Page 74 of Deviant Illusions

“Do you remember the first thing you said to me?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

“Knock, knock.”

“Kane, stop,” she whines.

“No, that’s what you said. I asked you, ‘Who’s there?’ and you said, ‘Delilah, who’s going to change your life.’ You had mud on the front of your dress because you’d just fell down the slide.”

Pulling her head back, she gawps at me. Her eyes narrow and then a small smile lifts her lips. “I didn’t remember that. Why did you?”

“Because you changed my life. In all fairness, you gave me a warning. I just thought your jokes were shit. But now, I’m saying it to you. Knock, knock?”

“Who’s there?” she whispers.

“Kane. Only ever Kane.”

“Kane, who?”

“Kane, who’s going to get you answers.”

She nods and tests me. “What’s the agreement?”

I blow out a breath to delay answering and to keep her like this, as someone who doesn’t hate the sight of me. As soon as she knows the truth, she’s going to hate me even more and she’ll be in pain. I can only delay it for so long. I cup her cheek, savoring the feeling of her skin against mine.

“The agreement was made before you were born. For Ruby. She was supposed to marry a Kobalt and have a child that was part Leroux and part Kobalt, combining their wealth and power.”

Understanding washes over her and she looks down at her stomach. “That’s why he did it. Asher. He messed with my birth control so that he could have some super baby that no one would care about.” She slowly looks up and her hands are limp against my shoulders. “That’s why Ruby and Scarlet left too. They were cleverer than me. They knew that we were poker chips and dirty handshakes behind closed doors.”

A tear slowly falls from the corner of her eyes, and I meet it as it drops against her cheek. It rolls over my lips, and she smiles like the act of me tasting her tears is something great. The small curve doesn’t last long when she looks over my shoulder and audibly gulps. Looking back at me, she softly begs, “Can I come with you?”

I hold her even tighter in fear that she’ll do some crazy shit and try to go over the edge of the cliff face again. Before I can formulate a sentence that will keep her attached to me and not be a lie, she presses her cheek to mine and whispers, “They’re watching us.”

“Who?” I try to turn my head, but she digs her nails into my shoulder.

“Helene. My grandparents. They can see us, Kane. We can’t escape.”

Fuck!

Is there nowhere on this fucking property that’s private?

Fuck it.

I stand with Delilah still in my arms and cup the back of her head. “Trust me?”

She doesn’t answer. I can’t put her through any more of their shit. I can’t add more pain to her mind or body. If the ceremony they called a wedding is any reference of what’s to come, maybe Delilah has the right idea of going over the edge.

The sun is lower, making the water look like a mirror. I grab her hand and slowly walk backwards. Each step drags her features down as her eyes wildly flick between me and our audience. So I repeat, “Trust me.”

Her feet finally fucking move and we slowly create a gap of a couple of feet between us and the edge of the cliff. I stop and squeeze her hand. “Don’t let go. Whatever happens, just don’t let go of me.”

Her weak nod is all the confirmation I need.

“Run.”

Her brows slam together as I drag her forward. I have no idea if we have enough to clear the rocks at the bottom of the cliff, but all I can fucking see is the way she cried. How lost she is and that it’s my fault. My eyes don’t close as the edge of the cliff gets closer. We’ll find somewhere she can hide, and I’ll come back to get the answers she needs to be herself again.

I’m pushed forward as pain spears through my left arm. Delilah’s scream pulls me back as she tugs on my right hand held in hers.

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