by Dani René
The corner of Cass’s mouth tilts, curling into something sinister, especially with the mask on his face. His hand shoots out suddenly, gripping me in much the same way as Paulo did earlier, but this time, this time, I’m burning with both fear and need. “Sorry?” The sneer that graces his handsome face twists my gut into a knot that makes it difficult to breathe. “Do you think that will fix what you said about me?”
My mouth opens, then closes because, to be honest, no, I don’t think it will fix anything between us. But even as his fingers dip against my skin, I know there’s no other man who can make me feel like he does.
“There is nothing you can say or do that will fix what you told your parents I did, especially in your father’s eyes.” His words slam right into my chest, and it makes it hard to breathe.
“I-I didn’t…” Words fail me because there is nothing I can tell him that could fix us. Fix what I did.
“You didn’t mean to fuck my life into the ground with your lie? My father had me in therapy after you left. I spent months trying to convince him that I wasn’t some junkie addict,” Cassian spits angrily, leaning into me, his body so close, I can feel him vibrate with rage. His fingers dig into my throat, and I’m so thankful we’re alone, hidden from the crowd. “Is that why you’re back now, with that fancy man on your arm to show me just how well you’re doing without me?”
My mouth once again falls open, but no words come out. How can I tell him how much I cared when I nearly shattered his life to pieces? Thankfully his father has sway in this town and was able to squash the claims I made.
“Paulo has nothing to do with this, with us,” I bite out. I don’t know why I’m defending a man who’s holding me hostage, but I want to show Cassian I’m stronger than he thinks. Even though the truth is so far from what he can see. “I came home because I needed to do what my father had asked of me.”
“Oh? I’m sure that’s all that’s brought you back here. Or was it because you wanted to see if I’d finally fuck you?” The evil glint in his eyes is nothing like the Cassian I had come to know, come to love. This man before me is different. When he was younger, there was always happiness in his gaze; now, there’s merely a ghost of the boy I remember.
“Fuck you, Cassian,” I bite out through clenched teeth, but he only chuckles because I’m sure he can see just how much I do want him—to touch me, to kiss me, and yes, to fuck me. Shaking my head, I glance out the window and focus on the garden behind him before I sigh. “There is so much more to what happened that night,” I tell him, hoping he’ll allow me to explain.
“Were you that obsessed with me you lied and told them I wanted you too? That I would give you something to keep you high so I could get in a quick fuck?” He throws the words at me, slicing a gaping hole in my chest. I can’t be angry, though. I was the young girl following him around like a lost puppy. But then again, he was always there for me to run to.
Cassian pushes me away, releasing my neck from his grip. He spins on his heel and glares at me from over his shoulder. I know I deserve this because I started it. I agreed when my father accused him of something heinous. I should’ve stopped it. I could have, but I didn’t.
I was guilty.
I was embarrassed.
And I fucked up.
“I didn’t mean to,” I finally whisper, but Cassian only shakes his head at my admission. “I really didn’t.” This time, I’m up on my feet, finding courage I didn’t think I had. When I reach for Cassian, he shies away from me, but the moment my fingertips land on his arm, the electric current between us is nothing short of cataclysmic.
He doesn’t realize that I didn’t actually say anything that night. He was always there for me, and I was nothing more than a child with issues.
My parents couldn’t deal with it. That night they asked, they forced me to say something, to give them a truth I didn’t want to. In my stupidity, in my swirling mind, I admitted to a lie—I screamed my agreement at Dad before I realized what I had said, and now I must live with the consequences. I look at Cassian then and finally voice the truth, “I didn’t mean to say—”
Cassian spins on his heel, his eyes latching onto mine, holding me hostage as he glares at me. “I don’t want to hear your excuses, Kalyn.” His jaw clenches, rage simmering just below the surface of those ocean eyes. “After everything we’ve been through, I’ve always been a gentleman to you, and yet, you throw me under the bus because your fucking high was far too fucking sweet to come down from.”
The hate he’s spewing has been rightly earned. I can’t apologize because what I did was more than wrong; it was unacceptable. I allowed the lie about him to flourish without stopping it. I knew if I had told my father that I willingly went out to lose myself, he wouldn’t believe me. They always saw me as the good girl. So, I lied, only to wake up to a nightmare.
“I cared about you so much.” My voice is merely a whisper, and I wonder how he can hear me, but Cassian has always heard me. Even in the deepest, darkest of nights, he would listen to me.
It was as if we were in tune with each other. He moved, I moved. He spoke, I finished his sentence. But the link was broken, and it was because of me.
“Caring for someone means you stand by them like I did with you all those years. You don’t lie about their intentions.” His voice is husky with emotion, and all I want to do is pull him into my arms and cry.
But I don’t, instead, I look at him and say, “I didn’t mean to.”
“But you still did it, and that’s never going to change,” he throws back in response. “You’re a liar, little Kaly, a little liar.”
“I-I… I’m truly sorry, Cassian. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” And even now, after all these years, my heart cracks. I blink, and the tears trickle from my lashes, creating a long, burning trail down my cheeks. When I open my eyes once more, I meet those teal orbs that always offered me solace. Now all they gift me is chaos.
Cass takes a step closer to me until he’s in my personal space. His body looms over mine, the heat of him scorching me, and I welcome the flames. He leans in, his mouth closing the distance between us, and for a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me. And shockingly, or not, I want him to.
But he doesn’t press his lips to mine; instead, he stops at my ear. “If you think this is over,” he threatens, “you're sorely mistaken, little liar.” A shudder wracks my frame, his hot breath leaving goosebumps in its wake when he pushes away from me. “That piece of shit you’re engaged to,” Cassian says, the contempt in his tone is clear, “he has nothing on me. Because I have my own brand of punishment, and when I get you alone and trust me, I will, I’ll make sure you beg and plead.”
He lifts his hand, cupping my face tightly, then trails his touch down to my neck before he grips it harshly. His fingers dig into the skin, and I wonder if he’ll mark me. If when I wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll be bruised by his touch.
“I will make you want nothing more than my cock in that little cunt,” Cassian vows. “I’ll finally give you what you need, and I don’t give a shit if you’re married or not. Because when I take you, I’m going to make you feel me, and only me. And when I walk away, you’ll always feel the emptiness of me.”
He turns to leave, and for a second, I want to call out to him to tell him to stay. I want to explain, to try and fix things, but I know it’s no use because he’s convinced himself that making me hurt will make this right.
Only, he doesn’t know just how much I’m already suffering.
10
Kalyn
When I rejoin the party, I find Paulo standing with a few people I haven’t met before. The infamous gala has always brought strangers to town who want to experience the parties of Thorne Haven.
I step up beside him, still shaking from the encounter with Cassian. My feelings for him haven’t changed. There is no doubt I still love him. As I always have.
His hand lands on my lower back, a warning in his firm touch, even though there’s a smile on
his face. It’s a look he’s perfected in front of strangers. He likes to ensure the façade is visible to those who might see the truth. “I couldn’t find you,” he whispers, keeping his voice low so I’m the only one who can hear him.
“I’m sorry.” There’s no way I can tell him where I was. My mind is still a mess; my heart, on the other hand, knows what it wants, what it’s always wanted.
Cassian isn’t an old teenage crush. He’s the man I love, and I know I’ll never stop loving him. I glance around only to find Finn watching us from a distance. His dark gaze pierces me when I lock my stare on his.
The corner of his mouth quirks, and he tips his head to the side as he regards me. Moments later, Cassian saunters up beside his brother. In his hand, he’s carrying a bottle of what I can only guess is vodka—his drink of choice. He watches me for a long while.
Paulo drags me through the crowd, his anger radiating off him in waves. We get to the bar where he orders a white wine for me and a double shot of bourbon for himself.
“If you try to act the innocent little whore here,” he threatens in a low hiss once everyone around us is out of earshot, “I’ll make sure you never forget acting like one.”
I glance up into black eyes that hold contempt at my response to him earlier.
“Everyone enjoying the party?” Finn’s voice comes from behind us, breaking the glare Paulo’s pinned me with as he turns to the man interrupting his rage.
He turns to face Finn, a smile gracing his perfectly carved face. “It’s a beautiful home you have,” he tells Finn. “I was just telling my fiancée it would be great to have something similar once we’ve decided where to settle down after the wedding.”
Finn throws his glance my way, his dark brow infinitesimally arching, but I don’t respond. “Well, Thorne Haven is a town that will most certainly burrow itself under your skin,” he tells Paulo. “It will feel like home after a few days.”
“Perhaps,” Paulo responds, picking up his drink and taking a sip, his gaze sizing up the man before him. “And you are?”
“Oh, I’m a Thorne,” Finn says but doesn’t offer his name. “This is one of the annual parties my family throws. I trust you’ll enjoy the rest of your evening.” Without waiting for a response from Paulo, Finn offers a nod and leaves us.
“Is that the bastard you were fucking when you were a kid?” Paulo grits as he grabs my arm and hauls me through the crowd once more.
“I wasn’t fucking anyone.” My response is a gasp when my back hits the wall. With everyone dancing and enjoying themselves, they don’t take note of what’s happening.
Paulo leans in, his lips at my ear, and that’s when I feel heat burning through me. Teal eyes are locked on us from the second-floor bedroom balcony, where Cassian is standing; he’s watching every fucking move we make.
He lifts the bottle he’s holding to his lips and takes a long swig before he lowers it and pins me with a stare so fierce, so filled with anger and desire, I don’t hear what Paulo says.
When a hand grips my hair, tugging until tears sting my eyes, I’m quickly brought back to my situation.
“Are you listening to me?”
“Sorry, I—”
“We’re leaving,” he announces. “I’m done with you acting like a slut around men. Tonight, you’ll take a double dose.” The promise is clear, and as we move to the door, my stomach sinks to my feet, and my heart splinters.
If only I’d never left Thorne Haven. If only I hadn’t lied about Cassian. If only I could make him see just how much I love him.
But none of that is possible.
I can never have the man I love.
And I can never find solace in this town.
11
Cassian
My head throbs as I lean my elbows on the kitchen table. Perhaps my idea of drowning my sorrows last night wasn’t one of my better ideas. The coffee that’s steaming from my mug doesn’t offer solace; instead, it has me wanting to puke my guts up. Last night after I left Kalyn, I thought I’d find a pretty girl to use as I wish, but instead, I abused a bottle of vodka up on the roof while watching the party below.
I watched Kalyn and her fiancé as they moved through the crowd. And with every touch of his hand on her body, I swallowed back the clear alcohol and allowed my jealousy to rage and my anger to burn. My temper had taken hold of me last night when I finally had her all to myself. But even in that cloud of red, her scent was so familiar, I wanted to drown in it.
She’s been a drug to me since she was fifteen, when her family moved here. She was too young for me then, even though we’re three years apart. But then I realized she had more demons that I couldn’t eradicate.
I didn’t want her to have to deal with her pain as well as mine. So instead of telling her about what I’d been going through, I allowed her to distract me from my thoughts. And she did. Everything about her had pulled me in; I was a guy lost to a girl who was his savior. Only, she didn’t know it.
Her sheltered upbringing was refreshing, and when I first spoke to her, I realized she wasn’t like the girls from Thorne Haven; she was different. I was enthralled by her sass and wit.
I wanted nothing more than to lock her in a glass case to keep her safe. I didn’t want this world to change her, to make her hard and cold. But it did so anyway. When her grandmother died, she dove headfirst into the world of Thorne Haven, being corrupted by the partying and drugs.
Even though I tried to help, tried to steer her clear of the bullshit I was so accustomed to, the lure of forgetting, of ignoring the pain with the sweet high was too much, so instead of being the boyfriend she could’ve had, I was the savior she didn’t want.
“You look like shit.” Finn’s amused tone comes from the doorway, and I look up to find my brother leaning against the door frame, arms folded.
“Thanks,” I throw back before swallowing the coffee I’d been pondering over. “Good party last night.” My voice is croaky as I speak.
“It was,” Finn agrees as he enters the room, heading straight for the coffee machine. Once he has his mug, he joins me at the table. “You get to talk to her last night?” he asks the question I’ve been waiting for.
Nodding, I answer, “I did. She had the audacity to apologize to me. As if saying sorry is going to make it better.” I lift my gaze when he doesn’t respond, and I find my brother’s wary stare on mine. “What?”
“I don’t know, I just…” Finn shakes his head, running his fingers through his hair, before he continues, “I think there’s more to why she’s back than meets the eye.”
“Like what?” I challenge, leaning back against the chair. I narrow my gaze, focusing on him as I wait for him to explain. I’m not sure what Kalyn could be hiding. She seems happy enough with her new man, and I’m still here, left in the background with her fake apologies and fake smiles.
“I don’t know what, not yet. But I intend to find out.” Finn drinks his coffee before he speaks once more, “I noticed something strange last night with that man on her arm.”
“Strange?” This piques my interest. All I remember from last night was drowning my anger in vodka. Yes, I did watch her for a long time as the night wore on, but when Paulo pulled her in to plant a long kiss on her lips, I walked away, just like she did that last time I saw her all those years ago.
“Don’t worry about it,” Finn says as he pushes to his feet. “Once I’ve figured it out, I’ll—”
“Tell me, Finn,” I urge, needing to know what my brother is talking about. There are so many secrets that already fill the walls of our town, but right now, I’m done with games. I need the truth.
“The fiancé,” Finn starts, “I don’t like the look of him, of them together. There’s something not right about him.” There’s a cautious tone to his voice, one that’s not always present in my youngest brother, and that’s why I take note.
“Like what, though?” This has me leaning forward, my elbows on the table because he has me intrigued. If there i
s something off about Mr. Fiancé, then I want all the details.
“I don’t know.” Finn pulls out his cell phone, unlocks it, and hands me the device. There, on the screen, is a photo of Kalyn and Paulo, which I now know is her fiancé’s name. They’re at a party in the Hollywood Hills. But it’s not the bright lights and champagne that catch my attention; it’s his hold on her arm. The way his fingers dig into her flesh, the way she smiles isn’t genuine; it’s… pained.
My gaze snaps to Finn’s. “Let’s get this fucker,” I murmur, anger taking hold, the need to hurt him burning through my veins. Yes, I do want Kalyn to pay for what she did, but if anyone is going to hurt her, it will be me. Not some piece of shit who thinks he can rule her life. “He must have something on her. There has to be a reason she hasn’t walked away because if there’s one thing I know about Kaly, she wouldn’t sit around with a bastard ruling her life.”
“She has too much fire,” Finn agrees, knowing the girl I’ve been obsessed with all my life. And he knows I’m right. “I think it’s time we call Harris,” he tells me, but I’m already pressing the call button on my phone and holding the device to my ear.
“Harris, I need your help.” It’s time to figure out why my girl is back, what’s brought her here, and who the bastard is that she’s agreed to marry. “I need everything on Kalyn Narro since she left Thorne Haven. Also, there’s a fiancé in the picture, and I don’t like the look of him.”
“I’m on it. Do you have a name for him?”
“Paulo?” I offer easily. Even saying his name leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Finn’s right. I didn’t notice it at the party because I was too focused on Kalyn. If I had stopped losing myself in the bottle of vodka, I would’ve realized there was something off about him.
“I’ll have something for you in about an hour.” Harris is good, he’s been with us for years, mostly doing work for Dad, but now that we’re working at Thorne Industries, he’s done a lot of deep diving research for us.