There was a nasty bruise forming near one eye, and anger coursed through me.
The bastard hit her.
He fucking touched—hurt—her.
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
“Pretty girl,” I breathed.
Her brow furrowed.
“Open your eyes.”
She shook her head slightly as more tears streamed down her face.
“Why not?” I asked softly.
“You’re not real,” she said, choking on the last word.
Fuck.
“Gemma. Look at me. I am as real as you. Baby.”
She paused. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.
They were wet and red, and she blinked a few times before they widened in realization.
“Kai?”
I smiled, trying to keep myself from losing it completely.
He fucking put my girl in a cage.
“Hey, baby. Did you miss me?”
She cried out and rushed to the bars of the cage. I reached in for her, touching her all over, feeling her solid form to reassure myself that she was okay.
Fuck.
She sobbed loudly. “You’re here. You’re real.”
“That’s right. I’m here.”
I cupped her cheek and wiped away her tears.
“Baby, don’t cry. I’m gonna get you out of here, okay?”
“I know,” she said. “I know you will.”
I stepped back. The cage had a fucking padlock.
I had my gun, but I couldn’t shoot it without drawing the attention of the men. I didn’t know how far Dad, Micah, and Roman had gotten in eliminating them, and I wasn’t risking her life.
The only way to save her was to take control of the ship first.
I moved back to her and cupped her cheek. Every fiber of my being rebelled at my next words.
“Be good for me, okay? I’ll come back to you. Okay?”