CADEnce (Deception Book 2) (19 page)

FRANK! THE MAN WHO HAD been my bodyguard for all these years . . . he had been more than that. He was like a father to me, and all the time he was a spy for Dante. How long had Dante been planning this fucked up game of his?

Frank picked Delia up and slung her over his shoulder like she was a meat sack, blood dripping from her.

I ran back to my room, only just making it back to the toilet, and retched again. Was it Frank who had brought Alex here? How was I going to get him out of there?

“Faye!”

I bolted upright from the sound of Frank’s voice, turning to peer at him standing at the bathroom door watching me. “What?”

“Thought you should know, Dante paid more. It’s as simple as that. Debts need paying.”

“Fuck you, Frank. I let you live in my house! I fucking cared about you!”

“I know and I still do care about you, princess. It’s just business, but it doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, because I do.”

I laughed. “Are you for real right now?” He shrugged, a blasé expression on his face. I narrowed my eyes. “Both you and Theo. Fuck. You do know what he did to me?”

His face darkened and he pursed his lips. “Yes, and he paid. Dante made sure he paid. We never wanted to hurt you, Faye, but you humiliated Dante. What the fuck did you expect him to do, smile and roll over? This is Dante, he doesn’t take any shit, you know that.”

My mouth fell open and I shook my head sadly. “Jesus Christ! You’re all insane! Are you taking the same shit as him? We were kids for God’s sake”

He sighed, rolling his eyes as if bored with me and walked away. I’d never seen this side to Frank. His betrayal hurt more than Dante’s did. We’d spent holidays and vacations together with him and his wife; if it was his real wife. I wasn’t sure what was real anymore. Only that I was fucked.

I refused to accept that. Dante thought I was still his timid Star, the girl he’d met in school who had bowed down to him every time, taken his mood swings and still loved him for it. Hell, I’d killed my soul when I terminated our baby, just to give him a chance at life.

It was all insane. How the hell did they expect to get away with it?

My stomach ached when I thought of Cade. I hoped he’d found the disc. I knew he wouldn’t understand but I needed to tell him, to try and explain.

Pushing myself off the floor and walking back into the bedroom, I rubbed at my face. I was so tired. I ached everywhere; my head constantly pounded and my eyes were sore from so much crying.

I needed a plan. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, let Dante do this to me, and to Cade. Cade didn’t deserve this, he had been nothing but supportive after Dante disappeared, never overstepping the line with me until eighteen months later when neither of us could ignore our feelings. And even then we’d fought it in respect for what Dante and I had once had.

I barked out a laugh at that thought.

“You okay?”

I jumped as Malik’s quiet voice came from behind me.

Turning around, I quirked a brow at him but said nothing. He stepped into my bedroom, his eyes low to the floor. “Look, Star . . .”

“My name is Faye!” I shouted at him. “Why the fuck won’t anyone listen to me!”

“Faye. I just . . .” He sighed, his face tightening slightly as he closed the door behind him and walked over to me, slowly perching on the edge of my bed.

“I never thought he would go this far,” he whispered, both of us aware of the cameras. “I thought he was just going to tie you up, humiliate you. I never . . .”

“Oh, come on, Malik!” I hissed, looking at him with disgust. “You allowed it to happen! You were a crucial part of this fucked up plan. You’re as bad as he is!”

He nodded. “I’m not excusing myself, at all, and I’ll be honest, if Dante hadn’t killed Theo, I would have. I’m far from innocent.” He looked at me, guilt written across his face as his hand slid over mine. “I just, I dunno, nothing has ever made me feel this conflicted before. I just want you to know that if you need a friend . . . I know life is going to be nothing but hard for you and well, well I’m here if . . .” he lowered his voice, his cheeks tinged with a red flush, “ . . . if you ever need to talk or just a hug.”

I couldn’t hold onto my eyebrows as they shot into my hairline. Snatching my hand back I glared at him. “I needed a hug when I was hung from the hook in that room for days. I needed a hug when Dante first manipulated me and turned me against myself. I needed a hug when Dante hit me, when he abused me, when he . . . when he hurt me.” I couldn’t hold back the tears, the river spilling from me as I moved away from Malik when he tried to take my hand again. “Where were your hugs then, Malik?” I spat.

“I know, and I’m sorry. You have to understand, none of us got the real version of events. Dante told us you’d been with Cade behind his back for months; you’d aborted his baby because you wanted to be with Cade. I know he believed all this, but he made us believe it too, Faye.”

I looked at the floor, unable to process his sudden need to repent. “Even if I fucked half the school behind his back, nothing justifies this. I didn’t ever go behind his back, I loved him but we were kids.” I put my hand up when he opened his mouth to reply. “I’m tired, Malik.”

He nodded, pushing back off the bed and sighing again. I flinched when he bent down, his mouth resting at my ear. “For what it’s worth, I truly am sorry.”

He didn’t say anything else but looked at me, a soft smile on his lips, then nodded and left.

I was more confused than ever. Was it a ploy? Manipulate me into thinking Malik was my friend so I would share secrets with him?

My head was splitting, too many conflicting thoughts frying my brain. I needed a distraction, and I knew just the place.

I SMILED, A SIGH OF contentment leaving me as I leaned back and studied what my mind and hand had created, the five hours of peace and painting revitalizing me. The view from the studio window had been too good to ignore. The beautiful setting Dante’s prison sat in was an artist’s paradise, the sun-kissed landscape allowing use of a variety of color and textures. The gardens were absolutely beautiful and I wondered if he would allow me to venture out. Some fresh air might do me good.

One of the open windows broadcast an argument taking place. Raised male voices filtered through with the breeze. I recognized Dante’s immediately. Peering out, I was annoyed that although I could hear them, they weren’t clear and distinct.

Dante and Frank were squaring up to one another, Dante prodding Frank in the chest with his finger. I frowned, stepping closer to the window but it was no good; their voices were still mumbled. Frank shook his head angrily, his hands lifting as he shrugged, obviously denying something.

My eyes widened when I caught Dante flapping my panties in front of Frank, his face red with rage. What the fuck? Frank leaned further into Dante, refusing to back down to him, and once again shaking his head.

Pushing the window open as discreetly as possible I sat on the window seat and picked up a book, flicking it open to a random point, pretending to be engrossed in it.

“ . . . Your fucking room . . .” Dante shouted.

“And I’m . . . you . . . no idea. . . . got there!” Frank growled back. “Maybe the housekeeper . . . in . . . wrong drawer.”

Dante laughed chillingly, the sound of evil in it making me shiver. “ . . . stupid Frank . . . warning!” And with that, Dante stormed into the small outbuilding where Alex was. Frank stood mesmerized for a moment before he walked back into the house.

I was too stunned to think properly. Had Frank been through my things? Taken my underwear? I shivered with the thought of him having access to my personal belongings at home for so long. No, I couldn’t believe he harbored attraction for me. He never showed anything but a parental affection towards me

And look how that turned out!

My thoughts mocked me.

Refusing to follow that crazy train in my head, I flung the book aside and decided to bite the bullet and take a walk. After all, apart from into the vast amount of ocean, there was nowhere to go.

I CLOSED MY EYES, THE sun heating my face as my lungs appreciated the fresh sea air. I had to admit the island was stunning; lengths of white sand, an open view of wave upon wave of clear blue sea. Rocks and moss-covered dunes dominated one side and to the other were vivid and flamboyant wild plants that took my breath with the array of different florae. In the middle was the impressive structure of the house sat high on the cliff.

I’d come across a small area, a waterfall cascading down the rock face that housed the house above. A pool that filtered into a thin stream leading to the ocean sat below as various garden sculptures were nestled around, most of them old, some broken and covered in ivy and other trailing plants, but all of them beautiful. A mass of untamed vegetation surrounded the scene making the whole thing tranquil and beautiful.

Sitting on a rock, I smiled for the first time in ages, my bare toes tickling the water in the pool below the waterfall as I watched an unusual bird with a diverse selection of colored feathers dip its head under the shallow part, its unwavering attempt to catch the small fish was rather entertaining.

Leaning back onto my hands slowly so as not to frighten it, I admired its determination to not give up. All of a sudden it dipped back in, pulled out a small flapping fish in its beak and took to the sky, its head held high with pride. I admired its resilience, as though giving me a message to hold on, and soon I’d fly just as high.

I shivered, an icy sensation racing up my spine when I sensed him behind me. Sighing, annoyed at his inability to leave me in peace anywhere, I turned to look at him over my shoulder. My whole frame stiffened, each hair on my body snapping to attention when I witnessed the crazy look in his eyes.

He watched me with a stare that gave me warning. He was losing his shit and because he’d just killed his administrator, he wasn’t coping.

His eyes locked me down, refusing me to move as he walked towards me. I knew better than to look away, giving him the attention he was looking for. My whole body trembled in fright; the way his jaw vibrated showed me that cold turkey was not suiting him.

He stepped into the pool, the water rising up his body the further he came towards me. I braced the rock I was sat on with my hands, digging my fingers into it like it would help me. He kept moving until he was stood in front of me, the water up to his knees, his furious face moving in close to mine.