Cassidy stepped out of the bedroom. She had on that cute sweater dress again, cinched in at the waist, and her chestnut hair glossy around her face. Hell, she looked like the main course and dessert rolled into one, and Liam regretted that they had to go out.
He’d become attached to this little bubble they’d been living in, and liked having her all to himself, but what did they always say? Good stuff always came to an end, and tonight—after she gave him the book—he knew this would be the end of them.
“You look beautiful.” Liam stood up but kept his distance. He sensed a subtle change in the way she reacted to him since he’d come home. There was something between them that hadn’t been there before. “You ready to go?”
“Yes. Just let me get my purse.”
Ah, so she wanted to keep it close, perhaps she did know what she had, after all. He walked behind her to the door, and as they stepped out onto the street, he put his hand to the small of her back. He scanned the street, and walked her quickly to a parked car. As he pulled off the curb, he looked into his mirror and saw Joe pull out behind him. Hopefully, he wouldn’t need back up, but it was a risk, taking her out, even if it was all the way across town.
Cassidy brightened as they drove, excited about their planned evening and chattered on to him. He saw the tension release from her shoulders, and how animated she’d become. The girl had not thrived this past week, and he felt guilty for keeping them so isolated.
Even though Liam tried to join in with Cassidy’s excitement, his whole body was on high alert. At red lights, he was conscious of all the vehicles stopped around him and made mental notes on each of the people in the cars. Joe was two cars back, and Liam knew the guy was doing the same thing.
A few intersections later, he was waiting to turn right at the light when a motorbike pulled up alongside him. Liam glanced in the wing mirror and recognized the Devil gang member immediately. He used his main mirror to assess his options, and saw Joe, still two cars behind, reach into his jacket. Cassidy chose that moment to turn and smile at him, but her eyes widened as she spotted the Devil beside their vehicle.
“Keep calm, look out the other window.”
She nodded and turned back to stare out of the passenger window. The light turned green, and the biker looked over his shoulder straight at Liam. For a second, their eyes met, and the biker pointed to the ramp. Liam acknowledged him and as the bike swung around the front of his car, he held his breath. A second later, the bike surged ahead and took the ramp onto the freeway.
Liam changed his mind and went straight on, hoping the Devil really had only wanted to be let in. They probably drove another two miles before he relaxed and looked over at Cassidy.
“I can’t believe he didn’t recognize us.” She placed her shaking hands in her lap.
“Why would he? Last time he saw you, you had long fire engine red hair, and he probably doesn’t even know me from Adam. Like you said, Kane made it clear I was dead years ago.”
She laughed. “So our disguises worked?”
Liam grinned back at her. Thankfully they had. “Yeah, so shall we go enjoy ourselves?” He reached across and took her hand. Cassidy threaded her fingers through his, and for a few minutes, Liam wondered if he’d imagined the shift between them. She hadn’t hesitated to hold his hand, and the smile she gave him was as warm and friendly as ever.
At the restaurant, he handed the car keys to the valet parking attendant, and skipped around to open the door for Cassidy. For a minute, he felt a twinge of excitement. This was their first ever date. He took her hand and led her inside. The maître d’ greeted them warmly and ushered them over to a corner table. From the seat, he could see the whole restaurant at one glance, and he was relieved to see it was close to an emergency exit. This was Joe’s doing. When Liam texted him about taking Cassidy out, the guy had taken care of the reservation.
As Liam helped Cassidy into her chair, he spotted Joe at a table that was obscured from Cassidy’s view, unless she deliberately turned around and looked. Near the bar, Rand was with a woman that Liam knew also worked with the organization. This was probably overkill, but he wasn’t taking any chances, and neither was the department. They were as interested as he was in knowing if what he had found was indeed Kane Munch’s famed little black book. If it was, this fourteen-month long mission was about to end for all of them. They’d wanted him to bring it in straight away, but Liam had asked them to give him a few more hours so he could find out Cassidy’s intentions.
Cassidy became a little quiet just after their main courses arrived. Up until that point, she had giggled like a school girl over the menu, laughing at her own mispronunciation of the pretentious dishes. The place was not really Liam’s cup of tea, though; give him a good burger any day over this overpriced, overly decorated food. But Cassidy was taken in by all the glitz and glamor of the dining room. He doubted she’d ever eaten in a proper restaurant, let alone one as fancy as this.
“You’re quiet, has your headache come back?” Liam patted her hand.
“No.” She cut off a piece of her chicken but didn’t lift it to her mouth. “It’s kind of fancy in here, I’ve never been anywhere as posh as this.”
“Well, I’m glad I could bring you somewhere special for our first date.”
Cassidy put her hand over her mouth. “Huh, I’d forgotten we hadn’t been on one yet.” She sighed. “Sometimes it seems like I’ve known you forever, and then sometimes…” her words drifted off for a minute, and she tugged her hand from his. “Sometimes I don’t think I know you at all.”
“We have the rest of our lives to find out about each other.”
That comment triggered a momentary frown from Cassidy, but she quickly recovered. ”I was thinking about your mom earlier. I remembered her funeral.”
Liam focused on his food. He didn’t want to go back to that time but he kept his expression neutral. “You can’t have been very old.”
“No, I wasn’t—maybe seven. Her name was Lily, wasn’t it?”
“Yup.”
“I remembered she used to call you Cam, too.”
Liam chewed on his steak. He knew where she was leading with this, but decided to let her probe.
“I thought that was odd, you know, your mom using your nickname like that. I mean, all the kids called you The Chameleon, and then we shortened it to just Cam.”
“They did.” He looked up, and her eyes locked on his.
“But moms don’t usually use our nicknames, and that got me to thinking. Is your real name Cameron?”
Liam put down his knife and fork and swallowed what was in his mouth. “It sounds like you did a lot of thinking while I was out.”
Cassidy looked triumphant. “I’m right, aren’t I? Cam is short for Cameron, not Chameleon.”
“People called me Cam for both reasons.”
She went back to her food, and for a few moments they both ate in silence. Liam was just beginning to think that she had dropped the subject, when Cassidy put down her cutlery. “One thing that’s been bothering me is, I don’t remember who your dad was.”
“Well, that makes you and me both. I didn’t have a father, Cassidy. Mom brought me up by herself.”
“Yeah, but everyone has a dad. Don’t you wonder sometimes who it is?”
“No.”
“Your mom never said? Even before she died?”
“My mother died suddenly, and before I could speak to her again, Cassidy. She never had time to tell me anything. One minute she was there, and the next I was an orphan with just a small Ziploc bag of her effects. She left me ten dollars, a letter telling me she loved me and hoped I wouldn’t make the same mistakes she did, and a handful of photographs.”
“What did she mean by not making the same mistakes?”
“Becoming involved with the Devils, I guess. I never really analyzed it. But it was useless advice if that was what she meant. I was born into the Bowker Street Devils, just like you and Ryker. I had no choice over my futu
re. By then, I was fourteen and already running jobs for Kane Munch. The mistakes were already made, and I couldn’t have avoided them, anyway.”
“So, you didn’t try to find him after she died.”
“Who?”
“Your father.”
Liam pushed his plate away, his appetite had gone. “Why would I? He was never in my life. He probably never even knew I existed. I’m sure if my mom felt he was important, she’d have told me who he was. She didn’t, so I respected that.”
“Cameron Murray has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Did you have a middle name?”
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t say that out loud. I told you, I left that identity behind. It could be very dangerous for me if someone was able to link me back to that name.”
“Sorry.” Cassidy’s hands dropped below the table, and she seemed hurt that he wasn’t willing to share any of this with her.
Perhaps he was being obtuse. She’d already figured things out. But he couldn’t stand the thought of being associated with that man. The mere thought of Kane Munch’s DNA being inside him made Liam sick to his stomach.
“It’s okay. Why don’t you enjoy the rest of your food? There is a nice pathway along the water, and we could go for a walk after, if you like.”
The rest of the meal felt forced, and the chemistry they’d had all week in the condo had vanished. Even when Liam attempted to flirt with Cassidy, she didn’t bite. Instead, she remained reserved, spinning out her food for as long as possible.
When she’d finally taken her last bite, she blushed and looked down. “Um, I’m just going to use the bathroom.” She fiddled with her bag below the table, as if she was unsure about something, then she got up and placed her purse on her seat, and walked across the room. As she drew level with Joe, she paused and greeted him, and Liam realized she’d known he was there all the time.
When Cassidy didn’t return after ten minutes, Liam began to get a sick feeling in his stomach. He swept up the purse from her chair and looked inside. There was no sign of the black book.
Goddamnit, she had run out on him!
Chapter 22
Cassidy’s heart pounded in her chest as she drove away from the restaurant. Her escape had been easier than she thought, all thanks to a helpful little sign on the toilet door. Originally, she’d wondered if she could slip out through the kitchen and make a dash for it, maybe have enough time to flag down a passing motorist before Liam realized what she was up to and came after her. But it was while she was peeing and trying to formulate a plan that she caught sight of the poster on the door.
Your Date Making You Nervous?
Ask for a Midnight Express Cocktail from any member of staff and we will whisk you away in an Uber, no questions asked.
Your Safety is our concern.
No Money to Get Home? We have that covered too, we always pay your fare.
Worried Your Date Will Come After You? We have your back.
Ask for a Midnight Express with an extra shot of gin
and we’ll call the cops.
Cassidy had almost squealed out loud. For once in her life she had a stroke of luck! It had worked like a charm, too. The young waitress was super-efficient, and there must have been a driver just around the corner because she’d barely had time to get nervous before she was bundled into a waiting Honda.
“You sure you’re okay, honey?” The woman driver was very motherly as she pulled out of the parking lot and assessed Cassidy from her mirror.
“Yes, I’m fine, now. Thank you.”
“You need me to take you to the hospital? The police station?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. Honestly, I think he just spooked me. He was probably harmless.” Cassidy was beginning to feel guilty for making up the lies to get her out of the restaurant. She wondered what had happened after she left. Did Liam cause a scene, or had the restaurant approached him?
“Okay, well, if you’re sure, dear, but if you change your mind, I’m happy to drive you anywhere.”
Thirty minutes later, the car pulled up outside Saint Mary’s Church. Cassidy hadn’t been able to think of another address to give the driver. She could hardly go back to Bowker Street, and the safe house was out of the question, but she needed some time to get her head together and plan what to do next.
“You sure this is the right place?” The driver looked out the window at the looming spire.
“Um, yeah, actually, I live just there.” Cassidy pointed to the cafe opposite. “In the apartment above.” She opened the door and stepped out. “I’m sorry, I can’t give you a tip. I left the restaurant in such a hurry, I left my purse at the table.”
“Oh, no need to worry, dear. The restaurant already covered it with the fare.”
“They did? That’s awfully generous of them.”
The woman sniggered. “They add it onto the guy’s bill, and serves them damn right, too! Anyway, hopefully, they managed to pick up your purse for you. Call them in the morning, dear. I’ve done several of these runs for them, and they are always wonderfully efficient and discreet.”
Cassidy stood back hoping the woman would drive away, but when it became clear she was going to wait until Cassidy went inside, she crossed the street and headed toward the cafe. She turned and waved to the driver as she slipped down the alley out of sight. Hiding in the shadows, a few feet from the road, she waited for the street to grow dark again before peering around the corner.
With the coast clear, she ran back across the road and up the path to the church. Glancing around her to check that no one was watching her, she slipped inside. Cassidy’s footsteps echoed through the empty building, and she shivered. With the moonlight creeping in through the huge stained-glass windows, the church felt cold and creepy. Cassidy began to have doubts about what she was doing. Perhaps she should have just had it out with Liam, confronted him, asked him outright if he really was Kane’s son and where his loyalties lay.
She spotted a door off the main church and ran to see if it was somewhere she could hide. Gingerly opening the door, she saw it was a sparsely furnished office. Slipping inside, she closed the door behind her, and slumped onto the couch.
For the first time in her life, Cassidy felt alone. When she was at Bowker Street, her brother had always been there with her, and they were always surrounded by other gang members. So much so, she could hear the other families through the paper thin walls. Even since she left, she had not been by herself. Liam was there to hold and comfort her.
Sadness washed over her. Was any of what I had with Liam real? Or was he manipulating me to get information for his father? Cassidy wanted so desperately to believe this wasn’t all a sham, but there was no escaping the fact that Liam was Kane Munch’s son, and he’d deliberately kept that from her.
She pulled out the little black notebook that she’d slipped from her purse before leaving the restaurant. Cassidy had felt compelled to take it with her, knowing instinctively that the book would hold the key to her future. She had risked her ass to sneak it out of Kane’s jacket, and now she hoped it was important enough to give her some leverage with the Devil’s leader. Maybe she should just hand it over to Liam, but her gut said she shouldn’t trust him—well, at least not until she knew whose side he was on.
Cassidy wished she had a way of getting in touch with Ryker or Falcon. They’d know what to do. They’d know whether she could trust Liam. Or would they? Surely, neither of them knew Liam was Kane’s son, as she couldn’t imagine either of them trusting him, if they did. What if Liam had fooled them too? What if he was going to double cross them?
Cassidy’s head ached, and she leaned it in her hands, massaging her temples while she tried to make sense of everything. Perhaps being part of the Devils so long had taken its toll. She couldn’t trust anyone. In the gang, everyone was always out for themselves; they would double cross the next man to work their way up the ladder. The women were just as bad, fighting and squabbling to get the attention of the higher
-ranking members. Jesus, for what? Just so they could be elevated to top bitch? At least in the bottom echelons they had a chance that the lower ranking guys would treat them nice, perhaps even love them. But Kane and his cronies just wanted whores they could drop as soon as the newest model came along.
She laughed at herself. Listen to me… thinking I’m above any of that! How many months would it have taken for me to become like the others? While she’d been at the motel, she had vaguely fantasized about Falcon falling in love with her, but even if Kane hadn’t singled her out, it wouldn’t happen. Love didn’t really dwell inside Bowker Street.
A meow startled her, and a black shadow appeared from under a desk. “Jesus Christ, Spook, you scared the shit out of me.” She wiggled her fingers, and the cat crept over to her. After giving her a quick sniff, the feline jumped up on the couch next to her. “Hmm, are you offering to keep me company?”
The animal nestled into Cassidy’s side, and she made herself comfortable, stretching out her legs along the couch. She needed a plan, and pretty damn quick. In hindsight, this wasn’t a good place to hide out. Even if Liam didn’t guess where she was, he’d go there soon enough for work anyway. She doubted she had more than a few hours before she was discovered.
Reaching up, she turned on the light and opened Kane Munch’s little black book. This was as good a place to start as any. If she could determine what she had here, then maybe she could figure out how to use it to her advantage.
The thing was written in a lot of shorthand, and contained what looked like accounts. Not just monetary figures but what appeared to be a list of debts owed by everyone in the gang. From what she could make out, Kane recorded a lot of stuff. Names and dates of crimes, who participated in them, and what debt they cancelled. She flicked through a few more pages, and came across her father’s name. Underneath, it listed a whole lot of acronyms that she wasn’t quite able to decipher, but believed they stood for types of crimes. They appeared to be tallied and some crossed out. Then there was a date she recognized as her father’s death. Under that, Kane had written: Transfer to R/C.
The Devil's Own- Cassidy's Story Page 13
