She spread out her arms. “It’s a simple question.”
Wraith clenched his jaw, darkening his glare. He was trying to keep his control intact, but it was wavering.
“Answer me!” she shouted.
“I’m not gonna let you drop to your knees on some dirty floor and suck my dick. I don’t want to see you that way again.”
Fuck!
“I don’t…” Cleo shook her head and widened the door. Her confusion was easy to read. Until it wasn’t. Cleo’s face paled, and she swayed to the side looking like she was seconds from passing out. Wraith reached for her arm, but she yanked it to her chest, cradling it.
“Again?” she whispered.
He’d said too much.
“Knox told you?” she mumbled with a dazed look in her eye.
Wraith could’ve let her brother take the fall. There was no wayto dispute the claim. It would’ve lessened the blow for her, possibly. But then she’d be left thinking her brother betrayed her. Wraith couldn’t do that.
“No. I was there.”
She stared up at him with her eyes welling. “You were there that night? At my house?”
Wraith gave a curt nod.
“You saw me?” Her voice was barely audible.
A tear streamed down her cheek, and Wraith reached for her arm, but she pulled away, turning around and closing the door. He heard the lock set in place.
It was a secret he swore to take to the grave. They all did. A promise to Knox.
He fucked up and there was no coming back from it. Wraith didn’t even know how he’d fix this or where to start.I fucking broke her.Hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind. Should he pound on the door and demand she talk to him? Forcing her to do anything right now was cruel. Instead, he leaned against the wall staring at her door.
Time.
It was what she needed. And he was going to give it to her.
Chapter Thirteen
Two days.
It was a long time to be lost in her own head. But that’s exactly where Cleo had spent the last forty-eight hours. She’d shut everything and everyone out, turning off her phone and ignoring those who came knocking on her door. The first twelve hours were spent curled in bed. A mess of emotions. The irony wasn’t lost on Cleo. Had she not confronted Wraith about something so miniscule as oral sex, she would’ve been able to stay in her ignorant, blissful bubble. But she’d popped it herself.
A lie was something she could forgive. Jealousy was something she could work through. But her past? There was no escaping it. What he saw? There was no erasing it.
Cleo had little recollection of anything that had happened the night Knox came for her. She had small snippets in her memory. A lot of background chaos, fighting, and furniture breaking but no real visuals. The only voices she remembered from that night were her mom and stepfather screaming and Knox’s menacing tone. But none of it was clear. When she woke up, she was in a strange room with her brother sitting on the opposite bed staring at her. It was not the reunion she’d hoped for. Knox grilled her on what she’d remembered. It wasn’t much.At first.Then he told her what he’d walked in on. It shattered her heart in a million pieces. Cleobroke down, inconsolable. Shame had a way of damaging the soul. But for the first time in her life, there was someone who sat by her side, held her tightly and reassured her that the nightmare was over.Finally.
Her memory from that night had never fully come back. She was just left with bits and pieces that were a fuzzy mess. But Knox shared his thoughts and they made sense. He said she’d been drugged. She woke up the next morning in the hotel with a familiar grogginess, raging headache and nausea. It wasn’t the first time. That realization almost sent her spiraling but Knox was there talking her down. He’d take care of everything and this secret would stay between them. She asked about her mom and stepdad, in fear, they’d come looking for her. He reassured her that wouldn’t happen. Knox never went into detail but she believed him.
As far as Cleo knew, it had only been Knox in her house that night. When Wraith, Ghost, Cypher and Jekyll had showed up at the hotel the next day, she met them for the first time.Or so I thought. But by his own admission, Wraith had been there. He saw everything.
I don’t want to see you that way again.
Cleo had spent so long burying those memories deep into the depths of her mind, they almost became non-existent.
Almost.And now, they’d resurfaced and she was forced to face them again.
Cleo glanced over her shoulder to her window. She’d drawn the shades and hadn’t bothered to open them for two days. The thunderous rumble of engines sounded like a fleet, which meant the club would be riding out together. It was the only relief she’d gotten in days. Thankfully, she had enough snacks in her room to sustain herself, but she was craving real food. Cleo crawled across her bed and peeked through the blinds. Her suspicions had been on point. The club had left, and she was finally alone in the house. Without knowing where they were going, she didn’t waste time.
