“Sure,” she says.
She doesn’t tell me what she wants to drink, but I decide something light like champagne that she hopefully won’t drink too quickly. It’s more for her to have something to hold and be more comfortable. I give Langston a look to watch her before I retrieve our drinks.
I grab her champagne and me a whiskey. When I turn back around to give her her drink, I see Langston reaching his hand out to touch her.
I drop the glasses and run to her. Her body is frozen in fear at the looming touch.
I don’t know how I reach them just in time. I don’t know how to stop Langston except to tackle him to the ground, so that’s what I do.
“What the hell?” Langston wrestles me, trying to push me off him.
All eyes in the club are on us.
“Sorry,” I say, before I throw a punch at his face. I need to send a clear signal no one touches Katherine. And even though I stopped Langston, I need everyone else in the club to keep their distance. So the punch was necessary.
“No one hits on my girl. You hear me—Katherine is mine,” I yell, making it clear why I hit him, even though he’s my best friend, and what will happen if anyone else touches her.
I stand up and wipe the sweat from my knuckles. I give Kai a look and walk out of the room. Turns out it wasn’t Kai who would need to go cool off in another room; I needed it.
I leave her with Langston without explanation. She’s free to wander. But she won’t run or escape. As much as she wants freedom, I saw the look on her face when I punched Langston—thanks and relief. She’s come a long way, but she’s still terrified of the world. She won’t leave, because she feels safe with me, the monster she knows. That’s a mistake.
25
Kai
I hate Enzo.
I can say that with certainty now.
Hate.
I hate the contradictory feelings he stirs inside me.
I hate that he is the only person who I can truly talk to.
I hate how he makes me lust after his muscular body.
I hate that he tries to heal me, never allowing me to stay broken.
I hate that he protected me from a single touch by acting like a jealous lover.
But most of all, I hate that no matter what he does, it will never be enough for me to forgive.
My heart has blackened because of him. My soul tormented, and my body changed. I’m thankful that he spared my life, although the consequences he faced for that seem inconsequential. But I can never forgive him for selling me.
It doesn’t seem Enzo does any of these things because he expects my forgiveness. More like it’s a meticulous plan that will somehow end in me out of his life again.
Despite how I hate Enzo, my heart softens every time he does something to save or protect me. And he just saved a night or possibly weeks of pain by preventing Langston from touching me. And my stupid heart likes Enzo more than it should for protecting me from that pain.
Enzo stormed off without a word to Langston or me. All eyes in the club are on us. It’s a strange feeling, after being alone for so many years. I’m not used to so many people in one room, especially when all the attention is on me. But I refuse to show weakness. Or hide the scars or marks on my body.
I want to chase after Enzo and find out why he prevented Langston from touching me. And why he stormed off afterward. He brought me here to push me, to heal me faster. He thought that would happen sooner if he made me face my fears.
“Are you okay?” I bend down to ask Langston, who is still lying on the floor in shock.
Langston nods slowly, as he stares at me with large eyes. He stands up quickly, and I give him a wide berth, so he doesn’t touch me. Langston gives one look to the crowd, and the stares stop, the voices begin again, and the dancers continue as if the last few moments didn’t happen.
“I’ll get you some ice for your face,” I say.