Chapter Eight
Twenty-five years ago. Detroit, MI.
“Cain!” I whisper-shouted out my window in the middle of the night.
I bit my lip, keeping my eyes on the darkened window, hoping and praying I would see his pale head of hair emerge. Minutes passed, and my stomach filled with dread. Looking over my shoulder, my eyes landed on my bedroom door, making sure the hall light was still out.
Mom went to bed hours ago, and she’d nearly tripped going up the stairs. We’d been in this house for over two years now, and every passing day, she’d gotten worse, more distant towards Dad and me.
The worst part? The love in her eyes was gone whenever she looked at Dad.
Before he’d lost his old job, her green eyes used to shine, reminding me of a field in the middle of summer. Now, her green was almost lifeless. That was the worst part.
I didn’t care that she no longer loved me or that her words were always filled with venom when she spat them at me.
No, I didn’t care about any of that.
I cared about the pain she was causing Dad. He was a good father, and I was very blessed to have him. He was doing his best. The job he’d gotten that caused us to pack up everything and move here wasn’t the best, but he worked long hours and always came home with a smile on his face. The smile was for me. He didn’t want me to worry, but I did. I always did.
I was nine years old now, and I knew that I shouldn’t complain about my home life. So my mom said some mean things to me? It was nothing compared to what Cain and Xander had to go through with their monster of a mom. She was the B word. That’s what Xander called her all the time.
I didn’t know what to think about Cain’s older brother. He was only two years older than Cain, but he was harsher—meaner than Cain. My first night in this house, I saw Cain through my window and every night after that. I saw him at school, usually in the hallways with his friends. He didn’t have many, but the two boys he was always around looked scary. Even though we rode the bus together and walked home together, we never really had a conversation.
At first, it was just me doing the talking.
Neither Cain or Xander responded.
Xander just gave me a dirty look and mumbled things under his breath.
Then, last Christmas, I was sitting on the window seat Dad built me, writing in my diary. It was something I did every single night before I tried to go to sleep, but that was hard sometimes due to Mom yelling at Dad almost every night. I had been on the second page of my daily entry when I heard a tap on my window. I looked over and saw the pale blonde boy next door, staring at me with a frown on his face. I did my best to ignore the black eye he had. I didn’t want to embarrass him.
When I opened my window, he continued to stare.
I said hi and eventually, he said hi back.
Now, it was almost a year later, and we talked every night after our parents when to bed…but tonight was different. Tonight, I needed him more than ever. My bottom lip wobbled as I continued to stare into his dark room.
“Cain,” I croaked, my eyes burning. I didn’t want to cry, not in front of him. He had bigger things to worry about. I never cried in front of Cain or his brother. Their mom was worse than mine. So, I just kept it inside, and when I needed to let it out, I wrote about it in my diaries. I was on my fourth one now, though I never asked Mom for a new one. I would always ask Dad in secret, because I didn’t want her to know.
I looked down, tears falling onto the window seal.
He wasn’t coming tonight.
Maybe he had a bad day…
“What are you doing?”
Relief washed over me, and I turned away from him, grabbing the book I’d borrowed from the library and wiping away my tears. When I faced him again, I gave him a real smile, missing tooth and all. “Hey! I have that book for you!”
Cain didn’t have a library card because his mom would never take him to get one. So, he told me what books he wanted, and I checked them out for him. His pale face split into a smile. “Oh, yeah?” he asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.
I blinked, feeling heat in my cheeks.
Cain was almost twelve now, and he’d be changing soon, just like his brother did, who was now fourteen. Every time I see Xander, he looks more like a grown man than a kid. Cain told me that his brother’s voice started changing when he was twelve.
Cain”s was already changing, and it made me feel funny. Next year, he would be leaving my school and going to the middle/high school. Everything was about to change, and I was scared.
“You sound different,” I blurted.
My friend tilted his head to the side. “How?”
I shrugged, book in hand. “Your voice sounds…deeper. I don’t know.”
He shook his head. “You’re a nut, Nik.”
Shaking it off, I held up the book. “Do you want this or not?”
Cain’s beautiful eyes landed on the book, his face changing. “Yeah, I do,” he said, getting closer to the window. “But I can’t keep it in my room tonight. Mom is on a rampage.”
“Oh.” My arm slowly dropped. “I have to return it on Wednesday.” Today was Monday.
Cain looked away for a second, probably checking his hall light like I had. When he looked back at me, he asked, “How about I come over there?”
My brows shot to space. “In my room?” I asked, jerking my thumb to my chest.
He nodded rapidly. “Yeah. Just for a little bit? Maybe like four chapters?”
“Hang on,” I told him. I looked over my shoulder. The light was still out, but I needed to be sure that Dad was asleep. I hopped down from the window seat and padded over my bedroom door, putting my ear against it. After about ten seconds, I heard Dad’s bear snore echoing down the hallway from my parent’s room. A sense of excitement surged through me and I turned to my room. I had some clothes on the floor and I picked them up quickly and shoved my old dolls into the closet.
When I came back to the window, Cain was sitting on the outside of his, like he did most nights, his feet hanging over the edge, his shoes already on.
“Okay,” I called out quietly. “My parents are asleep.”
He smiled. “Yeah?”
I smiled back. “Yeah.” Then, my smile faded as I looked down to the ground. It was a long way down. “How are you going to get over here?”
“Your dad’s ladder,” Cain answered simply. I looked back up just in time to see him dropping down.
“Cain!” I shouted. Immediately, my hand slapped over my mouth as I watched him land on the ground softly.
He looked up at me, his blonde waves falling back. “Nik. Shut up.”
I leaned over the edge. “How did you do that?”
He smirked. “I’m a vampire.”
Glaring at him, I replied. “Don’t make jokes!”
My friend laughed and started walking to my backyard. “Xander taught me,” he told me.
I got a funny feeling in my stomach again. Xander always snuck out when he could, leaving Cain alone with their mom. I didn’t like that, but what the heck could I say to the guy? He was close to six foot and always looked like he wanted to murder me. I heard the latch on my back gate open and then a few minutes later, Cain came back, dragging the ladder.
“Nik, I’m going to need your help me get it up,” Cain said.
“Okay,” I said, leaning down further as he angled the ladder upright.
“Be careful,” he called up to me as I placed the top of the ladder against the house.
Holding it steady, I met his eyes. “You’re the one climbing this thing. You be careful.”
The boy rolled his eyes and began climbing. Soon, we were face to face, smiling at each other.
“Hi,” Cain whispered, his eyes bright with happiness, something I’d never thought I’d see.
“Hi,” I breathed, leaning back onto my bench.
“Show me your princess room, Nik,” he teased, coming inside.
We didn’t read four chapters. We read ten and then fell asleep on top of my bed, his hand in mine as we laid shoulder to shoulder. Hours later, he woke me up, and I helped him sneak back into his room.
Over the next few years, Cain would come into my room every single night, and as we both grew up, my heart wanted his.
Present Day. St. Louis, MO.
If I stayed in this bed any longer, the image of Sullie’s loft ceiling would be embedded into my fucking soul. Looking over to the nightstand, I grabbed my phone, checking the time.
As usual, my internal clock woke me up at six on the dot. Memories of last night flooded my brain, the ceiling long forgotten.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” I whispered, sitting up and burying my face in my hands. A dull ache hummed around my rib cage, but I couldn’t focus on that right now. Getting blown up in a car was one thing, but having a sex dream about Cain?
I needed to be checked into a nut house or sign up for the circus because I was a fucking clown. Then, I had to go and—
Images of the dream flashed behind my lids, halting my breath.
Cain fully clothed in his coveralls, bending me over his Silvia, his hands smeared with oil as they gripped my bare hips, pulling me back onto his long, hard co—
“No,” I refused, lifting my head and tossing the covers back. “We aren’t going there, Nikki.”
I ran my hands through my hair as I shivered, goosebumps covering my legs. I put most of my weight on my good leg and looked down to assess my wrapped ankle. The swelling had gone down. Thank God. The sooner I was healed, the sooner I could help Oasis.
Quickly, I hobbled into the closet and pulled off my shirt slowly, tossing it onto the floor before grabbing an over-sized hoodie and a pair of black leggings. As I dressed, I noted that the pain was still there, but it wasn’t as intense as it had been. The doctor told me that I was healthy, that my wounds should heal fairly quickly.
You’re lucky to be alive, Ms. Wells.
When I was dressed, only slightly achy, I slipped on my house shoes and made my way to the bathroom. I didn’t pay attention to anything else, wanting to get my teeth brushed and face washed. My day didn’t start until both of those things were done. Five minutes later, I was slowly hobbling into the kitchen, mindlessly braiding my hair and humming a tune from one of Sullie’s bands. I didn’t bother with the crutches right now, because I could manage just fine without them—at least in the loft. I looked out the long window that ran a good length of the loft, stopping completely.
St. Louis was gone, replaced by a frozen hell. The sky was gray, rapid frozen rain coming down, blanketing the city with the streets, cars, and buildings around Sullie’s in ice and snow. I shook my head, the stress beginning to settle in. I couldn’t drive anywhere and the boys were supposed to be coming back today to keep me company for a bit. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“What the—?”
“Power lines are down a few streets over,” a deep, familiar voice rumbled from my left.
A scream shot from my mouth as I jumped, turning and slamming back into the wall. Pain shot through my mid-section and up my leg. “Ahh,” I winced, doubling over.
“Jesus,” Cain growled. I heard his footsteps pounding towards me, and then I was lifted into his arms.
My hands gripped his shoulders as I stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. “C-Cain?” I stammered.
What the hell was he doing here?
He was glaring down at me, his pale blue eyes fierce and piercing. A shiver went down my spine as I inhaled his scent. His arms held my weight steady, my chest partially against his, my feet hanging over one arm. The warmth from his body was pleasant. We hadn’t been this close—in years.
Not to mention bridal style.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he clipped, his voice hard. My eyes drifted over the muscle jumping in his jaw, mesmerized by the way the cool light from outside made it seem even sharper. I couldn’t stop my eyes as they took more of him in, moving up the line of his jaw to his sharp cheekbone, over his slightly crooked nose (a gift from his brother when he was only fourteen), to finally, those compelling, pale blue eyes.
“Did you fucking hear me?” he asked, his voice harsher than before.
And just like that, the spell and the dream from last night, vanished in an instant.
Blinking, I remembered when and where I was. Cain and I weren’t on good terms anymore, but if we wanted to get to a decent place again, he would need to stop being a dick. The only way to get Cain to stop being a cocky motherfucker was to put him in his place.
“I should be asking you that question!” I snapped in his face. I kicked my feet, pushing against him. “Let me down!”
“You’re fucking hurt,” he said, ignoring me, his tone short. “When you need to walk, you take your crutches. Is that clear?”
Heat flooded my cheeks and my lips tightened. I glared at his profile as he walked across the loft. “You don’t tell me—”
I let out a yelp as he moved quickly, catching me off guard.
Suddenly, my back was on the couch, and he was looming over me, a blonde lock hanging down as his eyes pinned me to the cushions. One of his hands was braced on the back of the couch while the other was braced on the edge of the cushions—by my hip. His chest heaved with a quiet fury as he scanned my body slowly. When his eyes finally made it back up to my face, he leaned in a bit more, so close I could smell the peppermint on his breath.
“Yes. I. Do.”Each word came out with a threat lingering behind it—a challenge.
The air between us was thick now, and I found it harder to breathe. His eyes held mine and all I could see in his bright blue pools was hatred for me.
I pushed up on my elbows, our faces inches apart now. “Get the fuck out of my loft.”
A cruel satisfied smile spread across his beauty. “Not going anywhere, Nik. We’re iced in.”
Nik.
Iced in.
He and I…
Nik, please. Listen to me.
“Then please,” I whispered, my heart cracking into pieces inside of my chest. How dare he continue to call me that, after everything he’d put me through? “Please get off me.”
He flinched at the plea in my tone, blinking twice before pushing off the couch and walking to the kitchen. I sat up, wrapping my arms around myself as I looked over my shoulder and out the windows again. St. Louis was now a winter torture-land, because there was nothing wonderful about being trapped in a loft with the man who broke your heart and still continued to beat on it whenever he could squeeze in the time.
I didn’t know how much time had passed when I heard his voice again, pulling me out of my anxious thoughts.
“Are you hungry?”
Cain’s question was so simple—so normal—that it made me want to vomit. I looked back to him, eying his muscles in underneath his light gray Henley as he focused on the skillet in front of him, his arm working as he stirred. “Why are you here?” I pushed out, still trying to wrap my head around this.
Where was Sullie?
Why, of all people, was Cain here with me?
Did Jeremy send him to me?
My mind went in a different direction, drifting away from Cain as the long conversation with the Oasis leader came back. Jer had told me everything…including the full nightmare that was currently underway with the mayor and the chief of police. Amara and Leon had been the ones to piece everything together and now the city was in shambles because of it. The Crew was under a lot of pressure, and nothing could be done until Kavi, the leader of the Russian Mafia, was brought down.
Jer had also given me the option to leave, but there was nowhere else I wanted to be. Denver was nice, yes, but it was never my home. It didn’t feel like Oasis did. So, I put on my big girl pants and decided to help in any way I could. Which wasn’t much, considering I needed to be off this ankle for at least a week.
“I can make you some eggs,” Cain said, pulling me from my thoughts.
Okay, I guess he wasn’t answering any of my questions today.
“I’m not hungry,” I told him, reaching for the TV remote on the coffee table.
“Power lines are down, Dominique,” he called out to me.
Oh, right.
My eyes slid from the blank TV to him again, watching as he flipped the omelet over and sprinkled some seasoning over the top. He didn’t look at me, keeping his pale eyes on the food, but his jaw was clenched. He could feel my eyes on him, and he didn’t fucking like it.
Good.
I didn’t like him being here.
As I watched, he turned the gas burner off and plated the food before setting the skillet back on the stove top. When he finally looked up, it was my turn to tighten my jaw, grinding my teeth. “Are you going to stare at me in silence all day, or are you going to answer my question?” he asked, his tone short.
“Are you going to answer mine?” I shot back, baring my teeth, anger still boiling inside me. “Why are you here?”
He continued staring at me for a beat. “Scrambled with a little pepper, right?” When I didn’t answer, he turned away from me mumbling, “Like I could forget your food sensitivities.”
I flinched but recovered quickly before he turned back around, cracking two eggs into a bowl. As he whisked, I tried again. “Why. Are. You. Here?”
“Came by last night to check on you,” he answered simply, putting some pepper into the beaten eggs.
Broken glass gathered in my throat. “What?”
He poured the eggs into the hot skillet, a sizzling sound echoing throughout the loft. After he set the bowl down, he twisted his neck, his eyes landing on me instantly. Slowly, as I seemed to stop breathing, his eyes dropped down and down until they reached my legs.
“You heard me,” he said, his voice softer than before as he looked at my face again.
My stomach fluttered as more memories banged on the door I’d shoved them behind in my mind. All I could manage to say was the first thing that came to mind. “Please don’t burn my eggs,” I blurted.