The Deception series boxset: FaCade, Cadence, Beneath Innocence (41 page)

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 security, 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.”

Usually I would agree with him, but now? Now, none of it mattered. “Ahh, but . . .” I lifted a finger, pausing, when the doorbell rang through the house. “Right on cue.”

He quirked a brow when I signaled for him to follow. I couldn’t contain my grin as I slowly walked through the house with a spring in my step.

I swung the door open. The small skip in my heartbeat angered me but I ignored it and smiled. “Welcome home,
baby.
”

Malik gasped when I stepped back and she stepped inside. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, refusing to look at me. That would be the first lesson dealt with.

“Star?” Malik said in a shocked tone. She lifted her eyes to his, acknowledging him momentarily before shifting her gaze to me. She looked like shit. Her eyes were red, her face pale and gaunt.

“I’m tired.” Her voice was flat. Lesson number two. “Can I go straight to my room?”

I nodded. “I’ll give you that, just this once.”

She nodded. “Thank you.” She walked past me slowly, dragging her case.

“Malik, take Star’s case up. She shouldn’t be carrying anything up the stairs. After all, we need my son or daughter to be nice and healthy.”

Star flinched and dropped her face back to the floor. Malik stood frozen to the spot, stunned at how easy it had been to get Star to come home.

“Malik?”

He blinked at me. “Oh yeah, sorry.” He rushed forward, taking her case and following her up the stairs.

“Star!” She stopped, waiting for me to continue without turning around. “Tonight I will allow you your arrogance. But when you wake tomorrow, fresh, make sure you give me the respect I deserve.”

She snorted, her head shaking slightly but didn’t reply.

I watched her disappear up the stairs, my smile wider than any smile before it. How easy she was to control. Life was again how it should be. Star was mine, for good now. A baby and a wedding would make her realize she had settled for the correct brother.

After all, she had always been mine. Cade had been support for her until I reclaimed her. And how easy her support structure had crumbled. Or rather it would when he realized just where his beloved had gone. It was a shame I wouldn’t be able to witness the destruction when he found out.

But never mind, just because I wasn’t witness to it didn’t mean it would be any less victorious. He played his hand and it was weak! The precious Blue was another message to show him I had very little morals when it came to revenge and no one was untouchable. I gave my inside man the pleasure of breaking Blue with a couple of his sadistic friends. She fucking deserved everything she got. How dare she betray me?

“How far we’ve come, brother.” I chuckled as I made my way upstairs. “What was the pact we made when we were eleven? What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is my own.” I laughed harder. “She was always mine.” My phone buzzed in my pocket. I swiped the icon and brought my cell to my ear.

“I have the doc. I should arrive tomorrow.”

“Good work. That bastard better not have harmed my baby.”

“He’s a pussy. He will squeal like a pig and if he doesn’t, she will when she sees him.”

“Good.”