The Hart Game

Chapter Forty

CASSIE

Luke.

The boy who slipped past my walls without even trying, is standing in front of me trying to help me cleanse of the horrible sin that I've promised myself I wouldn't act upon. The boy I've tried not to think about when I was cutting open a human being who tried betraying my family. Not just one but several. But no matter how hard I tried, he slipped past the barriers unnoticed. And that isn't a safe thing to do, especially with what this family does. Who we are.

Luke lifts his hands to the hem of my shirt but hesitates lifting it, realizing what he's about to do. About the vulnerability that I need to show. My chest tightens as his fingers tightens at the ends of the shirt.

I can do this. This is not Dominic. This is Luke. My Luke.

My Luke? Was he ever mine? This was all for a bet after all. Would I have ever given him the time of day if it wasn't for that? I wouldn't have ever known what the feeling of being loved was like.

Love?

Does he love me? Of course he loves me, he just said it not too long ago. Do I love him? Am I even capable of such a strong feeling?

There was so much going through my mind, I didn't have time to think when I put my hands on his and lift, both of us taking the shirt off my body and tossing it somewhere on the floor. When my arms fall back at my sides, we both freeze because we don't know what happens next.

Before he got here, I barely had enough energy to walk up the stairs to get to my bedroom. I barely had enough energy to even breathe. To think. But when his face came into focus in my mind and in front of me, I had thought it was a dream. And when his hand touched my face, everything came crashing back into reality.

I wasn't Little Wolf - The prodigy assassin my father created to scare off his enemies. I wasn't Cassiopeia Pellegrino - The Mafia Princess everyone was scared of getting upset or angry. I was just - Cassie Hart.

Sometimes I never knew who Cassie Hart even was. How she even survived years of being tortured by Little Wolf. Of being mentally abused by Cassiopeia. Being deprived of any light by the father and brother who are supposed to protect her. Losing the mother who was supposed to always be there for her.

For her first kiss.

Her first dance.

Her first love.

Helping her with her hair, make up and getting into her giant princess ball gown wedding dress on her wedding day. But when she caught sight of a boy with beautiful amber brown eyes, it gave her the strength to keep fighting. To stay alive. Luke was like a life preserver that kept me afloat in the middle of the ocean. He became the light I followed to get out of the darkened cave I put myself in. And the pendulum that went from Little Wolf to Cassiopeia had ceased to exist.

I was the person I want to be when I'm with him.

I don't know how much time had passed when I felt a hand press against my cheek, giving me a small jolt of surprise. Looking up, I see the warm amber eyes of the boy I fell in love with. Panic starts to rise in my stomach. Love? Am I even worthy of such a feeling? After everything that I have done to innocent people? Although some not so innocent, but still, they're human beings.

Then everything came back into focus. I now realized that I'm shirtless in front of Luke. A black lace bra with my favorite pair of black ripped skinny jeans that were for sure covered in the dried blood that has been there for almost a day.