Page 55 of Covert Desires

Her vulnerability is palpable, and it shakes something loose inside me. The innkeeper doesn’t usually let her guard down.

I sigh, clenching my jaw. “What do you want from me, Kiah?”

“I want to be the only one who gets to hurt you, Nico. I can’t explain it, and it doesn’t make sense, but I can’t let them kill you. Even if you did take out your father.”

“Ah, jeez, thanks.” I roll my eyes at her. “It’s a little bit too late now, ain’t it?”

She shakes her head. “It’s not. We can take them. If we work together.”

“Oh, sonowyou want to protect me,” I scoff.

Her voice cracks, pleading almost. “Nico, please. Let me fix this.”

“What does an innkeeper know about fighting the mob?”

“You’d be surprised.” She sighs, wiping a stray strand of blonde from her sticky brow.

“What does that mean? And no more lies. I despise lies. Who the fuck are you, and where did you learn to fight?”

She doesn’t hesitate. “The Army. The Special Forces. My life as a mercenary. Take your pick.”

“Christ. Then why the fuck are you running an inn?”

“I’m hiding.”

“What are you hiding from?”

“It’s a long story…”

“Well, you better give me the quick version because, apparently, we don’t have much time.”

Kiah shrugs. “The world. Myself. I don’t know. I ran away to get out, start fresh, and heal from what happened. It was only supposed to be temporary. But now it’s five years later, and I still haven’t figured out what next…”

She sounds sincere, but how can I be sure?

I don’t want to care.

The bitch betrayed me.

But I can’t help myself from asking what happened.

Kiah gets up from the chair and slowly lifts her shirt to reveal the nasty scar running over her belly from hip to hip. I’ve noticed it before but never seen it in the full light of day.

The tissue is raised and slightly puckered, forming a ridge. In some places, it's smooth and shiny; in others, it's slightly indented or rough.

“Five years ago, I was at the height of my career. I only took high-profile cases and made a shit ton of money. Think James Bond, but female. I whored my way around every city, living fast on temporary identities and perfect lies…”

“What changed?” I ask despite wanting to give her the silent treatment.

“I was careless one night. We didn’t have a condom. Long story short, I got pregnant. At first, I was certain I’d get rid of the baby and carry on with my life. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to keep it, to start my own family. To finally have someone in my corner who would love me unconditionally.”

I have many follow-up questions, but I don’t interject.

“But, similar to your line of work, one cannot simplyget out. Especially not if the father of the child is an illegal arms dealer. A married one at that. I was stupid. I should’ve just taken my baby and left. But I wanted him to know, to have the option of being part of the kid’s life. Needless to say, he didn’t take too kindly to the news.”

My blood runs cold.That bastard...I can barely contain the fresh rage boiling inside me, my jaw clicking loudly. How dare anyone lay a hand on her, let alone try to rip her open like some animal?

“He cut you like that?” I ask, the words thick in my throat.

---