Page 47 of Entangled
But lo and behold, my dark knight held my hand and navigated the way.
“Let’s get this over with so I can come home and fuck you,” Kade said, his words making me melt into a puddle.
“Kade!” I playfully smacked his arm, although that was the only thing currently on my mind. We were on the same wavelength even when we weren’t trying.
I put my arm through his, and walked with him towards the front door, and to the end.
I wasn’t sure what kind of end to expect, but I knew no matter what kind it was, whether Lilah and Jude let me go or not, it wouldn’t go smoothly. They wouldn’t just hand me off so easily.
My anxiety was beginning to overflow, but knowing Kade was by my side dulled it to a quiet buzzing.
“Both of you stay safe, and come back in one piece,” Astrid said nervously, and it was good to know I wasn’t the only one anxious about this meeting. Kade had his stoic face on and didn’t look the least bit concerned. I envied that about him, wishing I could keep my worries deep within.
“I will do my best,” I replied as she pulled me into a quick hug, and she felt so warm and safe that I didn’t want to let go.
Since my mother had passed, Astrid had slowly but surely begun to take that empty space in my heart that Lilah would never be able to, and so I knew her worry was genuine. There was no ulterior motive behind it and her kindness.
I just hoped I could stay true to my word, and return us both in one piece.
As we drove,I tried to keep my attention solely focused on Kade’s hand on my thigh and his smell that permeated the air. But the closer we got to the meeting, the worse my fear grew, numbing all my other senses.
I trusted Kade, but I’d known Lilah for a very long time, and I knew there was no way she’d let me go so easily.
I had a feeling Kade knew it too, if the tension in his jaw was anything to go off of. We didn’t speak, yet our silence spokevolumes. The anxiety was thick in the air, like a fog first thing in the morning.
“You know everything is going to be fine, right?” Kade said, as if he could read my mind.
I didn’t reply because I didn’t know what to say. I knew he’d protect me, but I also knew nothing would go smoothly. Not for me.
Nothing in my life would ever be easy. There’s no way I could get off the hook this easily.
Kade grabbed my hands, threading our fingers together and giving my hand a squeeze in reassurance as we pulled up to the warehouse.
A number of cars were already parked in the gravel lot from what I could see. I could easily pick out Lilah’s, as well as Jude’s, which made my stomach roll.
I took a deep breath in and went to open my door, but Kade gripped my thigh roughly before I had the chance.
“Wait for me,” he said, his voice tense. He let go of my thigh and reached into the glove box, pulling out a pistol, and loading it quickly before my eyes.
“If everything is going to be fine, why are you bringing a gun?” I asked, as he tucked it into his waistband.
“You can never be too safe, Soren. You know that,” he replied simply.
He exited the car and rounded the front, coming to open my door and letting me out.
I closed my eyes, begging my heart to stop pounding, and for some ounce of bravery to slip in instead.
I had been afraid for years of everything around me. I didn’t want to be afraid anymore. And as Kade opened the door and grabbed my hand, I knew I didn’t have to be.
“Hello, my dove,”Lilah said, all eyes flicking to us as we entered through the double doors.
On the way here, Kade had explained that we needed to make everyone believe we hated each other. But how were we going to do that if he was going to ask me to stay with him? How was I supposed to hide my feelings for him from people who watched me with an eagle’s eye?
He seemed to have also realized this, because our hands stayed glued together as we made our way into the circle, never breaking contact.
Jude, Matthias, and Lilah’s eyes snapped to our joined hands, each wearing a different expression of confusion, disapproval, and disgust.
Like I gave a fuck what they had to think anymore.
