Logan’s concern seemed a little bit out of character back then. I thought it was just an excuse to keep me away from a stressful environment. What if he was talking about questionable practices?
Perhaps it’s just Mark’s warped view of the world that makes him see everyone twisted and corrupted. I don’t know if I should believe him. In fact, I doubt Mark’s perception, since his past impacts his judgment.
Gasping from phantom ache, I shut my eyes, burning with tears and anger. Mark can’t do this to me. It’s not fair to throw those allegations and hope I’ll just accept them.
But what if it’s true? What if their business partners and investors are dangerous people? The truth is, I didn’t get to work with any of them. But during the balls, I saw their cunning ability to dominate the world, turn the tables with a flick of their wrists, manipulate the economy, merge family businesses, using their children and wives. But still . . .
Cold shivers crawl up my spine as some sort of feeling seeps into me while I think about it. I need to know. I stand up and go into the living room to seek answers and to find out, if all this time, I was too blind to see my family for who they are.
“Someone hacked the system and erased the camera 124 and 165 feeds. We could try to recover it, but it’s better if we concentrate our resources into finding out how they got access to your condo . . .”
Some guy looking like the man from secret services reports to Mark. They’re all gathered around the laptops, looking at the screen in sharp concentration. My phone rings and I dive back into the room to get my purse. I rummage through it.
“Cassandra?” Mark’s husky voice trickles behind me, and I forget the call. “I need to tell you something.” My alarm bells rise as Mark shifts on his feet, raking his hair, torn up about something. “They sent the video to your in-laws.”
I blink at him, trying to make sense. “What?”
Mark draws me into his chest. “I’m sorry, baby. I wish I could turn back the time and change this.”
“Oh my God.” I feel faint as I try to filter through the emotions bombarding me.
My worst fears are coming true. I sway on my feet, grasping for a thread of sanity. Before my legs give out, Mark pushes me down to the floor. My phone rings while I watch his manic gaze darken with worry for me.
“Stay here.” He jumps to his feet to get my phone.
“Who is this? Lucas, what the fuck, man? Nah, I have my own men here. They are trying to see if we can . . . no, stay where you are . . . are you kidding me, of course I can! Lucas . . .” he growls and then throws the phone onto the bed. It bounces off to the floor with a soft thud on the carpet.
“You okay?” Worry lines are etched on his handsome features like the permanent mark I want to erase.
Someone clears his throat and pushes a glass of water into my shaking hands. I gulp the contents, trying to curb my panic, winding me tight.
“Someone was here while we made love, Mark. I feel violated, sick, and scared.”
“I know.” He lowers his head to the ground, but when he looks at me, I see the same emotion mixed in layers of protectiveness and male pride staring back at me.
“This is my fault. Whoever he is, he wants to hurt me. Now that I have someone I care about . . . and love. He actually can.” The anguish pulsates from him in waves.
He gently strokes my hair with a mix of fear and anger boiling inside his irises.
“I’m so sorry. I wanted this day to be special for you.”
“I know.” Unable to take his anguish, I jerk him to me. “I love you too, Mark. And this love is so intense, it terrifies me. It makes me blind, erases all the reason.”
He is about to say something when a knock on the door interrupts us.
“Sir, we have to talk.”
A shrapnel of worry burrows deep into my mind, but I rein it in. Now is not the time.
“Go,” I urge him, not knowing how else I could help.
My mind floods with memories of our night. Our lovemaking was intense and not a vanilla kind. If it gets out . . . It will destroy me. I need to talk with Darren about it, but I can’t find the strength. My stomach coils in a tight ball, and dark spots appear in my vision as I think about what they’ll do. I stumble until my hands touch the wall, and I press my back to it, trying to control my fear mixing with humiliation. My attention snaps to the phone.
It rings again, and I stumble to grab it.
“Hello?” I pull away to see who’s calling as I hear strange noises on the other side. “Hello, can you hear me?” Heat bursts through my chest to my limbs as I hear an unfamiliar voice on the other side.
“Tell Mark I enjoyed watching you two fuck. I think you and me, Mrs. Cade, would enjoy each other’s company once we meet. I could teach you a few things about pain and control.”
My mouth gapes open, and sharp needles creep up my legs.
“Everyone should know how much you enjoy to be well fucked. It’s a pity you missed meeting me at the ball.”
Oh my God. It’s him. The man who stole our intimate moments from us is calling to gloat. And he is calling me instead of Mark.
I push to my feet and stagger into the living room.
“I enjoyed your screams and moans, Mrs. Cade. No wonder men in power can’t get enough of you. You’re quite stunning at the mercy of a well-trained man.”
My blood chills and fingers stiffen as his words register. I halt, trying to grasp what he’s saying.
“Well-trained?” I croak, barely recognizing my own voice.
My muscles stiffen from dread as some foreign instinct fires my senses in overdrive.
“Not as gullible as you look in the bedroom, are you Red?” he chuckles, and his voice grates on my nerves and I burn with anger and humiliation. “The things I could show you . . .”
I block my mouth to stop shrieks from spilling out, but I force my voice to sound indifferent.
“What do you want, Mr. . . .?” I watch Mark and his men talk, casting their sharp gazes my way as I approach them. I don’t signal or let them know who’s calling. I don’t dare to scare him away before I know his real motives.
I jerk, startled, almost losing the phone from my hands as the security guy appears from nowhere. The male works as a ghost and attaches some external device to my phone, and without a single word, he goes back to their setup station.
Mark gets the headphones and puts them on, scanning me as he purses his lips, and his eyes become cold and focused golden marbles. The creep laughs at me like I amuse him, but when he speaks, his controlled voice is seething.
“The discretion in this world is something Mark Lawson doesn’t understand. He owes me for who he is today, and yet he’s playing games. Nevertheless, I will teach him a hard lesson he won’t ever forget, Mrs. Cade. I have done it before . . .”
Mark’s expression becomes ashen, even haunted as he listens. When his gaze finds mine, I see nightmares clawing at him.
Does he recognize him?
“For a man who hides behind the shadows, these are quite strong promises. What if you deal with someone who knows how to keep secrets and have the means to end this misunderstanding?” I try to appear not too frazzled and show my authority through this connection. He doesn’t need to know I am Mrs. Cade only by name.
My attention fixates on Mark, who stands so still I’m not sure if he’s breathing. His hands are balled at his sides, his body taut with tension as if someone touches him, he might snap like a twig.
“Oh, we will, Mrs. Cade. We’ll meet again, and I’ll serve your needs like a true man should. Mark’s just a boy compared to the things I’m capable of providing.”
Bile fills my throat, and my legs start to tingle as my mind processes the threat. My surroundings gradually melt from my awareness, and the last thing I see is someone rushing toward me and then nothing.
18
Wings of a Butterfly
~Mark~
“Mark, look at me, buddy.” Leif steps in, trying t
o help me to come back from a PTSD episode as I fight dizziness. His touch fuels my revulsion, and I’m tempted to puke my guts out, but I hold back, breathing in a controlled manner until I regain a slither of balance.
The cold detachment penetrates my mind, bringing a temporary reprieve, just enough to return to my usual self. I know the drill. Usually, I don’t react this strongly, not after the desensitizing therapy I had years ago. But the bastard came back and reached for the woman I care about. The thought of him hurting her, touching her with his depraved fingers, dragged me into this dark place I thought I’d never return to.
The pervert thinks he’s untouchable, but he’s wrong. I have evidence from a victim about him trafficking young women and children. I kept secret her existence because it’s just her words against his. I needed to find where he takes them. To gather substantial evidence of his crimes to lock him in jail for life.
So far, he was too careful to leave us clues. Lester thinks he has power over me, but I’m no longer that little kid he could easily break. Cassandra isn’t a bird he can pluck from my hands and kill to prove his supremacy. I’m not the only one who’s looking after her.
I jerk, alarmed, searching for any signs of her.
Cassandra! Where is she? Did she leave?
“Cassandra, where is she?” I start to panic, but Leif pushes me down with a strength I don’t have to fight him off me, and Higgins brings me a glass of water for my parched throat.
“She’s with Lucas. Drink. We’re going to talk.” His no-nonsense voice is kind of soothing my nerves, even if a slither of irritation trickles through me. I’m grateful Lucas is here. After all, he’s one of my brothers. We aren’t close, but he’s a man who loves her, who has honor and loyalty running through his veins.
After guzzling down all the water, my shredded throat eases up, and my heartbeat evens out. So, I push to my shaky feet and turn to my team, needing explanations and solutions. Belington will strike, and he’ll go for the jugular.
“Do you know where the call came from?”
“Yes, sir, we managed to trace the call.” Lee, the tech guy, glances at Leif as if asking if he can convey info in front of him and when his sharp gaze comes back to me, I nod.
My gaze flickers back to the Cades’ wild card, and he returns me a look I know well. It means, try it, and I will hurt you. Maybe next time. I smirk at him. Leif knows I’m better in the match, but this isn’t about us, this involves someone we both care about.
He crosses his arms and widens his stance, ready to fight me.
“What is it, Leif, do you have an itch to scratch?” Judging by the way he watches me, he wants to feel a burn of violence too. What’s going on in your life, buddy, to seek dark thrills? Aren’t you a newlywed and a new father?
“Sir, we triangulated a mobile phone signal, and it pinpointed its location. The call came from the Cades’ investment bank here in London.”
Leif flinches, his skin creasing around his eyes, and a distant look enters his features.
“Are you sure?” My insides heat up, as I push toward them to see it for myself.
“Yes. Although we couldn’t trace the caller’s ID since he used a burner.” Lee suspiciously watches Leif like he might explode at any moment. I see his hands ball into fists and then relax as if he tries to contain his reaction.
“Do you know who it is?” Leif’s deep voice interrupts my thoughts. I cast my gaze toward him and nod. He was there when I admitted I was subjected to the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as a child to social services in front of his parents. He can put the clues together and get the picture.
“You saw him once or twice with your parents at their functions.” Anger sharpens his features, making him look formidable and twice his size. Darren and Helen thought I was lying. They were wrong. I wasn’t.
Leif strides toward me like he is on a mission. I straighten my spine and spread my legs for better balance in case he wants to taste my fists. But Leif surprise me. He drags me into a brotherly embrace. We haven’t done this for ages, and it feels good, too good to trust it.
“I want this man’s blood, Mark. You go after him, I want to come too.” His angry demand hits me in the chest. I never thought he’d ever join me in fighting my demons. They all were convinced I was just a troublemaker, so what has changed?
I force those feelings down, afraid to let anyone closer, especially them. After Logan died, my expectations to belong perished with him. Sometimes I feel happy he isn’t around, and Cassandra is mine to love. But other times, I remember our friendship and the chasm of hollow pain in my chest widens. Leif doesn’t know what he’s asking for. He has no idea what this enemy’s capable of.
The Belington family is too powerful and too dangerous to underestimate. And if Lester Belington directed his attentions Cassandra’s way, that means he’s not afraid to piss off the Cade clan. He’s playing this family too. But why?
What are you up to, Lester?
I know he has a hard-on for me, and she’s a perfect opportunity to bring me to my knees. But still, Cassandra Cade is a symbol of power, even if she doesn’t know it.
Before I can answer, Cassandra and Lucas walk in, their hands draped around each other. She looks haunted, vulnerable as she stares at me with those shadows so familiar to me. I know with clarity I’ll sacrifice everything to keep her safe. We move toward each other like the elastic threads pulling us closer. My hand coils in her hair and I mesh our lips, seeking reassurance.
“It’ll be okay, Cassandra. I’ll figure it out. I promise, no one’s going to hurt you.” I hold her to my chest like she’s made of glass, too precious to shatter, too beautiful to ruin.
“I want to go home and be with my babies,” she rasps. It twists something inside of me. I hate being a reason for her uneasiness.
“Sure, let me dress up, and I’ll take you.” I kiss her temple and leave her with Logan’s brothers since I’m desperate for a shower to wash away the disgust clinging to me like oil.
~Cassandra~
Lucas’ warm hands envelop me from behind, lending me his strength and bringing peace and safety. My mind’s slowing down, and I feel fatigued, but my heart drums with anxious energy, still reeling from all that happened today. Ill feelings twist my guts while I watch Leif chatting with Mark’s security team.
“Nothing bad is going to happen to you, Cassandra,” Lucas whispers to me, and I appreciate his words, but I’m worried about Mark. I’m trying to hold onto my sanity before it comes undone.
“Ready?” Mark’s deep voice from behind us startles me, and I twist my neck to look at him.
His golden locks, wet from the shower, drip down his sharp features. His lips are parted and his nostrils flare, watching me in Lucas' hands. My curious gaze travels to his carved to perfection chest, and down to the abdomen, a white towel failed to cover.
Mark looks like a solid wall of carved muscle, a machine ready for the battle. My throat gets dry and my breasts heavy as I remember him moving inside of me, battling and claiming me with all that power. Those hands caressing my breasts and that mouth . . .
Lucas clears his throat, and my train of thoughts scatter but he leaves us be. Mark saunters toward me and I stumble back, affected by his intensity and those shadows of desperation reaching me. His muscular frame cages me against the dining table.
“Want something?” My throat stops working.
Him, inside of me, unhinged, unrestrained, wild madness, erasing all the fears and monsters from the past. But instead of telling him this, I simply shrug, reaching his face, glowing from the shower.
His wet hair drips with excess water down his chest as I try to decide what to do. I don’t want to leave him with his demons or stay with mine. Not when I just found him, not when I just started to live again. And definitely not when someone’s trying to hurt him and steal my happiness away. I lurch forward, clutching onto him, panic seizing me into its steely clutches.
“Come with me.” That man’s wor
ds leap in front of my eyes, filling me with dread. My skin crawls with a thousand insects. I can’t shake it off.
As if seeing my anguish, Mark attacks my lips, filling me with his wild essence. When we come up for air, he asks, “What about the kids and the Cades? They don’t want me in Logan’s house.”
“It’s my home, my life, and my decision. My children need to be eased into our relationship anyway. I must talk to them about us. To push you away doesn’t seem right anymore. Come, let’s take on the world together like you promised me before.”
“One nightmare at a time,” he breathes the words out, and I nod, hoping he will join me and let me keep him safe because that man’s a monster I’ve never encountered before.
“Who is that man, Mark? Why did he speak with such familiarity about you? Like he trained you or something.”
He drags me to the bedroom and closes the door, pacing around.
“Mark?”
He stops and swallows. His throat bobs, hands balled at his sides as if he’s fighting an inner battle. “He’s the man who broke my skin, my bones, and my soul when I was a kid. He watched me in agony like it was the most delectable thing he had ever experienced. I thought he tried to kill me, but I think he was just playing with me.”
My chest vibrates. Needles burn my eyes and nose as his words bury deep inside of me. Afraid his past might consume the sensual, caring man I fell for, I clasp his hands in mine.
“Go home with me.” I can’t leave him here. Not after this.
“Are you sure you want a man like me near your kids?” Cupping my face in his palms so I won’t be able to hide anything from his penetrating gaze, he waits for my response.
Somehow, I know Mark has more honor than any other man because of what he lived through. And he survived a horrible childhood. No wonder he doesn’t want to talk about it. Sometimes our dignity is all we have. Sometimes our armor’s all that is protecting us from pain. I touch his chin and kiss those lips, needing to soothe him, let him know I’m not leaving him.
Tangled IN LIES (Book#3, IN YOU) Page 19