Hideaway (Devil's Night 2)

And then he grabbed me.

“Hey!” I cried out.

But he hauled me across the room, and I twisted my head around, trying to see what was happening. Everything went down so fast. My father’s men each grabbed one of our guests, and Kai sliced his attacker across the face with the heel of his hand, sending the other man collapsing to his knees.

He immediately looked at me as I was forced over behind the desk with my father, and then someone whipped a steel bar across his shoulder blades, and Kai went down, grunting. He stumbled, shaking as he tried to see Will and Rika who were each being restrained by their arms.

“What the hell is going on?” he bellowed.

I twisted in Ilia’s arms.

“No contract, no agreement,” Gabriel gritted out. “No hotel, and Banks is ours.”

“I don’t give a shit about the hotel!” Kai shouted as he was hauled off his knees by the one who’d hit him. He shoved the man off and turned, glaring at my father. “And she doesn’t have to stay anywhere she doesn’t want to. She’s not your property!”

His eyes burned, looking both furious but ready.

Gabriel turned to me. “You want to go with him? Go.”

No. Don’t do this. I pleaded him with my eyes.

“Go,” he told me again, the challenge thick in his tone. “See how long he wants you. See what happens when you try to crawl back here, because you know how I reward disloyalty. Go.”

I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment, feeling all their gazes on me. This was unbearable. If I left with him, I left with nothing. Completely dependent on Kai.

I wanted him, but my father was right. Would I really exchange the devil I know for the devil I don’t? I couldn’t rely on what might or might not be between Kai and me. He was the next five minutes, and my family was the rest of my life.

“You want him?” Gabriel prodded again. “Go.”

He pushed, and I trembled, trying to hold in the tears. Please. Kai was waiting for me, and this was torture.

I could hear Kai’s breath shake as he held out his hand. “Come on, baby,” he begged. “Just reach out.”

My fingers hummed, wanting his touch. Wanting to take his hand.

But I curled them into fists and met his eyes, slowly shaking my head.

And Kai just stared at me, his expression frozen, but his chest slowly caving. The heat of shame spread over my face. I hated hurting him.

But we both knew this was over before it even began.

“Don’t look so surprised,” Gabriel told him, self-satisfaction in his voice. “She loves him. She’ll always choose him.”

The hint of hurt in Kai’s eyes turned hard, and he straightened up, smoothing a hand down his shirt and jacket as he glared at me.

My father turned to me, amused. “I don’t think he wants you anymore.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“If you don’t come, it’s war,” Kai threatened me, his tone as dead as a machine. “And I will make this hurt. Dare me.”

I heard my father chuckle, but I knew Kai wasn’t bluffing. And this might not even be about Damon anymore. He was angry with me now.

And then, all of a sudden, it happened. Kai shot out, grabbed the pen, and scribbled his signature across the line.

“Kai, no!” Rika cried out.

“No,” I gasped under my breath. Every bit of air left my lungs as I stared in horror at the signed contract.