Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Cade’s eyes flare with the kind of rage I’ve never seen. “Marshall?”
I nod, terrified by his expression.
He rolls all the way out, pushing up to his feet. Then he launches his wrench across the room, and it smashes into the wall. A roar of frustration leaves his chest, and I take a step back.
“Cade?”
His eyes dart to mine. “Fuckin’ Marshall.”
My heart skips a beat. “You ... you know him?”
Fists clenched, Cade grinds out, “I found out who they were working for. I wanted him to release them, considerin’ she wouldn’t stop on her own. Went to him, he had me do some jobs for him, dangerous ones, and we made a deal. He’d never touch her again, and he’d release them.”
Shaking my head, I try to wrap my brain around what he’s saying. “If he released them, then where are they?”
Cade looks away, and I can see he’s not telling me something. He knows more about this than he’s letting on.
“You’re not telling me everything,” I say. “You want me to stay out of it, to be on your side, but you’re not being honest with me.”
His eyes dart to mine, furious and cold. “I knew they were goin’ to steal from him, and I did nothing to stop it. I was so fuckin’ angry that I let her do it ...”
My eyes widen, and I press a hand to my chest. “What? You didn’t even try to stop her?”
“She made her fuckin’ choice, Addison. I tried to get Marshall off her back, and he was willing to let them go but her and her greedy fuckin’ man couldn’t stop themselves, they thought they could steal and get enough to go live some amazing life together. I overheard them talkin’ about their plan one day when I went around to try and talk to her one last time, and I knew it didn’t matter what I did, she was goin’ to get herself so tangled in that world that she’d never get out.”
“She could be dead because of that decision, Cade. She could be gone, because you chose not to help her,” I gasp, my body reeling with shock.
He steps closer to me. “You, out of all people, know what it’s like to help someone, over and over, even when that person is toxic and eventually, one day, you just fuckin’ give up. Do not judge me, Addison, when you let your mother die on the ground in front of you.”
I slap him.
It comes from somewhere deep in my soul.
The anger that I feel right now at his comment makes me want to scream.
I did watch my mother die, but my mother allowed me to be raped, beaten, tormented and treated like a dog my entire life. Yes, Cade’s sister was selfish, but she didn’t fucking put him through that. The fact that he’d use my past against me hurts more than anything he could ever say or do.
My eyes burn with unshed tears.
“Fuck, sugar,” he begins, but I put a hand up.
“How dare you,” I whisper, my voice barely there. “You have no right. My situation is entirely different, and you know it. Yes, Clara was selfish, but she was engulfed with trauma. She thought Darth was her happy ending. You can’t blame her for that, but to justify your actions by using mine, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
His eyes are filled with regret, but my emotions are too heightened to care.
“I didn’t mean that. You know I didn’t fuckin’ mean it.”
“Yet you said it,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m done playing by your rules. If you don’t want to help her, fine, I’ll go back to doing it myself. I wanted to give you the chance to work with me, to free yourself from a past that still haunts you, but rather than admit it and help, you’d rather throw my past in my face. You have issues that run deep, and if you’re not willing to let me in, then I’m done here.”
Turning, I walk away, my body aching from the sex, my heart broken from his comment and my mind slowly shutting down, just the way it is accustomed to.
It hurts.
It all fucking hurts.
13
Addison
“Want to tell me what’s goin’ on?”
Standing in Jackson’s kitchen, I turn when he comes in the front door, tossing his jacket down, his green eyes zoning in on my tear-streaked face. I guess he figured out something was up, considering Cade would have been throwing down back at the club. How he knew I was here, I don’t know.
“How did you know I’d be here?” I croak.
“Because you always come here and raid my fridge when you’re upset.”
Wait? I do?
Shit. I do.
I guess it’s some kind of comfort, or maybe it’s that Jackson is my safe place and I’m always hoping he’ll be here. After all, he is my father, and we missed out on so many years of him being able to play that part.