Betrayal.
He stopped dead. Turning his head toward where the sentiment had come from, he already knew who the thought belonged to before he saw her. Olivia sat in an armchair in the corner.
“What are you doing there in the dark?”
“What do you think?”
He walked over and crouched next to her. “Why do you think I betrayed you?”
Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Who killed Adam, Cain?”
“I already told you, he was shot by an FBI agent.”
“Why did he get shot?”
Her distress chaffed his insides. He didn’t wish losing a child upon anyone. “To save a woman’s life.”
“What’s her name?”
He cupped her knee. “Olivia, what’s going on?”
“Answer the question, Cain. What’s her name?”
It was the least he owed her.
“Katherine,” he said softly.
“Did you pay her to seduce him?”
His fingers clenched on her leg. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What?”
“Did you shoot down Godfrey’s plane? Is that how Nicolas died?” Her voice was bitter. “Did you hire a hitman to kill Lily?”
He straightened abruptly. “Godfrey was here, again.”
“Yes.” She fixed him with an icy stare. “Does it surprise you?”
“Are you deliberately letting him get away? Why didn’t you call me?”
She laughed softly. “How can I trust you? Everything you say is a lie.”
Olivia was hurt. She believed him responsible for her pain. He tried to assess her thoughts to get a clearer understanding of her state of mind, of how to best convince her otherwise, but except for that hurtful sentiment of betrayal that had leaked through her defenses, she was a closed book.
He didn’t have a choice but to be more open with her. “Katherine is Lann’s wife. I didn’t pay her to seduce Adam. Godfrey kidnapped her.”
Horror registered on her face. “Katherine White? The aeromancist’s wife?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he do such a thing?”
“She was pregnant with Lann’s baby. At the time, the mothers who gave birth to forbidden arts babies died in childbirth. Godfrey wanted to test a serum that Nicolas had developed to save her life, and in return he wanted to keep the baby.”
Her voice caught. “Godfrey wanted their baby?”
“He said he wanted to raise him as his own. My belief is that he was after the seven forbidden arts cell the child would’ve produced.”
In the moonlight, her face shone pale. “How does Adam fit into any of this?”
“Adam took care of Katherine at the lab in Costa Rica where they held her prisoner. When the lab came under attack from the authorities, Adam was going to blow it up with all of them inside to destroy the evidence. For some reason, maybe because he developed an affection for Katherine in all the months she’d been there, he surrendered the detonator to her at the last minute, allowing himself to be shot.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to. You can ask her yourself. Katherine is an honorable woman. She won’t lie.”
A tremor crept into her voice. “What about Nicolas? Did you shoot down that plane?”
He inhaled deeply. “Yes. Lann used his art to bring it down on my command. I’d promised Sean Rivers, our geomancist, that I’d save the woman he loved if he helped me with a mission, and she was in that plane, held by one of your husband’s drug lord investors against her will. I’m truly sorry about Nicolas. He wasn’t supposed to become a casualty in our war, but maybe perishing like that saved him from his suffering.”
“What suffering?”
“Godfrey experimented on him. He was doing the first trials of his transdifferentiation experiment, trying to fix Nicolas’ deformity, but as he was missing the seventh cell, it didn’t work. He called it revenge for Nicolas’ betrayal. You see, Nicolas aided Katherine in her escape. He also gave her the formula that saved her life, helping us to save other mothers like her.”
She turned her face toward the dark window, staring at the night with wide eyes. “And Lily?”
“When your house in Cape Town was attacked, Lily managed to escape. No one could find her. Lily had overheard a conversation one night that implicated Godfrey in paranormal criminal activities. She approached Adam, wanting to go to the authorities. Godfrey put a price on her head because she was going to betray him and he didn’t want her to fall into my hands. I paid Jacob to find her for me, hoping that she’d lead me to Godfrey.”
“Did she?” she asked in a flat tone.
“Yes.” He tensed, as every time he thought about the event. “But he got away.”
“Then your hitman killed her.”
“He shot her, but the bullet was meant for Adam.”
She jerked her head toward him, all her contained emotions flying out of that black window. Her face contorted with pain. “Why?”
This wasn’t easy to say. He reached for her hand, but she pulled away.
“Why, Cain? What are you not telling me? Why did you order your hitman to kill Adam?”
“He was going to shoot Lily.”
She blinked. A kaleidoscope of expressions ran over her face. Anger. Shock. Disbelief.
“I’m sorry you had to find out like this. I understand it must come as a blow.” He contemplated giving her more. Olivia was naturally kind. Even if she indeed loved her husband, she’d never risk the sensitive information he was about to share. After a heartbeat, he said, “Lily wasn’t killed,” hoping it would sooth some of the agony etched on her face.
She pressed a hand on her heart. “She’s alive?”
“Olivia,” he spoke with urgency, crouching down again to put them on eyelevel, “Godfrey believes she’s dead, and it’s better that it stays that way.”
“I–I can’t…” She jumped to her feet and escaped to the center of the room.
Sensing her need for space, he gave her time to process the information. When she finally faced him again, she seemed frailer. The tormented but tall and proud woman was gone. In her place was a vulnerable creature with hunched shoulders.
“Godfrey sent me to Canada. He said it was for my safety. I thought there might have been an attempt on my life.” She gave a cynical laugh. “It wouldn’t have been the first time. I knew he had the house guarded, so I never thought for one second Lily’s life would be in danger. When I learned about the attack, she was gone. Godfrey told me he was looking for her. The next time I had news, he told me she was dead. He made it sound as if the men who attacked the house, Sky Communications, were responsible. I never thought––” She covered her face with her hands.
Not able to keep his distance any longer, he walked to her and pulled her hands away. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I should’ve known.”
He rubbed his thumbs soothingly over her wrists. “There was no way you could’ve known.”
Her body sagged further. “Where is she now? What has become of her?”
“I’m afraid that’s something I can’t reveal. Not without her consent.”
She looked at him with a plea. “Will you ask her? Please? Will you ask her if I can see her?”
“I’m not sure that’s wise.”
“Cain, please. She may not be my biological daughter, but I care for her deeply. She’s all I have left. I didn’t replace her mother, but I was a friend to her.”
He let go of her hands to wrap his arms around her. “Will it make you feel better if I ask?”
“Yes,” she said on whisper. “It’ll make me feel a whole lot better.”
“Fine. I’ll ask if she’ll speak to you, but you can only see her when the threat of this situation is over.”
She gave him a sad look. “You mean when my husband is dead?”
“Or contained.”
“You and I both know Godfrey will never allow himself to be contained. This is a f
ight till death.”
He couldn’t deny that. “Come.” Keeping an arm around her waist, he guided her toward the kitchen. “Let me fix you something to eat.”
“I can’t stomach food.”
“A warm drink, then.”
She allowed him to steer her down the hallway and into the kitchen. “Why are you always doing this?”
He let go of her reluctantly to go through the cupboards. “Doing what?”
“Taking care of me.”
He straightened from the shelf he was inspecting. “I’ve just dealt you shocking information and you need to be comforted.”
She leaned against the island counter, looking as if she might flee. “That’s the thing about you, Cain Jones. You’re a very confusing man.”
That made for a change. He’d been called many things before, but never confusing. He couldn’t help but smile. “How’s that?”
“I never know if you’re going to kiss or kill me.”
The smile vanished from his face. Truthfully, neither did he. It all depended on what she decided with regards to Godfrey. Would she remain the faithful wife, or would she turn her back on her marriage vow and help him bring Godfrey to justice? Did any of what he’d told her tonight sink in? Yes, she’d been shocked. That was obvious. But did it make a real difference in how she felt?
Not knowing the answer, he took a tin of chicken soup from the cupboard. “Sit. I’ll heat this up.”
“I’m not sure I’ll keep it down.”
“You need your strength.”
Not giving her an opportunity to argue, he filled a bowl and heated it up in the microwave.
“Eat,” he said, placing the bowl in front of her.
When she’d eaten at least half of it, enough to line her stomach, he poured a glass of her favorite wine.
“Bed, or outside?” he asked.
“Outside,” she said quickly.
It was a warm night. The breeze on the balcony was pleasant. He took a seat on the couch and pulled her down next to him.
“Are your team watching us now?” she asked, her gaze trained intently on him.
“Naturally.”
“They see everything we do.”
“Not everything.”
Leaving the glass on the table, she wrapped her arms around herself. “How about what happens in the bedroom?”
Memories of what had happened in her bed and what could happen there again made his body hard. There was no use fighting the arousal. Where Olivia was concerned, it was a lost cause. His gaze was drawn to where her gown had slipped open, revealing her legs.
He trailed his thumb over the soft skin of her thigh. “They only see what I want them to.”
The set of her jaw was tight. “Do you want them to see? Do you laugh about how easily I gave in to you that first time?”
“No.” He leaned closer, brushing their lips together. “Never.”
“You don’t brag about your conquests?”
“You weren’t a conquest, Olivia.”
“That’s right. You were distracting me.” She uttered a wry laugh. “Was I a distraction, too, or was it a question of all work and no play on your behalf?”
If she only knew the distraction she’d become, she’d be running from him. There was no point in telling her he got off on making her come. His erection was as hard a proof as one could get. No point in telling her he watched her day and night like an obsessed stalker, either, because she already knew that.
“All right,” she said softly, “I get that you don’t want to answer that. I suppose you don’t want to lie more than necessary, but then tell me why you went to extortionate efforts and costs to buy one of my paintings. What are you playing at, Cain?”
He lifted a brow. Of course the investor would’ve told her. Maybe he asked to buy a new painting to replace the one Cain had bought. “I bought your painting because it makes me feel like we’re kindred spirits.”
She leaned back. “Me and you?”
“You say it like it’s improbable.”
“Kindred spirits share the same beliefs. They want the same things.”
He slipped his hand between her legs, smoothing up until his fingers brushed against her underwear. “Don’t we?”
A tremor ran over her body. “I honestly don’t know.”
He flicked a thumb over her covered clit. “This is what we both want.”
“It doesn’t mean it’s right.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s definitely wrong, but nothing has ever felt more right.” He leaned closer, inhaling the sweet, floral scent of her skin. His fingertips skimmed over the silk that hid her sex from him. Damn him for touching her like this again, but she was growing wet. For him. He kissed the curve where her neck met her shoulder. “Let me have you. Say yes.”
She gasped when he applied more pressure on her clit. “I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“I don’t want to be this weak.”
“On the contrary, giving in requires strength. It takes courage going against everything you know.”
She pushed his hand away. “Some would argue abstaining from our wants take strength.”
“You can’t keep on running from it,” he whispered in her ear. “Eventually we’re both going to break. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Maybe, but I prefer to live with the illusion of being a good person for as long as possible.”
“Wanting me doesn’t make you bad.” He kissed the shell of her ear. “Giving in to me doesn’t make you evil.”
“But it makes me unfaithful.”
“It’s too late, Olivia. We’ve already crossed that line the first time I laid my hands on you.”
He’d crossed it even earlier. From the first time he’d seen her, he’d known he wanted her. He’d desired her already when he’d lain in the tall grass and watched her from afar. He’d known then she had an effect on him no one had had since Clara’s death, but he’d fantasized about it over a distance. Being in her actual presence was almost unbearable. It took everything he had not to force her hand. It would be easy to use the desire he recognized in her eyes against her, turning it into a weapon to break down her defenses until she opened everything to him––not only her body, but also her tightly guarded mind. Only, that wasn’t how he wanted her. If not by conscious decision, he wouldn’t take her. He valued her too much to violate her with manipulation. Manipulation was saved for the team members and his matchmaking. If they only knew how he’d orchestrated events in order for their paths to cross. Nothing where his team and their partners were concerned was coincidental, just like nothing happened without reason.
He gripped her chin and kissed her lips with as much reverence as he was capable. “Give in to me. Will it be so bad?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Godfrey’s cheated on me so many times I stopped counting. I don’t want to be that woman.”
“If he set you free, would you go?”
“Yes.”
“Is the only reason you’re with him because he won’t give you your freedom?”
“Yes.”
A deeply guarded tension snapped inside him. His heart soared. She’d given him the answer he’d been looking for. “Then I don’t see the wrong.” He dragged his knuckles over her cheek. “Let me set you free. Help me to bring him to justice.”
“Cain…”
Frustration mounted in him, and it wasn’t only the emotional kind. A part of it was deeply physical. “I’m not sure we’re still on the same page. Something changed since this morning. I guess it’s the lies he told you. Yes, I’m hunting him, but if anyone is responsible for Adam and Nicolas’ deaths, it’s Godfrey himself.”
“I don’t know what to believe, any longer. I first need to speak to Lily.”
There was uncertainty in her voice. She most probably didn’t believe him, and he couldn’t blame her. If he’d been in her shoes, he wouldn’t know what to believe, either.
“Fair enough.” He move
d his hand from her face to the neckline of her gown. Dipping underneath, he found the soft weight of her breast. Her nipple hardened instantly. “For now, just let me make you come.”
She made a protesting sound. For a second he thought she’d deny him, but then she arched her back and moaned.
“We better go somewhere where we won’t be seen.”
“Upstairs,” he said, barely preventing the word from sounding like a growl.
Taking her hand, he led her to her bedroom. For a fleeting moment, he was assaulted with an image of Godfrey in that bed, in a place he’d already claimed for himself, no matter how unjustified. He wanted that place more than anything. It was more than a desire driven by lust, because he’d be happy to simply lie there and hold her hand.
They stopped next to the bed, facing one another. He undid the knot of the belt that kept her gown together and pushed it over her shoulders. With the backdrop of the pristine, white bed, her naked body was like an artwork against a canvas. He swept his gaze over her, taking in the toned muscles and womanly curves. Need pulsed in his veins. Flames of desire licked over his skin, heating him from his head to his toes. Dangerously close to snapping, he employed a strategy that always worked to maintain his control. He put his physical demands on the backburner and focused exclusively on hers.
“Lie down for me,” he said, happy that his voice was less animalistic than earlier on the balcony.
Holding his gaze, she stretched out on her back, lifting her arms above her head and keeping her knees together. “Are you going to tie me up, again?”
“Not tonight.” He preferred to have her arms and legs wound tightly around him, but he wouldn’t push her for more than she was ready to give.
“Getting brave?” she asked with a faint smile.
Not brave. Careless. He mentally flicked the thought aside. He didn’t want negative emotions to come between them when he loved her body. No matter what she said, making her come with his hand or mouth was no less meaningful than taking her with his cock. He wanted each experience to be as pure as it could. Guilt didn’t have a place in the beauty they made together. Godfrey had no right to keep her against her will. She wasn’t another man’s woman. She was another man’s prisoner, and that made her fair game.
Man (Seven Forbidden Arts Book 9) Page 14