Chapter 20 #2
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t touch them. I didn’t fall.” Words tumbled out of my mouth, and I realized if I didn’t say them, I wouldn’t ever.
Who was this person? The one who had cowered, and would have most likely leaned into the idea that I had tripped.
But he had nearly hurt my babies. And I would never allow that to happen.
I ignored the thoughts that whispered to me that I had already done so by staying. By trying.
“Don’t be so melodramatic.”
The girls crawled behind me, and I stood up, still woozy.
“Don’t touch me. Or my girls.”
“Our girls. You forget that I’m the father, don’t you? Or were you spreading your legs for someone else.”
I blinked, wondering exactly how many drinks he’d had before this. And when exactly had I allowed his venom to pierce me.
“Get out. Just get out.”
“Why? Why should I leave when it’s my house?
Oh wait, it’s not. Your family money helped us with the down payment, didn’t it?
I’m the useless one, who has to sleep with his wife in order to gain anything?
Is that what your family thinks? Why they allow me to be in their presence?
The beautiful and brilliant and billionaire Cages.
They don’t care who they step on to get where they are.
You’re nothing. You’re the left behind Cage, that’s getting the scraps.
Why the fuck do you think I’ve stayed this long though?
Because those scraps are worth far more than you.
And they’ll be mine soon. So don’t find your damn spine now.
You know you’ll fall at my feet whenever you remember exactly what I can do to you, or exactly what I would do to take your kids.
Because those girls are half mine. Remember? ”
“Get out.” I knew there was more I needed to say to stand up for myself. But it was all I could do to try to put any distance between him and the girls.
I had known that Cale was changing. That the shadows that had coated him had long since fallen away. My family hadn’t found out, and I’d done my best not to let them see too closely, but I was failing.
I had failed my babies, failed my girls. And I wasn’t going to let it happen again.
Hazel moved forward, past my legs, and towards him, and when Cale smirked, reaching for her, I pushed out, slamming my palms into his chest.
“Don’t touch her.”
“You think you can hurt me?” Cale snapped out, before he fisted his hand and punched me in the face.
I fell back, both girls screamed their little hearts out, and Cale hovered over me.
“You’re going to clean up this mess, put the girls to bed, and make dinner.
And then you’re going to remember that you’re my wife.
The only Cage we need is the one that will help us sustain where we need to be in society.
But you are mine. Remember that. You might not have taken my name because you wanted to show that you were a part of your precious fractured family.
But I’m the one that let you do that. I own you.
Just like I own these little girls. I’m tired of pretending to be the weak one in your family so they feel better about themselves. Remember exactly who I am.”
I tried to crawl away, to cover both girls with my body, but Cale just sighed, grabbed my ankle, and pulled.
A scream ripped out of my throat as I scrambled to get away from him, but I had forgotten how strong Cale was.
“Are you really going to make me do this the hard way?” With a sigh, he leaned down and punched me again.
Darkness welled over me, and I tried to shift. Everything moved as if I was in a fog. I reached out, trying to grasp anything, but it was too late. Everything was just too late.
There were a few whispers, and the babies crying, but I couldn’t do a damn thing.
“Come on, girls. You’re coming with me.”
I tried to scream, tried to wake up, but there was nothing.
Hot breath coated my face, and my eyes were forced open.
“You’re spending too much time away. You don’t remember your place. So I’m going to have to ensure you always remember.”
My eyes widened, clarity sliding through me as I looked for my babies but couldn’t find them.
And then Cale was in front of me again, the baseball bat that was always in the front closet in his hand.
I screamed, trying to scramble away, but I was too slow. The first break made my eyes roll to the back of my head as nausea swept over me.
And then he hit me a second time, and I knew I would never dance again.
Unconsciousness took me under once again, and all I could think about was my babies.
“Please don’t take my babies.”
“Sophia? Oh my God.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
The first voice had been familiar, but I didn’t know the second.
One of my eyes was swollen, but I still could crack open the other.
My brother. Flynn was here. Horror etched on his face as he touched my cheek, but I had to warn him.
“Cale,” I rasped.
“It’s okay. The cops are on their way.”
“Babies. Girls.” Why couldn’t I talk? Why couldn’t I say what I needed to?
“Carson took care of Flynn. And he’s getting the girls. The girls are safe. You’re going to be okay,” Flynn whispered, though his voice cracked.
I didn’t know who this Carson was, and I didn’t trust him with my babies. I didn’t trust anyone.
But then Flynn was holding me, and a man with dark hair moved forward, both of my girls in his arms.
And they weren’t crying.
He had his hands underneath them and was whispering something about not looking.
And I was grateful.
My babies were safe.
But Cale would take them.
“Cale’s not going to take them. He’s tied up. And the cops are right here. Stay with me, Sophia. Stay with me.”
I tried to fight. Tried to stay awake for Hazel and Violet.
And I met the gaze of that stranger, those green eyes piercing.
“Stay awake,” the stranger ordered, and tears slid out of my single working eye.
“I’m going to go let the cops in. I’ll be right back,” Flynn said, and then he was moving, and nothing made sense.
I couldn’t breathe, could barely think.
But my girls were safe, and not crying while they sat in a stranger’s arms.
And I wasn’t sure what else there was to say.
* * *
“I’m going to kill him,” Aston snapped. “Kill him.”
“Aston, be quiet.”
“Funny you’re saying that, Isabella, when you’re the one that shouted earlier and nearly got us all kicked out,” Aston growled.
They were speaking so quickly, and it was hard to catch up, but this wasn’t the first time that I had been awake since coming to the hospital.
“I’m okay,” I said after a moment, and everyone stopped speaking and shouting at each other to stare at me.
“Sophia,” Isabella whispered, and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“The girls?” I asked.
“Blakely has them.”
“Okay. Okay.” Tears threatened again.
“Cale’s in custody. We’ll make sure he stays there,” Flynn warned, his gaze intense. Flynn was always the smiling brother, the laughing one. I’d never seen him so serious. But then again sometimes it felt like I was just getting to know my brothers.
And I didn’t want them to know me like this.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“It’s okay, don’t be sorry. Everything’s going to be okay.” Isabella reached out as if to cup my cheek, and I flinched.
I wanted to crawl in a hole and die at the pitying look on her face. But I wouldn’t. I had already failed Violet and Hazel before, and I wouldn’t do it again.
Unconsciousness swept over me again. By the time I woke up again, there was only one man in the room, and for an instant I thought it was Cale. But I recognized those green eyes.
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
The stranger moved forward, grabbed the pitcher of water, and poured a glass. When he gestured for me to take it from his hands, I forced myself to sit up slightly, and nodded in thanks, ignoring the pain in my head.
“I heard you say you were sorry earlier. You don’t get to say that again. You understand me?”
I frowned, ignoring the tug of the stitches on my forehead.
“I know you don’t know me from Adam, and that’s fine. But your family’s going to be back in here hovering, because that’s what they do. So you’re going to let them because I have a feeling that’s what you do. And maybe that’s what you need. But don’t apologize. I’m the one that needs to apologize.”
“I don’t even know you.”
His lips quirked into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “No, you wouldn’t. That’s fine.”
“Then why are you apologizing?”
“Because I didn’t kill the bastard when I had a chance. Get well, Sophia Cage. Those little girls are too cute for words. And they’re going to need their mom.”
And with that, he walked out, leaving me just as confused as ever.
But he was right.
My little girls did need their mom.
And that meant I needed to figure out exactly who Sophia Cage was. Broken, lost, and shattered as she was.
Next in the series: Sophia gets her HEA. And her peace in Pretend it’s Forever