by Krane, Kasey
I couldn’t believe this was happening.
“Just let it go, son. It’s over. I’m going to have her collected in the morning and you better have her ready to go. You have one night left with her and I suggest you make good use of it. Make it worth everything you fuckin’ did.” He ended the call abruptly.
I knew he was pissed off with me. I knew he was going to make me pay for going against family orders.
He understood why I did to Connor what I did. Secretly, he may even have been relieved that his unruly brother was dead. His second in command whom he could never rely on.
Nonetheless, I had exhibited signs of being out of my father’s control, and he didn’t appreciate that. He didn’t like to be overruled. He didn’t know if he could trust me anymore.
I wanted him to know that he could.
I had to do whatever it took to gain back my father’s trust. My family meant everything to me, right?
Twenty-Six
Reese
Killian looked worried when he left the room with the phone in his hand.
Was this related to the plan he had for my escape?
I just wished he’d talk to me and tell me what was really going on. How long did I have left with him?
I was alone in the kitchen for a long time while he spoke on the phone. I didn’t know what was going on but it felt like my fate was being decided.
However, the only thought running through my mind was how I needed to let go of my past too. Just like Killian did.
I told Killian he had to learn to love. That he couldn’t have done anything differently about the person he lost. That it wasn’t his fault and he had to make space for someone else in his life. It was time.
So what about my life?
Didn’t the same theory apply to me too?
I had to learn to love too, to allow someone else in my life. What happened to Charlie—what my stepfather did to him—was out of my control. Aldo was the monster, not me.
I couldn’t keep blaming myself forever. Then I’d never live.
I was almost breathless because of the thoughts whirling in my head. They overpowered me, freeing me at the same time.
Maybe I did have some hope of moving on.
Only if I had any future at all.
Now it felt like all my hope rested in Killian’s hands and I didn’t know what he was going to do.
He said he would keep me safe, but what did safe mean to him?
He thought keeping me imprisoned in his basement kept me safe too.
What would he do to free me?
I heard his footsteps in the hallway and I quickly dried the tears that had streamed down my cheeks.
When he appeared at the doorway, I instantly saw that he was distressed. It had to be bad news, right?
He was about to say something but I interrupted him. I didn’t want to hear it. Not yet. I just wanted a few more moments of being free with him.
“Why don’t we eat our dinner before it goes cold?” I suggested.
He didn’t answer and I quickly started arranging the table for our meal. He said nothing when I brought the chicken and potatoes over, then pulled out a chair and sat down.
It was only after I’d taken my second bite that he joined me at the table. My heart was pounding.
Whatever he had to tell me—I’d just postponed the bad news. I didn’t make it go away.
But I wanted to make the best use of the time I bought myself.
* * *
We were both silent through dinner.
I didn’t dare ask him what that phone call was about. I didn’t want to know and I hoped he would forget about it too. Although, I knew that wasn’t going to happen.
“Leave the dishes, come with me,” he said finally, when I got up to clear the table.
Just those few simple words took my breath away.
He stood there holding his hand out towards me. He wanted me to take it and follow him.
In that moment I would have done anything he asked me to do.
I gave him my hand and we weaved our fingers together. Slowly, he led me out of the kitchen, down the hallway, then out through the door.
Dusk.
The sky was purple-orange and shed a beautiful hue all over the woods outside. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen trees and leaves in that strange bright inky color before.
It was gorgeous.
I still had my hand in his as he led me through the woods. I didn’t know where we were going, although I remembered that other night well.
The first night we met.
When I shot Connor and we fled the scene.
I’d followed him to his house that night—right through these woods.
I was afraid of him that night. I didn’t trust him. I didn’t know what he would do to me and the only thing on my mind was escape.
But I was glad I didn’t.
I was glad for the time we got to spend with each other. No matter what happened after this. I was ready to accept the fact that falling in love with Killian Doherty was a beautiful thing.
His brown hair shone with an orange glow in the dusky light and I stared at the back of his head as we walked.
He stopped abruptly and pulled me to him.
I still didn’t know where we were. Technically, we were just standing in the middle of the woods. I looked around, enjoying the calming sounds of birds chirping as they flew back home for the night.
Killian took my face in his hands, looking deep into my eyes.
I didn’t know what had happened, but something had surely changed. I could see it in his eyes.
He was close to admitting his feelings for me.
Was he?
I searched him, but he said nothing. Just kept staring at me like he’d never seen a woman before.
Then his gaze traveled down my body like he was trying to memorize me.
“Killian, what is going on? What do you want to say?” I asked. I was sure he could hear my heart thumping in my chest.
He clenched his jaws tight and brought his face closer to mine. I was so in love with him, it physically hurt. I could feel my heart aching. How was that possible?
I was sure I was losing my mind now.
“I have nothing to say to you, Reese,” he said as he took my mouth in his.
I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t need to hear those words. It wasn’t the important part.
What was important was how he made me feel. And I felt good.
* * *
Killian laid me on the ground. It was kinda damp and I was sure some twigs stuck to my back, but I didn’t care. I barely even noticed.
All I cared about was how hot he looked as he kneeled over me, kissing me everywhere, his hands exploring every inch of my body.
I clutched his bulging biceps. They were solid, like wood. He was so strong it made my pussy even wetter.
“Please, Killian, just take me now,” I begged.
The last time we had sex, it was rough and crazy. We both tried to dominate each other and it felt amazing.
But this time it was going to be different. I could feel it already.
Maybe we were just done being mad at each other.
He took off his shirt and I undid my jeans. While he pulled his pants down, I pushed mine down my legs too.
He lunged at me, pulling off my panties, pushing my shirt so he could cup my breasts.
His hands on me sent me in a tizzy. I thrust my hips up, trying to reel him in. I could feel the heat of his body. Just like me, his cock was ready too. He was hard and throbbing for me.
His mouth found my breasts while his fingers quickly undid my bra, throwing it away. When he sucked on my left nipple, I cried out with joy. There was an intensity in my clit, throbbing and swollen. He had to be inside me.
He licked my right nipple next. I reached for his cock, stroked him gently, leading him closer to my wet hot pussy. His precum was sticky on my fingers and I pushed them into myself.
Killian was stret
ched on top of me. His cock was so close. I opened wide.
I stretched my legs open underneath him.
“Killian…please…I can’t…”
I didn’t get a chance to finish because he’d already plunged himself inside me. I cried out with delight, shaking as I held on to him.
Nothing had ever felt this good.
He started thrusting slowly at first, gentle and rhythmic.
I almost didn’t recognize the way he fucked me. Almost like he was comforting me.
I allowed myself to get lost in the feeling of being loved by him. If he loved me at all. How could I ever be sure if he didn’t tell me?
We moved together. Up and down. His cock went in and out. I reached my fingers between us so I could rub my clit at the same time.
When I opened my eyes, there were stars in the sky above. Killian moved over me and I smiled at the stars. Slowly, moment by moment, he brought me to completion. Our voices mingled together into one gruff moan of pleasure. It rang loud in my ear.
When he started moving faster, his cock went deeper and harder and it all started unraveling. All the self control.
We came together. Hard and quick.
I could feel his cum fill me to the brim, dribbling out of me. I felt fulfilled because he was still inside me.
I wrapped my arms and legs around him, clinging to him.
I didn’t ever want to let go.
Would he make me let him go?
Twenty-Seven
Killian
I was sure I’d never been this conflicted in my life before.
I never had to make a decision that was this hard, and the more time had passed, the less I knew what I was going to do.
After we had sex outside in the woods, we walked back to the cabin. Neither of us were in a hurry. Reese had a smile on her face and she looked curiously around at the trees and the wild flowers that grew everywhere.
There was so much I needed to tell her and no idea where to start.
“You’re pretty lucky that you get to live out here,” she said, breaking the silence.
“Yeah, it’s chill.”
She threw me a long smile and I had to look away.
“And you also have an apartment in the city, right? Where Isabelle is staying right now?”
I nodded.
Maybe Reese already knew too much about me. Stuff she had no business knowing.
What if this was all a ruse?
I thought I had feelings for this girl, but what if she didn’t and was just playing the long game?
What did I really know about her? How could I be sure she wasn’t trying to trick me into helping her escape?
I weaved a hand through my hair in frustration. I didn’t know how to find out. How I could trust her and give myself to her the way I hadn’t to anybody else.
And what about my family?
After my mother’s murder, I’d vowed to always put my family first. I would never allow anything to stand between me and the people who depended on me. The people who trusted me.
And right then, I knew I needed to win back my father’s trust.
And the only way I could do that was by letting Reese go.
If she actually gave a fuck, if she actually wanted me the way I wanted her—she would find her way back to me, right? She would tell Aldo who she wanted to marry and he would have no choice but to agree.
Connor was dead. The deal was over. Aldo would have to let her do what she wanted if he still wanted to unite our families.
My decision was made by the time we arrived back at the cabin.
Reese walked in and I noticed she had a skip in her step.
I tried not to stare at the way her ass swung in those tight jeans.
I knew I was going to miss her. I was going to miss waking up to her face. Miss fucking her whenever I wanted.
Most of all, I would miss the way she made me feel when she smiled at me.
* * *
She was doing the dishes anyway, even though I told her not to.
So I went to her, reached for her hands in the sink and pulled her away.
Reese’s eyes shone brightly as she stared at me. That smile still lingered on her face, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t last long.
“Your stepfather is coming to pick you up in the morning, so tonight is our last night together.”
At first it seemed like she was going to laugh.
Maybe she didn’t believe me.
However, the expression on my face didn’t change but hers did. She started panicking.
When she tried to pull away, I yanked her back to me.
“Listen to me, Reese. Connor is dead and Aldo knows. He wants you back in his house.”
“Let. Me. Go!” She spat the words out at me and I released my grip on her wrists.
She staggered backwards but didn’t fall. I pushed my hands into the pockets of my pants while her eyes filled with tears.
For fuck’s sake!
It was like she knew exactly the effect her tears had on me. What game was she playing?
“I know you don’t want to go back there because you two don’t get along.”
“We don’t get along? Is that the way you want to put it? After everything I’ve told you?”
“He hasn’t treated you right. I get it.”
“He has treated me horribly!” she screamed.
“Okay, he has, but there’s no other option.”
“You said you were going to keep me safe.”
“And this is the safest bet for you. I’m going to make the problem go away. I’ll make sure nobody finds out that you shot Connor and killed him.”
“Connor is dead?”
“Yes.”
She moved her hands up to her mouth, rapidly blinking her tears away.
“Okay…so…this is my chance, right? Our chance. We could maybe…”
“Be together?” I asked. I filled in the gaps for her and she nodded.
“That is not how this works. You should know that by now, Reese. We owe you back to Aldo. My family owes him. You were never actually married to Connor.”
“Which means he can trade me with something else again. It’s a big win for him, right?”
I glared at her, hoping she would see what I actually wanted her to do. I wanted her to go back to her stepfather and tell him she wanted to be with me. But I wasn’t going to put words in her mouth.
If all she wanted was freedom, then she would have to go looking for it somewhere else.
I couldn’t be responsible for her. I’d already taken on too much responsibility.
“I’m doing the best I can for you,” I said.
She shook her head, storming past me. It felt like it was going to be a long night.
* * *
I was right. It was a long night. And not because I could take her one last time, or because we spent the whole night awake and fucking.
She slept in the guest bedroom where Isabelle slept when she was here.
In my bedroom, I spent the night awake, thinking about her.
Was I making a mistake?
Should I have fought my dad on this? Fought my family’s rules? Should I have claimed Reese for myself?
Aldo was an important ally to the family. I knew my father didn’t want to piss him off. And if he found out I helped Reese murder the man he’d given her to, and then I kidnapped her and claimed her as my own—he would take it as a personal offense and make my family pay for it.
And the truth was—I still didn’t know how she felt.
How she truly felt.
I couldn’t figure out if she was just using me to get her way, or did she feel the way I did? Like a lovesick teenager.
I woke up hating myself.
I despised myself for being so weak to a woman. I also hated myself for not finding a way to keep her.
Reese refused to speak to me in the morning. When I offered her some coffee, she just turned away from me.
I stared at her long
and hard. What if I never saw her again? I wanted to remember her. I wanted to commit her to memory.
Aldo and his men arrived early. Much earlier than I expected them.
I had hoped I’d get some more time with Reese but it wasn’t meant to be. Just like our relationship.
When Aldo’s cars pulled up outside the cabin, I saw the fear in Reese’s eyes.
Shit.
That was when I knew I should have given it more time. I should have tried to find out more about Aldo. What really happened between them?
They knocked on the door and Reese shuddered.
“Hey…” I spoke softly, but she ignored me again.
I had never been given the cold shoulder by a female before, and neither did I ever give a shit.
With Reese it felt like a physical ache inside me.
She went to the front door like she wanted to willingly surrender herself.
I followed her there, standing back when she opened the door with Aldo and his men on the other side.
“Looks like you bring bad luck everywhere you go,” he snarled at her.
“Hold up!” I growled, just as a guy grabbed Reese by the arm and yanked her out of the house.
I hated seeing her being manhandled like that. She didn’t even look over her shoulder at me. It was like she had resigned herself to her fate and wasn’t going to fight it.
Aldo had a smile on his face. He turned to me, giving me a mock salute.
“Hope she wasn’t too much of a pain in the ass for you. Thanks for keeping an eye on her,” he said.
I stood at the door with my hands clenched in fists, anger rising in waves inside me. All I could do was watch as they pushed her into the back of a car. Aldo got in the front. Then they drove away.
The moment she was gone, I knew I wanted her back.
Twenty-Eight
Reese
I wasn’t a prisoner in a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods anymore.
I wasn’t tied up in the basement with no fresh clothes to wear.