Cloud Riders(131)

A more up-tempo number began to play and the two of them started to jive. Conom couldn’t help himself. He sneakily invited Aqua onto the dance floor and then changed partners with Kayden to win round two.

Little shit, grinning his arse off at me, Aldebaran thought as Conom whipped Cassandra away, spinning her around and making her enjoy his attention. Everything was a game with Conom but he guessed if Kayden wasn’t concerned about the attention Conom gave to Cassandra then he should stop being an over-protective dad and let them just enjoy the party. Aqua seemed to take pleasure in Kayden’s company as well. Contented that at last the night had turned out well, he turned to get another drink and enjoy the rest of his evening.

At the end of the night when most of the guests had left, he found Cassandra, Kayden and Conom sitting around a table near the pool playing cards. Conom needed to play Cassandra and beat her to keep his pride intact and they had only just started. He decided to sit in.

‘What’s the bet, Cassie?’ Conom asked. ‘A win is no fun without a reward.’

‘Well,’ she said smiling. ‘I haven’t any money on me or any possessions worth betting against so what about the winner gets to throw the loser in the pool and they have to do ten laps before they can sit back at the table and play again?’

‘Very innovative! But if you were to lose—which you will,’ Conom grinned, ‘It’ll be a boring old game until you join us again.’

‘Okay, what about the winner gets to choose a day’s activity and the ones that lose have to go along with it, regardless?’

‘That sounds more entertaining. You have yourself a deal!’

Cassie gave Kayden a questioning look and seeing he was fine with it, agreed with the terms.

At the end of the round, Conom and Cassandra were even. This was the final hand and the decider. Aldebaran had never known anyone to beat Conom and he could tell he was pissed off and trying to hide it. She stirred him up and rubbed it in every time she won. To his credit, Kayden did try to discipline her although he enjoyed her so much it was a half-hearted effort. It didn’t matter what she did, he loved every minute of it. Aldebaran did too. He had waited a long time for Conom to meet his match and tonight he had.

He grinned, thinking of how much trouble Conom had gone to, getting her onside and then filling her with drink to ensure his win. He wondered if Conom would be beating her if she were sober. Conom insisted on a tequila slammer before the last hand and Kayden grabbed the bottle, getting them lined up. This last drink would do Kayden in, Aldebaran thought until he saw Kayden wink at Cassandra. He realised that Kayden was still able to keep up and maybe they were playing the player.

This was going to be interesting, seeing if they let Conom win. If they did, it would be to enjoy his company for another day. His kids were playing Conom and all of a sudden he felt proud of them for being able to hold their own against a warlord like Conom. He had been worried all night that he was up to no good. Yet here they were; they had read him like a book and were having just as much fun back at him.

Cassandra touched Kayden’s face, smiled and threw her hand in, letting Conom win.

Conom, finally pleased, stood up to leave. ‘Well that’s it for me. I’m calling it a night.’ He stretched and downed the last of his drink on the table. ‘I’ll organise a day of pleasure. Well, it will be for me anyway, watching you guys squirm,’ he grinned slyly.

He lifted Cassandra’s hand and kissed it. ‘Until then. It’s been a pleasure, Cassie. Kayden.’ He smiled, and nodded at Kayden next. Then he went inside and his entourage followed him as he left the castle.

Aldebaran picked up Cassie’s cards she had thrown in. ‘You let him win! Why?’

She shrugged. ‘Well, technically we were the winners. Now we get to have some more fun with him another day.’ She smiled, putting out her hand to Kayden.

‘Are you ready to retire, beautiful?’ he asked sweetly as she leaned into him.

‘Excellent party, Pops. We’re off to get some shuteye.’

‘Sleep tight, Cassandra.’

This was getting very complicated and Aldebaran sat up with Aqua, trying to make sense of the way he was feeling. He was having second thoughts, unsure whether he could go through with his devious plan to keep them there against their will. He knew now how caring Kayden was with her and really, she was the happiest she’d ever been in her life. It was then that it suddenly dawned on him that in the end he would be the one to make her miserable when she found out he couldn’t be trusted. Another parent disloyal to her!

His heart ached for the damage he might have caused with his selfishness.