Page 28 of Deceit
“Sure.”
He followed me over to the couch, my mind spinning. What favor could Kaipossibly ask of me?
With some difficulty due to the size of my skirt, I perched on the edge. Kaisat next to me, crossing one long leg over the other, and his scrutinizing gaze burned into my skin as I waited patiently for him to speak.
“Look, you didn’t know Miles before…”he paused, scrubbing a hand downhis face.“You didn’t know him before Theo was killed. Those two, they weren’tjustcousins. They were the best of friends. They did everything together.”
A pang of sorrow hit me in the chest as I tried to keep my features schooledand not give awaythatI did, in fact, know both Theo and Miles. Although to say I knew them was stretching the truth, how much did Ireallyknow about either of them after only one night? Nothing either of them learned aboutmewas the truth.
Oblivious to my brief distraction, Kai continued.“When Theo died, a hugepart of Miles died too. I thought once we’d dealt with who was responsible, Miles might be able to start moving on, but…itseemslike he’s getting worse, and I don’t know how to help him.”
An awkward atmosphere descended around us at the hint of vulnerabilityKai was showing. I’d only ever seen him show emotion toward Riley, and while part of me wanted to take his hand to offer my condolences, I kept them firmly in my lap.
His intense eyes bore into mine, holding me prisoner on the couch.“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t interfere in Miles’ business, but he’s saved my ass onmore than one occasion, and I won’t stand back and watch him slowly kill himself.Thatfavor I need to ask,”he said, reminding me why he was here in the first place.“I need you to give Miles a chance. He may come across as a miserable bastard, and believe me, I know sometimes he can be an unbearable fuckwit. But underneath it all, he’s a broken man.He’s got the biggest, kindest heart you’ll ever find, and when he loves, he loves fiercely, but he lostthatpart when Theo died. I think you’re what he needs to help him findthatpart again, but you need to give him a chance,evenwhen he wants to push you away.”
Stunned, all I could do was gape at Kai. He was asking the impossible ofme. Miles had made it abundantly clearthathe would never,never,allow me to be part of his life.
‘Don’t think for one secondthatjustbecause we’re stuck with each other, Iwant anything to do with you.’
He’d saidthatto me the second time we’d met after he and Papa agreedto the marriage, and every time sincethen, he’d been nothing but closed off to me. Why on earth Kai thought I was the person to help Miles find himself again was beyond me.
Right atthatmoment, the threat Papa had made the night before swirled inmy head. He wanted me to seduce Miles and get pregnant. Kai wanted me to help put him back together.
The weight of the world was suddenly on my shoulders, yet with the way Kai was waiting, a hopeful gleam in his eyes, I couldn’t find it in me to saythatI wouldn’t at leasttrywith Miles.
“I…I can try, but-”I broke off to swallow the lump forming in my throat.“Mileshatesme. I’m not sure why you think I’m the person who can help him.”
Kai stood. Apparently, the conversation was over. He buttoned his jacket as Icraned my neck to look up at him.“He doesn’t hate you, Sofia. He’sjustterrified to let another person in. He’s shit scared of having his heart ripped out again.”
Wishing me luck for the ceremony, Kai left me alone to brood. I closed myeyes, my head in total turmoil, but I had less than a few minutes toattempt to put my thoughts into order before the wedding co-ordinator was knocking on my door, telling me it was time.
With my heart in my throat, I silently followed her through the house, myheels tapping on the marble floor, and my heart racing a gazillion beats a minute.
Bright sunlight streamed into the hall from the open doors leading to thegarden where the wedding was being held. Every part of me wanted to bolt. To run from the house and never look back, butthatwas impossible.
Not only would I have to find a way past Papa’s guards, but Kai had broughta small army of his men to protect our house while the wedding celebrations were underway. Itseemedlike no one was taking any chances of allowing the wedding to be ambushed.
The co-ordinator led me down the concrete steps into the grounds of ourgarden. In the distance, the faint chatter from the wedding guests reached my ears, and a thick knot tightened in my stomach.
I’d always thought our family garden was beautiful; Papa insistedthatthegrounds were always in pristine condition in memory of my mom. Today, I didn’t find the comfort I usually felt when I strolled them.
Reaching Papa, who was waiting near a row of tall evergreen shrubsthathadbeen specifically planted for the wedding, the wedding co-ordinator shoved a huge bouquet of startling red roses into my hands and fussed with my veil, pulling it over my face.
Despite the veil not preventing me from seeing or breathing, claustrophobiaset in, and if it were possible, my heart racedevenquicker. A panic attack loomed, made worse when the co-ordinator spoke into a little microphone attached to her collar, telling whoever she was speaking tothatI was ready.
I wasn’t ready, but it wasn’t like I had a say in the matter.
Papa, who hadn’tevenacknowledged how I looked in my dress, offered mehis arm. I looped mine through, the intense nausea still threatening to explode from me. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I told myselfthatI could do this.
One step at a time,thatwas all I had to do.
“Are you ready?”Papa said when soft music started playing from the stringquartet situated behind the evergreens.
“Yes, Papa.”
One step at a time.
“Good. And you remember what we discussed last night?”I nodded. Like Icould ever forget. I’d spent the best part of the night staring at the ceiling, replaying his words. “Don’t let me down, Sofia. There is a lot riding on this union with the Wolfes.”
