a hand lazily in my direction. “—and with the drinks, and the weed, and his jealous thing with Granville…think he just gave in to his urges. He’ll be kicking himself tomorrow.”
Through my drunken haze, I tried to make sense of what he was saying. “I don’t get why he hates me.”
He lowered his voice. “You look like your mother. He hates her. You remind him of her.” Swallowing hard, he mumbled, “And he doesn’t trust you, does he. Thinks you might be working with her.”
“Huh?” I tried to get my addled brain in order. “Working with her? What do you mean?”
“She’s up to something. Bad. We’ve been keeping tabs on her. And you.”
He stared down at me, dawning horror in his eyes as he realised what he’d said. “Fuck, shouldn’t have told you that. I’m too wasted for this. Don’t ask me anything else.”
This was a conversation I needed to have with all the boys, and sober. I had to get one thing straight, though. Maybe the alcohol and weed had lowered my inhibitions or whatever, but I felt like I could trust Cassius.
“Cass.” I waited until he looked at me, his eyes glazing over. “Cass.”
He blinked a few times. “What?”
I carefully climbed onto my knees on the sofa, using Cassius’ arm to steady myself, and leaned in so I could whisper in his ear. Somehow, I managed to get the garbled words out. “I came to Alstone to investigate my mother. I think she may have had a hand in my father’s death.”
“What?” His stunned inhalation echoed loudly in the room.
“Yeah. Talk about it tomorrow, hmm?”
Shock at my words warred with the drunken stupor he was falling into. “Yeah. Tomorrow.” He yawned widely and slid down, arranging himself so he was lying lengthways, his head propped up on a cushion which leaned on the arm of the sofa. He tugged me down so I was lying with my back against his front and draped his arm over me.
“Closing my eyes for a few.” He yawned again.
“Don’t get any ideas,” I warned him as he smoothed down my hair so it wasn’t in his face.
“Cade would kill me.”
Then he was asleep, and seconds later, my eyes drifted shut, and I was lost to my dreams.
THIRTEEN
“Something you want to tell me?”
I slowly peeled my eyes open at the disapproving voice, wincing as I did so. Everything hurt, and my mouth tasted disgusting, as dry and arid as the desert. I licked my cracked lips and swallowed, my parched throat begging for some liquid.
“Need. Water,” I groaned, my voice hoarse. I tried to sit up, but I was weighed down by a muscular, tattooed arm.
Oh, yeah.
Last night came back to me. That epic kiss with Caiden, and getting wasted and high with Cassius afterwards, then falling asleep with him. I blinked rapidly, trying to get my eyes to focus.
“What time is it?”
“Nine.” Cassius spoke in my ear, his own voice husky from sleep. He tightened his arm around me. “Need more sleep.”
“Again, something you want to tell me?” This time I forced my eyes to stay open, and I managed to focus on Caiden, eyeing me and Cassius with a mixture of disapproval and what I think might have been a tiny bit of jealousy, but was probably just as likely to have been my hazy vision playing tricks on me.
“We fell asleep. Nothing happened.” I didn’t know why I was bothering to explain—Caiden had been the one to storm out and leave me with Cassius last night.
“Yeah, mate. Nothing happened,” Cassius mumbled lazily, moving his arm off me. I gingerly raised myself into a seated position, groaning again as my head swam. My eyelids fluttered as I swayed to the side, and the next minute Caiden was crouching right in front of me, peering into my face.
“You look like shit,” he stated. “How much did you have to drink?”
“Uh…we finished all the vodka and shared a joint. Maybe two. I think.” My stomach rolled. “I feel sick.”
“For fuck’s sake. Are you going to be sick?”
“I don’t know. I feel horrible.” I felt too ill to spar with him, or to do anything. “I need to lie down.” I went to lie back down next to Cassius, but Caiden stopped me.
“Oh no you don’t. Come here.”
He scooped me into his arms and carefully climbed to his feet. I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes again. “Where are you taking me?”
“To bed,” he said shortly. I curled my body