AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I barely scratched you,” Zayde said dismissively, giving Hyde a blank look. “Next time, though, I’ll cut deeper, if you don’t answer my friend’s questions.”
“Psycho bastard,” Hyde muttered under his breath but immediately shut his mouth at Zayde’s icy stare.
“I’ll say it again.” I dragged my chair towards him and straddled it, my boots almost touching his. We’d bound his legs to his chair—there’s no way he wouldn’t have tried kicking me otherwise. “Why did Christine pay you, and why was Granville involved?” The last part of my question was more for my own peace of mind. As much as Granville had proven to be of some use lately, and despite the fact he’d saved my girl, I still didn’t like the guy.
Hyde stared at me, before he let out a defeated sigh. “Fine. She didn’t want you together. She can’t stand you. I hate you, I dislike Winter, thanks to her obsession with you and your friends, and I got paid to fuck with your relationship? Easiest money I ever made.” He smirked, and I clenched my fists, the need to take another swing at him so fucking strong that it was only Z’s presence next to me that helped me keep it together.
“And you didn’t give a shit that you were fucking up our relationship? Didn’t even question why?”
He shrugged. “Not my problem.”
“Are you fucking serious?” I lunged forwards, and he shrank back in his chair. Before either of us could make a move, we were stopped in our tracks.
“Why, though?”
The voice came from behind Hyde, and I raised my gaze to see Winter standing there, hurt clear in her eyes.
For fuck’s sake! Why hadn’t the boys stopped her coming in here?
I shook my head at her, pleading at her to leave with my eyes, but she set her mouth stubbornly, coming around to crouch next to Hyde so she was at his eye level.
“Why?”
Her one softly spoken word had him opening his mouth without any more prompting.
“You’re back together.” It wasn’t a question. He eyed her with a mixture of guilt and contempt. Yeah, he should feel fucking guilty after what he did to her.
She nodded, and he returned his gaze to mine. After a loud huff, he spoke through gritted teeth. “She didn’t tell me why, but I’d imagine it has something to do with the not-so-secret fact that you’ve never seen eye to eye, and it’s clear to everyone with eyes that you hate her.”
“Can you blame me?” I muttered.
“Whatever, don’t give a shit about your family problems,” he said, and my girl actually bared her teeth and growled at him, fire in her eyes.
“Put a muzzle on your bitch.”
Winter jumped to her feet, her hand coming out so fast it was almost a blur. It connected with his face, a loud smack echoing across the room.
I was so fucking proud of her in that moment. Just in case he hadn’t got the message, I added, “Insult my girl again, and I’ll do more than knock out one of your teeth.” My words were low, but full of intent.
“Think it’s fun to knock me around when I can’t fight back?” he sneered, but I could see the tears filling his eyes. I knew Winter had noticed, because she sucked in a breath, visibly composing herself, then unexpectedly came and sat on me.
“Snowflake, you know I love you near me, but I’m kind of in the middle of an interrogation here,” I whispered in her ear.
“I know” was all she said, not moving from her position.
I groaned, defeated. So fucking stubborn.
“So she hates Cade. What about me?” Winter probed, using the same soft tone she’d used before, but her body was thrumming with tension, and I knew it wouldn’t take much for her to fly off the handle again. Weirdly, her tension was actually calming me, and I could think clearly. I slid an arm round her waist, and she relaxed incrementally.
“I don’t know. I do recall her saying that you having a relationship with your stepbrother was distasteful, and it would affect her reputation. You’re clever—I’m sure you can put it together.”
“Hmm.” She nodded, deep in thought. “Yeah, I can see that. She alluded to it before, actually. Maybe in her own misguided way, she thought she was doing me a favour. What about James, though? How did he end up being involved?”
A smug smile flitted across his face briefly, before he caught himself. “It was an easy way to drive a wedge between you, and I knew it would work. I knew Cavendish was a jealous, possessive hothead and would jump to the wrong conclusion—well, the right conclusion, for the outcome I wanted.”
I stiffened, the rage that had disappeared just a minute ago back in full force. “Why is it that every fucking word out of your mouth makes me want to put my fist through it?” I gritted out.
He rolled his eyes but wisely didn’t say anything else.
