Locked Away (Living With Lies Book 2) (18 page)

I make my way up to Kiran’s room and login to my college account and find I have new assignments. I end up working the rest of the day and am brought out of my fog when Kiran walks in and sits on the bed.

“Hey,” he softly says.

“Did you have a good day at work?” I ask as I shut my computer down.

“Yeah,” he replies as his brows scrunch. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”

Kiran watches me for a beat. “Alex is worried that he upset you. He said he got mad and stormed off and hasn’t heard from you in hours.”

I groan. “He didn’t make me mad. He went to my old room and I happened to check my school account immediately afterward. I’ve been working on assignments ever since.”

I don’t wait for Kiran to react before I hop up and walk to the room where Alex is staying. The door is closed so I knock. Seconds later, Alex opens the door, and without thinking, I wrap my arms around his waist, catching him off guard. “I’m not mad,” I tell him. “If I could stay here forever I would,” I say into his chest as his arms slowly wrap around my shoulders. We stay locked together for several long minutes before I start to feel foolish for reacting the way I did. I slowly pull back and smile up at him. “I’m not mad,” I repeat as I see Kiran come into my vision. I step away from Alex and walk over to Kiran.

“Thanks,” Alex softly says and I’m not sure whom he’s thanking.

“Dinner’s ready,” Kate hollers.

“We better go before she gets pissed. Believe me, it’s not a fun thing to witness,” Kiran adds with a chuckle.

I’m having dinner for the second night in a row with a family I unexpectedly fell in love with. With a family that I never knew, but has always been mine.

****

After dinner, we all went for a swim. I can’t remember ever being in the water and not swimming laps. At first, I thought my body would go into withdrawals but it didn’t. We laughed, played a few rounds of volleyball, and watched Callie endlessly jump off the diving board. The night reminded me of the day I arrived and I walked out to see Gavin, Kiran, and Callie playing in the pool. Only tonight, I wasn’t watching. I was participating, something that doesn’t happen often.

As the evening ended, we all went our own ways. I took a quick shower before walking into Kiran’s room to once again find him waiting for me in the bed. I want another night like we shared on Friday, and I’m not afraid to take what my body desperately needs.

I close and lock the door, causing Kiran’s eyes to move from his phone in his hand to me. Slowly, he places his phone down on the side table as he watches me walk over to him. I drop my towel on the floor and climb up his legs until I stop on his lap. His eyes are darting from my chest to my face before he flips me over and hovers above me. He holds my stare for a moment before he possessively takes my mouth with his as his hand moves down to my breast. He pinches my nipple, causing the throbbing between my legs to intensify. All too soon, Kiran pulls back. He stares into my eyes again as he licks his lips.

“You aren’t sore?” he questions.

I smile. “No. I want you,” I add, trying to memorize the feel of his body over mine. Kiran leans down and sucks one of my breasts into his mouth. “Oh yes,” I say through pants.

Kiran groans and hops off the bed where he opens the drawer to his desk. He pulls out a condom before he pushes his boxer briefs down his legs. He flips off the light and walks back to the bed.

We both lay on our sides facing each other for several long moments. My body is becoming impatient. My need for him takes over as I move my mouth back to his. As he deepens our kiss, I slide my hand down his chest and I don’t stop until I grip his hard dick. I stroke him up and down until Kiran moans and breaks our kiss.

“God, I love your hands on me.” I smile to myself as I push on his chest until he falls back on the bed. I lift my leg over him, straddling him.

His lust-filled eyes empower me to take over. I reach between my legs and place him at my center.

“Hold up. I gotta put the condom on,” he tells me. I hear a wrapper tear then seconds later Kiran’s hands move back up my sides. He watches my face closely before lifting his hips and pushing inside.

“Ah,” I cry out from the feel of him, but he stops immediately. “I’m fine. I love the way you feel, don’t stop.” The corners of my mouth turn up as he pumps his hips again, causing us both to moan from our connection.

I hold his stare as I lean forward, placing my hands on his chest. He bites his lip as I start rocking up and down on him. I can feel my orgasm building but I don’t want to come yet because I want to soak up every moment with him. His hands move to my hips as his mouth drops open but he doesn’t say a word. Desire continues to course its way down my spine as we move as one.

Kiran growls as he arches his hips and starts to take over. My brain completely shuts down as he thrusts deeper and deeper. My desire to come escalates, but I’m still doing everything in my power to memorize the feeling of his body against mine, the way his body tells me everything I need to know.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t hold off. Pleasure unlike anything I’ve felt before explodes within me as my body gives up and my release takes over.

Kiran pulls me down tight against his chest as he pumps in and out of me several more times before he buries his face into my neck and groans with his release. When he finally pulls his face free, he kisses the corner of my mouth before he gives me a beautiful smile. And to my surprise, I feel incredibly happy. I could continue to focus on how I can’t stay or I can start living in the here and now. And right here...right now...I’m with a man I quite possibly have fallen in love with.

Isabelle

The next morning, I wake up and have breakfast with everyone. Alex surprises me when he asks if he can take me to work. I can tell Kiran wants to drive me, but he also doesn’t want to interfere with Alex’s attempts to bond with me.

Before Kiran leaves, he wraps his hand around my waist and pulls me against him before delivering a kiss that almost makes me melt. I forget we have an audience until Kate clears her throat. When I pull back and look up at Kiran, he gives me a dirty smile. “I’ll see you tonight,” he says with a smirk before walking out the door.

After he’s gone, I take a glance at Alex in time to see him look away. “Well ...” Kate says with a smile, “if you need a ride before Kiran gets off work, call me.” Kate grabs her bag and walks out the same door. With my mind still muddled from Kiran’s public show of affection, I tell Alex I’m ready.

I’m positive I’m smiling like a teenage girl who’s just admitted to her first crush. Alex nods his head and we walk out front to where his older model car is parked.

“Sorry. It’s all I have,” he says as his cheeks redden.

“And you probably worked for every penny used to buy this car.” My comment causes Alex to stop and stare at me. “Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are.” His eyes flare as he continues to watch me. “We better go or I’ll be late,” I add.

“Yeah, sure,” he mumbles.

An awkward silence lingers between us during the ride to the bookstore. This man is my brother—at least, by blood—but neither of us can come up with anything to say without risking hurting the other’s feelings.

“Thanks for giving me a ride,” I say when he pulls up to the curb.

“I can walk you in.” I reach over for his hand.

“That’s okay. I’m fine and I mean that.” I smile before I get out of the car and walk into the bookstore.

****

My day starts exactly the way last Thursday did. I rushed back and forth between the refreshment counter and the register until mid-afternoon when a delivery was made for me personally and not the bookstore.

When Jena went to sign for it, she was told the package had to be delivered to me...and only me. My hand was shaking so bad that no one would be able to tell what signature I gave the man. After he left, I watch the box like it might blow up at any moment.

“Go take a break and open that damn box, otherwise, you’re not going to be any good to me,” Jena gripes. I shake my head and walk to the storeroom. Nervously, I cut open the box and take a glance inside to find a cell phone.

My heart starts to relax as I pull it out only to find it’s attached to a piece of paper. After a deep breath, I unfold the paper only to see the words “
Turn it on”
and nothing else.

Hoping like hell that Damian has finally found a way to contact me, I grab the phone and switch it on. For a few long moments, nothing happens until I jump when it finally rings. Fear starts creeping its way in as I slide the phone on.

“Hello?” I whisper.

“Izzy, what the fuck is going on?” Manuel barks into my ear.

“Manuel. Oh my God, it’s great to hear your voice,” I tell him as relief sets in.

“What the fuck have you been doing, huh?” he growls in a tone he’s never used with me before.

My nose scrunches. “What are you talking about?”

“You didn’t return to the Reynolds’ house last weekend. I saw a report that you checked into a fucking hotel only to return to the Reynolds’ home again. Now tell me what the fuck is going on and don’t you dare lie to me, Izzy.”

Manuel’s voice has startled me. On very rare occasions I’ve seen him talk to the men who work for my father this like but he’s never spoken to me this way. Not to mention, he knows...he knows where I’ve been. Damian was keeping track of Kate, which means he must be alive if Manuel knows what I’ve been doing.

“Oh my God, have you heard from Damian?” I frantically ask.

“Damian is dead. It’s time for you to come home.” My heart drops as I place my hand over my mouth.

“Dead?” I painfully whisper.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this was probably the case. Why else would he have left me for going on a month now?

“Yes, he’s fucking dead, and your playtime is over.”

His harsh tone and callous words cause my watery eyes to narrow. “Why are you talking to me this way?” I sniffle.

“Well, let’s see. I made sure you were safe, I allowed you to take off and have fun for a change, and how do you repay me? You start fucking around with some guy? Real fucking classy, Isabelle. Now Daddy’s gone, and like it or not, you’re coming home.”

“You sent me here?” My voice cracks as I try to process his comment.

“You didn’t really think Daddy would send you to live with his other princess, did you? And who the hell did you think was buying you a plane ticket while Daddy already had a bullet in his head?”

My hand covers my mouth to hold in the scream that threatens to escape. Manuel’s father Miguel was the only man in my father’s trusted circle that didn’t go with us to Tijuana. The whole thing must have been a setup...and Manuel was a part of it.

“Okay. I’ll come home,” I say in a voice that doesn’t sound anything like my own. I can’t stay at Kate’s or God only knows what Manuel will do. He knows exactly where she lives, and he knows enough to have some idea about what I did with Kiran.

“Because I’m nice,” he says with an evil chuckle, “you can go home tonight and say goodbye, but your flight leaves at ten in the morning, and you better be on it. If not, I’ll make sure the people you’ve been staying with pay the price for your foolish actions.” Before I can say anything else, the line disconnects only to beep seconds later with a text with my flight information.

I go to the bathroom and splash water on my face before walking back out front. I make it close to an hour before I tell Jena I don’t feel well. I send Kate a text telling her I got off early, and another one to Kiran that Kate was picking me up from work.

“Are you okay?” Kate questions as we walk into her house. I barely said two words to her on the drive home.

“I’m just tired.” I force myself to smile before I walk up to Kiran’s room and pull out my computer.

I search Damian’s name, looking closely at everything. After searching page after page, I find an article where a woman claims she saw Damian in Rosarito, a small town only miles from Tijuana. This article was posted only a few weeks ago. I keep reading, discovering a couple more posts that claim a similar thing. People in around the surrounding areas of Tijuana continue to think that Damian is alive. I blow out a sigh of relief as I rub my temples.

It’s a trap...Manuel is setting me up. He must be working with his father to take Damian down, which means I can’t under any circumstances return to Poza Rica, but it also means I can’t stay here. There’s not a man on my father’s payroll that wouldn’t kill a person without hesitation, and that includes Manuel, and he knows exactly where I am. Hell, he’s the one who sent me here.

I chew on my lip, trying to think of what I should do next. Outside of the people staying in this house, Manuel was the only person I thought I could trust. I glance over at my suitcase as a thought occurs to me.

One side looks horrible where I pulled the lining away. I swallow and yank the other side back and my heart sinks. My guess was correct. Right there in the middle of my suitcase is a tracking device. That’s how Manuel knew I was at a hotel and not here because I took the damn thing with me.