Caged: The Underground

As much as I had wanted to believe otherwise, Cason had been right.

My entire childhood took on a completely different meaning. The reason Butcher had sent me away was so I hadn’t formed a brotherly attachment to him.

He wanted me to think of him romantically.

I wanted to puke.

Was he insane? Butcher was much older than me, by twenty years.

Had he planned this all along? And if I wasn’t a Brannon, who was I?

I needed Cason.

Tears burned behind my lids.

Suddenly, my door opened and Butcher was there. I gasped and wiped at my eyes, feeling violated with him in my space.

“I know this is a big shock,” Butcher started gruffly. “But give it time to sink in. I’ve always loved you, Holly. I want to give you the life you deserve.”

“Who am I?” I asked, ignoring his declaration of affection. “What was my mother’s name? What’s my real name?”

“Don’t dwell on the past when the future is far more interesting,” he advised. “Get some sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”

But I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to leave.

“I’m going to get my own apartment,” I said as he started to close the door. My statement caused him to pause, his gaze narrowed. “If I’m not family, you shouldn’t have to pay my expenses. You’ve already done too much. I don’t want to burden you any further.”

“Maybe I wasn’t clear,” he said. “You are going to be my wife. End of story.”

And then he shut the door.

I ran and turned the lock with trembling fingers. He probably had a key but even the pretense of locking him out gave me some semblance of security.

Was I a prisoner here?

Sick, twisted, and perverted.

Butcher wasn’t right in the head.

How could I have missed such a huge red flag?

Perhaps I sensed something was wrong, which was why I had always sought solace in books.

But what could I do now?

I could run.

But that would leave Cason with nothing.

I couldn’t do that to him.

I fell back onto the bed and closed my eyes, my head starting to throb.

I didn’t know what to do. I felt trapped.

And useless.

How would I manage to find what Cason needed?

I didn’t think I could stomach playing along with Butcher, pretending to feel romantically toward the man I’d always thought was my brother.

I shuddered.

Good God, that’s what Johnny had been alluding to back at my apartment. Disgusting little weasel.

No one knew more than Johnny about Butcher’s dealings.

Chances were Johnny knew where I came from.

I must’ve fallen asleep for when my eyes popped open as a hand clamped over my mouth, all was quiet and still.

I bit back a scream when I realized it was Cason.

“Oh my God,” I exclaimed, hugging him tightly. “How’d you get in?”

“The window. Butcher’s arrogance is his mistake. He has shit security around the perimeter of the house. All I had to do was climb to your window.”

“How’d you know it was mine?”

“I didn’t,” he admitted with a rueful chuckle. “I figured I’d have to take my chances. Luck was on my side.”

“That was a stupid chance to take,” I admonished but I was so relieved to see him. I wanted him to take me away with him but I knew if I left with Cason we’d always be on the run. Butcher would never stop until we were both dead. I drew a deep breath, still unable to believe it myself. “You were right. Butcher isn’t my brother at all. He admitted it to me at dinner. He wants me to marry him.”

As if that wasn’t disgusting enough, I told Cason about the embarrassing way he’d made me dress.

Anger burned hot in Cason’s eyes. “Sick bastard,” he muttered. “I knew something wasn’t right.”

“But I don’t know who I am, Cason,” I said, distressed. “How did he get a hold of me? I was so young. I must have parents somewhere.”

Cason cupped my face and kissed me hard. It was just the grounding I need to stop spinning into the ether. “You are mine, baby girl,” he said. “We’ll find the answers together.”

I nodded, weak with relief knowing that Cason was here but I knew he couldn’t stay.

“You need to get a hold of Johnny Malco, he’s the weasel that’s always by Butcher’s side. He knows all of Butcher’s secrets. Squeeze him and see what spills out.”

I barely recognized the ruthlessness in my voice. But I had changed in more ways than one.

I felt as if I’d been led around with blinders on for far too long. I’d been too afraid to ask questions, too timid to press when my intuition started ringing bells, too content to bury myself in make-believe.

That ended the minute Cason showed me how to really live.

Revulsion for everything Butcher stood for curdled in my gut. I wanted to bring him down as much as Cason.

But we had a ticking clock set against us.

“Butcher expects me to just fall in love with him because he’s paid my bills all these years. He’s fucking insane. I mean, not figuratively, but literally. I’ve never seen him so…obsessed. And not in a good way,” I clarified.

I thrilled when Cason looked at me with wild lust; I wanted to vomit when Butcher did.

“I’ll see what Johnny says when we apply some pressure,” Cason said darkly. “In the meantime, try not to do anything that rouses suspicion.”

“That’s a tall order. When I look at Butcher I want to claw his eyes out, not go on a honeymoon cruise.”

“I promise you, you’re not going anywhere with him but I need him to believe that you might be agreeable to a future with him. I know, disgusting,” he said quickly when I grimaced “but I need him to let down his guard. He won’t do that if he’s thinking that you’re not on his side.”

Cason had a valid point but I didn’t know if I was up to the task of pretending to that level. I wasn’t that good of an actress.

I grabbed Cason and held him tight. “Please be careful. Don’t underestimate Johnny. He’s a rat but he has sharp teeth and claws. He won’t fight fair so don’t expect him to.”

Cason caressed my crown and murmured, “Baby, who said anything about fighting fair? I fight to win.”

I watched as Cason climbed out my window and made his way down to the ground, dropping soundlessly.

I didn’t care what anyone said — they could laugh and roll their eyes all they wanted — but I loved that man.

Call it insta-love, call it infatuation, call it plain lust, it didn’t matter to me because I knew what was true.

Somehow Cason had stolen my heart the day he’d plucked me from my black and white world and introduced me to a world filled with color.

And I wasn’t going back to the way it was.

Not ever.

Chapter 30

Cason

Holly gave us the best direction to go into by leading us to Johnny Malco.

I’d seen him around but I hadn’t paid him much attention.

Perhaps that was his strength, being able to sneak around without being noticed.

Holly’s description of him was spot on — the man looked like a weasel.

We tailed Johnny all day, watching his routine, trying to find the best time to spring him without tipping off anyone on Butcher’s crew.

Johnny must’ve felt pretty insulated with Butcher’s protection. His eyes were sharp, which showed intelligence, but his swagger looked out of place on his small frame.

“Collecting money for Butcher,” Tito observed as Johnny disappeared into a liquor store in Rebel territory. “Or picking up lunch.”

But when Johnny returned without anything, I shared a look with Tito, confirmed saying, “Collection day. I’ll bet he has a nice wad of cash tucked into the inside pocket of his leather jacket.”

r /> “Maybe we ought to relieve him of his burden,” Tito suggested and I offered a short grin.

Johnny made a few more stops and then detoured to an apartment complex on 34th. His cock-sure stride was all about making an impression.

I looked to Tito. “Looks like someone thinks they’re gonna get laid. Maybe we ought to save that poor woman from wasting her time.”

“You mean, all of five minutes?” Tito snickered before glowering, tucking his piece behind him. “Yeah, let’s get acquainted with this mutha. I could use an outlet for all this frustration.”

I nodded. Tito had a score to settle, just as I did.

Now, it was about more than my sister and Shay. I had Holly in my head, too.

I hated her stuck in that house with Butcher.

Especially now that Butcher had spilled the beans about their relationship.

There was nothing to stop Butcher from satisfying his lust for my woman.

Yeah, she was mine.

I’d tell it to the world.