Page 17 of Darkness

“She enjoys stupid reality TV. She likes to dance or do some skating moves. In the three hours she’s been home, she’s looked over at the door twenty-six times, has a baseball bat next to her, and she has looked up to my window a few times.” Placing the empty glass on the table, I lean back on the couch, watching her move around her apartment.

Every time she’s been standing, my sight goes straight to her legs. Fuck, does she have some sexy legs. Not just legs, her whole body is gorgeous, and the thoughts going through my head about touching that sexy body have been going crazy. Especially when she came out of the bathroom and put on her night clothes. I can see straight into her bedroom too, which is perfect. I’m not a sick bastard who gets off on watching girls walk around naked in their bedroom, so I turn away. But it does piss me off at the thought some other fucker watching her too.

“So, not someone who is looking into you, but someone who is scared of something.” Lincoln points out that he was right, and I was paranoid about being watched.

“Is that everything?” I point to the file in his hand.

No matter what, I can’t shake off the thought that someone is watching me. It’s been going on for a few months now. I know I’m always going to be a target and I’m ready for it. The chances of me living a long life is slim, I never worry about my life. It’s the ones who I’ve invited into my life I worry about.

I could have stayed hidden, been the ghost they all know me to be, and not told anyone who I was, but I couldn’t do it. All because of a promise I made to the only man I trusted for years.

“Cain, you have to promise me. It’s the only thing I want from you.” Grandad cups my face, and I look into his eyes. I have no idea what is about to happen, but for the first time since we’ve been down here, I see fear in his eyes, and I don’t know if it’s for me or himself.

His expression darkens, and I try everything to keep the worry hidden deep inside me.

Something you learn to do after you’ve been here long enough. Never show anyone your fear or weakness.

“I promise.” Those two words hold more promise than I can ever give anyone.

“If you make it out of here, you will go to your uncle. Give him a part of his brother, a part of his dad. Tell him I always thought about him, but I need to give him a part of his family back, which he lost. Promise me, Cain.”

Does he know something I don’t? Why is he making me promise him something like this? No matter all the questions I have in my head, I can never let him down. Everything I do from here on out is for him, and him alone.

“I promise.”

He smiles, hiding whatever it is eating at him at the moment. “Always have faith in yourself and the family.”

One promise and I still haven’t been able to fulfill it. Yes I came back into Uncle David’s life, but never told him about the things grandad said to me about him, and that weight is always on me. Maybe telling him what grandad said will not only make me feel better, but it might help him too.

“Out of the seven families’ computers you hacked into, only one of them has pictures of you. So far, it doesn’t look like they have anything outside of this club. It’s mostly me and you.” Lincoln hands me the file so I can see which family is now ready to start something with me. I’ve been out a few years and not once has a family started anything with me. I’ve had a few asking if their family member in the pit can leave, but nothing for me to worry about.

Opening the file for the Yang family. “Fuck,” I whisper the word.

“I thought that would be your reaction. What do you think he wants?” Lincoln asks, and I finally get up from the couch and walk over to the kitchen to turn on the lamp by the counter to get some light into the apartment.

Lincoln stands up and looks out the window and nods. “I think she’s gutted it’s me standing here and not you.” Ignoring his comment, it takes everything in my body to stop me from moving over to the window to see her once more before she goes to bed.

Yet, I know I’m going to be sitting on the couch all night watching her sleep. She’s afraid of something, so I’ll be watching over her. No one will be coming into her apartment without me seeing it.

Lincoln joins me in the kitchen area and leans on the counter as I take my tablets, because this fucking headache is getting to the point I want to rip my head off to ease the pain.

“What’s the plan?” Lincoln turns slightly to me, and right now I have no idea what the plan is.

“How far back do the images go?” I ask. I’ll look through the file myself, but not tonight, because there is already so much going on in my head.

“Two months. It seems new at the moment. if you ask me nothing to worry about until we know what he wants.” Lincoln folds his arms over his chest, leaning on the counter, waiting for me to say something.

“He wants his son, but you’re right. Let’s leave it for now and see if he makes a move, but monitor his computer.” Pushing myself off the counter, I turn to face him. “Like grandad always said, have faith.”

Faith is telling me to hold off, and that’s what I’m going to do. Play it out. If I’ve learned anything by taking over The Pit, it’s always believe you can do it, but take your time.

“You talking about your grandad? Does this mean you’re going to talk to David a little?” Lincoln has been telling me for a while now I should talk to Uncle David, maybe not all in one sitting but a little here and there.

And I have no idea why or what’s going on in my head, but grandad’s words are coming to me a lot more in the last few weeks. Maybe he knows I’ve not spoken to Uncle David and is haunting me until I do. A small smile comes to my lips, thinking about him and his crazy ass. Fuck, do I miss the man.

“Yeah, heading over now before I change my mind.” I look over at the window, stopping whatever pull that woman has over me to not walk over there.

I loved Tessa. She was all I ever wanted, but the pull towards Autumn-Rose is so strong, and I have no idea why.

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