“But I'm here, Firecracker.”
He squeezes my hips gently.
“I’m with you.”
“Together?”
He smiles.
“Boyfriend. Girlfriend. Dating. Whatever label you want, Firecracker, I'm there.”
My eyes sting.
“And this?” He taps the newspaper. “This is my problem to handle. Not yours.”
“Kai—”
“Understand?”
He’s staring at me with laser like focus and I exhale the breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding.
Then, I answer.
“Yes, Kai.”
“Good.”
He reaches out, grabs the bakery box he left on the floor, and places it on my desk.
“Now here's your breakfast.”
I laugh weakly.
“Kai—”
“Eat it like a good girl and get ready for all those first graders coming in to see you in a few, okay?”
“Kai—”
I try again.
His grin turns wicked and he kisses the corner of my lips.
“Go on now. It’s gonna be fine, Mary. Oh, and I'll go have a chat with Father Peter on my way out.”
“Okay,” I reply because what else can I say?
The crazy part?
Somehow, impossibly, I believe him.
Because Kai Montego looks like a man preparing for war.
And all I know is I’m very, very glad he’s on my side.
Twenty-Three
Kai