Chapter 77

Cassie

"Where are we going Cassie." From the passenger side seat my mothers eyes glued themselves to my face. It wasn't the first time she had asked and it wouldn't be the first time I was going to ignore the question.

It wasn't like I could answer her truthfully anyway because I didn't know. I had worked out the coordinates scribbled on that note and it was several hundred miles away. I wasn't sure I should go there. Ian was Julian's beta and he had given me the key and the coordinates. It could be a trap. He could tell Julian where I was.

I didn't think so though. For some reason I trusted him. I didn't know why he was helping me or what lay ahead when we got there but I had to believe it was something that would help me.

Had to, otherwise what was the point of heading that way.

Hell what was the point of any of this? The chances of me actually escaping were next to nothing.

They were less than nothing. Julian might not want me but that didn't mean he would allow me to leave him. Instead he expected me to share him with a woman who hated my guts.

Megan, my lips pulled back from my teeth in a silent snarl and my knuckles turned white I gripped the steering wheel so tightly. I didn't know why Megan hated me so much but deep down I knew she always had. From the moment we had started working together. It was like she was jealous. Which was just stupid because my life was miserable. Anything good in my life always got ripped away from me. Recently by her.

"Cassie." My mothers voice was shrill enough to make me come back to reality with a bump. Not that reality was any better than my nightmares either.

Sighing, I forced my hands to release the steering wheel for a second. It wouldn't do any good if I broke the car and lost control of it.

"Cassie where are we going? This isn't the way to your house."

Sighing again my shoulders slumped. "We aren't going to Julian's house."

I knew she was frowning, I didn't need to turn to see it. "You have got me a house out of town?" There was hurt in her voice and it broke my heart.

"What- no mum. Of course not." Reaching out with one hand I took hers and squeezed. "We are going together."

"Then where are we going?"

"Home." I muttered. "I just don't know where that is yet." I admitted in a whisper.

Her startled hissing intake of breath filled the car with her shock. "You're leaving Julian?"

I counted to ten , my eyes glued to the road ahead as the rain pelted down on the cars in front of us. It was such a dull and dreary day. Wet and miserable which was kind of fitting.

"Cassie Marie-" my mothers voice was rising. It reminded me of her how she used to sound before she had got ill and fallen into her coma. When she used to tell me off.

"You can't seriously be leave Prince Julian. He's going to be King. You would be queen-" she trailed off.

"I don't want to be queen mum." I snapped back. "I am not a child who wants to be a princess and a man to look after her. I want to be happy. And free-"

"Julian doesn't make you happy?"

"We make each other miserable. He's taken everything from me and given it to -" it was my turn to fall silent. "It doesn't matter." Shaking my head I went back to concentrating on the road. Talking about it wouldn't make any difference.

"Megan." She whispered. "There were rumours , I heard the nurses talking. Is she-"

"Sleeping with my husband?" I arched my eyebrow. "Yeah. They were pregnant."

"Oh Cassie." A sob ripped its way out of her throat. She was crying for me . Or maybe she was partly crying for herself. I didn't want to believe it but maybe she wanted me to marry Julian just as much as my dad did. I loved my mum but I didn't really know what kind of woman she was.

"I'm so sorry. Men are pigs but are you sure-"

My eyes snapped in her direction. "He's moving her into our home. Not that it was ever my home. I just lived there. So no-" I snapped . "There's no hope for us now. So I'm going to drive for another few hours and then we are dumping this cat and buying another. And we will be back on the road. I'm hoping-"

"You can't drive all night Cassie. Why don't we just wait for Julian to explain what he is thinking? Everyone tells me he's kind and charming."

Throwing back my head I boomed out a sarcastic laugh. "Yes to everyone but me. I won't wait for Julian and I can't go back."

"Where is your driver?" My mother hissed.

"Oh I drugged him and shoved him in a cupboard. He will be fine. He's probably already awake and that means Julian will be after me. We can't stop. We have to keep driving."

"Cassie be reasonable."

"Megan tried to hurt me, mum. And she's not going to stop until she has succeeded." I gave a small shrug. "So she can have my life because she's so desperate for it. She has my dream job and she is welcome to my husband. I don't need either." I took a deep breath. "My family is the only thing I need. Me, you." I side eyed her. "The babies."

At first she just looked at me blankly and then her mouth fell open. Her head swivelled in my direction. "You're having a baby?" Her mouth was swinging open.

"I'm having babies. Two to be precise." I held up two fingers. "And Megan already tried to hurt them. So I will keep driving, hell I'll run if I need to but I won't ever go back."

"Cassie, Julian has the right to know if -"

I cut her off with a growl. "No he doesn't. They aren't his."