Page 74 of Silk and Sirens

I swallowed, finding it frustratingly hard to recall the memory.

“I met someone, Luke. He was older, and he promised he’d help me find her.”

“Did he?” Caden asked, and for some reason I found his presence comforting. Like he could’ve protected that naïve fifteen-year-old.

“He did,” I said, looking up at his reflection in the glass, our eyes locking in the dark window. “But then I killed him.”

I turned, straightening my spine to find Caden standing there as still as a Greek statue. He was still in the same T-shirt as he was in earlier, that turbulent sea tattoo striking up close.

Caden was beautiful, just as I was sure the devil himself was.

“Selene sold Mira to whoever wanted her,” I continued, having not spoken these words out loud in … forever. “A doll, as they call them. Luke did what he promised and took me to my sister. She was already addicted to heroin and had no intention of leaving her life of fucking everything and anyone for her next fix.”

“Aeris …”

“Luke tossed her some money, told her to kill herself. Said it would be better for everyone.” I thought back to him laughing, and when I protested, he hit me. It was the first time I’d seen him for what he was, but then it was too late. “When Selene realised I’d killed her son, she threatened Mira. So, I offered her my life. She wouldn’t hurt anyone I love as long as I remained hers.”

“What happened to Mira?”

“I tried to help her, get her clean. Get her out. I even begged my father to take her to rehab, and do you know what he said?” I licked along my bottom lip, taking in a single, deep breath. “He said, ‘She got herself into that mess, she can get herself out.’ I haven’t been able to find her since. I’m literally the person everyone comes to track someone or something down, and despite my vast network I still can’t find her.” It was like she’d disappeared off the face of the earth. Or she was dead, and I just wasn’t ready to accept it.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why? You didn’t get her addicted. You didn’t have a dad who could have just paid the ransom, and then none of this would have ever happened. Mira wouldn’t still be missing, and I might still have my soul.”

He closed our distance in one stride, large hands framing my face as he backed me against the cool glass. His thumbs brushed away the fresh tears on my cheeks with surprising gentleness, but his eyes burned with something darker.

“You still have a soul, Tempest,” he murmured, one of those slow smiles curving his lips. “It’s just mine now.”

Caden

I had never seen Aeris this vulnerable.

And it made me want to break her apart even more. To push her right to the edge until every last secret spilled from her lips. Until I owned every fractured, beautiful piece of her.

I had this dark, consuming urge to quench that anger. To pin her against the glass and fuck her until those glistening eyes rolled back and the only thing left on her tongue was my name.

Even now she was beautiful, with her cheeks flushed, lips parting as she dragged in deep, unsteady breaths to calm herself down. There was so much fire in such a small, dangerous package that I wanted to cage it. Taste it. Own it.

My gaze dropped to her bottom lip.

Fuck.

I didn’t even know if she was doing it on purpose anymore, a calculated attempt to seduce me and steal back some of the power I refused to surrender, or if every single thing about her was simply designed to drive me out of my mind.

I forced myself to step away before I did something I’d regret.

I left her standing there against the window, giving her space to pull herself back together, and moved into the kitchen. Cold water splashed over my face, but it did nothing to cool the heat still simmering under my skin.

She wasn’t someone I needed to fix.

She wasn’t someone I cared about.

She was a weapon, a beautiful, dangerous toy I would use until I grew bored … and then I’d make her pay for ever thinking she could put anyone I actually gave a shit about in danger.

“Caden!”

Her shout tore through me, but I was already moving, heart slamming as I rushed back into the room.