Page 74 of Midnight Whispers

Thirty-One

NERO

Iblink, not sure I’m seeing what I am.

Cinder is with my ex-fiancée and her mother. And from the looks of what I just walked in on, they know each other. But how is that possible?

I came down to drag Cinder back to the house for the night. I’d planned to draw her a bath after dinner, knowing she’s been stressed about the impending opening of the studio and has been putting in longer hours than Asher.

“Hey! What the hell is going on here?” I shout when Maude steps toward Cinder as though she’s going to hurt her physically.

Cinder’s eyes squeeze shut at the sound of my voice, and Maude and Louise turn around to face me. This is the first time I’ve set eyes on Maude since I broke up with her, and I’m relieved to find that there are no lingering feelings. In fact, seeing her and Cinder in the same room, knowing everything about the two of them, it makes me wonder how I could ever have fallen for Maude in the first place.

“How did you find me?” Cinder asks.

They both turn back in her direction. I walk around them and stand at Cinder’s side.

“If you’re trying to ghost someone, you should be careful about splashing your picture all over social media to promote your new business. It took hardly any digging to find out where you’d been living and who exactly you’d been spending time with.” Louise looks at me with disgust and scoffs.

I look between them, confused.

“Was it her big tits, Nero? Is that how she seduced you away from me?” Maude asks.

“Cinder.” I turn to face her. “How do you know them?”

Her blue gaze doesn’t meet mine, and my stomach sours.

“I’m her stepmother,” Louise says.

“And I’m her stepsister,” Maude adds.

A single tear cascades down Cinder’s cheek.

“Is that true?” I ask, feeling like my chest is caving in. It’s hard to breathe.

She nods and opens her eyes, which are filled with guilt and sorrow.

I stumble back.

“That’s right. You’ve been fucking your ex-fiancée’s sister!” Maude shouts.

My mind races with thoughts. Piecing their relationship together, everything that Cinder told me about her childhood runs through my mind. These two people tormented a child and made her life a living hell. The anger over my own childhood rises, overtaking the fact that Cinder lied to me, too.

I whip my head toward Louise and Maude. “You. You’re the one who treated a child with such cruelty after she lost her father.” I step toward them. “You nearly starved her. Forced her to work at a strip club and give you her earnings.” I get closer to them. “She’s been working her ass off at two jobs while you two treat her like a servant. Actually, less than.” My fists clutch at my sides.

Louise’s head rears back, looking affronted by my accusations, but she doesn’t deny them. “I always knew she was a vile little creature. And look what she’s done with you. Seems I was proven right.”

My nostrils flare, and I attempt to rein in my temper. “Have you forgotten that your daughter was fucking someone else behind my back while she was engaged to me?”

Maude has the good sense to look contrite. “I told you it was a mistake. I’ve missed you so much, Nero. What we had was so good.” She walks right to me, way too close, and rests her palm on my chest, looking up at me and batting her eyelashes as if she’s so innocent.

“What we had was a lie,” I sneer. Then I look over my shoulder at Cinder. “Just like what we had. All fucking liars.”

I can’t deal with this anymore.

I turn back to Louise and Maude. “You two need to leave. You’ve accomplished what you set out to do. Now go.” When they don’t start toward the exit immediately, I shout, “Now!”

They flinch and look at one another before slithering to the door like the snakes they are. The two of them make me sick with how they treated a child deep in the throes of grief.

---