The Wrath of Cain (The Syndicate, #1)(19)

I let loose a paroxysm of choking and sobbing cries, not even realizing Manny has lifted me up and placed me on his lap until I feel the dampness from my tears on his shirt.

“I should have never come here. If I would have known I’d be coming back to any of this, I would have stayed away forever.”

“Like f*cking hell, you would have. And God damn it, Manny, get your f*cking filthy hands off of her.”

The reverberation of Cain’s voice draws up my spine. My crying fit turns into laughter at his absurdity.

“You have a lot of nerve, do you know that?”

Observing his beautiful face in the moonlight, I feel contempt towards him, even though he has the most intense blue eyes I have seen and a body that makes me want to oil it down and slip and slide all over it.

“My nerves are gone, sweetheart. Now get up. You’re coming home with me.”

My anger increases in its intensity. I’m not going anywhere with him. No way am I going back to a house that has haunted me for years. Ignoring him completely, my attention shoots to Manny.

“I would much rather stay with you,” I say sweetly.

“Hell, no,” Cain sputters out crazily.

“And why not?” I retort, tilting my head to one side. “If I have to be here, I would much rather stay with someone who treats me like a human, not someone who leaves me in a room like a captive.”

The minute those words fall out of my mouth I know I shouldn’t have said them. I’m not full of malice and humiliation like he is.

“You want me to show you what it’s like to be held captive?”

At that, Manny stands up on his feet, bringing me right along with him. He places me gently on the ground, his crazy eyes watching Cain’s.

“What the f*ck is wrong with you, man? Get your goddamned shit together. She’s your f*cking wife, you *. Now, she isn’t going with me, because she belongs with you. I love you like a brother, dude, but treat her like your damn wife and not like you treat every other * around you. Christ, Cain! Sometimes I think I don’t even f*cking know you anymore. And f*cking tell her the goddamned truth.”

Cain sucks in a deep breath. I feel like shit for putting Manny in the middle like this by suggesting I stay with him. Stepping in between the two men, I place a hand on each of their chests, directing my attention to Manny first.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I’m feeling helpless, ripped apart layer by layer. Thank you for being a friend. I’ll be fine.”

I whirl in Cain’s direction.

“And you! I’m not staying in that house. If you want me to stay with you, then fine, but have the damned decency to take me somewhere else. Preferably with a spare room, because I sure as shit will not be sleeping with you. Leave me there. Lock me up while you tend to your little club whore. Do whatever it is you have to do, and do it fast, because I want the hell out of here.”

“I’m f*cking gone,” Manny states before he turns back in the direction we came from, leaving me standing in the dark facing a man who I don’t know anymore. And if I were to be honest with myself, I’m afraid of this stranger standing before me.

“I’m going to let your smart mouth slip just this one last time. If you ever speak to me in front of anyone like that again, I will take you over my knee and beat your ass. And it won’t be the kind of spanking that will bring you pleasure.”

I shake my head, dumbfounded. Beat me? Oh, my God. He’s cracked.

“What happened to you? I’m regretting ever loving you at all, Cain, because you are being so childish right now. So arrogant. Tell me how I’m supposed to act? Do you want me to sit by your side like a good little girl? Do you want me to be the good wife and stay home? Wait for you to come to me at night, hoping like hell you haven’t been with someone else? Or better yet, worry that someone may knock on the door at any given moment and say, ‘I’m sorry to inform you, Mrs. Bexley, but your husband is dead’? I’m your wife on paper only, and you’re the one who made sure of that. I’m not your plaything. And you will never put your hands me. I’m nothing to you. NOTHING!”

Cain hisses at me and grabs my arm hard, causing me to stumble forward. He’s pulling me God knows where, half-dragging me as I teeter back and forth on my bloodied and bruised up feet trying to hold myself upright. I flinch, then cry out in pain.

“Cain, stop! You’re hurting me!”

He isn’t listening.

“Ow!” I scream, my body tumbling to the ground.

“Fuck!” Cain roars, releasing his grip.

I try backing up, to get away, but he’s too quick. He picks me up and carries me in his arms. I want to scream, but my vocal cords are paralyzed. I kick, claw, and escape from this wild animal.

He effortlessly hauls me up a few steps, a light flicking on when we hit the top. I blink my eyes rapidly, adjusting to the light. In no time, the door is flung open. Cain kicks it closed before I get any chance at all to see my surroundings. For the first time since I’ve known him, reality sinks into my veins. My Cain is gone. He has been replaced by a psychopath. A stranger.

“Sit, stay, and shut the hell up.”

He sets me down gently on what feels like a couch. I don’t know; it’s still pitch black in here.

Cain fumbles around, turning on several lights. Once my vision adjusts to the lighting, I look down my arm and see his finger marks embedded into my skin. My big toe is also bleeding. The side of my head hurts like hell.