𝐾 𝐴 𝐼

Chapter |13| Come Back

K A I ' S P. O. V

I'm such a fucking coward I can't even look at her. Instead I stare at her mother.

The tension is thick enough to slice in half and I want nothing more than to hold Emery in my arms and run away.

She's my lifeline. And this woman is squeezing her, breaking her, all so she can cut off our dependency for each other.

Emery breaks the silence with a laugh. It's empty and void.

"You're crazy mom. God you have done some fucked things to me in my life but never have you tried to hurt me like this. I love Kai. I'm in love with this man and because he doesn't fit your rigid standards, you're going to try and break us apart. Destroy us. You can't control love mom, no matter how hard you try."

I stare at the pictures, remembering that night vividly. Kieron and I were called for a job. We were to kill one of our old men who had become an informant for another gang.

We were careful. So fucking careful that I know the body will never be found. I stepped out for a moment to breathe, to let the chill of the night bring me back from the darkness.

I wasn't thinking. I didn't see anyone taking pictures of me because I didn't follow protocol first.

Instead, I fucked up. Again.

"Emery, I even went to the police, but you know what they told me. It's not sufficient enough. They ignored my request to have you investigated, they ignored my claims that you were in danger. You know why Emery? Because his family bought them off. They have the goddamn police wrapped around their fingers. There is no justice for people like us, not with them around."

I meet her mother's stare head on, conflicted between anger or apology. It's true, of course it is, but I can't change anything.

I should have told Emery earlier myself. To save us both from all this heartache and embarrassment.

The truth is I was scared she would leave me. I'm a coward who would rather lie to his girlfriend than face the truth.

And she loves me. I've finally found a woman to put up with all my bullshit, all my problems, my anxiety. We only ever order one pizza because we both love the same, she laughs when I fart and I laugh at hers, we can sit for hours watching mindless television in content.

Just because we're together.

Now I'm going to lose her, and I'm not ready for it. I can't be, not when I haven't even told her that I...that I...fucking hell!

They're just words.

But they're not. Saying them would solidify our connection, it would bring us closer together, and it would mean making a commitment I never have before.

"You're crazy mom. Crazy." Emery is struggling. She doesn't believe it, but the evidence is pretty fucking damning.

I don't know how to fix this. So I do the only thing to salvage what is left of our relationship.

"Emery let's leave." Her head shoots to mine, eyes filled with accusation and conflict. I squeeze the hand still tightly clutching mine and send her a desperate pleading look.

Finally, she nods.

Our chairs scrape the marble flooring, and her mother jolts up, her hands snatch Emery's. "Don't do this. He's dangerous, his family is and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Mom, let me go." Her mother doesn't budge, forcing Emery to wrench her hand away and she storms ahead of me.

I don't look back at them. Instead, I stare solemnly at the floor and follow suit.