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He took a long step forward, then lunged for me. My scream echoed through the open field while I took off in a sprint, giggling my ass off. The sound of his laughter behind me made my heart leap with joy.
Kane caught up, wrapped his arm around my waist, and lifted me off the ground. “I’ll admit nothing.” He set me down, then tickled me until I begged him to stop.
Catching my breath, I looked at him. His smile was brighter than the moon, and my chest squeezed. I loved seeing him happy and wanted more of those moments with him.
Images flickered through my mind—men beating women and children crying. Doubling over, I placed my palms on my thighs to steady myself, gasping for air.
“Brie? What is it? What’s wrong?” Kane knelt on the ground before me. “Look at me.”
I peeked up at him, trembling. “I’m okay. Sometimes I have flashes, but not enough to reveal anything.”
Kane stood and pulled me against him. “You’re safe, babe. I’ve got you, and this time, I’m never letting you go.”
ChapterThirty-Two
Kane
Brie’s body shook with tears as she grabbed my shirt, clinging to me. As much as I had tried, I hadn’t been able to protect her. I’d failed, yet she was in my arms again, trusting me. Brie was right. This was my second chance, and she might never remember what we lived through, but I was convinced that wasn’t necessary for us to have a good life together.
I rubbed her back as her cries subsided. “I know today has been a lot. We fought, fucked, then I told you part of our past. It’s a lot to take in. One of the reasons I brought you here was to share some good memories, too.”
Brie peered up at me, her tears clinging to her long eyelashes. It was crazy how one look at her could bring me to my knees. Even when we were young, I knew I loved her. She’d always been my anchor, the light in the darkness. Once I’d had a few days to process the amnesia, I realized that if we were going to be with each other, it was up to me to create new memories for both of us.
“I’m sorry. I’m ruining your surprise.” She sniffled and wiped her cheeks.
“No, you’re not.”
She pulled away, appearing embarrassed that she’d broken down in front of me. Unfortunately, it probably wouldn’t be the last time. We had a difficult road ahead of us, but she was worth every bit of the agony.
“What did you want to show me?” She peeked up at the sky. The moon was so bright the stars had disappeared in the background.
I took her hand, then led her across the field. “After the FBI found us, I had a difficult time adjusting. You don’t remember, but one of the elders taught us how to play football. Once he realized that I was a natural, he spent a lot of time teaching me one-on-one. When shit would go down at the compound, I would recite football plays over and over or … think about you.” I squeezed her hand. “Anyway, I was angry and gave my parents hell. One of my favorite things to do was throw the football between the white columns in the foyer of the house.”
“You didn’t.” Brie gasped in horror.
I nodded. “Yup. Broke a lot of expensive vases, too. Mom was furious with me. The next day, Dad brought me here.” I slowed as we approached the other side of the field, then glanced down.
“Oh, my God. A lake?” Brie released my hand, moving closer to the edge. A light breeze blew her hair behind her shoulders, and I wrapped my arm around her.
“It became a place that I could come to and release all the bundled-up rage. Even more than that, Dad drilled down and really taught me to play ball. I had the basics and understood some plays, but that was it. You and I didn’t grow up with television or internet, so I didn’t even know the National Football League existed.”
“That would seem so strange unless we didn’t even realize there was such a thing as Google. Were you excited to learn about the NFL?”
“It turned my life around. I finally had something to focus on, work my ass off for, and rebuild what had been stolen from me. Once Dad realized I was talented, he worked with me. He talked to the coach at my high school and convinced him to let me try out for the football team. I was the new kid, angry at the world, but I wanted to play.”
“I’m guessing you nailed the tryout.”
I smiled, recalling how excited I was. “The coach nearly pissed himself he was so eager to have me. It was that year I started making friends, settled in at home, and tried to become a good person.”
“Kane, you are a good person. Why do you keep saying that you aren’t?”
I stared at the lake below us and how the moonlight bounced off the water, calming me. “I’ve done some fucked-up shit. Still do. The cult ingrained it in us. We were bad—sinners. Do you remember a few weeks ago when I snuck into your bedroom and told you I’d been beaten for my dick getting hard?”
Brie frowned. “I … with the sleep medication, I couldn’t really distinguish what was real or a dream. I didn’t realize it had actually happened. When I found Sasha’s invitation and filled out the online questionnaire, I checked the fantasies I wanted to try. Someone breaking into my house and threatening me was one of them.”
A chilly wind blew off the water, and she shivered against me. I rubbed her arms, attempting to warm her. “Guess I fulfilled your fantasy, or part of it, anyway. I didn’t play out all of it.”
“Yes, you did. Earlier in my living room.”
