Bound By Blood: (The Betrayed Series Book 2) (38 page)

Whining, I beg yet again, “Please, Alex, now.”

“All you have to do is give me your answer, Goddess.”

His mouth latches onto my other nipple, pulling with fierce draws. My hips buck against his hands wildly. The pressure in my core builds and builds. One touch . . . one touch is all it will take for me to find that blessed release.

“Yes,” I whisper, a breathy sigh.

His body stills as he releases my breast.

“What did you say?” he quietly asks.

Our eyes find each other in the early morning light. All I can see are the passionate, violet irises that threaten to swallow me whole every time they glance at me.

“Yes, Alex. I will marry you,” I whisper with conviction.

Alex sucks in a slow breath as a brilliant smile spans across his face. Reaching for the small box, he grabs the ring and slides it onto my finger before placing a kiss atop of the ring. Gently, he inches his way inside, both of us groaning at the punishingly slow rhythm he sets.

“You cannot imagine how full of happiness I am right this moment.”

“I think I can,” I say, raising my hips to meet his.

The heat from his body seeps into mine as he glides himself deeper with each forward movement. The drag and pull of his cock against my inner walls creates a deliciously erotic sensation. Lifting my leg, I anchor it around his waist as he sinks in farther.

“More . . .” I purr, digging my nails into his back.

Alex’s muscles bunch and flex as he thrusts harder, deeper into my slick heat. Moaning, my lips part on a breathy sigh. Running his fingers along the length of my sides, he gently caresses a path along the swell of my breasts, swirling around my nipple then trails up to my neck. Cupping the back of my neck, he brings our mouths together, intertwining them in a passionate embrace. Little sparks of electricity shoot through my body straight to my core as need and desire come crashing together.

“Oh God, Alex. Please, don’t stop,” I moan, threading my fingers into the tendrils of his hair.

“Ahhh, you’re so fucking tight, baby,” Alex groans.

Pulling back all the way, he thrusts in to the hilt, bottoming out. Tiny ripples of pain and pleasure rocket through my core. All of my senses take flight with each violent lunge. Alex sits up and grips my hips firmly, lifting them off the bed, creating a bold new angle that plunges him deeper with every forward lunge. Violently thrusting my hips forward, I meet him in a passionate collision, a race toward the finish to our blissful peak. Slipping a hand down my sweat drenched midriff, I quickly find my clit, circling it viciously.

“Ahh, fuck. That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever fucking seen. I’m gonna come, baby. I can’t hold back,” Alex snaps his hips forward, furiously pummeling my slick heat with his rock hard cock.

Groaning, Alex’s muscles tense as he loses control, his face contorting in blissful rapture. His thick release coating my insides is all it takes to set off my own ferocious explosion. Letting out a deep, gratifying sigh, he rolls off me with a grunt and drags me to his chest.

“I love you,” he whispers into my hair.

“I love you, too,” I say, smiling into his chest.

“Get dressed. Let’s grab a bite to eat. You should probably call your dad and tell him you said yes.”

My eyes grow huge. He talked to dad? “You asked him first?”

Smirking, he replies, “Well, yeah. That is kind of how it goes. Now get up.” Shoving me off his chest, he smacks my ass.

“Ow.” I mockingly glare at him.

Sliding on his jeans and a t-shirt, he smiles. “Whatever. You know you liked it. Now get up and meet me downstairs in fifteen or else.”

“Or else what?”

“I guess you’ll have to find out . . .” His heated gaze roams over my naked body. Winking, he strides down the stairs out of view.

What am I going to do with that man? Throwing my head back on the pillow, I glance at the diamond on my finger. This is more than I could have ever hoped for in this messed up thing I call a life.

“Kylee?” Alex calls.

“Yeah?”

“Get down here now.”

“Uh, okay. I’m coming. Is everything okay?”

“Hurry up, babe.” The tension radiating from Alex’s voice can be felt upstairs. Leaping from the bed, I quickly get dressed and sprint down the stairs, only to come to a halt, freezing when I see the woman standing in the middle of the living room.

Alex turns, tension lining his features as he says, “You have a visitor.”

“Nari, what are you doing here? How did you even find me?”

My brows crease with confusion. Alex saunters up to me, circling his arms around me, surrounding me with his essence. His presence calms the raging anxiety that I hadn’t realized was present.

“I was able to slip away. I don’t have much time. I have to speak with you. You have to listen.” Her voice is rushed, a touch of panic edging into it that I’ve never heard before.

Alex stiffens, his arms tensing around me. Placing my hands over his, I rub my thumb soothingly over the back of his hand, hoping to quell some of his discomfort.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Your mother, she was mortally wounded during your rescue. She will not survive much longer.” She pauses for a moment, gauging my reaction.

Unnamable emotions swell, rising inside of me. Swallowing back the bitter emotions, I gaze into her unwavering eyes and say, “I don’t really see what that has to do with me.”

Nari discharges an irritated growl. “Sang-Hyun has taken over temporary control. He is a madman! The girls are being abused at Madame Lin’s hand. They’re beaten and malnourished. I would think you of all people would understand what that is like.”

“Now look here, I don’t know who the fuck you think you are . . .” Alex steps forward.

“No, it’s all right,” I cut him off. “Nari, I don’t know what you expect me to do about this. It really has nothing to do with me.”

Nari angrily steps forward. She points a finger at my chest as she growls, “It has everything to do with you. You are one of the five. You are a rightful heir. With her death, you can step in, and there is nothing anyone can say. You can make a difference, Kylee. Help make a change from the inside.”

“Me?” I ask incredulously.

“Yes, you won’t be contested. I guarantee she would rather you take her place than Sang-Hyun, anyway. But even if she didn’t, he couldn’t challenge you. You are a blood heir; you are bound by your blood ties to the family. One of the five thrones of the Kkangpae was always destined to be yours. Please, Kylee. I can’t do this without you.” Nari’s big brown eyes silently plead, filling in everything that her words were not able to say.

Alex’s rigid silence is enough to send ice careening through my veins. Would he come with me? Would he drop everything, leave it all behind to help me take down an evil empire? Seek vengeance for our unborn child? For Noah?

Nari’s voice breaks into my reverie. “I must go. They will notice my absence if I’m gone much longer. You know what you must do. I pray you make the right decision.” Without so much as a goodbye, she turns, exiting the apartment.

When the door closes, I turn, looking at Alex’s icy stare. He’s glaring a hole into the wall on the opposite side of the room.

“Alex.”

“No.” His angry tone causes me to flinch. He has to listen to me. He really needs to hear me out.

“Alex,” I say again.

Ignoring me, he turns, striding toward the door. Panic takes over as a knot settles deep in my stomach. My thoughts buzz, swirling around in my head. I don’t want to do this alone. I would much rather do it with the man I love by my side. He makes me stronger. Together we are a formidable force, one to be reckoned with. But, it would seem fate has other plans. Fate . . . you cruel bitch. You’re at it again.

“A
LEX!
A
LEX, DON’T YOU WALK
away from me, goddammit!”

Tension infuses my spine as I stand with my back rigidly to her, great heaving breaths huffing from my lungs. Anger surges through me like waves crashing on the shore. How can she do this? Why would she put this on us? Fuck that. Why would she do this to me?

My fingers curl into a ball, the need to pummel something growing like a toxic weed. A faint touch registers somewhere deep in my mind as the poisonous thoughts continue to flow. The flames of rage wither like the dying embers of a fire as her graceful fingers curl delicately around my wrist.

A faint tremor enters my voice, making it waver as I growl, “You really shouldn’t do that right now, Goddess.”

“I really should,” she counters.

“What do you want from me, Kylee?” I say, heaving a defeated sigh.

“Just an opportunity to explain why. That’s all, Alex. I just need you to hear me out. That’s how this works. One talks, the other listens, then we switch. It’s called communication.”

“I don’t know if I can,” I whisper, my shoulders sagging in defeat.

“You once told me that it was you and me forever. That nothing I said would change that. Are you telling me you’re a liar?”

I stiffen at her words, the tension palpable in the air.

“No, I didn’t lie.”

“Then give us a chance. Please don’t walk out on me. I love you,” she fiercely whispers.

Some of the tension drains from my body with her admission. The depth of my love for this woman knows no bounds. But, fuck me, I swear she’s trying to kill me. This time, she’s going to put herself in harm’s way. I can see it in her eyes. I can see the emotion, the decision already made swirling behind her opulent gaze. How can she expect me to let her walk out that door? To walk blindly into danger unprotected? What about us? Fuck, she agreed to marry me less than half an hour ago. Where does that leave us . . . our future?

“I’m not sure what you expect me to do. It would seem you already have your mind made up.”

“So that’s it? You just give up? Walk away? Throw everything we have out the window without so much as a backward glance?” she accuses. The hurt expression on her face causes a dull, heavy ache to build in my chest.

Running a hand through my hair, I gaze out the window. “No, the last thing I want to do is walk away,” I mumble.

“Then at least we agree on something.”

“Dammit, Kylee. This is fucking stupid. Do you realize that? It’s goddamned mental is what it is.” An intense, throbbing pain scatters, distributing throughout my jaw. Rolling my neck from side to side, I unclench my jaw and turn my frustrated gaze on her.

“I realize that you may not understand why I need to do this, but I would ask that you at least respect my decision.” Her eyes shine with unshed tears, the riotous emotion behind them fighting to the surface.

“Goddess . . .” I close the distance, wanting to take away the pain I’ve so clearly caused.

“No, Alex. Don’t.” She holds out her hand, stopping me from moving any closer.

“Tell me why. I need to understand,” I plead.

She lets out a watery sigh. “Alex, those women are horribly abused. I can’t even tell you the atrocities they go through on a daily basis. What if my being present could change that? What if I could make a difference?”

“I understand the need to make a difference, baby. More than anyone. Hell, it’s why I chose my line of work. But, damn, do you really need to put yourself in the middle of it all?”