Betrayal by Ember Dante

Author:Ember Dante [Dante, Ember]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Sometimes it’s a hard pill to swallow when realization hits.

That was what I thought in a sudden moment of clarity during my drive to Houston. Connor’s words played through my mind on an endless loop, his careless disregard for Mom and my brothers haunting me. I had struggled with how to win the war against him when it dawned on me that I had the answer all along—to beat him, I needed to become him.

Well, not exactly. But that’s when it hit me—I had more in common with him than I ever cared to admit. In my current situation, however, that could work to my advantage.

In my younger years, I always had a cavalier attitude toward women. I was a major player at one time. It was true. I could have fucked any chick I wanted, and more often than not, I did. No emotion, no remorse. They meant nothing to me. Ever.

I would need to approach the Caitlin situation the same way, but there was always the possibility that she would be collateral damage, and that bothered me. I didn’t want to hurt her in the power struggle against my father.

Unless...

What if she really wasn’t just a pawn? Despite her protests, what if she wanted the same thing as our fathers—for us to join our houses and continue the twisted legacy that Connor insisted upon? What then? Was she playing the game in her own way by trying to lull me into complacency so that one day I would possibly wake up stuck in a loveless marriage of convenience? That thought was as unsettling as the fact I shared traits with the man responsible for every dysfunctional moment of my life. Was I just paranoid? It wouldn’t surprise me. A lifetime of bullshit from Connor Walsh would do that to a person.

After three days in Houston, I was no closer to an answer, so I decided I would need to test Caitlin. I felt like an asshole, but fuck it. After everything I’d been through, I had as much right to be happy as anyone else. Call me selfish. I didn’t give a shit.

I called Caitlin on my way home, waiting until I was about thirty minutes away. She must have been waiting by the phone because I swore she answered before it even rang on my end.

“Hey,” she purred.

“Hey.”

“How was Houston?”

“Fine,” I sighed. “How are you? Miss me yet?”

“Of course I miss you. When will you be back?”

“Actually, I’m almost home now. I’m about an hour out.” I was amazed at how easily the lie rolled off my tongue, but I was curious about how she would react when I showed up at her place early. “I thought I might drop by if that’s okay with you.”

“That’s more than okay. I’d love to see you.”

“See you soon,” I murmured, infusing my voice with more emotion than I actually felt.

“I can’t wait.”

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