Kaden
Chapter fifty-nine
Fuck me.
This has all been too easy.
Honestly? I have Dylan to thank for that.
He’s been a real champ about being a complete fucking tool since the very beginning.
I mean, he handed me the ammunition rather than me having to piece together some fucking lie about him.
I was fully prepared to break out my connections and deep fake a few sex tapes on the poor fucker, but I didn’t even need to.
He handled all of the legwork on his own with being the slimy fuck he is.
Now, for the fun part of my plan.
Of course, I reminded Melody of our deal. I need the wager to be fresh on her mind the moment I make my move. She has no idea, but she’s about to admit that she wants me with the proper motivation. And by proper motivation, I mean a loaded revolver to the temple.
I’m standing outside Dylan’s office in California, the sun having just set across the skyline as I finish my cigarette in the flicker of the street lamps. The building before me is tall with stretching glass windows that reach the top and reflect the artificial lights of the business district.
I dig my phone out of my pocket, smirking at the message from Saint.
Done.
He’s such a great friend. He didn’t even question when I asked him to slap together some wedding invitations and send them out to our friends and family. Dylan’s relatives were included out of the kindness in my heart. Can’t have them missing the big reveal.
I flick my cigarette out, my boot pressing into the burnt end as the office main entrance swings open.
Dylan steps out in his crisp black suit as he scowls at his phone’s screen.
He’s been trying to call Melody for three days now and has only been met with her voicemail.
He’s nervous—his muscles coiled tightly, tension lining his shoulders, and a sense of dread in his eyes.
He has his own suspicions. He probably already knows that my sweet, dearest sister has caught on to his affair.
Good.
I hope it eats him alive.
I stalk forward, blending in with the night as Dylan crosses the street, putting space between himself and security stationed at the main entrance. He’s isolated now as he nears his car, his eyes still hyperfocussed on his illuminated screen. I can feel the anxiety rolling off him in waves.
It’s addictive.
I raise my hand in a faux cordial gesture as I near him. “Dyl! What a surprise!”
He whips around to me, surprise flaring in his gaze. “Kaden? What the fuck—”
“Let’s skip the introductions,” I muse as I tuck my hands into my pockets and tilt my head knowingly. “She’s not answering, is she?”
He blinks, realization gripping him as he lowers his phone, and his expression hardens. “What did you do?”
“Nothing, really,” I smirk. “That’s the beauty of it. You did everything yourself.”
The streetlight above us flickers, casting hollow shadows across his slowly healing cheek. He looks a little thinner than the last time I saw him. Good. Guilt does that to a person.
“You’re insane,” he mutters, searching the street for an escape route. “If you touched her—”
I step closer, making his neck crane as the scent of smoke that clings to me curls around him. “I would never hurt, Melody,” I say. “She’s devastated. You should have heard her voice when she found out.”
His jaw tightens. “You told her.”
”I showed her,” I correct.
His breath stutters as his mask falls, cracking in two. His fist tightens around his phone. “You had no right.”
A laugh escapes me, low and humorless. “No right? You fucked around on her for two years, Dyl. I had every right to show her the truth.”
He flinches as if struck, and I savor it as I continue.
“You think I didn’t notice? Always running back to California the moment you got the call. The way you’d watch your phone light up and angle it away from her so she wouldn’t see.”
“Stop!” He snarls.
“Cute kid, by the way. Congratulations.” My eyes crease.
He blanches, his whole frame shaking. “You’ve been watching me…”
I hold up a hand, my grin becoming cruel. “You caught me.”
He passes a palm over his face, curling his fingers in his hair as he looks around frantically. “What do you want?”
There it is.
Surrender.
I roll my eyes up to the nighttime sky, deep in thought. “Not much. I just want to play a little game…”
He scowls, his left eye twitching. “A game? You’ve just ruined my whole fucking life, and you want to play a game?!”
My gaze snaps to him as my features harden. “You ruined your own life. I didn’t make you cheat.”
The word cheat pierces him sharply, and his hand slides down to his chest. His heart must be pounding right now. “Just tell me what you want! Fuck, man.”
I pull my gun from my waistband, cocking it with a metallic slap as I jam the barrel into his side. “Get in the car and drive us to the airport. We have a flight to catch, Dyl.”
Fear blows his pupils impossibly wide as he stares at me. The cold point digs into his abdomen as I press harder in warning. All traces of light have vanished from my eyes as I leer at him with the hooded gaze of a predator.
“Try to fight, and I’ll blow your brains out,” I croon.
He swallows, nodding as he fumbles with the car’s handle. His terror is like a sweet treat, wrapping around my taste buds as I sense it in the air.
Fuck, victory has never been so fruitful.