Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 92

A respectful greeting sounded from behind, snapping Cameron Lockridge halfway out of his drunken haze. His vision had been swimming, but the shock hit him like a splash of cold water, straightening his spine in an instant.

Mr. Wallace sat in his wheelchair, unable to rise, but he still managed a courteous nod, bowing slightly as etiquette demanded.

Cassian, on the other hand, completely ignored the outstretched hand. Leaning back with an air of effortless detachment, he looked every bit the aristocrat—relaxed, unbothered, and utterly in control. "Make it quick," he said, his voice silk over steel.

Mr. Wallace didn't seem offended by the snub. He simply gestured for his secretary. "Susanna, the documents, please."

Despite being in a bar, the sudden shift in atmosphere made the place feel more like a high-end corporate meeting room than a watering hole.

The conversation at the table faded into a background hum, a lullaby that coaxed Cameron's tense muscles to relax. His gaze drifted back to the bottles littering the table. He might have been drunk already.

He remembered, vaguely, that his last bout of heavy drinking had ended in a miserable allergic reaction. That should have been a warning, but tonight, as the liquor burned down his throat, he felt a strange kind of exhilaration.

Numbness.

It dulled the ache inside, let him forget his troubles for a while.

Somewhere between the physical pain in his gut and the reckless abandon in his mind, he found a twisted sense of comfort. He knew it was unhealthy, but he couldn't help sinking into it.

Maybe it was Cassian's unexpected presence that triggered the memory, but Cameron's thoughts tangled back to a recent conversation with Bennett.

He'd always considered himself a coward.

Every word he'd spoken was calculated to convince them he and Ruby were closer than they really were.

In truth, they were nothing more than well-behaved acquaintances—friends, at best, with a careful distance between them.

But that was his fault. All of it stemmed from his own selfishness.

He wasn't completely clueless about why Ruby had left. Still, the shame was overwhelming, and he couldn't find it in himself to face her again.

If she wanted to go, maybe that was for the best.

His mind spun further out of control, and before he realized it, he'd knocked back another drink.

Cameron had never been a good drinker.

Yet the table was piled high with empty bottles.

By the end, a deep flush spread across his neck and cheeks, and a feverish heat crept through his body.

He chalked it up to the usual effects of alcohol and swallowed another mouthful.

That was when Ruby walked in.

She instinctively scanned the room for anyone suspicious.

Her attention was immediately drawn to the imposing figure at the center table. The man sat tall and commanding, one hand resting coolly on the table as he surveyed the scene with a frosty indifference. He looked so out of place—too refined, too self-assured for a place like this.

Cassian? What was he doing here?

Ruby's eyes flickered with surprise, but she quickly lowered her gaze, shrinking into herself.

But as her eyes swept across the room, she caught sight of someone else nearby and frowned.

Cameron Lockridge?

Why were he and Cassian together?

A jolt of anxiety shot through her chest.

What was Cassian planning?

Just then, a harried server rushed past with a tray, accidentally bumping into her shoulder.

A half-empty bottle tipped over, splashing her face with alcohol. Ruby wiped at her cheek, stunned.

The liquor touched her lips before she could clean it off, and she tasted a strange sweetness as it seeped in.

Her first thought was to check Mira—thankfully, the child was untouched, and Ruby let out a shaky breath.

"I'm so sorry!" the server apologized, face full of guilt.

Mira was fine, so Ruby just waved him off, not wanting to draw attention—especially from Cassian, who was only a few tables away. She kept her head down and urged the server to move along.

Cassian's eyes flickered in their direction, but he made no move.

Ruby snuck a glance at him, relieved.

But then she tugged at her collar; suddenly, it felt too tight, and her throat was parched.

Alarm bells rang in her mind. She searched the crowd for that server, but he'd vanished without a trace.

Something was wrong.

Within seconds, her vision blurred, and she barely managed to find an empty seat before her legs gave out.

At the same moment, Cassian's expression turned stormy.

"You're here for her?" he sneered, eyes cold as a drawn blade. "Cameron Lockridge, if it weren't for her, would you really waste your time negotiating with me?"

Cameron bit his lip, the room spinning.

"It's because I owe her a debt," he said, voice surprisingly steady despite his obvious stupor. "That's why I had to come."