Wilde (Bad Boys of Wildeside)

by Laylah Roberts

  I glared at him.

  “I wonder what she’s doing right now. Whether she’s safe and happy. Whether she’s warm. If she’s eaten. Do you wonder about those things, Wilde?”

  Of course, I fucking did. It’s all I thought about. Hence the scotch. I was trying not to think about her.

  “Not my problem anymore.”

  “You’re the man who rescued her. Who gave her a home. From what I understand, you’re her only family. You have to do better than this, Wilde. A lot better. You ran her off because of your own demons. Your own selfishness. You wanted everything your way. Far as I can tell, old friend, she’s better off without you.”

  Darcy

  I stood looking up at Cassie’s house. I’d come here to tell Ian Wilde exactly what I thought of him. And to see if he’d talk to Cassie. My friend needed help, and she wasn’t listening to me.

  Now that I was here, though, my bravery had disappeared. My stomach jumped, and my knees quivered. I hated confrontation. What if he yelled? What if I cried? My father hated it when I cried. He would give me the silent treatment for weeks, which was decidedly worse than being yelled at.

  The door to the house opened, and my heartbeat quickened. Had he seen me out here? Was he coming to talk to me? Would he be reasonable?

  It wasn’t Wilde who walked down the steps toward me, but Sinclair. I wasn’t certain if that was a last name or a first name. My body thrummed as he grew closer. God, he was hot. So far out of my league, it wasn’t funny. To him, I must have seemed like an immature school girl.

  To me, he seemed like a God.

  His gaze narrowed as he looked me over. “Are you the cleaning lady?”

  Wow, my self-esteem just shriveled up and died. He didn’t remember me? Guess I’m not that memorable.

  I cleared my throat. Sinclair exuded power. There was something about him that made me quiver with a mix of anticipation and fear. His dark brown eyes studied me.

  “You’re the friend, right?”

  He remembered me! I quickly stopped myself from doing a happy dance. That would be totally inappropriate, not to mention embarrassing as hell.

  “Yep, that’s me. I’m Darcy. The friend.”

  Stop babbling.

  Sinclair tipped his head to one side. “What are you doing here, Darcy? You do know that Cassie isn’t here?”

  “That’s why I’m here.” I cleared my throat nervously. “I’ve come to tell Wilde what I think of him.”

  Did his lips twitch? Did he think I was joking?

  “Is that so?

  I straightened my shoulders. “Yes, and to see if he’ll talk some sense into Cassie. She isn’t listening to me.”

  He didn’t move, but I could sense I had his full attention. “You know where she is? Is she staying with you?”

  “I wish. I told her my parents weren’t home and even if they were, they wouldn’t care.” Or notice. “But she wanted to be on her own, even if it means she’s working herself to the bone. I don’t think she’s eating or sleeping well. I tried to buy her dinner, but she—”

  “Darcy.” He held up his hand, and I shut up.

  “Sorry, I talk too much, especially when I’m nervous.” Now why did I go and tell him that?

  “No need to be nervous. Darcy, I want you to tell me where she is.”

  “You’ll convince her to let me help her?”

  “No.”

  My stomach dropped.

  “I’m going to convince her to let me help her.”

  Cassie

  Wow, people could be pigs. Tight-fisted pigs. I relied on the tips I made, and some asshole had just left me four buttons and a bit of lint. My cash reserves were dwindling at a fast rate. I didn’t know what I would do once it was all gone. I took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension in my stomach.

  I’d found a room to rent. It was a bad area of town, but the price was right. My roommates left a lot to be desired, but after I’d installed a deadbolt, I’d felt a lot better. I’d cleared out my bank account after leaving Wilde’s house. Technically, it was Wilde’s money, but I was too scared to leave without some backup.

  Turns out, I’d been right to be concerned. I’d been working as a waitress for five days now, and I’d only made enough to cover my rent. The door opened, and I turned, forcing myself to smile as someone walked in. I’d woken this morning feeling sluggish and with a headache. As the day went on, I felt worse. Jesus, I never got sick. Great timing. A real kick in the ass when I was already down. Could things get any worse?

  The man who’d entered turned to me and smiled. I’m sure some people found his boyish face charming, but he was slime. Pure slime. Apparently things could get worse.

  “Professor Addison.”

  “Cassie. I was walking past and I thought that was you.”

  Walking past, my ass. I’d been to class this morning, he had to have followed me here. Was he really stalking me?

  “Please take a seat, I’ll take your order in a minute.” No, I wouldn’t. I needed to find Elsie, she could deal with Professor Addison.

  I coughed as I entered the kitchen, and John, the cook, frowned at me.

  “Out. Get some fresh air.”

  I nodded and had a quick word with Elsie before stepping outside into the alley. Trembling, I sat on one of the chairs set out here for breaks. What did the Professor want? Was he really stalking me? I coughed again, my lungs burning. I couldn’t afford to get sick, what was I going to do?

  I wiped my hand across my sweating brow. I was burning up. I’d have to end my shift early, which was going to really piss my boss off.

  “The other waitress said you’d be out here. Really, Cassie, you have come down in the world. Do you regret turning down my offer now?”

  I stared up at the sky, hoping for some divine intervention. “What the hell did I ever do to you?”

  “You provoked me, paraded yourself in front of me, and made me want you.”

  Oh, what a dick. I glared up at Professor Addison. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

  He grasped hold of my arm, pulling me up. Christ, he was stronger than he looked. “You’d best be nice to me.”

  A shiver of fear filled me as I stared up into his eyes. Was it my imagination or did he look a little crazy? “I’d rather push a hot poker up my ass.”

  He threw me back against the wall. I stared over at the door, it was a few feet away. I wouldn’t make it. For God’s sake, it was the middle of the day, surely all I had to do was yell for help. Except no one would hear me inside the diner, and there was no one out here.

  Shit. I was in trouble.

  “You don’t want to do anything stupid,” I warned him.

  “Really? Why not? Who’s going to stop me? Stepdaddy? Didn’t he kick you out?”

  How did he know about Wilde?

  “How did you know I was working here?” I asked. The only person who knew was Darcy.

  “I’ve been following you. I’ve been waiting for my moment. You thought you were so clever, fucking your stepfather to get away from me. But I waited, and now I have you. “You’re mine now, bitch.” Reaching out he grabbed my hair, pulling me closer. Tears filled my eyes. I might feel like shit, but no way was I going to give in and let him hurt me.

  I kicked out, aiming my knee towards his balls. But he twisted, swinging out with his fist, smacking it against my face. Pain engulfed me, and I fell on my ass, my whole head throbbing.

  “You’ll learn your place.” His face twisted into a horrible smirk as he stepped towards me.

  Someone grabbed him from behind, pulling him back. My heart stuttered, restarting with a sickening thud, and I gaped in amazement as Sinclair pushed Addison up against a wall, shoving his arm across his neck.

  “Sinclair?” I attempted to sit. Fuck, my vision spun, and I had to pause, breathing deeply. The right side of my face throbbed, and already my eye had swollen shut. “Sinclair, what are you doing?”

  “Killing this asshole.”

  �
�Asswipe,” I corrected him as I finally managed to pull myself up. “His name is Asswipe.”

  “You know him?” Sinclair turned to look at me in amazement.

  “He’s used to be my professor. I pulled out of his class. Turns out he took that rather badly.”

  “How can you joke at a time like this?”

  I didn’t feel like joking around, but I felt the need to lighten the mood, especially as I watched Addison struggle for air.

  “Umm, Sinclair, you’re strangling him.”

  “Yes.” He gave me an “and-your-point-is?” look.

  “You can’t kill him.” I leaned back against the wall. I felt dizzy and ill with pain.

  “Why not?”

  Why not? I couldn’t think of a good reason right then. “Because I’ll feel guilty when you go to jail. Sinclair, please, this has been a really shitty week, and I don’t think I can take this on top of everything else.”

  I thought he was going to ignore me until he suddenly stepped back. The professor fell to the ground, coughing and clawing at his throat.

  “Listen to me carefully,” Sinclair told him in a low, dark voice. “You are going to go home. You are going to pack a bag, and you are going to leave town. If you linger, if you defy me, then I will hunt you down and kill you.”

  Addison stared up at Sinclair. “You can’t do this to me,” he whined, rubbing his hand over his neck. “This is assault.”

  He was a fine one to talk.

  “Can’t I?” Sinclair smiled then leaned down to whisper something to him. I strained but couldn’t hear what he said. Suddenly, Addison stood, nodding frantically. He half-ran, half-stumbled out of the alleyway.

  “Thanks,” I told him tiredly. “I owe you.”

  Sinclair moved closer. “I only wish I’d gotten here sooner. Let me look at that.”

  “I’m fine.” I attempted to avert my face, but he grasped my chin in a firm grip and turned my face up to his.

  “That is going to need ice. And possibly an x-ray.”

  “No hospital,” I said quickly.

  He stared down at me silently.

  “I don’t have insurance.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of everything. Can you walk or do you want me to carry you?”

  “I can’t leave. I have to finish my shift.”

  “Your eye is already swollen; you can’t work like that.” He had a point. Obviously, I wasn’t thinking clearly.

  Sinclair slipped an arm around my waist and steered me down the alley.

  “I have to tell them I’m leaving. I need this job.”

  “You do not. You won’t be back.”

  “Oh God, what is it with all the bossy men in my life? Wilde might have gotten away with it, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take it from you.”

  “Sh.” Sinclair ushered me into a large, dark car. I shivered at the blast of cold air. He climbed in next to me. The car started. Huh? I hadn’t even noticed his driver. I really was in a bad way.

  “You’re shivering.” Sinclair covered my forehead with his hand. “You have a temperature. Why didn’t you tell me you were ill?”

  “Um sorry, I couldn’t find the right moment between getting beaten up and watching you nearly kill a man. You wouldn’t really have killed him, would you?”

  He poured some sparkling water into a glass and held it to my lips. “I do not like men who abuse women. He needed killing, but you needed me more.”

  Holy shit, who was this man?

  Wilde

  I’d made a mistake. It was a bitter pill to swallow. I didn’t make mistakes, or at least I never admitted when I did.

  But this time, I had. And with the most important person in my life. It was my fault she’d left. I had driven her away. Selfishly, I’d wanted to keep her all for myself. I’d been smothering her.

  And I’d lost her.

  It was no more than I deserved. I was a hard bastard. Too harsh and controlling for her. After Sinclair left, and I’d sobered up a bit, I’d started to really think about the way I’d treated her. I thought I’d been protecting her, but I’d just been trying to control her. Like my father had attempted to control my mother. I may never have hit or abused her, but I’d wanted her to do things my way, and not just in the bedroom.

  I needed to change enough to give her what she needed. To make certain she never left me again.

  First, though, I had to find her.

  Sinclair’s words rang in my ears. Where was she? Was she safe? Did she have food? Shelter? I had no idea where to look, but I knew someone who might. Her friend, Darcy. Where the hell did she live, though? I went into Cassie’s room, searching through her drawers for something that might tell me where to find Darcy.

  Nothing. Fuck.

  How was I going to find her? Should I go to the university? Maybe I could track Cassie down there. Except Boston University was a big place and that could take some time. Suddenly, I thought of something. I made my way back to my study. Finding my phone, I brought up Matt’s name. I’d fired him after discovering Cassie had left. In my mind, he had failed. I’d hired him to protect her, and he hadn’t even noticed her leaving.

  “Yes?”

  His voice was cold, but I didn’t care.

  “Wilde here. I need to know the address of Cassie’s friend.”

  “What makes you think I know?”

  “You had to have driven her there, she’s Cassie’s closest friend.”

  “She’s Cassie’s best friend, and you don’t know the address?” There was a note of derision in the other man’s voice.

  “I don’t have time to deal with your bullshit. I need to find Cassie.”

  There was silence then he rattled off an address before hanging up. I didn’t care. I was one step closer to finding Cassie.

  ***

  I pushed the buzzer for the gate impatiently. Darcy lived in one of the most exclusive parts of the city.

  “Yes?” a hesitant voice asked. I frowned as I realized it was Darcy. I hadn’t expected her to answer.

  “Darcy. Ian Wilde. I need to find Cassie.”

  There was no answer. Impatience filled me, and I bit back the urge to snap at her. Maybe I should have waited to speak to her face to face.

  Waiting wasn’t my strong suit.

  “I don’t know where she is.”

  I knew she was lying. There was no reason for her to take so long to answer if she didn’t know where Cassie was.

  “I need to find her, Darcy. I need to make sure she’s okay.”

  No answer. Shit.

  “Darcy, I made a mistake. Mistakes, actually. I want to make it up to her. But first I need to find her.”

  Still silence. Had she left? Christ, I couldn’t believe I’d messed this up so badly.

  “Darcy, listen to me. I don’t blame Cassie for leaving without telling me. I know I’m not easy to talk to. I can be hard. I’m set in my ways. All I want is to make certain she’s well and to apologize.”

  Still silence.

  Wow, she was making me work for this. “I understand I was too overwhelming. Too domineering. I believe I can change. I want to. For Cassie.”

  More silence.

  “I know where she is,” Darcy said quietly.

  Thank God.

  “She’s with Sinclair.”

  “Sinclair?” I straightened, fury filling me. What the hell? Had he come to lecture me knowing where she was all along? “Why is she with Sinclair?” Was he making a move on her?

  “I went to your house yesterday. I wanted to tell you what a loser I thought you were.”

  She was much braver than I’d given her credit for.

  “But I sat outside, too scared to go in. Sinclair came out of the house, and I started talking to him. Once he realized I knew where Cassie was, he said he would go talk to her.”

  “But you said she’s with Sinclair.” What exactly did that mean?

  “She’s at his house. She called me to let me know she’s oka
y.”

  “Okay. Good. Thanks.” I didn’t wait around, I jumped in my car and took off.

  Chapter Ten

  Cassie

  Loud noises woke me. The sound of someone yelling and stomping. I frowned. Since I’d arrived at Sinclair’s house yesterday afternoon, I’d done nothing but sleep and drink plenty of liquids. His housekeeper, a rounded, gray-haired woman in her fifties, who introduced herself as Alice, had brought me some chicken soup and crackers earlier. Not that I’d felt like eating.

  Suddenly, my door swung open, and there stood Wilde. He looked disheveled and so damn sexy that, even ill and sore, he had the power to take my breath away. I gaped at him as he strode toward me. He stopped, his eyes widening. It was obvious he hadn’t shaved in a while, and damn that stubble looked good on him.

  “Who hit you?” he rumbled. “Sinclair? Did that bastard hurt you?”

  He stepped forward with such a dangerous look on his face that I actually shrunk back. He stopped, a look of alarm crossing his face.

  “Are you scared of me, Cassie? Do I frighten you? Did you think I’d hit you?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “I would never hit you, Cassie. I would never hit any woman.”

  I pulled myself up, my arms shaking slightly. Wilde reached out as though to help me then pulled back at the last moment.

  “I know, Wilde. I know. I’m not scared of you.”

  He studied me. I knew I had to look like hell. My right eye was swollen shut. I badly needed a shower and God knew what my breath smelled like. I hadn’t slept well. My fever had broken sometime in the night, but I still had a scratchy throat and a runny nose. Every time I’d fallen asleep, I’d dreamt about Professor Addison attacking me.

  I was tired, sore, and ill. I really didn’t have the strength to deal with Wilde right now.

  “Is he holding you here against your will?” He sat on the armchair facing me. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees. “Did he do that?”

  “No. Sinclair didn’t hit me, Wilde. Jesus, he’s your friend.”

  “More like a business acquaintance. He’s a dangerous bastard, and you shouldn’t be here.”

  “I was invited here. Somehow I don’t think you were. How did you even get in the front door?”