The Revenge by Tijan

“What just happened here?” He sounded so cautious.

I let out a sigh, getting in and then getting the angle. I clicked over the time period, fast-forwarding and waiting for a big black blob. “We had a little tiff.”

“We did?”

I wasn’t doing this.

I flicked my eyes upward, still speeding through until the time frame when the vehicle should’ve gone past. I slowed the time. “It’s a couple thing.”

He sat in the chair beside me, rolling it to face me squarely. “We did a ‘couple’ thing?”

I paused, my hand on the mouse, and glanced sideways. “Yeah.”

His eyes were intense, fastened to me. “That’s an okay thing?”

“Yeah.” I frowned. “Isn’t it?”

He frowned at that question and leaned back in the chair. His hand came up, raking over his head before he let it fall to the desk. “I have no idea. I just don’t want to upset you, and you seem to be doing good, with all…” He wavered, his hand gesturing to the computer. “You’re doing your thing, and you seem good. You’re good, right?” His brows furrowed together and he leaned forward slowly. “Are you good?”

He was nervous.

I blinked a few times when I registered that.

I’d never seen Kash nervous. Kashton Colello. The great and intimidating and sexy Kashton Colello, who could kill if he needed to. The billionaire boyfriend who was menacing, protective, and dangerous.

He was still talking. No. He was rambling, his hand going over his face again.

I noted how tight his shoulders were, and then I started grinning.

All the mess, all the dysfunction and crisis in our lives, and in the midst of me breaking the law, of him assisting me breaking the law, we were doing a normal couple thing.

He noticed my smile and stopped talking. “What? What’s wrong now?”

“Nothing.”

He nodded, his shoulders loosening.

“Just…”

His shoulders tightened back up.

“This is nice.”

His eyebrows shot up once again. “This is nice?” He waved a hand between him and me. “Us? Right now?” He included the computer screen. “Committing felonies? That’s fun?”

I hid a grin, going back to work. “No. This as in you and me in the same room, and being normal.” I thought about it. “Kinda. Sorta.” Okay … “Not really. But you know what I mean.”

He expelled a ragged breath. His hand thumped down on his armchair and he lounged back. “I haven’t got the first clue about what you’re talking about. I’m just,” he hesitated, choosing his words, “I just don’t want to lose you.”

My breath stopped in my chest. It held there.

He was looking down, shaking his head. “I was so fucking scared.” His voice grew thick. Hoarse. “I thought I would lose you. From the kidnapping attempt, to when Victoria ripped into you, to after you lost your mom. I didn’t think…” He lifted his head, and there was no wall there. No mask. He was more naked with me than when we made love. “I don’t think I’ve breathed until now, and I had no idea.” Another layer slid away, and he was hurting. The pain was raw and pulsating.

I went to him. His face tightened in agony and I was there. I was in his lap, and my hands were cradling both sides of his face. “I love you.”

He drew in a breath. “Are you sure?”

God.

He was so raw right now.

“I’m sure.”

He moved his head, up and down, just slightly. My forehead went down to rest against his, and he closed his eyes. “My grandfather, I didn’t deal with him when I was young—”

“And what? Become a murderer?” I lifted my head, and I tipped his chin up to meet my gaze.

My chest was squeezing together at the sight of his suffering. He was ripping me in half, but I kept on. “You couldn’t do anything except live in fear.”

I found his hands and laced our fingers together. Resting our hands on his legs, I moved so I was straddling him. “I’m going to find my mother. We’re going to get her back. Then I’m going to help you destroy your grandfather, once and for all, and figure out what to do with your twin brother.”

I bent down, finding his lips, and I lingered, just needing to feel him.

Once I had my fill, I slid off his lap and went back to the desk.





FORTY-TWO

Kash


All night long. She never wavered.

She took my breath away.

Every minute. Every hour. She was nonstop. She wasn’t going to stop until she found Chrissy.

This. This felt good. This felt refreshing.

Hell. This felt necessary.



* * *



She worked past the next day shift.

The staff was sent home, paid day off. The minimum amount of guards stayed on.

I told Peter to take the kids away for the day, and I brought Bailey licorice and energy drinks.

It was that afternoon, after too many hours of working, when her hands shoved in the air and she pushed back her chair. She took a victory walk around the room, pumping her fists in the air.

“Scooore! Bailey Hayes wins again!” She turned to me, fists in the air, and the brightest smile I’d ever seen on her face. “I found her. I got visual. And I got in their neighbor’s security system.” A strand of hair fell down her forehead. Her cheeks rounded, and she puffed it back up. She never lost that smile. “I found her, Kash. I found my mom.”