He was still a human, weak and entirely killable. He doesn’t really blame the Hunters for tracking him down and trying to kill him. He deserved it for betraying his birthright and aligning himself with their enemies. He wishes every day that they had succeeded, or at the very least he wishes that Liv hadn’t stuck her nose in where it doesn’t belong. She had no right to mess with him. He was prepared to die, and he told her ‘no.’ He can’t remember how many times he told her to leave him be. He supposes he should be flattered she wanted him to stick around. The strange thing is, before all of this went down, he was fond of her. Thought of her almost as a daughter. Christ knows he is old enough to be her father…well, in the human age sense anyway. That has all been shot to Hell and back and he hates the feelings he has for her now.
They had an understanding: she let him do his job without interference. Not much interference, he snorts to himself.
He knew there was something special about her the first time he laid eyes on her in Milan. He had investigated her, not Vampirically, as there wasn’t a damn thing the Hunters could find on her, it was like her records had been expunged, but her fake human life. He had become obsessed with her, with the need to find out what exactly she was. He had never failed, and he had every intention of killing her, but when his magick didn’t work on her, he was thrown, and he had to find out why.
He was shocked when he heard about the restructure of the Underworld, they certainly had kept that quiet, but he was fearful as well. Fearful that such a powerful Vampire would not sit around waiting for the Hunters to pick off her subjects one by one but be the one doing the picking. He made the decision to switch sides. To be on the winning side. Other Hunters had defected in the past, the most famous being Nico Abazia, of course. Everyone in the society knew he worked for the creator of the Vampires. He was scorned and hated, but he was also feared. He knew too much, and he used it to send the Hunters even further underground.
Cade had wanted to be feared.
As his eyes scan the crowd again, gathered here to see Cole O’Dell, famous actor, he was glad he made the decision, but when Nico brought him into the fold, he was shocked and disturbed by the size of the operation going on to kill Hunters. He knew that Liv had nothing to do with it though. It was her sire and his secret team of über Vampires who were behind it. He wasn’t totally sure he was happy with his decision after that, but he stayed because he had sworn an oath and he also got to do what he was born to do and that is to kill Vampires.
He involved himself entirely in her protection and when he found out that the assassins sent to take out as many of Liv’s inner circle, himself included, were drained to death by the very people they were sent here to kill, he felt nothing. He was surer than ever that he had made the right choice. That he belonged on this side. Powerful, unstoppable, feared. And he knew he couldn’t leave her, not only after the blood oath she made him swear, but because he didn’t want to. Dealing with Jess had made things more complicated for him. The girl is sweet and funny, and he likes her, her appalling decision aside, of course, but there is something off about her he just can’t put his finger on. So, he keeps her close. Very close.
And then the shooting happened. Four bullets that ruined his life.
His eyes wander back over to Liv. She is smiling as her husband greets his fans, but it is forced. He knows she is tense and uncomfortable and dying to go and find her sire. He, like the rest of her crew, is mostly in the dark when it comes to whatever happened between the two of them. All Cade knows is they are taking three months apart. He is surprised that either one of them has stuck to it. Constantine especially. Talk about an obsessive son-of-a-bitch. Nico doesn’t like to share, but he has told a story or two that has made Cade’s hair stand on end. He is rather glad that Constantine isn’t around while he is going through this. He dreads to think what her sire will do to him when he finds out what she did.
She slips away and is at his side momentarily. “Hey,” she says softly. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah,” he says stiffly, moving a tiny bit away from her so that he doesn’t take her in his arms and kiss her.
“You didn’t have to come,” she says, looking away. “You could have stayed in Paris.”
No, he couldn’t. He didn’t want to come here. He wanted to stay in Paris and wait for their return, but his tie to her made it impossible. He shakes his head but doesn’t say anything. They stand in an awkward silence for a few minutes. He knows how much she hates those, so he isn’t surprised when she finally blurts out. “I’m not sorry for what I did! I won’t apologize to you again. You are here and that is all I care about.” Her cheeks are flushed and the Power rush coming off her hits him hard and he stumbles back an inch.
He ignores her, which infuriates her even more. She is struggling to keep her temper in check, and he takes a moment of satisfaction in watching her effort. “Don’t speak to me about this again,” he says finally. “You made a choice and now I have to live with it.”
“Exactly!” she says heatedly. “Live with it!” She stalks off and he watches her go. His hand reaches for her involuntarily and he snatches it back before he touches her. If he touches her, he won’t be able to let go. He watches her slide easily into Cole’s arms and he wants to kill him.
Or himself.
Or her.
Or all three of them.
He turns to the man who has abruptly appeared by his side.
“Well?” the man asks. “Are you ready to give her up yet?”
“I’ll get her to you,” Cade decides with a grimace. “You get one chance, don’t fuck it up.”
Remiel smiles sinisterly at him. “I won’t, Mr. Sinclair. I have waited a long time for this.”
Cade nods once. “It is a difficult task. I need some time.”
“Don’t take too long,” Remiel warns and disappears into the crowd.
Cade looks back at Liv with sorrow. He will betray her to break this bond. He has to. If she dies, he dies too...eventually.
That is what Remiel told him: because he is so new, he needs her to live.
And he doesn’t want to.
Chapter 1
Paris, France, June 2013 – Liv
“Don’t go to him,” Cole says to me as we look out at the Eiffel Tower lit up against the night sky. “You have proven you don’t need him, that you can live without him.”