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s, not yours.”
I yank my arm from his grip and get in his face, but Leif stands his ground like a mountain of tribal tattoos and harsh lines. He was never a weak man, and part of me is glad he isn’t even now.
“She was his, but not anymore. Logan has nothing to do with the way she feels about me.” I grit my teeth as his eyes flash with pity.
“We both know why she’s drawn to you. Stop fooling yourself into believing otherwise. You’re both going to get hurt. The only difference is you know the truth, and she doesn’t.”
“Stop trying this hard to separate us. We all know this isn’t why you all want me out of her way.”
Leif glances at his mother enveloped in his father’s hands, shaking from stress. It’s her who can’t stand the idea of me being close to Cassandra.
“Mark . . .” She opens her mouth to argue, but we all know I’m right.
“You don’t get to decide who I date or take to my bed. You don’t get to play with me like I’m your son either.” They had a chance when I was a teenage boy looking for someone to love me and protect me, and they blew it. I’m not willing to play this game again with them.
Helen flinches as I glare at her.
“Because I’m not him. I refuse to be your boy-toy. Find someone else to feed your obsession with.”
“Enough.” Darren marches toward me, grabbing my shirt and shoving me against the wall. “Have some respect, son. We saved your life. We gave you a home to live. I have no problem teaching you a lesson.”
I chuckle, shoving him off me. He stumbles back, but Leif steadies him from behind.
“Mark,” Leif’s warning brings a pang of guilt, but not enough to stop me.
“I had enough of perverts forcing respect down my throat.”
Darren freezes, shaking his silver head as if to deny the ugly truth. “That’s not what I meant.”
Helen runs upstairs, unable to take the nasty veracity of their world. This truth was the only thing none of them could fathom or accept. My chest compresses with disappointment until it becomes too hard to breathe. I can’t stay here anymore and watch disbelief play on their faces, but I fight my revulsion to make them understand.
“She’s the light in my life. One good thing that happened to me in a very long time. Don’t stand in my way because I will fight for her. And you won’t like it how I’ll do it.” Stepping over the broken shards and wreckage, I leave the house.
Outside, I find Lucas leaning against my car with his hands crossed over his chest and his chin set in stubborn lines. I join him, and we both watch the moon in a clear sky like a beacon of light between the shining stars.
“If you love her,” I grouse into the pregnant silence, “let her be happy. Your parents will tear her apart. She deserves to be cherished. I could make her happy, Lucas.”
She’s my beacon of light, and all I crave is to bask in her glow.
Lost in his own thoughts, he exhales a heavy breath but doesn’t answer me. After a few more minutes, I open my door and get in the car, and he joins me.
“She does,” he finally states, and we ride in silence for the rest of the trip.
14
Veiled Secrets
~Cassandra~
Leaving my driver behind, I march into the building to escape my life. Dammit, I need a vacation from all the drama at home. Once I step into the elevator, I exhale a relieved breath. A conversation about my driver and security detail didn’t go well with senior Cade. No, he was overbearing and determined as always to make my life harder. How the hell did I get myself into this mess? My chest vibrates, all emotions swirling like a storm about to wreck me.
I know how. I remember why. It doesn’t make it less painful or easier to accept.
I curse when I notice my bloodshot eyes in the mirror. I dive into my bag, needing to hide the evidence of my anguish from my colleagues and Mark. He hates the way they monitor me or try to control my every move. I don’t want him to get tangled in this mess.
After all I went through, I thought at least Leif and Lucas would be on my side. But no, they both disapprove of my choice to date Mark Lawson.
I grab sunglasses to hide my eyes, adjust my hair and fix my lipstick before I step out of the elevator when it arrives at my floor. Waving to Denise, I slip into my office without anyone stopping me. Once I close the door behind me, I rip the sunglasses off my face and freeze in place.
