Bedmates Soulmates
CHAPTER 194

What was the name?

Mortal Enemy

Her half-sibling was a girl, Georgina..

Austyn had never heard of a brother before.

'If I remember correctly, you are your father's only child."

'Yes.'

"Then who is this Brother Gideon you kept calling in your sleep?"

"The neighbour's kid.' Kira said, improvising.

Austyn narrowed his eyes.

Kira nodded as if to emphasise the credibility of her statement. 'He was the neighbour's kid. I used to play with him when I was little. Then he moved away and I haven't seen him since. I must've dreamed about him just now. I don't know why.' "You dream about the things you think about,' Austyn said,

'Really?" Kira shrugged. 'I haven't thought about him in a long time."

"Then why is he in your dream?"

Kira spread out her hands. 'Beats me."

Austyn stared at her for a few seconds..

Then he reached over the bed and pulled her back into his arms.

Kira struggled frantically. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

'Don't move.' He restrained her arms. 'Let me see your bruise.'

Kira stopped fighting.

She wanted to roll her eyes.

Couldn't he have just said so?

Why must he always act in a way that made others misunderstand?

She thought he was going to spank her.

Austyn rolled up her bell sleeve.

His fingers touched the purplish bruise.

Kira hissed.

'Sorry."

Austyn removed his hand.

The swelling had not gone down.

If anything, it looked worse.

'Sit still.'

He got up from the bed.

Kira sat on her haunches and watched him rummage around on the nightstand on his side of the bed, opening and shutting each drawer.

What was he doing?

She was still feeling grogEY

She had no idea how long she'd slept.

Austyn didn't find what he was looking for.

He went into the bathroom.

It wasn't there either.

'Where's the tube of ointment?' he came out and asked Kira.

Kira pointed to a low table on her side of the bed.

That was what he was looking for?

He picked up the tube, squeezed it and daubed the green medicine over her bruise.

'It might hurt a little,'

He had to massage the medicine into her skin.

Kira looked away, hiding a grimace.

Why were you looking for it in the bathroom?"

Austyn didn't answer.

He thought he might have left it in there.

After applying the ointment on her last night, he'd gone into the bathroom to wash his hands.

He'd left the tube on the nightstand, but when he didn't see it there, he thought he must have misremembered.

After all, he wasn't quite himself last night.

'Did you come into the room while I was asleep? Kira asked.

The tube wasn't on the nightstand when she went to bed, but it was there when she woke up.

'I did.' Austyn looked up at her.

"Then why did you leave?' she blurted. 'When I woke up this morning, you were gone.'

There was a faint trace of a smile on Austyn's face.

'Are you saying you wish I'd stayed? With you?"

"Of course not!' Kira snickered. 'I'm not a masochist. Why would I want my tormentor to stay with me? To hurt me again?"

She raised her right arm, presenting evidence of his handiwork.

Austyn put down the tube.

He looked straight into her eyes. 'Do you have a mortal enemy?"

Kira was thrown by the sudden change of topic.

Georgina's face immediately flickered through her mind.

She hated her half-sister with a passion, but she didn't think she'd want to see Georgina dead.

Kira shook her head. 'I don't live in a comic book. I don't have mortal enemies or archnemeses."

"Then you don't understand how much I loathe Liam Cane. The man, everything he touches, every person he associates with, is anathema to me. I consider it an act of betrayal for any of my people to be involved with him. Even if it's just a conversation." Montal Enemy

Austyn put both hands around Kira's face, not allowing her to look away.

'But you did so much more than just having a conversation with him. You went out to dinner with him. You let him kiss you. Do you-'

00

I didn't let him kiss me!' Kira retorted. 'He forced the kiss on me!!

Austyn took a deep breath.

'I know. Still, to see you standing so close to him, to see the two of you...Do you know how angry I was, and how mad I

still am?!

His face had darkened.

Kira was reminded of the Austyn who held a knife against Liam's throat.

The same savage, murderous, on-the-verge-of-getting-unhinged look.

Kira flinched.

Once again, she'd forgotten how scary the man could be.

Austyn held on to her shoulders.

"Why did you flinch? What are you afraid of?"

'Nothing.' She looked away.

Her answer said nothing, but her body was stiff as a board.

He could feel her shoulders trembling under his hands.

'Tell me." He moved her head back to face him. "What are you afraid of?'

Kira lowered her eyes. 'You're mistaken. I'm not feeling afraid.'

"Then why are you shaking?"

'I'm cold. There's a draught."

Austyn glanced at the balcony.

The French windows were closed.

The curtains were drawn shut.

'Kira.' Austyn tried to put some gentleness in his voice. 'You can talk to me. Are you scared of me?"

'No, I'm not."

'Are you saying that because you're genuinely unafraid of me, or because you're scared I won't cover your father's medical bills if you admit the truth?"

Kira stared blankly at him. "What? No."

She wasn't thinking of the medical bills at all.

Why did he bring it up?

'So you're not scared of me?"

'No, I'm not!!

But she tensed every time he touched her.

'Really?"

'Yes, really!' Kira raised her voice slightly, exasperated.