“You and Kins.”
Kinslee and I stared at each other for a second and started laughing at the same time.
“Uh, I have no idea what your thought process was there, but that would be a no. Sorry.”
Kinslee smirked and turned to whisper something in Weston’s ear while I stood up and leaned over to grab my pint glass, which started steaming up as soon as I held it over the tub. Settling back down next to Cassius, I sipped my drink, idly making swirling patterns in the water with my hand.
“Alright, mate?” Cassius’ lazy slur had my head snapping round.
Caiden stood in the doorway, ignoring Cassius, his eyes on me and his expression unreadable.
SEVENTEEN
She looked at me uncertainly, biting her bottom lip, her eyes huge. I took in the setting—Kinslee wedged between my brother’s legs, swigging straight from a bottle of wine, and Cass sprawled out in the tub like a fucking king, his arm around Winter. My eyes flicked to his, and he smirked at me. The fucker was stoned; his eyes were half-closed, and from experience I knew he’d be passed out soon enough.
“West. Help me out, will ya.” I nodded over to Cassius.
“I’m fine,” Cassius protested.
“Yeah, I see that. Just…get back in the house, mate.”
He gave an exaggerated sigh, his head lolling back.
“Cass.”
“Fine.” He clambered out of the tub, his movements sluggish, picking up one of the towels draped over the decking railing and pulling it over his shoulders. He disappeared inside and I stood, my mind torn between checking on Cass and the girl that was right in front of me.
My brain caught up, finally.
What the hell did I do? Fuck Snowflake. As in, sticking my dick in her.
Self-loathing filled me as I looked at her. Yeah, maybe I’d been wrong about her working with her mother. Maybe. Probably. But it still didn’t change the fact that she looked just like her, with that long dark hair, those huge eyes, and the way she tilted her head…yeah, that sounded minor, but it was identical to her mother. My stomach lurched. How could I have been so fucking weak? I was no worse than my father, and because of him, because of her…the only woman that I’d ever loved, the only woman I’d ever cared about, was dead.
The unwanted, hated memory rolled through me, and I pressed my palms to my temples and closed my eyes, trying to block it out, but it was no use.
“Mum?” I banged on the bathroom door. No answer. I banged harder. “Mum!”
No answer.
Dread coiled in my stomach, and I pounded at the door with all my might. She hadn’t been the same since she’d found out about dad’s affair with that fucking snake. She’d become withdrawn, distant, shutting herself away from us.
“Mum!”
No answer.
Frantic, I hit the door over and over, until my knuckles were throbbing.
No answer.
Shit! What should I do? The only thing I could think of was something stupid I’d seen in movies, but at this point I was ready to try anything. I ran back along our hallway and took a running leap straight into the door, kicking out my foot with all my strength. I guess although the door was made of thick, solid wood, the lock was weak, because it burst open, sending me hurtling into the room.
I fell to my knees.
No.
No.
No.
She was lying on the floor, on her side, one arm outstretched and her bottle of pills spilling out on the floor in front of her. She looked like she was asleep, but her skin had lost all colour, looking like a waxwork version of the living, breathing woman that was the most important person in my life.
I stumbled across the floor, barely aware of what I was doing. I reached out for her hand and clasped it in mine, knowing it was too late as soon as I touched her.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
An inhuman scream burst from my lungs, and stabbing pain raced through my body, taking my breath away. I curled into a ball, still clasping her hand, my eyes squeezed shut, my brain going offline.
I wasn’t aware of what happened after that.
“Caiden!”
I opened my eyes to find my brother crouched in front of me, dripping wet, worry clear in his eyes. I realised I was sitting on the decking, my head in my hands, my whole fucking body shaking.
Fuck.
“I’m fine. I guess I drank more than I thought. Guess that’s my cue to go to bed.” I forced a laugh.
Weston eyed me cautiously. “Cade…” His voice trailed off as I shot him a warning look. He could say or do whatever the fuck he wanted, but I was never telling him what had happened to our mother. I wanted his memories of her to be pure, untainted.
As far as he was aware, she’d died of a sudden brain haemorrhage, and that was how it was going to stay. It was pretty much the only area where me and my dad were in complete agreement. My dad felt a sense of guilt—not enough to get rid of the bitch, but he at least cared enough about Weston to try and stop him feeling the fucking crushing failure and regret I felt.
Why hadn’t I done something sooner?
She’d still be alive.
I launched to my feet, turning towards the house, needing to be inside, and alone.
“Caiden?”
A pair of slim arms encircled my waist, and I saw red.
“Get the fuck away from me, right now. We fucked—that doesn’t give you the right to touch me. You’re the last person I want near me.”
She flinched, immediately dropping her arms, and I laughed cruelly, letting the hatred for her mother seep through me, filling me, smothering the pain of losing my mother.
“You’re nothing to me. You weren’t even a good lay.”
She gasped, and I cringed internally, because that was an outright lie. I hated admitting it, but fucking her had been the best sex of my life.
My dick needed to get the memo that it was never going to happen again.
I wrenched away from her, and from the guilt and the pain, and escaped upstairs, slamming my door behind me and flipping the lock before throwing myself on the bed.
Fuck.
My bed smelled like sex and a subtle scent of sugar and spice.
I couldn’t sleep there.
I pulled a blanket from my cupboard and slept on the floor.
EIGHTEEN
Morning. The first thing I’d done when I’d woken in the guest room, head pounding, was to check the door was unlocked. I wouldn’t have put it past Caiden to lock me in again. Thankfully, the door opened.
As the memories of last night assaulted me, I cringed. I showered as quickly as possible, and not even bothering to check my appearance, silently slipped out of the room and crept down the stairs, intent on leaving before anyone else made an appearance.
I made it to the front door without incident and reached to open it, but before I could make my escape, arms came around me, pinning me in place.
“Not so fast,” a low voice hissed in my ear. “Where do you think you’re going?”
A chill went through me at Zayde’s threatening tone, but I steeled myself.
“Let go of me. King Caiden made it clear last night that he didn’t want me here.”
His laugh somehow managed to sound dark and sinister. “Oh no, sweetheart. You’re not getting away that easily. Let’s make one thing clear. I believe you’re not working with your mother, but I still don’t trust you. Trust needs to be earned.”