The Deception series boxset: FaCade, Cadence, Beneath Innocence (44 page)

“You’re hurting my stomach!” It was a cheap move but it worked. He froze and dropped me to my feet.

“I have something to show you.”

“What’s wrong with you? You’re shaking. Dante, let me go.”

He dragged me by the arm across the hall. As we passed the front door, it opened and in walked Delia flanked by Malik. The press of Dante’s hold released and I fell to the ground.

“What took you so long? I’m crawling out of my skin!” he screamed at her, making her flinch. I caught her glare at me, and then she took in Dante in all his naked glory.

“I’m sorry. Come on, let’s go to your office.”

“Fuck that. Just give it to me now.”

He was manic, his whole body vibrating. “A fucking drug addict, Dante, seriously?” I mocked.

“Shut your fucking mouth! It’s because of you that I first made something to numb the pain of your betrayal.”

I was sick of hearing this same shit pouring from his lips. “I didn’t betray you, you stupid fuck!”

“Shut up!” he roared. His foot flew at me, colliding with my stomach. My gasp as the wind left me and Malik’s voice shouting rang in my ears. Damn, I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t breathe.

“Breathe, Faye.” Malik’s hands rubbed at my back and his voice coaxed me into taking deep breaths.

“Shit, I’m . . . I . . .”

“How could you?” I shouted, holding my stomach.

“Oh, God. Baby.”

“Stop milking it, you little bitch,” Delia snarled at me.

Malik lifted me from the floor and carried me to my room. “I’ll get you some water,” he said before leaving me on the bed.

I braced myself when Delia came into the room. “He wants me to check you over now rather than give him the medicine he needs.”

I choked on a laugh, clutching the throb in my stomach. “Medicine? How can you really inject that shit into him with a clear conscience?”

She laid her briefcase on the end of the bed, entering a code and popping it open. “He needs it. You broke his heart and he began using a mix of narcotics he tweaked himself to numb you out without killing his brain cells or the dealing with a come down effect.”

Was she stupid? How could she call herself a doctor? “Have you seen him? He
is
having come down effects. It’s not just fatigue, you fucking idiot.”

“Fuck you, you selfish little bitch. Making him feel guilty when you deserve everything you get.” She pulled out a small bottle and injected a needle inside, soaking up the liquid.

“Give me your arm. I need to administer your prenatal vitamins.”

“You really are as crazy as each other!” I leapt from the bed and grabbed her arm.

“Get off me, what are you doing?”

I forced her hand up, jamming the needle into her neck then pushing her away from me.

“You will never stick me with a needle again, you mental fuck.” My stomach hurt from the bruise appearing there but the adrenaline pumping in my veins allowed my mind to block it out.

“Me, mental? You could have killed me!” she screamed.

“Shame I didn’t. Why can’t you just give him the kid he wants? Why play with people’s lives like this?”

Her eyes pierced into me, her lips curling into a snarl. “You think I don’t want that? He doesn’t see anyone but you. He isn’t interested in anyone that isn’t his precious Star, and not because he loves you. He can’t love, Star. It’s because you wronged him and revenge is all that drives him. He has become so used to chasing it that he doesn’t even realize he destroyed you already.” She laughed and it was as bitter as I felt. “Cade doesn’t want you. He was seen leaving the room of that cute little assistant of his.” She reveled in the pain ripping through my chest, her words verbal acid burning me through to the core. “You’re damaged goods and soon enough Dante will notice that too and get rid of you.”

“I’m carrying his child, Delia. He will never let me leave him.” I watched to see if she would admit her sin to me. I rubbed my stomach for effect. “All you want is him and he can’t even stand to put his dick in you, he uses your mouth and pretends it’s mine.” I tilted my head to the side, offering her fake pity.

“Fuck you!”

“He does, all the time.”

Her scrawny body flew across the room, her hands tearing into my hair, her shrieks loud and ear piercing. I didn’t fight her back; she played right into my hands. Seconds later Dante’s voice bellowed into the room, his arms wrapping around her and throwing her to the floor.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? She’s fucking pregnant, Delia!”

Oh, God how long did they think they could keep this up? “She told me I’m not pregnant Dante.” I glared at him.

“What?” Delia breathed from the crumpled heap on the carpet.

His mouth opened and closed, his whole face scrunching up as a multitude of frown lines creased his forehead. “What? I saw you take the test.” He looked between us both.

Delia shook her head.

“She injected me with human chorionic gonadotropin hormone to make my test positive and dupe my body into believing it was pregnant!” I accused biting out my words. “What were you going to do when I didn’t get a bump or when I pushed out fucking air?”

“You’re lying.” He pointed his finger at me, rage still evident in his black gaze. Oh my God, was he that far gone?

“You had that doctor do something,” he said.

I was beyond confused. “What doctor? She’s your fucking drug supplier, Dante! Is she even a real licensed medical professional?”

He stalked towards me, gripping my upper arms. “You think I would let some cunt inject shit into you if she wasn’t? Of course she is!” His eyes were unfocused. The sweat pouring from him began running down his face.

“Dante,” I whispered, terrified of the beast before me. He was a drug addict, unpredictable, completely withdrawing and needing a fix.

“Alex, that little runt, was lying!”

A gasp left me. How did he know Alex? Turning abruptly he dragged me from the room, through a few corridors and out the back door. He was only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. He walked us over to the building where I found my suitcase, the window I broke now fixed.

He keyed in a code; I watched and memorized. 10–11, my birthday. Such a simple code. We entered the room I once stood in and learned who I was but it was much too brief. We passed through door after door and down a flight of stairs, coming to a stop outside yet another door. The place was like a hospital ward, bleak with cold décor and tiled floors. It was where he had held me the first time he brought me there with no memory.

He pushed open the door and pushed me through it. I landed with a thud on the cold floor. My instincts were to bolt for the door. There was no way I could stand being locked up again. But the whimpering coming from the corner of the room stole all of my thoughts. Hair in disarray covered a man’s face. Naked and huddled in the corner, his arms curled around his torso. He was filthy and bloody, clearly tortured.

“Who is this, Dante?” I broke into a small cry. Could he really be this sick?

The man inhaled sharply, his head lifting. My blood stopped flowing, solidifying in my veins. My eyes stung from the onslaught of tears,
Alex.

“What have you done?” I crawled over to him, reaching out but too frightened to touch him. He looked sore to touch. “Alex.”

“Tell me what he did, Star, or I will kill him.”

“Nothing, you insane fuck!”

I held my hands up in surrender, trying to cover Alex’s broken body with my own. I would rather take the brunt of Dante’s anger than let him hurt another person over me again. “Dante, I asked Alex to do an ultrasound because I had a small spotting of blood. But I was never pregnant.” I shook my head. His brow furrowed. “I thought you knew and were playing more games. Delia has been injecting hormones into me. Why would she do that if it wasn’t a game?”

He shook his head. “Get up.”

“Dante, Alex needs a doctor.”

He barked out a laugh. “I’ll get on that. Get the fuck up, Star!”

I rose to my feet and followed him back to the house. How the hell did he get Alex here? We collided with a sheepish Delia.

“Why?” Dante asked her with a growl.

“Because that was your end game. I wanted to speed it up.”

He grabbed her by the throat. Her hands clawed at his grip. “Do you not think I would notice when no fucking baby was in there?”

“I thought . . .” She struggled to speak. Tears made her mascara run down her face like rivers of ink. “I thought you would think she aborted it.”

He shoved her backwards, making her tumble to the floor, and waltzed past her.

“You thought he would get rid of me and come running to you?” I asked, astonished.

“I love him!” She screamed. “I could make him happy.”

“There is no happy for Dante, Delia. He is so far gone there is no coming back for him. There is no love, no happy.”

“Fuck you, you have everything!” Was she for real? I was about to retort when a loud snap shot out, ringing burst into my ears and something wet splashed over me. A scream tore from me. Delia’s head had a hole in it and the missing piece decorated the floor and me. Dante stood there still in just his towel, and holding a gun.

My knees hit the floor. I couldn’t breathe. I was gasping for air but nothing was coming. Did he really just do that? I hated her, but fuck, I never wanted her brain all over me. My body was going into shock. I couldn’t stop the tremble rattling my spine. I was covered in her blood. I swiped maniacally at my face trying to rid the blood from me. “Get it off, get it off, get it off, get it off!” I screamed.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” came a voice I recognized. No. No. No. I wasn’t seeing him. What was happening?

I WAS LOSING SENSE OF time. Everything tasted the same. Liquor had no burn. Comfort had no effect. I was cold, numb. She held me up, touching cloud nine, and now she had me kissing the ground.

I crashed to it full force with no willpower to get up. Blue was in a coma and Jenson was as crushed as I was. I couldn’t even answer the phone when our folks called. They kept leaving urgent messages, wanting to know what the hell was happening, but I had no answer for them.

I kept going over everything, trying to find a clue or a reason why she would write me that letter claiming I’m the love of her life yet leave me for him. Nothing made sense, but that didn’t matter anymore. I needed to end him no matter what. No one I loved or had connections with was safe with Dante out there like a fucking demon beast free of its leash. I knew he was a sick fuck and way gone down the crazy train route but to let a woman be so tortured that she needed surgery to repair the tears in her anus and vagina? She may never bear children now. What kind of force did you have to use to break a woman’s pelvis? Bile rose in my throat every time I pictured her lying in the hospital bed. Dislocated shoulders and a fractured jaw. Swelling on the brain. They were keeping her sedated until it was safe enough for her to wake up. Jenson cried like a little kid when the doctor listed her injuries. Police came to ask questions but no one spoke. There was no evidence to prove Dante’s involvement so we would dish out our own form of justice. I needed Kenny’s help. If Dante had a separate surveillance in place then it must have power and Wi-Fi to have the footage being sent somewhere.