Sunlight hit my face like a slap.
I cracked my eyes open and imdiately regretted it.
My mouth was dry. My back ached. My thighs felt like I’d done squats in six-inch heels, which I hadn’t.
I couldn’t move. I was wrapped in the duvet like a corpse.
I groaned, kicked the damn thing off, and sat up.
My hair stuck to the side of my face. My left earring was gone.
The room slled like fresh linen and faint cologne—Ashton’s.
Right. He’d dragged out of the bar.
Everything after that was static.
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand.
Eight-twelve.
My head throbbed behind my eyes.
I showered, threw on clean clothes, and made it halfway to the stairs before my phone buzzed.
I picked up. ‘Yvaine. I’m never going to order that drink again—’
‘Mira, are you with Ashton?’ Her voice was raspy. Shaky. ‘Tell him to co. Cassian’s about to get his head knocked off. Emtt’s gone psycho!’
‘Wait, what? Slow down.’
Yvaine sniffled. She sounded like she’d been crying.
She was mumbling and barely coherent. I couldn’t catch half of it.
‘Okay, slow down. I’m listening. Just—’
‘Co! Hurry!’ Her voice dropped to a scared whisper.
Then she hung up.
I redialled. No answer.
I ran downstairs barefoot.
Ashton sat on the sofa with one leg crossed, coffee in one hand, tablet in the other.
He looked up the second I reached the bottom step. ‘Sothing happen?’
I told him everything in one breath. Yvaine. Cassian. Emtt. The call cutting off.
He stood and set his mug down. ‘Did she say where?’
‘Lakeside Reserve. Her brother just bought her a villa out there. They’re all at the house.’
‘Alright. Let’s go.’
He drove. I sat beside him, phone in my hand, trying Yvaine again. No answer.
He frowned at the windscreen. ‘What’s Yvaine doing with Cassian?’
I sighed. ‘She told that after we left the bar, she called him to pick her up. He brought her to the villa, and apparently... he stayed the night.’
Ashton raised an eyebrow.
‘Emtt flew back this morning. Went to drop sothing off. Rang the bell. Cassian opened the door. Shirtless. Emtt saw red. That’s when the punching started.’
Even saying it out loud didn’t make it make sense.
‘I still can’t believe it,’ I muttered. ‘Cassian and Yvaine? I’ve never seen them act like they even liked each other.’
Ashton nodded slowly. ‘Last I checked, they couldn’t stand each other.’
‘Exactly. Every ti they t, they argued. And Cassian’s friends with Emtt, right? I always thought Yvaine treated him like a spare older brother.’
I tried calling her again. Straight to voicemail. My stomach clenched.
‘Shit,’ I mumbled. ‘What if sothing’s actually wrong?’
Ashton reached over and squeezed my hand. ‘I’ve only t Emtt a few tis, but he struck as level-headed. Not the type to commit manslaughter. Cassian’ll survive.’
‘Let’s hope so.’
He wasn’t speeding, but the tyres still kicked up grit. We pulled into Lakeside Reserve in under thirty minutes.
Yvaine’s villa sat quiet and still. Every blind was drawn.
I rang the bell and called out, ‘Yvaine? You in there?’
It took her a while to answer. The door eased open.
‘Mira, finally,’ she said, voice rasping.
Her eyes were swollen. Wet streaks marked both cheeks.
I touched her jaw. Her skin felt hot, blotchy. ‘Let us in. Start from the beginning.’
We barely stepped through the entryway before I spotted it—a streak of dried blood running across the marble tiles. It led past the hallway rug and disappeared into the living room.
Cassian was on the sofa, half-sprawled, head tilted back against the cushions.
Soone had shoved him into a loose white loungewear set, but the collar was crusted red. Blood dotted the fabric, especially down the left side.
His lip was split. One eye was nearly swollen shut. His chest rose, barely.
To his right sat a man in a charcoal suit, cuffs rolled, top buttons undone.
He was wiping blood off a sleek silver watch with the sa care I used on opals.
His knuckles were red.
Yvaine had told once she’d rather break both ankles than piss off her big brother.
She might run wild in clubs and mouth off at their parents, but when Emtt said ‘ho’, she folded.
Looking at him now, I could sympathise with her.
Ashton ca in behind and shut the door quietly.
He stopped in front of the sofa, glanced down at Cassian’s face, and said flatly, ‘He needs a hospital. Now.’
Yvaine sniffled. ‘Emtt won’t let . He wouldn’t even let open the door. I think he actually ant to kill him.’
I turned. ‘What the hell happened?’
Her voice was steadier now, but her hands kept fidgeting with the hem of her hoodie. ‘He showed up unannounced. Cassian answered the door, shirtless. He lost his mind.’
I darted a look at Emtt. He hadn’t said a word so far, just gave Ashton an acknowledging nod when he ca in.
‘I don’t see what the big deal was,’ Yvaine muttered. ‘Cassian used to be around all the ti. Mum and Dad trust him. Emtt did too. He even asked him to keep an eye on a couple of tis when he was travelling.’
‘I asked him to look out for you, not take you to bed.’ Emtt looked up.
Yvaine bit her lip. Her eyes filled again. ‘He didn’t fight back. Not once. You didn’t have to beat him up until he collapsed!’
She looked at . ‘I had to drag him to the couch. I got him dressed while Emtt smashed his phone. I couldn’t call anyone. I didn’t dare.’
‘So you called ,’ I said.
She nodded, lips trembling. ‘I didn’t even finish the call. Emtt snatched my phone.’
Cassian let out a low, wet groan. His fingers twitched.
‘He’s losing too much blood,’ Yvaine whispered. ‘If we wait any longer—’ Her voice cracked. ‘What if he’s not going to make it?’
Reviews
All reviews (0)