Chapter Twenty-Three

K ado has been acting weird all week. He's been clingier than normal, not that I mind that, but it's not like him. Add in the fact that he hasn't left for work once, and I know something is wrong.

He won't talk about it, though. Every time I ask, he distracts me. Either with his body or training. That's all we've been doing. We haven't even left the house. If we don't leave soon, we are going to run out of food.

It is driving me insane.

Not that I have minded all the crazy, wild sex we have been having. I should have known something was up when he asked me to make a list of things I wanted to try. I thought it was a fun way for him to learn more about sex.

That is, until he started going down the list one by one. I have been fucked against a wall, bent over the kitchen counter, and while I was reading a book.

He even initiated sex while I was sleeping tonight, which is how we ended up cuddling together, staring at the ceiling.

"Kado, can we talk now?" I whisper to him as we lie in bed.

He shakes his head.

"I know something is wrong. I want to know what it is. This is a partnership, remember? Bonnie and Clyde style? We trust each other. Share with one another. Don't shut me out." I look up at him from my spot on his chest.

He looks like he's in pain at my words. I don't want him to feel that way, but he needs to know I won't live like this either.

Finally, he picks up his phone from the nightstand and types away.

It's not that I don't trust you. I don't want this to touch you. I want to protect you.

"Protect me, but if you don't tell me, then how am I supposed to know what I'm being protected from? Or to be able to protect myself?"

He lets out a sigh before typing for several minutes.

When he finally hands it to me, I understand why he was so hesitant.

The man you saw at the bar, I think he is targeting you. Not because of anything you did, but because you are with me. I've eliminated many men in his outfit. I believe he is pretty high up, but not the highest. I think he has been playing with me. Leaving me crumbs to follow so I walk into his trap. Now I'm worried he will draw you into that. I can't bear the thought of losing you, Lucy. It would kill me. So I'm protecting you the best way I know how.

It's so sweet, yet tragic. He has stopped his life because he is worried mine might be in danger.

"We can't stop living because of it, though. I lived a life where I only survived. It was dull and gray. You opened my eyes and showed me all the colors. I never want to go back to that again. How do you know he can't get us here? I assume that's why we haven't left in nearly a week."

He nods at my words before typing.

This place is secure. No one knows where it is. Not even Kai.

"Seriously? I would have thought you would have told somebody."

If the alarms go off and I do not respond to them within one minute, Kai and Kenji are both alerted and sent a pin drop to our location. I've never needed it, though. I hope to never need it. This place is our safe house. Where nothing can touch us.

"This home isn't my safe place, Kado. You are."

I lean up on his chest, kissing him softly. When I go to move back, he drops his phone to the floor before slipping his hand through my hair to hold me in place, and he takes his time exploring my mouth with his tongue.

This is different. Usually, we are rougher. It's the way I like it, but right now, this isn't for me. It is for him.

It's softer. More like making love. I never thought I would like slow, sensual sex, but when he flips me over onto my back, I find myself really into it.

He kisses down my body, making sure not to miss a single inch of my skin. When he reaches my ankle, he swaps legs, making his way back up again. He kisses my lips softly before reaching for a condom. He holds it up in question, to which my answer is yes, as always.

He slips it on, pinching it like I taught him. Then he slides into me nice and slow.

It's different than usual, but somehow better. As if in this moment, we are truly connected.

He stares into my eyes as he begins to slowly thrust into me. He angles my hips so he is hitting that sweet spot inside before leaning down and kissing my lips.

He continues his torment of my body over and over again, showering my face with kisses.

The love I feel in my heart is reflected in his eyes. I have been so lost in my feelings for him, I never really considered if he felt the same.

The man looking back at me now is so in love with me. I can feel it in his stare. The way his hands feel on my body. How he takes his time, bringing me pleasure slowly and with care. When he reaches between us to stroke my clit, I finally come.

Those three little words threaten to leave my lips, but his name slips out instead.

He follows me with his own pleasure, panting above me.

After we both clean up, I snuggle back up against his chest.

In the quiet of the night, I whisper to him, "Thank you for caring for me."

The light stroke of his hand in my hair tells me he heard me.

With that, I fall into a deep sleep, dreaming about my big, silent man.

The same man I am wildly in love with.

My eyes pop open as soon as the alarm starts to blare.

Fuck. Please be an animal.

Even as I think it, I know it's not the truth. An animal has never once set off my alarms.

I sit up, pulling Lucy with me as she still lays on my chest.

"What's that noise?" she groans.

Fuck. She's still naked and vulnerable. So am I, but who the fuck cares about me when my world is right here?

Picking Lucy up, I climb from the bed and make my way to the closet. I set her down inside and hold up my hand to tell her to stay here.

She's fully awake now. Her eyes are wide as she looks up at me. She can tell that this is serious. No false alarms here.

I close her into the closet, hoping like hell I can stop him before he gets in here.

Him, because I know who it is. It's Ben, or whatever his real name is. He's been watching us a lot more than I thought he was.

I fucked up.

I have been so focused on Lucy that I wasn't as diligent as I should have been. I grew lax. It will never happen again.

If I'm able to get us out of this without harm, I will never be lax again. I hadn't even realized the risk I was putting Lucy in. I won't be able to live with myself if something happens to her.

I don't bother putting clothes on. It's a waste of what little time I have. The man will be searching for us already.

Sneaking out of the room, I close the door carefully behind me. The entire place is dark. I have it set that way so that there's no advantage to an intruder. The electricity cuts to the property until I enter the code.

I hear a scrape, then a muttered curse. He's in the living room. I thought Lucy was crazy for needing a coffee table and two end tables, but from the direction of the sound, he just ran into one of them.

Maybe they do have a purpose.

My eyes are already well adjusted to the dark, so I see the man immediately as I make it closer.

He's wearing night-vision goggles. Of course he is.

Staying quiet, I make my way to the panel near the door. I enter the code, turning off the alarm and turning on all of the lights.

"Fuck," I hear him mutter.

I don't hesitate. I run into the room using his momentary blindness to ambush him. We fall to the ground as I tackle him. I start throwing punches and jabs, trying to incapacitate him. I manage to get a hold of the gun he was holding, throwing it across the room into the kitchen.

I was right. It is Ben. He's dressed in all black, looking like an assassin in the middle of the night. The problem is that I'm the best there is. He shouldn't have fucked with me.

He pushes me with all his weight, knocking me to the side.

I jump up to my feet rounding on him, but he's waiting for me.

"Aw, how cute. You think you have a chance? I've been watching you for months. Watched you and that little slut get together. How pathetic is she that she was kidnapped by you and yet she still fell for you? Tsk tsk. I tried to save her once before. She should have come with me then."

I want to tell him he's way worse than me. Had she left with him, she would have been sold to the highest bidder.

That thought has me seeing red.

I rush at him, but he was expecting that. Or maybe he was hoping for it because he knocks me on my ass before climbing on top of me.

He wraps his hands around my throat and squeezes as he speaks. "I wonder how your little Lucy will feel when I rid this world of the monster who stole her life from her. Do you think she will be grateful enough to suck my cock? I bet I'd have to train her. I'm much bigger than you."

He glances back at my flaccid dick laying against my leg.

It's the moment I need, though.

I buck against him, making him fall back. I grab his legs, switching our position, until his legs are crushed against his chest. He tries everything he has to break out of it, but I have him locked in.

My hold is slipping, though. Between the sweat on my body and his bare skin, I'm going to lose my hold on him. I try to figure out what to do next, but before I can, Ben surges forward, headbutting me.

I grunt with the pain, but I manage to keep hold of him. It loosened me up enough for him to wiggle, though. When I try to readjust my hold, he manages to break free, getting to his feet.

"I have to admit, you are tougher than I gave you credit for. Not tough enough to save her, though. Once I kill you, I'll fuck her in your bed. I'll take all three of her holes until she begs me to stop. Then I'll hand her over to Artem to sell at the next market. It's not for three weeks yet, but a beauty like her will get a pretty penny, then I'll get a good commission for bringing her in. Who knows, maybe I'll waive my commission for a chance to fuck her over and over until she sells." He licks his lips, looking straight at me.

The anger is blinding, but I try to hold on to my control. I can't fly off the handle. I need to stay calm and collected.

No more mistakes.

Being more calculating, I step to my left so that my back is to the kitchen. He mirrors my step, putting him directly across from me. Then I fake right, making him do the same as I actually run straight at him at full speed. The metal wall thumps as we hit it, making the metal bend out a little.

We fall to the ground, each wrestling with one another to gain the advantage. He moves his arm down, leaving an opening. I take it, attempting to flip him over onto his back, but then I feel a piercing pain in my gut. I recognize it immediately. I've been stabbed before. Many times, actually. Maybe eleven or twelve.

This one is the worst.

Not because of the pain or the location.

No, it is the worst because it means that I will be slower. An easier target for this man.

He might win this fight, and if he does, my woman is in danger.

That's enough to get me moving. I push him backward off of me, making him stumble toward the coffee table. Before he can fall over, several shots ring out in the air.

My stomach drops.

Please be my backup and not his.