Page 84 of Blood Ties
“I’m saying, go over there and fuck that bitch in front of your brother, right now, or I’ll kill her,” he says, cold and calm.
Their uncle laughs in the corner, leering at me from behind Kai’s back. He plants his meaty hands on his nephew’s shoulders and shoves him toward me.
Kai jerks away, revulsion flickering across his face. “W-What?” He takes a step back, bumping into his uncle’s chest. He looks at Knox, but his brother avoids his gaze, staring down at the floor instead. “No.No.”
“Alright then.” Their Dad lifts the gun to my head again.
“No, please,” Kai begs.
His father’s finger begins to tighten on the trigger. Then he pauses, and swings the gun toward Kai instead.
“Come to think of it,” he says, “you’rethe real problem here, ain’t you? Maybe I should shoot you instead. Leave the girl for your brother, since he seems to like her so much.” He steps toward Kai, shoves the barrel of the gun against his cheek. Kai stares at him, still as a statue.
I want to believe his dad is bluffing, but... The way he looks at Kai isn’t any different than the way he looks at me. We’re both disposable to him. Things to use and toss away.
I shut my eyes, one hand still clutching my lower belly. I think of how close I was to freedom — how close I still am, if we can get through this. This one last, terrible thing.
“Kai,” I whisper, opening my eyes.
He looks at me, his expression stricken. I meet his gaze, and bite my lower lip as it wobbles.
“Do it,” I say. “Just do it.”
He shakes his head without breaking my gaze. “No. No. Not that.”
“Please,” I say, my voice cracking. I can’t force out anything more than that, can’t bring myself to beg for this, but I hope he understands: I would rather endure this than die.
He takes one step toward me, than another. His father steps aside, though he doesn’t lower the gun, still pointed at Kai. Knox is watching, expression stormy, his shoulders tensed and his arms folded across his chest. But I keep my eyes on Kai, giving him an encouraging, watery smile.
He sinks onto his knees on the edge of the mattress, and I pull him closer and kiss him. His fingers weave into my hair, clinging to me like a lifeline.
“I don’t know if I can,” he whispers to me, face hot with shame.
“You can,” I say. “Just look at me, okay? Ignore them. It’s just us.”
His eyes stay on my face as I lay back on the mattress, pulling him with me. One of us is shaking, or maybe both of us. I kiss him the way I know he likes it, reach down between our bodies to undo his jeans and stroke him until his body starts to respond despite his obvious reluctance.
I’m hoping that will be enough. That his father will call off this sick game at some point. But I can feel him watching, unwavering. Him and Kai’s uncle and Knox. My stomach twists.
I try to forget about everyone else in the room. Especially Knox, whose eyes I can feel burning into me.
“I want this,” I whisper to Kai. “I’ve been wanting this.” I wish we slept together the other night. I wish, more than anything, that this wasn’t going to be our first time together. His first time in general.At least it will be over quickly,I think, and have to swallow down bile.
He catches the look on my face. Of course he does; those dark eyes are always watching me, seeing more than I care to show. He starts to pull away, but I wrap my arms around him and pull him close.
“Tell me to stop and I will,” he says. “I don’t care what happens to me—”
“I do,” I say, firmly. “Do this for me. Please. Don’t leave me here alone.”
He looks at me. Hesitating still, though he’s growing hard in my palm.
“Fucking hell.” Knox speaks for the first time since their father’s declaration, his voice a slow drawl, but with a thread of tension beneath the surface. “Do I need to show you where to put it, Kai?”
I tense, fear flickering through me, but Kai cups my face with one big hand, his fingers cutting off my view of his family.
“Just us,” he murmurs against my lips.
I nod, my eyes locking with his again. Watch as he wets his fingers with his tongue and reaches down between my legs, touching me the way I taught him. Part of me wants to hide my enjoyment, to not give his family the show they’re clearly wanting, but that would mean hiding it from Kai too.
