Burn (Virtues & Lies 1)

Her laugh is unexpected, and it makes me turn to makes sure that it is a laugh and not a cry I haven’t heard before.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because your brother would have paid good money to hear you say that, and it’s really…” Pausing, she takes a deep breath as her eyes glaze over with more tears. “It doesn’t matter what happened between you. It’s not the first fight you’ve had, and it’s not the argument that matters,” her voice breaks and with the jolt of her breath her tears topple over the rim of her eyes and down her face. “It’s not the argument, Leo, it’s all the things you’ve ever done and what you do after it. The pair of you were always good at moving on, and Kit would be disappointed that you’re not moving on.”

“But—”

“No.” Her head shakes from side to side vehemently. “He’s going to be okay. He has to be.”

Watching as her hand clasps around the small crucifix around her neck, I pray to God that she’s right. That he’ll make it out of surgery and through everything that comes afterward.

“He was trying to look out for me, and I was an ungrateful arsehole. I told him to look out for himself, but maybe, I should’ve done it too…instead…instead of…”

Chuckling lightly, she says, “Instead of chasi

ng a girl?”

Cassie’s not just a girl.

“Why isn’t she here, then?” Mum asks.

My eyes dart to where Francis is sitting with Penny as it sinks in that I didn’t only think those words. My heart’s sudden thrum slows back down when I realise he’s watching everything that’s happening around us with eagle eyes.

“I can see why you’d like her but getting close to her is like playing with fire, Leo. And you know how that ends, don’t you?”

Nodding, I reply, “In ashes.”

Little does she know how far in over my head I am when it comes to Cassandra Sinclair. The way she looks at me with those big, motherfucking doll eyes makes me feel like I could be a better man—a man that made amends for his father’s betrayals—and then she smiles and I would do whatever it takes to make sure it never fades.

And that’s why I have to push her away and put distance between us, because if I let her get closer, if I allow myself to take more of her, there’s a chance that one day she might not smile. She may not look at me like I’m someone better than I am.

Worse, she could end up like Kit. Battered, bruised, and a bullet in her head, barely hanging on to her life.

Chapter 9

Cassandra

“I wonder where she is, Winthrop hasn’t missed a single freaking day.” Fleur slings her slouchy Mulberry over her shoulder and stands watching me as I pack my notes and textbooks away.

The lecture room emptied out the minute we were told that Professor Winthrop was absent. If Fleur and I hadn’t already set up all our things, we would’ve gone too, but with Wayne now constantly on my tail, staying was probably better than being babysat.

Wayne’s always accompanied us to events. If Dad has a high-profile client, a lot of the time Mum and I will get shadowed by him. It’s how I know when Dad’s got someone important on the books, we get our own detail.

But this isn’t a new job that’s come in, this has everything to do with what happened at the church and the night they rushed back to London a little over two weeks ago.

“We should go to the party tonight; I really don’t want to go home. My dad’s being all fucking weird and Natalie’s a bitch. I fucking hate her, she thinks that she can replace my mum and be better at everything. She’s such a cow.”

Slugging my bag over my shoulder, I try to give her a soothing smile. The fourth anniversary of her mother’s death is approaching and it’s difficult for her. Especially now that Charles has moved Natalie into their home.

“How about we do movie night instead? We can do My Girl and eat as much crap as you like.”

“Macaulay Culkin isn’t going to cut it, babe.” Slipping her arm through mine she adds, “Plus, we’re meant to be erasing twat features from your pretty little head.”

“I don’t get what he meant by what he said, and Christopher said that he was just being an arsehole.”

He’s a fucking banker, they’re all arseholes, Cass.

“I swear to God, though, there’s more to it than that.” I peer behind us to make sure we’re alone because I’ve got that weird feeling again. My skin crawls and a cold shudder rolls through me even though there’s no one in the corridor but us.