“I have to go back to him.”
She might as well have taken a blade and rammed it into me. I couldn’t cope; I thought we were happy before this. I thought she was over Dante, knew that what they had was an infatuation, not love like we had. She was everything to me, but why did it feel like she had died and I hadn’t found her? We were over.
“You’ve always been the flicker in my pulse, Faye. My heart’s rhythm thuds in sync with yours. We are soul mates, always were. But together the beat’s becoming so fragile, baby. Loving you has been the most amazing and painful thing I have ever done. You’re shutting me out, closing your heart to the memory of how it feels for me to love you. I’m losing you, I can feel it with every breath I take. We’re fading and I’m dying from the loss.” I took a choked breath, wincing at the pain splitting my insides in two. “So I’m setting you free to go to him. To be without me. I don’t know if I’ll survive losing you again but you’re already gone.” I lifted my hand to her head. “In here you’re there with him. When I touch you,” I stroked down her face with my palm, cupping her beautiful face, “is it him you feel when I kiss you?” I brought my mouth down on hers, tasting the salt from the tears cascading down her face. “Is it his love you’re yearning for?” I choked on the agony crawling up my throat “You’re fucking killing me, Faye. I just wish you’d use a gun.”
I tore away from her feeling my soul fracture with every sob that chased my footsteps. We were done. It was a surreal moment, being witness to your own death. I’d lost her. I didn’t know her anymore. She had been in his bed and wanted to be back there. She uttered my name but I knew she was fighting back his.
I wanted to yell, to lash out and say words I couldn’t take back. Hold her here and force her to love me still. Force her to want only me. I was dying; this was another form of murder. How did I survive this? She threw us away. She didn’t even fight for us. She didn’t want to.
Her tiny footfalls chased mine, coming to a stop at the main bathroom. “Cade, wait!” She paled, her hand going to her stomach. She looked like she was holding down a retch. I reached to her stomach and she flinched, her eyes widening. My senses were alert, my head tipping to the side as I looked at her curiously. She was struggling to breathe, her face pale and clammy as her eyes shifted nervously.
“What is it?” She shook her head, still refusing to look at me. “Don’t play mind games with me, Faye.” I blinked, trying to think if she had a bruise on her stomach. She’d stiffened as soon as I touched her there. Why would she allow me to kiss her but not touch her belly?
Something flashed in my head. All the blood in my veins froze. My throat closed in as my heart sped up. Her gaze slowly rose to mine. Tears fell from her eyes, her face breaking when she watched me stumble backwards.
“I’m so sorry.” The wail that left her splintered what was left of my damaged soul. “I . . . I . . .”
“No!” I shook my head. No, she couldn’t be. No. “NO!”
She flinched when I turned and smashed my fist into the wall, bits of plaster flying when I did it again and again. “Cade! CADE!”
She grabbed for me but I moved away. “Don’t! Don’t fucking touch me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”
I knew it wasn’t her fault, but I couldn’t get past the fact that a piece of Dante was inside her. Growing in her. She was mine, yet she was pregnant with my brother’s baby.
I couldn’t control the insanity as it floored me and I started laughing. “Funny, isn’t it?” Her tears fell harder, her sorrow as potent as the torrent of tears. “It’s like we went back in time.” She remained still, just watching me. “Will it be me that helps you through the termination, or will it be him?”
She lowered her eyes, confirming what I already knew. I clicked my tongue and sighed. “Neither of us. Well there’s one thing, Faye.” I laughed bitterly. “At least if you do decide to stay, when someone says it looks like me, they won’t be wrong.”
I turned when she stepped towards me and held out her hand.
“Now it’s me who needs time.”
“Cade, please. I’m sorry . . .”
I shook my head, gripping the door handle. “Me too, baby. Me too.”
She let me go; she didn’t have a choice.
“GOODNIGHT, FAYE,” TRUDY, MY SET assistant said as she popped her head around the door.
“Night, Tru. Have a good break.” She beamed at me, repeating my words back and pulling the door to my dressing room closed.
I was exhausted. Filming had run well past hours but the scene was finished and we were all eager for the few days break coming up.
The door opened slightly before Cade slipped inside, his head turned as he looked back into the corridor to make sure he hadn’t been seen. “I hate all this sneaking around,” he grumbled, locking the door and blowing out a breath. He was as tired as me. However, when he turned, his gaze finding mine in the mirror, his shoulders relaxed and a soft smile lit his face.
“I know, Cade. But they won’t leave us alone if they find out. I can’t deal with that.”
He nodded, walking towards me. “It’s okay, baby. I know. Fucking vultures.” He was so understanding of everything I needed. I couldn’t have loved him more.
“Hey.” I giggled, turning in my chair to look at him properly. “Raj said to me today, ‘Freaking hell, Faye. Yours and Cade’s passion through the camera is explosive. The producer even commented on how real you two make it.’”
Cade laughed with me then plopped his body into my lap. A whoosh emptied from my lungs. “Oh my God, Cade, you’re crushing me!”
His arms slipped around my waist and in a single move, our positions were reversed, my backside now settled on his lap. He grinned up at me. “See, told you I do all my own stunts.”
I slapped his arm playfully. “Well, you need to be careful. Pete would not be happy if you injured yourself.”
He smirked, waggling his eyebrows. “By the way.” I shivered when his voice dropped an octave. “My tat is healed.”
My eyes widened and my mouth popped open in a perfect ‘O.’ “So.” I ran my finger across his jaw. “We’re back in action?”
“Damn right we are!”
I gasped when he grabbed the edge of my robe and tore it open, finding just my underwear beneath. His face nuzzled between my breasts as a contented sigh left him. “Shit, it’s been the longest ten days of my life. You do know I’m gonna last all of six seconds?”
I giggled. “Well, that’s okay ‘cos I’ll probably only last four!”
His finger ran along the edge of my bra, tucking under the lace and seeking out my hard nipple. I squirmed in his lap when his eyes lifted to my face and he leaned forward, clamping my nipple gently in his teeth. The silk of my bra molded around me when he opened his mouth and sucked hard, pulling my flesh into the heat of his mouth. His fingers drew up my bare thigh excruciatingly slowly, the feather light touch driving me insane.
“Cade, please.”
He released my nipple with a pop and stood up, my knees still tucked against his thighs. I shifted quickly, wrapping them around his waist.
The air left my lungs when he slammed my back against the wall, one of his hands supporting me as the other tore open the zipper of his pants, instantly freeing his long, hard cock.
“I’m gonna fuck you hard and I’m gonna come fast. And then for the next five days, I’m gonna take you so slow, touch every inch of you, devour every single drop of cum you give me and you’ll have no choice but to come over and over again.”
I nodded. My mouth had dried up in expectation. We were spending our break in his vacation home, somewhere on the Jamaican coast. I couldn’t freaking wait. It was going to be five days of nakedness and sex; lots and lots of sex.
With one quick move he had my panties in his hand and his cock buried deep inside me. Both our heads fell back as long moans of satisfaction echoed from us.
“Oh, fuck,” he panted on the first thrust, “I
said six but . . .”
I circled my hips, stimulating my clit on his pelvis and igniting a delicious shot of pleasure to race through me when I knew he was already teetering on the edge. The move made him growl and thrust harder, my head banging against the wall.
He fucked me harder and harder, his lust clashing with his need, driving me towards my climax faster. “Come on, baby,” he growled through his clenched jaw, his eyes fixed on mine, the heat in them bringing my orgasm nearer. “Let me feel you drench my cock!”
He wrapped me in his arms then turned around and lowered me back. I seemed to hover above the ground; the only thing supporting me was his forearms. I gasped, clinging on to his strong arms as he continued to pound into me. The fear of being dropped was all I needed, my orgasm burst, my back arching so much that I could see Cade’s struggle to hold onto me. But he did, and he came inside me with the fiercest of growls, his teeth bared and each vein in his neck throbbing with the pleasure raging through his system.
“Shit, shit, shit!” he hissed as he pushed hard inside me, emptying himself at the same time as he lowered us both to the floor.
I buried my face into the soft cotton of his shirt, pulling in numerous breaths as I fought to come back down. “Okay,” I panted, “I thought you were going to drop me.”
He laughed softly. “I’ll never drop you, baby. You’re too precious to drop. Besides,” he whispered in my ear, “we can’t break Dante’s piece of pussy. Can we?”
I gasped, looking up at him. He grinned at me. It wasn’t Cade anymore. This wasn’t Cade. “Dante?”
I scrambled back when he laughed, the cruel tone tearing a hole through me. “NO!” I shook my head, my hands feeling behind me to find a safe route. “No!”
“Oops.” Dante winked. “You gonna tell Cade or am I?”
I lunged forwards, tearing at his clothes. “No, please. You can’t tell him!”
“Tell him what, Belle, how easily you come for me? How loud you scream when I fill your tight cunt? Tell him how happy you are to be growing my son or daughter inside you?”
I collapsed on the floor, struggling to breathe through the ache. “No, I don’t want it. It’s yours . . .”
“Ahh.” He laughed again. “But you won’t kill it this time, will you?”
“No,” I choked out. I couldn’t, not again. I had never forgiven myself for taking my baby’s life, even though my head told me it had been the right thing to do. “I can’t. I can’t!”
“Then you know what to do!” He patted my cheek, his grin breaking my heart as he turned and walked out. “Do it, Star! Do it.”
I shot upright, my heart nearly bursting through my chest as tears cascaded down my face.
“It was just a dream, Faye. Just a dream,” I told myself as my hands fisted the cotton bed sheet, needing to feel something physical to confirm I was awake and Dante had gone.
I fought for control, battling with the rapid pants aching my chest as I climbed from the bed and hurried to the shower. The need to clean the sweat and tears was intense. They were tears and sweat that were shed for Dante. He didn’t deserve any of my emotions.
Turning the water to the hottest point, I gritted my teeth to the pain. The tears wouldn’t stop. Remembering what was growing inside me, I turned the heat down and slid down the wall, hugging my knees as I allowed the grief to consume me.
I felt sick as images of me begging Dante to fuck me slaughtered me, how he had made my body ignite for him, taken me in degrading and sick ways, ways that had me pleading for more. Cade wouldn’t get through that. When he said he knew Dante had raped me, how could I tell him that was only the half-truth and that I had easily given myself to him? Now he knew, he knew I was a slut that had let his brother fuck me. I knew I had lost my memory but would Cade accept that? It seemed too farfetched to be real and the pain in his eyes when he left was everything I never wanted him to feel.
Even if I told him everything and he believed me, if Dante sent him the video footage, Cade would forever see that in his head, fracturing him inside more and more until he couldn’t stand to look at me without seeing it. And when the baby came? The media would have a storm. My career would be over. I would be alone with a baby that would forever remind me of what happened and who I lost. I always thought the love we built was too strong to ever break, but I broke him.
The Dante in the dream was right. I knew what I needed to do. And I was willing to do it to save the man I loved from heartache and shame.
I slipped from the shower and rushed back to my room, avoiding Frank’s eyes as I passed him where he leaned against the door frame of his room. “Amy called.” I stopped walking but didn’t turn. “She found Cade hammered on whiskey in his study last night. She took care of him but wants to know what happened.”
I already knew she was taking care of him. I got weak and called his cell in the early hours. She answered groggily and I heard Cade groaning some shit in the background. It intensified the ice in my chest, protecting me for what was to come.
I didn’t answer and made it to my room where I let out the breath burning my lungs. My eyes focused on a red dot on the white bedding. My feet carried me towards the bed, my mind hazy from witnessing blood on the sheets. My hands instinctively wrapped around my stomach. There wasn’t enough blood to be a miscarriage but it could be the start of one. I had put my body through too much emotional drainage. With shaking hands I picked up the receiver and dialed.
“Hello.”
“Alex, hi. It’s Faye.”
Silence greeted me and then some muffled sounds. “Hey Faye, are you okay?”
“I need to ask you a big favor and discretion.”
The connection crackled. “Okay, but I don’t like it, Faye. Cade is a good friend.”
“I know and I wouldn’t ask if I could go to my doctor with this.”
“Of course. Do you want me to come to you?”
“Yes, and I need you to bring something. No questions or judgment.”
“I’m a doctor first and foremost, Faye.” He sounded offended which made me feel guilty. I was upsetting everyone lately.
More interference crackled the line. “I need a sonogram,” I rushed out.
“Okay, I’ll be over in a couple of hours.”
I placed the phone down only for it to ring as soon as I did. I lifted it to my ear and murmured, “Hello?”
Dante’s voice haunted me down the line. I slammed the receiver down over and over until it smashed apart.
My eye zeroed in on the crumbled pieces. What the hell? There was a recording device inside the receiver. My hands trembled as I picked it up. I knew exactly what it was. We had some installed when I had a stalker calling me all the time but that was years ago. This had to be Dante. Oh my God. Did he really have people on the inside still? Inside our trusted group? Who could I trust? What if Alex worked for him? What if he had cameras too? Oh fuck, what if he saw me with Cade?
I FELT LIKE SHIT. EVERYTHING hurt, and to top it all I woke up half dressed and Amy was asleep next to me holding a sick bucket. Thankfully nothing was in it as it was knocked over.
The day passed in a haze of chugging water by the gallon and wearing sunglasses to block out the light trying to burn my retinas. The sun was too bright, voices too loud and gazes too lingering. Jenson hadn’t left my side and I was grateful but also simmering with anger. Everything that left his mouth sounded condescending and I wanted to kick ass and curl up and die all in the same moment.
What did I do to deserve such a fucked up situation? I needed a plan because no matter what, Dante was going to pay for this.
The security guys holding their ear pieces and rushing out of the room gained my attention. Jenson jumped to his feet to follow them. Combined we had a shit load of men here; Jenson had upped his security because I refused to up mine.
“What the fuck’s going on?” I called, slowly following behind.
“Jenson get back. Cade hold him!” Jason, Jenson’s head of securit
y, bellowed.
I ran to grab Jenson but he was too fast; he bolted out of the door and down the drive. Jason shouted after him then glared back at me, making my instincts spike.
“What is it?”
“Blue.” He shook his head.
I pushed past him and raced down the drive. Blue was in a heaped bundle on the ground at my gate, naked. Every inch of her skin was bruised. Blood stained her thighs and swollen face. If it wasn’t for her hair and tattoos, I wouldn’t know who she was.
A cry ripped from Jenson. “Oh my God. We did this.”
He was right. Dante warned me and I just let it go, even when Jenson said Blue had ghosted out. She was always doing that to him so I didn’t think anything of it. Pulling my shirt over my head I lay it over Blue.
“Ambulance is on its way. A van just drove up and threw her out.” Jason growled. “It’s a message.”
All I could see when looking down at the broken and battered Blue was Faye. Did he do this to her too, or have Theo do that to her so he could act the hero and gain her love back? One thing I knew was no matter whose kid she carried or what tricks he played to manipulate her, my Faye was still in there and I would never give up on her even if she gave up on herself. I would kill Dante, but this time I’d also be prepared. I needed to find out how far his reach was and his every connection. Even if I had to get bloody to find out. The movie star Cade was gone. Hungry for revenge, the bloodthirsty Cade was in the driver’s seat.
RUNNING MY TONGUE OVER MY teeth, I smiled as I terminated the call. Malik frowned, his head tipping to one side. “What’s brought that smile?”
I chuckled and sighed. “Life, my friend. Life. How easily it can be controlled.”
Confused by my sudden good mood he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m so glad life is good for you, but is it going the way you thought it would? Star is gone. Your brother is most probably between her legs. Your latest deal fell through, and the shit you’re peddling into your body is making you ill.”
CADEnce (Deception Book 2) Page 8
