Page 35 of Cade

“I heard that you have been up to something. I was clear about what needed to happen, Cade.” The menace is his tone was almost palpable.

“I did what you asked. I got married and am working on the baby part,” Cade tried to sound flippant.

“That was not who you were supposed to marry. There is no advantage to that match and you damn well know it,” he raged.

“You never said there had to be. You told me to get married and have an heir,” Cade reminded him.

“It was implied. You’re playing games, son, and I am not to be played with.”

“Don’t call me son. I stopped being a son to you a long time ago. I did what you asked. Now, slink off into oblivion and leave us all alone.”

“Get your ass down to the courthouse and annul that marriage right now, before anyone finds out.”

Cade smiled to himself. “Can’t. Plus, I had photos sent to the paper to make sure everyone knew this morning.”

“No one cares if you fucked her. Just say you didn’t. It’s Vegas, no one cares. Get this fixed now.” He skipped the announcement a bit, clearly choosing not to hear it.

“Why don’t you tell me where you are and we can talk man to man? Frankly, at this point I am sick of being threatened by a voice with no body to it. Until then, you can kiss my ass.”

Cade ended the call and dropped his phone on the counter. He needed to do that a long time ago instead of putting up with this shit for this long. He felt like he could finally breathe again and knew part of it was the woman in the other room.

Glancing over, he didn’t see her anymore. She’d gotten up and some point during the call, hopefully before she listened to too much of it.

“April?” Cade asked, going in search of the room for her.

“Just a minute,” she called from the bathroom.

He was damn tired of her hiding in that bathroom from him. Half the time they’d spent in this room, she’d hidden in there.

“Sorry,” she stepped out, a little breathless, but dressed with her face washed and teeth brushed.

Cade smiled at her. He might not remember shit from last night, but she wasn’t acting like a woman whose man put his needs before her own. Pushing his luck, he took a step forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Did you sleep okay?” He asked, pulling her in against his bare chest.

She nodded against him. “I think so.”

“We aren’t in a rush. Do you want to hang out here today?” Cade offered. It was what he wanted. No need to interrupt what was going so well.

Before she could answer, his phone rang again. He stepped away from April and stormed into the other room, grabbing it off the counter. To his surprise, it wasn’t his father again. This time, it was Evan.

He answered with a smile. “Anyone ever tell you not to bother people on their honeymoon?”

“I wish I was just bothering you,” Evan sounded serious.

Cade walked back into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed and patting the space next to him, hoping April would join him. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone started a fire in the alley last night next to the restaurant. Nothing is damaged, but it definitely was a threat that they could do more if they wanted. It was deliberate, the police said.”

“What the fuck?” Cade demanded. “Let me call you back.” He hung up on his friend and turned to April.

“What’s wrong?” Her eyes were wide as her hand came up to rest on his arm.

“Unfortunately, we need to go. Seems people are up to their old tricks again. I’m going to have to cut the whole trip short. Sorry.”

He left her sitting there and went to his suitcase, tossing it on the bed. April moved around the room, getting her things together. In less than half an hour, the plane was ready, and they were closing their bags.

April hadn’t said a word as he fumed. He couldn’t even find the words to try to fix things with her. He had tried to call his father’s bluff and that his father had proven he wasn’t bluffing. It was a dangerous game, one Cade was currently losing at.

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