Page 82 of Inside the Wicked

He runs a hand through his hair with a sigh. “We were fifteen when we met. I only knew her for a year before I left. She was sold to Alistair by her father, who was in debt to him. I knew her by another name. For the first time, Alistair tookpersonalinterest in her.”

My stomach clenches, knowing what that means in more ways than one.

“You left her behind? At least, she believes you did.”

His eyes fill with misery. “I thought she was dead. I came back for her, but ...” He shakes his head. “We promised we’d make it out together, that we’d adopt new names and he wouldn’t find us. I would be Rhett Kaiser ... and she would be Kenna Radley. I didn’t think she would have taken that name anyway, and that fucking tears me apart. I should have looked again. Investigated more. Instead I accepted Alistair’s perfect setup as he must have known I would come for her.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Rhett doesn’t accept that, but he doesn’t answer. Instead he folds out of his shirt and checks the water temperature.

“How was she?” he asks quietly.

“She’s ...” I don’t know what to say. There’s no point in lying. “She reminded me a lot of you. When we first met, at least. She’s guarded and cold, but she carries herself like nothing could hurt her when she’s the one person in room the whose pain no one could begin to fathom.”

That drops his gaze, and I head over to him, keeping the blanket around myself. My hand cups his cheek.

“You couldn’t have known she was still there.”

“I could have. I could have tried harder, and I didn’t. I was so scared, and you know ... when I thought I'd found her, it killed apiece of me, but also ... there was a part of me that was relieved, because she wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say. It’s not enough to even touch what he’s going through, but all I can do is be there for him.

“Want to tell me how you made an ally out of Silas Balenheizer?” he asks, hooking a brow at me.

“I don’t know if I’d call him that. Last I spoke to him, I believed he abandoned the idea because Kenna won’t turn on Alistair.”

“She’s been by his side for thirteen years. Even if there’s a part of her that still wants out, it’s not going to be easy to make her feel like she can trust anyone. Especially after what I did.”

“Let us keep trying with her.”

“Us?” he says darkly, drawing me to him with an arm around me. “I don’t like the thought of you and Silas being anusfor anything.”

“I can handle him.”

“It seems so, but I still don’t like it.”

I run a hand up his chest with a tilting smile. “Are you jealous?”

“Wildly.”

Rhett slants his lips over mine, and I take the opportunity to undo his belt this time, slipping my hand over his hard cock. He groans into my mouth.

“You’re killing me.”

“Then let me.”

He shakes his head, pushing the blanket off my shoulders. “Right now, what I want more is just you, me, and this bath. Nothing more.”

“I called it from the start,” I muse, dipping into the hot water. “Underneath the dark, stern exterior that often repels company, you’re a hopeless romantic, Rhett Kaiser.”

“Only for you, little bird,” he says, stripping off his black jeans. “Only for you.”

CHAPTER 31

Anastasia

I’m halfway through dinner with my parents in the White House, hardly able to keep my sights off the clock on the mantle. All I want is for it to be over so I can get back to Rhett.

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