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“That’s enough,” I growled. Fallon’s lip was trembling, and she looked like she was struggling to hold it together. “Back to the party, otherwise people will be asking where we are. I’ll show Fallon to her room.”
“Yes, sir.” Cassius saluted me, and I gave him a hard stare. “Cade! He’s giving me his serial killer look again!”
Caiden cuffed him around the head as they fucking finally began filing out of the room until I was left with Fallon, West, and Lena.
West cleared his throat. “We’re not going anywhere. And unless you want an eyeful in the next five minutes, I suggest you get out of here. Now.”
“Come with me.” I tipped my head to Fallon, still not meeting her gaze, and then turned on my heel to leave the room.
I was far too aware of Fallon’s footsteps behind me as we walked through the house. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, the sound stopped, and then she spoke from behind me.
“You know I’m not staying here. I didn’t want to cause a scene back there, but I can’t do it. I can’t sleep under the same roof—”
“I get it.” Clenching my jaw, I turned to her, seeing the way her arms were folded across her chest defensively, her eyes daring me to challenge her. “I’ll take you back to James’ flat.”
“No. I’ll get a taxi.”
“I’m taking you back. No arguments.”
“I’m not going on your bike.”
“Fine. We’ll take a car.” Stalking towards the door, I swiped the nearest set of keys from the drawer of the console table. Cassius’ SUV. Jerking my head at her, I yanked the door open. “Move, or I’ll move you.”
She made a soft gasp, and I should’ve felt bad for the way I was speaking to her, but I really didn’t. Seeing that she made it back in one piece was all I was concerned with.
She slid into the back seat of the SUV, stubborn to the end, but at least she wasn’t fighting me on driving her back anymore. I needed her safe.
When we reached the apartment building, I came to a stop at the edge of the kerb. “I’m walking you up.”
“No.”
Gripping her arm with one hand, I hit the button to lock the car with the other and then began moving towards the building. She huffed but seemed to realise that I wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and I loosened my grip a little so my fingers were lightly curled around her. Just touching her, even in this way, after so long…it was too much and not enough. Torture. All I wanted to do was to hold her and never let her go.
The silence was fucking excruciating, but it was better than anything I’d experienced in almost two years because she was back here with me.And although she didn’t know it yet, I wasn’t letting her go again. I’d known it from the second I’d laid eyes on her at the party. I’d work on getting her to forgive me, to give us a second chance, and if it meant I had to play dirty, then I’d do whatever it took. She was back here, and she was mine.
“You can leave now.” She paused at the bottom of the stairs.
“Nice try.” I went to move, but she remained where she was, glaring at me.
We were doing this the hard way, then. I raised a brow, letting my mouth curve into a smirk. “If that’s the way you want to play this, angel.”
Then I released my grip on her wrist and scooped her up into a fireman’s carry.
She screeched, flailing against me, but I started up the stairs and didn’t stop moving until we were outside Granville’s door. Knowing exactly where he lived came in handy.
When I lowered her to the floor, she shoved against my chest, hard. “Leave me alone.”
I took a step back, allowing her the space I knew she was craving. She wasted no time in unlocking the door and pushing inside the flat. But before I left her alone, I had one thing I wanted to say.
“You and I both know you’re not like your dad and brother. I know you don’t need me here to watch you, so I’ll leave you alone.”For now. As she took another step into the flat, I moved towards the door, closing my fingers around the handle. “Goodnight, Fallon.”
ELEVEN
Even though I told myself to look away, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. No matter how conflicted I was, no matter how much I wanted to hate him, the indisputable fact remained that he was a beautiful man. A man that had been my first love.
“Zayde.” His name fell from my mouth in a whisper full of longing, even though I didn’t want it to be.
He paused in the doorway, his arms coming up to grip the top of the door frame, his biceps standing out in sharp relief, his tattoos covering almost every inch of bare skin. I swallowed hard, wishing once again that he didn’t affect me so much. It wasn’t only that he was so gorgeous, but it was also the memory of the way he had always been so soft with me, when he was so hard with everyone else.
