“This place looks fun.”
Cassie smiled at her sister as they walked into The Grind. “It really does.”
This was her first time in the coffee shop too. Courtney owned and ran the place, and Aidan raved about it. It had Courtney written all over it, with vibrant colors on the walls, and it was exactly what Cassie needed this morning.
They were only staying for a quick coffee before visiting Damien, but she had a feeling she’d be back often.
Aidan slid an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll go order some coffees at the counter.”
She smiled at him, wanting to drown in those dark brown eyes. “Thank you.”
He’d held her the entire night, and so much of the anxiety inside her dissipated with his touch. He was the only reason she’d been able to sleep at all.
They slid into the booth, and Cassie noticed Mia watching her closely.
“What is it?”
Mia blinked, like she regretted being caught staring. “Nothing.”
Cassie wasn’t buying it. “It’s not nothing. You’re looking at me like you want to say something. Say it.”
Mia squirmed uncomfortably in the booth. “It’s just… I’m happy that you and Aidan have found each other again. I know you’ve always loved him. But…you’re still married to Damien.”
With everything they’d had going on, she hadn’t had a chance to tell Mia the truth about her marriage. “Damien’s gay, Mia.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What?”
“I’ve known for years. Since we were teens. When I decided to rejoin Paragons of Hope, I knew I couldn’t live outside the compound because I wasn’t married. I also knew Damien wanted out, but he had no way to manage it. So, I approached him and suggested we marry in name only. I also told him from the beginning that I was trying to get the organization shut down.” She lifted a shoulder. “We were close friends, so it worked for both of us. Our marriage is nothing more than a piece of paper, but it helped us both get through the last few years.”
For a moment, Mia just stared at her. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Cassie swallowed. She’d been expecting that question. “Because Elijah is a huge threat, and if he’d found out about Damien and me, or suspected you knew, you could have been in danger. I didn’t want to put you in a position where Elijah might hurt you to find out what you know.”
And Mia was in deep with Paragons of Hope. She believed everything Elijah had ever spewed.
Mia turned to gaze out the window. It was impossible to figure out what her sister was thinking. It wasn’t that long ago when Cassie had thought she could read her like a book.
She leaned forward and touched Mia’s hand. “I wanted to keep you safe.” That was all she’d ever wanted. “Maybe I should have told you,” Cassie continued. “I was just so scared to lose you. After losing Aidan, I needed you to be okay.”
Mia opened her mouth, but suddenly Courtney was at their table, setting down two mugs.
“Here you go, ladies.”
Cassie smiled at the café owner. “Hi, Courtney. This is my sister, Mia. Mia, this is Courtney. She owns and runs The Grind.”
The women smiled at each other, but Cassie didn’t miss how much friendlier Courtney’s smile was in comparison to Mia’s.
“Well, hi,” Courtney said. “Man, you guys have great genetics. Beauty runs in the family.”
Cassie chuckled. “Says the beautiful woman with the exotic multicolored eyes.” Courtney had one green eye and one brown. She was gorgeous.
Cassie lifted her coffee and sipped the hot liquid. Wow. It had to be the best coffee she’d ever had. “Courtney, this is amazing.”
The woman beamed. “That would be the love I pour into it.”
Cassie lowered the mug, but before she put it down, she noticed the writing on the side.
I want to ki_ _ you. Results may vary.
Cassie laughed. She’d heard about the funny mugs here. And not only was hers funny, it was also very fitting for her life right now. “This is awesome.”
“Oh, I have better ones than that. But you need to keep coming if you want to read all of them.”
Cassie looked across the table and noticed Mia hadn’t tried hers. Then she remembered. “Oh, crap! Sorry, Courtney, could Mia get a juice? She doesn’t drink coffee.”
Mia shook her head. “Oh no, that’s okay—”
“Don’t be silly! Of course I’ll get you some juice.” Courtney lifted the mug. “Don’t get me wrong, I think you’re nuts and I have no idea how you survive without coffee—the stuff fuels me—but I’ll oblige.”
Courtney took the mug and headed back to the counter. Cassie caught sight of Aidan at the counter talking to Jason. He winked at her, and her heart did that big thud-against-her-ribs thing it often did for him.
Cassie looked back to her sister. “Sorry.”
She shook her head, looking away. “You don’t need to apologize.”
Cassie frowned. “Mia, are you okay?” She knew there was a lot going on, but her sister was being quiet in a way that just wasn’t like her.
Mia squirmed in her seat. When she didn’t reply, unease began to slide into Cassie’s gut.
“Mia…” She touched her sister’s hand again. Mia pulled it away.
Okay, Mia had never pulled away from her before.
Finally, her sister looked at her. “This is all just a lot, okay? A week ago, I had a father. A community. A home.”
“I know. And I’m sorry, Mia. But I’m also your family. And my home can be your home.”
Technically, it was Aidan’s home. But he would let Mia stay. He knew how important she was to Cassie. She still didn’t completely trust her sister, but they had time to work on their relationship. To get back to something that looked similar to where they’d come from.
Mia’s gaze lowered to the table. When she looked up again, her expression was pleading. “Are you sure about all of this? Like, really sure?”
Cassie pulled back, confused. “Sure about what?”
“Are you sure Elijah did everything you said he did?” Mia leaned forward. “Elijah’s never been anything but kind to me, Cass, and I’ve never seen him be anything but kind to others. He has a huge community of people who believe in him. How can so many people be wrong?”
After everything Cassie had endured in the last several days, how could her sister still be questioning her? How could she still be defending him?
“Because he’s good at putting on a show and only letting people see what he wants them to see,” Cassie said quietly. “Olive wouldn’t lie about what happened to her and what she saw.”
“I just… I’m sorry! I’m really struggling to believe it.”
It was like a kick to the gut. Again.
Mia sighed heavily. “Elijah is—”
“A phony.” She couldn’t take it anymore. “Maybe the Elijah you know didn’t touch you because he’s your father.” Damn, that still hurt to say. “He didn’t murder you for your insurance money.” Yet. “But he raped Olive and countless other women. He murdered Olive’s brother right in front of her eyes. And I guarantee you, ninety-nine percent of the members who’ve died have not died by accident.”
“Olive is still mourning her brother’s death,” her sister said quickly. “That does crazy things to a person. It could even make them lie for attention. Or create stories in their head.”
Cassie blinked. A slow blink that was accompanied by a shuddered breath. “Elijah told you that, didn’t he?”
“Yes.” Mia’s response was immediate. “He also told me—”
She stopped.
Cassie frowned. Dread filled her. “What?”
“He told me that you’re the reason Mom left. That you couldn’t handle life at the compound and you wanted out, and no matter how much convincing he did on his part, Mom wouldn’t stay. So she pulled us away from our community. From my father. For you.”
Cassie sucked in a sharp breath. “And you believed him?”
But she knew. Not only did her sister believe his bullshit—she also blamed Cassie for the entire trajectory of her life. She didn’t have to say those words for Cassie to see it in her eyes. Did she blame her for their mother’s death too? If they hadn’t left the compound, their mother wouldn’t have died in the apartment fire, so it seemed likely.
Pain tried to steal Cassie’s breath, but she fought it. “So what are you doing here?” she asked quietly, trying to keep the anguish out of her voice. “Why aren’t you with him?”
“I came to ask you to stop this, Cassie. Ask Olive to retract what she said and stop lying! Allow Elijah to come out of hiding and lead our people again.”
Our people. Not his.
Before Cassie could say anything, Mia kept going. “I love you, Cassie. I do. And I know you believe all of this is the truth—but I don’t. And it has the power to destroy Dad.”
Cassie flinched. It was the first time she’d ever heard her sister call Elijah “dad.” And it sounded wrong. So wrong. But then, this entire conversation was wrong. And she’d reached her breaking point.
“There’s evidence, Mia. A recording with Elijah’s confession of drugging and raping Olive, and the sound of his gun going off as he killed Rodney!”
Her sister narrowed her eyes. “Have you listened to the recording? Have you actually heard Elijah admit to anything?”
“The FBI have listened to it and confirmed it’s exactly what Olive said it was. And unless you forgot, Damien’s lying in a hospital, in a coma, after being beaten repeatedly by Elijah’s men!”
But her words didn’t matter. She could see in her sister’s eyes that nothing would convince her. She was so indoctrinated that she couldn’t accept the truth that was right in front of her.
And God, it hurt. Because yet again, Mia was choosing him over Cassie.
Mia leaned back and scrubbed her face with her hands. “I’m going to the bathroom. When I get back, we can visit Damien.”
Cassie said nothing. She had no words. She watched her sister walk away.
A stranger. Her sister was a complete stranger to her.
It was too much. All of it. All these years, she’d been so focused on Elijah that she’d missed it. The unwavering belief her sister had in the man. The truth that her love and alliance with him ran so much deeper than her love for Cassie.
Suddenly, Aidan was kneeling beside her. “Hey. Are you okay?”
The man would have heard the entire conversation. She looked at him and shook her head. “I just don’t understand her.” Her heart didn’t want to believe her sister could be so blind, but she knew she had to accept it.
He cupped her cheek. The warmth of his hand was the only heat in her entire body. “I know, baby. I’m sorry.”
His phone rang, and she watched almost numbly as he tugged it from his pocket and answered. “Logan, what is it?”
She straightened. Logan was watching Damien’s room at the hospital. Was he okay? Had something happened?
Aidan nodded. “Got it. Thanks. We’ll be there in ten.”
The second Aidan hung up, Cassie touched his arm. “What’s wrong with Damien?”
“He’s awake.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh my gosh! We have to go see him.”
Aidan helped her out of the booth.
She shot her gaze to the bathroom. She no longer wanted her sister anywhere near Damien, but they needed to keep her close. They had to keep an eye on her until Elijah was found.
She looked back at Aidan, and he pushed some hair from her face. “We’ll take her, but I’ll assign one of the guys to watch her.”
She sighed. “How do you read my mind like that?”
He leaned in and his lips hovered over hers. “Magic.”
The second Mia left the bathroom, they told her what was going on and left for the hospital. No one spoke on the drive, but Aidan’s hand never left Cassie’s leg. It was the only thing keeping her grounded in that moment.
When they reached the hospital, Cassie all but ran inside. She didn’t stop until she reached Damien’s room. When she saw him, his eyes were open and he was sitting up. Dean sat beside him, holding his hand.
Her feet slowed as she moved into the room, and tears filled her eyes. “Oh my gosh! Can I touch you?”
He chuckled. “Of course. Come here, Cass.”
He lifted an arm, and she sat on the edge of the bed. When his arm closed around her, tears welled in her eyes. Hugging him was everything. The man was her best friend. For the last few years, he’d been her only ally. The only person who was truly on her side and understood her.
When she straightened, he frowned. Then he swiped a tear from her cheek. “Hey, why are you crying? You never cry.”
“I was scared I was going to lose you.” So scared, her heart had felt close to breaking.
One side of his mouth lifted. “Can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“Thank God for that,” Dean added quietly, squeezing Damien’s hand.
Damien’s gaze shifted behind her. “Aidan. It’s good to see you again.”
“Good to see you awake, Damien.”
“I’m guessing I have you to thank for me being here?” he asked.
Aidan shook his head. “Nope. You have Cass. She drew us a diagram and told us where you’d be.”
His eyes softened as he looked back to Cassie. “Thank you.”
Dean reached over and squeezed her arm. “Yes. Thank you so much, Cass.”
Her smile was watery as hell, but it was the best she could do. He was alive and safe.
He looked toward the door, where her sister stood. “Hi, Mia.”
“Hi, Damien. I’m glad you’re awake.”
When he glanced back at Cassie, the softness on his face disappeared and his features hardened. “Tell me it’s over.”
Oh, how she wished she could. “It’s not. Not yet. The FBI has a recording of Olive’s story. Olive also gave us a recording of Elijah’s confession of what he did to her, and you can hear him shooting Rodney shortly after. When they went to arrest him, he was gone. They haven’t been able to locate him. A bunch of members went into hiding as well. Joshua and Antwon are with the police, but they aren’t talking.”
Damien’s eyes closed, and when he opened them, there was cold, hard anger. “They’ll find him. I’m just glad you’re safe and with Aidan.” He studied her face. “Has he come after you?”
“Yes. More than once. How did you know he would?”
That was something she’d been wondering since Aidan had first told her Damien arranged her extraction from their home.
Damien blew out a breath. “I’d heard whispers that something big was approaching. Elijah had started talking to a few people about ‘the end’. Saying it was coming. That we were running out of time. Kept saying he knew how to save everyone. That God had shown him the way.”
“And I was the way?” she whispered. More accurately, her death was the way.
His chest rose and fell with a deep breath. “At one of the family gatherings in the Great Hall, you disappeared to talk to Olive. You were gone for a while, so I went looking for you. I heard voices in the office, and I stopped outside. That’s when I heard Elijah, Joshua and Isaac.” He paused to swallow. “Cassie…they were discussing the details of your thirtieth birthday, and how they’d take you during the party, through the back door, into a waiting car… They planned to drive you to some location and perform the ‘sacrifice’ that night.”
The fine hairs on her arms stood on end. She’d suspected as much. But hearing it out loud just highlighted how much danger she would have been in if Aidan and his team hadn’t been there.
“I got out of there before they saw me,” Damien continued. “But after that night, I knew I had to get you to safety.” His gaze rose to Aidan. “I knew she missed you. And I knew you’d never let harm come to her. That’s why I contacted you.”
Cassie looked up to see a dark expression on Aidan’s face.
“Never.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Why did Elijah beat you and keep you in his basement?”
Damien’s eyes narrowed into slits. “On Saturday, the night after Cass was taken, he requested my presence at the compound. I thought it was to discuss your disappearance. His men immediately took me to the basement.” He visibly shuddered. “They’d seen me on video surveillance, standing outside his office. They knew I’d overheard everything. Said they couldn’t let me get in the way, but they couldn’t have my death take place days before yours because it would look too suspicious.”
Red-hot fury flowed through Cassie’s blood.
She turned to look at Mia. She was now a few feet away from the bed, an expression of horror on her face as she listened to Damien, her nails digging into her arms.
This had to be it. This had to be the moment her sister realized she needed to choose. Cassie or Elijah. Because it couldn’t be both.
