Page 153 of Wreck Me

“Lovely?” Cas spoke softly as he reached out and cupped my face.

“I’m fine,” I said, stroking his hands on my face. “You know how I get after one of these takedowns, once all the violence and adrenaline has worn off, and we’re left with the gut-wrenching reason of why we’re doing this.”

It was the truth, but only part of it now.

There was so much more.

Too much.

“I know,” Cas said, his hands falling from my face, then coming around me instead, pulling me to him. “I know, Caleb.”

I sank into him and breathed him in.

Every part of him.

“It’s all okay. Everything will be okay.”

Usually his word and the conviction rolling through him was enough to comfort me. No matter what had happened, no matter what was slated to happen.

But now that power he usually had to make it so was muted.

And I just wasn’t sure if everything really would be okay.

24

~Caspian~

I detested these sorts of events.

Fortunately, the awards part was over and done with and I was no longer under the direct spotlight. Two hours of that had taken its toll and I’d retreated to the gardens of the venue to delay the whole schmoozing aspect that was taking place inside now.

At least having the boys and Skylar there had taken some of the edge off this time and provided a certain comfort and grounding that I didn’t usually have, as I attended most of these elite gatherings alone. Unfortunately, it was part of the image I needed to maintain.

Seeing Skylar look so elated when her mom had accepted her award from me had been a sight to behold, and it had cut into my uncomfortable disposition.

Looking out seeing Caleb and Bastian there as well had assisted.

After the ceremony when the cocktail hour had begun along with a ridiculous amount of networking, all the antagonistic elements had come to the surface.

For one, Damien was here and hanging off his mom’s dress. She’d brought one of her boy toys, those two elements keeping Bastian visible so they knew he was here for support, but at a distance.

Then there was Caleb and his bigoted and consistently unsupportive parents. He’d had to stand with them and fake his smiles.

Skylar hadn’t been far off from that either, while she was around her mom, and as I’d watched Maria guide her from one influential figure in her field to another and talk her up. However, a couple of times, I’d seen her father strategically intervene in a clear attempt to take the pressure off.

That was what the elite of Rossun was all about—lies and manufactured images.

It was definitely one of the downsides of walking in these circles.

But there was a price to power.

It was one of the reasons I had my underground activities, a place where I could be my true self, where that brutality within served me very well in that world. Although, that had become rather heavy lately for other reasons.

I took a sip from my glass of bourbon, just as the rear door opened and heavy footsteps sounded.

I turned to see none other than Frank Bennett striding out.

He was pulling uncomfortably at his navy tie that matched with his suit, then undoing the top button of his white shirt. He clearly wasn’t faring well with the black tie attire. While I didn’t particularly care for the bow tie I was wearing, being much more of a tie-man, I was exceedingly comfortable in my black Armani suit.

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