couple of large couches and a fireplace. The kitchen is modern, with a huge island in the middle and high-tech appliances that I love using.

The moment we enter, Orion, Kai, and Logan’s rowdiness is immediately subdued, and the stark contrast to the outside noise is felt.

The babysitter, Sasha, is on a couch in the living room with a book open in her lap. “You’re back early,” she says.

“Where are the kids?” Orion eyes the other empty couch, since they sometimes fall asleep on it.

She smiles. “Fast asleep in bed.”

I raise my eyebrows at her, surprised. “All of the children?” She has babysat before, but she always had help. My children are a handful. And all of them under the age of six.

“Yes.”

“Maxim?”

“He didn’t put his pajamas on, but he’s asleep.”

“Luca?”

---