Chapter 15
SUTTON
Where the hell was I?
I took my time wiping the sleep from my eyes.
When I could somewhat see due to the limited light in the room, I could tell that the ceiling was white as I tried to remember where I was.
The sheets beneath me were too soft, the mattress too firm, and the silence surrounding me felt wrong even though I knew I lived alone.
Then it hit me.
The presidential suite at The Pierre. I was in Cain’s suite. The guest bedroom where I’d somehow ended up after—
My stomach lurched and I pressed my hand against my mouth to keep from throwing up.
The memories came flooding back and I wished my brain could reject them all.
The alley where Bradley was slumped against the brick wall, blood spreading across his white shirt.
Then Cain’s mouth on mine with his hands on my body.
My legs wrapped around his waist as he fucked me against the wall while Bradley’s soul left his body.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but that only made the images sharper. I could still feel the rough texture of the bricks against my bare back. Could still taste the champagne from Cain’s lips. I swore I could still hear my own moans echoing in that alleyway.
What had I done?
I sat up slowly, my body protesting the movement.
Every muscle ached as if I’d run a marathon instead of attending a charity gala.
My dress from last night lay draped over a chair in the corner, the midnight-blue fabric looking almost black in the dim light.
I was wearing only my bra and the thong I’d had on beneath the gown.
At some point, I must have removed the dress myself, although I had no memory of doing so.
I didn’t remember how I got back to the hotel, much less how I ended up in this bed.
The last clear memory I had was my following Cain’s instructions.
I walked back into the building, barely since my legs were shaking so hard, and locked myself in a bathroom stall where I’d nearly hyperventilated.
And I wished I could use bleach to remove it from my mind.
I glanced to my right and found my phone charging on the nightstand.
I picked it up and debated whether it made sense to call Cassie.
She would know what to do… no, she wouldn’t, ’cause who the hell would?
Cain probably owned all of New York City at this point so telling her would just bring danger to her doorstep.
I put my phone back down on its resting place just before I slid out of bed.
My legs were still sore from being wrapped around a certain someone’s waist and I was disgusted with myself for not being turned off about that part of the night.
The way he stared me down as he fucked me senseless needed to be studied as well as my allowing it to happen, but there would be time to reflect on what I’d done once I got back to D.C.
I walked to the bedroom door that I’d had enough sense to lock, but I knew the chances of that keeping Cain out were essentially zero.
I pressed my ear to the door in hopes of being able to detect whether or not he was awake.
When I heard nothing, I released a shaky breath and began plotting my escape because there was no way I was staying here a moment longer than I needed to.
The first order of business was to wash away any remaining evidence of what had happened last night.
I headed straight to the bathroom, cranking the shower as hot as it would go.
Part of me wondered if it was a bad idea to be taking a shower, running the risk that I might wake up Cain when I intended to get out of here as quickly as possible, but this shower needed to happen.
Under the spray, I scrubbed my skin until it turned pink in an attempt to wash away not just the physical evidence but the memories themselves.
Surprising no one, it didn’t work.
After drying off, I wrapped one of the plush hotel robes hanging on the back of the door around me.
It was ridiculous how comforting the soft fabric felt against my raw skin.
I caught sight of myself in the mirror and barely recognized the woman staring back at me.
At least the mascara that had run down my face at some point was gone, but I swore the look in my eyes made me look…
almost haunted. And hell, maybe I was. With that I quickly looked away and continued on my mission.
I crept back into the bedroom and paused to listen for any sound from the rest of the suite. There was still silence and I couldn’t be more thankful. Maybe Cain wasn’t even here. The thought gave me a surge of hope. I could dress, grab my things, and be out of here in minutes.
I checked my phone again: 6:17 a.m. Early enough that I might slip away unnoticed especially if he wasn’t around.
I quickly got dressed in leggings and a sweater and packed everything I’d taken out of my overnight bag.
The only thing that mattered was getting out of here as fast as I could and avoiding a run-in with Cain.
I grabbed my purse and small suitcase just before I did a final sweep of the room to make sure I wasn’t leaving anything behind. Finding nothing, I put my sneakers on and took a deep breath before unlocking the bedroom door.
The door opened without a sound, and I stepped into the hallway.
The suite was eerily quiet, but I took it as a good sign.
I made my way toward the living area and I swear my heart was hammering so hard that it was trying to escape my body.
All I needed to do was reach the front door without alerting Cain and I would be home free.
At least until he showed up to Prescott Vantage’s headquarters, but by that point, there would be some space and time between us.
I almost screamed when I entered the living area.
Cain was sitting in an armchair facing the door, dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark slacks. His legs were crossed casually as if he’d been waiting for me. For how long, I couldn’t tell.
“Good morning, Sutton.” Nothing in his voice betrayed the hell he’d caused last night.
“I need to go,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected. “My flight leaves soon.” It was a lie, but I’d planned on buying the first plane ticket out of here as soon as I was safely on the way to the airport.
“No, it doesn’t. I’ve arranged for us to return to D.C. together. This afternoon.”
“I’ve already booked a commercial flight.”
“Cancel it.”
I tightened my grip on my overnight bag. “I prefer to make my own travel arrangements.”
“After last night, I think it’s best we remain together until we reach D.C.” His eyes never left mine. “Don’t you agree?”
The implication was clear. We were bound by what had happened in that alley. By what we had done together. Not to mention the fact that I didn’t stop him from doing what he did. I just froze and I’d have to live with that fact for the rest of my life.
Then again, what could I have done? Cain would have easily overpowered me and he was wielding a knife.
I’d repeated that to myself over and over again, running it like a loop on repeat in my mind to try to make myself feel better.
Hell, I could probably get a jury to believe it.
But it wasn’t like I hadn’t suspected that Cain might do something.
The way he’d essentially forced Bradley to leave the ballroom was a red flag.
After all, it was one of the reasons why I’d followed him outside in the first place.
I could have easily made a noise and distracted Cain, probably giving Bradley an opportunity to escape before he was stabbed. Could have called for help. Could have not allowed Cain to fuck me right then and there.
Yet, for some reason, there wasn’t any regret about that part, but I would never admit that to the man sitting in front of me. Instead, I stood up straighter and took in a deep breath before I spoke again. “What happened to Bradley’s body?” I asked, the question escaping before I could stop it.
“He’s been taken care of.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Cain sat up straight and fixed his gaze on me. “It’s the only answer you need right now. The less you know about certain details, the better for both of us.”
I felt sick again. “There will be questions. People will notice he’s missing.”
“People go missing every day, Sutton.” His tone was so matter of fact that it almost seemed as if we were talking about something mundane like the weather versus murder.
“Bradley had gambling debts, a drinking problem, and a habit of disappearing on weekends with women who weren’t his wife.
His absence won’t raise eyebrows for at least a few days. ”
“And by then it will be too late,” I said. “You’ve obviously done this before.”
It wasn’t a question. The way in which he’d handled everything meant he’d done this before.
Cain’s expression didn’t change. “You’re very perceptive.”
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. But I need to go home so goodbye and good riddance.” I turned to leave the room when his words stopped me in my tracks.
“Sutton. We both know that’s not going to happen.”
I spun around to face him. “Why? Because you’ll kill me too? Is that how you solve all your problems?”
His expression remained unchanged as he said, “If I wanted you dead, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“That’s so reassuring.” I took another step toward the door. “I just need space to process… whatever the hell happened last night.”
Cain rose from his chair. “What happened last night is that Bradley got what he deserved, and you and I acknowledged what’s been building between us since we met.”
“Building between us?” I nearly choked on the words. “You murdered someone and then we had sex while he bled out three feet away. That’s not a relationship, Cain. That’s not normal.”
He moved closer, and I hated that I didn’t immediately back away. “You could have screamed. You could have fought. Instead, you wrapped your legs around me and begged for more.”
The truth of his words hit me like a slap. I had done exactly that, and the memory of my own desperation made me feel disgusting.
“I wasn’t thinking clearly,” I said, trying to convince myself as much as him. “I was in shock.”
“No.” Cain stopped just inches from me. “You were finally being honest with yourself. With both of us.”
I shook my head, refusing to accept his version of events. “I need to leave. Now.”
“And go where, exactly?” He tilted his head slightly. “To the police? To tell them what you saw—what you participated in?”
“I didn’t participate in murder.”
“But you did participate in what came after.” His voice dropped lower. “How do you think that would look to the authorities? To a jury?”
His logic was sound because I had willingly participated in what happened after the murder. No matter how I tried to explain it away, I couldn’t deny my actions.
“You’re trying to manipulate me,” I said.
“I’m stating facts,” Cain replied. “We’re connected now, whether you like it or not.”
“I won’t be your accomplice.”
“You already are. The moment you kissed me back, you made your choice.”
“That wasn’t a choice. That was…” I struggled to find the words. “A big lack of judgment.”
But even as I said it, I knew it was bullshit.
He’d hit the nail right on the head and there wasn’t much I could say or do to disprove his point.
Because he was right, I did make the choice to participate fully in everything that occurred directly between us in the alleyway and it was something I couldn’t stop thinking about.
Yes, the circumstances under which we came together made me replay the scene, but if I’d just isolated us having sex for the first time without everything else around it, it still was absolutely amazing.
I’d made a choice and, in that moment, some part of me had surveyed the scene before me and had selected a direction. That direction just so happened to be that even after seeing the knife, the wound, the man whose blood lay on the ground, I still reached for him anyway.
It was as if the paralysis due to fear or being overwhelmed had fled the premises and in its place was desire and the need to have my sexual needs met immediately versus doing the right thing.
For someone who’d spent their entire adult life around this image of competency and being clear-headed, this didn’t make any sense.
I’d focused on being the kind of woman who knew her own mind and trusted her own instincts to make good decisions under pressure. And yet I did this.
Cain’s lips curled into a smile. “Call it whatever helps you sleep at night, Sutton. But we both know what happened in that alley wasn’t one-sided.”
I felt tears threatening and blinked them back furiously. I refused to cry in front of him. “I need to go home.”
“And you will. On my plane, this afternoon. And that’s the end of this discussion.”
I wanted to scream. The self-satisfied expression on Cain’s face made my blood boil, but he had me trapped and he knew it. Any defense I might have had evaporated the moment we fucked last night.
“Fine,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “This afternoon.”
Cain looked satisfied that I agreed. “Good. We’ll leave at three. That gives you time to get yourself together.”
“Get myself together?” I laughed at the absurdity of it all. “After witnessing a murder?”
“After witnessing justice,” he corrected. “Bradley violated my trust and disrespected you. The punishment fit the crime.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “That’s not how the world works.”
Cain reached for me and grabbed my wrist before I could process what was happening. He kissed the inside of my wrist before I could pull away. “It’s how my world works. And now it’s how yours works too.”