Текст книги "The Wrath of Cain"

Автор книги: Kathy Coopmans

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Chapter Ten

Calla

Cain struts out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, his confidence following right behind him.

“You don’t walk out of an important conversation. You and me, we’re talking this out. And quit thinking so much. I promise you, I’m clean.”

He tosses me a t-shirt he pulls out of the dresser.

“Here, put this on. Tomorrow I’ll get someone to go buy you some clothes.”

Catching it in mid-air, I slip it over my head. It’s huge, of course, hanging down to just above my knees and practically falling off my shoulders.

I watch him with his back to me. He takes out a pair of shorts, steps into them, and pulls them up and over his ass. He drops the towel and turns around and faces me.

“Very sexy,” he smirks.

“I believe you when you say you’re clean, but we can’t just go around and have unprotected sex. I could get pregnant¸ too, you know.”

His eyes gleam back at me with amusement.

“You’re not pregnant. Quit analyzing shit. We’ll deal with it. Right now it’s getting late, I want to grab something quick to eat and get some sleep. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I don’t have jack shit in here to eat except for peanut butter and jelly and some chips. I’ll get someone to hit up the grocery store tomorrow, too.”

This man is talking like we live together. Like everything is going to be fine between the two of us. We just had sex. Does he think that’s it? That we can just pick up right where we left off and start a happy life together? It’s not happening.

I’m too tired, hungry, and way disappointed in myself for letting my stupid lady parts control my actions to argue right now. And since when did he go to medical school to become an OBGYN? With the way my pussy opened up and said dive right in, my eggs more than likely did a cannonball straight into his sperm.

“Peanut butter and jelly is fine. I do have one more question, though.”

“What is it?”

I sit down on the edge of the bed and rest my hands firmly in my lap. He moves to stand directly in front of me.

“Well, more like two questions.”

“I don’t have time for games. I’m fucking hungry.”

“Fine. First, I’m not comfortable with someone else buying my clothes. And second, I’m also not keen on some random doctor coming here and seeing me, either. So if and when we-”

He stops me again.

“If and when we what? Fuck? Screw? Have sex? Make love? Is that what you’re trying to say? Because trust me, there will be an ‘if!’”

He ticks off one finger.

“An ‘and!’”

He ticks off another.

“And there definitely will be a ‘when!’”

My heart pounds in my chest. I know Cain doesn’t like disrespect. He’s made this loud and clear. We’re also alone here. Just like anyone else, I’m entitled to my own damn opinion. I’m also in control of my own body.

“You and I are happening, Calla Bexley. Deal with it!”

“We shall see,” I say smugly, crossing my arms over my chest.

I haven’t been called Calla Bexley since the day we got married. It sounds even better than I remember. Cain shoves me back onto the bed, covering me with his big body.

“Listen up. I have answers to those damn questions. I’m only saying them once. You can’t leave here to go shopping for clothes. I’ve told you the reason why. You make a list of what you need and I’ll give it to Priscilla and she will get them. And you will see a doctor. I may not have an education, but I sure as shit know there are more options for birth control then condoms. I don’t want anyone looking at your pretty little pussy, either, but there is no way in hell I’m letting anything come between you and me again and that includes a goddamned condom. Deal with it.”

His arrogance is flipping maddening. I tip my head back in shock.

“And don’t look at me like that!”

“How am I looking at you?”  I say flippantly, trying to get a little of my own back.

“Like you’re wondering who the hell Priscilla is and whether I screwed her or not.”

“I most certainly am not! Who you screwed while we were apart is none of my business. Just like what I did is none of yours.”

“Bullshit. Everything about you is and always will be my business. And for your information, no, I did not fuck her. She’s married to Bronzer. They have two kids, a dog, and a damn hamster. She keeps my books for me. Are there any other questions brewing in that head of yours?”

“Not right now. I’ll ask to reconvene to discuss these facts with my client,” I laugh.

“There you go, then. Bring it on, Ms. Lawyer. I have nothing to hide.”

And this is where I call bullshit. Not out loud, of course. I know damn well he’s hiding plenty.

Tossing him a forced smile, I reluctantly agree. I’m too tired to argue with him anymore. As I follow him out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, all I can do is picture myself wearing Daisy Dukes and black biker tank tops. Going braless and pantyless. God, I need to find a way out of here, and fast.

“This kitchen is amazing. The whole house is, actually. Did you build it yourself?”

I sit at the kitchen table on one of the high bar stools. The rounded table looks handmade. A thin strip of dark wood borders the glass tabletop. The intriguing part of it is what’s underneath the glass. Shards of what appear to be broken glass in every color are scattered throughout, giving the appearance of a rainbow effect the way one color bleeds into the next.

“I designed it and hired a company out of Canton to build it,” he shrugs and takes the last bite of his sandwich.

“It all looks so new.”

“It’s been done for about a year. And like I told you already, I haven’t stayed here. I built it for us. You’re here now, so this is where we stay.”

Maybe I’ve been wrong about Cain this whole time. Then again, the way he turns from ice to a blazing hot sun, maybe not. I’m exhausted. I need to sleep and wake up to a fresh mind.

Cain busies himself in the kitchen, putting things away and wiping down the counters. I observe him. He’s hiding way too much from me. Would I be crazy to dig around and see if I can find out exactly what it is? Do I gain his trust and make him think I will stay, then run the first chance I get? Or do I stand by his side like he wants me to?

Give it a day or two and everyone will have the cops out looking for me. They’ll all be worried, and when that happens, here is one of the first places my dad will look, depending on how much he actually knows. He’s hidden a lot from me. He may know everything.

“You ready for bed?”

Cain’s voice startles me and my eyes snap to his. His inspection holds me in place. Warmth flourishes in places where it shouldn’t, thinking about sleeping next to him all night for the first time as husband and wife. This night should have happened years ago, but it was ruined.

I muster up a fake smile.

“Sure.”

It seems to appease him. He walks over and reaches for my hand, then turns off the light, guiding me through the house in the dark to his room.

“I’m just going to use the bathroom. Do you have a spare toothbrush?” I ask.

“I do. It’s in one of the top drawers. Help yourself. I shower here and that’s about it. I’ll have Priscilla get you everything you need.”

I stand for a moment watching the muscles in his back flex while he pulls the covers down and adjusts the pillows. Here comes the heat again between my legs. Heat mixed with pleasant pain from the rough sex we had. I’ve never fucked or been fucked like that before. Not even when Cain and I first started having sex. Both of us were inexperienced, but always wanting to try something new. And like typical teenagers, failing miserably at it.

It doesn’t matter. I will play this game. See the doctor. Do what he wants me to do. Stay until he finds this man who wants to hurt me.

With my mind made up, I enter the bathroom, this time shutting the door behind me. I brush my teeth, wash my face, and clean myself up. I stare at my reflection in the mirror, cringing when I see small bite marks on my neck. No matter how good he is at sex, how big his dick is, and how he truly sets me off like no one else, my heart needs to stay guarded around him. He’s a man who can’t be trusted. A man who will destroy me again if I give him the chance.

There are a lot of songs out there about being crazy. I think they all were written with women like me in mind. I feel like a racquetball being slammed up against the wall with the way my thoughts go from wanting him one minute, then the next biding my time to get away from him.

By the time I exit the bathroom, Cain is already in bed texting on his phone, his long fingers moving swiftly across the screen. He glances up at me briefly, turns, and plugs his phone into the charger. God, I would give anything to get my hands on a phone, just to let my family know I’m all right. I’m smart enough to know I can’t do that. Not until I investigate for myself this asshole who is after me. An idea goes off in my head. I can use the skills I’ve worked hard at cultivating to help bring this piece of shit down.

“Come here,” Cain beckons.

“Geez. You’re like a tyrant on a bossy power trip. I’m coming.”

I crawl up the bed and settle my body next to his.

“You’re a little hellcat, you know that? You’re going to be a great lawyer.”

Sweet baby Jesus. He can be nice when he wants to be. I snuggle into him, resting my head on his shoulder.

“I hope so. Speaking of which, you should let me help you find this Kryder guy. I have resources, you know.”

I tread lightly with my words. I’m hoping he will let me. It might move things along faster.

“You can help me from here. Work by my side if you want, and we can see what we can come up with. He’s vanished. He has others do all of his dirty work; picking up drugs, distribution of them. You name it. Someone else is doing it. We’ve caught many of his men, and not a single one of those fuckers will talk. It’s like they would rather get the shit beat out of them, lose a limb, or worse, die before they betray that animal.”

My face crumples.

“Wow. Death, you say? Have you killed before?”

Silently, I lay there waiting for him to answer but afraid to hear it.

“No. But I came close once.”

I swallow, wondering if he’s going to continue and tell me what happened. He doesn’t. He turns off the light and pulls me in even tighter to his warm body.

“This right here, watching you climb in bed with me and holding you will always be the best part of my day,” Cain mumbles sleepily.

“Mine too,” I say, before falling asleep snuggled against the man I will always love but the man whose life is about to toss me right back into hell.

***

I moan from the warmth of sunlight against my face, wondering how long I’ve been asleep. Yawning, I stretch and open both of my eyes to look for Cain. I’m in bed alone.

Swinging my legs around, I climb out of bed, the soreness between my legs evidence of a night of rough sex with the first step I take.

Padding in my bare feet to the bathroom, I nearly scream when I see myself in the mirror. My hair is a tangled up mess, snarly and matted to my head. Everything can wait, Cain included. I turn on the shower, pull his t-shirt over my head, and walk in.

The hot spray drenches my hair. Grabbing the only bottle of shampoo, I quickly wash and rinse, cursing along the way when I can’t find conditioner. I soap my body, rinse off, and reach for a clean towel on the shelf. When I’m dry, I throw the shirt back on and make my way through this monstrosity of a house in search of Cain, in utter need of coffee.

I come to a halt when I hear raised voices from the kitchen. One I know is Manny, the other Cain, and the third I don’t recognize at all.

“You need to tell her the truth man. If she finds out...” Manny says.

“Shut the hell up, fucker. I’ll tell her. Jesus, don’t you think she’s got enough to deal with right now? Shit, Manny. You know better than anyone how much she means to me. My first priority right now is keeping her safe. And you need to find that rotten snitch,” Cain says to the unknown man.

“I’ve told you all along who I think it is, but you’ve ignored me. Maybe now that your wife is here, you’ll pull those blinders off of your dick and believe me,” Unknown man retorts.

Do I stand here and take my chances of getting caught? I’m desperate to know who he is talking about. My back is up against the wall. I slither down the hallway a little closer only to hear Manny’s voice get louder like he’s right on the other side.

“Good morning!” I say chirpily, as if I didn’t just hear a conversation I had no business hearing.

“Morning, babe.”

I steal a smug glance at Manny as I pass him by on my way to Cain where he is leaned up against the counter in dark jeans, again with the dark t-shirt and his vest. Arms crossed and hair freshly washed, he smells edible when I reach up on my tiptoes and kiss him on his cheek.

“Jesus Christ!” Manny and unknown man both shout at the same time.

I whip around, plastering my back against Cain’s front.

“What?” I screech, my eyes scanning the floor for a mouse or something.

“Dress your fucking woman, you asshole!” Manny hollers, while unknown man can’t seem to take his eyes off my ass, even though it’s plastered up against Cain.

“Oh, my God!”

“It sure as shit isn’t, ‘Oh, my God,’ sweetheart. It’s more like, ‘Oh, my fucking God, that chick has one hell of a nice ass,’” Unknown man says.

Cain draws me in tight. His hands spanning my waist territorially.

“Bronzer enough, you pervert. Calla, go,” he orders, squeezing me a bit before pushing me away.

“May I have some coffee first?”

“Fuck, no. And don’t come back out until I say.”

Oh, I am pissed now. Is this how he thinks he is going to talk to me around everyone? Is this how all these rat bastards talk to their wives and girlfriends? Oh, no. Not me. I storm back to the bedroom like a scolded child and plop my ass on the bed. He has five minutes or I’m walking out there with absolutely nothing on and he can shove his bossy male stick up his ass.

Five minutes turns into ten. It’s eight o clock and I’m beyond mad.

Raised voices are heard once again when I creep into the kitchen. All three of them stop talking and look at me like I’m intruding. And I am. I don’t care. None of them have moved from their spots.

“I thought I told you-”

“Stop,” I say, holding my hand up.

“Let me tell you a little something about me, which Manny should know, being that he has followed me around for a few years. You do NOT mess with me and my coffee!” I yell. “I’ve lived off of that stuff for six years. It’s the only thing that I crave, the only thing I need, and you’d better give me a damn cup right the fuck now!”

“Damn, woman. You really are a feisty one,” Unknown man says.

“And you are?”

I turn and face him, knowing full well what his name is. It cracks me up all these nicknames everyone has for each other. Makes me curious to know what they call Cain. I stick my hand out for him to shake.

“Bronzer,” he replies politely, taking my hand into his big one.

“Ah. Nice to meet you. Priscilla is your wife, right?”

He grins at the mention of her name.

“Yeah, she claims me,” he chuckles.

“Great. Is she here by chance? Because you see, my husband here said she would go shopping for me today, and well,” I look down at the t-shirt that has now fallen off my shoulders, baring a lot of skin. “I kind of need some clothes.”

“Calla?” Cain growls my name.

“Yes, dear?” I respond without looking at him, tossing a wink at Bronzer.

“Here.”

A cup of black coffee appears in front of me. The rich aroma sets my nose twitching.

“Thank you,” I say pleasantly.

Manny chuckles. Cain swears and I feel everyone’s eyes on my backside when I leave the room to try and find some paper and pencil to spend a hell of a lot of my darling hubby’s money.

“Have you ever been spanked?”

I cock my head and glare at Cain, who is standing on the threshold of the bedroom. I’m sitting cross-legged on the bed finishing up with my list. I glance at it one more time before I answer him to make sure I have all my sizes down. There’s a big star next to the lingerie shop in Birmingham Hills that I know carries my favorite bras. I stick the pen behind my ear out of habit.

“Are you cross examining me?”

“Cut the smart ass lawyer bullshit. I thought I made myself clear when I told you to respect me in front of others. It’s a shame Bronzer is one of the cool guys and doesn’t treat his wife like shit, because I want nothing better than to turn you over my knee and crack that ass.”

I grind my teeth and shake my head at this fool.

“Look, respect goes both ways. I apologize. Give me a break, would you? I mean, how was I supposed to know you would be having some man meeting in the middle of your kitchen early in the morning?”

“You didn’t, and that’s on me, but you prancing around with nothing covering your ass in front of my buddies really pisses me off.”

His muscles are tense as I stand and approach him.

“Whatever.” I wave him off.

“Goddamnit. I don’t care if it’s the pope who’s in this house. I do not want anyone else seeing what’s mine.”

Now it’s my turn to shout. I’m livid as hell.

“Don’t you dare raise your voice at me! I didn’t do a damn thing wrong. It’s you. All of it is you! The way I see it, this t-shirt covers more of my body than the clothes some of those women had on last night at that party. And I am not yours. I can show my ass to whomever I want.”

“Fuck. You are so stubborn. Those women’s asses weren’t hanging out. I’m having Priscilla buy a gunny sack, granny panties, and a damn muzzle for your mouth.”

I roll my eyes.

“Yeah, good luck with that one, buddy. You’d be better off spanking me.”

“Oh, you’re going to get spanked, all right.”

“Ha! We’ll see about that,” I sneer.

“We sure the hell will!”

Ugh. This man infuriates the living shit out of me. I don’t know whether to love him or hate him. Bitch slap him or kiss him. I’m not done with him yet, though. I want him to admit he’s jealous. It may be childish of me to pull it out of him, but I don’t care. I just want to hear him say it. I’ll prod on with my so-called interrogation and then when I’m done, I’ll be dropping a bomb right on top of his head. He’d better be ready for a big explosion if he lies to me.

“So which one is it? Are you mad because I went back out there and asked for some coffee, or are you really mad because they saw my ass?”

His gaze stays glued to my mouth until I climb off of the bed and stand directly in front of him.

“I’m not mad, baby. I just don’t want anyone else to see what’s rightfully mine. Whether you believe me or not, you are mine. There is nothing in this world that will ever change that.”

Cain reaches for my face, his fingers gliding down my cheek. His eyes become soft.

“You have a slight bruise right here from last night.”

I know he’s talking about my run-in with Emerald. I noticed it this morning, too, when I looked in the mirror. I lean into his touch.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“I’m glad. So are we good?”

“We will be if you get me another cup of coffee.”

“That I can do.”

His fingers slide to my throat, down my shoulder and arm until he reaches my hand, and clasps it with his. Even though he didn’t tell me directly he’s jealous, it’s written all over his beautiful face, dark with scruff. I hate to put a spoke in his wheel, but it has to be done.

“By the way, here’s my list for Priscilla.” I hand it to him with a flourish. “I’m a woman who has expensive taste. I hope you don’t mind. If you don’t want to spend the money, I’m sure Manny can go back to my apartment to get some of my stuff, you know,” I add, suddenly feeling guilty.

“He can’t. I would bet anything Kryder knows you’re here. I’m not taking any chances where you’re concerned at all. And as far as the money goes, what I have is yours. It makes me feel good to be able to spend it on you.”

“You know,” I say, twining my fingers around his neck. “You’re not as hard-ass as you think you are.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, pretty lady. I am as hard and as badass as I think I am. Now is there anything else?” he smirks.

His amusement amuses me. The minute my words come out of my mouth it will be gone.

“Tell me what the three of you were talking about when I walked in the kitchen. What are you hiding from me, Cain?”