Sweet Retribution, page 22
“How about a warm bath?” Kai suggests, and I nod, because soaking my aching muscles in the tub sounds perfect. But I’m caked in Denton’s blood, and I really need to scrub myself clean first.
Rick follows us, but the others give us space, as we leave the room. Kai carries me upstairs to his bedroom, setting me down on the bed. “I’ll start the bath, while Rick checks you out.”
I nod, holding still as Rick checks my vitals, examines my throat, and asks me a few questions. When he’s happy I don’t need medical intervention, he slips quietly out of the room, and I’m glad he didn’t ply me with sympathy or pepper me with endless questions, because I can’t deal with that right now.
Kai steps into the room, lifting me off the bed and carrying me into the steam-filled scented bathroom. Silently, he helps me out of my ruined dress. I grab the USB sticks from the side panels, handing them to him. “Xavier and Sawyer will want those.”
He nods, placing them on the marble counter. “I’ll ensure they get them.”
“I want a shower first,” I explain, reaching for the shower door. “To get clean, and then I’d like to soak in the tub.”
“Okay, babe. You need me to hold you in the shower?” he asks, leaning in to switch it on.
I shake my head. “I’m covered in that bastard’s blood. I don’t want any of that touching you.”
His jaw locks tight. “Our long game better work, Abby, because those bastards are not getting away with any more shit.” The vein in his neck pulses, and his body is chock full of tension.
“It will work,” I say even more determined to bring them all down.
“Fuck, baby.” He pulls me close, resting his forehead against mine and closing his eyes, as his hands rest gently on my waist. He’s shaking all over, and his chest is visibly heaving.
“Hey.” I touch his face. “I’m okay.”
He opens his eyes, and there’s so much emotion brimming in his gaze. “I can’t watch them hurt you anymore. I can’t stand by and do nothing, Abby. I just can’t.” His voice cracks, and I want to wrap my arms around him and soothe him, but I’m covered in blood. “I need to protect you from them, and I haven’t been doing a good enough job.”
I caress his cheek. “None of this is on you, and what I need now is you to hold me and love me and help me put it behind me.” I hold his face more firmly. “They didn’t win tonight, Kai. I fought back, and you all came for me. They didn’t get what they wanted.”
“How are you so strong?” He kisses my cheek. “You are so brave, Abby. And every day I find more reasons to fall deeper in love with you.”
I stretch up and kiss his lips. “That right there. That’s what I need.” I sigh. “But first, I need to get clean.” He moves aside, and I step under the water, closing my eyes as the shower washes away every trace of them.
When I get out, Kai carries me to the tub, gently placing me in the water. A contented sigh slips from my mouth as the warm water caresses my aching muscles.
“Can I join you?” he asks.
“Please.” I smile, happy to be with him, despite what went down tonight. I watch him stripping out of his clothes, admiring his beautiful body, feeling the usual stirrings of lust, but I’m not able to act on anything. Because I feel like I’ve just gone ten rounds in a boxing ring and my psyche has taken another battering.
I shudder uncontrollably as the events of tonight return to haunt me, remembering how close of a call it was. Thank God, I fought back and delayed them long enough for my brother, my friends, and my love to rescue me. I daren’t even think about how awful things would’ve been if they hadn’t arrived in time.
Kai gets in the tub behind me, pulling me back into his chest, and I lean my head against him, holding onto his strong arms, needing to feel protected.
I came so close to complete and utter destruction tonight. I’ve been broken so many times, but this would have been my final undoing. I squeeze my eyes closed, remembering Christian approaching with his cock in hand, and bile floods my mouth. I shiver again despite the warmth of the body behind me and the soothing water swirling around me.
“Abby.” Kai presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Were we too late? Did they—”
“No,” I cut across him, quick to reassure. “It hadn’t gotten that far.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
My initial instinct is to say no, but if I store this grief up inside, like I’ve done so many times recently, I’m giving them power over me. Because every time I think of it, I’ll feel violated all over again. I want to tell my husband. To reinforce my earlier words. They didn’t win tonight. We did. Because I got away, and they didn’t get to hurt me in all the ways they planned. “Yes,” I say, and I begin telling him what happened.
He listens attentively, never interrupting, running his hands up and down my arms and pressing kisses to my head and my temple, supporting me with his touch and his silence, letting me expunge it from my soul.
Silence descends when I finish, and I know Kai has got to be feeling all manner of emotions, but he doesn’t vent, because he’s focused on me, and he’s not the only one finding new reasons to fall more passionately in love.
“I hate that happened to you, and I wasn’t able to prevent it. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to stop it.”
“It’s not your fault. You were all trying to protect me. I know that. If anything, tonight has taught us that no matter how much we plan they still have the ability to outmaneuver us.”
“Do you believe your father?” he asks, adding some soap to a sponge. “Or did he set it up and he reacted like that to cover his ass?”
“I don’t know,” I honestly admit. “He wanted to punish me for tonight, and this might have been his way of doing it.” Although, given how he was attempting to grope me on the dance floor, I think he would much rather have been the one doling out my sentence. “Denton insinuated he was behind it, so perhaps, he was planning on joining them and he improvised when you guys showed up.”
Kai rubs the soapy sponge up and down my arms and it feels wonderful.
“Well, it won’t happen again. You are safe, at least until the vote.”
I frown, angling my head around so I’m looking at him. “How?”
“Earlier tonight, Xavier and Hunt unscrambled the video recordings from your house on Christmas Day.”
“What?” Excitement bubbles up inside me.
“We have it all. Him killing Charles Barron. Me tied to that chair. Him threatening you into marrying Charlie.” He runs his fingers along my cheek. “We could try and use that to take him down.”
I shake my head. “It’s not enough. He has too many judges, cops, and authority figures in his pocket. We can’t risk it. It’s why we must hit him from several angles. To ensure he’s taken down. And it’s not just about him. We need to fuck up the order. To throw Parkhurst into chaos. To try and do something about the kids he’s kidnapping. We can’t be selfish.”
“I love how in tune we are,” he says, pressing a kiss to my head as he moves the soap lower. “Because those were my sentiments exactly, with one small difference.”
“What difference?”
“Don’t be mad,” he says, and my hackles are instantly raised. “But I did a thing.”
“A thing?” I screech, turning around fully in his arms so I’m looking him straight in the eye. “Spit it out, baby. What have you done?”
“We sent a warning to the bastard along with a snippet of the tape. We told him to lay off you, or it would be sent to the council and the national media as well as the authorities.”
I jerk up onto my knees, ignoring the stab of pain the motion produces. “Why the hell would you do that?! Now he knows we are on to him!”
He cups the back of my head. “I know it’s risky, but he needs to understand we are serious about the consequences if he or any of his cronies attempt to hurt you again.”
“He will fucking kill you, Kai!” Tears prick my eyes, and I can’t believe they did that.
“He won’t risk anything until after the vote, so that buys us some time.”
“And then what?” I gently ask. “Then he’ll come after you for this.”
“He is not above the law, Abby. He might be protected within the order, but if we released that tape nationwide, the authorities would be forced into action. It doesn’t matter how many cops he has in his pocket, that video clearly shows him committing murder, and there would be a public outcry if nothing was done. We are stripping him of everything at the vote, so it won’t matter anyway. He’s screwed, and he’ll be in jail so he can’t get back at me. Right now, protecting you is what’s most important, and I won’t apologize for doing it.”
“So, what does it mean for us now?”
“I pretty much showed my hand tonight,” he admits, and my heart stops beating for a couple seconds. “Your father knows I still care about you.” He stretches up, pecking my lips. “And you told me you loved me in the elevator in front of Charlie too.”
“Oh fuck.” I have no recollection of that.
“The game is up with Charlie, but I still don’t think he’d do anything to hurt you. He’s guilty as hell after how things went down tonight, and you can use that to buy his silence. That and the fact we have the tape.” He kisses me softly again. “I’m done living without you, Abby. I want you back in my life and in my bed.” He pulls me down on top of him. “We can make a deal with the bastard. You agree to maintain the charade with Charlie in public, and in return, we get to do what we want behind closed doors. If he doesn’t like it, we threaten to release the recording now.”
“He’ll want to negotiate,” I say. “He’ll want that tape, and we’ll have to find somewhere secure to store it, along with backups, because he’ll try everything in his power to steal it back from us.”
“We already have that all figured out,” he says. “And it’s under control. Don’t ask me to tell you, because it’s safer if you don’t know.”
“Kai.” I sit up, slanting him with a warning look. We agreed no more secrets, and he’s not starting this shit again.
“No, baby.” He holds my face in his hands. “There are some occasions where I get to overrule you. It’s my job as your husband to take control when you need to let someone else take care of you. This is one of those times, so please don’t fight me on it, because tonight has tested every limit I’ve got. Have you any idea how badly I wanted to slaughter every fucking bastard in that room tonight? How fucking terrified I was for you?”
“I know, babe,” I say, resting my head on his chest. “Because I was feeling those emotions too.” I’m worried about the consequences of what he’s done, but I can’t deny how happy it makes me feel that he’s taken charge and he’s arranging it so we are back in one another’s arms.
“Can’t sleep, huh?” Jackson asks, as I saunter into the kitchen a couple hours later, yawning.
“I slept fitfully,” I admit, scrubbing my eyes as I head toward the coffee pot. You’d think being back in Kai’s arms, getting to sleep snuggled up against him in bed, would induce the best sleep ever, but I couldn’t shut my brain off. I’m too wired over all the what-ifs.
“Let me get that.” His hands land on my shoulders, and he maneuvers me onto a stool.
I prop my face in my hands as I watch him pour two steaming mugs of coffee.
“I know why I can’t sleep, but what about you?” I ask, glancing at the clock on the wall. It’s twenty to five in the morning.
He shrugs, sipping his coffee, and I understand if he doesn’t want to say. But I’ve wanted to ask for a long time, and the opportunity has never presented itself. “The elite did something to your sister, didn’t they?” I softly ask, promising myself I’ll drop it if he doesn’t respond.
His entire body stiffens, and I reach out, placing my hand over his. “It’s okay, Jackson. I’m sorry for prying.”
His head hangs, and his eyes lower to the table. Silence descends, and it’s uncomfortable. “When Kai told us what happened tonight,” he says, in a low voice, lifting his chin. I’m startled to see tears in his blue eyes. “It brought it all back,” he admits, pretty much confirming my suspicions. “And, I—” He sighs heavily. “Fuck. If anything happened to you.” He stands, pulling me into his chest, and I wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head on his chest. He’s wearing a white T-shirt, but heat rolls off his body in tight waves.
“I’m so sorry, Jackson.” I hope someday he’s able to tell me about her. But if those bastards got a hold of her, I can only imagine the horrors she endured.
“I’ve spent all this time since her death fighting my feelings, but I can’t do that anymore because it’s killing me inside.” He tips my face up and our eyes meet. “Your strength and your determination to bring them down has encouraged me to start facing up to it.” He smiles, and my heart hurts so bad for him because he’s not hiding behind his humor. I’m getting an up close and personal view of the real Jackson. “I’ve failed my sister. I’ve let myself down. And I’m done being that guy.”
“I happen to think that guy’s pretty great,” I say, peering earnestly into his eyes. “And don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone handles grief differently, and the mind can only process what it’s capable of processing. I didn’t know your sister, and I didn’t know you when she was alive, but I know you loved her very much. I know you were an amazing brother. And I definitely know you didn’t fail her.” I clasp his wrist. “So, whatever you’re saying to beat yourself up, stop. When you’re ready to deal, we’ll do it together.” Renewed determination fuses through my veins. “And whoever is responsible, we’ll make sure they pay.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“I need to get my things,” I say the following morning, stretching my arms up over my head as I yawn. I finally crawled back under the covers at six thirty a.m., snuggling contentedly into Kai’s welcoming arms. At some point, he got up, returning with a tray laden with food. My tummy is full after a plateful of delicious eggs and bacon, and now, it’s time to get moving.
“I’ll get them,” he replies, pinning me with a look that says he means business.
I swing my legs out the side of the bed, moaning as pain spreads up one side of my body. “I need to talk to him, Kai.”
“It can wait until you feel better.”
“I know Charlie. He’ll only show up here if I don’t make an appearance today.”
“So, let him come here. It’s safer than you going there.”
I stand and walk around the bed toward him. “I’m going to him. That way I can kill two birds with one stone.” I peck him on the lips. “Come with me if it makes you feel better.”
He scrubs a hand over his prickly jaw. “What if he tries something?”
“What’s he going to try, Kai?” I shrug. “It’s clear whatever deal he had with my dad has broken down. They beat him and tied him to a chair last night. I don’t think he’ll be feeling charitable toward them.”
He sighs. “Okay.”
I look up at him. “Okay?” I wasn’t expecting him to concede so easily.
“There’s no point arguing when we both know you’re going to do it whether I approve or not.”
My smile is wide. “I’m glad you know me and that you’re willing to compromise.”
He playfully swats my butt. “It’s less about compromise and more about saving myself a pointless headache.”
An hour later, we are on the road. Sawyer and Jackson are in the back while Kai drives and I’m riding shotgun. Xavier, Rick, and Drew are on standby in case we need to call in the cavalry, but I really don’t think that’ll be necessary.
Kai parks directly in front of the Barron mansion, turning to face me. “I’m coming in.”
“No, you’re not.” I slant him with a warning look as I secure the earpiece in my ear. “That will only end in bloodshed.” I check my gun has the safety on before slipping it in the back waistband of my jeans. Then, I pull Kai’s sweater down over it. I had left a few items of clothing at Lauder’s place previously, but I had no tops. I’m sure turning up in Kai’s clothes will be like waving a red flag in front of Charlie, but it was that or show up in my black bra. I yank the sweater down at the top, securing the communication chip to my lower chest where it’s out of sight. I press down on it to activate it as the guys slip their earpieces in.
I lean across the console and kiss his antsy mouth. “He won’t hurt me, but if you hear anything you don’t like, just come get me.”
“I don’t like this at all, and if he says anything even remotely threatening, I’m barging in there.”
I kiss him again. “I’m counting on it, caveman.”
“Charlie?” I call out as I close the front door behind me. There’s no reply, and I wander to the kitchen, but he’s not in there. The house is spookily empty and quiet as I make my way from the kitchen to the basement. I’m guessing Lillian is out and Elizabeth is squirreled away in her bedroom, as usual.
Quietly opening the door to the basement den, I discover Charlie lying on the couch in sweats and a plain white T-shirt, watching TV. A plaid blanket covers his lower half, and his feet are bare. “Hey,” I softly say as I walk across the room.
He jerks around, grimacing and wincing in obvious pain.
“Can I get you some pain pills?” I ask as I round the couch toward him. “Did you call the doctor to check you out?”
“Don’t do that,” he says, his face contorting further as he attempts to pull himself upright.
“Do what?” I question, tentatively sitting down at his feet.
“Pretend like you care,” he hisses. “It’s clear now that I was fucking played.”
There’s no point lying. “You left me no choice.”
“I did it all for you, Abby. And it was for nothing.” A cold look washes over his features, matching his chilly tone.
“It wasn’t for nothing.” I lean toward him. “I still care about you, Charlie. I care about you a lot even though you’ve hurt me.”
