Chapter 22

Keelan

W e were out before noon, allowing us to sleep in for once instead of getting up at the ass crack of dawn to hit the road. Since it was such a late start, I decided to stop once we crossed the Nebraska border, unless we had to use the bathroom or needed gas.

This time, the tension between us was less hostile. After yet another vague conversation about the lockbox, we spent the night wrapped up in each other’s arms, our bodies sweating against the sheets. I wouldn’t go as far as thinking she was enjoying my presence now, but we weren’t fighting, and she wasn’t trying to run away. So, that was a start.

We drove across state lines, exchanging only a few words, which was fine. Sadie was curled up in a ball, her pretty little head resting on the pillow we stole from the motel. The afternoon exhaustion hit her hard, and within minutes of us leaving a gas station, she was asleep. As Sadie snoozed, I snuck a glance at her sleeping form .

Last night, once I mentioned Patrick, something shifted in her. One moment, we were making some progress by her surrendering her body to me completely, and then the next, the sound of her deceased brother’s name from my lips pulled her back into a shell of cold anger. I thought she would try to pry more information out of me about the lockbox, but she didn’t. Instead, it seemed like bringing up her brother’s name bothered her even more.

Patrick was worse of a dick to her than I was, who delighted in his little sister’s torment. He made her life as a child a living hell, thanks to that fucking bastard father of theirs. I was his best friend, but even I would never stoop to bullying Mia the way Patrick tormented Sadie.

I would rather cut my hand off. Growing up, I tried to divert his attention from hurting her as best I could, but it wasn’t enough. When he died, I saw the relief written all over her face, even though she grieved over him. If Patrick were still alive, I would’ve …

“Keelan?” Sadie’s voice broke through my dark thoughts, and I glanced at her, noticing her eyes looking glossy from sleepiness.

“What is it?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral.

Sadie looked toward the road as we merged onto I-180 South toward Lincoln, Nebraska.

“This is where you said we’re stopping for food, right?” she asked. “And to sleep?”

I nodded. “I figured we could shower first. Does that work?”

Options. I was giving her fucking options.

The look she gave me made it clear she was as surprised as I was that she had a choice in the matter.

Sadie pulled her brows together. “Not so bossy anymore, are you?” she asked distastefully, but I could have sworn there was the ghost of a smile on those soft pink lips. A different tightness coiled low in my belly.

“Watch the attitude, Sadie. Or I’ll replace that look with my cock shoved down your throat again. And trust me, when you’re gagging on my cum, you’ll have no choice but to obey and swallow it down.”

Her jaw dropped with a hint of blush touching her lips, and she turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. But I saw her thighs subtly press together. Wicked thoughts crossed my mind, but quickly, hunger overruled what my dick wanted to do.

The road we took across the country wasn’t unfamiliar to me; my father made sure to drag me and my brothers, Logan and Aiden, along with him when making business contacts. That’s why I was able to plan this so carefully. I knew this route well. Mia was left at home with her mother—my stepmother, Lily. Those trips always included the Ryan family. Finn and Arthur did their business deals best when working together.

The last time we were in Lincoln, Nebraska, Sadie had barely entered middle school. All she wanted to do was study hard so she could leave her family someday and head off to college, but when the time came, her father refused to let her go.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to have an education; he just wanted to have control over it. He had enrolled her in a private local college, having his security team constantly following her everywhere she went. Finn couldn’t have an uncontrolled teen living on her own for the first time and embarrassing him on the local news. Everyone knew him in the political circle … so they’d know her, too.

As a child, he’d drag her on these trips, forcing me, Patrick, and my brothers to babysit her while Arthur and Finn did business. One of those trips was in Lincoln. The family he took on board lived here in the city, and their sons ran a restaurant near our exit.

Memories washed over me that I had long buried. I wasn’t sure if she’d remember.

I pulled out my phone, quickly searched the restaurant website, and made a reservation for two hours from now. The highway sign reminded me of a small motel not too far from the restaurant’s exit. Glancing at Sadie again, she didn’t seem to notice the sign or the location.

Perfect.

Thirty minutes later, we checked into the small and rather sketchy-looking motel. Unfortunately, this one didn’t accept cash. But I knew everyone had a price. The clerk, a tall and skinny man, skeptically eyed both of us when I handed him an additional three hundred to pocket for himself. Of course, the bastard took it without hesitation and nodded in agreement. The look I gave him then warned him he would do whatever I needed of him, or he’d meet the other end of my knife.

Once inside the room, I tossed our bags onto the ground. “Dinner’s in an hour, princess. Shower and put on a dress tonight. It’s in the suitcase.”

Sadie regarded me with suspicion. “Where are we going?”

I waved off her question. “Take a shower, and put on a dress, Sadie … unless you wanna go naked.”

“God, you’re such a weird pervert sometimes,” she snapped before stomping into the bathroom and slamming the door.

She’s going to make me end up punishing her later .

I waited until she turned on the water and went to the suitcase. After unzipping it, I rifled around until I found the package I had folded into a pair of my jeans so Sadie wouldn’t notice. While she showered, I slipped out of the room and went to the car, hiding the package under the driver’s seat. I hurried back inside and sat on the bed as Sadie emerged, wrapped in a white towel. My cock twitched at the sight of her wet, naked body, and I thought about tearing that towel off and fucking her senseless against the paper-thin wall. But I had a plan and needed to follow through.

“Shower’s all yours, psycho. The water pressure is garbage, though,” Sadie said. She went over to the second suitcase and sorted through the clothes. “Well, it’s nice that it’s not all nightgowns like my other bag.” She reached inside and pulled out a black dress. “You packed one of my dresses? Why would you do that?”

Shaking my head, I stood up and walked past her. “You’re not wearing that tonight. I bought you an outfit before I reached Vermont. So, put the damn thing on. It’s in the white box. Don’t worry; I remembered your measurements, so everything should fit.”

“Keelan, I don’t want—” she started, but I headed to the shower, keeping the door ajar so I could eye the exit if she were to run out of our room. After turning on the water, I patiently waited for steam to fill the cramped space before stepping into the shower. The hot water burned deliciously against my inked skin as I lathered myself in soap.

Sadie’s right. The water pressure is shit.

The suds trailed down my back and thighs, covering the intricate designs in thick foam. As I scrubbed, I thought about all the details I had discussed with Gavin. Everything had to go as planned, and I hoped to God Sadie would give me even just an ounce of that trust.

Though she didn’t know it yet, she was essential to finding that lockbox and taking down her family. She was in danger, and I’d be damned if I let someone take away what was mine. Sadie would have the rest of our lives to get over being mad at me if everything went according to plan.

After a few minutes, I rinsed off and stepped out of the shower. I looked at myself in the mirror, my body covered in whorls of black and gray.

A tattooed demon with a princess in my claws.

Chuckling, I dried my hair and wrapped the towel around my waist, leaving it low for my wife’s gaze. I stepped out of the bathroom, and Sadie was already dressed in the outfit I bought her. My mouth gaped open as I drank her in.

Fuck.

The satin black had small blue and red roses printed along the slightly flared skirt’s hemline. The fabric hugged perfectly around her slim waist, and the neckline was a halter. Sadie swept up her wet hair into a simple high bun, and she sat on the edge of the bed, adjusting the black stiletto heels I bought her as well.

“I don’t get why I have to dress up for a burger joint, Keelan. This is a bizarre power move, even for you,” she remarked as she stood. Her eyes immediately fell on my dangerously low towel, and another deep blush painted her cheeks before she looked away. Sadie looked breathtaking, even with the scowl on her face.

I closed my mouth and smirked at her. “Come on, babe. You know that everything I do has meaning. Now, don’t be a brat for one night. We leave in twenty minutes. ”

I pulled the towel away and let my cock get some fresh air. Sadie made a slight choking sound as I moved to grab my clothes from the suitcase. She scooted away from me and stared out the window. Part of me wanted to grab her by the hair and yank her onto the bed, shoving that skirt up and fucking her relentlessly all night. However, I wanted us to reach neutral ground again so my plans would remain intact.

Playtime can wait until after dinner.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled into the restaurant parking lot. Sadie looked over at the building, her eyes narrowing in concentration. I knew then that a vague memory was resurfacing.

“Wait .... That door looks familiar,” she started, leaning into the passenger window. The name of the building was out of view. “We’ve been here before, haven’t we?” She turned to look at me. “I’ve been here before, with my dad. This is the restaurant with the gold filigree butterflies.”

I smiled and nodded. “We came here once when you and I were kids. You were about to go into middle school.”

“This was the restaurant where Dad treated me with decency. We even talked like a father and daughter should. That was rare for him, which makes this so familiar.”

“Do you remember the name, Sade?” I asked, putting my hand on her knee and tracing circles with my thumb .

Sadie glimpsed at the pink sign that glowed just out of sight. Her eyes lit up as the last bit of memory snapped into place. “Oh, my God. This ... this is the Luna Butterfly. Wow, this—”

“Was where our fathers made the first deal to unite our families. We were too busy sneaking shots in the back alley to know a whole lot of what our dads were doing inside.”

Sadie smiled. “This restaurant is why I love butterflies so much.”

Her mouth twisted at the memory. It was the first of many meetings over the years before the one that ended with Sadie and me engaged. It was here, in this very place, that I saw Sadie for who she truly was and why I made that vow to protect her, and only her, as a young boy.

Sadie’s peridot eyes sparkled as she took in the restaurant, and the memories of that one single happy moment in her life twinkled within them.

“I wonder if they still serve that strawberry crème br?lée?” she said, but it was more to herself. “God, I actually remember that.”

I pulled the car into the parking spot and cut the engine before grinning at her. “There’s only one way to find out,” I said as I exited the car. I carefully tucked the package under my sports jacket and went to open the passenger door for her. I took her hand in mine and gently helped her out. The light from the lamps painted her body gold, and I felt my heart tighten. She really was a beautiful little thing—a lovely, breakable princess.

Once inside, we gave the host our reservations, and we were seated immediately in a booth tucked away from the other patrons. The restaurant hadn’t changed in the last decade. It was as if time couldn’t touch this place, and it would stay this way forever .

The server—a middle-aged woman with medium-brown skin, brown eyes, and graying hair tied up with a thick pink ribbon to complete her uniform—approached us to take our drink orders. Sadie ordered an espresso martini, and I ordered a scotch.

“Excuse me,” I said. “Could you bring a bottle of champagne as well? It’s a special occasion.”

The server smiled. “Right away.”

After she left, Sadie stared at me. “Why would you order champagne, Keelan?”

“Like I said, it’s a special occasion, princess. It was your birthday this week.”

Sadie’s face became confused. “Birthday? No, Keelan. My birthday isn’t until February.”

“True,” I said, “but that’s what you have listed on your fake ID.” I gave her a small smile. “We’ll celebrate both. Happy twenty-third.”

The server returned with our cocktails, an ice bucket containing a bottle of champagne, and two crystal flutes.

“Are you ready to order any appetizers or entrees?” the woman asked.

“Yes, this may sound odd, but could you bring one of every appetizer on the menu?” I said, offering a charming smile to the server. Sadie cocked an eyebrow at me, her lips pressed against a smile.

Ah, she remembers doing that as a kid. Finn would get pretty annoyed, but since Arthur paid for the bill most of the time, he didn’t say shit.

“Of course. Anything else?” she asked.

“Yeah, do you still serve the strawberry crème br?lée?” she added.

“We do, actually,” the server replied. “It’s the owner’s mother’s own recipe, so I don’t think they’ll be getting rid of it anytime soon.”

Sadie responded with an excited smile and said, “Cool. We’ll split that, too.”

The server smiled and wrote the request down on her pad. “No problem; we’ll have all of that out shortly.”

The woman returned to the kitchen, and a quiet bubble settled over our booth. Sadie was still looking at me with a confused expression. “I don’t understand. Why are you doing all this?” she asked, twisting her fingers in her lap. “You’ve never been this kind to me. Like, ever.”

“I already told you, it’s a special occasion. Here,” I said, reaching behind and pulling the brown paper package from my waistband. “This was supposed to be your birthday and engagement present last year. But as we both know, we didn’t quite get to that date to exchange gifts.”

Sadie shifted uncomfortably. That night, she had a magazine she posed in all for me, but instead, she watched me kill a man, dropping her gesture into a puddle of water in a rundown warehouse.

I slid the package across the table, and Sadie took it carefully, tearing the top of the paper. I watched in anticipation as she reached inside. Sadie gasped as she pulled a black leather-bound book from the package. The twenty-two-karat gold accents gleamed in the darkness of the restaurant.

“It’s a first edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein ,“ Sadie exclaimed. She turned the book carefully in her hands, examining the gilded edges of the paper, and her fingers played on the soft leather bindings. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she looked up at me. “How did you know I wanted this?”

I lifted my shoulder in a shrug. “Shortly after we got engaged, you told me about some of your interests and mentioned that you wanted to start collecting rare books, starting with the woman who created the sci-fi genre.”

Sadie looked back at the book and carefully wiped away a tear that threatened to splash on the leather. “I didn’t think you cared about anything I was interested in. I was just somebody you got tied to.”

She raised her head back to look at me, and for the first time since I’d taken her, she smiled—a radiant, warm, beautiful smile that promised so many unspoken things that a monster like me never deserved.

“Thank you, Kee. I love it.”

That long-forgotten nickname. My heart seized on that word, and a crack started to form—a crack in the shape of her.

Yes, I’d been a dick to her since we met, and even now. But my reasons had always been simple. I spent my life protecting her from the cruelty of her brother, her family, and the world. She never deserved any of them. Never deserved any of the shit from this fucked-up world. Sadie Ryan was the blood in my veins, the breath in my lungs, and the kindest glimmer my blackened soul ever had. I would break the world apart if it meant she smiled like that for me forever. No man would ever lay a finger on what was mine again. I’d kill them all before they took her away from me.

My heart squeezed so hard I thought it was going to burst into my chest cavity. I looked into those sparkling peridot eyes that were happy because of me and smiled back. Though I wanted to profess that to her, the only words that left my lips were, “It was nothin’.”