AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I snuggle deeper into him as a wave of relief crashes over me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” He pulls back, hooking his thumb under my chin and directing my gaze to his eyes. “I have to get you out of here, Lillith. Now. And we can’t take Carlotta with us.”
I open my mouth to protest, but he puts a finger to my lips. “Landon is on his way to get her. My priority right now is you.” His face hardens. “My brothers can’t be trusted right now. I need to get you out of here before Landon shows. In case he’s turned, too…”
I don’t think I’m supposed to hear the last part, but Kain doesn’t give me the option to ask any questions.
“But what if he hurts her?”
“He won’t.” His gaze hardens. “Do you trust me?”
I nod, and the muscles in his face relax. “Wrap your arms around my neck and keep your head down. Do not look up. No matter what you hear. Can you do that for me, Lillith?”
My mouth is too dry to speak, but my silence is enough of an answer.
“Okay.” He sighs, holding me tight against him. “Let’s get the fuck out of this hellhole.”
CHAPTER FORTY
KAIN
With all the chaos and swarming bodies, I manage to get Lillith outside without anyone noticing. I don’t know where Wes is, but I can’t stick around any longer to make sure he’s safe. The man can hold his own—which gives me some consolation—but I don’t know what would happen if four or five Serpents decided to jump him at once.
“Hold on tight, flower,” I order, wrapping her hands around my waist before revving the engine. I’ve barely started down the driveway when a furious roar reaches my ears.
“This isn’t over, Kain! You’ll get what’s yours, and that’s a fucking promise!”
Lillith tenses at my back, but I pay no attention to Callum’s threat as I speed away from the club. I need to get her home. I need to make sure she’s safe before I do anything else.
The drive to the cabin feels like it takes forever with nothing to focus on but my heart pounding in my ears. Even as the crisp scent of the eucalyptus makes its way to my senses, I’m unable to focus on anything else. That dull, clocklike thud… thud… thud…
“Kain?”
The angelic voice snaps me out of whatever spell I have been under, and I look around the clearing in surprise.
“We’ve been sitting in the driveway for a couple of minutes… I was worried you might be in shock.”
Dismounting, I wheel around and pull her into my arms, shoving my face into her neck and breathing deeply.
“I thought I was going to lose you tonight.”
“But you didn’t,” she whispers, twisting her delicate fingers in my hair. “I’m here. I’m fine. See?” Her lips lift in a sad smile as she gestures to her frame. My eye catches the dried blood on her palm, and grief pushes all the air from my lungs.
“How could I let this happen?” I whisper, pressing my lips to her bloodied palm. “Nothing was supposed to happen to you. Not ever. Not while I was there.”
Her eyes find mine, and my heart crawls to my throat. There’s not an ounce of the hatred I expect, none of the disdain my failure deserves. Instead, it’s a silent question, asking me to forgive myself because she already has.
“Let’s go inside,” she whispers, taking my hand and leading me to the porch. “I don’t know about you, but I could really use a bath.”
I follow her up to the front of the cabin, placing my palm against the side panel. It doesn’t open. A curse hisses through my teeth as I try to get the locking mechanism to connect, but no matter what angles I try, the door refuses to open.
“I fucking hate technology,” I growl, stomping over to a plant pot at the far end of the porch. Lillith follows close at my heels, and I can feel the question in her gaze as I haul the massive planter out of the corner. Once the square cutout is revealed, I press the entry code numbers, and the front door finally shudders open.
When I straighten, Lillith is fixing me with a hard stare. “You used my birthday as the code to your front door?” Her voice is meant to sound tough, but I don’t miss the hint of appreciation.
“It’s the code to your cage, too.” I shrug as I move toward the open door. “Though, I’ll be changing it after this conversation.”
“Of course you will be,” she grumbles, stepping past the threshold into the cabin. “You know, you don’t need to lock me up anymore. It’s not like I plan to go anywhere.”
