Blaise let out a hard laugh then, which held no humor in it at all. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

  My hands fisted at my sides. Had I ever hated anyone as much as I was beginning to hate this man? I couldn’t remember if I had. “You might have an issue with my not being from your world of wealth and privilege. However, Trev does not.”

  Blaise smirked, as if what I had said was stupid. I imagined how good it would feel to throw the rest of the carrots in my pockets at his face. Maybe wipe that stupid, arrogant look off of it.

  “You have no idea,” he said, then began to walk past me toward his horse.

  I wasn’t in the mood to let this go. I should leave the stables and go to the house, but my stubbornness wasn’t going to let me. “What does that mean? I have no idea what Trev wants from me? Is that what you mean?” I asked him.

  He paused for a moment, but he didn’t turn back to me. “No,” he replied, and I thought that was all he was going to say, but he glanced back at me over his shoulder. “I’m sure you know what he wants. You’ve not lived in his world of fairy tales. You don’t entertain thoughts of love.”

  That was not what I had expected him to say. I stood there, speechless. What did Blaise Hughes know about me? As far as I knew, no one knew about the life I’d lived before now, except Melanie, and I doubted even she truly knew. She hadn’t seen our apartment. I hadn’t opened up to her about any of my past, and she hadn’t asked me.

  “Lucky guess,” I replied.

  Although I hadn’t meant it as a question, he answered with, “No.”

  I opened my mouth to tell him he didn’t know me, but Saxon entered the stables and called out to Blaise in greeting. When he turned away from me to look at Saxon, I knew this conversation was over. I hoped it would be our last.

  Twelve

  This party might not have many people in attendance but it was already similar to the last party I’d been to here. I was the only female not topless. A girl I remembered from the last party was currently kissing Chanel while the guys watching cheered them on.

  If they wanted the males’ attention, they had succeeded. Where Trev hadn’t paid much attention to all the bare breasts at the last party, he was completely captivated by two females making out. It didn’t bother me. I would have been surprised if he’d not wanted to watch.

  “Fuck yeah!” a guy called out, encouraging the girls to keep going.

  Since I wasn’t into looking at boobs or females kissing, I waited until Trev walked toward the bar before heading to the door that led inside. It would be quieter in there, and maybe I wouldn’t be missed. The idea of sneaking off and walking back to Moses Mile was appealing. The house would be empty, and the idea of silence sounded wonderful. I was fairly certain this would be my last Hughes pool party.

  I would get through this one though. Eventually, either Saxon or Trev would notice my absence, and I didn’t want to worry them or interrupt their fun. I could hide out in here for a bit, then go back out to the party after a break from it all.

  Not sure which way to go to find a bathroom, I walked down a hallway in hopes that one would appear.

  A soft cry that sounded like pain caused me to pause. I waited, and then I heard it again. Concerned, I hurried farther down the massive hallway, looking in doorways I passed until I found a large arched entrance leading into a brightly lit kitchen.

  My eyes scanned the room until they found a girl that I didn’t recognize from the party. She was standing with her back toward me, facing the sink. Long, dark hair hung down to her waist. She wasn’t topless or even wearing a swimsuit. Instead, she had on a white sundress that looked like something Melanie would buy for me. Her shoulders barely moved as she cried out again.

  “Hello? Are you okay?” I asked, stepping farther into the kitchen to see if I could help her.

  The girl spun around then. Large, wide eyes that were more aqua than blue stared back at me. Her pale skin reminded me of a china doll, as did her perfect features. However, when my gaze dropped to her hands, I gasped. There was a knife in one, and blood slowly oozed from the other arm.

  Had she cut herself? She was clearly not an employee. This wasn’t an accident from preparing food.

  “Oh shit,” I said as I began to move again, scanning the room for anything I could find to stop the bleeding. “It’s okay. You’re gonna be fine,” I assured her as I reached for a hand towel folded neatly on the end of the marble countertop. “Here, let me wrap it up to stop the bleeding,” I said.

  Not waiting on her to hand me the injured arm, I took her wrist and looked down, only to see there wasn’t just one cut. There were several small cuts along the inside of her arm. They weren’t deep or life-threatening. They were shallow, and the blood was seeping out.

  I lifted my gaze from her arm to her face. She was trembling and looked at me as if I were about to hurt her, which was ridiculous since she was the one holding a knife. Dropping my gaze back to her arm, I noticed it then—the pale scars along her skin that were almost camouflaged completely by her fair skin color. I inhaled deeply through my nose, then exhaled through my mouth. My heart was still racing, but I understood now. I’d seen this before.

  She was a cutter.

  “Can I have the knife?” I asked her softly.

  For starters, I didn’t want her doing any more damage to herself. Then, there was the fact that I didn’t know this girl, and clearly, she was troubled. I wanted to help her, but I didn’t want that knife finding its way into a part of my body.

  She didn’t speak or move. She was frozen with those large eyes watching me, as if I were there to harm her. No one had ever been scared of me before. I didn’t know what it was that had this girl so terrified. She was my age or possibly older. I wasn’t dealing with a child.

  “My name is Maddy. I’m a friend of Trev’s. I won’t hurt you.” I spoke to her as softly as I could.

  She blinked once but continued to tremble. I glanced at the knife still clutched tightly in her hand, her knuckles white from the grip she had on it.

  “Could you put that knife down? I want to help you or get someone you know. Maybe Trev?”

  Still nothing. No response. How was I going to get Trev when she wouldn’t let go of that knife? I couldn’t very well pull her along with me, and leaving her alone in here was not an option. I’d known cutters. This was not normal. Not that cutting was normal, but something was off with this girl or woman. I didn’t know what exactly. She wasn’t … okay.

  “Angel,” a familiar, deep voice said, startling me.

  I feared what Blaise’s appearance would do to this very fragile female. I looked from the knife to make sure she wasn’t about to stab me and run, then to her face. What I saw shocked me. It was relief. Tears filled her eyes.

  “Let go of her,” Blaise said softly, although he still made it sound like a demand.

  I did and stepped back. He moved me farther away from the girl and took my place. He reached for the hand that still held the knife, and she let him take it easily. He placed it on the sink, then glanced around, as if looking for something.

  “Here,” I said, holding out the hand towel to him.

  He didn’t look at me as he snatched it from my hand and wrapped it around her abused arm. “I told you to stay in my room,” he said gently. “We’ve talked about this, Angel. You promised me you would stop.”

  The girl said nothing, but when he cupped her face in his large hands, she didn’t flinch, nor did she shy away. She stared up at him with almost a worshipful expression. The trust and love in her gaze were clear.

  I should go. She was okay and no longer needed my help. I felt as if I were spying on something that I hadn’t been meant to see. I turned to go as quietly as I could.

  “Why were you in here?” His voice was no longer soft and gentle. It was harsh, and accusation was clear in his tone.

  I didn’t need to see him to know that question was directed at me. Not his Angel.

  I stopped and slowly turned back around. The girl was now clinging to his side as he glared at me. I had done nothing but try and help the girl. It was obvious she needed help—and not just with those cuts.

  “I came inside to get a break from the party. I heard a cry and then another one. I followed the sound and found her in here, bleeding. I was trying to help her. Or at least get her to put down the knife so I could get some help.” I hated that I sounded defensive. I shouldn’t have to defend myself for helping someone. I hadn’t been the one holding the knife. “I realize I scared her, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

  Blaise’s jaw stayed clenched, and his body was rigid. She whimpered against him and buried her head into his side. I still didn’t understand what it was about me that had upset her other than me catching her causing harm to her body. She should be glad it was me and not one of those sheltered princesses outside. I’d seen this and worse in my life. I was positive they had not.

  “When you are at this house, you are Trev’s guest. Stay with him. This isn’t Moses Mile. You aren’t welcome to walk around as if you own it,” Blaise said with a coldness I had come to expect from him.

  “Got it,” I replied and started to leave, but my stupid temper stopped me. Instead of going back outside to what could have by now turned into an orgy, I glared at Blaise. “She needs help. That will only get worse if ignored, and it looks like that’s what has been happening. You’ve got the money. If you care about her, then help her.”

  I didn’t wait for a response before getting as far away from Blaise Hughes and his damaged Angel as I could.

  Thirteen

  I was sure there had to be a shortcut from the Hugheses’ house to Moses Mile when on foot or horseback, but I didn’t know it, and it was dark. So, I took the route I did know, which was the road. I needed to burn off some steam anyway. Going back outside to that party was not an option. Pretending like I was okay and not upset after that encounter wouldn’t have been possible.

  Once I was off the Hugheses’ property and headed down the road leading to Moses Mile, I slipped the cell phone out of my pocket and sent a quick text to Saxon and then Trev. I claimed I had a headache and that I hadn’t wanted to bother them, but I was headed back to Moses Mile and going to bed. It was only a couple of miles, and if I hadn’t worn sandals tonight, I could have run back quickly. A run would have felt good, but a long walk was going to have to be enough. Hopefully, neither boy would realize I was gone or see my text until much later. I didn’t want them leaving a good time because of me.

  The moon was almost full, so it wasn’t completely dark on the road, but the sounds of animals and others I didn’t recognize made me slightly nervous. Sure, I’d walked home alone on dark city streets many times, but I’d been prepared for whatever came at me then. I knew self-defense, and I had always carried a knife. I was sure neither of those would help me if I was pounced on by a wild animal.

  Trying not to focus on that, I thought about other things. Like the possibility of letting Trev or Saxon teach me how to ride a horse. It was that thought I was fleshing out when headlights lit up the road, and I had to move off the pavement onto the gravel and shade my eyes to keep from going blind. I turned around just as the vehicle was slowing and decided that maybe my self-defense moves might be needed after all. I didn’t have a knife hidden in my combat boots since I wasn’t wearing any, but I still knew how to disarm a man.

  When it came to a stop, I could make out that it was a truck, which wasn’t surprising around here. However, when the door swung open and Blaise stepped out, I was not relieved. He happened to be the last person I’d wanted it to be.

  “Am I not getting away from you fast enough?” I snapped. “I would have run, but unfortunately, I am wearing these sandals. You’ll have to be patient.”

  “Get in the truck,” he ordered me.

  I let out a laugh. “You have got to be joking,” I replied, not moving.

  “I don’t have time for this shit. Get in the goddamn truck.” He raised his voice this time.

  “Fuck you,” I shouted back at him, then spun around and continued walking toward Moses Mile.

  Perhaps I could take off the sandals and run. My feet were tough. I’d gone without shoes an entire summer once. What was a few miles on a country road?

  “You can’t walk that far in the dark! You were supposed to go back to the motherfucking party.” His deep voice almost sounded like a growl.

  I kept walking but looked back at him over my shoulder. “I have walked in worse places for farther distances. Trust me, I can hold my own. Now, go away.”

  Blaise let out a string of curses, and that made me smile.

  “Stop being a child and get in the damn truck, Madeline,” he roared. “I don’t have time for this shit.”

  I stopped and turned around, placing my hands on my hips. “Then, leave! Let me walk. Why do you care?”

  He began stalking toward me then, and I had a moment where I considered running. I could run fast, but these sandals had a heel on them, and I wasn’t sure I could outrun him in heels. I should have taken them off. Instead, I held my head up high and waited on him to reach me. If he wanted to yell in my face, I could take it. I’d yell right back at him.

  None of that happened when he got to me. He was there one minute, and the next thing I knew, I was being tossed over his shoulder, as if I weighed nothing. For a second, I was speechless as I stared down at the ground and his boots, which were making the gravel crunch as they walked back toward his truck.

  My voice finally returned, and I used my fists to punch his back. “Let me down!” I screamed, now completely furious.

  He ignored me and continued walking.

  “I don’t want a ride in your truck! I would rather be eaten alive by wolves!” I informed him with another whack to his spine.

  “Don’t fucking care,” he replied as I heard his truck door open.

  I was then tossed haphazardly into the backseat before the door slammed in my face. I opened my mouth to scream when my eyes met the same big, terrified ones from the kitchen in the rearview mirror. She sat quietly in the passenger seat, watching me.

  The driver’s door jerked open, and Blaise climbed inside. He didn’t look at me as he shifted gears and began driving. My screaming at him and calling him all the names I could think of weren’t going to happen now. Something was wrong with the girl beside him, and I didn’t want to cause her any more trauma. It was clear she was suffering.

  Instead, I crossed my arms over my chest and sat quietly. If these two weren’t going to talk, then neither was I. Although I had several things I wanted to say. I bit my bottom lip to keep from sharing them and watched the road, thankful for every second we got closer to Moses Mile.

  I lifted my gaze to see the girl in the front seat. Her eyes were locked on Blaise now. She seemed calm and relaxed.

  “Why did you come looking for me?” I asked, unable to stay quiet.

  “I didn’t,” was his only response.

  “Then, what were you doing?”

  “Going home,” he replied.

  Going home? Did the girl live with him? Where was his home? I wanted to ask all of this, but I bit down on my bottom lip harder to keep from doing it. None of this was my business.

  The truck turned into the entrance of Moses Mile, and I sighed in relief. This was almost over. The silence continued until the truck came to a stop in front of the main house. I reached for the door handle. I wasn’t going to thank him for this ride. I hadn’t wanted it. I’d much rather still be walking than have to sit this close to him.

  “Why didn’t you go back to the party?” he asked me.

  I shrugged. “Not my scene.” Then, I jumped down from the truck.

  I didn’t know if he was going to say more, and I didn’t care. I closed the door with more force than necessary, then headed for the front steps. The headlights didn’t move until I opened the front door and stepped inside. When I closed the door, I walked over to the window and watched as he backed the truck up, turned around, and drove away.

  I wanted to hate Blaise Hughes. I wanted to believe he was the complete asshole he had portrayed to me over and over. However, I now had some conflicting facts to deal with. One was the way he had been so gentle with the girl he called Angel. I wasn’t sure if that was her name or just an endearment. Regardless, she trusted him completely. Then, there was the fact that he’d been concerned for my safety. He refused to let me walk alone in the dark. Although he’d used his brute strength and force to make me accept his offer. Lastly, he’d waited until I was safely inside before leaving.

  Those three things were going to bother me.

  Fourteen

  Blaise

  “You’re gonna have to handle this shit,” Gage said to me as he leaned back in the leather chair and propped his boot-clad feet up onto the desk in front of him. “Levi’s ass is too hotheaded, and he’ll end up behind bars again. Huck runs this shop. Without this place, we have no fucking cover.”

  I didn’t move from where I stood, staring out the window across the room. Gage didn’t have to say why he couldn’t do it. We both knew the ranks. He was dead last. My father wouldn’t allow it. Gage wasn’t family blood. Even if he was as close as family and I trusted him with my life, it didn’t matter.

  Running a hand through my hair, I cursed under my breath. I had known this day would come eventually. This hadn’t been a secret. Nothing about this life had ever been kept from me.

  My father hadn’t allowed me a childhood, like Trev had been given. There had been no pool parties and video games in my youth. Trev wasn’t completely helpless. He was a Hughes, and with that had come training. Under that charming smile and carefree persona of his, he had what he needed to survive. But he didn’t have the power to shut off everything else.