Her gaze is far away as she speaks, drifting. “No, his wife did. The crazy bitch sent a message from her husband’s phone to meet at the docks to ‘make future plans.’ And I was stupid enough to fall for it. Driven mad by years of infidelity that had nothing to do with me, I was just the scapegoat for her anger. She had four guards with her, and they just stood by as she gutted me like a fish and left me for dead right there, bleeding out on the concrete.”
“Jesus.” That’s fucked up, even for me, and I’ve seen too many fucked up things in my life.
Despite wanting to stay mad at her, I can’t. Not when she’s being this honest. This vulnerable.
Kiah keeps speaking, avoiding my gaze as she does.
“I almost didn’t make it. Some stranger took pity on me and dropped me outside the hospital, on the sidewalk. They managed to save me, but it was touch-and-go there for a while. Queue the long and painful rehab years, and skip to the part where I hide out on a remote island to figure out what next. Give or take a few years, and now we’re here.” She shrugs, finally meeting my eyes.
I want to say something, anything, but there are no words that would be useful.Those cunts!
She saves me from an awkward silence by changing the topic, covering up her vulnerability as quickly as she flashed it.
“My turn,Domenico.” It feels strange to hear my full name on her lips.
“Do people even call you Nico in real life?” she asks, forcing her face to neutral as she so often does.
“Not really. Most call me by my full name. The rest call me Dom.”
She cracks a faint smile that cuts through the tension of the moment. “So one day, you’ll be Don Dom?”
“I never thought about that.” I can’t help but smile.
“Domenico is a beautiful name,” she says almost absentmindedly.
My only response is a grunt.
“But I’ll stick to Nico if you don’t mind.”
I shrug, forcing myself to be nonchalant. “Whatever, doesn’t mean I trust you now.”
Kiah touches my cheek affectionately, her eyes softening with warmth. “I know. But let me earn it…”
And then she cuts me loose from my restraints—again.
Chapter seventeen
Escape
(Kiah)
Thesilencestretchesbetweenus as Nico's gaze bores into me, a tempest of emotion raging behind his eyes. They remind me of the ocean during hurricane season—dark, turbulent, and hiding depths I can only imagine.
The weight of my betrayal hangs heavy in the air, an unspoken accusation. I resist the urge to look away, to shield myself from the intensity of his scrutiny.
I don't expect forgiveness for calling his brother. Hell, I'm not sure I deserve it. But I have to do something—and quickly. We don’t have time for this.
Fuck-it.
“Come here,” I call Nico over as I fish his collar key from my cleavage.
He doesn’t budge, just narrows his eyes suspiciously. “You’re not helping your case, woman.”
“Just come here. I want to take it off,” I say with a sigh.Jesus, he’s infuriating.
Still hesitant, Nico leans closer for me to unlock his collar.
As soon as I twist the key, it pops open with a satisfying click, and I carefully remove it, placing it on the counter between us.
