[Camden]
"Kendall," I call, my voice steady but with a touch of urgency. "We need to talk about this. You'll be safer there."
"I'm safe here!" she insists, her voice defiant, with a hint of desperation. "You take care of me, Camden. You've been there since day one."
There's a weight to her words, an unspoken trust that makes my chest tighten. I watch her, standing a few feet away, the morning light casting a warm glow around her damp hair, the faint scent of her shampoo mingling with the coolness in the room.
"I'll still be around, Kendall," I say, though the lie tastes bitter. I reach for her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin against my palm. "But I can do a lot more in terms of finding him if I'm not locked down here."
To be honest, I haven't been doing much in the way of looking for Marco. It's been a while since I called around, reaching out to the guys I used to know, the ones who still run in those circles. My fists clench. Maybe I don't want this to end. Maybe I don't want her to leave.
"It's dangerous," she argues, her voice breaking. "It's really dangerous to be out looking for Marco, Camden, and I can't stand the idea of you getting hurt." Her voice trembles, and before I know it, I'm pulling her into my arms, pressing her body close to mine. Her frame feels delicate against me, yet I can feel the strength of her heartbeat pounding against my chest.
She leans into me, still tense, her forehead resting on my shoulder. I brush my hand over her hair, its softness catching between my fingers. Her skin smells faintly of lilac's and warmth, a calming scent that tugs at something deep in me. She's right-it is dangerous, but it's not my safety I'm worried about. I'm worried about her. Dante might watch her, but he'd never do it the way I do. He'd assign someone, delegate it out, and I don't know if I trust anyone else to keep her safe the way I would.
"Just think about it," I murmur, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, feeling the silky strands against my lips, her warmth lingering there.
"I don't want to think about it. The answer's no," she says firmly, but I can feel the tremor running through her body. She pulls back, her eyes sharp and defiant, even as a hint of fear flickers in them.
"We can't stay here forever," I warn softly, a hint of frustration slipping into my tone. "He'll figure out our safe house sooner or later."
She swallows, her gaze dropping for a moment. "You said this place was safer than the last one."
"It is, principessa, but nowhere is truly safe as long as Marco's alive." The thought sends a surge of anger through me, hot and fierce, tightening every muscle in my body.
Kendall's lips press into a thin line, her brow furrowing as she searches my face, her expression tinged with uncertainty. "Do you think I'd be safer at Dante's?"
I hesitate, searching her eyes. I don't know if she'd really be safer there, but I'd be apart from her, which is what I wanted, right? The logical part of me tells me it's the best option, but a knot twists painfully in my stomach, making me doubt my own words.
"I don't know," I admit finally, my voice rough. "I just thought it might be good for us to have a change of scenery."
She looks at me fiercely, crossing her arms over her chest as if to hold herself steady. "I don't think so," she says, her voice filled with a quiet intensity. "I want to stay here. With you."
I nod, unable to push her further, watching as she walks back into the living room. She switches on the television, the soft hum filling the silence between us, and I sink onto the couch with a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of her gaze.
My mind spins, stuck in circles, thinking of all the things I haven't resolved. I don't know what to do with these feelings, the ones I've tried to push down but keep resurfacing. I don't know if I can keep her safe here or if she'd be better off somewhere else, far from me.
She puts on some mindless show, something lighthearted and familiar, but when she looks over at me, her lip caught between her teeth, I can't help but smile. Her cheeks flush slightly, and there's a playful glint in her eyes, one that's hard to ignore.
"Are you mad at me, principessa?" I ask, my voice low, teasing, trying to draw her back from the tension.
She shakes her head, her mouth curling into a small smile. Then she surprises me, dropping down to her knees and crawling toward me, her eyes darkening. I spread my legs, feeling my breath hitch as she inches closer, her hands grazing my thighs.
"Are you being a dirty girl again, Kendall?" I murmur, my voice thick with anticipation. She smirks, nodding, her fingers trailing along the waistband of my sweats, and my heart beats harder, echoing in my ears as she pulls them down. The cool air prickles against my skin, and I watch her, the hunger in her eyes mirrored in my own. She tugs them down, exposing my half-erection to the cool air, and I look down at her, licking my lips.
She leans in, her warm breath teasing me before she takes my cock into her mouth, her tongue gentle at first. The soft wetness of her lips, the way her fingers hold onto my thighs, it all drives me to the edge. I thread my fingers through her hair, feeling its silken weight as I guide her, a primal satisfaction igniting as she gags slightly, her eyes watering.
I bob her head up and down, and she gags again, choking slightly on my dick, and I grunt low in my chest, feeling my balls draw up.
I would never hurt Kendall, but there's a part of me that just loves controlling her, loves making her do all the things I know she likes. She loves to be used like a sex doll.
She sticks out her tongue, working the flat of it along my underside, and I grunt again when I spill down her throat. She swallows, choking and gagging slightly, which makes my dick pulse in her mouth and elicits a low groan from my throat.
"Goddamn, principessa," I murmur, my words coming out rasped, breathless, pulling her into my lap, kissing the tear-streaked path down her cheeks, tasting the salt of her tears. She nestles into me, her body warm and soft, her heartbeat gradually slowing as she curls up against my chest, her head tucked beneath my chin.
A strange feeling rises in my chest, something tight and unfamiliar, words I've never said to anyone lingering on the edge of my lips. I swallow, pushing them down. I can't feel this way-not for her, not for anyone. She's my sister's best friend, she's too young and way she's off-limits, and I know better. I should push her away, should keep my walls up, but right now, with her nestled into me, looking pale and exhausted, I can't bring myself to let her go.
The television hums quietly in the background, filling the silence as I hold her. There's no one else in the world right now-just me and Kendall, both of us caught in this tangled mess of danger, desire, and emotions I can't control.
But as I look down at her, still curled in my lap, a dark thought slithers into my mind: what happens when Marco finds us?