C.A.K.E

“Karma, what the hell is your problem?” he asks, in a harsh whisper. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Karma glances over at Casper in the driver's seat. “I uh . . . I need to talk to you.”

“Can't this wait 'til morning?” There's a pause on his end. “I'm at home . . . with my wife.”

“This can't wait.” She sighs, skimming her hand over the simple black portfolio that's about to forever alter another four lives. “We're outside.”

“We?”

Casper takes the phone from her. “Open the door, little brother.”

“Casper?”

He hands the phone back to Karma.

“Cain . . .” She takes a deep breath. “He knows. Everything.”

“Now, did I ask you to share that bit of information with him?” Casper shoots her a look laced with enough venom to take down an elephant. “Hang up the damn phone.”

Casper exits the car, then walks around to the passenger side and helps Karma from the front seat. She stands beside his Bentley, unmoving. Her feet have become one with the paved driveway.

Seeing that she might need a little incentive to move her ass, Casper reminds her that he could have copies of these home videos on the desks of her boss and every last one of her colleagues. Her feet seem to recover their ability to walk in a matter of seconds. He follows her slow stride up the front steps of Cain's home.

Casper stands just behind Karma on the front porch of his little brother's house. The gaslight lanterns that decorate the garden flicker on, giving everything within a three-foot radius an eerie glow. A shudder runs through Karma when she hears voices on the other side of the double doors of the front entrance to Cain's home.

Seconds later, Cain's wife, Manali answers the door.

Her deep umber hair is brushed up into a messy bun. Dressed in a thin satin robe, lavender bra, and matching silk shorts, her fuller figure is a silken work of art. The caramel skin covering her petite frame sings against the delicate, pastel material. She pulls the garment closed over her more than adequate assets, as she greets her brother and sister-in-law.

“Casper, Karma . . . What are you doing here? Is something wrong?” Manali searches their faces.

Casper remains stone-faced, while Karma only has eyes for her feet.

Cain appears behind Manali and tries to usher her back into the house. He tugs on her arm, but she shrugs off his grip.

“Go back to bed, baby.” He kisses her forehead, which makes Casper's skin want to crawl off his body. “I can handle this.”

“What is there to handle?” she asks Cain. Then she directs her focus to Casper. “Did something happen to Mom and Dad?”

Manali's mind shoots to the one logical reason that would have anyone making an unannounced visit at this hour. Something must have happened to Charles and Leonora Callaghan.

She's close to her in-laws. Even refers to them as Mom and Dad. With her parents living across the country in California, the Callaghans are her surrogate mother and father. If any unfortunate event were to befall them, she'd be just as broken up about it as Casper and Cain would be.

Casper steps forward into the house. He shoots daggers at his brother, before placing his hands on Manali's arms. He smiles at her and gives her shoulders a reassuring caress.

He looks into her dark amber eyes and the concern dancing in their depths. Her lids are still heavy with the slumber that was interrupted by his and Karma's arrival. Casper almost reconsiders the pain he's about to lay at her feet.

“Everyone is fine. Mum and Dad are fine. How are my nieces?”

“They're good, Cash.” An uneasy smile accompanies her furrowed brow.

He ignores the question on her face and continues to inquire about the lives of his nieces. “Has Sophie started ballet yet?”

“Yeah, she and Jillie will both be in the Dance Premiere competition in two weeks.”

“Really?” Casper takes Manali's hands in his. “Let me know what time and place. Their uncle will be in the front row.”

“Of course, we will.” She nudges his side. “I know you didn't drive all the way over here, just to make small talk.”

“You're right. I didn't.” He glances back at Cain. “I just needed to have a word with my little brother. He and I have something very important to discuss.”

Cain taps his foot on the gleaming wood floor. “What do you want, Casper?”

Casper flashes one more smile at Manali, then pulls a sniffling Karma into the house by her arm. She's been standing frozen just outside the threshold, playing with the leather case that contains the evidence of her and Cain's infidelity.

Her lover's wife inquires into her welfare, but she pretends to be hard of hearing. Karma refuses to even meet Manali's stare.

“Karma, are you okay?” Manali asks, touching Karma's shoulder.

Hot tears begin to streak Karma's cheeks again. “I'm so sorry, Manali. I never intended for things to go this far.”

“Sorry for what?” Manali takes Karma's hand and wipes a tear from her cheek. Karma just shakes her head and lets her hand slip out of Ali's grasp. “Could somebody please tell me what's going on?”

“Cain, I am sure you know why we're here. So I'm going to let you explain the situation to your wife.” He takes a seat in one of the baroque chairs near the door, then props his right leg on his left. “And tell her the truth.”

Manali approaches her husband, with one of her thick brows raised. She folds her arms across her chest. “Cain?”

“There's nothing to tell, baby.” He gestures to Casper. “This motherfucker is drunk. And I don't know why Karma is letting him run wild.”

Cain shoots Karma a look, but she avoids his eyes. She's not prepared to make direct eye contact with either of them right now.

“Actually, brother.” The disdain in Casper's voice permeates the air, making it as toxic as a landfill. “I'm not drunk enough.” He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. His dark eyes zero in on Cain. “Tell Manali why I'm here . . . or I will.”

“Then spin your tale, goddammit,” Cain shouts at him. “I don't have shit to say.”

“Well . . .” Casper clasps his hands together and chuckles. “Sex, Lies, and videotape it is.”

presentation. Karma does as he requests, though she's taking her sweet time doing

gives

on Casper's face. There's no sense in

And within seconds, the footage of her and Cain's tryst this afternoon appears. Karma

this,"

nods to the

approach Karma onscreen. His mouth hits the floor, as he watches his and Karma's usual greeting traveling further and further outside of

the fuck out of my house,

his seat and steps

. . Right after you answer one simple question for me." He stares down at him. His six-foot-three stature towers over

send shockwaves through the room, causing a sudden state of paralysis to overtake everyone in their path. The weight of his question settles on their shoulders like a fine layer of grime

bun at her crown. It feels like the entire Atlantic ocean is swimming in her

your drunk ass out of my house." Cain is shouting

talking about?" Manali touches Casper's arm.

he has the balls to sleep with my wife, in my

pairs of eyes

solution that will save them both from the consequences of their actions.

emotion within him

looks at his flesh and blood in the eye. "I've been blowing your

a cricket

call make their debut, streaking her pretty face with the pain pooling from her heart. She covers her mouth with the hand that bears the gleaming symbol of the eight-year commitment she's shared with Cain. The same commitment which Cain has just violated.

trying to combat the rawness brought on by the exposure of their lies. It leaves her feeling like she just fell off a bike and hit the pavement traveling

Casper just nods.

a one-two combination to his gut and left flank. Cain doubles

gathers his wits and returns some of the heat being thrown at him. He lands a right to Casper's jaw, which staggers him. But not for long. Casper regains his stance and is ready to deliver another flurry of knuckles to Cain's face and

bends and angles his shoulder toward Casper. Cain propels himself

that sat on the tabletop is displaced. The priceless heirloom hits the floor and shatters into an infinite number of pieces. Flowers litter the mahogany wood, creating a wilted mess

edge of the wooden frame. A sharp pain radiates the length of his spine. It's like someone has shoved a dozen needles into each vertebra, striking the sensitive spinal cord underneath. He sucks in a breath of air through gritted teeth, trying to ride out the stimulus that's accosting his

blow after blow to his side. He's focusing his hits on one

causing, Casper musters the strength to lean up and bring his elbow down on Cain's neck. This halts Cain's lightning attack, allowing

touch the floor again. The stabs of

the polished hardwoods. Cain seizes this moment of unsteadiness to

locks his arm around Cain's neck and exerts as much pressure as he can summon on the coward's throat. With Cain's head lodged in

feels a searing pain

rows of enamel-clad dentin sink into Casper's flesh, penetrating the fabric of his button-down like it's a flimsy sheet of paper. Cain's teeth tattoo their

Otherwise, Casper would have four more teeth gnawing on him. It takes several seconds for Cash to realize that Cain is indeed biting him like a middle school girl in a playground

energy draining out of his brother, as his air supply is cut short. Cain slams his fist into Casper's stomach as hard as

Cash stands clutching his afflicted torso and keeps his eyes trained on the bitter man idling a few feet away from him. Cain glares back at him, still struggling

from either one of them would be ignored. This is the way disputes are settled when an overdose of testosterone is present. Even if the brothers killed each other, the two

another misguided decision and tries to take one more swing at Casper. His hit misses the mark, leaving him wide open for Casper to put an end to

fumes. The blow sends Cain crashing to the floor. He lands in a crumpled heap at

beside Cain and yanks him up by the collar of his white t-shirt. "You're my brother. My

my parents' pride and joy. But then the great and magnificent Casper

to fall back onto his bottom. He sits with his elbows propped on his knees

all of our lives because your ass is jealous?" Casper sighs at the man in front of him, who has

to bring down the mighty

used me?" Karma chimes in. "Just to get

"You were more than happy to spread your legs for me. You don't give a fuck about Casper.

and puts her finger in Cain's face. "I . . . love Casper. And I

men mutter in unison.

Casper wore out a long time ago. Casper expected her to

the blame for this clusterfuck off

She watches without making a peep as Karma and Cain go at it like a couple of

hangs on her long lashes like an icicle on the edge of a tree limb, poised for demise. Having seen enough, she closes the computer. The single drop of moisture severs its connection with her eyelash. It crashes onto the laptop's slick surface, creating a tiny splintered lake.

her, then back at each other. Her expression is difficult to read. The tears would suggest sadness, but

soft voice breaks the tension between the two men.

down at Cain with malice still on his mind but offers his hand to him anyway. Cain

head. This motherfucker has the nerve to

lies with new ones.

Ali advances toward him with her hands tucked behind her back.

"Ali―."

a chance to utter another word, a freight train barrels into him. The force of Manali's dainty body sends him reeling backward, throwing both

happening, she shoves a letter opener into his face. Casper and Karma are struck dumb. Neither of them even saw her pick it up.

time. The thin blade comes within a hair's breadth of

is not going to make this fight an easy one. Perspiration beads on his forehead, as he tries to wrestle

from the cracked windows of his wife's tormented soul traverse the minute gap that separates them, and land square between his eyes. The wounded beads of moisture graze his skin, scorching

few feet away. Ali knees him in the groin. While he nurses his afflicted manhood, Manali has the opportunity to regain her position on

stubby nails into her arms and squirming beneath her like a wild boar,

decided that she deserved to rough him up a bit. And he was going to allow her the space to do

go." He strengthens his grip on her waist, but she won't release

Casper's words, or his hands on her, don't register in her mind.

the best talents that Hollywood has seen in years. This motherfucker convinced Ali to leave it all behind to move to this sleepy state, and

She wants him to bleed. Wants to watch every drop of life drain out of him,

his eyes and settles for a quicker injury. She thrusts the bottom of her palm into his nose with every ounce of energy that she

Cain. Her chest is heaving up and down in rapid succession like her lungs are about to collapse. Her eyes are darting back and forth,

with you, bitch?" Cain cradles his nose in his hand, trying to little avail to curtail

wrong with me?" Manali's voice resembles a howling banshee's

aiming for his jugular this time. Casper grapples with her