Page 46 of Hideaway

Chapter Eleven

IT was hunger that at last drew Kara from her den of despondency. She was nearly resolved to starve for the day rather than subject herself to the sight of Cade’s abhorrent face. But, as she would eventually have to make her descent into humiliation at some point, Kara chose to cross hunger off her list of emotions keeping rage and misery company. She planned to entertain the latter two for the foreseeable future.

It seemed an endless walk down the stairs to the large, unwelcoming foyer. At that moment, Kara desperately wished that the garish chandelier that hung above would unlatch itself and fall on her appreciative head. There was a ruckus coming from the dining room with shouts of good humored banter and Cade’s hateful voice among them. Taking a deep breath and gritting her teeth in irritation at the sheer audacity of the bastard to find himself so pleasurably entertained, Kara entered the dining room. The clatter of utensils scraping against plates stopped instantly, and the din of voices fell silent. Kara stared into a sea of eyes marked by amusement and intrigue; Cade’s eyes held something more, but she couldn’t discern what. Attempting to ease the rocky tension between them, he rose gallantly to pull out a vacant seat for Kara. She ignored him completely, making her way to the opposite end of the table and as far away from Cade as she could manage. Cade’s face fell slightly, his expression a mixture of injured feelings and concern, but he said nothing.

Jace openly studied Kara as she walked about the room, his eyes roaming over every inch of her body with an intensity that differed from his usual leering. There was a calculated appraisal in his gaze that made her even more uncomfortable than usual, Jace’s eyes narrowing angrily as though her appearance had been deemed unsatisfactory in some capacity. Whatever the fuck that was about, Kara ignored him as well. The others merely stared, lacking the proper manners to avert their gaze after an unsavory amount of time spent gawking. Kara rolled her eyes as though she shouldn’t have expected anything more from Cade’s criminal underlings and made her way toward the table laid with breakfast. Thankfully, the murmurs in the room began to grow once again,conversations of market values and possible acquisitions dispersing the silence as Kara set about appeasing her hunger in peace.

“You still seem to be in one piece,”Jace commented darkly, his scathing gaze moving from Kara to Cade, an open challenge in his eyes.

“Leave it alone, Jace,”Cade dismissed shortly.“Kara’s actions have been dealt with.”

Refusing to get involved in their argument, though she seemed to be the topic of the disagreement, Kara made her way around the table to fill her plate with pastries, fruit, and yogurt. Deciding that she would call even more attention to herself by eating while standing, Kara eyed her chair warily, sucked in a deep breath, and sat down. She winced as the chair came into contact with the bruises of twenty two lashes courtesy of Caden Ashford’s belt. A bitter laugh from Jace made Kara look up frantically in panic and embarrassment. Jace stared back at her viciously before transitioning his contempt to Cade.

“She lied to you. She ran from you. She put every single one of us at risk. And she walks away with nothing more than a fucking spanking? When did you go so goddamn soft?”Jace thundered at his boss.

Kara wished she had never left her room and simply allowed starvation to claim her. She felt the burning heat of mortification fill her face, her appetite entirely lost. There was no denying that the entire room now knew exactly what had transpired between her and Cade the night before. The public discussion of her retribution left her feeling doubly punished. Her eyes hesitantly found Cade, his face darkened with anger rather than embarrassment.

“Watch your fucking tone, Jace. The matter doesn’t concern you, and I would suggest you keep your unsolicited opinions on my methods of discipline to yourself,”Cade responded coldly.

“Like hell, it doesn’t concern me! I was the one who had to retrieve your little pet when she ran away from home. She’s a professional liability, and every minute she spends among us is an added risk. She should have been forced to retrieve the book by any means necessary, and we should have fulfilled our agreement with Avery. Then we should have been well compensated and bid good riddance to the pain in the ass librarian. But no, you’re too fucking cunt struck to follow through.”

“Get. The fuck. Out,”Cade commanded with icy rage, jolting to his feet so abruptly that his chair fell to the floor behind him.

“Fuck this shit,” Jace muttered angrily as he shoved away from the table before storming out of the room.

“Would anyone else like to share their unwarranted opinions on my authority?” Cade asked angrily as he glared about the room, four pairs of wide eyes fixed on him.

Ortega and Brax both shrugged silently, clearly not nearly as interested in Kara and Cade’s personal drama as Jace was. Declan glanced at Kara guilty, clearly conflicted about how Cade had handled her disobedience, but he wasn’t brave enough to challenge his boss. Silently, he shook his head in surrender. Kara glared at Cade openly, apparently the only one with enough balls to defy the overbearing bastard. Though she didn’t give voice to her thoughts, she made sure Cade could read the hatred simmering brightly in her eyes.

“Good,” Cade announced threateningly, his gaze fixed on Kara. “Then breakfast is fucking concluded. We have work to do.” Cade strode toward the exit without sparing a second glance at anyone in the room. He knew they would follow. Or there would be fucking hell to pay.

AFTER that god awful breakfast, Kara made it her mission to avoid every despicable male presence in her vicinity as though her life depended upon it.She had attempted to ignore Cade entirely, but inhabiting the same house regretfully came with inevitable interactions. Even so, that didn’t mean she couldn’t treat the entire situation like a proper bitch. Anytime Kara and Cade shared breathing space, everyone was subjected to the burning hatred that radiated from every fiber of Kara’s body like a fiery essence. She didn’t feel the need to bother with the pretense of civility when everyone knew exactly what had transpired between her and Cade, and she would ensure they all knew explicitly how she felt about the arrangement.

That also meant forgoing any and all sexual activity with the worst bastard of them all, a fact which her pussy bemoaned far more than she did. The abstinence had given her clarity, allowed her to focus once again on finding some means of escape rather than focusing on all the pleasure she could be receiving at the mercy of Cade’s cock. And mouth. And hands. Okay, maybe she did stilloccasionallyfantasize about being fucked into a catatonic state by her captor, but she was at least tryingto get her priorities straight.

The silent treatment was getting to Cade; she was beginning to see the cracks in his perfectly cool composure. He liked to be the one in control—actually, he demanded it. And Kara was stripping away that control bit by bit with every cold shoulder, ignored greeting, and silently enjoyed meal. And she did still eat with the others, merely for the sake of proving to everyone that Cade couldn’t control her behavior or her attitude even if she was his prisoner. It was her fun little way of undermining his authority in front of his men. And it was working perfectly. She could see the others looking doubtfully between her and Cade, wondering why he was allowing her insolence to go so far. And honestly, she wondered why too. Why hadn’t he just tried to beat her into submission like he had the other day? Maybe he realized that, try as he might, he couldn’t break her. Or maybe, he missed the sex enough to strive to get into her good graces once more. But she had a feeling Cade’s allowances had their limit. And the sinister glare he gave her at breakfast that morning suggested that his mercy would be running out sooner rather than later.

Kara spent the afternoon in blissful, Cadeless tranquility. The bastard and his band of obliging delinquents, left the house right after breakfast, off to pillage and plunder or whatever the fuck they did to afford their luxurious lifestyle. Finally alone, she drifted through the manor with ease, exploring all the undiscovered rooms of the huge house without the weight of watchful eyes. In the absence of the cacophony of men’s voices—one in particular—the manor seemed haunted by emptiness. As her imagination turned the winding halls and unfamiliar alcoves eerie and sinister, Kara neglected her explorations and headed for her safe haven.

As she turned the corner toward the library, Kara was startled by the rough assault of a firm hand clasped onto her arm, jerking her into the shadows and thrusting her toward a large, overpowering body. She found herself staring into the hardened eyes of the man she’d been trying to escape for days.“Cade!”she exclaimed in frustrated surprise. The bastard had stayed behind, no doubt to entrap her and force her compliance.“What are you doing here? I thought you left with the rest of the rest of the minions for New York?”

“I had a more pressing matter that required my attention,”Cade answered evenly.

The implication stirred at the tension in her core that seemed ever present when he was near. Kara’s eyes narrowed at the idea ofherbeing a matter that needed his attention, but she didn’t further engage in the conversation.

Cade released a frustrated sigh.“So what is it going to take for this needless sulking shit to end? I’m at my fucking limit with the silent treatment and death stares.”

His phrase called to mind a similar one he’d used while administering a punishment she would never forget, and Kara was tempted from her vow of silence.“Well, if you’re at your limit, I guess you just need one more,”she replied as scathingly as possible. With the most murderous glare she could summon, Kara tried to jerk her arm free from his hold and walk away.

Cade’s grasp held firm, refusing to let her get away that easily. Instead, he pulled her unwillingly toward the wall and trapped her with a firm hand on either side of her shoulders and his chest pinned against hers. His gaze held hers, and, in that moment, she could not find the strength to look away.“I will ask you one more time. What, Kara, will it take for you to make it past that minor episode of discipline and start behaving like a functioning human again?”

Kara’s sense of indignation tingled at the accusation that her current behavior was anythinglessthan human functionality. Heaven forbid, someone hold a grudge against the great Caden Ashford. Given his less than glowing personality, she was likely keeping company with a great many people who wished the man eternal damnation. Still seething, Kara took a moment to ponder his question. What exactly would it take for her to move on for the sake of enduring his company with a little less disdain? An apology seemed like the obvious solution. Though, considering Cade’s character, that occurrence bordered on the edge of impossibility. Also, Kara doubted a meager apology would alleviate the feelings of animosity that had been festering since Cade had taken it upon himself to beat her into submission. No, she was out for blood. With a newfound delight for revenge, Kara settled on a compromise that was just as unlikely as an apology—though it held the possibility of being a great deal more cathartic.“How about you let me hityouwith a belt?”she offered with a raised brow, a hint of challenge ringing in her voice.

Cade’s face contorted with surprise that turned contemplative. Withholding an immediate answer, Cade reclaimed Kara’s arm and drew her down the hall toward the closed doors of his study. He had an air of determination, but Kara didn’t comprehend his intentions, the uncertainty of the situation leaving her uneasy. Practically dragging her into the room, Cade left Kara in silence by the edge of the desk and went to shut the door. Whatever was about to transpire, he required the privacy of closed doors.

Cade turned away from the door and walked toward Kara purposefully. He seemed to sense the fear in the room and absorbed it with a small level of amusement. He stopped, inches from Kara’s still form, and addressed her with a look of pure intensity.“The punishment you received at my hands was not for my pleasure, as you seem to imagine. It served a purpose, and I won’t apologize for it. However,”he paused, placing his hands tenderly on either side of her face, willing her to read the sincerity in his eyes,“if it will help heal the bond of trust that I regretfully and unintentionally damaged, I am willing to offer you this.”

Kara piqued with anger at his sheer denial of an apology, but that morphed into confusion when she considered how exactly Cade planned to absolve himself of the deed that had waged war on their relationship. As if to answer the question housed in her eyes, Cade reached for his belt with an undefinable expression and laid it down on his desk.