Daughter of Kaos (The Daughter Trilogy Book 3) (14 page)

made from the car,” I admonish, and his smile quickly wipes from his face.

“Adisia, I’m not leaving you,” Devin declares.

“You already left me when you kissed another girl. Now I’m leaving you. Just sign the papers,

please,” I murmur softly, and then I flash into the car with Jace.

He cranks it, and I stare into the rainy night as the dark silhouette of Devin slowly fades from

sight.

As soon as I know he can’t hear my sobs, I release the floodgates that have been begging to burst

open. Jace’s hand rubs my back as I lean forward, and he coos to me.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have started a fight.”

“Just take me home, please.” I whimper, and he’s silent the rest of the way to the jet.

My head is pounding as
I stare out the too bright sun, and I see the clouds pulling in front of it to

offer me less of a glare while I lounge poolside.

Jace’s arms wrap around me as he jerks me up from the chair, and I laugh a little at his odd

excitement.

“We’re going out,” he announces.

“Out? I can’t. You know how I smell,” I grumble.

“Well, I don’t care. You’ve been cooped up in here for way too long. Now it’s time to come back

into the world,” he urges.

I shake my head as the painful flash of Devin’s teary blue eyes spring to mind.

“I went out into the world a week ago. Remember? It was the wedding when you and my

husband got into a fight,” I sardonically exchange.

“Soon to be ex-husband,” Jace snips.

“If he ever signs the damn papers,” I harp.

“Do you really want to be done with him?” he asks in a near whisper with a touch of reluctance.

“I really wish I wanted to be, and I hope it’s enough to eventually convince me this is what I

want. I can’t be with him after seeing him kiss another girl. It’s just too hard.”

“How’s about I go get us some movies, popcorn, and more ice cream? We can stay in instead of

going out,” he offers kindly.

“That sounds much better, but I thought you had a date with that blonde from the other night,” I

muse.

“I can see her another time. Tonight, it’s just me and you. Besides, she’s mortal. It wasn’t going

to be a date,” he chuckles out.

“Gross,” I say with a turned up nose. “Some details can be kept quiet.”

He just laughs at my little joke and stands up to grab his wallet.

“I’ll be back,” he says in a deep tone, and I giggle a little as he leaves.

I almost wish I could love him. It would be so much easier to be without Devin if I could.

I pick up my phone as soon as I hear him cranking the car, and then I dial Camara.

“Hey girl,” she murmurs softly. “Are things any better than when I talked to you yesterday?”

“About the same. I know you get tired of hearing me ask this, but will you let me hear his voice?”

I whimper.

“Yeah. Just make sure you mute it, and I’ll put it in my pocket as usual. I think he’s in the

kitchen with Gemma.”

“Great. Gemma’s there?” I gripe.

“She’s been here since she found out about the annulment papers. He’s not paying her a bit of

attention though. She’s just following him around like a lost puppy,” she assures.

“He’d be paying attention to Nina if she were there,” I grumble.

She stays quiet for a moment, and then she sighs, “I’m about to walk in there.”

I press the mute button and listen as her footsteps carry me through the house. I hear light voices

becoming more distinct, and I frown when Gemma’s is the first to strike my ears.

“What about Paris? We could look for her there,” she murmurs, and I know she doesn’t want to

take him to the city of love to look for me… If I’m even the one they’re talking about.

“She wouldn’t go to Paris. I’m working a list of Persia’s aliases now to find out what homes she

owned and when she acquired them. I’ll find her, and I really don’t need your help. I don’t want any

of my exes around her anymore,” he growls.

“So you admit I was more than a nasty entanglement?” she almost boasts.

“I admit you seem to be more than that in Adisia’s eyes. No one was more than that compared to

her. I’m going to get her back, and I don’t want anyone around to make her feel as if I’m not being

sensitive to her feelings now that she feels betrayed,” he almost chokes out.

Now that I feel betrayed? I was betrayed!

“Do you think she’ll come back? She’s not like I am, Devin. She runs away every time there’s

conflict, and she never sticks it out. Do you want that to be your life for all eternity?” she leads.

“I love her. What do you think?” he snorts.

“I think you’re both stupid,” she mumbles.

“Gemma still sniffing your ass?” Camara scoffs and I’m glad the phone is on mute because I

laugh and cry in one sadly comical outburst.

“You’re so fucking crude,” Gemma growls.

“I’m wild, what’s your excuse,” Camara retorts.

I can’t help but laugh again.

I hear Gemma huffing while storming out of the room and a small snicker comes out of Devin.

It’s heart melting to hear him at all, but it’s so painful to always hear about him looking for me.

He kissed someone else right in front of me, and I have to remind myself of that all the time.

There wasn’t anything unnatural about it either.

“Thanks. Maybe we should change locations for a while, and with any luck, she won’t be able to

find us,” Devin sighs.

“I really thought she was going to go for Ther,” Camara thinks out loud.

“I was hoping so. He’s the only reason I’ve let her hang around this long, but I want her gone

before Adisia comes home.”

“And if she doesn’t come home?”

My breaths stay suspended as he pauses. I wish I could see him so badly right now. I want to feel

his arms around me, but I can’t go back down that road ever again after what he did to me.

“She’s still wearing her rings. That’s something. I’ll spend the rest of my days searching for the

answers we both need. I know what I did wasn’t me.”

“It’s hard to believe something like that when there’s no evidence to support it. Think about how

Adisia feels. She’s had to see that same scene play out in every relationship she’s ever had. I could

almost see her praying for something to have caused this,” Camara responds, and it’s exactly the reply

I would have given.

“Believe me, I know how it looks, but I also know I felt a shift when we were at the market. I felt

another one when she walked up on that…
moment
. Everything in between was me, but not me. I

don’t know how to explain it,” he grumbles.

“It seemed like you were the old Devin. It could have just been cold feet,” she mutters, and tears

begin drizzling down my cheeks.

I look down at the cherished rings that hold so much more meaning than a piece of jewelry ever

should. That’s all I can take right now.

I wanted to hear his voice, not the words that cut like a filleting knife.

I walk upstairs to grab a shower, and I push open the window to the padded bathroom. Every

room here is padded, and if I ever want to know what’s going on outside, an open window is

necessary.

The natural storm clouds threaten to release some much needed rain on the dry land, but their

thundering is merely a tease as they pass on by without so much as shedding a single drop.

I decide a good rain is exactly what I need, and I pull the clouds back to darken the sky with the

setting sun. The rain starts drenching the ground that soaks it up appreciatively the second it touches

the dirty, dry sand.

The scent of the fresh drizzle brings a needed smile to my face, and I tilt my head back to drown

my hair under the showerhead as the lightening crashes in a dancing beat.

The roaring of an engine sounds out, and I cut the shower off to dry my body and join Jace.

“Damn it,” I hear him grumble when I open the door to the bathroom.

“What?” I call down the stairs.

“The damn rain. Since when does it rain in Phoenix? Now I’m soaked,” he grumbles.

“Sorry,” I laugh out, and I hear him start chuckling in response.

“So it’s you I should be cursing right now?” he muses.

“Yes it is,” I tease, and suddenly he’s in front of me without a trace of humor left on his face

when he sees me dripping from the shower and barely covered up.

I cling to the towel separating me from his seductive body too close to mine in such a vulnerable

state. His eyes are burning into mine, and I know this is about to be bad.

I pray the towel stays up when his stare becomes hungrier. I feel the heat of his breath brushing

against my face, and suddenly his lips are against mine. For the first time, I don’t fight it.

It feels so good just to be touched. My body aches for the feel of someone’s desire, and my hands

grip the back of his neck to pull him closer.

He lifts me to the counter, and my legs part as he steps between them. Passion ignites, but it’s not

Jace’s face I see when I close my eyes… It’s Devin’s.

I grip tighter as he pours his desire into my mouth, and my legs tighten against his waist when he

grips my sides. I strip his drenched shirt from his body, and his perfection shines through.

I close my eyes again as soon as his lips return to mine, and then I say the name my body truly

desires.

“Devin,” I moan, but that doesn’t stop him.

He lifts me to stay against him, and the towel tries to falter against the heated moment. The wall

presses against my back in the hallway, and his pants rattle as he undoes his belt.

I throb to be touched, but it’s not his touch I desire. I don’t know if I can deny my needs any

longer though. Aphrodite has endured a drought she can’t handle any more, and my eyes flash green

as I grip him too tightly.

“His painful breath releases, but it only hastens his pace as he rips the towel open to reveal my

bare body to him.

“Fuck,” he murmurs against my lips, and then I feel his bare skin between my legs as his pants

slide down.

Suddenly Devin’s face twisted in agony from this betrayal flashes through my mind, and I snap

back to sanity.

I can’t do this.

“Stop,” I cry out, and the tears pour down my face in a feverish flow.

He doesn’t stop though. His grip tightens, and the kiss becomes rougher as he tries to seduce me

into submission.

I cry harder when I’m torn about what to do. My body craves this affection.

I have to stop it though. I can’t do this to him knowing how he truly feels about me.

Furthermore, I can’t do this to myself.

I love Devin, and I’ll hate myself for doing this when Jace gets hurt.

“Stop,” I say more adamantly, and this time he halts the fiery assault.

“Sorry,” he gasps while pressing his forehead against mine, and it’s as though he can’t catch his

breath. “I thought… I’m sorry,” he repeats.

“No. I’m sorry,” I say while fresh tears stream down my face, and I slump down the wall while

wrapping back up in my towel.

He quickly pulls his pants back up, and then he sits down beside me before pulling me into an

embrace that isn’t fueled by desire. I feel his guilt and confusion exuding from his body.

“I shouldn’t have done that. I know you’re still in love with him, and I know you’re too

vulnerable for me to do something like that,” he murmurs. “I just got carried away. I didn’t plan on

you being soaking wet and in a towel,” he adds with a touch of humor.

I laugh a little through my ferocious sniffling, and he dries my eyes with his hands.

“This isn’t fair to you. You’re having to stay with me and endure this scent when no one else

can. You’ve already told me you love me, and I can’t return that affection. You should go. You don’t

have to stay,” I sob guiltily.

“Hey,” he coos while tucking my head against his chest. “I’m here because I want to be. In case

you don’t remember, you kind of saved the world. It’s the least I can do. You don’t have to love me

back. I can stay on the friend side of the fence,” he gently soothes. “I wouldn’t mind a few more

moments like that though,” he snickers.

I laugh a little, and he continues holding me to his chest while I continue to cry and laugh at the

same time. He kisses my forehead, and I can feel the heat of his body antagonizing his desire for

release.

“Go find the blond,” I grumble.

He laughs fiercely. “I’ll be okay. It’s not the first time I’ve felt teased in my life,” he snickers

out.

“This is a little more intense thanks to my power and my scent. I don’t expect you to be

superman,” I say with a smirk.

“Those green and blue eyes do have a kryptonite sort of affect,” he teases with a seduced hue

tainting the undertones of his voice.

“Go. I’ll be fine.”

He chuckles a little and disappears to his room to find some dry clothes.

I pick up all the scattered pieces of my crazy drama, and I slowly stand while trembling from the

drought that seems to be besting me.

He walks out and leans down to offer me a less intrusive kiss as he gently pecks me on the lips.