Page 39 of Marked By Obsession

“Good morning, Sutton.” Nothing in his voice betrayed the hell he’d caused last night.

“I need to go,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected. “My flight leaves soon.” It was a lie, but I’d planned on buying the first plane ticket out of here as soon as I was safely on the way to the airport.

“No, it doesn’t. I’ve arranged for us to return to D.C. together. This afternoon.”

“I’ve already booked a commercial flight.”

“Cancel it.”

I tightened my grip on my overnight bag. “I prefer to make my own travel arrangements.”

“After last night, I think it’s best we remain together until we reach D.C.” His eyes never left mine. “Don’t you agree?”

The implication was clear. We were bound by what had happened in that alley. By what we had done together. Not to mention the fact that I didn’t stop him from doing what he did. I just froze and I’d have to live with that fact for the rest of my life.

Then again, what could I have done? Cain would have easily overpowered me and he was wielding a knife. I’d repeated that to myself over and over again, running it like a loop on repeat in my mind to try to make myself feel better. Hell, I could probably get a jury to believe it. But it wasn’t like I hadn’t suspected that Cain might do something. The way he’d essentially forced Bradley to leave the ballroom was a red flag. After all, it was one of the reasons why I’d followed him outside in the first place.

I could have easily made a noise and distracted Cain, probably giving Bradley an opportunity to escape before he was stabbed. Could have called for help. Could have not allowed Cain to fuck me right then and there.

Yet, for some reason, there wasn’t any regret about that part, but I would never admit that to the man sitting in front of me. Instead, I stood up straighter and took in a deep breath before I spoke again. “What happened to Bradley’s body?” I asked, the question escaping before I could stop it.

“He’s been taken care of.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Cain sat up straight and fixed his gaze on me. “It’s the only answer you need right now. The less you know about certain details, the better for both of us.”

I felt sick again. “There will be questions. People will notice he’s missing.”

“People go missing every day, Sutton.” His tone was so matter of fact that it almost seemed as if we were talking about something mundane like the weather versus murder. “Bradley had gambling debts, a drinking problem, and a habit of disappearing on weekends with women who weren’t his wife. His absence won’t raise eyebrows for at least a few days.”

“And by then it will be too late,” I said. “You’ve obviously done this before.”

It wasn’t a question. The way in which he’d handled everything meant he’d done this before.

Cain’s expression didn’t change. “You’re very perceptive.”

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. But I need to go home so goodbye and good riddance.” I turned to leave the room when his words stopped me in my tracks.

“Sutton. We both know that’s not going to happen.”

I spun around to face him. “Why? Because you’ll kill me too? Is that how you solve all your problems?”

His expression remained unchanged as he said, “If I wanted you dead, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“That’s so reassuring.” I took another step toward the door. “I just need space to process… whatever the hell happened last night.”

Cain rose from his chair. “What happened last night is that Bradley got what he deserved, and you and I acknowledged what’s been building between us since we met.”

“Building between us?” I nearly choked on the words. “You murdered someone and then we had sex while he bled out three feet away. That’s not a relationship, Cain. That’s not normal.”

He moved closer, and I hated that I didn’t immediately back away. “You could have screamed. You could have fought. Instead, you wrapped your legs around me and begged for more.”

The truth of his words hit me like a slap. I had done exactly that, and the memory of my own desperation made me feel disgusting.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly,” I said, trying to convince myself as much as him. “I was in shock.”

“No.” Cain stopped just inches from me. “You were finally being honest with yourself. With both of us.”