One more moment.
Just one answer from him, and it will all be done.
I hold my breath.
But then, shit hits the fan.
31
Kalyn
Tension hangs heavily in the air. I should never have fought my way out of that goddamned room. Watching things unfold before me, I’m scared. I’m more afraid of something happening to Cassian than to me. The men circle him, but he stands his ground. Finn and another man stand off to the side.
Paulo looks worse for wear, and I can’t imagine what they did to him. His face has clearly been punched one too many times. His eye is swollen, along with his lip, which looks cracked. Blood coats his face, and yet, in all the turmoil, there’s a smirk curling his lips.
I didn’t think I could ever hate someone. But looking at the man I agreed to marry to ensure my family’s safety, the emotion bubbles in my gut. When one of the men, dressed in a dark shirt with a black suit, pulls out a gun, a gasp tumbles from my lips unbidden, causing every pair of eyes in the room to turn to the cracked door.
“Kalyn,” Cassian whispers, my name drenched in regret when he sees me. I shouldn’t have left the room. When I found the door unlocked, I thought Cassian wanted me to explore. I didn’t realize they were meeting right here, in Thorne Manor.
“Is this the little bitch that’s caused all the trouble, Paulo?” The man with the gun questions, amusement clear in his tone as his eyes crinkle at the sides. I’m not sure who he is, I’ve never seen him before, but my guess would be this is the cartel leader that Cassian mentioned.
“Talk about her like that again, and I’ll fucking kill you,” Cassian bites out as rage drenches his threat, but he’s not in any position to threaten. Even though he’s not bound or hurt, there’s no doubt the man in the suit is in charge here.
He chuckles, glancing over at Paulo before looking at Cassian. “We may be in your home, boy,” the stranger says. “But I came here to get my man back. The whore can do whatever she wants; it seems anything with a dick will please her. Or do you get her high as well?”
Seconds later, all hell breaks loose as Cassian’s fist makes a crunching noise when it meets the face of the man who’s insulting me. Shots are fired, but I can’t see if anyone has been hit with the bodies all moving in different directions. Suddenly, a pair of arms are wrapped around me, and I’m being dragged backward, a scream escaping my mouth.
“Shh, Kaly,” I’m told as a hand slams over my mouth. The heat of whoever it is cocoons me, but the panic in my gut still twists with worry. I’m practically thrown into a room that I can only guess is a home office.
Spinning on my heel, I find the deep blue eyes of Damien Thorne glaring back at me. “What… What are you doing?”
“Saving your fucking life. What is it with women who can’t stay in their rooms?” he grits out as he rushes from the room and pulls the door shut behind him. Seconds later, I hear a click. In the distance, there’s crashing glass, more shots being fired, and shouts from a myriad of voices.
Looking around the room, I race to the set of glass doors that lead to the garden but find them locked without a key in sight. Frustration blooms in my stomach as I watch for something, anything to happen in my line of sight, but all I hear is the violence of men fighting for me.
Cassian should never have brought that man here. He should never have taken Paulo prisoner and tortured him. I should’ve never come back to Thorne Haven. I started all this, and I need to put a stop to it.
With my mind made up, I make my way to the desk, which takes up half the damn room. I pull open the drawers but find nothing of significance. Only paperwork. No keys. “Who doesn’t keep spare fucking keys?” I bite out in frustration after slamming the next drawer shut.
A loud thud against the office door has me yelping in surprise, and I quickly move to hide under the heavy wooden top. Pulling the desk chair closer, I try to keep my fear from escaping in soft gasps when the door swings open, the hinges barely holding onto the heavy mahogany.
“Where the fuck is she?” the deep voice of the man who Cassian punched has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.
“Leave it, Manny.” Paulo’s voice is clear. “She’s not a threat. She’s nothing more than a junkie looking for a new man to offer up her fix.” For the first time since I’ve met him, I’ve never been so happy at Paulo’s insult because it just might mean this man will give up his search for me.