Page 50 of Falling for A Lie
“Anytime you start to feel like you’re at your lowest point like you’re alone in the world and no one could ever possibly understand, look at your chest. Look at your heart and know that you could never be alone because I’ll always be with you.”
The words themself throw me over the edge, my orgasm shooting out of me and covering his chest and mine. Cade leans down, licking the mixture of cum and blood off of me as I feel him finish deep inside of me.
My body shakes with the after-effects of such a rough session, but the smile on my face consumes me with happiness. My Cade always knows what I need.
“I love you, Cade.”
He rolls off of me, still holding my one hand in his and he stands up and pulls me with him, “And I love you, Rad. Now let's go get cleaned up before the guys walk in here and have a spasm.”
I shake my head, laughing at the normality of a shower after everything that just happened. Following behind Cade, I look down at my chest, my heart swelling with love once again when I see his name forever carved into me.
Chapter thirty
Soren
The thundering cheers still echo around me as I sit at the bar, surrounded by older men attempting to charm me into their ranks and beds, promising greater opportunities if I submit to their advances of raising me in power and promises of safety.
It's an unsettling reality that I am merely ten feet away from the metal cage that imprisoned me alongside a man sent to kill me.
The thought plunges me into the darkness that nearly consumed me while I was in the ring, gripping Cerv's neck tightly in my hands, determined to eliminate the threat before it could destroy me. However, I hesitated—something I had never done when it came to taking a life. Yet, at that moment, I did.
My enemies are becoming bolder with their threats. However, I am uncertain about the identity of the current enemy, which causes me to feel more at ease than I have since the night of my almost death.
Jace would never have contacted anyone else to handle a job he is so desperate to finish himself. His pride would never allow for that; he feels he must prove that he is not a failure, that his father's death isn't on him for not killing me months ago. This thought I know gnaws at him at night when he lays there in his bed, and it is the reason he will never stop—not until one of us lies at the other's feet, no longer part of the land of the living.
A loud voice catches my attention as a tall, blonde-haired man slides into the seat beside me. Recognition hits me just as his voice does and I suck in a shuddering breath. “Bartender, the same as the lady,” Caden's husky voice, dripping with theallure of fresh desire and bad choices I'm tempted to take him up on.
“Are you sure a pretty boy like you can handle what's in my glass?”I say, having become quite skilled at concealing my identity over the past few months, making it easy to alter the tone of my voice to one that would never be associated with who I truly am behind the mask.
The feral smirk that graces his beautiful lips takes me back to the night we shared all those months ago. At that moment, as we lay in the sheets, I felt as though I could handle whatever life threw my way—a psychotic fiancé and the near-death experience at his hands.
“Oh baby, I'm confident I can handle whatever you can and more. I came to see where you wanted to meet, but I can't say that drawing the short straw this time was a disadvantage.” He leans in, and the sight of small cuts marking his hands catches my attention. The redness appears fresh, but nothing that would leave a permanent scar on his tanned palms.
“Oh, we can return to the VIP booth I secured after Radley's fight. It's the glass box up there.” I point to the booth that is sheltered above the cage. The visibility inside is obscured by the two-way mirrors that line the outer walls, creating a barrier.
I watch him with curious eyes as he accepts the drink from the bartender and inhales its aroma. Grimacing at my choice of poison.
But what can I say? I almost died. I needed something strong to erase the hits that beat upon me relentlessly, trying to force me to break so Cerv could get the opening he needed to end me like he was ordered.
“For some reason, I didn't envision you as a rum kind of girl. Vodka, yes; honey-flavored rum, no.” He lifts the glass to his lips, and his Adam's apple bobs as he swallows the liquid in one gulp. I silently curse myself for feeling turned on before we have this conversation that I know won't be well received.
“It is better to expect the unexpected than to be disappointed,” I smirk, taking the last sip of liquid courage without flinching. I stand up, extending my hand to the man on my right. He looks at me skeptically before sliding his hand into mine, the calluses of his rough palm rubbing against my soft skin as his hand envelops my smaller one.
“I couldn't agree with you more, Peach. Please lead the way; the others will follow when they see us leaving the bar together.” He walks behind me, hand in hand, as we make our way to the spiral staircase that leads to the booth.
Footsteps echo behind us as the others follow suit, just as he said they would. The metal creaks beneath our feet as we ascend to where the others are. I knock three times to let them know it's me. Lena greets me, her mask now back in place, while Carla lounges on the sofa beside Miles, who is playing on his Switch and offering pointers for whatever game has captured their attention. Her face is still covered as well, and Iam grateful for having come clean so they can both remove their masks and breathe freely. Finn sits at the personal bar, his attention shifting between me and the others behind me. A look of unease crosses his handsome features, and I desperately wish I could erase it. Hopefully, this decision won't be the wrong one, I step through the threshold fully into the cold room a chill creeps up my spine as I turn around to the four others and wave them in
“Come in and shut the door behind you.”My voice remains a mask of who I truly am. I glance back, meeting the eyes of my sisters before turning to Miles and Finn.“Could you please step out and give us a moment?”
Miles stands up, placing the switch on the side table. He turns towards my sister and offers her his hand. “Let's go, little one; the adults need to talk.”He lets a haughty laugh escape his luscious lips.
Lena and Finn glance at me before making their way to follow the other two, obeying my orders until they are out of my sight.“Keep an eye on them; I'll call you back once this is done.” With that, they exit, shutting the door and leaving me in the room with Scar's men—the four I never thought I would see again, let alone be this close to them.
“Please take a seat before we continue. I believe the topic we will discuss will be more productive if everyone is comfortable.”My tone comes across as more commanding than I intended, but I observe as they cautiously comply.Caden and Rad take the spots previously occupied by Carla and Miles, sitting hand in hand like lovers prepared to protect one another. Perhaps what that man in the ring said was true; maybe they were together.
I shake the thought from my mind and continue to survey the other two men, wondering where they will find themselves. Drake takes Finn’s previous spot, and Reed plops down in the chair across from the couch, his back to me. The only chair left is the wingback leather chaise positioned directly against the glass window, looking out onto the events below. I make my way toward it, opting not to do this while standing with all eyes on me. Before I have a chance to speak, Drake cuts me off, saying, “We know Soren is with you.” He sounds so confident that I wonder if he already knows who I am. I glance over at Reed and he meets my gaze head-on, subtly shaking his head to indicate that is not the case. My eyes shoot back up to meet Drake's when another voice from the couch adds,“Give us our girl back, and we won't hurt you or your pretty boys outside.” I stand up abruptly, knocking the chair into the glass, which thumps harshly into the surface. I silently thank whatever deity is watching over me right now that the glass is bulletproof; it will take more than something slamming into it to break.
“Listen to me very closely, as I will only say this once. I don’t have her. If you threaten my family again, I will end you, and the conversation will die alongside your decaying flesh.Do you understand?”I lift my gaze to the two on the couch as Radley roughly nudges Caden's side, fear etched across his handsome face. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Drake shifting, undoubtedly preparing to move his hand to the gun strapped to the holster on his hip, ready to defend himself and his family against the threat he now senses before him.