Page 76 of Darkness I Become
“The poor thing,” Lana said, clucking her tongue. “I don’t think we have a choice but to put her out of her misery. Shehasbeen good.”
“Couldn’t agree more.”
In a flash, Asha found herself on her back again. Cade caught her lips in a deep, drugging kiss, and his hand cupped her breast, pinching her nipple between his fingers. Lana spread languid kisses over her chest, heading south. Cade’s hand followed her, settling between Asha’s thighs.
Asha kissed him back hungrily, spreading her legs in eager anticipation. She sobbed with relief as two of his thick fingers sunk into her aching pussy. He pumped out a slow, steady rhythm that felt unbearably good. A second later, Asha moaned as Lana’s tongue swept over her clit in quick, unrelenting strokes.
Together, they stoked her flame ever higher, until she was sobbing desperately, right at the brink. Then waves of euphoria crashed over her endlessly, bathing her in a restless, all-consuming pleasure that overwhelmed every other sensation. Her vision whited out, and she floated on a cloud of carnal bliss.
When her awareness returned, her body was loose and heavy, and she felt barely conscious. Her eyelids fluttered.
“Cade,” she said softly, and she heard his low chuckle by her ear.
“I’m still here,” he said, sounding amused, and he kissed her cheek. “You came so hard you went to another universe for a second there, hmm?”
Lana giggled. “Those are the best kind.”
Asha was too tired to reply. She felt the mattress shift as Lana got up. She was gone for a few minutes, leaving Cade to pull Asha into his arms. He massaged her shoulders, then held her close to his body as she drifted.
“My sweet angel,” he murmured against her hair. “You did so well. So responsive, so submissive. So beautiful and sexy. This was definitely one for the spank bank.”
Despite her exhaustion, Asha couldn’t help bursting into giggles.
“Pardon me? Yourspank bank?”
“I know you have one, too—I’ve been making sure of that this summer,” Cade replied, but he was laughing too, in a low, sweet way that made Asha feel like he’d wrapped her in a warm blanket. She loved his humour, loved the way he held her so close and made her feel so safe in a world that was anything but. The way he’d broken down her walls not by barreling through them, but by patient, careful dismantlement.
I love him.The thought should’ve alarmed her, but it didn’t. She was far too warm and relaxed for that. It just felt right, like the sky being blue or two plus two equaling four. He’d earned her love, and more importantly, her trust, at every awful, painstaking turn. He deserved her heart more than anyone she’d ever known.
“Did you enjoy yourself, darling?” Cade asked in an intimate whisper, pressing a kiss against her head. “You felt good? Safe?”
“Uh-huh,” Asha mumbled sleepily. “So good. Thank you…for everything.”
“My pleasure,” he breathed, kissing her hair again. She snuggled close to his chest, perfectly content to let him cradle her.
“I’m gonna head out,” Lana said in a stage-whisper. She must’ve cleaned up and fetched her clothes. “Thank you both for a lovely evening.”
“Thankyou,” Cade replied, stroking Asha’s hair. “Not to jump to conclusions, but…I think she liked the present.”
Lana’s soft, tinkly laugh was the last thing Asha remembered before she finally succumbed to exhaustion.
Chapter 23
The next few weeks on the road flew by with surprising swiftness. They passed through the remaining settlements to collect the rents, including a surprising number of weapons, but when Asha inquired about it, Cade merely shrugged and said that Angel had requested them. He wouldn’t elaborate beyond that.
Their final stop was the recently conquered Rockland, and though she tried to prepare herself for what they’d encounter, Asha still wasn’t ready. The settlement was largely intact, save for a few homes that’d been reduced to rubble. But it was the people—their furtive glances, simmering with resentment—that really bothered her. They didn’t welcome the Blackguard the way the other settlements had.
Why would they?Asha thought to herself.We’re their conquerors.
Cade conducted his business with ruthless efficiency, even in the face of the residents’ icy demeanour. He ignored them, acted as though it didn’t bother him one bit, and something about it disturbed Asha. She didn’t like when he slipped from the warm, charming man she knew into this cold, calculated military commander. She knew that that was how he’d survived this long, and that he’d achieved his rank back at the Delta because he was good at it. Moreover, they’d deliberately hammered him into this blank, domineering shape, like soft metal.
But she still didn’t like it. It put her on edge and made her feel like she didn’t know him after all…especially because he wouldn’t fuck her those nights that they stayed at Rockland. He’d been perfectly happy tooblige her on their other stops, but here, he remained brooding and unreachable, even to her. Something was on his mind.
Asha discovered what it was on their final day. They’d packed up the wagon again and were preparing to return to the Nest when Cade approached the wagon with three young women in tow.
All three had their hands loosely bound in front of them, and they glanced nervously at Asha before climbing aboard the wagon and sitting on top of wooden crates of goods as though they themselves were cargo. It took only a split second for the horrible truth to dawn on her.
They were from the local slave market, and theywerecargo, for all intents and purposes. They now belonged to Angel.
