Falling for A Lie (The Lords And Ladies Of Ash #1)

31. Caden

Chapter thirty-one

Caden

W hat the fuck is happening.

I look at the woman before me and I feel so stupid that I didn't catch this sooner. Now that I get a clearer view, she looks like she did when I saw her entering the race the other night, those eyes of hers are unmistakable with how they steal your very soul with just one glance in your direction .

The fact she's in front of me unmasked and begging for us to help her keep her family safe, I'm lost for words. She offered herself mind, body, and soul for protection. Part of me wants that more than anything to protect her against whatever comes to harm her, but part of me wants her to pay for causing us all to hurt in her absence to continue to hurt us by not coming clean sooner.

We were left in the dark. So why should we make this easier on her? Why give her what she wants when she never did the same for us? I'll accept her terms to use her as I see fit, but that's all this will be. We will protect her but we won't treat her the way we used to. She'll be nothing but a toy to be used when we need it and in return, she'll get the protection she's so desperate for.

The sight before me has my stomach turning as Drake and Reed sit beside her trying to coax her out of what blackness she found herself in. Radley looks torn between wanting to join them or coming to stand by my side. My sweet broken man tries to hide his cruelty, scared to turn into his father before him, but he knows that I'd never judge him. He's not his father, and it's okay to let the pain out every once in a while, to let the demons out to play against the ones that wronged you and that's what Soren has done. She's wronged us, she has had every chance to come clean, but she's sat and watched us self-destruct all because we were stupid enough to believe we ever meant anything to the girl before us. The only reason she came clean now is because she needs us, to protect her family and the other men she saw fit to show her true self to. Maybe that moment I thought we shared months ago was nothing but her wanting a quick fuck and not an emotional connection to heal what she went through.

She's just another manipulative bitch and I'll use her until I tire of that pussy between her legs.

“ Baby, where are you right now? ” Radley finally makes his way to my side as he nudges my ribs softly with his elbow, he whispers the question for just us, and my inner monologue quietens as I look over to the man who put me back together after Soren broke me apart,

“ Mo phrionnsa, I think we should take what she offers..” I bite my lip after the words leave my mouth as he stares at me curiously before silently coming to his final decision

“ Let's do it, but if it gets too much and you feel like it will jeopardize your sobriety, we back out and let the other two handle the shit show. Got it?” He turns around fully, blocking my view of the girl before me. My protective prince. “ Yes, love, I agree. Let's show this Damsel how we like to play. ” A dark chuckle leaves his luscious lips as we step up to the others, my eyes take in the brown ones before me as a feral smirk graces my lips as I get down to her eye level. “ We accept, but the terms need to be laid out and followed by us all. Understand?” My voice is dark and makes a shiver cross my spine with the darkness from fucking my boy earlier still dancing in my subconscious.

“Yes, let's start setting the terms so I can go home..” She mumbles softly as strong hands from my best friends before me help her up to her feet and the couch, the broken glass and table sitting in a heap from where it was flipped earlier. I sidestep it and drag the chair from the bar up and plop my ass right into it. Radley takes my right side as the guys sit beside Soren like they're afraid she'll bolt now that she's coherent.

“ Go ahead, and list what your demands are. We will go last, each of us may offer our terms and once it's agreed upon that's it.” I motion to the bar behind me, my voice softer as I speak to Rad. “ Babe, grab a paper and pen so we can write this down, and before we leave, we’ll each sign it .”

He walks back to the bar, shuffling around the drawer finding what I asked for, and offering it to me with a smirk. I write our names down and make sure to put six dots for her on the left and eight on the right for us to each have two. I hand the notepad to her, along with the pen, and sit back waiting to see what her terms will be.