Page 81 of The Broken Note

Dutch holds my hands tight, his eyes burning. “If that cateverputs its hands on Cadence again, I’m going to hunt it down and cut each of its claws. You hear me?”

Paris blinks rapidly. “Y-yes.”

Dutch removes his eyes from her and she scurries away so fast she leaves skid marks on the floor.

Zane arches a brow. “When did Paris come for Cadence?”

Dutch doesn’t respond.

Zane arches a brow at me. “Brahms? Care to share?”

“I do not.” My nostrils flare. I turn to Dutch. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

He picks his chopsticks up and calmly eats his sushi.

My chest hot and my temper rising, I shoot to my feet.

“Where are you going?” Dutch growls, chewing without looking my way.

“The bathroom. Or do I need your permission to pee?”

Zane leans over to Finn and whispers, “Mommy and daddy are fighting again.”

I pin him with a seething look.

Sol’s brow goes up. “Did Paris hurt you, Cadence? Where? Are you okay now?”

“None of your business,” Dutch snaps at him.

Sol’s eyes go dark.

Unable to stand another moment in Dutch’s overwhelming presence, I climb out of the bench. The more he tries to control me, the more hatred I feel for him.

Paris ismyproblem.

Sol ismyfriend.

And I damn well can eat lunch with or without him if I so please.

I won’t let him take over me.

Never.

Not as long as I’m breathing.

I storm out of the cafeteria. Rather than head into the bathrooms where the girls will probably all run out in fear, I turn right and slam into one of the private stairwells.

Plopping down on the step, I fist a hand, stuff it into my mouth and let out muffled screams of frustration. I try to be quiet, but the sound bounces against the walls, ricocheting in the empty space.

As the last of the echoes fade, the door one floor below opens and Dutch stalks toward me, moving through the darkness like he owns every shadow.

“This isn’t the bathroom.”

“I got lost on the way,” I spit out.

“Get up, Cadey.”

“Leave me the hell alone.”

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