Kane bent his elbow, then took her arm and placed it on his. “I’m gonna treat you like a princess tonight. It’s not every day you turn eighteen.” His grin disappeared and he reached out and brushed her hair from her face. “And after the party, you can repay me by being a good little whore.”
They walked to a limousine sitting under the glaring street lights outside the motel. Falcon held the door open for her, and she climbed in. He gave her a reassuring smile, but it didn’t do its job. Cassidy dropped her purse into the foot well and slumped back in her seat. She was glad she was sitting down because her legs couldn’t have supported her any longer.
Kane walked around to the other side of the car and yanked open the door. “Oh, I nearly forgot.” He turned and snapped his fingers. One of the women pushed through the crowd and handed him a small Halloween-themed gift box. It was bright orange with little black cats on it. He presented it to her. “What’s a birthday without gifts?”
“But you already gave me this.” She pointed at her skin-tight devil outfit.
He pushed the box into her hand “Open it.” Kane urged and for a moment he didn’t seem half as scary as he usually did.
She lifted the lid and her expression dropped when she saw the bulky signet ring. ‘Kane’ was engraved across the top of it. She’d seen this before on Mimi’s finger.
“Here let me put it on you.” Kane was the only one of the gang not to be wearing a ridiculous costume. Instead, he wore his heavy biker’s jacket and faded jeans. He pulled the heavy leather jacket off and tossed it onto the seat beside her. She scooped it up and laid it on her lap to make room for him to sit down. As she did, something heavy in one of the pockets bumped against her thigh. She slid her hand over the pocket and her fingers wrapped around the distinctive shape of a small, thick book.
Cassidy had seen this book before. Kane was never without it. Rumor had it that he wrote everything down in it—scores settled, deals completed… you name it, somewhere in that book there was an account. She slipped the inside zip open and edged her fingers inside. Kane’s weight settled next to her and she pulled her hand out of the pocket in a hurry. The book dropped out, hitting her shin before sliding onto the floor.
“Give me your hand.”
She shakily put her hand in Kane’s and he took the ring out of the box, and slipped it onto her ring finger, but it was too big, so he tried several others before he placed it on her thumb. Kane patted her hand. “Make sure you always wear it.”
Cassidy nodded. She knew it would offer her some protection. No one in the Bowker Street Devils would mess with her if she was seen to be Kane’s. But it also marked her. She doubted most of the women would speak to her now, and God forbid, if she ever came in contact with one of the Creed gang members again, her life would hang on a thread.
Before Kane could make himself comfortable, a shout rang out, and someone came running from the motel. A small wiry guy fought his way through Kane’s entourage and handed him a piece of paper. Kane unfolded it and read through the note.
“Fuck.” He looked up at her and patted her face. “I’ll have to catch up with you, I need to see to this, first. You have a good time. Falcon, take her to the nightclub. I’ll meet you there.” He climbed back out the car.
“Um, your jacket.” Cassidy held it out to him, hoping he wouldn’t notice the difference in its weight. Down in the foot well, she shifted her feet, easing the book away from view.
Kane took the leather jacket from her and slammed the door behind him.
As soon as it clunked into place, adrenalin surged through her. What the hell am I doing? Cassidy had no idea why she’d even taken the book. Jesus Christ, I have to put it back as soon as I can. If Kane found her with it, he’d kill her. Perhaps I can leave it in his room later? Drop it somewhere for him to find, or maybe I should call after him, now, tell him it just fell from his pocket?
“Cassidy.” Falcon’s voice cut through her panic, and when she focused on him, he was looking over his shoulder at her. “Put your seat belt on, honey.”
“S-sorry.” She tugged it around her, pulling it a little too sharply, and the thing jammed.
The more Cassidy yanked at the seat belt, the more fight it put up. Falcon climbed out of the car and opened her door. He took hold of her hand, stilling her frantic tugging. His touch was overwhelming, and she struggled to hold back the tears. Falcon took the belt from her, and let it retract all the way back into the mechanism, then he gently pulled it out and wrapped it around her.
He picked up her purse from the floor and placed it on her lap. “Hold it together, you’ll be fine.” He didn’t wait for her to reply, but closed the door and climbed back into the driver’s seat.
Cassidy wished she had his optimism, but sadly she couldn’t see how anything about this evening could possibly be fine.
“Thank you. I’m okay, honest.” She looked down at the large signet ring on her thumb so she didn’t have to look Falcon in the eye when she said it.
As he started up the engine, Cassidy nudged the book by her feet. When she was sure Falcon wasn’t looking, she slipped her hand down into the foot well and snuck it onto her lap. The leather-bound book looked innocuous enough, but if she was caught with it in her possession then it would be a death sentence. She slipped it into her purse. Somehow, she’d find a quiet moment to return this to Kane, either at the club or later in his room.
The nightclub they were heading to was all the way across town, and Cassidy was grateful for the slow journey through traffic, because it gave her time to pull herself together. One thing was sure, she would remember her eighteenth birthday for a very long time.
“Oh, I almost forgot, I got you a present.” Falcon’s voice startled her.
“You did?”
He tossed a brightly wrapped gift onto the seat next to her and grinned over his shoulder. “Open it.” He went back to looking at the road, but glanced into the mirror, watching her as she reached for the package.
She grabbed the present off the seat and smiled back at Falcon’s image in the mirror. “Oh, you’re so sweet. Thank you.” Her fingers tore away the wrapping and she stared at the canister on her lap. She turned it over in her hand. “Mace?”
Falcon swerved into a side road and hiked on the handbrake. “Grab the wrapping paper and put it in your purse.”
“Okay.” She fumbled with the wrapper, stuffing it in her bag.
“Listen carefully, Cassidy, we only have a few seconds. On the wrapper is an address. It’s a safe house…”
“A safe house?”
“Shut the fuck up, sweetheart. Use the mace on me, then get your ass over there as fast as you can. Do not try to contact me or Ryker. Liam will take care of you, and we’ll come for you when this is all over.”
“Liam? You mean Father Liam? What does he have to do with this? When what’s over?”
“There’s no time for questions, honey, now spray that stuff in my face.”
“I-I can’t. It’ll hurt you. What’s this all about, Falcon?”
“It’s your chance to be free from Kane, sweetheart. Now use the goddamn mace on me and get the fuck out of here.
Cassidy’s heart was pounding as she realized what Falcon was doing. He was on her side after all, and he was giving her a chance to flee. She held out the canister, and with it only a couple of inches from his face, she pressed the nozzle.
As soon as the fine mist hit his eyes, he screamed in agony. “Oh, God, Falcon, I’m so sorry…”
“Go, Cassidy.”
She flung open the door and grabbed her purse, the wrapping paper sticking out of it. The mace tumbled from her lap and rolled under the seat. She paused and bent down to find it.
“Leave it, just get out of here before someone sees us.”
“I-I… will you tell Ryker?”
“Two days, honey and you can tell him yourself. Now go, we’re wasting time.”
Falcon’s eyes watered uncontrollably and he pressed the heels
of his hands into his sockets, cursing as he doubled over in pain. With one last look at him, she threw the signet ring Kane had given her onto the backseat and fled from the car.
Chapter 12
Tugging her bag over her shoulder, Cassidy ran down the side street, heading for the shadows away from the main road.
She ran for several blocks before she darted into an alleyway and hunted through her bag for the wrapping paper. Unfolding it, she scoured the garish birthday balloon surface for an address. Nothing. Shit! She turned it over to the white side of the paper and had almost given up when she saw Falcon’s scratchy handwriting on a ripped corner. Carefully, she tried to marry up the torn edges and was just able to make out a street name. The number was right on the tear and she squinted at it trying to decide if it said one-seventy-one or one-eleven. Perhaps she’d worry about that later. If she couldn’t figure it out, she could always knock on both doors and ask for Liam.
Taking a deep breath, she set off down the sidewalk and turned the corner on to High Street. The main thoroughfare was busy with Halloween celebrators, all dressed in vibrant costumes. Cassidy slipped in with a group, and joined in with their whooping and dancing down the street, hoping the people around her would be good camouflage. At one point, a group of three motorbikes roared past her and she almost froze. Cassidy hardly dared look up as their engines growled, but when she finally plucked up the courage, she didn’t recognize the bikes and breathed a sigh of relief.
When she made it onto Carmel Street, she left the crowd of party goers behind, and quickened her pace. Peering through overgrown shrubbery, she tried to read the number of the house. One-twenty-two. She crossed the street, hoping the road followed the conventional numbering system of evens and odds.
When she reached one-eleven, she found the address was a small bookshop, the lights turned off, and a for sale sign propped in the window. She peered inside, but from what she could see, the shop hadn’t been occupied in a long time. Apart from a few dusty paperbacks in the window, the rest of the store was empty. She stepped back and scoured the street around her. This didn’t look hopeful. Cassidy was just about to give up when she spotted a side door to the property, so she ran around and hammered on it. After five minutes of knocking, she looked back at the paper. Perhaps the number was one-seventy-one after all. She decided to investigate that address and circle back if there wasn’t any luck there.
The second place turned out to be a vacant lot. She guessed at one point there had been a house or a shop there, but now it was an overgrown waste ground full of trash and old furniture. The trees rustled overhead, and for a moment, the moon went in behind a cloud. The piles of debris took on ominous shapes around her, and she shivered in the cold.
By now, her feet were killing her, and she cursed the stiletto boots. Think, think, think. Falcon had told her she was to meet Liam, yet neither of the two numbers on this street had brought her to him. In the distance, she heard a church bell chiming nine. Of course! She couldn’t be more than a few blocks from the church where she had first met the priest. She set off down the road. If she couldn’t find him there, she was pretty sure she could remember the way to his house across the road from the kebob place.
The streets were quieter now. Most of the small children and families had finished their trick-or-treating for the night and headed home. A few older youths and adults were out, all dressed up, chattering excitedly as they headed to bars and parties.
Rounding the corner, there was a loud rumble, and she backed into the shadows, flattening herself against a wall and ducking under some overhanging trees. A moment later, a large motorbike drifted up to the corner. She held her breath as she recognized one of the Devils’ gang members. Please don’t look this way. She crossed her fingers for extra luck and remained as still as a statue. Fifteen seconds later, the bike squeezed into the heavy traffic and was gone.
Okay, that was close. She had to get off the streets, now.
The Catholic church looked way too spooky under the lighting that was beamed from the spotlights positioned at its base. Cassidy wondered if the place was always lit up like this or whether it was especially done for Halloween. Hmm, did churches even celebrate Halloween? No, probably not. Surely, it was the other side’s holiday. She cautiously navigated the curved pathway up to the huge oak double doors. There were no lights inside, and she wondered if the doors would be locked. She reached out to try the handle when something brushed up against her leg. Cassidy cried out and jumped backwards, then she laughed in relief as a black cat looked up at her.
Cassidy crouched down and scuffed the furry animal’s ears. Immediately, the cat started to purr and open and close its big, startlingly green eyes. Forcefully pushing into her hand, its purr grew louder. For some reason, stroking the pretty creature had a calming influence. She stood up and tried the door. Cassidy was relieved when it opened, and the black cat slipped inside ahead of her. “Hey puss, come back, I don’t think you are allowed in there!”
But the cat took no notice of her and disappeared under the pews. “Hey, you little devil, come back here.” She turned and shut the door, and then walked up the aisle. “Here, puss.”
The animal replied with a meow, and she followed the sound. When she reached the altar, the black cat jumped onto it and rubbed herself against a large candle on there. Next to the candle there was a box of matches. The dark church was frankly creepier than Cassidy remembered, and she scooped up the matches and lit the candle.
“That’s better, don’t you think, kitty?” The place was immediately awash with a warm glow.
She caught sight of her shadow on the floor, and suppressed a giggle. Two horns could be clearly seen protruding from her head. She reached for her tail and held it out to the side and the giggle turned into a chuckle as she saw the shadow of her forked tail emerge. She was probably committing sacrilege or something, being in a church dressed as a devil. At any moment, the Lord Almighty might strike her down.
Putting down the matches, she scooped up the cat and noticed for the first time, it had a red collar. “Hmm, we are matchy-matchy. Who do you belong to, puss?” She lifted the star-shaped silver tag and read the name. “Spook. Hmm, that suits you.” Then turned it over and was surprised to read the name of the church on the back. “Perhaps you belong here after all. Do you think you could put in a good word for me with Him up there?” She stroked the cat’s head, and it purred. Were black cats meant to be unlucky or lucky? She couldn’t quite remember. Hopefully, it was the latter.
The cat snuggled down in her arms, and she played with its ears as she wandered around the church. Her heels clicked loudly on the stone flags, the sound echoing around her. Outside, she could still hear the throaty roars of bikes and wondered how close they were. Did Kane know I was gone yet? She hoped Ryker had the good sense to get himself away, as Kane would be on the warpath.
After exploring the nooks and crannies of the church, she decided she and Spook were the only ones there. Damn it, she wished she knew how to contact Liam. Perhaps I should run over to his place? There was a louder rumble of bikes that definitely sounded closer. The candle light seemed to flicker in time with the sound, and she held her breath trying to decide if they were on the street outside. It would probably be safer to stay where she was. “Shall we find somewhere cozy to wait?” Surely, Liam had to show up here eventually?
Cassidy spotted a door and headed over. Behind it, she found a room with a desk and chair and a small sofa shoved up against the wall. Not knowing what else to do, she sat down on it. Her feet throbbed, reminding her how her stupid boots were killing her. High stiletto heels weren’t exactly the most practical getaway footwear.
She tucked her legs up on the sofa and rested her head on the arm. Spook nestled into a nook at her side, and after a brief washing, the cat closed its green eyes and fell asleep.
Since Cassidy had sat down, a weariness settled into her limbs and the fear from earlier came back. Seriously, I need my head examined! A
s soon as Kane finds out I’m gone, he’ll have his men scouring the whole city for me. Oh, God, what would happen to Falcon if Kane found out he’d helped me escape? And Ryker! How the hell was he going to explain this? She feared Kane would kill them both if she didn’t go back.
Cassidy took a deep breath. Falcon planned this. He gave me the mace, and the address—even though that turned out to be useless—so, perhaps Ryker wasn’t in on this, and he’d be okay.
In the end, she decided there was only one thing she could do, and that was to do exactly what Falcon told her. Cassidy had no choice but to stay here and wait for Liam to show, then she’d figure out everything else later.
Chapter 13
Liam stood at the door to the church office and stared at the sexy red devil curled up on his couch. Glossy fire-engine red hair hung halfway down her back, and a few strands of it stuck to her pale cheeks, the ends fluttering as she exhaled.
The scandalous catsuit left nothing to his imagination. It pulled across the woman’s rounded buttocks and the low neckline flashed him rather too much soft white breast. He ran his finger under his collar and tried to look away, but he couldn’t. The forked tail was what did him in, and he had to adjust his jeans. “Fuck.”
He knew exactly who the pretty little devil was, of course. Liam had been waiting half the night for her at the bookshop, but either he missed her, or she never received that address from Falcon. He’d arrived there in a hurry, expecting to find her waiting outside after he’d received the message from Falcon, letting him know things had to be moved up and the plan was now to spring her on the way to the party instead of later.
Liam had left straight away, but he was all the way across town, so it was a quarter hour past the designated time when he arrived. He hadn’t dared go straight to the shop and had wasted valuable time doubling back and taking roads in the opposite direction, just so he could be sure he wasn’t followed. He pulled out his phone to see if there were any other messages from Falcon to explain the change in arrangements, but his inbox was empty. He really wanted to let his buddy know he had Cassidy safe and sound, but he didn’t dare risk it. By now, Kane could have Falcon and Ryker, and Liam didn’t want to incriminate either of them, let alone lead Kane’s men straight to her.
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