Page 105 of The Sweetest Devotion

Stolen.

Poor kid.

“Had my father been a man, perhaps I would’ve had a much different upbringing, a chance at something different,” Cain said. “But I doubt I would’ve ever fit in.”

No, not being born to a woman who wasn’t James’s wife. Other wives and girlfriends wouldn’t have accepted Cain’s mother, and there was the chance their kids would’ve picked up on it and taunted him.

“You don’t belong in this world,” I mumbled.

“I’ve never belonged,” he said in a whisper, almost in defeat. But then he looked up at me, in awhat can you domanner and let it go. “The side effect of being a bastard. I’ve paid for the sins of my father tenfold, and it’s never enough.”

It wasn’t fair, but life often wasn’t.

He hadn’t wormed his way into my heart, but I could be nice after hearing a story like that.

I raised my flute of juice, offering a small smile. “Well, here’s to making your own future and community.”

Cain softened, smiling a little as he clinked his wineglass against my flute.

We finished dinner in a comfortable silence. We even managed to work as a team as we gathered the dishes to bring to the sink. Cain rinsed them before setting them in the dishwasher while I stood at the island closing containers and covering all the food.

“Geez.” Cain’s back was to me and I suddenly noticed he had a gun tucked behind himself.

He turned, catching my stare and putting together what made me uneasy. “You’ve gotta get used to it.”

“Right, because it’s my future,” I said bitterly.

Cain grabbed a towel and dried his hands. He came over to me and I sucked in a breath, unsure what his motive was.

With his eyes on me, he reached back and grabbed his gun, going and holding it up in front of me. “I want you to hold it. Get used to the feel of it. We’re going to teach you how to shoot one eventually.”

I took a step back. “No.”

Cain took a step forward. “Yes.”

“Cain—”

In seconds, he removed the clip and released the bullet in the chamber with expert ease.Against my wishes, he came and placed the gun in my hand, turning me so that my back was to his front as he enclosed my hand around the handle.

The cold chrome in my hand made me shiver. This wasn’t me. I never wanted to own a gun, much less shoot one.

“You have to be able to defend yourself,” he whispered into my ear.

Across the room, our reflection could be seen in the large windows. The scene playing out was so foreign to me.

I whirled around, the barrel of the gun digging into Cain’s chest. “Am…am I going to have to shoot at your enemies?”

Slowly, a smile washed across his face. His hand wrapped around his gun and he took it back, setting it on the counter beside us. Another step and he was right in my face, right against me.

His hand cupped my jaw and he tilted my head back. Soon, he was caressing my cheek, studying me as he ran his thumb over my lips.

Soft. His hand was incredibly soft. But I wasn’t fooled. At any moment he could snuff the life out of me. The only thing keeping me from closing my eyes was the part of me that wanted him to see me, peer into my eyes as he stole more from me.

He didn’t, though.

He stroked my lips with his thumb. “You don’t have to be afraid, Wife. You’ll always be safe with me.”

I shook off his grasp and took a step back. “But I’m afraid ofyou.”

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