Page 14 of Revenge

My grip on the steel was still tight but after he jarred my arm again, I screamed in pain and released my fingers.

My only weaponclatteredagainst the kitchen flooring and Kai kicked it into the corner with a swipe of his foot.

“Please,” I said, tears clouding my eyes due to the amount of pain he was inflicting. So much for him not hurting me physically. As I gasped again, Kai seemed to come to his senses, like he hadn’t realised what he was doing and he loosened his grip slightly. Relief pooled into my features but as I let my guard down, he grabbed my other wrist and peeled my hand off his shoulder. Kai then twisted that one to meet its twin, holding me with both arms behind my back. His muscled biceps were bunched around my body,cagingme in. The movement had pushed my small frame even closer to his. I suddenly felt helpless and it made me teary-eyed.

“Please, don’t,” I whispered again as I felt the telltale moisture running down my cheeks.

Kai pulled his head back and looked down into my upturned face. “It’s cute that you think you have the skills to outmatch me. My resources told me you’ve been in training over the last six months. Well, guess what princess, I’ve been training my entirefuckinglife.” The anger in his eyes was palpable. I’d pushed him too hard, too fast, and now I was paying the price.

We remained in that position for a few more beats. Both of us were breathing heavily, me from exertion, Kai from annoyance.

My mouth dropped open as his gaze moved to my lips, “Kai, please,” I begged.

With an elongated sigh, he placed his forehead against mine, his lips now so close. “I love to hear you beg, Ava,” he whispered gruffly. “I enjoy it so much that I aim to hear you do it again. And again, and again. Until I amfullysatisfied. You’ve led me a merry dance and now it’s over. You’re coming home. I want you back where you belong and if you’d stop being so stubborn, you’d realise that’s what’s best. Think of your mother, she’s been worried sick.”

“Coming home? That’s bullshit. You arenotmy family,” I spat, dragging my head back from his to glare at him. “And stay away from my mother.”

I expected his expression to betray how much he got off on controlling me;holdingme against my will,justlike his sick bastard of a father. When I sawregretshining back at me, it almostflooredme. What the hell? Kai with a conscience wasnotsomething I was used to.

Blinking, I attempted to shoo off those ridiculous assumptions. Being held so closely against him was doing strange things to my body, things that under normal circumstances would have been nice. I pushed my thighs closer together to try and stamp out that heat I felt between them.

“Letgoof me.”

Kai’s next words caused my pulse to skyrocket and panic mode kicked the fuck in.

“I don’t think so, Ava. You are coming back with me. I gave you your space and now it’s time to come home.” There it was again Kai’s description of that mausoleum I’d beenforcedto live in ashome.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this than just revenge for grassing on his father and putting a bullet in his side.

“Home. My home isnowherenear you. My mother divorced Gerard ages ago. That means you and I have no connection now,” I husked, feeling a sudden sting near my hipbone. WTF? Had he stuck me with something? I gasped.

“That’s where you’re—Ava—what’s wrong?” Kai must have seen my pained expression as he released me and stepped back with his hands up. I automatically pulled my arms to my front and rolled my shoulders to ease the ache.

The movement caused another sharp burning sensation near my hip and I glanced down to see what looked like a red Sharpie line along the bottom of my white tank top. As I raised my head towards my would-be attacker, Kai was also staring at that portion of my body with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Placing my hand against the mark, another stinging feeling shot through my side and I pulled my hand away to see blood—dark—red bloodstainingmy hand from what was indeed a knife cut against my skin.

As I lifted my fingers to my face, my head started to swim as dizziness threatened again. OMG.

“Ava, look at me,” Kai stepped forward to grab my sagging body beneath the arms, taking some of my weight as the nausea rolled around my stomach.

“Oh no,” I said breathlessly, my legs suddenly like jelly.

“Ava, you’re OK. It’s only a scratch,” Kai reassured, shaking me gently but I swayed like a flower in a breeze.

The last thing I remembered before darkness took me was Kai’s worried expression; like he wasgenuinelyconcerned.

And then I collapsed against him as the blackness swallowed me whole.

Two

Kai

Panic swept through me likefuckingtsunami. Ava hadblacked outin my arms.

As I pulled her towards me, I noted her eyes had rolled back and her chest was moving.

She’d fainted.

Thank fuck it wasjustthat. I was worried my grip had cut off her circulation. She was so slight and I’d held her too tight and hurt her; a thought which didn’t sit well with me at all. Ava’s breathing was slightly irregular but her pulse was strong.

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