Cards of Love: The Devil (Devil's Playground #1)(9)

And after this weekend, hopefully the gossip—and my hunger— regarding me and Eden will clear up for good.

Eden doesn’t know yet, because I haven’t the heart nor the want to break it to her—but I have an arrangement with Margaret Bexley. Or rather, her governor father, who happened to be an old friend of my father’s.

Milton Bexley’s not only filtering a shit-ton of money into my campaign on the low, he’s not so secretly hoping I’ll take his place one day since he doesn’t have any sons, and his only daughter Margaret is more interested in being a Stepford wife to a politician than she is in actual politics.

On paper, the situation is perfect. Eons better than the arrangement I had with Karen—the one I stupidly accepted due to being young and impulsive.

I just have to tread carefully because perception is everything in this town. If I jump into a relationship with the governor’s daughter too quickly, people will think I’m only doing it for political gain.

But if I continue living as a widow with my gorgeous stepdaughter who’s locked up like a princess in a tower…it will only perpetuate gossip and make them uneasy.

And if they have any room for doubt about my character when it’s time to vote, I won’t have theirs.

I’ve worked my ass off for this for a long time now, waiting for the perfect moment to toss my hat into the ring. I couldn’t run while still married to Karen, due to more than half the people in town hating her. Unfortunately, divorcing her before running would have been career suicide since Karen wasn’t the type who would take me leaving her lying down. She’d already threatened me with one hell of a smear campaign revolving around Eden if I ever ended things and ran for mayor. She wasn’t keen on her show dog husband having more power than she did.

The fact that she was willing to drag her own mentally fragile daughter into the spotlight after the same town already chewed her up and spit her out just to ruin me speaks volumes.

Then again, Karen was ruthless.

Almost as ruthless as…

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I grit my teeth.

Not a day goes by that I’m not reminded of Damien King, given his obsession with me ruined my life twelve years ago.

Last I heard, he was a successful hedge fund investor with more money than God and was living halfway around the world on some exotic island…which suits me perfectly fine.

Because if I ever see him again…I can’t guarantee I won’t kill him.

There’s a reason people in this town refer to him as the Devil.

The man is pure evil. A psychopath if there ever was one.

“Cain? Are you okay?”

Eden’s voice brings me out of my thoughts and I look down at my hands which are clenched so tight they’re white. “Fine.”

I turn to leave, but her next sentence halts me. “Is this how it’s going to be between us now?”

I can’t have this conversation with her. “I don’t know what—”

“Yes, you do.” She sits up in bed. “You’ve barely spoken to me in person since that night, and when you do you talk right through me like I’m another item on your business agenda you need to cross off.”

“I—” I’m at a loss for words. There are so many things I want to tell her, but she won’t understand or accept any of them.

She won’t understand how I’m trying to save us both by not throwing any more logs into the fire between us.

She won’t understand that if we get involved and we’re found out…I’ll resent her for ruining my second chance and she won’t have anyone else to take care of her.

She doesn’t know I’ve already made the mistake of getting involved with someone I shouldn’t have and paid the ultimate price for it…and I won’t let history repeat itself.

“Why do you keep messing with my head?” Her voice wobbles. “I’m not something you can use.”

“Eden.” I wait for her to look at me because I need her to get this through her head for once and all. “I’m sorry I hurt you, but that night was a mistake. Please try and understand.”

She draws her knees up to her chest. “Was it a mistake because you’re scared of people finding out…or because you don’t want me?”

There’s no easy way to navigate her question. If I tell her the former, she’ll think there’s hope when there’s not. But if I tell her the latter, I’ll hurt her.

Cupping her cheek, I tell her the only thing I can. “The reason doesn’t matter. The result is still the same.”

“No, it’s not. What if we didn’t live in Black Hallows anymore? What if we left and—”

“No,” I growl because she’s not comprehending what I’m saying and it’s starting to remind me of someone I’d rather forget. “No matter where we go, people will know who I am because that’s what my job calls for. And sooner or later they’ll figure out who you are too.”

“I guess that leaves secret option three.” She closes her eyes and sighs. “I’m not important enough to give up politics for.”

She’s not wrong. Politics have been in my blood since the moment I took my first breath…literally. My father was a senator and my older brother had just been accepted to Harvard and was on the same political track I was when they died. Even my mother—who I don’t remember much of because she passed away when I was three—was a successful campaign manager for government officials.