Page 79 of Unveiled

Those words falling from his mouth make me want to jump on top of him and go for round two, but we both need to rest. The worst part of this arrangement is that I don’t really get time with Cain through the week. By the time he gets here, I need to go to bed so I won’t be exhausted the next day. We have just enough time for breakfast in the morning, and then we have to go our separate ways.

Despite how hard it is to be away from him, it feels so natural to be lying beside him, getting ready to fall asleep as he pulls me onto his chest to rest.

“By the way, I didn’t have time to tell you this morning, but you did such a good job,” he praises me. I don’t know what the praise is for, but it still sends chills down my spine. I would do almost anything to hear him praise me. “I expected you to fight me so you could ride with Ethan. I’m proud of you for holding back.”

I think back to this morning and how that whole encounter made me feel. They were locked in a battle, with me caught in the middle. I expected Cain to jump up and rip Ethan to shreds when he touched me, and to be honest, I was proud of him for holding back.

“I didn’t like how he tried to upset you,” I tell him honestly. It’s not abnormal for Ethan and I to be affectionate toward one another, but this morning, he did it just to make Cain mad. And when he tried to make Cain feel bad for everything that happened last semester, I nearly pushed him out of my apartment.

“I think I got my point across,” Cain says. I’m not sure if he’s talking about the passionate kiss he gave me, or the talk he had with Ethan outside. Later in the day, I saw Ethan on campus, so I know there were no fists involved this time.

“Put it out of your mind and get some sleep, little one,” Cain instructs me. We both fall silent as we relax for the night, and soon, his breathing gets heavier as he falls asleep.

I can’t move. I can feel the rope tied to each of my limbs, spreading me wide. Staying warm in here is nearly impossible, especially since I can’t huddle in on myself. The fact that I’m only wearing a shirt and underwear doesn’t help, either.

“Ah, she’s awake,” I hear a familiar voice say from somewhere beside me. The voice sends chills down my spine, and not the good kind. I refuse to turn my head and meet his eyes. Instead, I study each of the twenty-seven tiles, remembering exactly how many spots each one had.

I’m back in my prison.

“You made a mistake, child. I could have let you live peacefully, but you just had to go back to him. He could be so much more without you, don’t you see that?”

His words send tears to my eyes. He’s not right. Cain is stronger with me by his side, just like I’m stronger with him. He would be a shell of a person without me.

“I suppose we’ll just have to try this again. Clearly, Carlos wasn’t fit to own you. I should have never trusted him with you, but no matter. I’ve learned from my mistake and now I have a second chance. I have friends in other countries, much more ruthless than that pitiful boy I sent you to last time.”

My body fights to break the ropes. I need to get free, get myself out of here. Does Cain even know I’ve been taken again? How did this happen? I need to save myself before he gets hurt again.

“No, no, no,” I cry as he moves closer to me. I struggle even harder, trying to get away before he touches me, but the ropes are tied too tight. I can’t break free. “No!”

My scream makes me jolt up in bed, where I’m not tied to the posts and I’m covered in a blanket and drenched in sweat. I’m not freezing. There are no ropes digging into my skin. The twenty-seven tiles are gone, but the horror of my dream lingers with me.

“Ainsley?” Cain calls out as he pulls the bathroom door open. He looks like he was half asleep and woke up as suddenly as I did. “Ainsley, what’s wrong?”

He rushes to me and pulls me into his lap as I break down in tears. The nightmares were better. They stopped when Cain came back into my life, which is one of the reasons we decided to spend every night together. Why did this one break through?

“I… had a… nightmare,” I get out between sobs. He holds me close and brushes his fingers through my hair until my sobs grow quieter.

“Was it Carlos again?” he asks. I don’t answer him. If I tell him it was his father haunting me this time, he’ll only feel guilty. His father is still out there, still threatening to tear us apart. “He’s gone, little one. You’re safe, I promise.”

I nod against his chest, knowing his words are true. With him by my side and Jonah watching over me, he can’t get to me. I’m safe.

“I’m sorry, Ainsley. I got up for only a minute, I didn’t think I was gone long enough for you to fall into a nightmare,” Cain tells me, already blaming himself for the turn my night just took.

“No, no, it’s not your fault,” I rush out, trying to keep him from blaming himself. He can’t keep the nightmares away forever. Eventually, I’ll have to face my demons so I can be okay on my own.

He pulls me back into bed and holds me close as we both try to relax again. Eventually, my tears dry, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins refuses to let me fall back to sleep. Cain stays up with me, petting my hair and refusing to go to sleep if I won’t.

When the sun finally rises, we’re both exhausted, and the last thing I want is to be apart from him. Unfortunately, I have classes, and I can’t keep him away from his duties. But, it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?

“Let’s skip responsibilities today and just stay in bed,” I suggest without looking at him. I want him to say yes and agree to just lay here all day, but I also need him to be the responsible one and make me get up. If he doesn’t tell me to, then I won’t.

I miss last semester, when I could come home and take naps in the middle of the day. I don’t really have that this semester, which makes my days long.

Cain’s fingers run through my hair as we sit in silence. I can tell he’s debating if he should agree or not, so I let him stew in his own thoughts while I wait. After about a minute, he lets out a sigh that doesn’t sound very promising.

“I would love nothing more, little one, but I have an important meeting I can’t miss today,” he tells me with regret filling his tone. With my hand still on his chest, I prop my head up so I’m resting on my chin and looking at him questioningly. He interprets my gaze without needing me to say anything. “It’s a potential new business partner, that’s all you need to know.”

Despite how deep I am into all of this with him, he still feels the need to keep me in the dark about what actually happens within his organization. It’s his way of ensuring I stay safe, especially after what happened last time he brought me into his world, but I want more.

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