Page 99 of Liberated By Sin

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“I promise, Kai bear.”

The dam burst. A sob wrenched from my throat as I ran into his arms and cried. Kai hugged me so tightly I could barely take a breath. But I never wanted him to let go.

“Athena, why did you leave us?” It was the first time I’d ever seen my brother cry. I sobbed harder and buried my face in his shoulder.

“What happened?” he asked.

Dragging in a shuddering breath, I whispered, “Ronan.”

Kai’s muscles tensed, and he set me down, pushing back tear-dampened hair from my face.

“Ronan,” he confirmed with a growl.

I nodded. And he clenched his teeth.

“Are you okay?”

A new flush of tears welled and slid down my cheeks as I shook my head. “No,” I murmured, staring through him now. “He killed her.”

“Who?” he asked, confused. My throat blazed, nearly closing up as I fought to speak, fought to say her name.

My name.

Kai grabbed my shoulders, shaking me slightly. “Who, blue? Who did he kill?”

Our eyes connected. “Athena… Me.”

39

Lost Without You – Freya Ridings

Kaihad been silent for what felt like hours, staring off into the void, his jaw clenched so tightly I was afraid he’d crack his teeth. My tears had long dried up as I relayed the tragic events of my life, laying them all out for him and holding nothing back. He confirmed what I had suspected. Ronan was on the run, hiding after betraying Derek and taking part in shady dealings against the organization. None of them knew where he’d gone, though the few times he’d resurfaced, it was evident he still retained connections with select members and old business partners who’d aided him with untraceable funds.

“Say something.”

Kai squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head as he held my hands. “Athena—”

“Amara… I’m Amara now.”

With a nod, he pressed a kiss to my skin. “Amara, why didn’t you reach out? Derek and I would have come to you, no question. We would have taken his goddamn head if we knew.” His blue irises pulsedwith tears. “I’m so sorry. We should have suspected. Should have confronted him… Should have looked for you harder.”

“It’s not your fault. He lied, just like he told me he would. He made you believe I’d left with Ezra, left the organization, and didn’t want to be found.”

Kai’s eyes were downcast, falling on the silk cuffs around my wrists before rising again and meeting mine. He didn’t need to ask. I could see the questions and anguish swimming in his gaze.

“It’s okay,” I whispered as his fingers hovered over the edge of the fabric.

When he peeled them back, he pounded the table and shot to his feet, pacing madly and stopping only to launch his chair across the room with so much force that one of its legs snapped off on impact.

“He’s dead. All of them. When I tell Derek…”

Kai turned to me, the lines of rage on his face dissipating as he knelt and took my hands. “You have to call him, blue. He’ll be so happy to hear from you.”

My heart galloped at the thought, excitement buzzing through me.

“I met Derek’s little girl.”