Daughter of Kaos (The Daughter Trilogy Book 3) (18 page)

“Plenty for all, and they don’t stand a chance if we bring them back here to get a whiff of that,” he

chuckles.

“Ther?” Kry asks.

“Nah, I’m good,” he mutters while scooting a little closer to Gemma.

She squirms uncomfortably, and if Devin doesn’t cave into her, she’ll damn well have to cave into

Ther.

Please don’t let Devin cave.

“Jace?” Hale offers.

“I’ll stay. I’m fine for now. I’ve spent four months with her, so I’ve built up more of a

tolerance… when she’s not melting chairs to prove a point that is,” he utters, and his last line is

slightly scolding.

“You need me to grab you something while we’re out?” Kry asks Devin.

I snort derisively, and Devin looks to me curiously. “Devin doesn’t have a problem getting

whatever woman he wants,” I scoff.

Devin’s eyes narrow and I can see his jaw clenching tighter. Kry slinks back slightly, and then he

very cautiously explains himself.

“I was talking about booze or food… not women.”

“Whatevs,” I mutter with surly intent. “I’m going to go grab a shower while you boys use me as

an excuse to get laid,” I mock.

“On second thought, I’ll join you,” Jace grumbles as I twitch my hips intentionally while I strut.

I laugh a little and then flash up the stairs. I fight the urge to cry when I see a picture I missed.

It’s Devin holding me during a dance, and our lips are just barely not touching as I stare into his eyes

with all the love a woman can offer a man.

It wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough.

Tears shed, and I wipe the fugitives away before climbing out of my pants. Suddenly the door

opens, and I turn to see Devin’s eyes gauging my reaction to his presence.

My eyes flash green, and instantly I feel Aphrodite trying to take full control.

“I’m going to help you, and I’m not leaving here until I do,” he threatens.

“I don’t need your help,” I argue.

“You want to stay hidden because of your scent? Do you wish to continue feeling weakened by

your desire? That’s what I’m going to help you with,” he asserts.

“So you’re saying you’re going to force me to be with you?” I scoff.

“I’m saying you won’t want me to stop; not in this shape. You want me as badly as I want you,

and all it’s going to take is one kiss before Aphrodite doesn’t give you a choice.

Oh, I’m so transparent because he’s so right.

“Devin, please don’t do this,” I whimper, but he flashes to me despite my tearful request.

I struggle ineffectively as his lips cover mine, and the long, needed, burst of passionate release

explodes from my mouth to his. My hands grip the back of his neck, and he violently jerks my body

against his.

He lifts me and my legs wrap around him to let me feel the burn through the thin, lacy underwear.

“Stop,” I whisper insincerely, and then my legs tighten around him to ensure he doesn’t obey.

His breath is like the water I’ve been thirsting after for centuries, and his touch is the dry land my

hands have been scouring the ocean in search of.

My claws dig in, and I pull back with my green eyes burning into his swirling blue ones.

I rip his shirt from his body, and I gasp when I see the newest tattoo on his shoulder. It’s a dove,

like my bracelet, and the ocean is wrapped around it in a protective circle.

“What the hell?” I ask, and my eyes turn back to blue.

“I’m yours Adisia. You ate fish and ice cream, I put your sign on me,” he explains.

Tears stream, and this time I force him off of me as I scream, “Stop. Just go. Please go.”

I tremble fiercely to the point of convulsing, and he slowly moves toward me again.

“I’m sorry. I swear I don’t know what happened that day,” he murmurs in a near whisper. “I wish

I could look back and see it from the outside, and believe me I’ve tried.”

“And?” I prompt.

“Just because I can’t see anything doesn’t mean it isn’t there. I would have never done that to

you,” he promises.

“But you did, and you would have done worse if I hadn’t walked up. Why would some unknown

force want you to be with Nina? Why would it let you be shady, distant and aloof just like a typical

fucking cheater?

“You made me think I was being a jealous fool. What power causes someone to be that skilled in

the art of cheating? I saw your memories. You told Kry I was being too clingy. Now I’m not. You

get everything you wanted, and I’m sorry if now you think you’ve changed your mind now.

“You were scared, Devin. That’s all. Instead of talking to me about it, you took the easy way

out. You just didn’t expect to lose it all because your wedding band was on my hand. It’s just a piece

of jewelry though,” I berate through my tears.

“Then why are you still wearing it? If that’s all it is, then why not toss it to the ground?” he

blares.

“Because it covers up the thing that actually does mean something,” I lie, and then I pull my rings

off to reveal the tattooed branding I put on my finger.

He looks away with tears piercing his eyes. “I wasn’t scared; not until we were in the market.

Something happened, and I don’t know what.”

“Something did happen, Devin. I’m not arguing that. It just wasn’t supernatural,” I say with a

broken tone.

“Please believe me,” he begs.

“Please go,” I murmur, and he finally drops his shoulders in defeat, though I’m sure it’s a

temporary retreat.

I start sobbing silently as he turns to walk out, and then I listen until I hear his door slam hard

enough to bounce off the hinges.

I shut mine and look in the mirror at the broken girl staring back at me. My eyes flash green

when Aphrodite announces her anger, and I scowl at her as if it’s her reflection instead of mine.

“Don’t you dare flash your green at me! If you want me to be with him so badly, then show me

why. If there’s some crazy thing out there that turns a guy into a skilled liar and cheater for no real

good reason at all, then show me! You used Prometheus’s power before to show me Persia’s death. If

there’s anything at all that could help me right now, then show me the truth!” I blare.

My eyes slowly fade back to blue as Aphrodite sinks into submission. Tears fill my eyes when

nothing happens, and I nod in disgust.

“That’s what I thought. You can’t show me something that isn’t there,” I cry out.

I turn to walk to my closet so I can find something better suited to rejoin everyone downstairs,

and suddenly I drop to my knees while writhing in pain.

I hold back the screams that are begging to surface because I don’t want Devin to rush back in. If

I release the terrible, unfathomably horrific screams to pronounce the excruciating pain I feel in this

moment, it would surely break through the soundproof barrier.

Flashes of incoherent images flow through my mind too fast to fathom, and then I see Devin. It’s

not him that stands out though, it’s his shadow.

There’s one when we walk into the market, and then there are two when we walk out. Something

so obvious I didn’t notice before.

I cringe a little as more pain shoots through me, and the images I witnessed through Theia’s touch

returns. In each image after the market, there are two shadows on the ground, but only one of them

belongs to Devin.

Then I see him falling to pieces as I leave the beach. I see the waves crashing against his

restrainers, and he’s screaming for me. There’s only one shadow on the ground, proving he told me

the truth.

I gasp for air as the vision subsides, and I grip my throbbing head as the pain slowly dulls. Then

tears gush from my eyes when I realize it really wasn’t him controlling his actions.

I don’t know what two shadows mean, but I know it’s all I need to feel like I’m the one who

betrayed him instead of him betraying me.

He was right all along, and I’ve been so cruel to him. He’s been in so much pain, and I’ve been

cold, callous, and… completely wrong.

I wobble back to my feet, and I don’t even bother to grab anything else to put on over my

underwear.

I flash out of the bedroom and down the hall to Devin’s wounded door. I lightly force it open to

see his eyes staring straight up at the ceiling.

“What?” he barks, and then he brings his eyes down to meet mine.

Shock fills them when he sees it’s me, and he sits up in the bed very cautiously.

“Sorry. I didn’t expect it to be you,” he almost whispers, and more tears fill my eyes.

Words refuse to come to me, and I can ’t muster the strength to even try to explain what I just

saw. He sits perfectly still, and I know he’s worried I’m about to drive another stake into his heart.

I take a deep breath before gradually making my way to his bed, and he stiffens when I reach

him. He doesn’t even try to touch me until my body falls to be on top of his.

Very slowly, his hands pull me to him with a ginger, wary touch, and then my lips find his before

he can question my intentions. I feel his anxiety pouring into my mouth, and then it’s quickly joined

by his desire.

I pull him tighter to me as my legs spread to straddle him, and then his hands find a more fervent

grip. My lips trail down his neck and to the new tattoo on his shoulder before returning to meet his

lips.

He grips me tighter, and the desire I’ve denied for too long brings my passion to a whole new

level. Right now, I’ve never been more thankful he’s immune to my deadlier touches.

He rips my corset open to reveal my body to him, and his lips find my chest as my head drops

back to revel in his touch. I close my eyes as more tears drip free while tangling my hands in his hair.

I push him back to the bed so my lips can find his again because I need to feel his breath. I need

that kiss, that desire… I need him.

He gasps as I undo his pants, but he stays still so as not to spook me. He gives me complete

control as my scent does its best to drive him mad.

When he finally decides I’m not going any where, my underwear tears away beneath his grip to

leave me bare against his bare body, and I fall to him to give him the only thing I can offer right

now… me.

Chapter 8

A New Player

Devin is perfectly still, and now I’m worried he’s thinking about all the terrible things I’ve said to

him.

Tears stain my eyes and soak through pillows behind us. I’m scared to look into the eyes that

may be filled with rejection now that my scent has faded and there’s nothing stopping him from

thinking rationally.

“I can go,” I mutter softly.

“Please don’t,” he almost prays, his voice crackling slightly.

“You’re not saying anything, and you’re barely touching me. I understand if you don’t want me

here right now,” I add while holding back my overwhelming emotional break.

He rises up in the bed, and I follow his lead as I sit up as well. He takes my hand in his, and I

finally look into the smoky blue eyes that have held me captive since the first time I saw them.

It’s not rejection I see though - it’s fear, worry, and desperation.

“Adisia, I’m not sure what just happened, and I really don’t know what to say or do right now.

I’m scared if I say the wrong thing, then you’ll run out of here without looking back. You’ve got to be

the one to start this conversation. What just happened?” he trembles out. “Were you just giving in

once, or-”

He stops, and I can tell he’s afraid he’ll break if he continues.

“I’m sorry,” I burst out, and the tears begin flowing from my weary eyes.

“For?” he prompts in bewilderment.

“For everything. For not believing you. For not trusting you when you needed me to. For

pushing you away, and for being a total bitch. I’m sorry for all of it. I love you, and I-”

He grabs me before I can finish, and I feel the heat of his body consuming mine as he pulls me

back to his lips.

My tears continuing flowing feverishly and he pulls me so tightly I’m worried I’m going to

break. I can taste relief, elation, and pure joy on his trembling breath.

“Why?” he mutters against my lips. “What happened?”

“I saw it, Devin. You were right, and I’m horrible for not believing you. I don’t blame you if you

never forgive me,” I sob, and he pulls me into his arms to ensure me he’s not going anywhere.

“Adisia, I’ve been killing myself trying to get back with you. I’m not going to leave you now that

you want me. I swear I’ve never been so relieved to hear anything in all my life. I love you too,

and… Wait. You saw what exactly?” he says with distraction.

“I don’t know to be honest. It was all a jumbled up mess, but I know there was something that

made you do that. Aphrodite gave me that much,” I whimper. “Devin, I swear, I’ve never felt as

horrible as I do right now. I’m so sorry.”

“Baby, I don’t care about anything you said or did. I just want to be with you, and I’ll bind

myself to you right now to prove it,” he promises.

“You don’t have to do that,” I say with a bit of a snicker mixed with my sniffles.