Eric didn’t show any more reaction to that angle, but a flash of concern crossed his face. He was adept at hiding his emotions, however, and it was gone in an instant. Hunter and Eric were very much alike. Nora had her work cut out for her, although, she didn’t have to worry about being left out of everything… or having a demented psychopath coming for her.
“You were supposed to remain in your chambers,” he said. “You’re safe there.”
“How do you know that?”
Eric didn’t answer, pretending he hadn’t heard my question. He simply looked back at me in the same statuesque manner that made me want to throw him across the room. Instead, I let out a loud growl-like noise and turned to pace. “God. I am so sick of this.” I twirled back around to him. “I swear I am this close to forcing you out of my way, Eric.”
The hand I held up to show him trembled so bad I could barely keep it up. My whole body was shaking, and I sensed my eyes glowing as they glared up at him. I was ready to explode. Nora placed a hand on my arm, and I nearly detonated.
“Cassie, let’s just… let’s just go. I’m sure Hunter will get the information out of the guy. He’ll tell you everything when they’re done.”
I threw her hand off me and turned my glare on her. “No. I’m not leav—”
The door behind Eric opened and he stepped aside as Hunter came out. “Yes, you are, Cassandra,” he said as he grabbed my upper arm, spun me around, and started walking me down the hallway.
I managed to wrench myself free and faced him. “So this is how you’re going to treat me now? You don’t even have the balls to tell me what’s going on? You just sneak off and leave me love letters to keep me put?”
A muscle ticked on the side of his jaw as his eyes locked on mine. Enough heat radiated in them that told me there was only a sliver of patience left in him. “If it means keeping you safe, then yes.”
“This is bullshit, Hunter. I can help. I can try and turn him, maybe he’ll—”
“If he knows something, I’ll get it out of him. I don’t want you anywhere near this guy.”
“What could possibly happen with you right there?”
I could see in his eyes the moment he snapped, even before he grabbed me again, this time by both arms, practically lifting me off the floor. “Dammit, Cassandra. Anything can happen. Anything. With or without me there. I have no idea what Caleb is capable of anymore, and I’m not willing to take chances when it comes to you. Why can’t you just do what you’re told?”
I stared at him, eyes wide, mouth open. “Do what I’m told? Are you serious? What am I, a child now? I can’t believe you just said that to me.”
“If you’re going to act like one, I’m going to treat you that way. Your tantrums are getting tiresome, Cassandra, but they won’t change my mind. I love you and will protect you at all costs.”
His words burned and I stood there, tense under his grasp, unable to do anything but stare back at him. A shadow seemed to pass over my heart at that moment, darkening the overwhelming happiness I felt mere hours ago when we made love. It splintered the connection I was once sure could never be severed, like a rope pulled taut and shredding under too much strain.
I wrenched my arms free of his grasp, and without another look, I turned my back on him and walked away.
“Cassandra,” he yelled. When I didn’t answer, he shouted, “Where are you going?”
I spun around. “I’m going to pout. That’s what children do when they don’t get their way, isn’t it?” I was seething and didn’t care if he saw it. He’d already revealed what he really thought of me. It seemed I was becoming more of a burden. A burden with benefits.
“Don’t bother coming back to our room when you’re done. There won’t be anything naked waiting for you.”
“Cassandra,” he growled.
But I didn’t pause to hear the rest. I kept walking. And he didn’t bother coming after me.
I waited for the pain to set in, but it never did. With every step I took, I felt a slow fire of anger burning that rope that had kept us together.
And with it… a strange sense of relief.
***
I had every intention of going back to our room… my room, not because that was where Hunter wanted me, but because I really was pouting, and it wasn’t something I wanted any of the asshole angels to get their rocks off seeing. As I neared the training facility, I heard male grunting coming from within, and it drew me in. I tiptoed near and crept in, so as not to alert whoever was inside.
Unconsciously, I drew a breath at the sight of Braydon, bare-chested, steeling himself in a prone position above the floor, then slowly lowering himself down, biceps bulging, back muscles working, as he held his own weight. The sweat glistened on his whole body. He was definitely a sight for pained, sore eyes.
I stood silently, content on watching him. When he rose back up with another grunt, the sound pulled at something low in my belly, and my breath became heavy.
“I’m going to have to charge you admission if you stand there much longer, unless you want to spot me,” he said without moving.
Guilt should have overcome me for so blatantly ogling another man, but after what had just happened with Hunter, I was feeling spiteful, and I-don’t-give-a-shit-ish,
“What’s the going rate?” I asked, picking up a towel and sauntering over to him.
He raised up, looking at me, still poised in the push-up, muscles taut as they strained to keep him in position. “For you?” He smirked. “It’ll be pretty costly.”
“Why? Because I can kick your ass?” I grinned and threw the towel down next to him as I approached.
He leaned his weight on one arm. While I was admiring the view, he used his other arm to sweep my legs out from under me. My ass landed hard on the mat, and I let out a loud oomph.
“No.” He laughed, grabbed the towel and stood. Looking down at me, he offered his hand to help me up. “Because you think you can.”
I eyed him for a moment or two, checking for signs that he wasn’t just playing the helpful Samaritan only to set me up for another fall.
He chuckled and waved the white towel when he realized I was leery. “You can trust me.”
“I don’t trust anyone,” I said but took his hand anyway.
Pulling me up, he said, “That must be lonely.”
Once I was on my feet, his hand lingered on mine longer than necessary as our eyes locked. Little twitters of excitement fluttered underneath my skin, making me uncomfortable, so I pulled my hand away and took a step back.
“I have my circle of friends,” I said in defense.
“And you trust them?”
His question hit home like a spotlight shining on my heart. He’d managed to hone in on the one aspect of my life I believed was slipping away and killing me inside. I thought about the few people in my life whom I trusted, and how each one of them had taken that trust and burned me with it. How could I be any more alone?
While deep in my thoughts, I didn’t realize he’d encroached on my space until his hand cupped the side of my neck, brushing his thumb across my cheek. His touch was so gentle; I wasn’t sure it happened. “I’d like to be your friend, Cassie,” he whispered.
His eyes were soft and sincere as I gazed into them. Every part of me wanted to trust them if only to find someone who would be open and honest with me. No secrets, no lies, no prisons. But my heart had a dark shell formed around it now and even thoughts of letting someone else in bounced off it.
I put my hand around his wrist, stopping the caress. “You mean, you want to get in my pants.”
He arched an eyebrow and smiled. “I won’t deny I’ve fantasized about playdates with you. You’re a gorgeous woman, Cassie. I’d have to be dead not to want you lying naked beneath me.”
With my hand still on his wrist, he raised his thumb to my mouth, and I watched as his tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip, his teeth capturing it, before slowly letting it out. At that moment, I wanted no
thing more than to have those lips on mine, his tongue in my mouth, his body flush against mine, working to put out the fire that had just flared within me.
I knew I couldn’t allow myself to act on my emotions. The consequences would be disastrous. “Braydon, I can’t—”
He brought a finger to my lips. “No, don’t say anything.” Ducking his head so he could look directly into my eyes, he said, “You don’t need to make any decisions right now, Cassie. Just let this be. Do what makes you happy.” His other hand came up to cup the other side of my neck and both of his thumbs caressed my cheeks again as his face drew in closer. “Does this feel good to you?”
I couldn’t keep my eyes off his lips. Without thinking, I said, “Yes,” on a breath.
“It feels like heaven to me,” he whispered, and his lips gently touched mine.
Alarms went off in my head and lightning flashed from the contact, and suddenly I couldn’t breathe at all. It felt so good… but so wrong at the same time. Carefully placing my hands on his chest, I leaned back and sucked in a deep breath. “Braydon, stop.”
His lids were heavy over his eyes, but the green in them blazed with passion from underneath. He studied me before whispering, “I’m won’t say I’m sorry because I’m not.” He grabbed my hands and held them in his. “Now that I’ve gotten a taste, I want more. Don’t fight it, Cassie.” His hands slid up my arms, rounded my shoulders, and then made their way down my back until they finally rested on my hips. Shivers followed the entire wake of their path.
My emotions skittered all over the place. I was attracted to Braydon, extremely so, but something within me was repelling me away from him. Was it my love for Hunter? Even though I despised him at the moment, was the devotion I’d held for him so deep and strong it acted on its own, as a guardian of my heart?
“If I don’t fight it, someone else will,” I told him. It was true. Regardless of whether Hunter and I were together, I knew my being with Braydon would cause a war.
“I’m not afraid of Hunter.”
“Well, you should be because he’s going to kick your ass… and then he’ll kill you. Get your hands off her, Braydon.”
I jerked in Braydon’s arms, my heart practically jumping out of my chest at the unexpected sound of Nora’s voice. She was standing at the entrance of the training room, hands folded across her chest, eyes narrowed in on Braydon.
“Like… now,” she added.
From the expression on Braydon’s face, Nora’s outburst hadn’t concerned him in the least. In fact, he seemed bored by it, maybe even amused if the smirk on his face was any indication. I broke from his arms and pushed him back before I faced Nora. A range of emotions swept through me—shock, embarrassment, guilt. But more than anything… anger.
“You’re spying on me?” I asked. “Oh, wait. That shouldn’t even surprise me, should it? That’s what you do. It’s what you all do.”
She was floored at my words. The hurt expression on her face was instant, and I’d meant it. I was done bowing to everyone’s beliefs about how I was supposed to act, or feel, for that matter. Maybe it was time for the whole group of them to understand how I really felt.
“No, I wasn’t spying on you,” she said, her voice full of disdain. “I was looking for you… to make sure you were okay. Obviously, you are. What the hell are you doing, Cassie? Kissing Braydon because you’re pissed at Hunter? I don’t get it. That’s not you. What’s happened to you?”
We were about ten feet away from each other, but it could have been double that and I’d still see the clear contempt on her face. It pissed me off even more.
“You may have watched me all these years, but you don’t know me, Nora. No one does. Yet, you all sit on your thrones and shake your heads at me as if you’re better than me.”
“That’s not—” she started, but I wouldn’t allow her to finish.
“You want to know what’s happened to me? I woke up and decided I just don’t give a damn what any of you think anymore. Go chase away your own demons. Let me deal with mine.”
Her gasp echoed throughout the room. I continued to glare at her while my heart raced and my hands trembled. Silence followed like spidered glass no one dared touch for fear the impact would lead to a shattering end.
After minutes of silence ticked by, Braydon’s hand touched on my arm, sending a searing flash of heat through my skin. “Cassie, I’ll go.” His voice was serious but soft.
“No,” I shouted, and I swiped at his hand, shaking it off my arm. I whirled around to face him, but before I could say more, a wave of dizziness hit me, and the room faded to black.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Standing on the sidewalk in the city’s busy commercial district, I was surrounded by office buildings and parking structures. People bustled around me, heels and loafers clicking on the concrete, fast-paced and determined to reach their destinations. Some people carried paper bags and coffees from nearby delis, others lugged leather briefcases or satchels. All of them were oblivious to the impending doom in my heart.
Blue skies peeked around the rooftops. The sun was blocked out from the height of the buildings around me, casting shadows along the lengths of the streets. A bustle of activity filled my ears—cell phones singing, car horns blaring, people chattering. It all seemed to melt together into one single hum until the wind carried with it distinct clapping and clanging noises from up the block.
My body reacted to the sounds like sonar, drawing me to their origin. My skin tingled, and the hairs on my arms stood on end as I started that direction. About midway down the block, I spotted a huge crane across the street and one block up. From what I could see, a building was in the process of being erected. Moving closer, it appeared as if the concrete framework for four or five floors had already been set, and workers were beginning to add the next. Crews of men and women, donned in hard hats and fluorescent vests, carried out their duties, heaving, drilling, pounding, operating machinery, or simply supervising.
Making my way to the site, another crane grabbed my notice. While the first one I’d seen from down the block sat dormant, the other was hauling a huge slab of concrete toward the building. In an instant, a shout came from inside the structure and a man appeared at the opening in the wall. He looked angry, his hands waving erratically as more shouting ensued. The crane stopped, the concrete still dangling from its grapples. My eyes were drawn to that slab of concrete, slowly swaying back and forth in the air, like a medallion at the end of a hypnotist’s chain.
“Miss, you’re not allowed on the site without a hard hat,” a man said. He stood directly in front of me, although I hadn’t even noticed I’d walked so close to the area. I’d been mesmerized by watching the crane’s activity. “Are you looking for someone?”
Over the man’s shoulder, I noticed the crane had started to reverse its direction, moving away from the building. Its neck began to spin around, and as it passed the operator’s station, dark movements beneath caught my breath. A single shadow lurked in the small compartment with the operator, looming over the controls.
“Miss?” the man in front of me tried regaining my attention. I was about to explain myself to him, how I didn’t know, but several shouts drew our combined attention back to the crane. The operator was panicking inside the compartment, frantically pulling and pushing on levers. The crane neck jerked back and forth swinging the concrete violently in the air. People were running away from the machine, crouching as they went with arms over their hard hats, as if the crane might launch the slab at any moment.
One man stood oblivious to it all. He wore huge earphones that resembled something that might deafen the sound of a nuclear blast. His back was turned as he studied something in his hands. He had no idea when that slab of concrete spun around until it was directly above him, escaping the crane’s grapples. No screams of fear were heard, at least not from him, before he was crushed beneath the thick weight. Lifeless fingers peeking out the side of the heavy stone was the only sign he had ever bee
n there.
I stared at those fingers, waiting to feel… something. No. I was numb. Or maybe I was simply dead inside. For a while, I stood there, coming to terms with that fact as I let the darkness bleed out of my blackened heart and overtake me.
***
I tried to open my eyes, but white light hit them like a shockwave to my senses. Through rapid blinking and hardcore squinting, I saw the bright lights of the training room on the ceiling above me.
“Cassie,” someone close whispered to me.
My body was jostled, and I realized I was cradled in a lap.
“Hey, welcome back. You okay?” Braydon gazed down at me.
Confused, I scanned my surroundings the best I could. We were on the floor in the middle of the training room.
Nora ran over and kneeled down near us, eyebrows furrowed over concerned eyes. “How’re you doing, sweetie?” She pushed a strand of hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear.
Thoughts, images, and a myriad of emotions battled for control of my head, leaving me confused and clueless. “What happened?”
“You fainted,” Braydon said.
“Fainted?”
“Yes, you were arguing with Nor—”
“It looked like you went into a vision,” Nora interrupted.
Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place. The construction site, the crane, the man underneath it… oh God.
“I have to go,” I said so loud it hurt my head. When I attempted to stand, I faltered.
Braydon was right there. “Whoa, hold on there. You just came to, Cassie. Take some time to get your bearings.”
“There is no time. I have to go.” With as much power as I could gather, I pushed at him, but it wasn’t enough. “I’m fine.” While I met his gaze, I made sure my voice remained even, smooth.
He must have believed me because he released me.
I stood, but before I’d made it more than five feet, Nora blocked my path.
“Cassie, wait. Just tell me what happened, and I’ll go for you.”
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