Page 95 of Love Me

“We can help each other. I need someone on the inside. Greed has ruined a once thriving organization.”

Good luck. I am fucking done with all things Family related. I just want to take my girl and start living a normal life.

“Deal.”

We shake hands, and he pins me down with a stare I return.

“Kaden?”

“Yes?”

“Stay away from Celine.”

“That I can’t do, sir.”

I salute them, and when I am back in my car, head still reeling with all I’ve uncovered, Bailey’s voice, altered by a voice-changing program to sound robotic, blares through my earpiece.

“That was a bold move.”

“I’m done waiting.”

I speed away. My phone pings with a message from my father-in-law.

I possess methods of torture you don’t even know exist if you betray my trust.

I type a quick reply. And I have means of destruction you won’t see coming if you keep me from Celine.

When I park my car in front of the house, Bailey says, “Your pulse is higher than normal. That means you are under a lot of stress. It might affect your health.”

“Argh. Stop stalking my vital signs. That’s your way of caring for me?”

“I do. I worry.”

“I’m a big boy.”

I end the call and head inside.

In my room, Celine’s scent lingers in the air in subtle notes. I rush into the bathroom and see the necklace gone. I yank at my hair. Fuck!

With my necklace back where it belongs against my skin, I wait for Kaden on my bed.

A part of me whispers I should stop antagonizing him, stop being in his face like this. But the other side, the hurt, the filled with longing part of me, prefers his attention. It’s warped and brings me more misery, but I can’t deny my craving. I am addicted to the few moments of pure bliss before the pain kicks in.

The door opens, and I sigh. Here we go again. I have to expel him out of me so I can breathe and focus on what I have to do.

You’re killing me, Kaden.

Even though he’s tiptoeing, I am so attuned to him that even when he is being all stealthy, I know exactly where he is. He approaches the bed, and my breath hitches. I yearn to affect him like he does me. There are times when I feel him burning for me. All the love and promises are scattered around us in a pile of brokenness at our feet.

He lowers to me, and his finger grazes along my collarbone, awakening goose bumps from my neck to my toes. He hooks his finger through the necklace, and my hand flies to his neck. My intention is obvious yet he grins.

“All prepared for me?” he taunts me.

It makes me feel all kinds of hot. His cockiness, those mesmerizing blue eyes swallowing me into their depths, are my downfall.

I give a little squeeze. “Careful, Kaden, you don’t want to anger the person who could snap your neck.”

Testing me, he dips his head. He whispers, “You broke my heart… that hurt the worst. Go ahead.”

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