CADEnce (Deception Book 2) (22 page)

“Nothing.”

He tipped his head to the side, scowling at me. “I’m not stupid, and neither is Frank. You play him and he won’t hesitate to finish what you’re starting!”

Pulling my shoulders back, I glared at him, “There is nothing going on, Malik. What the fuck do you care anyway? You’re as bad as Dante, so don’t start playing games with me because I’m not stupid either! Someone put my panties in Frank’s room, and it wasn’t me!”

He tensed and turned away, halting at the door. “Dante won’t hesitate to kill Frank if he thinks he has a thing for you. But,” he continued quietly, “he will be as swift to kill you if he thinks you’re fucking Frank behind his back.”

I swallowed, knowing he was right, but I didn’t see any other way out of this shit. It was all the way or not at all.

“So,” he turned to me, locking my gaze in his. “Let me see to this and you just sit back, watch and stay safe.”

“Why?” I asked, causing him to pause before he closed the door, his expression one of puzzlement. “Why are you helping me?”

His face tightened and he lowered his eyes, but all he gave me was a shrug before he left me alone.

I couldn’t understand why Malik was helping me. He’d been as bad as Dante in the beginning, his cruel taunts just as hurtful.

Sighing, I pushed Malik out of my mind and walked over to the window, my gaze settling on the outbuilding.

All I needed was a diversion and I prayed one came quickly before Dante returned high and horny.

IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT the diversion came in the shape of a football game. A large one, apparently. I had no idea who was playing, hell I had no clue as to what football was about, but when I heard Malik and Frank screaming at the TV, each of them apparently cheering on opposite teams, I knew I would love football for the rest of my damn life.

My heart pounded in my ears as I slid past the media room, their loud shouts giving me the courage to make a run for it, quietly slipping through the kitchen and out through the back door.

I blew out frequent breaths, urging myself to calm the down as I ran through the grounds, trying to keep to the edge and away from the floodlights lighting the estate. I’d never manage it if I passed out before I even got there.

“Shit!” I hissed when a sensor caught me and a light drenched the area in front of Dante’s office building.

Closing my eyes and willing my hands to stop shaking, I punched my date of birth into the keypad, grinning when the door clicked. Bloody fool, he should have changed it after he’d revealed the code to me. I slipped my phone and the USB from my back pocket. The bastard had been so cock sure about me coming back that he’d never even checked my case, although I’d hidden the little gadget in the lining just in case.

“It’s me,” I whispered quietly. “I’m in.”

“You okay?” Kenny asked before I’d even finished my sentence.

“Yeah, did you give Cade my message?” My heart clenched with the thought of him.

“I did. Word for word, babe.”

“Thank you.”

We both took a silent few moments, Kenny allowing me to build up the courage to do this and me using the moment to appreciate a quick memory of the man I loved.

Shaking myself off, I sighed and nodded my head with determination. “Okay, let’s do this.”

“Right.” He also took a deep breath. “Is there a PC or a laptop? Anything that connects straight to the mainframe?”

“There’s all sorts here.” I looked around, well out of my depth. I zeroed in on a laptop.

“A laptop on his desk,” I answered relieved to see something I actually knew how to use.

“That’ll do. Fire it up.”

Opening the lid, I groaned when I was met with a password screen. “Shit, it’s saying it needs a password!”

“Don’t worry. Plug the USB in, Faye.”

I slotted the USB into the port. “Right, the cable I gave you. Connect one end to your phone and the other to the USB.” He paused, waiting for me to follow his order. As soon as I’d done it, the screen fired to life, row after row of numbers and strange letters scrolling at lightning speed. I started to become disheartened after ‘Access denied’ flashed up time after time.

“It’s okay, just wait,” Kenny said. Almost as soon as he’d said it, ‘Access Granted’ popped up and a new screen emerged, another weird encrypted page of coding rolling up.

“Right, I can take it from here,” Kenny said around the noise of keys clicking rapidly.

“You can delete everything?” I asked.

“Faye, babe. Don’t worry. This software will find anything with your name attached, then it will link with any other keyword attached to your name. It will be as though you never existed.” He chuckled, and I shouldn’t have, but I smiled at the contagious sound.

“Okay.” Just as I was about to disconnect, I called out his name.

“I’m here,” he murmured around furious clinking.

“Thank you. And Kenny, please take care. Dante’s losing it. He’s already killed his doctor. He’s crazy.”

“You’re telling me to be careful?” He laughed. “You’re one tough chick. I can see why Cade’s so in love with you.”

My heart warmed, an involuntary grin making my chest stutter.

“Hurry,” he whispered. “I’ve already fried the cameras but I’m not sure how long before they notice the connection is severed.”

“It’s okay, I have the perfect distraction.”

He paused, the click of the keys breaking for a moment. “Faye, be careful. Please.”

I swallowed back the nerves, my skin prickling with worry. There was no other way out. No other way. I would either die under Dante’s hands or die trying to make things right. I had to try. There was no other option. I wouldn’t lie down and die, not when there was the faintest chance I could finish this.

I SHIVERED, MAKING MY WAY quickly down the cold corridors, my nerves frayed as my heart stampeded in my chest.

Pushing the door open, squinting at what I might find, a choked sound rushed up my throat when Alex looked at me through small red slits, his eyes sore with the light streaming into the room from the hall.

“Alex!”

I rushed over to him, twisting the lid off the bottle of water I’d brought for him. “Oh my God.” He was a mess, his skin camouflaged in blood and dirt, horrid blue and purple bruises covering his face.

He gulped at the water as I held it to his mouth and tipped, his greed causing him to cough and splutter, the water dribbling down his chin.

“Slowly,” I urged, angling the bottle lower so he only received small trickles. “Listen, I’m sorry but I can’t get you out yet.” He blinked at me, the disappointment heavy with his sigh. “But I’m coming back soon.”

“Don’t . . .” he rasped, licking at his chapped lips to moisten them with his wet tongue.

“It’s okay.” I nodded, confirming my words. “There’s something I have to do first but then I’ll be back.”

He eyed me warily but nodded slowly. “Just be careful.”

“I will,” I promised as I stroked some blood clogged strands of hair off his face, knowing they must have been annoying him. What a dark, vulgar world Dante became a part of. How many people had been kept down here for torture or sick games? I couldn’t think about that.

He squeezed his eyes closed and nodded.

This was my fault. I should have known Dante would be watching, and as it turned out, listening to everything I did. I had put Alex where he was, and it was up to me to get him out.

Racing back up, I grabbed my phone. Kenny had finished with what he needed to do, and I ran back through the gardens and up to the house. Coming to a stop just before going back in, my phone rang. Bracing myself and smiling at how things were going exactly to plan, I answered immediately, making sure to put on a terrified voice.

“Star?” His voice was high-pitched. He’d obviously not scored yet. I’d been banking on that too and for a change, things were going in my favor.

“Dante!”

He paused, hearing my fear. “Star, are you okay? The feed to the cameras has been severed? What’s going on there? I can’t get hold of Frank or Malik.” Thank God. Kenny was amazing. He’d followed through with his assurance that he could block Frank and Malik’s signal and I owed him a nice long holiday somewhere hot and tranquil.

“Dante. Please come home. Frank . . . he’s. . . .”

“He’s what?” I remained silent, dramatically panting down the phone. “He’s what, Star?”

“He’s . . . oh God, when you found my panties, that’s not all.” I let out a tight whimper. “I think he’s developed an unhealthy attraction to me. I’ve just caught him taking photos of me, Dante, while I was getting undressed.”

“What?” He was quiet, almost calm. Too calm. I shivered at the ice in that single word.

“Well,” I let out a choked sob. “I’ve felt someone watching me for the last couple of days. Nothing specific, just a feeling. I thought it was Malik. Fuck, Dante, I thought it was Malik!”

“Where are you?”

“I’m in my room. He’s scaring me, Dante. I don’t know what to do!”

“Stay there. Do—not—move until I get there. I’m already on my way back.”

He cut the call, leaving me on the porch steps with a continuous beep resounding in my ear. The tone matched the beat of my heart, the hurried rhythm in line with the pounding of my pulse.

This was it. Do or die. And I was determined not to die. I needed to keep my heart beating for Cade.

Things were going to plan and I took it as an omen. So giving myself a fortifying nod, I opened the door and stepped inside.