A chasm was between them, and he knew for certain he wanted to cross it, but how was he supposed to find a way over to the other side to reach his little rabbit? Nothing was going to magically turn him into the kind of man Cassandra wanted, needed, or deserved.
He was the dragon, and she was the princess. Was there a way to slay himself to save her from how he’d destroy her?
January 6th
12:06 A.M.
They’d been driving for about an hour by the time they reached the gates of the Gothic mansion where Dragon and the guys lived. Even though she’d made this journey several times before, it seemed shorter without the blindfold on. Maybe it was because she was enjoying the gorgeous scenery as peace began to seep back into her system.
Much as it annoyed her, given the circumstances in which she’d left, coming back felt like coming home. The calm she’d been missing ever since she left returned, and she smiled as she looked down the long tree-lined driveway, already anticipating seeing the mansion that looked like it should be the set of some horror movie.
Home for her growing up had been constantly changing. While she had few memories of the first five years of her life with her mom and the man she’d thought was her father, and then her mom and stepdad, she had a few, and they were greatly treasured. After that, she’d lived with her grandparents, but with her oldest brother being ten years older than her, and theyoungest six years older, they’d all been out of the house before she even hit her teenage years.
Amazing brothers that they were, they’d kept a close eye on her, helped out with her, and been active participants in raising her. But first, Cade left when she was eight, then Jake when she was nine, Cooper and Connor when she was ten, Jax when she was eleven, and finally Cole when she was twelve, taking pieces of her heart with them with each departure.
To them, she would always be the baby of the family, a little girl even though she was all grown up now. Things here had been different, though. The Delta Team guys had seen her as a burden of sorts, sure, that was why she’d been sent there, so they could look after her. But they hadn't treated her like a child who didn't know her own mind, and step in to circumvent any pain or suffering.
If her twenty-four years of life had taught her anything it was that pain and suffering abounded in this world.
“Lights are still on, I thought everyone would be asleep,” she said, more to herself than Dragon as he drove them down the winding driveway, and the mansion appeared through the trees.
The only reason she caught the weird look he gave her was because she was looking over his shoulder at the house. Dragon had been weird ever since she agreed to come back there with him, and she wasn't sure if it was because he was angry with her for getting herself involved in the mess that was his life, or angry at himself for getting her involved.
“Course they’re not asleep, they’re waiting to see you.”
“To see me?” For some reason, she’d been under the impression that the guys wouldn't be all that keen to have her there, given that she hadn't left under the best of circumstances.
“Why wouldn't they want to see you?”
Cassandra shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I just figured they were okay with me staying here again, but they weren't excitedenough about it to wait up for me. I thought I’d just see them in the morning.”
Apparently, she’d been dead wrong on that one. Because as Dragon pulled up out the front of the mansion, the door opened and all five of the guys piled out along with a woman with dark red hair who held Steel’s hand.
That had to be Rose.
It was silly, but she was most nervous to meet the woman who had somehow captured Steel’s heart. She knew these guys about as well as anyone knew them, and they were strong, quiet, keep-to-themselves kind of men. They’d been kind to her while she stayed with them, but it wasn't in their nature to be excessively friendly, and she couldn’t see one of them falling in love. Well, except for Lion. She knew there was a woman from his past that he’d left behind, she just didn't know any of the details.
Although the other woman was about the same height as her, there was something intimidating about Rose, something bigger than life, a confidence in the way she held herself that told Cassandra once again she was the odd one out. What was that old Sesame Street song?
One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong.
Why was she always the thing that didn't belong? The different one. The lesser one.
“Welcome h—back,” Steel greeted her when she pulled up her metaphorical big girl panties and managed to open her door and climb out.
Was it her imagination, or had Steel almost said welcomehome? A slip of the tongue, it had to be. Because even though this place felt like home, it could never really become that. How could it when the guys had made it abundantly clear that shewasn't one of them and her opinion on their plans wasn't valued or wanted?
“It’s always a pleasure to be here,” she said politely, things feeling weird between her and the guys now. They all knew why she’d left, and it felt like that hung between them, erasing the easiness she’d felt when she stayed there last year.
“I’m so excited to meet you,” Rose said, stepping up and offering her hand. “I'm Rose. I'm sorry my jerk of a brother is messing with your life, he likes to do that, thinks he’s a God in the making, but I'm glad for a bit more estrogen to even things out here.”
Taking Rose’s offered hand, Cassandra shook it and mustered up the most genuine smile she could manage right now. Rose reminded her of the woman she’d always been before she found out the truth about her parentage. Confident, outgoing, sure in herself, all the things Cassandra now found herself lacking.
“The guys can be a lot,” she agreed. There was no arguing that the six huge men standing around them practically oozed testosterone, and it hadn't escaped her notice that Steel hadn't let go of Rose’s other hand, cradling it gently between his two huge ones because it was in a cast.
“Tell me about it,” Rose agreed cheerfully. “But let’s not stand out here talking, you must be exhausted, and it’s freezing out here. Steel and I cooked you some dinner, but if you're too tired and want to go right to bed we can pack it into the fridge for leftovers.”
Her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly, and Cassandra felt her cheeks heat. “I could eat.”
