Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
E very thread of anger I’ve been clinging to snaps and tears away. I spew venomous words at the man who hurt Cassie—who thought it was acceptable to lay a hand on her.
I will wring his fucking neck for this.
No one touches her but me. Especially not like that.
Hunter’s already gone. I know I need to have words with him tomorrow. He was supposed to be watching her, keeping her safe. So where the fuck was he?
“Axel?” Her small voice trembles, scared, and I hate that he’s caused this.
“It’s okay, baby.” I step forward, pulling her into my arms. She melts against me, finally resting her cheek on my chest as she sobs. “Let it out.”
I fight to reel in the rage bubbling just beneath my skin. Anger is both my enemy and my ally—without it, I wouldn’t be who I am today. But it’s quick to take over, and right now it’s an uncontrollable inferno.
Rocking her gently is the only thing that dulls the burning sting inside. I stroke her tangled, matted golden hair. She’s still beautiful to me. “I need you to stay here with me,” I murmur into her hair—an order, not a request.
She nods silently, tears filling the quiet instead of words. It drains me to stay calm for her, especially when I’m torn between wanting to kill the bastard for my peace of mind or dragging out every second of his suffering.
I’m choosing the latter. I’m a fucking sadist like that. Any pain inflicted on Cassie cuts me too. I might be gentle with her, but with anyone else, I don’t give a shit.
My eyes soften when I pull back and drink in her vulnerable state. She’s shivering, and I can see the pain etched in every line of her body.
“Come on,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to her temple. Scooping her up, I carry her out of my office and upstairs.
“Where are we going?” she asks lazily, her head resting in the crook of my neck. Her eyes are half-lidded, and I don’t know if that’s through exhaustion or pain.
“To get you cleaned up, baby.” I open the en-suite door and set her gently on the edge of the tub.
Ignoring the war raging in my head, I turn the taps, filling the tub. No fancy bath bubbles here, just warm water, and I hope that’s enough.
She waits patiently as I swirl the water, testing the temperature before turning off the taps.
I stand, heading for the door. “I’ll be right outside,” I tell her.
“Axel?” Her sweet voice calls out. “Stay with me?”
I hesitate. Then nod, kicking off my shoes and rolling up my sleeves, perching on the toilet as she undresses.
There’s a tenderness in me when I look at her. Seeing her bruised face fuels my anger but also something deeper—protectiveness, fear. My chest tightens so much I nearly skip a breath as she peels off her clothes, revealing bruises and marks that make my blood boil.
Handprints on her neck make my fists clench tighter.
She sinks into the warm water with a soft swoosh. I look away, giving her dignity, until a sigh escapes her lips. Her face twists into a painful wince as she leans back against the tub, and it kills me every second I watch.
“What happened, baby?” I ask softly, kneeling beside her, reaching for the cloth nearby.
Her eyes close as steam swirls around us. We sit in silence, or rather I do, until she’s ready.
“It was Aiden Daniels who shot you,” she says quietly. Her hands trail through the water, fingers playing with the ripples—hypnotic, calming for both of us. “He’s mad you didn’t…” She doesn’t finish her sentence, but I know what she was going to say. “So he wanted to hurt you.”
I nod tightly, jaw clenched, wishing I’d acted sooner. I should have stopped this when Hunter told me he was behind the Mayor’s death. Cassie would be safe, unharmed, and I wouldn’t be wearing a scar across my abdomen.
“You were right,” she murmurs, locking her forest-green eyes with mine. “He wanted to hurt you through me.” A tear slips down her cheek, rippling into the water below. I dip the cloth and gently dab at the split on her lip.
Pushing aside the hatred coiling inside me like a venomous snake, I reach for her legs, lifting each one carefully to scrub dirt from her knees. She watches me, a small, grateful smile on her bruised lips.
“I won’t let him near you again,” I vow, lowering her leg back into the water. It’s the truth—even if I have to deal with this myself.
Cassie says nothing more. She closes her eyes and lets me wash the grime away. When I finish checking her injuries discreetly, I hand her a towel and toss a t-shirt onto the bed.
“I just need to make a call. I’ll be back in five minutes.” I press a kiss to her cheek. She smiles and nods.
I pull out my phone and head back to my office. Dialing Trigger’s number, it rings once—then voicemail. Fuck .
I send a message instead:
Me: We have a problem. My office, tomorrow.
Next, I call Max. The one guy who can find anyone with a single breath.
“Ax,” he answers, gruff and to the point. A man of few words, but every one counts. He’s the silent observer, always analyzing, and I trust him more than most.
“Aiden Daniels. Find him.”
“The D.A.?”
“Yes. The D.A.” I snap.
“Done.”
The line clicks off, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I wait for Max’s confirmation—he won’t just locate Daniels, he’ll seize him.
Now, I have to decide what comes next. I need that man’s blood like air.
My fury burns hot, ready to tip into catastrophic rage.
He will be my punching bag. I’d bet my life on it.
Irony doesn’t escape me.
I pace my office, mind racing. Call a hit?
Send a soldier to follow and make it look like an accident?
No. Too easy, too clean. I want to face him.
Look him in the eyes while I drain every last drop of blood.
I’m a man who thrives on inflicting unforgettable pain.
I dominate through torture until my victim begs for death.
The pacing gives me a headache. I haven’t touched whiskey since Cassie’s visit the other night. Hunter called me a ‘functioning alcoholic’ more than once—well, enough is enough.
I lock up, checking every door and window before rushing upstairs two steps at a time.
The darkness cloaks my bedroom, the only light coming from the hallway behind me. A soft glow outlines Cassie curled up in my bed, the t-shirt swallowing her slender frame.
Her chest rises and falls in steady rhythm, golden strands floating with each breath. She looks like a sleeping angel resting against my pillows, the covers drawn up around her waist.
Seeing her peaceful like this is all I wanted tonight. If I could see this every night, I wouldn’t complain.
She stirs, sensing me. Her eyes flutter open, catching mine and then a small smile breaks through as she reaches for my hand silently.
I step forward, taking her hand gently. Her busted lip and bruised cheek ignite my fury, but I keep it hidden. She doesn’t need to see the dark side of me gearing up to make that man pay.
“Do you need anything?” I ask, fingers brushing softly down her cheek.
She smiles through broken tears. “Just you.”
“ I asked you one fucking favor, Hunter!” I snap, voice booming through the office like a war drum. My patience is gone, burned to ash the second he muttered the word “Traffic?”
I pace like a caged animal, dragging my fingers through my hair as rage coils in my gut.
“I’m sorry, Ax. No one’s beating themselves up more than I am.
” Hunter’s voice is laced with remorse. He scrubs a hand through his hair, eyes heavy with guilt.
I know he means it. I know what kind of hell he puts himself through daily.
His father made sure of that. But I don’t give a fuck about childhood trauma right now.
“Why the hell did you let him get away?” I hiss, forcing calm into my voice for Cassie’s sake. She’s still asleep upstairs. She needs peace. She needs rest.
Hunter’s eyes snap up, offended. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Ax, he wasn’t there! ” Hunter takes a step back, hands raised as if I’m about to strike. “Daniels ran. It was just some guy with her?—”
“ Some guy? ”
“Yeah, I don’t know. A friend, maybe.” He grips the back of his neck like the pressure of my disappointment is a noose tightening by the second.
“Noah,” a quiet, sleep-roughened voice cuts through the tension.
We both turn to where Cassie stands in the hallway, arms crossed, gaze locked on mine. The mark on her throat is worse now, igniting my fury even more.
“It was Noah who scared Daniels away,” she says, her voice raspy and raw.
“ Who the fuck is Noah? ” I snap, jealousy flaring like a goddamn wildfire.
“A friend,” she answers, unaffected by the venom in my tone.
“A friend? ” I step toward her, my possessiveness showing in every inch of my posture. She doesn’t flinch.
“How long has Hunter been following me?” she asks, tilting her head. Her voice is sharper now. Measured. Dangerous.
Fuck .
She heard everything.
“Cassie, I?—”
“ Hunter, ” she cuts me off sharply, her voice cold and precise as a blade. Her eyes swing to him like a spotlight in an interrogation room. “How long have you been following me?”
The question lands like a slap across my face. Not because I didn’t expect it—but because I know what it means. She’s not just asking him. She’s asking me. She’s already done the math. Already drawn her conclusions. She’s not looking for an explanation, she’s looking for blood.
Hunter shifts beside me, tense, uncertain. He flicks his gaze to mine, silently asking what to do. Whether to lie. Whether to run. I meet his stare and give him the smallest nod.
Because I’m an idiot.
Because I think she deserves the truth.
“Since Axel left the hospital,” he answers, the words falling quiet and heavy between us .
Cassie doesn’t react right away. Doesn’t blink. Doesn’t breathe. But then, slowly, her head turns back toward me. Her eyes narrow, sharpening like the edge of a knife, cutting straight through me.
“Why?” she asks, her voice soft now. Too soft. “You don’t trust me?”
My mouth opens, and the wrong words spill out before I can stop them. “That’s not what this is about.”
immediately regretting how fast the words come out. Because it sounds like that’s what it’s about. It feels like that’s what it’s about.
Cassie lets out a low, bitter laugh, one that scrapes across my chest like sandpaper. She shakes her head, that small, disbelieving smile still ghosting her lips. “Oh, isn’t it?”
“Cassie, please— ” I take a step forward, but she doesn’t flinch, doesn’t move. Her gaze holds me in place.
Then she says his name like a closing door. “Hunter.”
His head jerks up.
“Can you take me home?”
No.
The word explodes in my head like a gunshot. Panic follows in its wake, hot and fast.
But before I can form the word aloud, before I can do anything, Hunter answers.
“Sure.”
Just like that.
And she nods. Simple. Final.
She walks away from me without once glancing back at me. She doesn’t need to because her silence says more than anything she could scream.
I don’t stop her.
I want to. God, I want to.
But I don’t.
Because if I hold her here now—when she’s this angry, this betrayed—it’ll only make it worse.
But she has to know on some level that I’m not doing this to hurt her.
I’m doing this to protect her. To keep her alive.
She’s angry. Hurt. And maybe she has every right to be.
I’ll let her walk away this time, but I swear she’ll understand when this is over. She has to.
I’ve got bigger things to deal with now. Like the fact that Aiden Daniels is still breathing.
And that’s a fucking problem I intend to fix.