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He went quiet for a few seconds, and I was about two seconds away from hanging up on his ass.

“Your daddy made a deal with Cassian's father twenty-five years ago. You were part of that deal, Shakaylen.”

“I already know about the damn deal, David. What does that have to do with you calling me?”

“You know about the deal, but how much do you really know about Cassian's part in all this?”

“What part?”

“You ever stop to wonder why Cassian showed up that night? Out of everybody who could've been there, he just happened to be the one who took you home?”

“What's your point?”

“My point is, you don't find that shit strange?”

“David, I found everything about that night strange. My own daddy had me standing in a damn warehouse while people were bidding on me. So what exactly are you trying to tell me?”

“I'm trying to tell you that you might wanna ask Cassian a few questions.”

“And you might wanna stop calling my phone talking in fucking circles.”

“I know enough to tell you the Jeffersons don't do nothing unless there's something in it for them.”

I let out a dry laugh. “And you calling me out of the kindness of your heart? Man, please.”

“I'm trying to keep you from getting played.”

“Played? You barely know me.”

“I know what I saw that night. And I know Cassian didn't hesitate when he stepped in.”

I pushed away from the counter.

“So what are you trying to say? That Cassian knew about all this?”

“I'm saying you need to ask him.”

“Nah, don't do that. You called my phone waking me up out of my sleep, so if you know something, say it.”

“Shakaylen, you know what your daddy agreed to. But have you ever asked Cassian when he found out about it?”

“Who told you Cassian knew anything?”

“I ain't say who told me what.”

“Then what the fuck are we talking about?”

“Look, believe me or don't. But when you get off this phone, ask yourself one thing. If Cassian didn't know nothing about you, why was he so quick to step in that night?”

“Goodnight, David.”

“Just think about what I'm telling you.”

I ended the call before he could say anything else.

For a minute, I stood there staring at my phone. David had called me out of nowhere, wouldn't tell me how he got my number, and now he wanted me questioning Cassian. I wasn't stupid. I knew he had his own reasons for calling, and I wasn't about to take everything he said as the truth.

But that didn't mean I could ignore it either.

I thought back to that night at the warehouse. Cassian hadn't hesitated when he stepped in, and ever since then, he'd made it clear he wasn't letting anybody else make decisions concerning me. At the time, I figured that was just how he was. Hell, he'd been showing me that side of him since the day we met.

Now David had me wondering whether there was something else I didn't know.

I looked toward the bathroom door. Cassian was right on the other side of it, probably knocked out in my bed, and I could walk in there and ask him about everything David had just said.

But what if David was lying?

And what if he wasn't?

I locked my phone and set it on the counter. I wasn't about to wake Cassian up over some shit David had told me in the middle of the night. Not without knowing whether there was any truth to it.

Still, as I reached for the bathroom door, one question kept bothering me.

How long had Cassian known about me?

To Be Continued...