He’d been devastated then, turning from woman to woman, vowing never to settle down again. He couldn’t put anyone else in danger. He felt responsible for Mary Elizabeth’s death. How could he not? If it hadn’t been for him, she’d be alive and able to live the rest of her life in peace, no doubt with a man her father and the rest of the town approved.
And once Cynthia Harvard walked into his life years later, his perspective changed once more, and he fell in love. She was a goddess, a woman every man only dreamed of being with. But as beautiful as she was, she was evil. She used him and only stayed with him until she grew bored and found comfort in the arms of another man.
Since then, he’d never fallen in love again. This time he meant it. He wasn’t about to repeat history and get hurt once more. No. Not Cassius Broxsby. Not ever again.
Why the hell had he let his guard down with someone like Lara Angelov? Looks-wise, she reminded him a lot of Cynthia. Personality-wise, he had hoped she was different. Maybe she wasn’t a cheater, which he wouldn’t know because they hadn’t even had the chance to start a relationship, but she sure as hell was a liar. She’d lied to him then, and who knows how many times upon meeting she’d lied to him.
He typically wasn’t one to trust anyone. Not just women. They were just the biggest liars he’d ever come across. But what was it about Lara that made him feel like he could trust her?
Fuck! He should have known better. Now his car was missing, and she was gone. She was hiding the truth and that bothered the hell out of him.
Sure, being who he was, honesty had not always been one of his better qualities, but something about Lara made him feel like he could be.
Boy, had he been wrong. Look at him. He’d stolen his neighbor’s car and driven it at God knows how many miles per hour, speeding down the main roads to get to the cemetery. He had to race to get there and dig up her ex-husband’s body before midnight.
Which brought him to then, looking over Milo’s grave. An eerie wind whooshed through the trees. Why did it suddenly feel like Halloween was right around the corner?
He shook his head. Maybe because it is, you moron. Don’t let her get the best of you that you fuck this up. Dig up the asshole’s body and get on your merry fucking way. There are things to be done.
He still needed to race over to Ethan’s house and get the ritual out of the way. She’d taken the exorcism supplies with her, which was fine since there was no way he would have been able to carry those; he’d probably turn to dust, but he hoped she dropped them at Ethan’s house before pulling her disappearing act.
He chuckled. God, he really wanted to pound into her right then. Not for pleasure, but for punishment, like he’d done so many other times to so many other women. He’d wrap his hand around her neck as he’d slam into her pussy over and over again. And then, just as he’d let his release spill inside of her, he’d bring his mouth down onto her neck and suck her delicious poison until he’d feel it running down the side of his throat.
The thought made him hungry. And horny.
And now, you’re screwed, Cassius. Get to work!
He took one good look around before inserting the shovel into the dirt and began digging. That shouldn’t take him long, considering his supernatural strength, but if someone were to come by?
Thankfully, no one was there. He needed to move quickly.
He dug, tossing the dirt over his right shoulder and then his left. Digging his way deeper into the ground, he stopped once the shovel wasn’t penetrating the dirt any longer, and he had hit something else. A dark wooden casket. Bingo.
Prying it open with one quick swing, he was taken aback to find it empty.
Empty? Where the fuck is Milo’s body? The bitch had lied yet again!
The blood in his veins began to boil, and he started seeing red. Why the hell had she sent him here to dig up absolutely nothing. Nothing. A complete waste of time. He was furious, his knuckles turning white as he dropped the shovel and formed fists at his sides.
There was only one thing left to do: find Lara and demand answers. Since she wasn’t there in the cemetery with him trying to dig up Milo, maybe she was back at her house packing.
Damn, what the hell was she trying to pull?
Racing out of the cemetery, he jumped back into the stolen car and raced over to Lara’s house. It would only take him a few minutes to arrive; thankfully, Milo’s grave was in the same town.
But his body? What of it? Where had she buried him? What had she done to him?
All those questions raced through Cassius’ mind as he sped down the road and darted a left turn onto her block. His headlights flashed over his stolen vehicle.
He couldn’t believe it. As he parked the car in front of the Angelov residence, the memories from earlier haunted his brain. The bitch had lied, screwed his brains out, and taken off at the first chance she got. All because she had a plan to send him down a spiral, looking for a body that as far as he knew didn’t even exist. Then he knew she was guilty, more now than ever before, and no matter what she were to say. Before, he had believed her, he had trusted her, and look at where that had gotten him.
Fucking bitch. Never again.
Then he knew the truth. Then he knew better.
Hopping out of the car, he noticed something that seemed bizarre. Something just didn’t appear to be the norm. He glanced around at the front yard. The sunflowers. The tall, bright canary yellow sunflowers, which seemed to be the one thing that separated this house from the rest of the block, sticking out like a sore thumb. One of them was missing.
He walked closer, noticing a giant hole where the first sunflower used to stand had been dug up along the fence. Who went around stealing sunflowers?
Cassius spun around and decided he needed to find Lara. She was up to something and he knew it.
Walking up to the front door with careful steps, he knocked once and waited for her to answer. But just like before, she hadn’t come to the door. He looked around to make sure no one was watching him and forced the door open. He wasn’t surprised to find that she hadn’t locked it yet again.
He entered, taking one step after another, and as he closed the door behind him, an all-too familiar voice startled him from behind.
“Hello, Mr. Broxsby.”
Without hesitating, Cassius spun around to find Lara half dressed, with the strap of a black tank top sitting off her shoulder. A black bra peeked through the low-cut neckline.
“Lara. What is going on here? And why the hell are you calling me Mr. Broxsby again? I thought we already passed the formalities long ago... before you placed your dirty paws on me and lied.” He arched an eyebrow and glared at her.
Lara broke out in laughter, throwing herself onto him.
What the hell has gotten into her? This only infuriated him further.
She draped an arm across his shoulders. “Aww, c’mon now... let’s not get all fussy. I didn’t lie to you.”
He furrowed his brows. “You didn’t? Then what would you call it?”
Lara straightened and pulled herself away from him. “I’ve got something to tell you, Mr. Broxsby!”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“I. Killed. Milo!”
“You don’t say?” Cassius played along, but this wasn’t news to him. He had already figured that much out. But why? Why she had done it was another story.