Page 167 of Something So Strong

“But what about everything back home? Your family? Couldn’t you lose everything? There’s no way I’m worth all that.”

You sneaky son-of-a-bitch.

A brazen grin forces my lips to curl. “What do you know about my family, Kai?”

His head bows in my hands.

“Kai… Do you have something to tell me?”

He looks at me but doesn’t raise his head, and his tears start pouring out so fast they run over my thumbs. “I’m not worth it. I’ve never been worth it. There’s nothing about me worth losing—”

“The only thing I don’t wanna lose is you.”

His chin falls further forward and his shoulders start to shake.

“I said I’d kill for you, Kai, and I meant it. The only reason that cunt is still alive is because of Millie. And if you can’t tell from that, that I’m in love with you. You’re more of a daft prick than I give you credit for.”

He wraps his arms around my neck and cries into my shoulder. “I love you too. But I don’t belong in your world. Not with all this shit. Not looking like this. Not being as filthy as I am.”

“Excuse me?”

How dare he think this is a time to wallow—a time to collect the rubble and start building the wall back up around him. Fuck that. This is a time for celebration.

One hand pushes him back as the other grips his cheeks and holds his face firm. “What have I told you about that word?”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“For god’s sake, Kai. Shut the fuck up!”

His eyes shoot open and even Millie jumps at the boom of my voice.

“You don’t get to feel sorry for yourself right now.”

His bottom lip trembles, and his tongue pushes against my fingers on the insides of his cheeks.

“And there’s only one person you ever need to be scared of.”

I slide my thumb—still damp from his tears—between his lips.

“Do you understand what I’m saying to you, Kai?”

His eyes flutter closed, and he nods his head.

“I wanna hear you, Babe.”

“Yes, Jesse,” he mumbles around my thumb.

“Good boy.” I leave him with an empty mouth and a slack jaw desperate to be filled, and point towards the alley that leads back to the High Street. “Now get your ass back to that fucking van.”

Kai wipes his eyes with his jacket sleeve and starts moving.

“You’re seriously just gonna leave me here with him?”

“You better believe I am.” I saunter over to Millie and rest my hands above my knees. “And you don’t know my name. There are no camera’s back here either, it being a safe mountain town and all.”

Again she tries to look at Kai and I finally lose it with her.

“You live with your decisions, Millie! The choice is yours. Help him, or don’t. But know that if you do, you’ll have to live with helping the man you know raped your best friend… And… if you look at Kai one more fucking time, I’ll use all the power I have to ruin you, too.”

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