Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
VIOLET
My head is spinning.
He kissed me, and it was…
Perfect.
No.
Wait.
Isaac attacked me. Not The Ghost.
And Cade is here.
I stare down at my ex-boss, and at the one man I didn’t expect to see.
“Cade?” I say again.
Why is he here? I don’t understand. Was he following me?
Hysteria builds up.
Is everyone following me?
I swallow. “Cade?”
There’s no sign of anyone else, and my entire world is turned inside out as Isaac groans.
Cade turns to my ex-boss, bending down and tying his hands together behind his back, his hand hard on the man’s shoulders, and he leans in further. “Don’t fucking move, you sonofabitch.”
Where the hell is The Ghost?
I look around. And though a few people are out, standing about, I’m standing, like a deer in headlights, unable to move. Like some kind of moron.
I get it, The Ghost isn’t about to get caught on camera, even Cade’s got his hood up, even though the afternoon’s not overly hot, it’s not cold.
But I thought…hell, I thought it was The Ghost right behind me, The Ghost grabbing me.
For a split second, my stomach roils, and bile climbs high in my throat.
What if The Ghost is Isaac?
But the moment the thought comes, I know it’s not true.
The man can barely operate a computer, he takes forever to tap out an email on the odd occasion he’s had to.
And he’s a slime ball. But I’m not someone whose vote he’s trying to win.
And he wouldn’t ruin his own life. Twice. That’s the biggest proof at all.
Besides, his touch never once made a frisson of excitement burst in me. All it’s ever done, even the thought of it, is turn my stomach.
“I’ll ruin this for you,” Isaac slurs from the pavement.
I ignore him, my eyes on the man in front of me. “Cade, answer me. Were you following me?”
Our eyes meet, and the crowd of onlookers mostly disappears. This is New York, and there’s a siren that grows in the distance.
Only a few stay to watch the show, the others have things to do.
“Cade?”
He pushes the hood back, and I’m somehow comforted by the glasses that stayed on his head. I’ve no idea how, but I’m glad.
He steps over Isaac.
Cade half reaches for me but stops himself. “Yeah, I was. I figured after the call, since I was in the neighborhood, I’d go catch you where you called me from. But you were too fast.”
I gape at him. “How? How the hell did you even know where I was?”
“Geolocation. It’s an easy thing with phones.”
Is that how The Ghost always seems to know where I am? Why he seems to follow me everywhere?
But that doesn’t make sense. He knew I was with Cade.
And…looking at him now, coming to my rescue so fast…
No other stranger fits my description of The Ghost.
If The Ghost hadn’t known I was with him, hadn’t texted me when I was with him, right at the table with Cade, I’d actually suspect him of being The Ghost.
Which is just crazy.
“You bugged my phone?”
He pushes a hand through his hair, runs into his glasses, and puts them on. Even though I know they’re more for computer work and eye strain.
“It’s not bugging. It’s just…everyone’s phone has a signal. And I wouldn’t doubt Jack turned your locator on. He knows certain things. It sounds complicated, but it isn’t. I could pin your location without the locator on. It’s easy. If you know what you’re doing. I do. But that’s not the point.”
“What is the point?”
“You…This…” He runs a hand through the air at Isaac, who’s struggling to get up.
He kicks Isaac.
“Look,” Cade says, “I was in Brooklyn, you called. and I figured I’d come by where you were, say hi. You left, and knowing how stubborn you are, I decided to head to your place, and good thing. I saw him attack you.”
Part of me is grateful. Another part is horrified.
What if he’d followed and caught me with The Ghost?
I know my thoughts are scattered, and The Ghost is the wrong one. But he kissed—
“I’m glad I came, Vi. Why the hell were you heading home, anyway?”
I frown. “It’s daytime, and I live there.”
“Someone broke in.”
“And I still live there. This isn’t the middle of the night. I need…” I pause, cheeks heating.
I wanted to get fucked. I’m weak, I have a problem, and I wanted to have my brand of sex with The Ghost.
I swallow. “I need things you didn’t pack for me.”
“Like what?”
I push out a sigh and take a step closer as the sirens come to a stop and two cops get out of the police car.
“Underwear. You didn’t pack any.”
I swear to god, I catch a glimpse of a smile as he turns to the police hands raised as he explains what happened.
The other cop comes over to me and asks me to give him the run down.
Away from Cade.
It takes me a moment, but I realize they want to just make sure our stories match up, and I’m not being coerced by Cade.
“Take your time,” the cop says.
I don’t want to do this. I just want to go home and curl up and sleep. Except at home, I can’t. Someone broke in.
Isaac? The Ghost?
And there are cameras.
Suddenly, I don’t want to be on camera. Maybe I just want to go to Cade’s instead.
I breathe in.
“M-my…this man attacked me, and my friend rescued me. Stopped him accosting me on the street.”
“Which man, ma’am,” the young cop asks.
I point to Cade. “My friend.” Then I point to Isaac. “My ex-boss who attacked me.”
The cop actually gasps. “Isaac Stengal? Are you—”
“What?” I play dumb. “I just interned, is all. I found out he got fired, and…and I don’t know why he attacked me.”
I stand back as they talk to Cade and then they take Isaac away in handcuffs.
When we’re done, Cade turns to me, and we walk up the street, away from the few people remaining.
We don’t say a word.
“You should have got an Uber to my place.” He holds out his hand.
Normally, I’d take it.
This time, I ignore it.
“I can’t afford an Uber all the time, Cade. I’m a student, remember? What I get paid for the internship wouldn’t feed a fly.” I stomp ahead.
My place is right there, and I want to go home. But I also don’t want to, so I stop walking.
He stops, too.
“I’m sorry,” he says softly.
Startled, I look at him. “Why are you sorry?”
“For following…no, I’m not sorry about that, but I should have texted you. Told you to wait, and I was right there.”
I frown. “Cade, no. I don’t need to be babysat.”
“Yeah, I’m aware. And I know none of it is your fault. But I just feel physically sick thinking what might have happened if I hadn’t stopped it. You were almost home, and if he grabbed you, dragged you in, or had a car nearby…I shudder to think.”
I try to sound like I’m cool and together. But I’m not. Far from it. “Dragging me down the street isn’t a thing. Someone would’ve stopped it.”
“You didn’t even scream. People might’ve thought it was a game. And when he got you, he could have threatened you…” He shakes his head. “This is my fault. I should have arranged—”
“What? Some kind of bodyguard? You work in IT. And I’m no one. You stopped him. It’s done.”
But I take a wobbling step as the full reality of what almost happened hits me.
Would Isaac have threatened me and made me come with him? Was he planning on…what? Hurting me? Raping me?
And if Cade hadn’t turned up would The Ghost have stepped in?
Did The Ghost see the kiss? Get furious?
But why didn’t he step in before Cade?
I pull out my phone, but there’s nothing from him. At all.
Something’s off.
Or maybe he didn’t even follow me. Maybe he decided to end it so he didn’t have to show himself to me. Or maybe my head is coming up with excuses for why he has disappeared.
I’d like to think he’d step in and have saved me but there’s something dark and cold inside me. Something like doubt.
Cade holds out his hand.
I frown. “What?”
“Keys.” He doesn’t drop his hand, and his smile lights me up and makes my stomach spin. “Come on, I’ll see you in, and I’ll help you put your place back into one piece. And then tomorrow, I’ll help you get your locks changed.”
“But…”
“You need to get them changed.”
He’s right.
Someone had keys.
When I went up yesterday, the door was open, but the lock looked in one piece.
I hand him the keys and follow him into my building and up the stairs.
The doubt isn’t only about The Ghost. It’s about everything.
And I’m grateful to Cade for saving me, but even with his explanation, his appearance is one hell of a coincidence.
“Did you call the police?” I ask.
He shakes his head as he opens my door and goes in first. “Must have been someone else.”
Whoever called had done it almost immediately. Yet, the only one who rushed in was Cade.
What if The Ghost called?
But that doesn’t make sense.
He’s into control. The police aren’t control. Stepping in is control.
So… Did he take off, or just change his mind?
I sink down on my bed, looking up at cameras I can’t see.
Cade’s in the kitchen area picking things up, moving across the room like he’s righting wrongs.
I watch for long moments.
Nothing right now is making sense.
The Ghost just changing his mind doesn’t either.
He’s possessive. Jealous. Why the hell would he leave it up to Cade to rescue me?
Cade comes over and sits next to me, sliding his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in close. “Everything’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”
But will I?
Cade is warm, familiar, and smells so good.
And I close my eyes a moment.
Then I turn to him. And lean up, kissing his cheek.
Time seems to stop when he turns. “What are you doing?”
“Saying thank you.”
“Fuck, Vi… You complicate things. I’m trying to be the good guy, here.”
I frown. “What If I don’t want you to be?”
He doesn’t say anything.
I look into his eyes. “Outside, you kissed me.”
“To shock you.”
I nod, suddenly furious. And I grab his face, kissing him hard.
Passion flares bright, bonfire hot, and our tongues dance, my clit throbs, and I want nothing more than to jump him.
I don’t.
Even though he tastes of sin and a dark taste I could become addicted to, sex-in-the-park kind of addiction, kink and thrills. A taste I never equated with him, and one I’m no doubt shoving onto him, but loving it anyway,
I end the kiss, ripping my mouth away. Shoving him away.
I shift a little from him on the bed, breathing hard. I stare down at the floor, then I lift my gaze defiantly to the ceiling, looking for the hidden cameras.
Maybe The Ghost is watching. Fuming over the kiss. Maybe he’s angry. Or maybe he’s regretting the fact he didn’t jump in. Maybe he’s sitting somewhere, planning his next move, one to prove himself to me. But that isn’t right.
He’s someone who can destroy lives in an instant, he’s a risk taker.
Everything he’s done with me has been a major risk to him. To me, too. But definitely also him.
So, no matter how I shape it, I can’t see how he’d let Cade rescue me, kiss me twice, and stay silent.
Or maybe that’s it.
The staying silent part.
Unless… I glance at Cade, my heart suddenly pounding fast.
Is Cade The Ghost?