Page 16 of Passion and Payback

“You’re in lust, I know that. Not that I blame you. He’s got that tall, dark, handsome, and slightly dangerous sexiness about him.”

“Uh,” I’d begun, confused and thrown off by the unexpected, if accurate, summary of Kai’s attractiveness. “I’m…I’m not in love with him.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m in love with you.”

“Oh?”

“I said that weeks ago. You know that.”

“Does the heart have a limit?”

“Huh?”

“Can it only love one person at a time?”

“I’m…I love him. Of course I do. You always said you were glad I had someone like him in my life.”

“I also said he’s lucky to have someone like you in his life.”

“Lucas, I…”

“Look, I’m not upset. I just wanted you to know that I know. And since I know you would never do anything to hurt me, I wanted you to know that it doesn’t bother me.”

“I don’t want you walking around thinking I only love you with part of my heart either.”

Lucas had laughed then, his dark eyes filled with understanding as he shook his head, picking up his book to resume reading. “Babe, I don’t think you’ve ever loved anything halfway. I’m beyond not worried.”

Even now, I had to shake my head because, of course, Lucas would think that settled everything. He had acknowledged something I’d hidden from the world for so long and then stated it wasn’t a problem for him. Direct and simple had always been his way of solving problems. It had been jarring at the beginning of our relationship, having someone take any problem and meet it head-on, not in confrontation, but to settle it and simplify life.

“Uh, Hunter?”

“W-what?”

“Pretty sure you’re burning those.”

My eyes snapped to the pan, and I swore as I yanked it away from the stovetop. In my panic, however, I had forgotten to grab the hot glove. So, instead of saving the steaks, I yelped as red-hot pain seared its way up along my palm, making me fling it away.

Before I had a chance to register that I’d made it worse, I felt strong hands grab me from behind and yank me back. I could smell the burning food that smelled too much like burning flesh. And now someone had grabbed me and was trying to pull me close.

God, they always fight. Fucking love that.

Panic and terror twisted inside me, cutting off the air from my lungs as my pulse pounded in my head. My vision didn’t go black and hazy this time, but oversaturated, filled with white and red as my body went taut. Everything from my classes from the past couple of years felt like a distant memory as my body twisted and bent, lashing out in terror and something so much like the furious hate from two years before.

Slowly, I became aware that the iron grip around me had lessened, and I was standing on the far side of the kitchen.Reality began trickling back into my brain as I looked around. There wasn’t one cat left in the kitchen. The still sizzling pan, including the butter and steaks, was on the floor in front of the stove.

Kai stood near the dining set on the other side of the kitchen. He was pressed against the tile, his hands held out in what was probably supposed to be a non-threatening gesture. There was an angry red mark across his face and down his chest, with a faint trickle of blood coming from both. His face was intense, but there was no anger, just a steady stare as he waited.

“Hunter?” he asked softly.

“Y-yeah,” I stammered and looked down, horrified to find a large chef’s knife in my hand. “Oh fuck.”

It dropped to the ground with a harsh clatter, and then the pain came back, and I grimaced, holding my hands out before me. An angry red mark showed where I had stupidly grabbed the handle, and I groaned in pain. Tears sprung to my eyes as I turned toward the sink, letting out a soft moan when the cool water struck the burn.

“Hunter,” Kai repeated, this time not as a question, and I could see his shadow moving closer.

“Don’t,” I choked out, trying to get myself under control as emotions bubbled and rippled beneath the surface. “I fucking hurt you.”

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