No matter how hard I try, I can’t hold off. Pleasure unlike anything I’ve felt before explodes within me as my body gives up and my release takes over.
Kiran pulls me down tight against his chest as he pumps in and out of me several more times before he buries his face into my neck and groans with his release. When he finally pulls his face free, he kisses the corner of my mouth before he gives me a beautiful smile. And to my surprise, I feel incredibly happy. I could continue to focus on how I can’t stay or I can start living in the here and now. And right here...right now...I’m with a man I quite possibly have fallen in love with.
Isabelle
The next morning, I wake up and have breakfast with everyone. Alex surprises me when he asks if he can take me to work. I can tell Kiran wants to drive me, but he also doesn’t want to interfere with Alex’s attempts to bond with me.
Before Kiran leaves, he wraps his hand around my waist and pulls me against him before delivering a kiss that almost makes me melt. I forget we have an audience until Kate clears her throat. When I pull back and look up at Kiran, he gives me a dirty smile. “I’ll see you tonight,” he says with a smirk before walking out the door.
After he’s gone, I take a glance at Alex in time to see him look away. “Well ...” Kate says with a smile, “if you need a ride before Kiran gets off work, call me.” Kate grabs her bag and walks out the same door. With my mind still muddled from Kiran’s public show of affection, I tell Alex I’m ready.
I’m positive I’m smiling like a teenage girl who’s just admitted to her first crush. Alex nods his head and we walk out front to where his older model car is parked.
“Sorry. It’s all I have,” he says as his cheeks redden.
“And you probably worked for every penny used to buy this car.” My comment causes Alex to stop and stare at me. “Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are.” His eyes flare as he continues to watch me. “We better go or I’ll be late,” I add.
“Yeah, sure,” he mumbles.
An awkward silence lingers between us during the ride to the bookstore. This man is my brother—at least, by blood—but neither of us can come up with anything to say without risking hurting the other’s feelings.
“Thanks for giving me a ride,” I say when he pulls up to the curb.
“I can walk you in.” I reach over for his hand.
“That’s okay. I’m fine and I mean that.” I smile before I get out of the car and walk into the bookstore.
****
My day starts exactly the way last Thursday did. I rushed back and forth between the refreshment counter and the register until mid-afternoon when a delivery was made for me personally and not the bookstore.
When Jena went to sign for it, she was told the package had to be delivered to me...and only me. My hand was shaking so bad that no one would be able to tell what signature I gave the man. After he left, I watch the box like it might blow up at any moment.
“Go take a break and open that damn box, otherwise, you’re not going to be any good to me,” Jena gripes. I shake my head and walk to the storeroom. Nervously, I cut open the box and take a glance inside to find a cell phone.
My heart starts to relax as I pull it out only to find it’s attached to a piece of paper. After a deep breath, I unfold the paper only to see the words “Turn it on” and nothing else.
Hoping like hell that Damian has finally found a way to contact me, I grab the phone and switch it on. For a few long moments, nothing happens until I jump when it finally rings. Fear starts creeping its way in as I slide the phone on.
“Hello?” I whisper.
“Izzy, what the fuck is going on?” Manuel barks into my ear.
“Manuel. Oh my God, it’s great to hear your voice,” I tell him as relief sets in.
“What the fuck have you been doing, huh?” he growls in a tone he’s never used with me before.
My nose scrunches. “What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t return to the Reynolds’ house last weekend. I saw a report that you checked into a fucking hotel only to return to the Reynolds’ home again. Now tell me what the fuck is going on and don’t you dare lie to me, Izzy.”
Manuel’s voice has startled me. On very rare occasions I’ve seen him talk to the men who work for my father this like but he’s never spoken to me this way. Not to mention, he knows...he knows where I’ve been. Damian was keeping track of Kate, which means he must be alive if Manuel knows what I’ve been doing.
“Oh my God, have you heard from Damian?” I frantically ask.
“Damian is dead. It’s time for you to come home.” My heart drops as I place my hand over my mouth.
“Dead?” I painfully whisper.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this was probably the case. Why else would he have left me for going on a month now?
“Yes, he’s fucking dead, and your playtime is over.”
His harsh tone and callous words cause my watery eyes to narrow. “Why are you talking to me this way?” I sniffle.
“Well, let’s see. I made sure you were safe, I allowed you to take off and have fun for a change, and how do you repay me? You start fucking around with some guy? Real fucking classy, Isabelle. Now Daddy’s gone, and like it or not, you’re coming home.”
“You sent me here?” My voice cracks as I try to process his comment.
“You didn’t really think Daddy would send you to live with his other princess, did you? And who the hell did you think was buying you a plane ticket while Daddy already had a bullet in his head?”
My hand covers my mouth to hold in the scream that threatens to escape. Manuel’s father Miguel was the only man in my father’s trusted circle that didn’t go with us to Tijuana. The whole thing must have been a setup...and Manuel was a part of it.
“Okay. I’ll come home,” I say in a voice that doesn’t sound anything like my own. I can’t stay at Kate’s or God only knows what Manuel will do. He knows exactly where she lives, and he knows enough to have some idea about what I did with Kiran.
“Because I’m nice,” he says with an evil chuckle, “you can go home tonight and say goodbye, but your flight leaves at ten in the morning, and you better be on it. If not, I’ll make sure the people you’ve been staying with pay the price for your foolish actions.” Before I can say anything else, the line disconnects only to beep seconds later with a text with my flight information.
I go to the bathroom and splash water on my face before walking back out front. I make it close to an hour before I tell Jena I don’t feel well. I send Kate a text telling her I got off early, and another one to Kiran that Kate was picking me up from work.
“Are you okay?” Kate questions as we walk into her house. I barely said two words to her on the drive home.
“I’m just tired.” I force myself to smile before I walk up to Kiran’s room and pull out my computer.
I search Damian’s name, looking closely at everything. After searching page after page, I find an article where a woman claims she saw Damian in Rosarito, a small town only miles from Tijuana. This article was posted only a few weeks ago. I keep reading, discovering a couple more posts that claim a similar thing. People in around the surrounding areas of Tijuana continue to think that Damian is alive. I blow out a sigh of relief as I rub my temples.
It’s a trap...Manuel is setting me up. He must be working with his father to take Damian down, which means I can’t under any circumstances return to Poza Rica, but it also means I can’t stay here. There’s not a man on my father’s payroll that wouldn’t kill a person without hesitation, and that includes Manuel, and he knows exactly where I am. Hell, he’s the one who sent me here.
I chew on my lip, trying to think of what I should do next. Outside of the people staying in this house, Manuel was the only person I thought I could trust. I glance over at my suitcase as a thought occurs to me.
One side looks horrible where I pulled the lining away. I swallow and yank the other side back and
my heart sinks. My guess was correct. Right there in the middle of my suitcase is a tracking device. That’s how Manuel knew I was at a hotel and not here because I took the damn thing with me.
Shit, I mumble as tears start to fall. I unknowingly gave myself away and now staying means the only people that are truly my family will end up hurt, which is something I can’t allow to happen.
Think...just think...I can’t return to Poza Rica, not without Damian, and not with Manuel acting like an insane person, but how long can I hide out before they find me? I need to come up with a plan, and I need to do it quickly.
I grab a clean outfit and walk to the hall bathroom. After I get in the shower, I allow myself to unleash my tears.
****
I have two options: I can tell everyone that I’m leaving or I can remain silent—which is what I decided to do. Otherwise, the night would be spent with Kate crying, Kiran punching another hole in the wall, and I couldn’t bear the look I’d see in Alex’s eyes.
This is better. I get one more magical night where I can continue to pretend I’m an average girl living a normal life. And in the morning, after they leave, I’ll board my flight.
“Why did you come home early? Is everything all right?” Kiran drawls, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I smile and lie. “Of course. The bookstore was slow and since I’m only part-time, they sent me home.” It bothers me how easily I can lie when I want to, but I grew up in a world where lying was a necessity. I wish now I was a better detector...maybe I would have seen who Manuel really was before it was too late.
“Gavin and Kate had some ice cream thing going on at Callie’s school. I ordered a pizza for Alex and the two of us. I hope that’s okay.” I wish I could have one more night with everyone but I’ll still take a night with Kiran and Alex any day.
“That sounds perfect.” I take Kiran’s hand as we walk down to the kitchen where Alex and Kiran start talking about their day. I smile at how easy the two of them get along. I hope that’s always the case.
“Isabelle,” Kiran says, snapping me out of my thoughts, “what’s with you tonight?”
I swallow my sorrow and lie again. “Nothing. I’m tired for some reason.” I shrug.
“Kate said you took a long nap when you got home today,” Alex says with concern.
“I wanted to, but I checked in with school and I had a few assignments posted. I ended up working for a few hours on those,” I lie again.
“How long until you graduate?” Alex asks, reaching for a slice of pizza.
“I have three more semesters but I’m finding I’m running out of online classes. At some point, I’ll have to attend an actual school if I want to graduate.”
Kiran clears his throat. “Have you looked to see if any of the schools around here will accept your online credits?” I smile at the knowledge that he wants me to stay. A man who’s afraid of dating a woman in fear of turning into his own father made a comment about me staying in the same city as him, with the same people he loves, and I don’t think he even realized what he said.
“I haven’t but it’s worth looking into,” I tell him. “What about you, Alex? Are you going to finish school?”
Alex cracks a smile. “Yeah. I only have about fifteen hours left. I’d be crazy not to.”
“No shit, dude. Plus, Gavin will work around any classes you have,” Kiran tells him.
“I’ll look into it.”
Dinner moves from one easy topic to the next until Kate, Gavin, and Callie come home. Callie lights up the room with stories of serving ice cream at her school, but long before I’m prepared, everyone is ready for bed. When Kiran and I climb in our bed, he pulls me tight against him.
“Are you sure you’re all right? You’ve acted...strange all night,” he adds, causing me to chuckle.
“I’m fine. I promise,” I lie again as my heart rapidly thuds against my chest.
“Promise?” he whispers. Instead of answering him, I softly place my lips on his. Kiran’s eyes flutter shut as my tongue passionately finds his. Desire spreads through me, causing me to moan into his mouth.
Kiran reaches for the edge of my nightgown and lifts it up and over my head before tossing it on the floor. I push my panties down as Kiran moves between my legs. His eyes burn into mine as he slowly pushes inside of me. He moves in and out of me, but his gaze never leaves mine. I can feel myself building as my legs wrap around his waist. I arch my back and push my hips up to meet his. With every thrust, Kiran hits a spot deep inside of me, and moments later, my body shudders as I come apart beneath him.
“Yessss,” he groans into the nape of my neck as he starts to fall with me.
As our movement slow, Kiran stays buried inside of me. “This right here. I want it to last forever,” he says into my ear.
I push down the pain I feel from his comment. “Me too,” I softly say. “Me too,” I repeat as a tear escapes.
****
I made sure I was up early as everyone started another day. I sat at the table and ate my last meal with the people I’ve grown to love, and slowly, one by one, they made their way out the door.
Kiran walks up to me with a smile. “I’ll see you tonight.” He pulls me in for a passionate kiss that leaves me breathless. With a satisfied smile, he grabs his keys and disappears through the garage door.
I hold back the sob that threatens to escape as I glance at the clock. I have less than three hours. I call a cab before going back upstairs and packing my suitcase. When I have all of my things, I make my way to the front door but not before leaving a small piece of my heart with the people who matter the most.
Kiran
Six Months Later
I’d like to tell you the day Isabelle Paasch walked into my life it was love at first sight, but that’s not the case. Like the females who came before her, I saw a gorgeous woman, but with Belle, I also saw the trouble she’d bring into our lives.
Living with Belle proved harder than I expected because she wasn’t anything like the woman I pictured, and every time she stood up for herself, her real beauty shined past her fake outer shell.
Somewhere in my fucked up head, I decided Belle—Isabelle—would be the perfect person to try my hand at dating because she came with a guaranteed end date, something she did in fact deliver. What I can’t seem to understand is how in such a short amount of time I managed to fall for her. I knew I had feelings for her. I knew she meant more to me than any woman ever had, but I didn’t realize how deep my feelings ran until she up and vanished from my life.
I went to work one day believing life was finally working in my favor only to come home to find her gone. And the worse part...she willingly left. She wrote Kate, Alex, and me letters, and then walked out the door and out of our lives. No one has heard from her since.
Whatever Isabelle wrote to Kate and Alex left them devastated. Therefore, I tucked my letter away and never read it. I knew the night before she left that she was acting differently. I had a strange feeling in my gut, but she’d promised me everything was okay, and I foolishly believed her.
When the dust finally settled and it was clear she wasn’t coming back, I moved out of Gavin and Kate’s house. I couldn’t stand being in that house day in and day out, sleeping in the same bed she slept in, especially after her scent had long faded away. I needed to restart my brain and leave the memories of her behind.
It took almost two months for Alex to accept she wasn’t coming back before he finally moved into the apartment we share. The business continues to grow, days continue to pass, and everyone who was touched by Isabelle continues to grieve in silence. No one is brave enough to mention her name or that bastard of a man she calls father—who happens to be another person who’s disappeared from Kate’s life. Unless she’s lying, which I don’t think she is, Kate hasn’t heard from Damian since before Isabelle arrived in Denver.
A month ago, Alex of all people, convinced me to go on a double date with him. Alex made friends with a few people Ga
vin employs, and he started going out on the weekends. He actually began to enjoy life, or at least, that’s how it appears. Somewhere along the way, his fun started involving the same woman.
After that, he decided it was a good idea that I move on with him. I didn’t want to date anyone, but I refused to allow Isabelle to be the reason I said no. Therefore, I went. I didn’t have a great time but at the end of the night, I found myself agreeing to see Kami again. Since then we’ve gone on a handful of dates, but every time she asks me for another, I struggle to agree.
When I lived in California, I regularly used women but my guilt had set in long before Isabelle showed up. And what I’ve yet to admit aloud is how much she opened my eyes. I was avoiding relationships to ensure I was nothing like my father, but I had already proved that—at least to myself. There’s no real reason I should avoid more than just sex with a female. Then Isabelle up and left, and I discovered the pain of a broken heart, something I’d rather not experience again. Now I avoid women for a different reason.
****
“I miss her, too.” My eyes dart to Alex as he sits on the other end of the couch. We’re watching some crap movie that neither of us seems to be paying attention to. “I’d give anything to know she’s okay,” he adds.
“She’s exactly where she wants to be,” I growl. I don’t talk about Isabelle, but that doesn’t mean she’s not on my mind every second of every day.
“You don’t really believe that.” He shifts his eyes away from the TV and over to me. “The only person you’re fooling is yourself.”
I look away. I’m not even fooling myself, but I’m not willing to admit that. “I’ve lived my whole life worrying about her. Wondering if she’s okay. If she’s safe.” Alex stands up and starts to walk out of the living room, but he stops to glance over his shoulder. “I’d tell you it gets easier, but then I’d be lying like you.” His words are a punch to the gut. I don’t want to forget her, but it hurts to remember.
Locked Away (Living With Lies Book 2) Page 14