“She can’t stay here,” I growl as I turn away from him and head to my wardrobe to dress.
“She’s already here.” The tight edge to his voice just further pisses me off. Yes, he lost someone that night because of her but I lost everything. I tug on a pair of sweats and stalk back into the room to find him standing in the same place with a resolute look on his face. I stare him down, the hard set of his jaw and the way he crosses his arms over his chest is all the indication I need that he isn’t willing to budge.
“Then take the cunt back!” I roar. Cas’s eyes narrow. He takes a bold step forward and I brace myself for him to strike out. If this is the road he wants to go down then so be it. I will always fucking go down swinging. “I can’t do this shit, Caspian. I thought I could stomach the sight of her and know that every ounce of pain and disgust I would feel when touching her would be worth it in the end, but I can’t?—”
“Then go in there right now and slit her throat. Take her lips and put them in that fucking jar.” His chest rumbles with each word.
“You think I won’t do it?” I say in a deadly calm tone.
“I don’t care either way, all I want is for her to die and be rid of her and her fucking family.” Cas moves to the bed and drops down onto the edge. He runs a hand through his hair in agitation as he slowly lifts his gaze to mine. I see everything he isn’t saying, all questions of his loyalty to me are answered with that look. “I need this, Xaden.”
The fucking fight runs out of me. “This won’t be easy, Caspian. It is going to fucking destroy me having to touch her after everything she and her family have taken from me.”
He nods in understanding. “I know. If I could switch places with you I would.”
“I know,” I admit.
“I’ll be by your side, X, the whole fucking time. I want to destroy her. I need to see her crushed and broken beyond repair before that final moment. I want to stand there and watch the fucking life leave her eyes. I need her to suffer like she madehersuffer.”
Resolution thrums through me. I slowly build the walls up inside me, preparing myself for what I am about to do. There is no place for weakness. I promised my father I could get this done and I will. I’ll show him that I can handle this shit and take over the family. I’ll be more ruthless than he ever was. I don’t offer second chances and I will never allow anyone to fuck me over. I’ll slit their fucking throats in broad daylight just to show everyone I’m not that motherfucker you can play with.
“We do this my way.” Light begins to blare in his eyes. “She is to know who I really am but we never admit who my family really is. She can never know about her father either.”
“How the fuck do we hide that?”
I smirk. “We make her believe we are the good guys. When the time comes, we turn her world upside down and tell her who her father really is. When she finally realizes her father isn’t the saint she thinks he is, she will crumble and admit everything. We’ll use that to destroy them all.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
TOREN
I jolt awake to the feeling of being watched. I blink my eyes open and try to shift on the bed, only to whimper when pain blazes through my side. My ribs feel like they are on fire and my face has a pulse. Memories of what happened in my dorm room assaults me.
Shit, I’m not in my dorm.
I grit my teeth and push the pain away as I slowly move into a sitting position. I instantly still at the sight of someone standing in the corner. The room is dark except for the soft glow of the bedside light I turned on before I fell asleep, waiting for Cas to arrive.
“You're going to have a bruise and a black eye.” The sound of his voice washes over me. The raspy lilt and deep baritone has me fighting not to fidget. It sounds so familiar but I can’t place where I’ve heard it before. I may not be able to see him but the tone of his voice tells me he is used to being in charge. I keep the pain from showing on my face as I lean back against the headboard. He takes a step forward and the shadows part for him as if he’s their master. His black hair is slicked back as if he’s run his hand through it. His gray eyes assess me like a predator.The way he looks at me sends a chill down my spine. He looks at me as if he has the right.
He’s gorgeous.
I push that thought from my mind, I shouldn’t be looking at him like that. How the hell could I be looking at some guy when my best friend has been dead for over a year?
“Where’s Cas?” I ask instead.
He shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweats. “Follow me, princess.” He doesn’t wait for a reply as he stalks out of the room with a swagger I’ve never seen before. On most guys it would look stupid, but seeing him do it, it almost makes you think he was the one who invented the damn walk. I bite down on the inside of my cheek and slowly climb to my feet, a hiss escaping me as I try to straighten. My body trembles and I worry my legs will give out, but I fight through it. I need to see Cas and find out what the hell happened.
Stay away from Caspian.
My father’s warning rings out in my head but I ignore it. He didn’t tell me about KennaDee. He should have told me at the hospital when I awoke and asked for her. Him and Masen never once told me the truth and the sting of their betrayal cuts deep. I take slow steps trying not to whimper each time. I slowly find my way to the living room and pause at the threshold. The room is huge—high vaulted ceilings and large windows that showcase the view of the city. I’ve always found Somerset to be insanely beautiful but I’ve never had a chance to see the view of this place from this side of town. I slowly trudge forward and marvel at the sight of the white sofas. My brows slant when I spot a white fur rug in the center.
“In here, princess.” I swivel around to find the beautiful stranger leaning against an island in the middle of the large kitchen. Before I can take in more of the room, my gaze landson the guy sitting on the stool. Tears instantly fill my eyes at the sight of him.
“Cas,” I utter his name like a plea. His green eyes soften at the sight of me. He slowly rises and comes toward me. When he’s within touching distance, he stops and stares down at me.
“Hey, Terror.” At the sound of my old nickname from him a sob erupts from me. Cas closes the space between us and wraps his arms around me gently. My pain is forgotten as I cling to him like a lifeline. I haven’t felt whole in so long and after all this time, being in Cas’s arms has me feeling not so empty inside. “I got you.” Hearing those words from him has me crying harder. I longed to hear my brother say that to me, I needed Masen so bad while I was at Walter House. I need him now and still he isn’t here. The comfort Cas is offering me is something I have longed for since the moment I woke up in the hospital.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I choke out. I feel him sag at my words. His hold on me tightens as he buries his face in the top of my head, inhaling my scent.
