by Dani René
I hang up and glance at Finn. “He said an hour,” I tell him. “I’m going to see her.” I’m already grabbing my keys from the holder when I feel Finn’s glare burning a hole through me. I look at him. “What?”
“You’re going to go there, where the asshole is playing house?”
The thought of Kalyn stuck in there with him doesn’t sit well with me. Perhaps I should let this go for a while, but I can’t. Not after I’ve seen the evidence.
“If I go there as an old friend, he won’t know shit,” I tell Finn. “Also, he was in our house; I can play the welcome to Thorne Haven card.” He looks dubious when I say this, but I’m not giving up on my idea.
“You just want to see her.” Finn grins. “You’re so easy to read,” he informs me with a chuckle while he shakes his head.
“I need to make sure she’s okay. If he was angry about me stealing her time at the party, he could’ve done something to her.”
For a long while, Finn stares at me, but after a few moments, he nods, knowing I’m right. I don’t trust a man who’ll hit a woman. I may want her to pay for her little lies, but deep down, my feelings for her are still soul-stealing. She’s always been a force in my life, in my mind, and at times I certainly act like an obsessive stalker when it comes to Kalyn.
She’s always brought out my possessive nature. Especially when we were in school. But this time, it’s different. I’m doing it for her safety. The memory of her in her school uniform has me remembering all the bastards I had to warn off her. She didn’t realize just how popular she was with the guys. But it was me who ensured they steered clear of her. Even though I didn’t publicly claim her as mine, they knew not to touch her.
“Be careful,” Finn warns, drawing my attention back to him and away from the past. I make my way out to my silver Audi R8 with my brother’s warning ringing in my ears. By the time I’m out on the road, my nervous energy has turned to the need for vengeance, this time not aimed at Kalyn. This time, I want that bastard to fucking pay for hurting her.
It doesn’t take long for me to reach the Narro house and press the buzzer outside the enormous black metal gates.
“Hello?” Kalyn’s voice comes through the speaker, and my chest tightens with the need to be near her. As angry as I am at her, she still holds my heart, only, she doesn’t know it.
“It’s me,” I say, and I don’t miss the soft gasp that filters through to me. “Open the gate, Kaly.” I don’t have to command her to do anything because I know if I sat here long enough, she’d let me in.
Once the heavy gates swing open, I pull up the drive and stop right outside the door. Exiting the car, I make my way around and up the steps that lead to the door. By the time I reach it, it swings open, and I’m met with those cocoa eyes.
“What are you doing here?” she asks before I can get a word out. “You shouldn’t have come here.” The fear in her voice only sets me on edge because if she’s scared of him, what Finn and I thought about him is correct.
“Let me in, or I’ll cause a scene,” I tell her. For a long moment, she stares at me before she steps aside.
“Fine. But you can’t stay long; he’s in the shower.” Her hiss is tense, her gaze darting to the staircase before swinging back to me. “What do you want, Cassian?”
“Tell me something, little liar,” I start, taking a step toward her, expecting her to move back, but she doesn’t. With me, she stands her ground, and it only makes my cock hard. “Is he doing something to you? Is he hurting you?” I keep my voice low, so if the asshole decides to walk out from wherever he’s hiding, he won’t hear me.
Those pretty eyes widen in shock at my question; her mouth pops open into an O that makes my blood heat with desire. “You should leave.”
“I asked you a fucking question. If you don’t answer me, I’ll go up there and ask him.” The threat is purely that, to scare her into telling me. I wouldn’t put her in danger, but I need her to be honest with me.
“He’s… controlling. He makes sure I stay healthy.” Her lie is clear. I could always tell when Kalyn was lying to me, and right now, it’s so fucking obvious, bells are going off in my head. “Please leave!”
12
Kalyn
He looks at me for a long time before he implores, “Meet me this afternoon, tell him you’re going to see Gen or someone else from school.” My stomach tumbles, and my stomach flutters with hummingbird wings. It’s been far too long since I’ve felt these emotions. Need. Want. Desire. And love.
“Cass—”
“Do it,” he orders before he spins on his heel and steps over the threshold. A quick glance over his shoulder and those teal eyes penetrate my armor, sending me spiraling when he says, “I need to see you. Give me an hour. Tonight, at the cemetery.” And then he’s gone, and I’m left alone with a wildly thudding heart. Leaning on the door frame, I watch his car snake down the drive and disappear through the ornate gates that my father had custom-made—when we still had money.
I don’t know how I’ll get away from Paulo’s watchful gaze, but as Cassian said, I could just tell him I’m going to see Gen. She may not be my best friend, but maybe I could use her name for now, and apologize later. Hell knows we’re all not perfect, especially in this pristine little town. There is a darkness that seems to hover over it.
“Kalyn?” Paulo’s tone startles me, causing me to spin around and find him at the top of the steps. “What are you doing?”
“Just enjoying the fresh air and the view.” Even though it’s a lie, he can’t dispute it because the view of the town from our front door is spectacular.
“Come inside,” Paulo orders, his voice terse with annoyance, and I close the door before a fight breaks out. I never realized until now how little things are eating away at me. Small things he does make me anxious.
“I’d like to go out this evening to see an old friend,” I tell him as I make my way up the steps. “She’s the only girl I really know from school.” I tack on, making sure I mention that the friend in question is female.
“You have an hour,” he tells me easily, and my anxiety untwists itself as I breathe deeply. He doesn’t take too much notice of me as he turns away after throwing out the order, so I allow myself to smile.
I nod mostly to myself, and I say, “Sure.”
The moment to face Cassian again has come. Paulo allowed me to leave the house, which was surprising even after he said it was okay. Most times, he’ll change his mind on a whim, and that normally leaves me with nothing to do or requires me to fulfill his needs.
I’m standing at the entrance of the cemetery, trying to build up the courage to walk inside. I saw Cassian’s car, so I know he’s here, but still, my nerves have taken hold.
Taking a few steps through the gate that hangs open from being broken, I enter the cemetery. My feet move of their own accord because my stomach is twisting in knots as I move closer to the center, where I know a mausoleum sits in the middle of the graves like a king overlooking his countrymen.
“I didn’t think you’d make it.” Cassian’s voice comes out of the darkness, startling me. I spin around to find him sitting on a gravestone, his arms folded across his chest as if he’s comfortable in a place like this.
Thorne Haven holds many secrets. The town itself has seen some intriguing events, but nothing I know too much about. However, I know Cassian’s family has been here since the beginning. They founded this town with the Havens, and if I were to guess, there are still many hidden truths that lie buried with those who passed away long ago.
Granted, this was the place we would spend most of our time in. I found it calming, and I would find peace amongst death. I remember asking him about Thorne Haven many times in the years of our friendship, and he would always brush it off. I don’t know the entire history, but I have a feeling Cassian’s family has hidden secrets he doesn’t want to come out.
“I almost didn’t,” I tell him honestly. I don’t move closer to where he is, I stick to
the path, so if I needed to run for whatever reason, I could find my way out.
Even though the moon shines down on us, there’s not much visibility where we are. Cassian’s dressed in black, with a white tank top from what I can tell as his hoodie hangs off his left shoulder.
“What did you want?” I ask, wanting to get this over with, but in the same breath, wanting him to keep me here. If he were to kidnap me, perhaps I would be free of the man who’s truly holding me hostage.
“Tell me what he is doing to you, Kaly?” Cassian asks, his voice cold, like ice trickling down my spine, and I can’t stop the shiver that trails from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
I want to lie. It’s my first instinct because I know Cass, and if I were to tell him about my life, something bad would happen. Not to Paulo, but to me and Cassian. Deep down, all I want is for the boy who once held my heart to take it once more and keep it safe.
“Nothing,” I finally lie to Cassian, and my heart cracks.
His anger is palpable; it’s a force to be reckoned with because the moment he moves, I’m nothing but prey in his eyes. His grip on my chin is unyielding as he tugs me to look at him. There’s no escaping the teal glare that’s holding me hostage.
“Don’t you dare fucking lie to me,” Cassian grits angrily, his teeth clenching in frustration as he regards me. The blaze in his eyes sends heat coursing through my veins, and my thighs squeeze together.
“I can’t talk about it with you,” I finally respond after a long silence. He doesn’t say anything; he doesn’t move, still holding onto my chin as if it were a lifeline.
“I want you away from him,” Cassian declares as if it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. I can’t just walk away from Paulo, not when he’s paying for my father’s treatments.
I shake my head slowly. He doesn’t understand. “Cassian—”
“Don’t fucking give me that. I don’t give a shit anymore.” Anger emanates off him as he releases me and turns his back on me. I watch him as turmoil so clearly twists inside him. I’ve never seen him like this, and I want to go to him, to wrap my arms around his waist and press my body against his. For so long, I’ve wanted to be his, to have him be mine, but it’s too late.
I shake my head and force myself to make my way to him. His heat sizzles through me as I near him. Reaching for him, I press my palm against his back. “There’s no way I can leave without him losing his mind. There are too many variables that hang in the balance if I were to decide to do it.”
“Then I’ll make you,” he threatens, his head turning, his gaze burning into me as he watches me. “I’ll find a way.” My chest tightens, and my heart thuds against my ribs. He’s always had it. Cassian has had my heart since I first laid eyes on him.
“There’s no way, Cassian. I cannot just walk away from promises I’ve made.” My plea falls on deaf ears when he chuckles. He’s beyond rational thought at this point, and I realize I should’ve stayed home. Cassian Thorne isn’t used to being told no, but right now, I’m defying him more than I ever have. “My life is difficult, complicated. And no amount of money is going to change that,” I add on, because I know he will throw out a comment about paying for something to be done.
“Oh, my little liar,” he whispers as he turns to fully face me. “When I want something, I always make it happen.” And there it is, Cassian’s overconfidence.
A small smile graces my lips. It’s true, and I know it. He’s always been someone who’s gotten what he wants. Most times, things are easy to capture, but this time, it’s different. I meet his gaze and say, “But this time, you’re too late.”
“Fuck being late, Kaly,” he murmurs, stalking toward me so quickly, I step back and slam into the wall of the mausoleum. The cold concrete ensures I can’t run away; I’m nothing more than a hostage to Cassian right now.
He stops when he’s inches from me, his large, looming frame caging me in, and an icy shiver of awareness trickles down my spine. Cassian would never hurt me, that much I know, but the way he’s looking at me right now makes everything I know about him fall into question.
My body heats at his nearness as it usually does, and the air sparks with electric desire. His eyes dance with need as he regards me, a smile slowly tilting the corners of his mouth.
“If you think for one second you can walk back into my town and tell me you’re not mine, then you have another thing coming, little liar,” he informs me confidently. “I’m going to ensure you’re in my possession soon, and when you are, you’re not returning to that piece of shit you call a fiancé.”
I want to scream at him.
I want to tell him to leave me alone.
But it would be a lie.
I’ve always wanted to belong to Cassian Thorne. For years, I prayed he’d wake up and finally lay claim to me. And now that I have a heavy diamond ring on my finger, he’s chosen this moment to finally declare I’m his.
“You need to walk away from this, Cass. Please, I don’t want you getting hurt,” I plead, stepping toward him, which only seems to make the fire burn brighter in his eyes.
He leans in, his face now a hairsbreadth away from mine. “I’ll never give up on you, Kalyn. You may have made sure I want you to pay for what you did, but I’ll never allow a woman in my life to hurt because of a man.”
There’s no lie in his words.
Cassian is a good guy. So are his brothers. But Cass was always the one who stole my attention. In a room full of people, it was always him. And now that I’m all grown up, it’s still him.
The thought brings a lump to my throat, and tears burn my eyes as I consider walking away from this man for good. If I were to tell him right now to give it up, to finally say goodbye to me, I know he’d respect my choice.
But when I open my mouth, I can’t find the words to tell him so. He watches me for a long while before he drops his head, and his lips feather along mine. It’s not a real kiss, but the contact is there.
His warm breath fans over my face as he speaks, “You may think you escaped the first time you walked out of Thorne Haven, but you can’t tell me you spent the last five years not thinking of me.”
“I—I can’t admit to anything because you know it will be a lie,” I throw back easily. While I was gone, he was the only person who invaded my mind every single day, it’s embarrassing, but also, it reminds me just how much I love him.
“Then you will have no qualms when I make my move.” The underlying promise is there. He’s going to do something stupid, and I’m most certainly not going to fight him.
I know I won’t.
He knows I won’t.
But I wonder just what will happen when Paulo finds out the truth.
“Soon, little liar,” Cassian promises before he saunters from the graveyard, leaving me in the dark to ponder what’s about to happen. My life is once again about to blow up, and I have no control over it.
13
Kalyn
Rolling over in bed, I curl into the sheets and keep my eyes closed. The dream that woke me lingers, and I think back on it, remembering one of the worst but also most beautiful moments of my life.
I’ve been crying for hours. The drive back from my grandmother’s house is long, silent, and filled with my pain which feels as if the world is crashing down on me. The grief is debilitating. My lungs struggle to do their job while my chest tightens every time I try to pull in air.
When I close my eyes, I see her, and when I open them, all I see before me is a dark cloud that hangs heavily over me. As if my life is under a constant state of rain. My heart is broken, and I don’t know how I’m going to get through this without the high which always calms me.
As we pull into the drive, I notice Cassian’s car parked in the street, but I don’t say anything to my parents. They wanted me to stay in tonight, but all I can think about is getting out of my head, out of remembering what happened, getting drunk, or something far stronger than Cassian will like.
The kids at school all do drugs, well, most of them, but I’ve only ever dabbled with a joint or two. But right now, all I want is to forget. To stop thinking and replaying the past few days. She didn’t even know me before she took her final breath, and that’s what’s cracking through my chest, a tight fist wrapping around my heart and squeezing.
I want to forget.
I want to get lost in a high that will clear my mind of the memories and images that have shattered my heart into a million pieces.
The slam of a door snaps me from the thoughts, and I look up to find my parents waiting on me. We make our way into the house, and I head straight for my bedroom, where I wait until I hear my parents going to bed.
Climbing out of my window has become second nature, and it doesn’t take me long to find Cass still parked in the same spot. I slip into the passenger seat of his car, and before he can say anything, I break down.
Cassian doesn’t think twice, he pulls me into his lap, and soon, I’m straddling him. His arms wrap around me, and he warms me with his calm affection. He doesn’t ask questions, he doesn’t say anything, he allows me to cry, to expel my pain through my tears.
I don’t know how long we sit there, but when I finally look up into his affectionate gaze, my heart stutters. He doesn’t move, he doesn’t even breathe, and that’s when I realize how close we really are.
“I-I’m sorry.” My voice is croaky when I speak, but he doesn’t laugh. He merely lifts his hands, cups my cheeks, and swipes the tears from my face.
“There isn’t any reason to apologize,” Cassian tells me, his voice even, calm. My solace. “What happened?”
I open my mouth to speak, but the moment I want to say something, my throat closes, and I choke up once more.
“You don’t have to tell me,” he says softly, placing a kiss on my forehead before he looks me in the eye. “When you’re ready, I’ll be here. I’ll always be here. I’ll always come for you.”