CADEnce (Deception Book 2) (11 page)

I jolted when Frank popped his head through the door to the house. “Faye.” I turned to him. “You okay?”

I sighed and lifted a brow. He nodded in understanding and came to join me, sitting beside me on the top step.

We both stared out for a while in silence, him with his coffee, me with mine. Although Frank worked for me, my ‘bodyguard’ as he liked to call himself, we were more like friends. He treated the house as his own and I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

“I guess the two guys sat out front aren’t yours.”

His lips twitched before he took a sip of his drink. “No flies on you, is there?”

“Nope. Should I offer them a drink? Invite them in for breakfast?”

He shrugged. “I’m sure they’re okay, it’s their job. They’re used to sitting in a car for hours.”

“Still, it can’t be nice.”

Frank sighed and I shifted, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat. “We gonna talk about Cade’s men all morning or are you gonna start telling me shit, lady?”

Okay, Frank had also taken on the role as father. And as much as I loved him for it, even he shouldn’t be witness to what was in my head.

“You know I love you Frank.” He nodded, but narrowed his eyes when I continued. “What happened between Dante and me, it stays between him and me. There is no one on this planet I would want to hurt with the truth of it all.”

He pursed his lips, shaking his head slightly as his gaze remained on the garden. “That may be. But there is only you on this planet that I hurt for.”

I saw the pain in his eyes, the worry lines that had appeared across his forehead. His heart was so large but there should be no room for me in it.

Taking his hand in my own, I squeezed it as I turned back to the garden. “And there is only me who isn’t worthy of it.”

“That’s your view,” he said as he dropped my hand and snaked it around my shoulder, pulling me into him until my head rested on his shoulder. “I have some idea what happened.” His body stiffened beneath me. “But you’re letting him win, Faye. You’re allowing him to rule you. You need to be strong now and take care of what you want. You need to put things on the table to Cade.”

I closed my eyes. “But I’m trying not to hurt him by doing this.”

“I know, and believe me, I understand. But Cade won’t back off, Faye. You know him. He will fight the fucking Devil for you.”

“That’s what I’m trying to keep him from.”

“Dante isn’t the Devil, he’s just a demon that needs to own things.”

A tear dribbled off my nose and I swiped at it. “I wasn’t talking about Dante,” I whispered. “I was talking about me.”

He paused, finally listening to me. “What do you mean?”

I pulled away, refusing to look at him. “It isn’t Dante that has the capability of burning Cade. It’s me, Frank. I’m the one who has the power to finish Cade. And that’s why I need to push him away.”

He regarded me, confusion written all over him. “Lady, I’m not . . .”

“And I’m not strong enough to explain, Frank. But you think, you all think I’m the victim in this!” I was growing angry, with myself, with Dante, even with Cade for refusing to accept what life was. “The only victim in this is Cade. The truth will crush him and I won’t allow that. I’m prepared to break my own heart to free the man’s that I love.”

Frank stared after me as I walked away.

“DELIVERY, MISS AVERY.”

“Has it been checked?”

“It has,” the crackly voice came through the speaker.

“Okay, come on up.” I pressed the button to the gate allowing Hanson, the designated mail guy, access to the house.

“Good morning, Miss Avery.” Hanson beamed at me when I opened the door. “It’s been a while since I’ve delivered anything here for you.”

I smiled back at him, taking his clipboard and signing on the dotted line.

“Are you back for a while?” he asked over his shoulder as he walked to his van and opened the back doors.

“I’m not sure. How are Maisie and the kids?” I asked as he leaned in and pulled out a few packages.

“They’re great, thank you. Sarah just got her first tooth.”

I smiled widely at him but it faltered when he pulled out a huge arrangement of flowers. Sensing my nerves he pulled a face and shrugged.

“You and Mr. Troy not so . . .” His sheepish smile dropped. “Sorry, it just says the flowers came from Mr. Troy, so I presumed things weren’t going so great, especially since you’re back home.” He lifted a hand and nodded respectfully as he handed me the bunch. “But that is none of my business. I’m sorry.” He walked back to the van and pulled the door open. “Have a good day.”

I nodded, giving him a smile as I went back into the house and closed the door behind me.

I couldn’t help but bury my face in the enormous arrangement and inhale deeply. Gerberas, my favorite, in a variety of colors. They brought a much needed smile, although it seemed wrong, enjoying the simplicity of them. Cade had always been hyper aware of my mood and what I needed. The pure beauty of these simple flowers was it this morning.

I placed them on the dresser and pulled open the card.

I gritted my teeth at the rage that coursed through me. Taking the flowers, I smashed them to the floor and stomped on them like a sulky four year old, my foot crushing the delicate petals, my screams destroying what I thought they were.

“You bastard!”

I looked up to find Gina, my cleaner, staring at me with a wide mouth.

“Clean it up!” I spat. “Get rid of them. Fucking burn them!”

She continued to gawp at me as I fled up the stairs.

FRANK SLAPPED ME ON THE back when he opened the door and let me in. “How you doing?”

I shrugged. “Is she here?”

I could tell by the way his eyes shifted behind my shoulder that he was angry, but not with me. “She’s ‘busy.’” He quirked an eyebrow as he air quoted ‘busy.’

I nodded, scoffing. “Oh, is she?”

He didn’t stop me when I pushed past him and took the stairs two at a time. I was so fucking angry. It was time to sort this shit out.

I burst through the door to her bedroom. She was facing the window in yoga pants and a small shirt, sweat trickling down her back. She’d been working out. My teeth sank into my lip as the image of her with the weights tightened my pants.

She turned and frowned at me but carried on talking into her phone. “Well, if you think it’s worth it. Of course. Who’s the leading male?” She sighed, her eyes fixed on mine as she continued. “Look, Elle, I’ll leave it with you. If you think it’s a good role then arrange it. Of course I’m still working and this isn’t until next year, it’s great to get things lined up.” She stiffened, swallowing. “No, Theo isn’t with us anymore so I’m promoting you.” A squeal echoed from the phone making Faye cringe and me blink. “Yes, well tell them we’ll look at the script.”

She ended the call, her eyes staying on her phone. “New Scorsese coming up,” she explained quietly.

“I don’t care.”

Her eyes flashed up to mine. She gulped, reading the way my body was strung. She took a step back when I took several towards her.

“You look like shit.” She gasped when I closed in on her.

“I feel like shit.”

She stared up at me, her striking eyes locking onto mine. I could see the mix of emotion in them; the ache, the hurt, the anguish, the devastation. I grabbed her face, my own eyes mirroring everything in hers.

“Baby, please talk to me. Don’t cut me out. I won’t survive that.”

My forehead dropped to hers, my nose inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume and the sexy smell of her sweat.

“Cade.” The word left her in a choked whisper. She lifted her hand and ran two fingers across my lips. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took a deep breath of me and slid her hands over my face and into my hair.

“I love you, Faye. Every single beautiful inch of you. I don’t understand. I want to help you, take it from you.” I gulped past the barricade and spoke openly, as much as it killed me to voice it. “I know . . . I know he raped you, baby.” Her whimper tore my throat out. She clung to me harder. “But don’t ever think that I will see you any differently because of it. Let me help you heal.”

She dropped her face into my chest, a strangled cry making my heart ache. “Cade.” She gripped my t-shirt in her fists, holding on like her life depended on it. “Whatever happens, you need to know that I love you so much. I’d die for you, baby.” She lifted her face to look at me, tears streaking her flawless face. “I’d take the Devil’s fury to stop you from hurting.”

“I know that, Faye. But you don’t seem to realize that I would peel my own skin off for you.”

A slight grimace twisted her lips. “Very graphic.” She smiled. “Thank you for that.”

I grinned, relishing in her smile, as small as it was. I stroked my thumb across her cheekbone, wiping her tears. “Each tear that falls from you drowns my heart a little bit more. I want to take them from you, Faye. I want to see you smile again. I want to
make
you smile again.”

“I know you do, Cade. But . . . I need time.”

“You can have all the time in the world. But I need you to spend that time with me. Don’t push me away. Don’t think I can’t help, because I can. Together we can take on the world, and I know we’re strong enough to get through this. You want to be here then that’s fine. I’ll be here too.”

I took her lips, not asking but demanding. Her little moan brought my body to life. She kissed me back furiously, her hands fighting to touch me as I wrapped her ponytail in my fist and yanked her head back. The skin of her neck was soft but tinged with salt from her sweat. Unable to resist, my tongue sneaked out and tasted her, my cock throbbing appreciatively at the hit of sex on my taste buds.

My hand slid down between her breasts, the tip of my finger pressing into her as I ventured lower and rested it against her stomach.

She clammed up then pulled away, refusing to look at me. “I’m sorry.” I shouldn’t have pushed her, even this was progress. “I’m sorry, baby. I’ve just missed you so damn much.” Swiping at the tears slipping from her eyes she nodded her head.

“I need to finish working out.”

“Okay, I’ll be downstairs with Frank, and Amy is coming to bring me a few things.”

“She’s sweet.”