Limitless Love (Lotus House #4)(86)

I couldn’t stomach one more word from Matisse, so I sat back on my heels and addressed my ex-husband, hoping to find some shred of decency. “Kyle, why not let Lily go play in her room. Do what you want with me. Just let her go. You don’t want to hurt a child.”

He scoffed. “You don’t know what I want.” He pulled Lily up into a standing position. I pushed forward and tried to reach out to grab her, but he pulled her away by the collar of her footed pajamas. She cried out, and I bit into my lip so hard the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

Kyle dragged my daughter close to me but not enough so I could reach her. Her eyes were beyond frightened and her lip quivered in fear.

“What I want, Monet, is to hurt you. Repeatedly, until you beg me to stop. Hurting her will do that. Besides, she and that steroid junky you’ve got living here seem to be your two soft spots.” He twisted his lips into a maniacal sneer.

I got up on my knees and put my hands into a prayer position. “Kyle, this is me, begging you to let her go. Take me. Leave her here. Do whatever you have to do, but just leave her behind.”

He shoved my daughter into Matisse’s arms before getting up in my face. “I don’t think you understand. If she’s alive…” he whispered, his eyes black holes of nothingness, “then she gets the money. If you’re both dead, the money goes to Matisse, your next of kin.”

Money. This was all about the fucking money. Money that wasn’t even theirs.

“I’ll give you whatever you want. Take me to the bank right now. I’ll withdraw whatever you want. You don’t have to do this. Please. Kyle. You loved me once. I know you did. Please, please…just let my daughter go!” I begged.

Smack! An explosion of pain struck my cheek as Kyle punched me. “Shut the fuck up! Jesus Christ, I don’t remember you being this chatty.” He pressed his finger and thumb into his temples. “I need to think!”

“You need to think about letting my girls go before I kill you with my bare hands,” came the rumbling deep voice I woke to every morning, fell asleep to every night, and kissed quiet every day.

Clayton stood at the edge of the room with his eyes zeroed on Kyle, his chest moving with his breathing as if he’d run a mile. Each of his fists were locked tight and ready for some serious damage. Clayton was beyond angry. The veins on his forearms and neck stood out beneath his otherwise smooth, tanned skin. He held his lips into a tight white curl, nostrils flared. This man was two hundred and thirty pounds of solid muscle ready to stampede my ex into oblivion.

Kyle’s eyes widened when he saw Clay, as did my own. I wanted to jump for joy but kept calm as I moved slowly to stand. Once I got on my feet, Clay’s arm wrenched out and shoved me behind him.

“Forgot my gym bag. Thank fuck,” he said below his breath as I closed in on his back. I squeezed his biceps in gratitude and silently thanked the good Lord above for this gift.

Clayton’s voice rose loud in the room as he addressed Kyle again. “You think for a second you can come into my home, put your hands on my kid and my woman, and threaten their lives?” he growled, his timber so threatening I was scared. For Kyle. My man would and could kill him with his bare hands.

Matisse’s hands shook where she held on to Lily. My sweet baby was quiet, her eyes glued to Clayton. Her savior and mine. At least I hoped so. Right now, he was the only way we were going to get out of this situation alive.

“You think because you work out and inject your muscles full of ’roids, that makes you somehow stronger and smarter than me?” Kyle spat out.

Clayton didn’t take the bait or respond to the attempted blow. “Put down the knife. Let’s go head to head. Man to man.” He lifted an arm and waved his hand as if to say, bring it on.

Kyle snickered, moved quicker than I thought possible, and grabbed my daughter from Matisse’s hold, tugging her in front of him. Clayton got a step closer but not enough to get to her first.

That’s when the tears came. Big fat drops sliding silently down my cheeks. I knew, regardless of the outcome, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to her or the man I was head over heels in love with.

I watched as Matisse shifted behind Kyle.

“What are you going to do now? Huh, boy?” Kyle taunted.

While he focused on Clay, I reached into my back pocket where I had my phone. I couldn’t let on what I was doing, but I hoped like hell I could hit the right buttons to call the police, or at the very least, someone who would pick up and hear the call. Using my thumb, I felt for the right spot and was pretty sure I got it. I glanced over my shoulder, easing more fully behind Clayton so they couldn’t see what I was doing. I punched the nine and the one and one as fast as I could and just left the line open.

When I thought for sure they were on, I announced as loudly as I could muster. “Put down the knife and let my daughter go, Kyle. She’s an innocent. She has nothing to do with this.”

Kyle shook his head. “You stupid people do not get it. I’m not leaving here until the three of you are dead, and I’ll do it one at a time if I have to. Matisse. Gun, baby?”

When I heard the word gun, I lunged at my sister. She’d barely had a second to get the gun out from behind her where she’d tucked it into her pants. Her arms came up and I went right back to my training with Nicholas. I grabbed her wrist, spun, and shoved the arm holding the gun through mine so it wasn’t facing me. I smashed my hand into her elbow, and she let the gun go. It clanged to the floor and bounced out of sight. Matisse clung to me and pulled me down, the couch breaking my fall before we hit the floor.