“A lot of thought has gone into this, Myla. This is not something that will just happen. This is something that has been planned for years. I will not say it’s easy to do, but every day, we’re one step closer.”
He moves and helps me lie down next to him with my head in the crook of his arm and his hand resting on my belly. We lie there in silence, looking up at the night sky, then watch as the sun rises up over the ocean, and only then does he take me inside and climb into bed with me.
*
“We’re landing,” Kai tells me, kissing my hair.
I lift my head, look around the plane, and feel lighter. After Kai told his mom and dad what was going on, they insisted they come with us to Vegas.
We didn’t know how long we would be in Vegas, so having them with us puts my mind at ease. I also think Kai was relieved that his dad would be with his mom and me, someone he trusted completely, since, from what I understand, most of my time would be spent at the house while Kai takes care of business.
It takes another ten minutes for the plane to land. As soon as we touch down, Kai is up and getting a bag down from the overhead compartment, which he sets on the seat he was sitting in, and opens it up, pulling out some leather and slipping it on like a vest. I notice that it has a holster for a gun under one arm and then a place for a knife under the other. Once he has the holster in place, he pulls a large knife out of the bag then a gun, and he clicks them both in place. He then reaches up, pulls his suit jacket down, and pulls it on, hiding away the weapons.
“Do you always carry weapons like that?” I ask as the feeling of unease comes back.
His eyes come to me and go soft as he squats down in front of me. “I don’t plan on anything happening, but I need to be cautious.”
“Cautious is good.”
He smiles and leans in to touch his forehead to mine. “You guys are my life, and I would die before something ever happens to either of you,” he says as his hand comes up to hold my cheek.
“Don’t say that,” I whisper.
He grunts and presses a kiss to my forehead then lips. “I want you to stick close to Pika when I’m not around.”
“I will,” I say as everyone on the plane begins to stand and retrieve their things from the overhead bins.
He nods and kisses me once more before standing and helping me get my things together so we can get off the plane.
“Are you sure you don’t want me with you?” Uncle Frank asks Kai, and I turn my head away from them to keep from laughing.
“Frank, I told you before that your son will be with me while I’m here.”
“I think you should let me go with you. You never know what could go wrong.”
“I know what could go wrong,” Aye mutters and then winks at me when I laugh.
Uncle Frank is a good guy, but he is seriously a disaster waiting to happen.
“Fine. I’ll help look out for Myla,” he grumbles, grabbing his bag and heading off the plane.
“This is going to be a long trip,” Kai’s dad says, shaking his head, watching as Frank stomps down the plane stairs.
“He means well,” Kai’s mom says.
“He’s still not helping me out. He will end up doing something stupid, and then I will have to clean up his mess,” Kai replies.
“He thinks you’re still mad about him teaching Myla to shoot a gun,” Leia tells him.
“I am still mad about that, and he didn’t teach Myla anything except that she should never agree with anything Uncle Frank says.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” she concurs.
“I am right.”
“He just wants to feel useful,” his mom mutters, and his dad rolls his eyes.
“He’s not going with me, and I don’t care if he stomps around for the next few days. It’s not happing,” Kai says.
His mom nods then turns and walks off the plane.
“She’s right, you know. Uncle Frank is just trying to help,” I say quietly.
“That may be, but right now, I have my hands full and can’t babysit him.”
“I know,” I mutter, walking out of the plane and into the sun. As soon as my eyes adjust to the light, I notice two large SUVs.
“We’re riding with Junior,” Kai tells me, leading me to one of the SUVs, where there’s a large guy who looks like Uncle Frank standing with his arms crossed over his chest. “Brother,” Kai says.
The guy uncrosses his arms and greets him with a half hug before stepping back, and I notice that he’s one of the guys who was there when we got married.
“You remember Myla,” Kai says, reintroducing me.
The guy leans in to kiss my cheek, saying, “Myla,” quietly before pulling away.
“How have you been?” I ask as Kai opens the door.
“Been good.” He shrugs, and I realize how different this guy is from his dad.
“That’s good,” I mumble when he doesn’t say anything else.
Kai helps me into the car, and he and the Junior sit in the front seat talking quietly while I sit looking out the window in the back seat.
When we arrive at the house, I’m stunned by how beautiful it is. Kai told me that he knew that it wasn’t our house in Hawaii but it was good enough for us to stay in while we were in Vegas. My husband is obviously crazy because the house isn’t just okay—it’s beautiful. The outside is white, and the texture reminds me of icing. Around the windows are red shutters that match the red beams that are sticking out of the roof. When we get inside, I am even more blown away the floors, which are all white marble that is cool on the bottom of my bare feet. Everywhere I look, there are windows that display the vast desert landscape.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper as Kai wraps his arms around me.
“I’m glad you think so.” He kisses the back of my head then holds me like that until he tells me that it’s time to leave.
Chapter 15
Demon slayer
I kiss Kai and get into the back of the SUV with Pika and Aye, watching as Kai walks towards a group of men. Even through the dark, I can see one of the men that he was walking towards is struggling to keep himself under control, and I know that is Kenton.
“Will they be okay?” I ask, not taking my eyes off them.
“You know they will.” Aye answers.