Page 72 of Darkness

I take out the snow globe and look at the skater in the middle.

“You like it?”

“No.” I throw it at him, which he catches quickly, so it doesn’t smash on the floor.

Rowan takes a step closer to me and grabs my arm. “You need to stop playing hard to get,” he snaps at me, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear him.

I jump when there’s a knock on the door I should relax when I see Cain, but I don’t. Katy runs over to the door and lets Cain and Lincoln in. Cain kneels in front of me, and I breathe in, then take a sip of my tea.

“Now why do you think he’s found you?” Cain asks.

“I got a gift.” Katy hands it to Cain, and he pulls out the snow globe. “He used to give me them all the time, they would be on my kitchen counter, in my car. I know it’s him.” Cain looks over at Lincoln, then back to me as he stands up.

“He’s in England, Autumn-Rose. I‘m watching every step he is taking. I have a tracker on his car, his passport has been flagged so if he catches a flight I know about it. Right now he is in his house-” Cain looks through his cell, before turning it to me. “I’m watching everything he’s doing.” I take the cell off Cain and see he has CCTV in his house.

“How? How did you get…what…what if he finds out?” I ask, not sure what or why I’m asking him.

“I told you, no one will come close to you. I’m watching him. Did anything else come with this?” he asks, and I nod because I have no words.

He meant it when he said I will never be in danger from Rowan again. He’ll make sure the man can’t come close to me.

Katy hands him the card, and I wait for him to say anything. “Fuck,” he says as he hands Lincoln the card, and they both have a silent conversation with each other.

“There is no link between them. Rowan’s never even left the country, and Yang has never been to England. There is nothing between them, so this…” Lincoln stops talking, and shakes his head, because I’m a little confused right now.

“Cain?” I ask him.

“Yang. Mr. Yang, is the one who I told you about.” Cain places his hands into his pocket, then closes his eyes.

“Headache?” I ask him, but he doesn’t reply so I look over at Lincoln who gives me a small nod. “Cain, please say something?”

“I’m thinking.” He opens his eyes and turns to Lincoln. “I need to know when Yang went to England, and how he met Rowan without me fucking knowing about it. I thought we had a man on Yang?” Cain shouts and Katy stands behind me, her hands on my shoulder because I’m still shaking. “When was the last check in?” Lincoln takes a step back, and just stares at Cain.

“He never picked up the cell.”

“And you didn’t think I needed to fucking know that?” Cain shouts at him, then walks away from him. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen Lincoln scared about Cain’s reaction, which tells me one thing. Whatever Cain has told me about The Pit, it’s only the surface of what really happened down there.

Cain looks around the shop at the security system that Miles put in, then he rubs his forehead.

“Cain-”

“Don’t say anything,” He turns around to face Lincoln who nods, then turns to me. “I bet you wish you never came into my office now,” the corner of his lip lifts into half a smile.

“I don’t regret it for a second. Just tell me the plan, and I’m ready to fight.” My comment makes Cain and Lincoln chuckle to themselves. “What?”

“Awww, my beautiful rose thinks she can fight. while I’m alive you will never have to fight.” Cain walks over to me, cupping my face. “I’ll have blood on my hands every day, if it means protecting you.”

“Awwwww, that’s the most romantic thing I’ve heard Cain say” I look over at Katy and I roll my eyes at her.

“What’s the plan?” Lincoln asks.

“We keep going like we are. Nothing changes.” Cain turns to me and tilts his head a little. “You might have some visitors popping into the shop, they might want to stay for a while. If I’m with you all the time, then he’ll think he's winning.” Cain takes his cell out of his pocket and puts it to his ear. “Where are you?” He walks around the store and flips the sign back to open then opens the door. “Well, finish fucking her and get a family meeting set up.” He ends the call, puts his cell away and turns to the three of us.

“Cain?” I don’t need to ask him the question because he knows it.

“Do you trust me?”

Without even a second to think about it, I answer him. “One hundred percent.”

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