Page 240 of Fame & Chaos

“Aww, did little Princess Indi hang up?” Sasha taunts.

I close the distance between us and wrap my hands around her wrists, gripping tightly enough that she knows I’m done playing games. “Don’t you even say her name,” I warn, my voice low and deadly. “Now fuck off before I lose what little control I’ve got left.”

She yanks herself free and rubs at her wrists. “Fine, but one day, Caleb, I will have you.”

“I swear to God, Sasha, if you ever come near me or Indi again, I’ll kill you. Don’t think I won’t. I’d spend the rest of my life in prison if it meant she never had to deal with you again.”

She smirks as though I’ve just told her a joke. “You don’t have the guts to kill anyone, Caleb.”

I stare her down. “Try me.”

Her smile widens. “You remember that night we supposedly slept together? The one that caused all those problems between you and Miss Indi?” A knot twists painfully in my stomach. “Well… we never actually slept together.” She folds her arms, looking entirely too pleased with herself. “You called me because you wanted someone to talk to and asked me to bring more alcohol, so I did. I got you so drunk you wouldn’t remember a thing, stripped you naked, planted a condom with moisturizer in it beside the bed, and made it look like we’d had sex. Honestly, you couldn’t have gotten it up if you’d wanted to. You spent the whole night talking about your precious Indi and how much you loved her.” My pulse pounds in my ears. “I thought it was pretty rude that you invited me over just to talk about another girl,” she continues with a shrug. “Then you called me again another night, wanting someone to listen to your problems, so I decided to return the favor by ruining your life. Tell me, Caleb…” She tilts her head, her smile never wavering. “Do you really have the guts to kill someone?”

Something inside me gives way.

The rage that’s been simmering since she appeared erupts so violently that I’m moving before I’ve even made the decision to do it. My phone slips from my hand and crashes onto the floor as I slam her against the wall, my hands locking around her throat with a force that shocks even me.

She gasps and claws at my wrists, but I barely register it.

All I can see is Indi.

Every tear she cried.

Every time she looked at me with hurt in her eyes because of this woman’s lies.

Every moment we lost because Sasha decided to play games with our lives.

My grip tightens, and she struggles harder, scratching at my hands while her feet scramble for purchase against the wall, but I can’t seem to make myself stop. Every frantic gasp she takes reminds me of everything she stole from us, and for one terrifying moment, letting go is the last thing I want to do.

“C-Caleb…” she chokes out, the sound barely audible.

I lift her higher, glaring into her widening eyes as panic replaces every trace of arrogance she’d worn only moments before. Her lips begin to turn blue, her movements become weaker, and her eyes slowly roll back.

The sight hits me like a punch to the gut.

Jesus Christ. What am I doing?

Horror slices through the haze of my anger, and I release her immediately.

She crumples to the floor in a coughing heap, dragging desperate breaths into her lungs before scrambling backward away from me as though I am the monster.

Maybe I am.

I stand there, my chest heaving as I stare at Sasha curled on the floor, coughing and clutching at her throat. “Believe me now?” I ask through gritted teeth.

She nods frantically, unable to speak as she struggles to draw in a proper breath.

“Then stay the hell away from us. Forever.” I take a step toward her, and she immediately recoils, fear replacing the smug confidence she’d walked in with. “Do you understand me? Because next time I won’t stop.”

She nods again, rubbing at the angry marks already forming around her neck.

“Now get the fuck away from me.”

She scrambles to her feet and staggers to the elevator, jabbing repeatedly at the call button until the doors finally slide open. She stumbles inside without looking back, and only when the doors close do I realize how hard I’m shaking.

I drag both hands through my hair and force myself to breathe, but nothing settles the storm raging inside me.

What the fuck! I nearly killed her.