Oddly, the fact he was taking the attack so hard served to open Cassandra’s eyes. No matter what she’d accused Damon of, he cared enough to be there when it mattered. And if he hadn’t shown up when he did, who knew what would have happened?
Something built in her chest, causing her throat to tighten. Cassandra fought back tears, eyes glued to Damon. “Renzo, give us a minute, please.”
He nodded and stood, then kissed her cheek before retreating from the room. Cassandra waited until she heard his footsteps fading down the stairs before speaking.
“Are you keeping an eye out in case someone else tries to shoot down the house?”
Damon started at her words, and grudgingly turned to Cassandra. “Maybe.” He frowned when he realized she was trying to get out of bed. “Please don’t. Stay in bed, for your own sake.”
She lifted her gaze to his and smiled. “I will, if you join me.”
Surprise flashed in Damon’s eyes, but it didn’t stop him from moving closer. He sat on the edge of the bed, back ramrod straight. Cassandra moved her hand closer to his, their fingertips barely touching.
Damon stared down at their hands for a long moment. His voice, when he spoke, was roughened by emotion. “Cass, I’m so sorry…”
“For what?” When he didn’t answer, she decided for another approach. “Damon, this wasn’t your fault.”
He met her gaze then, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed. “You don’t know that. This was meant as a warning – to me.”
“That may be true. But had I listened to you more since you returned, this could have been avoided. I should be the one apologizing – and I am sorry.” Cassandra paused in her well thought-out speech, reading Damon’s expression and realizing she wasn’t getting through to him. Guess I should humour him. “Fine. Explain what you mean, I’m listening.”
“Renzo told you he was shot at. But the guy was a pawn. The real guy hired to get you is behind this, and I made it so damn easy for him to get in here.”
Someone’s really after me? It wasn’t the first time Damon had mentioned the possibility, but she’d thought it was a tale designed to keep her dependent on him. Unfortunately, everything about the last few attacks screamed reality.
“So who is he?”
“A psycho,” Damon said. “Hired by a madman.”
There was something else, a bitterness behind the statement that eluded Cassandra. In her current state of mind, and with the headache looming, she stuck to the easy questions. “What happened to the body? Renzo said you… killed him.”
Something must have tinged her voice because Damon narrowed his eyes. “I have killed people before this, Cass. You must know that.”
“I do, I just…” Cassandra reached further, placing her hand above Damon’s and intertwining their fingers. “It’s hard believing it, even though I see all… this.”
Damon’s eyes glittered at her comment, and the way she gestured to encompass everything about him. “And you like what you do see?”
Cassandra’s mouth dried when he leaned in closer, and all thoughts flew from her head. She could only stare at him, even as he bent his head and touched his lips to hers, ever so gently. The tenderness was so at odds with the restrained passion in his eyes that any idea of resistance evaporated.
Cassandra melted against him, kissing Damon back and wrapping her arms around his neck. He moved closer still, his torso hovering just above hers. His biceps were corded as he held himself off her, refusing to crush her.
After the briefest seconds of kissing, Damon pulled away. Conflict was etched on his expression, and he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could say a word, Cassandra held up her index finger to his lips.
“Hear me out, please. Aside from this very amazing kiss that I wouldn’t have allowed yesterday, you need to understand one thing. Nothing of what happened was your fault, and I don’t blame you for it.” Cassandra hesitated, but the words were too heavy on her tongue to be left unsaid. “There may be other things I fault you for, but not for this.”
Damon sighed and pulled off her, allowing distance between them. Cassandra reached out for his hand again, sighing when he allowed the touch. “I don’t know what just happened and honestly I could say it’s because I don’t have full control of my faculties right now. But the truth is, we’ve been dancing around this since you came back, haven’t we?”
Damon nodded, “Yeah, we have. So where does that leave us?”
“I have no idea. But right now, I need you to understand that you shouldn’t be blaming yourself for something that was out of your control.”
The slight smile disappeared off his face. “Was it? If I hadn’t left, I could have stopped that guy from ever hurting you.”
“No.”
Her denial was strong as her voice. “You would have gotten hurt somewhere along the way, and I don’t want that. I’m through having people bleed in order to save me, Damon. I’ve lost enough already. You should remember that, if nothing else, from our time together.”
Damon’s eyes darkened to an obscure green. “I remember everything of our time together, Cass. Everything. I was a fool to leave, and I know it wasn’t simple for you afterwards.”
Cassandra’s throat constricted, and words wouldn’t get past. A lone tear slipped her control and she wiped it with her free hand. Damon’s gaze was unwavering from her.
“I’m sorry, Cass. I never intended to hurt you. And I’m sorry for having walked out back then, when I should have stayed to protect you.”
Cassandra shut her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and smiled. Damon’s eyes reflected wariness. She raised her free hand and allowed herself to caress his cheek for just a split second. “Damon… There’s nothing to forgive.”
The Earth could have split open right then, and neither of them would have noticed it. Cassandra was only aware of their touching hands, her breathing changing, and the fast-beating of her heart.
“Oh, yes, there is, Cass,” Damon said, breaking the spell. “So many things I have to apologize for… And I’ll spend years trying to make up for them.”
Cassandra frowned at the determined tone in his voice, not knowing what to make of it. “Does this mean you’re staying?”
Damon’s arms pulled her closer and he whispered in her hair, “It means I’m staying. And telling you everything – the full story – as soon as you feel well enough to hear it all. It’s not for the faint of heart.”
Sparks flamed in her chest, but Cassandra willed them away. Yes, she was happy in that moment, more at peace than she had been in a while. And Damon’s arms around her felt a little too right…. But none of that meant things were truly all right between them, at least not while they still had secrets.
Before she could ruin her own mood, Renzo came knocking on the door. “Um, Cass? There’s an Alain on the phone for you….”
Damon’s arms let go at Renzo’s announcement, and Cassandra pulled out of his embrace. He stood and moved to the door as if to leave, but hovered around instead. The tension was back in his countenance, and before she could ask about it, her friend cleared his throat.
“Cass…” Renzo’s voice was urgent as he held out the phone.
With a small shrug, she took the phone out of his hands and leaned back against the headboard. She glanced from Damon to Renzo, arching an eyebrow. “If you’ll excuse me?”
Renzo shrugged and left again, but Damon refused to budge. He stood in the door, leaning against it, following her every movement with hooded eyes.
Cassandra held the phone to her ear, biting back a sigh. “Alain. To what do I owe this wonderful surprise?”
♥ Chapter 17 ♥
Damon could taste metal on the inside of his cheek from the force he was applying to his molars. He eased up somewhat on grinding his teeth, though his blood boiled hotter with each second Cassandra spent on the phone with Alain – Wraith.
For the first time since knowing Derek, he wanted to disobey orders. Go against the grain and
keep his woman safe, at any cost.
His phone rang as though the devil himself read his thoughts. Damon glanced at the caller ID, and it was Derek. He met Cassandra’s intrigued gaze, and moved into the hallway.
“Yeah?” His tone was harsh, uncaring of social etiquette.
“Still miffed I told you to keep your precious in the dark?” Derek chuckled, then said, “Watch yourself, Damon. For better or worse, I made you who you are. You owe me at least a semblance of respect, no matter how much you’d like to disagree with my orders.”
Damon sighed, knowing full well his former boss was correct. “Sorry, Derek. This whole thing has me on edge, and Wraith keeps playing games.” He softened his tone and said, “What is it?”
“I was calling in to check on you and the team. Amy’s worried, rang me to say the safe house exploded and they received no word since. She couldn’t reach you directly, as per your express orders.”
Damon stepped down the stairs, and after ensuring Renzo was out of earshot, said, “I told Zak and Paco to take off, go underground and wait for me to reach out. It’s a temporary situation until I make sure I’m no longer being played.”
“Played? By whom, exactly?”
“Wraith.” Damon passed by the windows, throwing a quick glance over the yard to ensure no one was lurking in the shadows. Satisfied, he lowered his voice. “That bastard tried to get Lorenzo Moretti shot.”
Derek was silent for a moment. “What makes you think it was him?”
After Damon related Paco’s findings and Zak’s assessment, he added, “Also, Cassandra was attacked while I was on this wild goose chase. Well, her and Renzo.”
“And you believe Wraith is after the Mafia man’s son to cause a distraction, and perhaps even credit you with his death?” Derek’s voice had shifted from the polite to the business tone Damon knew and appreciated. In that moment, he counted his lucky stars for having someone who understood the world he lived in.
“Yeah, I’d bet my hand on it. To top it off, I got the cops on my tail.”
Derek made a brief sound of impatience. “Let them chase their own tails, for now. You made the right call for your team. What of Cassandra?”
“What about her?”
“How is she faring with everything?”
“As well as she can, I suppose.” Damon ran a hand over his face, trying to wipe sleep from his eyes. “She’s on the phone with Alain.” He rested his head on the couch next, weary of the day’s events and what was to come.
“Alain?” The confusion in Derek’s tone reminded Damon his boss didn’t know everything.
“That’s the current alias Wraith uses with Cassandra, but I heard him use Anton before.”
“Yes, as far as old research goes, it was his real middle name. I suppose even monsters keep something from their past life.” Derek was silent again, then said, “What last name is he using for this alias?”
“Valois. Why?”
There was a swift intake of breath, and Damon stood straight, his fatigue forgotten. “Derek?”
“The file you have on Cassandra. Can you recall what you read, about her parents?”
“That they died in an accident, a stupid high-speed chase by the press. She was in the back seat.”
Damon could imagine Derek nodding, so he waited. He didn’t have to for long. “The police report investigated one journalist they caught. He was said to be working for some local paper –Alain Valois.”
Damon’s gut churned. “And let me guess, the paper had no record of such a stellar employee.”
“None,” Derek confirmed. “When the team dug it up, I thought it an anomaly, but only that. Perhaps it was an independent contractor, selling his stories to the highest bidder. But if Anton is using this same name, it cannot be a coincidence.”
“Nothing is a coincidence with that guy.” Damon sighed, running a hand over his face. “I fought him, Derek. I could read him as easily as you can read me. He’s evil to the core, and worse, he likes it. I’m sure he was Cass’ attacker earlier.”
“Then you must be careful, Damon. If he is as cold-hearted a bastard as you say, then he needs to be caught. Perhaps investigating further on this would be worth it.”
“You got it, chief.” A resounding beep in his ear alerted Damon to another call. “I have to go, got another incoming call.”
“Be safe.”
Damon hung up with Derek and stood, pacing about the living room. He hit another key and answered the waiting call.
“Boss!”
“Paco?” Damon frowned, stopping in his tracks. “I told you guys not to contact me until I reach out first.”
“Heard you loud and clear boss, but there’s trouble afoot. I looked more into the dead guy’s background and found ties to an old branch of the Albanian mob. When I dug deeper, it turns out they’ve re-established operations under different shell corporations in North America.”
“What operations?”
“Drugs, gambling… women.” The last was a hush, and Damon knew what he was getting at. Human trafficking was too much of a plague these days, one his group could only lend a helping hand in eradicating.
“What about this guy?”
“Until a week ago, he was on their pay as some kind of bouncer at one of their clubs. Then he was offered better money.”
Damon’s thoughts whirled around. If he was as shady as Paco had discovered, could there be a link between him and Viktor? Wraith wouldn’t be caught dead in the spot, it would be like leaving a neon trail to follow. Viktor was not as cunning.
“What’s the location?”
“Désirs Noirs,” he answered. Dark desires. Figures.
“Hack into the security cameras, anything in the area. Try to find me shots of Viktor Beauchamp going in and out, how long he stayed, anything.”
“You got it, boss.”
“And, Paco? Thanks for keeping me up to date. You guys stay safe.”
Damon hung up, sighing as dropped his head in his hands. The situation was getting worse by the minute, and if he didn’t tell Cassandra soon....
“Who’s Paco?”
Damon started and turned around. Only a few feet away, Cassandra was watching him, with Renzo in the background. How much did they hear?
♥∞♥
One look at Damon’s face confirmed, without a doubt in Cassandra’s mind, that he hadn’t intended her to hear any part of his conversation with the so-called Paco. Right on the heels of that realization was the recollection of a promise to tell her everything, once she was well enough to hear it.
Straightening her back, Cassandra moved into the living room and took a seat on the couch opposite Damon. Renzo leaned against the wall, listening in.
“Who’s Paco?”
Damon clenched his jaw, then mumbled, “He's my teammate. He and Zak help me by running background checks, security and IT needs for this operation.”
“Assigned by your private security company?” Damon nodded at her question.
Out of the corner of her eye, Cassandra noticed Renzo standing up straighter. “That’s how you knew how to take care of the shooter. I wasn’t sure if you were military or more like my…”
Damon chuckled at that. “No kid, I’m no Mafia man. But that doesn’t make me any less dangerous.” His sharp gaze turned on Cassandra at the last bit.
“Well, glad we got that settled.” Her smile was wry, and she tried to quiet the anxious butterflies in her stomach. “But you promised me a story once I felt better, so let’s start with the easiest. What happened ten years ago?”
Cassandra could tell her question took Damon by surprise, but he, too, remembered his promise. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes on her as he told his tale.
“When you and I met, I was nothing more than a troubled kid from juvie, only out by your father’s grace. It was a dream come true interning at his firm. And meeting you…was the best part of that dream.”
Cassandra tried to steel herself against his wor
ds, but her heart refused to. Perhaps it was her recent tryst with the intruder or a new awareness of her mortality… Either way, she listened to Damon without judgement.
“A lot of my interning was getting documents signed, fetching stuff for them, the usual. It started off well, but within a few months – as you and I grew closer – I paid more attention. I discovered some deals taking place between lawyers and their clients went unnoticed by upper management. Stupid as I was, I brought my suspicions up to Viktor – with hard evidence.” A pause, and the hardened glint was back in his eyes. “I took Viktor at his word when he asked me to leave all my research overnight with him. Then I came to see you, for your gift.”
“It was the night of my birthday?” Cassandra’s whisper was barely audible, but Damon nodded nonetheless.
“Yup. And after the kiss that night, and Viktor walking in…. I thought it best to go see him and ask for his permission to date you.” Damon broke eye contact then and stood up, walking to the window.
As he looked outside, his clenched fists told Cassandra the rest of the story before his words did.
“I headed to his office that day and was surprised by the two security guards posted outside. Viktor explained that if I told anyone about the details of those transactions, he would tell the security guards I tried to rape you, and they’d call the cops.”
Cassandra gaped at his back for a long moment, then turned to Renzo. His expression was equally shocked, and he could only shake his head.
“Are you shitting me?” She exploded, standing up and walking to Damon, forcing him to look at her.
“No,” Damon said. “Viktor also added that it would only take a suspicion for me to be thrown back into adult jail, especially with the same judge from before. He wrote me a cheque, telling me to take off. I ripped it to pieces in his face and planned to come to you, but I left through the parking garage… And was attacked. I don’t know why they didn’t kill me, maybe they hoped the journey would. Either way, they dumped me into the basement of a cargo container, and left me for dead. I arrived in the UK illegally and swore to myself I’d get money and come back to you. I haven’t been able to keep that promise… until now.”
Blood Ties, Love Binds Page 14
