Page 41 of The High Priestess

I lean into her personal space, and my voice is a low rumble as I say, “You’re goddamn near perfect, Cassia. The only thing wrong with you is that you don’t believe in yourself enough. You need to stop that.”

I lean back again and shake my head before I address the other piece of information I just learned about her.

Fuck. How has Cassia made it to the age of twenty-eight with her virginity intact?

Her father must’ve protected her, but with him gone, she’s free game to every evil fucker out there. It solidifies the fact that this woman is way too fucking innocent for this world she finds herself in.

I shake my head again while the protective feeling I have toward her spirals out of control.

“Why do you keep shaking your head?” she asks.

My eyes snap to her face, and the urge to get her away from all the danger surges through my chest.

The image of Cassia lying on a filthy single bed with some fucker on top of her while she’s foaming at the mouth and the life drains from her eyes knocks the air from my lungs.

“Knight?” Her eyebrows draw together, and concern creeps over her face. “Are you okay?”

My movements are jerky as I grip the back of her neck. I only manage to pull her closer before I’m sucked into the darkness, where memories of Ronnie torment me to within an inch of my sanity.

The death stare in her sky-blue eyes. The foam trickling down her jaw. Her emaciated body that’s covered in bruises.

Unlike all the times before, I feel cool hands frame my jaw and hear Cassia’s soothing voice. “Just breathe with me…come back to me…I’m here…deep breaths.”

The haze starts to lift, and the first thing I become aware of is how soothing Cassia’s cool hands feel on my heated skin. Then I realize my breaths aren’t ragged but deep and steady.

“That’s right. Come out of it,” she says, her tone comforting.

When my eyes focus on Cassia, it’s to see a worried expression tightening her features.

Lifting my arm, I wrap my fingers around her wrist. As I turn my head, my mouth brushes over her palm before I pull away and slump back into my seat.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

I nod and clear my throat before answering, “Just a flashback.”

“Do you get them often?”

“Usually at night.” I start the engine of the golf cart again. “I only have them during the day if something triggers it and when I’m not busy with work and have too much time to think.”

“Was it something I did?” she asks, her tone sounding more worried than before.

I shake my head as I meet her eyes. “You’re innocent. Like Ronnie was.” When I press my foot on the gas and the golf cart starts rolling forward, I admit, “I just don’t want to fail you the way I failed her.”

“You didn’t fail her, Lincoln. You were away on a tour.” Cassia reaches across to me and places her hand on my shoulder. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened to her.”

“I had one job, and that was to protect and take care of my sister,” I mutter.

The longer her hand stays on my shoulder, the more I start to feel calmer, but the instant she pulls away, the storm in my chest grows again.

‘This time will be different,’I tell myself.‘I won’t leave Cassia’s side. No one will lay a finger on her.’

Chapter 14

CASSIA

After Lincoln’s flashback, I’m not sure what to say or do to make him feel better.

Things feel awkward between us, but as we near the main building, my attention is drawn to where Santiago is standing with a woman.

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