Page 54 of Exile
“You can’t know that, Kai. If he was willing to do this to me”—I motion to my body, reminding him of the beating Dominick gave me—“there is every possibility he will do it to my mom to punish me. She might not even remember he’s the one that did it! I can’t take that risk. I have to go back and make sure she’s okay.”
“ReRe, I can’t let you do that. I made a promise to keep you safe, and I am gonna keep it.”
Frustration bubbles out of me and I yank myself out of Kai’s hold. “This isn’t up to you, Kai! This is my mother. My family. She’s the most important person in my life, and I am not going to hide away and let Dominick unleash his monster on her.”
“What do you think he’s going to do once he has you back, Serena?! Do you honestly think it will end well with an ‘Oops, my bad, I’m sorry I hit you’?” Kai’s voice rises in volume, matching the frustration I’m feeling right now. My eyes burn from the tears threatening to fall, my chest so tight from fear it hurts to breathe.
“I fucking know that, Kai! But what else am I supposed to do? He’s trying to get you arrested for kidnapping; he has my mom; he’s harassed your parents and Mrs. G. I can’t let him keep ripping my life apart while I’m hiding away, trying to chase away my problems by using your dick. I am going back and making sure my mother is safe.”
Hurt flashes briefly across Kai’s face at my dismissal of what we shared at the motel, but I can’t spare any extra emotion for him right now.
“Fine, but you’re not going alone. I’m going with you.” Kai’s jaw pulses from how tightly he is clenching his teeth, his eyes burning with an intensity I have never seen from him.
“No, you’re not.”
“The fuck I’m not, ReRe. I. Am. Going. With. You.” Kai grasps my face in his hands, forcing me to look him in the eye. “Serena, listen to me. You cannot go back to him.”
Tears welling in my eyes finally spill over as I come to grips with what Kai is saying. I know he’s right but what else can I do? “But?—”
“SERENA! No buts! We will figure something out that doesn’t involve you going back to him alone. Got it?” I see the anguish in Kai’s eyes. It hurts him to tell me no. He knows how important my mom is. But he also has to protect me. I see that need burning inside him.
Slowly, I close my eyes and nod my agreement. Kai lets out a relieved sigh, pressing his forehead against mine.
“We will figure this out. We will get your mom back, I promise.” He peppers sweet, tender kisses along my hairline and then down my nose, stopping at my lips. He gently presses his lips to mine, as if he’s reassuring himself that I’m still here with him. Still his.
He tugs me towards his car, buckling me in before going around the front and getting behind the wheel. We are quiet as we leave the care facility, both sifting through the best of bad options.
As Kai pulls onto the main road, his face brightens with an idea. “Let’s get someone to go with us. Maybe he won’t cause a scene if we have a witness? What about Marie’s husband…what’s his name?” Kai snaps his finger, trying to come up with the right name.
“Ben?” I answer hesitantly, unsure if getting more people involved is the best idea.
“Yeah, Ben. He’s a big motherfucker, isn’t he? Wasn’t he a football player or some shit?”
“Yeah, bu—” My objection is cut off with the blare of siren sounds behind us and the flare of blue and red lights. We aren’t more than five minutes down the road before we are found.
“FUCK!” Kai’s fingers tighten their grip on the steering wheel as his eyes flick to me, panic racing through them. He looks back at the road, then glances down at the speedometer, indecision weighing on his face. He’s thinking about running.
“Kai, pull over. We can’t outrun them. It’ll only make it worse.” I reach across the console and give his forearm a squeeze, the muscle taut and firm under my touch. He glances back at me, and I see the resolved defeat in his expression. He turns on the emergency flashers and pulls to the side of the road. He leaves his hands at ten and two on the wheel after shutting off the ignition. I place my hands on the dash as well, as a matter of precaution. If Dominick has his buddies out searching for me—with Kai as a suspect for kidnapping—we can’t take any chances of provoking a response.
There’s a long tense moment while we wait for the officer to approach. I don’t know if I hope it is Eric or Dane or someone I don’t know. Would they believe me if I told them the truth? Or do they know what he’s truly like and don’t care? My thought spiral is interrupted by a barked command from outside of the car.
He is standing right outside of Kai’s window, gun drawn, pointed towards us. My heart feels like it is going to explode out of my chest. Bile rises up my throat as fear paralyzes me. Oh God, this is bad. This is so fucking bad.
“Get out of the car, slowly. Hands behind your head.”
I watch Kai close his eyes, and his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows down his own fear. He looks at me, and all of the hurt and regret that he wasn’t able to keep me safe is shining in his eyes. He blinks back the thin veil of tears as his beautiful full lips tip up into the slightest ghost of a smile.
“It’s going to be okay, ReRe. I love you.” My own tears spill down my cheeks as I fight the desperate need to pull him to me and hold him in my arms.
“I love you too.”
With slow, deliberate movements, Kai opens his car door before placing his hands on his head and climbs out of the car.
“On the ground, now!” I don’t recognize the harsh voice barking out the command. I watch as Kai drops to his knees, his head held up high with a defiant expression on his face. Fear surges through me at the thought he might try to resist. Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Don’t do it, I silently pray, urging Kai to keep his cool.
A loud knock on my window pulls a scream from my throat. Kai’s body jerks towards me when he hears my shout. My car door is jerked open, a strong grip pulling me from my seat while I watch on in horror as the officer in front of Kai tackles him to the ground, yelling incomprehensible orders.
“No! Kai! Leave him alone!” I squirm and jerk against the strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me away from Kai. “Stop! This is a mistake! Let us go!” My voice cracks as a sob escapes. I can’t see Kai. I can only see the top half of the cop kneeling on his back, struggling to secure his wrists behind him. I hear Kai’s pained grunts and his panicked shouts of my name as he tries to check on me.