My heart broke as those words spilled from his lips. It was the first time I had seen this hard and flirtatious man look vulnerable. Ky Willis suddenly became a little more transparent in his actions. And I could finally understand why he behaved like he did… he was simply lost too. Another broken child of circumstance.

“But you are not like that with me,” I reassured and Ky stilled, his eyebrows pulled down.

“What?”

Taking a deep breath, I repeated, “You are not that way with me. You are caring. You are loving. You are my teacher, my protector. You keep me safe. Ky, you are my safety.”

Ky’s mouth opened, but then quickly closed again. He stared and stared into my eyes and I could see a storm of emotions flash through his light eyes. And then Ky pressed his chest flush against mine, his hands holding the sides of my neck.

He searched my face for something, I did not know what for. His eyes closed and his forehead dropped to mine. “Fuck, baby… Not with you…” was all he said before taking his mouth with mine, his tender kiss telling me more than any words could… he adored me.

I adored him back.

*****

The next two days were the happiest of my life.

“It was lovely to meet you,” I told Sia as she hugged me goodbye. I felt sad that I was leaving my new friend.

“You’ll be seeing me soon, Lilah,” Sia said with a knowing smile. “You can count on that.”

Sia turned to Ky and he lifted her off the floor, gripping her tight. Her mouth went to his ear and I heard her say, “You’ve found her, Ky. You’ve found the one for you. Protect her, and don’t fuck this up. Remember, you’re not our father.”

Ky kissed her cheek and we got into the truck, pulling on to the dirt track and leaving the solace of the ranch behind.

It was not long before we reached the compound, to the place where Tiff and Jules had attacked me, to the place where my quarters felt like a prison, and to a place filled with sinners who reminded me every day of the Cursed woman I was.

Chapter Thirteen

Ky

“How’s your woman doing?”

Hush and Cowboy took a seat beside me on the bench, and I passed them each a beer from my six-pack.

I shrugged and stared out at the rest of the brothers drinking and fucking around with sluts. That used to be me. But my mind, and my dick, seemed only to have time for one bitch nowadays.

“She’s bruised, scared shitless. Won’t leave her room again… We’re right back to square one. Yeah, she’s fuckin’ terrified.”

Hush sighed and Cowboy slapped me on my back. “She’s one good bitch, Ky. I gotta lotta time for that woman.”

I fixed my attention on Cowboy and snarled, my upper lip curling as jealous possession made me lose control. Cowboy smirked and removed his hand from my back. “Don’t sweat it, brother. I ain’t gonna be a threat to your girl.”

I frowned at the brother, just making him squirm.

“Ky?” Hush said, but I held up my hand in dismissal. I didn’t want to hear any defense of his friend.

“Calm down, Hush, I ain’t gonna hurt your boyfriend,” I said, taking another sip of my beer.

Hush clenched his fist and he laid a solid punch on my arm. I smirked, and he shook his head. “Fuck you, asshole,” he spat. “I just thought you’d want to know that your bitch just stepped through the back door like she’d just walked through the doors to hell.”

Head rapidly turning in the direction of the exit, my heart exploded out of my chest when I saw Lilah standing very nervously at the back door. Her long blond hair was down, hiding her bruised cheek and split lip as she swayed on her feet.

Hell. She’d taken off her headdress in public. Did that mean something big? Was it some kind of pilgrim breakthrough? I didn’t fucking know.

Jumping off the bench, I pushed through the brothers to get to my girl, throwing anyone in my way to the ground. Hearing the commotion of my plowing through behind him, Viking turned, and I smacked right into his chest. Gritting my teeth at his barricade, I moved right, then left, and all the time he shadowed my steps.

“We fuckin’ dancing?” he asked, frowning.

“Move!” I shouted, craning my head over his shoulder to keep watch on my bitch.

Vike’s blown-up ‘roided chest pressed against mine, forcing me to look up at his smirking ugly face. He laid a fuckin’ sloppy kiss on my lips, pulled back, and said, “Fuck that, pretty boy. You got me here to prom, I bought a frilly dress, and I fuckin’ wanna dance before I put out for your tight ass in the back of your truck!”

Vike wrapped his huge arms around me, lifted me off the ground, and spun me around. Laughter and jeers broke out around us, but my piss was boiling at the cuntbag. Aiming just right, I drew my head back and butted him right in the nose, feeling good when I heard bone cracking.

“Ky, what the fuck?” Viking shouted as he dropped me to the asphalt. I ignored his grumbling as he bent over clutching his nose, and I closed in on Lilah, catching Vike shout, “You ain’t gettin’ my virgin pussy now!”

Breathe. One, two, three, four…

Lilah’s eyes were darting everywhere, her hands reaching behind her for the doorknob. She was gonna run again.

No one had really noticed she was out here, too busy laughing their asses off at Vike bleeding all over the yard.

When only a few feet away, Lilah’s scared gaze met mine, and the relief in her expression near floored me.