Page 75 of Sin & Secrets

There is nothing rational that spurs my steps toward her.

Only the memory of her tear-stained face and the thunderous voice in my head screaming at me to make this right.

Someone grabs my arm before I can make it to the front doors.

“Haven’t you done enough?” Mia hisses at me.

“Remove your hand, or you will lose it.”

“I told her to stay away from you.”

I turn to look at the redhead. She has the decency to swallow her next words and let go.

Vaguely, I’m aware that she curses as I push through the front doors of theCandelabra.

“Cassandra!” I start shouting into the night.

But she’s nowhere in sight.

I mindlessly begin to stride forward, taking in every face that passes by.

It’s a cool night, and it’s nearing the early hours of the morning. There are enough people around for her to get lost in, but not enough to find anyone sober to ask if they’ve seen her pass by.

“CASS!” I shout again. I have to think this through logically.

Where would she go?

We’d arrived by car. My dark chrome Bugatti Mistralis currently parked in the secure parking lot beneath the building. Without a keycode, she couldn’t go back down there.

If she called a cab, where would she go? Back to the brownstone? Or would she skip town entirely and get on the next flight to Ohio?

Surely, she wouldn’t try walking anywhere. It’s too late for that to be even remotely safe, even if she hadn’t just appeared publicly on my arm.

The lethal part of my brain already thinks about what would happen to the person who tried to harm her.

My eyes snag on a figure huddled under the nearby bus shelter.

“Cass,” I breathe out.

She doesn’t look at me as I approach, but I can see the tears still rolling down her face. I can’t bear it.

I reach out to tilt her head up to look at me, but she snatches it away. My only option is to get on my knees before her.

“Cassandra.” Her name on my lips feels like a prayer.

For a moment, she says nothing.

“Claudio was cheating on me.”

It’s like a stab to the chest. Was I really so conceited to think her tears were forme?

I swallow back my pride. “I’m sorry.”

“Did you know?”

My memory snags on that night at theElectrix.If I hadn’t arrived, he’d likely have had Danny and Teresa that night.

All I can do is nod.

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