“Keep your voice down. Sara’s still asleep upstairs and I don’t want her to know you’re here.”
Nino’s expression twisted into an almost comic look of bemusement. “I thought we had this all figured out. You kidnap the girl and hold her until Bonnini trades himself for her or makes a move to get her back. What happened?”
What happened? Hell, that was easy. I’d fallen in love. It sounded ridiculous, but it was completely true. And it changed everything.
But how the hell did I explain that to Nino?
Maybe I didn’t have to. Not too long ago Nino had explained to me that falling in love with Ellie had been like falling off a cliff you didn’t know was there. Shocking as hell but surprisingly easy.
“I’m in love with her and we need a new plan.”
The dumbstruck look on Nino’s face made me laugh so hard I nearly fell off my chair.
Chapter Eight
Sara
The next time I woke, I was alone in the bed and Cass was nowhere to be seen.
I had the lingering sense that something had brushed against me in my sleep and that tingle I got in my blood when…well, when that other part of me activated or reacted to something kept me from going back to sleep.
Muscles I rarely used ached as I stretched, making my smile.
Despite the tingle keeping me awake, I felt…free. Why that was, I had no idea. I’d never felt shackled or bound before, so I didn’t know where this sudden sense of freedom was coming from. I only knew I liked it.
I liked that my muscles ached from making love to Cass all night and this morning. I liked the smell of him on the sheets and on my body. I liked the way I could still feel his body against and inside mine, if I closed my eyes. I liked that a lot.
But I didn’t like the taste in my mouth so I walked, naked and loving it, into the bathroom. A new toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste waited in a glass on the sink.
A plain white t-shirt and a pair of loose boxer shorts sat next to the glass.
If the man showed up with a tray of food and the Wall Street Journal, I’d marry him on the spot. That thought didn’t even give me pause.
After washing my face, brushing my teeth and ruffling my hair back into some shape, I dressed in his underwear and walked back to the bedroom.
Still no Cass.
Okay, I’d just have to go find him. I headed for the stairs, ready to throw myself at him.
But the harsh daylight made me blink and I stopped in my tracks. Yes, Cass had asked me to stay. For the weekend. He hadn’t gone down on his knee and asked me to live with him forever. And I definitely didn’t want to go too fast and scare him away. What had gotten into me?
No, I would not throw myself at him like a lovesick teenager. I’d go downstairs to talk, gauge his reaction first then I’d decide what to do. Or maybe I’d just take a few minutes to observe him unnoticed. Invisible.
Yes, I knew what other people would think if I told them I could turn invisible. They’d think I was crazy.
Hell, I’d thought I was crazy the first time it’d happened.
I’d been ten and I’d overheard my parents fighting. They’ve been shouting about my dad taking me somewhere and leaving my mom behind. I’d wished so hard to be invisible so they wouldn’t fight anymore. At least not about me.
I’d closed my eyes and concentrated. I hadn’t realized I’d actually become invisible until my mom turned to say something to me and, even though Sara was standing right beside her, hadn’t seen me. Terrified that I wouldn’t be able to bring back my physical body, I’d begun to cry. And just like that, my body had reappeared.
My crazy, unstable mother had called it a gift, though my tone had made it clear it was more like a curse. I’d terrified Sara so much I’d never told my mom about my other abilities. I’d never told anyone.
After my parents’ deaths, I’d submerged my powers, had forced myself to push them behind the thick wall of grief. My uncle had never suspected anything. But as an adult, I’d practiced, honed my abilities. I used them sparingly but never to spy on a man I’d spent the night with.
A momentary twinge of guilt hit me. But, honestly, if Cass had nothing to hide then no harm, no foul, right?
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on drawing my body in on itself. At least that was how I would’ve described it, if anyone had asked. I had no idea how it worked scientifically but it felt as if I drew the molecules that comprised my body into a tiny hole inside myself and stored them there. My body ceased to exist, and no one would be able to see me, although I was still there.
Moving down the steps, I stopped near the bottom of the staircase when I saw Cass sitting in a chair at the back of the house. My power dampened my ability to hear so I had to get closer. I didn’t see the other man until I was almost on top of him. He lay on a couch, head on his arms as if Cass was his psychologist and he was in therapy.
“You gotta tell her.”
“What the fuck am I supposed to say? Your uncle’s a lunatic and I want you to betray him?”
Oh God. No, no, no.
My heart contracted into a tight painful ball. This couldn’t be happening.
“Well, I suggest you stop lying at least. You’re just gonna dig yourself in deeper.”
“I’m already in deep enough. Shit, Nino, what the hell am I going to do?”
Cass hung his head in his hands, as if he was truly upset about what he planned to do.
I stared at him in disbelief. That bastard. He was using me. For what, I didn’t know yet. Something to do with my uncle. I should’ve known he was too good to be true. No man had ever wanted me only for myself. They all wanted what I could do for them. What my uncle could do for them.
And I’d slept with him. More than that, I’d— Double damn his black soul.
My anger intensified to the point where it was getting harder to hear the men and harder to hold on to my invisibility. I wanted to hit him but I needed my body to do it.
When I couldn’t restrain myself any longer, I flashed back into visibility, stomping my feet in frustration.
“You son of a bitch!”
Cass shot to his feet, mouth dropping open. The other man fell off the couch in surprise before getting to his feet.
“Sara, what—”
“I should have known.” I pointed a shaking finger at him. “You bastard, what the hell do you want from me? It won’t matter, whatever it is. You’ll get nothing. I’m going to crucify you, Cassian Graziano.”
Drawing himself straighter, Cass set his steady gaze on me, obviously regaining his equilibrium. He reached for me but I couldn’t stand to have him touch me and flinched away.
His gaze faltered for a brief second before he took a deep breath “Sara, wait. I don’t know what you heard but whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong.” He shot a quick look at the other guy. “Let me explain. But first, tell me…how did you get down here without me seeing you?”
I froze for a second, my brain stuck on exactly how to explain that. Then I realized I didn’t have to give him an answer. He was the scum bucket here, not me.
“Oh no, you don’t. Don’t even think to turn this around. I’m getting out of here right now.” Where had I put my keys last night? Oh yeah, I’d stashed them in my purse—which was where?
“Sara, please. Just listen, okay?” Cass held his hands out in front of him, as if surrendering to the cops.
I ignored the gesture, my eyes darting around the room as if the walls were closing in. I needed to leave this place now. If I couldn’t find my purse and my keys, I would just have to call my uncle and have him pick me up. Of course, that would bring on one of his lectures about trusting the wrong people. But he’d be right in Cass’s case. God, how could I have been so stupid?
“Hi, Sara.” The other guy finally spoke up, offering his hand as if he honestly thought I would shake it. “I’m Tonio Graziano. I have to confess that this idiot is my oldest and supposedly smartest brother. I know he really doesn
’t seem like it at the moment but he’s really not a bad guy.”
His voice had a calming effect and I stared at him. Damn, he was gorgeous—and hot. Almost irresistible. At least I thought he was.
But that couldn’t be right. I shook my head, trying to set my internal radar back on course. I shouldn’t even like either of these men.
“Saccente.” Cass sounded disgusted. “Nino, you’re not helping things.”
“I bet she could block the bassadone spell if she tried, dude. I think your information was wrong. She’s definitely got some power.”
I had started walking backward toward the landline I’d seen in the kitchen but that last sentence stopped me in my tracks. They spoke as if they understood what I could do, as if they’d actually believed I could make myself appear and disappear at will.
I spun around, hands on hips, so furious I could scream. “Who are you? And don’t repeat that bullshit you gave me last night. I want to know who you really are.”
When neither man said a word, I flung my hands in the air with a frustrated shriek and stomped away to the phone.
Chapter Nine
Cass
“So you gonna go after her or just let her get more pissed off?”
Nino’s tone held a teasing mockery but I ignored him as I watched Sara storm away, heading toward the kitchen. Probably for the phone. Since it was connected to a magically warded system, I wasn’t worried about her figuring out how to use it. Of course, Phil, the operator, could be a pain in the ass and decide to redirect her call. That woman really could be spiteful.
But one thing I knew for sure. “Sara’s not Mal. She may have power but she’s not one of them.”
The smirk on my brother’s face didn’t do much for my blood pressure. “Didn’t say she was. But, hey, you want to defend her honor, be my guest. But I think you better go kiss and make up first, because she’s about to throw your phone through the window.”
I looked at Sara, who was glaring at the black plastic receiver beeping in her hand. She wasn’t exactly ripping the phone out of the wall yet, but she looked furious enough to do it. Her pale skin was flushed pink, her green eyes blazed and she looked so fucking sexy in my underwear that if my brother hadn’t been here—
“Nino, ciao, man. I’ll call you later.”
“Aw, shit. Give me a cha—”
But I had already closed my eyes and sent my brother back to his own home before Nino could finish my sentence.
From across the room, I heard Sara gasp.
Opening my eyes, I saw her staring at me across the room as if I’d just grown two heads.
“What… How… Wh-where did he go?” All that pretty pink color disappeared from her face, leaving her white as a sheet.
Tinia’s teat, how stupid could I be? I should’ve known better than to use my power in front of her like that before I’d had a chance to explain.
“Sara, take a deep breath.” I inched closer, holding out both hands so she could see them. “Hear me out. Let me explain.”
Her eyes got even rounder. “How do you explain that? That man just disappeared!”
“That man was my brother and I returned him to his home.”
She shook her head, blonde hair flying around her face. “That’s impossible. What trick are you trying to play on me? Whatever it is, it isn’t going to work.”
I’d almost reached her, just a few more feet. “Sara, I’m exactly who I told you I was last night. I didn’t lie about that. But there are things you don’t know…things about your uncle.”
Sara backed away, but I was close enough to grab her by both arms and hold her in front of me. I didn’t draw her closer, just held her in place. She was scared and pissed off and just a little wild-eyed, which was understandable.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” She practically hissed the words through her teeth, her lips white with strain. She barely resembled the woman I’d had in my bed last night. The one I wanted to take back to bed right now.
Patience, ceffo. Calm her down.
“You’re right, you don’t. Let me explain. Last night I—”
“Oh no.” She shook her head furiously. “You do not get to talk about last night. Not at all.”
I’d give her that much. They wouldn’t talk about it now. But they would soon. I had to make sure she knew last night had not been, in any way, a ploy. It’d been the real thing—at least for me.
“Fine.” Not now. “But your uncle’s not who you think he is. He’s involved in something bad and I’m pretty sure you know nothing about it.”
She sneered at me, baring the straight white teeth that had bit into my flesh with desire only hours ago. “You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Let me go or I swear I’ll call the police and have you arrested for…for…”
She couldn’t say it. Couldn’t say rape, because she knew it hadn’t been and she was too much of a decent person to accuse me of something I wasn’t guilty of. Even though she thought I’d betrayed her.
I steadied himself, straightening my spine. A fierce sense of pride joined the lust I’d felt just seconds ago. This was my woman, the one I’d been searching for my entire life. Now I just had to convince her I wasn’t an asshole out to get something from her.
“Please, just let me go, Cass.” Her tone held no hint of fear. “Let me go and we won’t ever discuss this again. Just let me walk away.”
“I can’t, Sara, but I promise you, you don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m not the one you need to worry about.”
Her mouth tightened as her eyes narrowed. “My uncle is a good man—”
“No, Sara, he’s not.” I held her gaze steadily. “There are things you don’t know—”
“And you think you do? You don’t know anything.”
“Sara, your uncle’s been gone a lot lately, right?”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t try to get away. “Oh please, that doesn’t mean a goddamn thing.”
“He’s taken several trips over the past few weeks but hasn’t told you where he’s going.” Okay, I was making an educated guess but I knew I’d hit pay dirt when her eyes shot wide for just a second. She recovered quickly but I wasn’t about to let her off the hook now. “He’s diverting money to projects you know nothing about.” That one I knew was true. I’d seen Bonnini’s computer files, the ones it had taken Leo nearly four months to hack into. The ones they’d begun searching for right after Nino had seen the books of lists Bonnini had made—lists of half-blood Fata who lived among humans.
Sara stiffened even further. “I don’t know where you’re getting your information but you’re wrong.”
“No, I’m not. Sara, you don’t really know your uncle.”
Her mouth firmed and I wanted to kiss that pouting lower lip. “That’s completely untrue. And I don’t believe you know anything at all about Uncle Daniel.”
“I know he’s not the man you think I is.”
“Neither are you.” She narrowed her eyes. “Release me.”
No way. Not until… When? When she’d believe me just because of the awesome sex? Because she’d fallen for me as hard as I had for her?
I knew there was magic in the world but I didn’t believe in miracles. I had to try nonetheless.
“I’m exactly who I told you I was. My name is Cassian Graziano. I am a security expert with my own company. I have a mother, father and three brothers. Yes, I set out to seduce you last night so I could get you back here.” I didn’t tell her I’d hoped to use her as bait. She didn’t need to know that now.
I took a breath, watching her expression for any sign of what she was thinking, but her glare was arctic cold. “I planned on taking you to bed, seducing you. But I never expected it to be…” Mind-blowing, life-changing, “To affect me like it did. And, Sara, make no mistake, last night was amazing.”
There, that got a response but not the one I’d hoped for. She blinked, and her eyes got damp. Gods be damned, I was screwing th
is up completely and now I’d made her cry.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Sara, but I’m afraid your uncle will hurt you if you go to me with questions.”
She shook her head. “My uncle would never hurt me. You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
Okay, this line of attack was getting me nowhere. I was going to have to play my only trump card and hope it wouldn’t send her over the edge. But I needed to convince her Daniel Bonnini was not the man she thought I was.
“Sara, have you ever questioned how your parents died?”
Without warning, she tore away from my hands and backed away, keeping her gaze on me as if I were a rabid dog.
“We’re finished here, Mr. Graziano. Don’t attempt to contact me again.”
With that, she disappeared.
Holy shit.
Mouth hanging open, I stared at the spot Sara had been standing just a second ago.
Holy fuck, she did have power. A hell of a lot of it.
How had I missed that? What exactly could she do? And where the hell had she gone?
“Son of a bitch. I’m an idiot.”
Was she linchetti like me? Sometimes it was hard for like to tell like, though I’d never been fooled before. Her ears weren’t pointed but maybe they’d been surgically altered.
She definitely was not Mal. I knew it as surely as I knew she was mine. I’d seen into her soul last night and there had been no blackness there. But how the hell I’d missed the arus, the magic, in her blood… Well, that was a definite problem.
Right now, though, no matter what she was, I had to find her.
If she went to her uncle… Fear bit my gut at the thought of what Daniel Bonnini might do to her if he discovered she’d slept with me. Bonnini might not know who I was but I’d be able to figure it out soon enough.
Then she’d be in danger. And that meant I needed to find her. Fast.
Upstairs, I grabbed the pillow she’d slept on and searched for and found a few blonde hairs. Then I ran back downstairs to the concealed door at the back of my house leading to my altar room. Bypassing the stone altar in the northwest corner, I dropped to my knees in front of the moon bowl I kept charged and prepared in the east corner.
Imprisoned by Desire Page 5
