Page 88 of Lust

“Come on Ivory. You weren’t going to give me the time of day with that biker around!”

“Again! You kidnapped me! My family will be worried sick!”

“By family you mean the biker.” He tilts his head watching my reaction. I don’t say anything. “I’ve already spoken with Asher, he knows you are safe.”

“I don’t think the words safe and kidnapped go together.” My hand goes to my pounding head.

“Sorry about the head wound. I needed you quiet so I could get this chance.” He gestured between us. And I just shake my head looking at him.

“You still kidnapped me.” I give him a slight glare, because who goes around kidnapping people.

“I’m sure Kace has dealt with this situation before. God knows he is a biker. Don’t their women always get threatened?”

“You’re telling the story.” I snapped at him, not wanting to shed any light on mine and Kace’s relationship.

“I’ve got one question for you Ivory.” And he stands up.

“You kidnapped me. The least you can do is have more than one question.” I can’t stop the smart ass comment coming out.

His lips twitched up. “Always were demanding.” He then moved towards me, and I’m aware of the gun in his hand, so I push myself away from him, my back hitting the beds headboard. “Do you love Kace?” He says the words but I know he doesn’t really want the answer. “Like you loved me?” he adds.

I just blink because the honest answer was, no. I didn’t love Kace the way I had loved Taylor.

“Taylor, you and Kace, are different people.”

“Answer the question Ivory.”

“No.” I blew out and the look he gives me, tells me he wants more of an answer. “My sixteen year old self, fell in love with the boy next door. I thought I knew what love was then. But I was wrong.” And I paused, seeing if I could really tell him the truth. By his non changing expression I knew I could. “I found out what love was, because of Kace.”

“Would it break you if you knew he wasn’t faithful and didn’t love you back?”

“Yeah of course.” I quickly shake my head. “But I know Kace doesn’t love me, already. Still that doesn’t stop me from loving him.”

“How do you know he doesn’t love you?”

“Because he can’t say the words.” I blink getting emotional and shrug. “But I’ve accepted that, and I now know that he feels for me, what he is capable of feeling. So I’ve settled.”

Taylor brings his hand to my cheek, after getting closer as I spoke. “You should never settle.”

“I’m happier with him, even if I only get half of him.”

“So I don’t even make the list?” his lips twitch up with sadness.

“No.” And I say that word with confidence.

“Remember what I told you before I knocked you out?” Taylor says and I frown. “I said, if I can’t have you, no one can.”

And those words again off his lips, scare the shit out of me. Because I’m more than aware of the gun in his hand now. As he raises it I stare at the barrel.

I see the tears in Taylor’s eyes, as his finger goes for the trigger. I’m thinking, flight or fight but I can’t do either. Because he pulls the trigger.

64

Kace

Can’t change fate.

If I had been five minutes earlier. It wouldn’t have happened.

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