CADEnce (Deception Book 2) (12 page)

I quirked a brow at the tone of her voice, grinning internally. There was my little spitfire. She was still jealous of Amy.

AMY ARRIVED A COUPLE OF hours later, bringing pizza for everyone. Faye hadn’t ventured downstairs but we were under the same roof. I could breathe easier just knowing we were in the same place.

“This was delivered today. It has
important
stamped on it and the name it was addressed to is the one you told me to always bring to your attention if any mail came.” Amy faintly smiled, dropping a thick brown envelope into my lap. The addressee was a Mr. Sure. It was the name I used for the private investigator, to separate from the fan mail and scripts and shit. I flicked through all the documents inside. Theo and his girlfriend were missing and there had been no activity on either of their bank accounts. They had both fallen off the grid, a lot like my Faye.

I moved up the stairs and pressed my ear to her bedroom door, listening for movement.

“That’s pervy.” A dainty voice came from behind me. I spun to lay my eyes on Faye, her hair pulled back off her face, her expressive green eyes holding tinges of amber fire. Not a lick of makeup graced her face; her full red lips were begging me to taste them. Her scent encompassed me. Damn, I loved her. Her thick black lashes closed and then fluttered nervously as I quenched my thirst with her appearance.

I stumbled back, surprised when she jumped forwards, latching on to me. Her mouth crashed down on mine, her tongue angrily swiping at my own. Her supple little body pressed into mine making me come alive. I needed her so bad I could hardly function.

I turned us, kicking the door open, and then closed it once we entered her room. Her frenzied hands tore at my clothes and flesh. “We’re on borrowed time, Cade. Please just love me tonight. Show me your love, our love.”

The intensity of my
yes
and her desperation made everything we were doing feel like it was the last time we’d ever be together.

I wanted to tear off my bandages so I could feel her flesh beneath my palms. I would repay him for this tenfold.

I placed her down on the bed and marveled in her lust. She slipped her night shirt over her head, leaving her bare in all her perfect glory. There was a reason Hollywood wanted her as their leading lady; she was magnificent in her beauty. Her body hummed with nervous need and I would deliver what she needed, reminding her who loved her beyond any other.

I knelt before her, grasping her foot and kissing her toes, grazing my teeth over the sole of her foot and then kissing up her calf and thigh. Her foot pressed against my chest, pushing me from her. I looked down at the tear in her eye before she spun her body, pressing her tits into the bed, her ass rising up against my hard dick. “Just fuck me hard, Cade. Own me.”

I stood and stripped out of my clothes, staring down at the love of my life as she pushed her face into the cushion. I loved doggy style with her. I always held her hair or throat with her head tilted up to mine so I could watch her come. This was not how we fucked. She was either trying to forget something or thinking of someone else. Did he not force her? Did she love him? Fuck, my own thoughts were sending me insane and her silence about what happened and her actions were fuelling the thoughts.

“Turn and face me, baby. I need to look at you.”

Her body shook. God, I wanted her but never like this. “I can’t.” She hiccupped. “Forgive me Cade, please.”

“Do you love him?” I had to ask, she was killing me.

“It’s so complicated.”

Fuck complicated! “I love you.”

She turned to face me, swiping her messed up hair that had fallen from the bind holding it back. “It’s weird being here. In a way I don’t feel like I left there.” That stung like a motherfucker. How much emotional pain can a heart withstand before it just combusts in your chest? Her words were like fire lashing at my soul, disintegrating me from the inside out. She saw him when she looked at me, and how could she not? We shared a fucking face, but not a soul, and she had always been able to make the distinction . . . or had she? Was I always just his stand in? No . . . No way, she loved me.

“Did you want to be there, Faye? Did you go to him? Fucking tell me something!”

She sat up her features scrunching up into a scowl, looking pained that I would even ask, her perfectly groomed eyebrows pulling together. “No! How could you think that?”

“You’re not telling me anything! You’re the other half of me, but fuck, I don’t recognize you right now!”

Tears pooled in her eyes. She jumped from the bed and slapped me across the cheek, the crack loud in the quiet of the room. It stung but I deserved it.

“I was raped!”

My insides tensed, my heart exploding into an inferno of hate, despair, guilt and need for retribution. My baby went through what no woman should ever have to endure. “I’ll kill him.”

“He’s already dead. At least I think he is.”

My head spun, making the room tilt. “What?”

Her arms came around to cover her body, hugging herself. “I’m so sorry Cade. He was too strong and . . .” Her eyes were unfocused, her head shaking back and forth, lost in the memory. “I was made to shower and he came in. I hit him and he attacked me.”

“Who, baby?” Tears burned my eyes.

“He didn’t use his . . . his . . .” I was going to puke on her fucking carpet. I wasn’t there to protect her. “He was so hateful. I never knew he hated me so much. I never did anything to him.”

“Faye, who?” I whispered.

“Theo.” The word left her lips like poison, spitting and sputtering. “Dante killed him.” Her eyes rose to mine. I hated that Dante killed him because I would never get the pleasure. I wanted to find where Dante dumped the body just so I could see him dead for myself.

The rage inside me was going to combust and destroy everything in its wake. My fucking woman was raped! He didn’t protect her. He may have killed Theo but he didn’t prevent what happened to her. I wanted to reach inside her and heal her soul, take every horrible thing she suffered and burn it up, erase it and fill the space with happy memories of how loved she was.

“Did anyone else touch you?” I didn’t
want
to know but needed to. I needed to know everything she went through. “Dante . . . did he force himself on you?” Guilt was written all over her. Her fingertips dug into her thigh as her tears came down in thick droplets, tainting my soul. “Do you want to be back there with him?” Did she see him as her savior from that sick fuck?

“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.