A Night of Indulgence and Sloth (Vices and Hedonism) by Victoria Pauley

Author:Victoria Pauley [Pauley, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

Kaleb

For as many events that Aiden and I had attended, this was by far my favorite. Having Lily by our side made everything better. She was a beacon of light, keeping us safe against the dark forces around us. The dark forces being the money-hungry women of society, of course.

The night had been perfect until she left us.

When I’d seen her walking back toward our table with such a glorious smile on her face, it was like standing in the sun. All I wanted to do was bask in her warmth, but then Burt fucking Brandon cut her off and everything changed.

I’ll never forget the look on her face. I don’t think I’d ever seen such pure, unadulterated fear before. But I didn’t have any time to figure out why she might be afraid of him because the glass shattered and everyone turned to watch as Lily, my perfect blossom, fled.

Aiden and I were already on our feet, ready to find out what the fuck was going on. “Go after her. I’ll take care of things here,” he says, his voice sharp and cold like steel.

He didn’t need to tell me twice. It wasn’t long before I caught sight of her, running barefoot down the hall toward the bright exit sign. She made it through the doors before I could reach her, thankfully slowing down once outside. Her wails echo off the concrete walls, making me want to turn around and take care of Burt myself.

What the fuck had he done to make her this afraid?

“Lily!” I shout as I catch up with her. She leans against the wall, bent over and breathing hard. Her long black hair hides her face as I step closer.

“Lily,” I say again, softer this time as I reach out to touch her arm.

“No!” she screams, thrashing against me like a madwoman.

“It’s Kaleb. He’s gone. You’re safe.”

At the mention of my name, she settles a little, but her body continues to tremble. I move forward, embracing her tightly and whispering soft words of reassurance. That’s when she truly falls apart.

She’s no longer the strong woman I met at Club Rapture and worked with for these past few months. Seeing her like this feels like my heart’s being ripped right from my chest

“Let me take you home,” I whisper, knowing we need to get away from here. She needs to go somewhere she feels safe.

“I can’t,” she chokes out, hiccupping now. “Calantha.”

Through her convulsive breathing, she says her sister’s name as if it’s three separate words. What the fuck happened tonight? Even though I’m desperate to know why she’d want to hide this from Calantha, I don’t push her on it. She needs to be around people she trusts, people who love her.

“Alright, you’ll come home with me then. I’ll keep you safe, Lily. I promise.”

She nods, her teeth chattering now. I pick her up, cradling her against my chest as I take out my phone and call our driver to bring the car around.

For the entire drive back to the penthouse, I hold her trembling body close.

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