Chapter 11 Cade
Chapter Eleven
CADE
Jack’s eyes burn into me as he glares and any other time, I’d feel like a complete prick for this.
I still do…I guess, but even knowing he cheated on Vi, even knowing this is one hell of a fucked up situation, I’m too aware of her behind me, head buried in my back, hands clutching at me, and her body shaking.
I don’t think Vi is crying.
But the humiliation…
I know she shouldn’t be even entertaining it, but how can she not, when it burns a path up my spine and back of my neck to my skull.
The humiliation is very specific. I’d get her off on being caught by someone else.
Problem is, Jack isn’t someone else. He’s my brother, her ex, and he’s staring at me with betrayal and pain painted in anger, and I don’t want him to say a thing to her that’ll scar her, make her ashamed of her desires, her needs.
Fuck it, I don’t want her turned off of this thing we have.
We might love each other, but love is delicate.
I breathe in.
“Jack, man, come on, it’s not what it looks like.”
He shoves his hands in his hoodie. “So, I imagined my girlfriend naked, and you finger banging her in public? My bad.”
“This isn’t the place—”
“For sex?” He shakes his head. “I agree.”
“For this conversation. Let’s go back—to my place.”
I almost said home. But it’s not his home anymore. The funny thing is, I have a place I bought for him, but I never got around to gifting him. I’d wanted Jack to show some growth, show he could be an adult. Pay rent.
I’m thinking about it because I can’t let myself think about this situation, not here. And without giving Jack time to respond with something snarky, I cast a glance at Vi.
Her head is down and she has pulled the hood up. Thank fuck she’s short and I’m tall and this particular hoodie is slightly oversize. It’s like a mini dress on her.
But I can see the pink of her cheeks, and she’s staring at the ground, one arm tight around her middle.
I take her other hand in mine, something I know isn’t lost on Jack.
But he just scowls and shoves his hands deeper in his pockets as we head to my place.
The walk across the road from the tree to my front door is about two minutes if that. It felt like two hours. The walk up the steps another four hours because it’s way too confined. And not even the overly dramatic stomps of Jack’s feet on each stair can alleviate the tension.
Jack takes out his key to open the door.
I never took it back. Never even asked.
He’s my brother for fuck’s sake but now…now I’m thinking I probably should.
The key, however, no longer works in the top lock. When he looks at me, hurt shining bright, I sigh and open it, motioning him in.
Violet peels away, hurrying into the guest bedroom, Jack’s old room.
Her embarrassment leaves a trail like perfume after her.
“New door?” Jack asks.
Any other circumstances, I’d enter into a conversation with him about the door, try and tease out his real motives of dropping by.
This isn’t just a visit. Even Jack has got an understanding of manners and what time visits require phone calls or texts. Even with siblings.
It’s late enough that this falls into the text or call kind of visit.
And, on top of it all, he caught us. Watched.
Me and Violet.
Now, of course, she’s hiding.
I cross to the kitchen bench and lean against it, folding my arms. Aware dinner is in the fridge, aware manners calls to offer him some.
I don’t.
“What do you want, Jack?”
“What…? What do I want?” Jack slams a hand on the table then stalks to the cupboard and pulls out the whiskey and then a glass. He sloshes some in.
I pinch the bridge of my nose.
Booze isn’t going to help him. But I straighten up, under the pretext of joining him, taking the bottle with me as I fetch my own glass and pour in a shot. I push the bottle behind me on the counter.
Jack just laughs and shakes his head.
He gulps down a third of the drink.
“Slow down, Jack.”
His eyes narrow. “I’ll do what I fucking want, Cade. Just like you do. You asked what I want? I want you to not fuck my girlfriend.”
“Ex-girlfriend, Jack. One you barely paid attention to. One you cheated on.”
He nods, furious little jerky movements. “Yeah, and how long have you two being doing this behind my back?”
“No one did anything behind your back, Jack.” I take a small sip as Jack starts to pace. “You were living here—”
He shoves a finger at me through the air. “Until you kicked me out.”
I sigh. “You told me you were leaving, I told you fine.”
“Yeah, so you could fuck Vi.” He swallows another third of his whiskey. “Not very brotherly.”
“Jack.”
“You fucked this up. Now Vi’s not going to come back to me.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You fucked things up, and not just with the cheating. You took Violet for granted, and you paid your computer games more attention than her. I didn’t set out to fuck anything up. I also didn’t go to Vegas and fuck someone, so there’s that.”
The sourness of his look is enough to make my entire body pucker. “So, what? You were waiting to swoop in?”
“Not at all.” But the heat of guilt creeps up.
Maybe I didn’t consciously wait to swoop in, but he’s got a point. I moved fast.
Sure, her email to The Ghost was hot, and all her desires and fantasies and sexual tastes match mine and not his. But I think there’s some truth to his words.
And it makes guilt and shame rise up.
Even as I push it down.
“You’ve been quietly working her, whispering to her I’m not good enough. And the fact that you didn’t try and point out to her I’m worth it, and instead you backed her in her assumptions about me and then fucked her says it all.”
“That is not what happened. Did this thing with us happen quickly? Yes. Unexpectedly, yes. But as much as you’re my brother, I can’t stand by and ever watch you cheat on someone. I don’t think you’re a natural cheating piece of shit—”
“Thanks.”
“But I think maybe you weren’t happy either. She was just there, and you took her for granted. You made the decision to sabotage what you had by taking off to Vegas, and then fucking someone else. That’s all on you.”
He sets his eyes on me. They’re angry, hurt, and lost. “You could have talked to her.”
“I love you, Jack, but I’m never talking a girl into being with someone unworthy.”
“You think I’m unworthy…”
“When you act like that, yes.” I set my drink down and spread my hands. “But I think you squander your potential. I think you should work on you, find the right person, and be worthy.”
He sneers. “Why? So you can take her, too?”
“Fuck, Jack. This thing with Vi happened after you and her broke up. And I’ll tell you something for free. If she wanted to be with you, she’d have fought for it. She didn’t, because you dropped the ball.” I pause. “Do you love her?”
“She was mine, not yours.”
And that’s all the answer I need.
“Was, not is.”
“Fuck you, Cade.”
“And fuck you, too, Jack.” I pull out my phone and look at the time. “Why are you here?”
Red streaks across his cheeks. “I wanted to… talk. But clearly, I should have called in advance. And talking’s the last thing I want to do right now.”
He doesn’t make a move to go. Jack’s free hand curls, but he’s not about to hit me. He knows I do martial arts, and the fact he hasn’t commented on the bruising means he’s really on the edge.
Of catching me with Violet. Of having lost his little rock he could rely on. And, I’m guessing, having to pay rent.
I think he wanted to move back in, so he could continue his cushy life.
He doesn’t know about the one bedroom I own that’s got basic furniture I don’t mind if he keeps or sells. Because it’s meant for Jack. Jack to live in, to pay rent to me that I’d put away for him.
I’ve had it a little while, but…now isn’t the time.
“Maybe you should go home. And we can talk—”
My phone buzzes, interrupting me. I look at it, ignoring Jack as he huffs and finishes his drink, looking around for the bottle.
It’s a text from one of my contacts.
John D: Ivan’s gone to ground.
Which I pretty much figured. Even if he’s out and about on business with the embassy, he’s going to lay low with his other activities. Because by now, he’ll know I’m not just a hacker, not even just a top class hacker. He’ll know I have powerful contacts.
But really, right now I don’t give a toss about him.
If I can find the girl or where he’s put her, then Vi can just complete her internship without having to get her fingers dirty.
Because I somehow doubt he’s going to be caught with her…he’ll be seeming to lead a squeaky clean life, at least until all this fall out is cleared.
Me: Any word on the girl?
John D: I’ve got a possible lead on the man who may have just bought Gianna.
I suck in a deep and sharp breath at that.
Bought? She’s already been sold?
Is this to just a whoever came along scenario, or is this sale something that Ivan already had in motion and was just waiting until his price was met?
Me: Who?
John D: Can meet you in ten at Archive.
It’s a bar not far from here.
Me: See you in ten.
I look up.
My brother is glaring, and he stomps over grabs the bottle from behind me and scuttles back like I’m going to hit him if he lingers longer near me.
Which is fair.
I feel like hitting him.
And he knows the power of my strikes.
Even play fighting, he got to understand that I’m strong and know how to fight.
But that’s neither here nor there.
He pours himself another drink with a dash of defiance.
I nod at him. “Drink up, Jack. I need to go out.”
“For what?”
“It’s a work emergency.” And I stop myself before adding, ‘something you wouldn’t know about’.
He gives a snort. “You work in IT. You’re not a brain surgeon. I’m sure whoever’s calling can be without their WIFI for a few more minutes.”
I could laugh at Jack, at his idiocy. But him not having a clue is not idiocy. Because I never told him what I really do. It’s not for most people, and if I’m honest, Violet shouldn’t know, either.
Jack…Jack’s belief my job is turn it off and turn it back on again is something I’ve perpetuated, and him being less than curious has worked in my favor.
He’s no idiot. He’s just complacent.
Which is worse.
And something I’m to blame for as well.
But I’m not fixing it now.
“There are more things to the IT world than that, Jack. Consider me the brain surgeon of that world.”
I grab a hoodie hanging on a hook near the front door, and the move and what it is isn’t lost on him.
I pull it on and then go back and put the bottle of whiskey away.
Jack’s eyes narrow. “This isn’t over.”
“It is for now, Jack. Come on, it’s late, and I have to go.”
He downs his drink then stalks out of the kitchen area, almost running into Violet as she comes out of the guest room, her robe pulled tight about her.
He glares extra daggers her way, before leaving, slamming the door.
She looks over at me, shaking.
I frown. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She laughs a little, and nods. “The whole point of sex in public, is the thrill of getting caught, right?”
I hate that she had to go through it, but I won’t push her right now. “Right. I guess we nailed it?”
“It’s not really how I planned on Jack finding out about us, but… In a way, I’m glad he knows now.”
I go to her and take her in my arms. “Jack’s ego is hurt more than anything. I do think he knows what he’s lost, but…he didn’t act heartbroken.”
“The love wasn’t there for a long time.”
I kiss Vi soft and long and slow.
She’s sweet and there’s a hint of regret that fades as the kiss continues, the sweetness starts to melt into need and desire, and I break the kiss before I lose whatever self-discipline I have and drag her off to bed.
“I’m sorry to do this now, but I need to go out for a bit.”
“It’s around midnight.”
“When a client, especially a powerful one, needs to access their porn, they need to access their porn.”
Her eyes narrow.
But I add a smile to add to the jokiness of my glib response. “They get antsy, and I’d rather they stay inside jerking off then outside killing, right?”
“Cade…”
I don’t want to tell her the truth. It’s not that I don’t trust her, but I don’t want to get her hopes up until I know for sure this intel is solid.
So, I kiss her again and head out.
John D is in a back corner of the dive. It’s a quiet night in Archive…as quiet as it can get, anyway.
I sit down, my drink from the bar in my hand. “What’s the intel?”
He slides over a burner, and I flick through the information in there.
The girl sure looks like the photos of Gianna, thinner, and she’s done up to the nines in one photo, in another dressed like an underaged girl.
In regular circumstances I wouldn’t pay any mind to a girl indulging in Daddy/little girl or good girl play. Plenty do it. Some of the women are older than the Daddies. It’s not about age, but about a different take on sub and Dom, of control.
Like the rape fantasies that Vi harbors. She doesn’t want to be raped. She just likes the fantasy of being controlled, of being dominated, of being forced to come.
But this isn’t mutual in these photos. The girl is a victim. No matter her age, and yeah, the little girl appearance bothers me.
“His name is Thomas Allistair. Owner of The Dungeon.”
My heart skips a beat. “The BDSM club?”
“One and the same.”
I know of it.
They offer girls for anything.
So long as the price is right.