“Cassandra? Are you awake, little one?” Theo asks, not opening the door yet. I want to pretend I am still asleep, but my stomach growling is loud enough to wake the dead right now.
“Yes, Sir. Come in.”
He walks in, looking all cheery and sweet. He is carrying a tray with a dome lid covering a plate to keep it warm and what looks like coffee and orange juice. He sets it down on the table by the window and sits next to me on the bed.
“Good morning, little one. How did you sleep? I’m sorry I kept you locked in here all night. I had to handle some business, but now you have me all day. What would you like to do after breakfast? I made your favorite French toast and scrambled eggs with cheese. Well, Eleanor made them, but I let her know just how you like them.” He leans toward me and kisses me on the forehead. It takes every bit of sanity I have not to slap the mother fucker.
“Thank you, Sir. I’m starving.” As if on cue, my stomach lets out a horrendous noise.
“Well, come on over and eat.” He stands and walks toward the table. There are two chairs for us, and he takes the one closest to the door. Damnit, it’s like he knows I was going to run.
I stand and hesitantly walk toward him. He watches me suspiciously. I wonder if I could make it to the door and slam it shut fast enough. Could I make it through the Manor with no oneelse catching me? They must know I am being kept here against my will after all the noise I made yesterday.
Halfway between the bed and the table, I pause. I am looking at the distance to the door a bit too long. Theo can practically see into my mind and knows what I am thinking. He springs from the chair just as I turn to run. I scream as he grabs ahold of me. He grabs me by the nape of the neck and slams me face down on the bed. The wind knocking from my lungs as he kneels one knee on my back to hold me still.
*Tsk* *Tsk*
He tuts at me.
“Now, now, little one. Where do you think you would even go? I have at least a dozen staff members between here and the door. All have a taser on them, so I dare you. Try to fucking leave this room without me and see what happens. I know you are a masochist, but I highly doubt you would enjoy 50,000 volts to your back.” He laughs as he pins me harder to the bed. I am struggling to breathe.
“Sir... please.” I manage to gasp out. He lets up the pressure on my back just a bit so I can take a few deep breaths.
“Are you ready to stop lying to me?” He demands, flipping me over onto my back and pinning my wrists above my head.
“Theo, I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“LIAR!” Spittle flies from his mouth as he yells. “Really? You’re going to still fucking lie to my face, you little whore. I know you are fucking both of them. So don’t you dare look me in the eye and say, ‘We are just friends.’” He spits on my face. “Lying tramp.”
I am practically sobbing now. I’m terrified. No matter what I say, he won’t believe me. I don’t understand what has happened this last week for him to change so much suddenly. Is he that much of a psychopath that he could mask his true personality so easily?
“Theo, I swear. I’m not fucking either of them. I promise you.” I say between sobs. “Please, believe me. I wouldn’t. They are just friends.”
“So,friendspay $450,000 to win theirfriendfor a whole night? Seems like something more to me.” He grips my chin firmly again, the bruises getting deeper by the second.
“What?” I can barely get the word out; it sounds more muffled because of how tight he is holding my jaw.
“Don’t act like you don’t know. Cut the act, Cassandra. I know you are fucking Lucian and Jayme. They made it very clear Saturday night. And Jayme Morelli? Damn it, are you fucking working for him. I should have fucking known.” He is straddling me, pressing his body against mine. He slightly releases my jaw so I can actually talk.
“I’m not working for anyone. What the fuck are you talking about. His name is Jayme West; I met him just last week. And what the fuck do you mean they made it clear...” It hits me; I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me because of how hung up on Lucian I am.
I go through it over and over in my head. He didn’t sound like Lucian. He didn’t act like Lucian. But his hair, his scent, his fucking eyes. It can’t be, but it was. It was Lucian. And Jayme? Fuck. What in the fuck. How. Oh, God. I can’t breathe. Theo has moved up on me and is sitting on my stomach, barely allowing me to inhale. He said I would remember him. No, it can’t be. They would have said something. They wouldn’t have done... done what we did. Fuck!
“You’re lying!” I scream as I thrash beneath his hold.
“Oh, really? Fine, come see for yourself.” He gets off the bed and drags me with him. My ribs are sore from him sitting on them.
He pulls me down the hall by my wrist. His hold is firm and painful. It feels like the bone is about to pop. We finally get to hisoffice, and he throws me inside, slamming the door behind us. I look around the room and can’t believe what I am looking at. Photos are lining a whiteboard and some of the wall—photos of me, Lucian, Jayme, and other people in my life.
“What is all this,” I demand. Unable to hide the tremor in my voice.
“This is you, Cassandra. I told you; it’s always been you. I knew from the moment you stepped into Vixens that you were mine. I craved you. I became obsessed. I had you followed, and when they didn’t get me enough info, I started following you myself. After we started things off and I put cameras in your apartment, I heard you talking about your precious Lucian.” My brain is on overdrive. Unable to process everything he is saying.
I glance around at everything. There are so many photos of Lucian and I from the last week. My eyes land on a stack of papers on his desk; the top photo is of 2 men. They are leaving a club, wearing a wolf and a lion mask. I pick up the stack and flip through the photos. The next few show them walking down the street, nothing crazy. Until they round the corner from Vixens, then they take off their masks. I feel like I am going to throw up. Lucian and Jayme are walking away from Vixens, and they just took off the masks from Saturday night: my mystery wolf and lion-masked men.
“You see, Cassandra, I needed to ensure your friend was safe. But then I did some digging and found some troubling news. Your precious Lucian is working for one of California's largest and most powerful families. His family happens to be my family's rivals. So tell me, is it a coincidence that you became friends with Jayme? He happens to show up the week Lucian comes back to town. I don’t fucking think so.”
I flip through another stack of photos that either he or his private investigator were able to capture. There is some from the bar on Lucian’s first night back. Fuck, there is one that looks likeit is from a security camera, it shows Lucian on the couch and me hiding in the hall, touching myself. How the fuck did I not notice cameras in my own home.
