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Chapter 27 Eden
His words are water. Let them roll off your back.
And really, given everything else he’s done to me, calling me a slut is at the very bottom of his list of offenses.
I examine my cheek in the mirror. It’s a bit red, but it’s not too bad.
The soreness between my legs hurts worse.
“I’m go
He kisses my forehead. “We’ll be together soon, beautiful.”
“I’m counting the days.”
A twinge of sadness squeezes my chest. There’s a small part of me that truly feels sorry for him. Cain being abused is not only gut-wrenching, it makes total sense.
He never took off his shirt. Never talked about his family.
Never let anyone in.
I’m having trouble deciphering the evil man who paid someone to mentally fuck me up in order to make me solely dependent on him, from the man I was in love with twenty-four hours ago.
It doesn’t excuse his behavior and certainly not his actions, but it…I don’t know. It makes my heart hurt. The old one he broke and the new tougher one I’m building.
No one should be abused. Especially by the people who are supposed to love you.
And maybe in his warped mind, hiring someone to brainwash me was his way of keeping me close because he was too scared to lose me.
Because he loved me too much. A love he didn’t know how to express in a healthy way…because no one ever showed him.
I shake my head. Nope. I won’t go there. I won’t even entertain it.
He hit me. He didn’t almost hit me and stop himself…he actually hit me.
And then he turned right around and hurt me in a different way. I tried to tell him to ease up, that he was being too rough, but I couldn’t get the words out.
He didn’t give me the chance…or the choice.
He never does.
I take a few cleansing breaths as I walk out the door.
“Wasn’t aware they served orange juice in the bathrooms.”
I nearly jump at the sound of Damien’s deep voice.
My heart pounds when he stubs his cigarette out and comes closer.
“What happened to your cheek?”
“Nothing.”
“It looks red.”
“You’re so handsome you make me blush.” I jut my chin toward the hall. “Can we go back downstairs?”
Cain will be coming out any minute and the homicidal look in Damien’s eyes is only getting worse.
He needs to remember the end game. Going after Cain now will only get him thrown in jail…which is exactly what Cain wants.
“Eden.” There’s a familiar dark edge to his tone. The kind that equally seduces and scares the living shit out of me.
“I ended up walking into the bathroom at the same time someone else was walking out and got bitch slapped by the door. It’s really not that big of a deal, so stop freaking out for no reason.”
His blue orbs burn with indignation as he grips my chin. “Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth.”
I match his glare. “I just did.”
“Okay.”
The anxiety filling my chest eases. “Come on. We should—”
My mouth drops when he kicks the door open…sending Cain, who was eavesdropping on the other side, flying into the wall behind him.
“Stop,” I shout, but it’s too late.
Damien’s hand is already wrapped around Cain’s throat and his other hand is taking jabs at his stomach.
I try to pull them apart, but it’s impossible. There’s too much adrenaline and venom between them and neither one will back down.
Not even Cain, who’s clearly at a disadvantage due to Damien’s size and ironclad grip.
That is until Cain’s finger catches the corner of Damien’s eye and he stumbles backward, forcing me out the door.
“Someone’s coming,” I tell them when I look down the hall.
I mutter a curse as the figures come into view.
William Anderson looks like he’s trying his hardest to get a word in as Andrew Jones—the head of Cain’s political party—nods.
While Governor Bexley rambles on and on.
Until he spots me.
“Are you al—” Governor Bexley starts to say, but Damien and Cain tumble out of the bathroom, still going at it.
“Oh, hell.”
Anderson and Jones grab each of Damien’s arms while the governor picks Cain up off the floor and then plants himself between them.
“Gentlemen, this is not how we conduct ourselves in public.” He blows out a breath. “I know there’s some bad blood—” He doesn’t even bother to suppress the side-eye of contempt he gives me. “As well as some pressing family issues, but physical violence between two candidates will not be tolerated. Do you understand?”
“Oh, my God,” Margaret screeches, her heels picking up speed. “What happened?”
“Nothing. Just a little disagreement is all,” Bexley declares, his eyes darting from Cain to Damien. “But it’s over now. Right, gentlemen?”
Cain nods.
“It looks like more than a simple disagreement,” Margaret tuts, rushing over to Cain. “Should we take him to the hospital? Get him an icepack?”
“Drop it, Margaret,” Cain says at the same time the governor bellows, “Let it go.”
Margaret holds up her hands. “Fine.” She whips around to face me. “Maybe you should do us all a favor and go back to being a hermit.” Her eyes drop to my cleavage and she glowers. “Every time you step out of the house you cause nothing but trouble for i
I have one of two choices. I can either choose to let her words have the intended effect and make me feel bad.
Or I can stand up for myself.
“Wow, that’s all you got?” She blinks as I take a step forward. “Listen to me and listen good. I’m not going anywhere. And if you plan on hurling insults at me every time we’re in the same room…you’re go
With that, I turn on my heels and saunter down the hallway.
“Damn,” Damien drawls behind me. “Looks like you’ll both be needing icepacks now.”
The governor starts to speak, but Damien cuts him off, “Have a good evening, gentlemen.”
“Are you okay?”
His hand tightens around the steering wheel. “Fine.”
“You haven’t said a word to me since the bathroom incident.”
Silence.
I peer out the window. “Your moods are starting to give me whiplash. One second we’re a team, and the next you’re acting like I don’t exist.”
“That’s because I don’t like being lied to.”
I throw up my hands. “I was trying to avoid exactly what ended up happening.”
“By lying to me.”
I roll my eyes. He’s missing the point. “Can you look at the bigger picture for two seconds? Cain would have—”
The tires screech. “I don’t care what Cain would have done.” His gaze slides to my cheek. “He hit you and you looked me right in the motherfucking eyes and told me you walked into a door. Fuck your bigger picture and fuck your excuses, Eden. You lied to protect someone other than yourself, which means you haven’t learned a damn thing.”