Happily Ever Never!?!

CHAPTER 8: It's All My Fault!

CADE

I hated to leave her like that. In fact, it killed me after watching her beg. But I really did think I could trust her and didn't want to believe that it was true but clearly, she had taken money from our account, it was her signature on those checks and her EMAIL, there was no denying it after seeing all of that. 

My god I love her so fucking much that I don't know what to do. Right now though, I needed to stay focused on trying to work more on the casino that Sterling wanted me to do. In which really just makes me more frustrated. I shouldn't be doing this and I know it. I have been my own boss since I was a teenager. 

Then right as I start getting used to honest work while still trying to be my own boss, I run into my damn past. 

I pull up to the site with my crew already working. As soon as I get out of my truck, I notice Sterling is standing off on the side where he look's to be talking to a couple of men who are looking down over a table at what looks to be the blueprints. I just ignore them and begin making my way towards my guys when I hear him call out to me. 

"Cade! Come here!" He yells out as he motions for me to go over to him with the wave of his hand. 

I try and calm myself before heading over and when I do make it over there, he introduces me to his 'friends' who I guess have added some suggestions to the plans. 

"What's going on?" I asked. 

"My buddies here were thinking that maybe since most casinos now have hotels also, I was thinking maybe we could add that to everything." 

"But that would take longer. Not to mention more permits and..." I began but he stopped me. 

"Is that a problem?" He looks at me. 

"That wasn't part of our original agreement." I remind him and then excuse myself and start heading back towards my crew. 

I don't take several feet when I feel someone turn me around to face them and see that it's Sterling. 

"Don't you ever fucking embarrass me like that again." He threatens. 

I quickly jerk my arm from his grasp. 

"Don't you fucking act like you own me. You don't! I never should accepted this! Why the hell couldn't you just stay the hell away and move on?!" I snap at him.

"You know the answer to that. You've always known the answer to that. You're no different than you father and your brother. Except, the only difference is you were smarter. That's why you're still alive. Your uncle was a good man up until he died and for you to just tarnish that family name, I can't let that happen. You see, if word gets around that you left the life clear free, the business would go down and not in a respectful way. We're like a family and you can't just walk out on family." He tells me. 

I nod my head in frustration before putting my hard hat on and turning to walk away from him when I call out, "That was really good, you should think about putting it on a pillow." 

I joined my crew and we began working away for hours all day long until the sun was beginning to go down and I sent everybody home. However, I stayed still, continuing to work on the place, not ready to go home, IF I was allowed to go home.  What the hell has my life become? I thought things were gonna be better?

I hear a car pull up and when I turn around to see who it was, I notice it's Jeff's car and he immediately stops it, gets out, slams the car door shut and quickly stomps up to me and throws a punch to my face. 

"You son-of-a-bitch! You promised her!" He yells at me as I quickly get up and start fighting him back. 

We start throwing punches at each other and end up knocking off things that were on a table and even end up breaking a couple poles of wood until finally, we grew tired and were now standing a few feet from each other, bleeding, breathless and trying to keep ourselves up. 

"What the hell is your problem?!" I yell at him as I spit some blood out. 

"You fucking promised my cousin you wouldn't go back to your old lifestyle! Then you accuse her of bringing you business and going behind your back when clearly someone hacked into her accounts. If you want to go back to this lifestyle then fucking go back, but don't you dare fucking tell my cousin that she's the reason you are!" He says while spitting out some blood from his mouth also and starting to walk back. "Until you get your shit together, stay the fuck away from her and Charlie!" He warns me. 

I end up sitting down and leaning back against one of the wooden beams that's helping hold up the structure we have already built, I start moving my jaw around from the punches he threw, not that I didn't deserve it. 

"FUCK MY LIFE!!!!" I yell out loud as I punch my steering wheel several times really hard and start grabbing my hair. 

Next chapter will be posted soon! :)              Uh-OH!!!!! Things aren't looking too good. :(