Page 104 of Mafie Kings

I smash my lips to hers, having no words to tell her just how much that means to me. I kiss her until we’re breathless and panting into each other's mouths.

“I’m never letting you go, Little Shadow. You’re mine. Not just here and now, but forever. You’re mine.” I look deep into her eyes as fear flashes in them. I don’t know if I just scared her, or if I’m being too much, but she needs to know how I feel.

“I’m yours,” she says just under her breath. Her hand goes to my hair and she pulls me close. Not for another kiss, but for a hug that says more than any words ever could. She trusts me, and she’smine.

We sit there for a few minutes, and the quiet feels nice. She keeps her body pressed to mine, and I never want to let her go. Everything about her is intoxicating. Her scent is calming, becoming something I crave every moment I’m not with her.

“I didn’t grow up like a normal kid,” Evie says, breaking the silence.

“What do you mean?” I question, wondering if she will be willing to open up to me too. She turns in my hold, no longer facing me.

“I grew up around a lot of men who didn’t like me.” Another bout of silence follows, and I can’t help but think this moment is pivotal. I let the silence stretch, wanting her to open up at her own pace just as she let me.

“They were all a lot stronger and bigger than me. When I got older, they started taking pieces of me. Some would leave scars physically, others emotionally. They ended up tricking me and sending me off to what I thought was a training camp. It wasn’t. It was a real prison with real torture. Since then, I haven’t felt like myself. I don’t think I ever really knew who I was before that, but after…all I feel like is a bunch of jumbled pieces.”

“That’s why I wake up afraid. My dreams always seem to take me back there no matter how much medication I take. Sleeping pills make it worse because they trap me in the moment. Anything else I’ve tried just tends to put me on edge. That’s why I don’t sleep with people, not that I’ve ever really wanted to. When I wake up, I can’t differentiate between the dream and reality. All I know is I need to fight to stay safe.”

She sighs heavily as she relaxes into me, almost like she’s letting the emotions ease out of her with her words. I hold her tight, letting her know she’s no longer there. Proving to her that I want her here, even if she wakes up fighting, I still want her here.

“Is there anything I can do?” I ask. “I want you here every night. I want to make it better.”

She turns to me with tears glistening in her eyes. “Just don’t touch me, okay? If I wake up and start freaking out, just give me some space so I don’t hurt you, alright?”

I nod, agreeing to her terms. If I can do anything, I want to help. “Just sleep, Little Shadow. I’ll keep the monsters away,” I say, hugging her tight to me. She buries her face into my chest and starts to relax.

I want to know more. I want to know every detail, every man that ever hurt her. But I let her rest, knowing just how hard it is to share these memories and relive them.

This island may have rules about murder, but in the real world, I’m not held to the same standard. When we get home, I plan to make sure every man that ever laid a hand on her gets up close and personal with my monster. If she trusts him to protect her, then I’ll embrace him. I’ll even let him come out to play.

Her breathing starts to slow and I pull the blanket around us tight. I don’t know who she is or what her family does, but she’s mine and I’m not ever letting her go.

???

Screaming. That’s what wakes me up. The sound of fear that I feel deep in my bones. I’ve heard it before but never like this. I open my eyes to see Evie has the blanket thrown off of her, her body covered in sweat as she thrashes around.

“Evie!” I say, remembering her warning about touching her. My voice does nothing to pull her from her night terror. Her mouth is open in a silent scream that fills my heart with dread. I may not know what she’s been through, but the look on her face is one of pain and pure terror.

“EVIE!” I try again as I stand up. If she wakes up swinging, I don’t want to be in her way. Yet, her mind stays trapped in her own personal hell, even as I continue to shout. I walk around the bed, removing her blade from the nightstand and sitting it across the room so she can’t stab me. I grab her body and pull her to her feet. If she tries to fight, she’ll have to get her balance first.

“Evie!” I say sternly as I lift her up off the bed, pulling her body tightly to me.

Her head jerks back, and her eyes finally open with tears clouding her vision. I see the moment of panic hit her, and I squeeze her tighter, giving her no option to run or move. Her arms are pinned at her side, her toes are barely touching the floor. “It’s me. It’s okay, it’s just me.” I try to soothe her, but the tension in her body tells me she can’t hear me yet.

I’ve helped her after she’s woken up from these many times, but I’ve never been there when they were happening. My gut twists with the image of her face twisted in pain and fear. Suddenly, Evie lifts her knee, making my arms go slack around her as lightning radiates to my core. She just kneed me in the balls.

She moves back, getting in a fighting stance while I’m left to fall on the floor. Realization hits her as our eyes meet; she runs to me and grabs my face. “Damien, what the fuck? I told you not to touch me. What did I do?” Her voice is full of regret and panic.

I can’t bring myself to speak yet so she looks me over, probably searching for blood or her blade stuck in me like she was afraid of when we fell asleep.

Lev comes running into the room, a towel wrapped around his waist like he just got out of the shower. “What’s happening?” he asks, his eyes wide, searching every corner. “Is Nessa here?”

Evie looks back at him, falling to the floor on her knees and covering her face with her hands. “No, it was me. I hurt him,” she says, her voice trembling.

“Little Shadow.” I try to get her attention, but she doesn't look at me. “I’m okay, you got me in the balls and I couldn’t speak for a sec.”

It still hurts like a motherfucker but my girl needs me. I pick myself up off the floor, go to her, and cradle her in my arms. “See, I’m okay.”

Her whole body is shaking and her shirt is wet with sweat. Lev looks at me with a pained expression. “Is this what it’s like every time?”

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