Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
VIOLET
Cade doesn’t answer me.
“Aren’t you?”
The two men glance at each other.
My stomach churns at the sight of Isaac, of the fact sweet Cade, the man I thought was good, real, solid, stands in front of me with brass knuckles dripping with blood on one hand, and of his friend who is now reading something on his phone.
“Cade? You’re The fucking Ghost, aren’t you?”
“What the fuck were you thinking, following me?”
Enzo tucks his phone away and picks up a nail gun. “She was thinking she’s better at subterfuge than you if she followed you here without thinking.”
Cade spins and glares at this Enzo, who actually steps back a little. “Stop.”
Enzo points at me. “She’s here, Cade. Here.”
The ground seems to wobble because there’s something ominous in his voice as he says that, and I start to edge to the door.
Why am I here? This was a huge mistake.
The door wasn’t locked, so I came right in.
Back at Cade’s, I…I couldn’t sleep. The kiss—kisses—kept turning in my head, competing with all the other events of the day.
I got up, was going to knock when I heard him. I listened. Hid when he left and then raced into his room. Finding out where he’d written the address and using the pencil over the piece of paper trick wasn’t hard.
For the ride here, the kisses kept hitting repeat. And when I dragged my mind from those, it went to The Ghost.
Of where The Ghost was. Why he’d disappeared. Why he’d let Cade save me.
But now…here he is, in front of me. And even if he hasn’t answered yet, I know.
Not just because this Enzo kept mentioning cameras, but because it makes perfect, horrible sense.
Sure, there are things that don’t, but the voices…dear god, why didn’t I see that the lower voice of The Ghost is like Cade’s. His voice is deep, but not as low and gravely as The Ghost’s.
Both voices sent shivers down my spine.
Both men when they touched me made my heart skip.
For very different reasons, different things. But…
It makes perfect sense that being Cade, The Ghost wouldn’t let me see him.
Have I had hot, kinky sex with my ex’s brother?
But I know it’s true.
Enzo said he’d seen footage, helped him put in the cameras.
And maybe I knew. Somewhere deep inside me, I always knew. Not on any conscious level, but subconsciously…
Today, when Cade rescued me and not The Ghost, I knew.
Is that why he kissed me? To shut up the thoughts in my head?
It makes perfect sense why Cade was right there when The Ghost was meant to be following me but didn’t come to my rescue.
Occam’s razor, right?
Cade wasn’t there because of geo whatever. He was there and following me to have sex with me.
The reason why I couldn’t fathom the disappearance of The Ghost?
He didn’t disappear.
He rescued me.
Without his mask.
He did it naked. As his real self.
Cade.
And the bite of fire in my veins snaps at my bones.
They’re arguing. What to do with Isaac, how someone’s coming, Cade telling him to keep the fuck out of his business.
All of it words.
I tune them out.
My hands close into fists. “I never knew you were a coward, Cade Maddox. You’ve been lying to me, playing me, using me, pretending to be something you’re not. For what? A bit of a laugh with silly, na?ve Violet?”
“No, Vi—”
“Don’t you dare try to placate me.” I shove him.
As Enzo snickers, I round on him and shove him, too.
He’s grinning, and I want to wipe the smugness from his face. “And you…were you part of this, too?”
“No—”
“Then keep the hell out of it, or I’ll take that nail gun and shoot you between the eyes.
Both of you.” I take a breath, turning back to Cade.
“I can’t believe you’ve been lying to me all this time.
Having my back when Jack lied to me was all an act, wasn’t it?
I guess lying runs in your horrible little family. I hate—”
“Violet.” Cade grabs me by the shoulders and holds me, not letting go as I struggle.
My throat hurts. My eyes itch, and my stomach’s hollowed out.
“Vi, come on.” Those dark eyes I know so well are on mine, still full of kindness, kindness I’m not sure I can even trust. “You need to calm down, please. This isn’t the place. Look, we’ll work this out later, okay? Promise.”
I wrench myself away.
“Work this out? You can’t even tell me you’re The Ghost, and you want me to work this out?”
“Put it on a billboard next time, Cade,” Enzo mutters.
“Shut up, man.” Cade glares at him and reaches for me again, but I dodge his hands.
There’s probably blood on me already, and I don’t want any more.
I don’t want him touching me. I don’t want to slip back into trust.
He looks at me. “Yes, Vi. We will work this out. But right now you need to go back to my place and let us take care of this.”
Suddenly, the meaning of ‘this’ lands on me, crushing me down.
“Take care of this? What the hell does that mean?” I need to make absolutely sure I’m not overreacting or misreading anything.
Enzo throws his arms in the air. “What the fuck do you think?”
And bile rises. “You mean this, as in the man you’ve been torturing? Isaac? You can’t kill him. Because that’s your plan, isn’t it? Is that your plan?”
Before Cade can answer, Enzo starts laughing. “What the fuck do you think we’re doing here, little girl? Sitting around making friendship bracelets?”
“No. I think you’re both committing a crime. This isn’t you, Cade.”
“Vi.”
Enzo laughs. “It is, though. The Ghost is him, down to the fucking ground.”
“Fuck, Enzo. Next time you’re with some chick, I’m turning up, right when you’re about to slide on home, as you like to put it, and I’m gonna tell her about your five kids.”
Enzo frowns. “I don’t have kids.”
“She won’t know that.” He turns back to me as I start to edge to the door. “Go home, Vi, please.”
And I stop. “You can’t do this. I don’t care what this Enzo says, you’re not a killer. You’re not the law. Besides, he was arrested and…” My eyes fly to the bloodied man and back. “Cade? Why isn’t he in prison?”
“He’s fucking rich, and he paid the astronomical bail.” He huffs out a breath, hands going through his hair. “You don’t think he’ll get rid of all the fucked up shit we found in his basement?”
“Wh—” but the sound doesn’t even leave my mouth.
“There’s evidence of girls he took here, probably against their will.
He’ll destroy every last bit of it if we let him live.
And this is just one of his places. It took us a decent chunk of half an hour to find out he owned it.
If it took us that long, then no one else will find it.
He can get rid of shit and then basically say it’s our word against his. ”
I take a step back. “No, there were witnesses.”
“The cops didn’t speak to them. They thought it was some kind of domestic—Look.
” He moves closer to me. “You can’t tell me you believe he’ll let this go to trial.
He’ll paint you as a needy, star-struck girl who got her boyfriend to help frame and then attack him.
He’ll say he turned you down. He’ll clear his name, get off.
And then, a man like this? He’ll come for you. ”
“No, Cade. The police did their job. They—”
Enzo throws his hands up. “Lord have fucking mercy.”
“I’m sorry, Vi. The cops did what they had to, but they weren’t there. They turned up after it was done, and I beat him up. Think about it.”
“Okay, but the law means something. We have courts, due—”
“You’re not listening, Vi. It’s a nice dream, but Isaac came here to get rid of the evidence.
He was trying to that in the basement when we turned up.
” Cade pushes a hand through his hair. “If we don’t do this, he has every intention of getting away with it and then coming for us.
He’s a bad man. Always has been. You have no idea the things…
Trust me. We’re doing the world a favor. ”
He reaches for my hand. “I’m doing you one. I’m doing all this for you, Vi.”
I shake my head. I want to believe him. Desperately.
But how can I, when this man’s lied to me since I broke up with his brother?
“For me,” I say quietly, “or for you? You’re a hacker, a famous one. The most famous one in the city. Probably, the country.”
Enzo scoffs. “Hey, I’m offended.”
I ignore Enzo. This is about Cade. “And you clearly do a lot else. You’re not IT. You’re some kind of…criminal, and I’m betting you don’t want the publicity of a trial.”
His eyes are on mine. “It’s not that simple. Listen, Violet—”
“No. What? Do you think I’m stupid? You’re doing this to keep your identity safe. The least you can do is be honest about it.”
He presses his lips together. “Just go home and wait. I’ll be there soon.”
“Cade,” Enzo says, warning in his tone. “Not a good idea.”
I take a step back again. “You know what? Do what you like, Cade, but I’m not playing any part in this. I can’t. In fact, I don’t ever want to talk to you again.”
I turn to go, but he grabs my arm, bloody hand and brass knuckles and all.
Eyes wide open, I look at him. “Let me go.”
Regret shines in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Vi, but I can’t let you go.”
I laugh as I try to shake him off.
He lets me go but moves in front of me, blocking the way out.
I wish I’d never come here, never reached out to him or The Ghost. “What? Are you taking me hostage?”
Cade shrugs. “If you want to call it that until I work out a better plan.”
Enzo looks at Cade. “We either tie her up before they get here, or…”
“You can take care of this and the others from here. I’ll take Vi and the computer. I’ll keep her calm.”
Enzo shoots Cade a look, all amusement gone. “Do what you need.”
Shit. I know what that means.
“With me.” Cade removes the brass knuckles and shoves them in his pocket, then holds up a hand.
Enzo tosses him some keys. “Don’t scratch her.”
Cade leads me outside to a car. He opens the passenger door for me. “Get in.”
I want to run, but where to? He knows where I live, and I’m not putting Lia in danger.
I sigh, getting in.
After closing my door, he rounds the car, getting into the driver seat, then starts the car and pulls out on the street.
He doesn’t look at me.
My heart races.
He wouldn’t hurt me, would he? Earlier today, I would have sworn the answer was no, but now, after this?
I don’t know.
Because I don’t think I know Cade at all.
And that terrifies me.