Sweet Retribution (Rydeville High Elite #3)(16)

“Okay, I’m all out of patience,” my brother says, shoving Xavier out of the way and planting himself in front of us. “What did he mean, Abby?”

I know exactly what he’s referring to.

“Can we do this in here?” Rick says, and I whip my head around. I hadn’t noticed him perched on the side of the couch until now because I was so lost in his brother. “Kaiden needs to get his grouchy butt back into bed.”

I cast a glance over the room, spotting the double bed in the center of the space, surrounded by a drip and some type of monitoring machine.

“I’ll tell you but let me get Kai situated first,” I promise my brother, wrapping my arm around Kai’s waist. “Lean on me if you need to,” I tell him as we slowly walk toward the makeshift bed.

“I’ll manage,” he says, trying not to put his weight on me. Little beads of sweat dot his brow, and his face contorts in pain with every step.

When we finally reach the bed, he flops down on it with a grateful moan. Rick props his pillows up against the headrest, lifting Kai’s white sleep shirt and inspecting the thick layer of bandages covering his upper torso.

“How much pain are you in?” I ask as he reaches out, snatching my hand.

“It’s nothing compared to the pain of being separated from you,” he rasps, panting as Rick gently prods his side.

“Christ, Anderson,” Jackson says, and I can almost hear the smirk in his tone. “Either the drugs have done a number on you or you’re completely pussy-whipped.”

“I missed my wife. Shoot me if that’s a crime.” Kai slants a ‘fuck off’ look in Jackson’s direction.

“What the hell is going on, Abby?” Drew’s gaze bounces between me and Kai as I climb into bed with him.

“There hasn’t been time to explain,” I truthfully reply. “It happened when you were at Parkhurst just before Christmas.”

“We wanted to tell you,” Kai adds, circling his arm around my back and urging me to snuggle into his side. I don’t want to hurt him, so I carefully curl around him, watching how his body responds for clues, because it’s clear Kai won’t stop me even if he’s in pain. “But there was no safe way to do that. I’m sorry, man.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Drew asks, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Kai and I got married three days before Christmas,” I confirm, gently placing my hand on my husband’s chest.

“What?” Drew splutters. and I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother more surprised. “How?”

I look up at Kai with fresh tears in my eyes. “Kai proposed to me the night before you all returned from Parkhurst.”

I’m not getting into the ins and outs of that conversation because it took some time before Kai was able to convince me his motives were the right kind. We’d been in bed at Lauder’s place, and he’d suggested escaping. When I threw that out as an option, he brought up marriage. I turned him down flat at first, until he convinced me he wanted to get married for all the right reasons.

Not just to protect me from my father and to safeguard my shares in Manning Motors.

But because he loves me and wants to spend the rest of his life with me.

My heart swells as I recall that part of the conversation. I never thought he could be so romantic, but he swept me off my feet with his beautiful words. “Lauder’s father sent his helicopter to bring us to New York early the following morning, and Hunt’s father called in a favor. We got a license minutes before we were married at city hall.”

Kai presses a kiss to the top of my head, pulling me in closer to his side. “We didn’t even get a chance to celebrate. We knew you were due to return home from Parkhurst the same day, so we flew straight back, and we had literally only just arrived here when you called.”

It broke my heart leaving him behind that day, and I sobbed all the way back to Charlie’s house in the Uber. I should’ve known something was wrong when he didn’t call me Christmas Eve night, but I’d assumed he hadn’t had time during the party at Lauder’s family home. I was an idiot not to suspect something. If I’d been smarter, I could’ve gotten Drew on the case, and he might have been able to discover the bastard had kidnapped Kai.

I stretch up and kiss him softly. “I love you,” I whisper.

“I love you too,” he whispers back, claiming my mouth in a passionate kiss. Heat builds in my core, and a familiar ache throbs between my thighs.

I need him. Want him. We haven’t even had time to consummate our marriage. But Kai is injured, and we’ve a room full of witnesses, so I reluctantly tear my mouth away from his.

“Were you there?” Drew asks, leveling a look in Xavier’s direction.

“I was.” He shoots me a tender look. “I’m glad I’d been staying here, or I probably would’ve missed out.”

Drew averts his eyes.

“I’m sorry, D.” I chew on the inside of my mouth, understanding why he’s upset. If Jane and Drew had eloped and gotten married, without telling me or giving me an opportunity to attend, I’d be pissed. But our circumstances were different. If Drew had been in Rydeville, there’s no question he’d have been there. But if he had been in Rydeville, there’s no way I could’ve snuck off and married Kai. So, it was inevitable either way.