Liam thrust the phone back into his pocket. He had his own role to play, and they had theirs. From now on, his job was to protect Cassidy, and the guys would find a way to extricate themselves when the time came.
He knelt beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. Liam hesitated as he looked at her face. Christ, she really hadn’t changed one little bit since he first knew her all those years ago. He’d always known of her—she was Ryker’s kid sister—but she was fourteen when she really caught his eye, and he was a few weeks away from his twentieth birthday. From that day on, she captivated him. Not that he ever considered pursuing her, of course. The age difference was ridiculous, and he was well aware just how off-limits she was. Even now, he felt ashamed of the lustful thoughts he had back then.
Over the years, he’d found she had increasingly been on his mind, yet he doubted he was ever on hers. Cassidy had never given him an inkling that she even knew who he was, until one specific day… a day Liam had fantasized about for the last four years.
Liam used to spend a lot of his downtime at a youth club not far from the gang’s motel. Some of the other kids from the Devils hung there most evenings. There was nothing else to do, and the place was relatively safe and out of the cold. Cassidy liked to play table tennis with her friends, and he volunteered as one of the youth leaders. For six months, she’d turned up on game night, and for six very long months, she never once looked his way.
Not that Liam was one of those guys that girls or anyone else really noticed. He was a chameleon, even back then. He’d learned at a very early age to keep his head down and blend in with his environment, so he had.
Liam had a high IQ, and he aced all his classes at high school without even having to study, but none of his peers ever knew he was such a nerd. After leaving school, he secretly enrolled in college, studying forensic science, while all his friends thought he just worked at the diner. He’d almost finished the thing too, before shit at Bowker Street got a little too hot, and he decided it was time to split that life forever.
Cassidy stirred on the sofa, sighed, and pursed her lips. That sent a surge of blood to Liam’s groin. Fuck, those lips. He could still remember just how they tasted. How the hell could the memory of kissing her almost four years ago still be etched into my damn brain?
Liam had a very distinct memory of the day before he ran out on Bowker Street. It was what got him through the difficult times in the beginning. He was at the youth club, as normal, and for some reason, Ryker and Falcon had left early. Cassidy was with two older girls, and with her brother not watching over her, she was acting a little wilder than normal. He caught the three girls taking sips from a bottle of vodka. The two older ones she was with scattered as soon as he cornered them, leaving Cassidy holding the bottle. Instead of writing her up, he’d taken the liquor from her and dropped his guard.
He couldn’t help but smile at the pretty green-haired girl before him, and Cassidy’s whole demeanor changed as soon as she saw he wasn’t angry at her. She became playful and begged him not to tell her brother. She even ran her fingers up his arm in an inept attempt to use her attractiveness to her advantage. Liam should have given her a warning, he should have called her brother—or Falcon—but instead, he kissed her.
The kiss lasted all of a minute and as kisses go, it was pretty damn innocent. No hands, no tongues, just a sweet tug on her lower lip and a smashing together of their mouths. When he stepped away from her, he wanted so much more, but his conscience reminded him she was still underage. Summoning up all his willpower, he told her to scram. Then he’d taken the bottle of vodka and headed back to the Bowker motel, where he drank it alone, trying to eliminate the taste of Cassidy from his lips. To this day, Liam couldn’t drink the damn stuff without it stirring up memories.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Liam shook Cassidy’s shoulder, and her eyes flicked open.
“Mmm, what? Shit.” Cassidy sat bolt upright.
“You okay?”
She nodded and pulled out a piece of birthday paper from her bag. “Falcon told me to meet you here.” She held out the bookshop address. “Only there was no one there, and I didn’t know where else to go. Kane’s men are all over the streets.”
“Sorry, things changed. I’d been expecting you later. I got there as fast as I could, but I guess I missed you. What happened? Why did Falcon spring you earlier?”
“I-I don’t know. Falcon just stopped the car and told me to get out. Then he gave me your address and when you weren’t there, I came here. No one’s told me anything. What’s going on, Liam?”
“Did anyone follow you?”
“I don’t think so. Please, tell me, I’m worried about Ryker and Falcon.”
Liam pulled her to her feet. Upright, she looked even more incredible. The devil costume was scandalously form-fitting. The red PVC encased her body like Saran Wrap, and the cleavage plunged far lower than was decent. The whole ensemble was causing him discomfit in his jeans. “Nice outfit.”
She blushed. “If I’d known I was coming to church, I’d have worn something more… appropriate.”
“How so?”
“Well, wearing a devil costume to meet a priest is a little ironic, don’t you think?”
He laughed. “I suppose. So, what would have been more appropriate? An angel?”
She shrugged her shoulders, laughing along with him. “I guess.”
“Come on, let’s get you somewhere safe. I’ll explain everything later.” Liam held out his hand, and she took it. When her fingers curled around his, he snapped out of the fog he had been in since he saw her. He had a job to do, and if he didn’t get his act together, they’d both be in danger.
At the door, he glanced over at her. “We need to blend in with the party goers out there, just follow my lead, ok?”
“I’ll give it a go, but I’m not sure how much blending in I can do wearing this!”
He took another glance at her. Cassidy wasn’t even joking. She’d attract the stares of every red-blooded male in Chicago. Still, he couldn’t do anything about that right now. Liam tugged her closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Outside, the streets were still busy. The younger crowd had long since disappeared, and now the adults were swarming from bar to bar. Liam kept Cassidy close, one arm locked around her, while he scoured the faces in the crowds.
Although he had no idea how long ago she left Falcon, he knew it was probably long enough for Kane to dispatch his goons. There was a scuffle near a bar, and from the corner of his eye, he spotted two of Kane’s men making their way through the drinkers. They stopped every now and then to scrutinize the patrons, then moved on. He swung around, taking Cassidy with him, and marched her back the way they’d come. As they neared another road, two more of Kane’s men rounded the corner. Without a lot of other options open to him, and Cassidy dressed up so distinctively, he pushed her into a shadowy corner and covered his body with hers.
And that was a big mistake.
He’d wanted her in this position for years—her body flush to his, her breasts squashed against his chest, but God damn it, this was not the scenario he envisioned.
As the men drew closer, he pressed her head into his shoulder and pretended he was kissing her neck. The men from the street met up with the ones from the bar a few feet behind him and Cassidy. He shifted closer to her, to make things look more convincing. Cassidy got on board quickly and in a few seconds, he wasn’t sure that either of them were pretending. She squirmed in his arms, little mewls escaping as he ran his tongue up and down her neck.
His hands wandered from her waist, sliding over the smooth PVC, squeezing her hip, then sweeping back up her to cup her breast. Even though he was very much into this, he strained to hear what the men behind him were saying.
“Let’s go down towards the harbor, she can’t have gone far in those heels.”
One of the other men agreed, and Liam glanced sideways, and watched all four disappear out of his peripheral vision. He extracted himself from
Cassidy and stepped back. She looked at him bemused and a little flushed. “Why, Father Liam! What if your parishioners see you behaving like that?”
“My parishioners are all over sixty, and wouldn’t be seen dead near these bars. I think we’re good.” He took her hand. “Come on, the coast is clear now.” They ran down the street, hurrying in the opposite direction from Kane’s men.
The actual distance between the church and the safe house was about two and a half miles, but Liam didn’t dare head straight there. Instead, they zigzagged their way across town, stopping at every street corner so he could check to see if they had been followed. Finally, about two hours later, he nipped down a side alley, and unlocked a gate. Once on the other side of the wall, Liam could breathe more easily.
“This way.”
“Is it much farther? My feet are seriously killing me. I swear, I have blisters on my blisters!”
He looked down at her high heels and instantly felt bad. Perhaps being overcautious was a mistake, the poor girl had hobbled behind him uncomplaining as he’d taken her up and down steps, across cobbles, and even through a school playing field. “Not far, but I’ll carry you.”
“You’ll what?”
Liam didn’t wait to explain, he hoisted her up and over his shoulder. Cassidy stifled a squeal, having the good sense to keep quiet, as he jogged through the garden and nipped alongside the house. When they reached the front yard, he looked up and down the empty road then made a dash across it. Cassidy bounced on his shoulder and he steadied her by resting his hand on her ass.
Unfortunately, that got him thinking about that forked tail swinging from her rump and it really didn’t help him focus. He veered off down a second driveway and put her on her feet outside a blue door. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a key and let them inside.
Silently, they climbed three flights of stairs up to an apartment, and he stood to the side as he opened the door.
Cassidy cautiously entered the dark room, and he came in behind her. “Wait here.” He rushed past her and went to the windows, drawing the drapes. Then he raced around the apartment making sure the drapes were closed in all four rooms. When he returned to Cassidy, he turned on the light. “Please, make yourself at home.”
She looked around her. “Why didn’t we go to your place?”
“I couldn’t risk that. We’re safe here, though. You hungry? Thirsty?”
She nodded and wandered around the room, taking in the thousands of knick-knacks that littered the surfaces. Liam had no idea who established this safe house, but it resembled his grandmother’s parlor.
Cassidy bent to look at a photograph on a huge mahogany sideboard, and as she leaned over, that damn tail hung down between her shapely thighs. How the fuck did she get inside that costume? Liam had a sudden urge to stand behind her and pull her back into his arms. He wanted to run his hands some more over that PVC clad body, and find out how difficult it would be to peel her out of it. Liam’s thoughts ran wild, and were far from priestly. He scratched under his dog collar, I sure won’t miss this thing. The whole Man of God ruse certainly cramped his style.
“We have a TV.” He winked at her. “Maybe you could find us something fun to watch.” He’d enjoyed watching his movies with her the other day. Mmm, but he’d have enjoyed kissing her afterwards even more. Okay, he should probably choose something a little less steamy to watch. He went to a stack of DVDs piled up by the TV. The top one made him laugh, and he held it up. “The Devil Wears Prada?”
He hated the cheesy movie, but it would keep things neutral between them, and that’s what he needed right now. Liam’s job was to keep Cassidy safe and off Kane’s radar until the others could be extracted. The last thing he should be doing was getting distracted. But weren’t his arms the safest place for Cassidy to be? Liam pulled his eyes from the sexy red devil in front of him. Christ, I need to find her some clothes, something to cover up that knockout figure so I can concentrate on what I have to do. “Um, I’ll go see what’s in the fridge.”
Cassidy turned, and scrutinized him. Liam wondered if she could read his wayward thoughts. But her brow furrowed like she was trying to work him out.
“Who are you, Father Liam? I’m not sure I believe all this…” She waved her hand up and down in front of him. “Especially not this…” She pointed at his clerical collar. “I have never seen a priest that looks as…” Her cheeks flushed.
“As what?”
She stood up a little straighter and looked him directly in the eyes. “Sexy as you.”
Was Cassidy flirting with him? She shifted her position, collected up her tail, and put her hands on her hips. Fuck, now she looked like something out of the DC comics he’d obsessed over as a kid. The way that thin tail hung from her hand reminded him of Cat Woman and her whip. Hmm, those horns peeping through her hair weren’t a million miles away from cat ears either, and that skin-tight, red jump suit… Sheesh! It took him back to the days when he’d jerked off over the delicious Selina Kyle’s alter ego.
Liam shoved his fourteen-year-old, depraved-self back into the box. “Perhaps you haven’t met enough men of the church. There isn’t an old and ugly qualification to preach the word of God.
“No? And is it in your job description to get intimate with your flock?” She stepped toward him, her hands still on her hips, the tail still swinging.
Jesus Christ. He looked down at his feet. “Intimate? I was detracting attention from you.”
“Oh, that’s what you were doing? It seems like you were pretty hands on. Is that the way you usually behave with your parishioners?”
“Only the ones dressed like sexy red devils. It’s in my job description to convert sinners.”
When he looked back up at her, she was frowning at him. “I have a feeling I know you from somewhere.”
“Nah, I just have one of those faces everyone recognizes. It goes with the territory. Everyone just looks at the silly outfit and think they know me. But it’s the collar they know.”
Chapter 14
Cassidy stood at the door to the small kitchen while Liam hunted through the refrigerator.
He took out burger patties and some buns. “Not exactly gourmet cuisine, but they’ll cook quickly.”
“That’s fine.” She watched him as he pulled out a pan and began frying the patties. “You never answered my question.”
He looked over his shoulder at her, and once again Cassidy thought there was something familiar about this man.
“What question?”
“What’s going on? Why am I here? And are Ryker and Falcon okay?”
Liam leaned against the countertop and folded his arms across his chest. She wondered if he always wore black. It looked damn good on him, even that collar looked sexy. Okay, I have to stop this. There was probably some express pass to Hell doled out to women who got turned on by priests.
“That’s three questions.”
“Are you going to answer any of them?”
“You’re here, because if you weren’t, Kane would have his hands all over you by now.”
Cassidy shuddered at the thought, and a queasiness filled her stomach. Being here instead of in Kane’s bed was way more preferable, but she couldn’t avoid the man forever. He would find her and…
“This will only make things worse. I shouldn’t have listened to Falcon. I don’t know what I was thinking. As soon as I step foot in Bowker Street, Kane’s going to…”
Liam crossed the kitchen and stood in front of her. His hand went to her face, and his thumb swiped at something on her cheek. As wetness smeared over her skin, she realized it must have been a tear. “You’re not going back, sweetheart. This is it, you’re out of the Devils. A new life, Cassidy.”
She laughed, but the sound was hollow. “No one leaves the Devils, Father. I was born into them, it’s my home. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
He turned around, and flipped the burgers. Cutting up buns, he held up the tomato sauce bottle. “Ketchup?�
�
“Sure.”
After serving up the food, he carried their plates back into the other room and placed them on the coffee table. Liam pulled off his clerical collar, unbuttoned his shirt cuff, and rolled up the sleeves. “First, I’d prefer you not to call me Father. I’m only four years older than you and it sounds kind of… huh, weird.”
She smiled. “I was right, wasn’t I? You are not a priest. Who are you, Liam?”
Liam ignored the question about his legitimacy of being an ordained minister. “You don’t remember me?”
Cassidy frowned. There was something niggling her about him, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“Bowker Street youth club?”
“God, it’s been ages since I hung out there.”
“I caught you with a bottle of vodka?”
An image flashed into her head—a blond-haired man, his head bent, his lips brushing hers. “Cam?” He grinned back at her. “Y-you’re The Chameleon? I-I thought you were dead.”
Liam polished off his burger in four bites. “Do I look dead?”
“But how? Where have you been all these years?”
“I got out.” He rolled up his sleeve and flipped his wrist over for her to see the black band that ran around it.
Cassidy put her finger on it. “It’s under there?”
Liam nodded. “They offered to remove it, but I needed the reminder.”
“They?”
“The people who helped me.”
“But Kane said they hunted you down… that you were dead.”
“Well, Kane was wrong. I’m very much alive, Cassidy, and I’ve been working with an organization that infiltrates gangs.”
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