She broke off the kiss. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
That brought his head up. “Ah Cassie. I—”
The sound of the door exploding inward cut off the rest of Malik’s words. He sprang from the bed faster than her eyes could track.
Cassie sat up, jerking the covers over her nudity and watched in horror as three of the largest men she’d ever seen entered the room with guns aimed in her direction.
The one on the left cocked his weapon as Malik flew toward the intruder in the middle.
“I’ll kill her, Malik,” the eldest of the three announced, stepping farther into the room. “Stand down or she dies.”
Malik stilled, never taking his gaze from the one speaking. “If you touch her, uncle, I will paint the walls with your blood.”
“You will do no such thing, nephew. Had you done what I sent you here to do, she wouldn’t be in this predicament to begin with.”
Cassie’s heart felt as if it would burst from her chest. “Malik? What’s going on?”
“Just stay where you are,” Malik growled, his gaze still trained on the man he’d referred to as uncle.
“Subdue him,” the older man demanded, stepping closer to the bed, his gun trained on Cassandra.
“Damn you, Azrael. She’s innocent in all this. Leave her alone, and I will walk out of here with you right now. We will take care of Sanders together. We don’t need her.”
Malik’s words were a knife to Cassie’s gut. Not only had she just given her body to him, but she’d confessed her growing love for him also. Yet here he stood, discussing her as if she meant nothing to him—a means to an end. And apparently one of the Sanders happened to be that end.
Tears of betrayal stung her eyes as she stared at the back of Malik’s nude form “How could you?”
He stiffened and slowly turned to face her. “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
The tears she tried so hard to hold back spilled over to track down her cheeks. “I trusted you.”
“Cassie…”
A hiss burst from his lips as his arms were jerked behind his back and cuffs were slapped onto his wrists.
Azrael moved in close and tapped Malik on the face with an open palm. “Remember, you brought this on yourself.”
He nodded to the one of the goons holding Malik’s arms. “Do it.”
The guy retrieved a syringe from his shirt pocket and quickly stabbed the side of Malik’s neck with it.
A scream died in Cassie’s throat as Malik’s eyes went vacant and he dropped unconscious to the floor.
“Take him out the back,” Azrael commanded, waving his gun toward the door. “And try not to get noticed. I do not relish slaughtering the entire town over a needless mistake.”
This couldn’t be happening, Cassie’s mind screamed, watching them lift Malik’s body and disappear through the open doorway. But it was happening, and if she didn’t do something quick, she would no doubt be next.
“What do you want from me?” She wanted to call out for help, but the gun trained in her direction squelched that idea.
“My name is Azrael Devain. And that ungrateful cad you were frolicking with is my nephew. He was sent here to do a job and obviously got caught up in the likes of you.”
Cassie’s stomach lurched. She had opened herself up to Malik, fallen in love with him, and he’d been using her the entire time.
Nausea rolled through her. “You can let me go. I won’t say anything to anyone. I don’t even know what it is you’re here to do.”
He came around and sat on the side of the bed. Cassie cringed as he reached up and brushed her hair back from her face. “I can’t do that, young lady. I came here to take care of the Sanders family, and you are going to help me achieve that.”
A vision of Logan and Carly holding baby Grayson floated through Cassie’s mind, and panic took over. “Please don’t hurt them. They’re good people. They—”
“Shhhhh.” He placed a finger against her lips. “Sleep.”
Her world turned black.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Malik came awake with the setting of the sun. His mind felt groggy, and his body was too sluggish to move.
He glanced around the room, taking in everything from the boarded-up windows to the silver bars on all sides of him.
Memory came flooding back with a vengeance. Cassie…
Getting to his knees, Malik crawled toward the bars, only to realize they were silver, which explained his sluggish state.
The healing burns on his wrists still stung from the silver handcuffs they’d used on him the night before. At least he hoped it hadn’t been more than twenty-four hours.
Malik’s heart cracked with the memory of Cassie’s face when she’d realized that he had used her. But he hadn’t used her, he told himself as he staggered to his feet. He loved her and had since the moment he’d laid eyes on her in that paper all those months ago.
I have to get out of here. He gripped the bars in both hands, hissing as the silver burned through his flesh without apology. He pulled with everything he had, but the bars held firm.
“Azrael!” he shouted, opening his senses in search of a nearby presence. If his uncle had harmed one hair on Cassie’s head… Malik couldn’t finish the thought.
A sound came from the front of the house, and Malik stilled, listening for signs of his uncle’s return. The noise came again, closer this time. Meow.
“Son of a bitch, it’s just a damn cat,” he snarled, slamming a fist into his prison bars. He welcomed the feel of the silver burning into his skin. It was no more than he deserved for involving Cassandra in his family’s feud with the Sanders family.
“Son of a bitch, it’s just a damn vampire,” Kyle mimicked, stepping into the room.
Malik laughed. A rusty sound full of relief. “Ah, Psycho. I’ve never been so glad to see a flea-riddled feline in all my life.”
“And a long life it’s been, I’m sure. Speaking of fleas, aren’t they closely related to your kind? I mean, being fellow bloodsuckers and all that.”
“Can we forego the pleasantries and get me out of here? I need to find Cassandra.”
Kyle glanced around the room. “Where would they keep the keys to your cell?”
Malik studied the familiar’s face. “I have no idea. Aren’t you going to ask me about Cassandra?”
“I already know who has her. Only, I don’t know where he took her. I’ll need you for that.”
A frown marred Malik’s brow. “How do you know who took her?”
“Did you notice the medallion she wore around her neck?”
Malik nodded. “Apparently it broke somehow, and she had it in her pocket with the intention of having it repaired in town.”
“Yes, well, Harvey ripped it from her neck earlier last night before you arrived.”
Rage slammed into Malik at the mention of Harvey putting his hands on his Cassie. “What does the necklace have to do with your knowledge of her being taken?”
“The medallion was given to Cassandra by the Murphy sisters. The same witches who sent me many years ago to watch over her. The three sisters cast a protection spell over the medallion to keep Cassandra safe. As long as she had the necklace with her, I knew her every move.”
“Then you should know where she is now.”
Kyle shook his head. “The medallion was left in the pocket of her jeans in your hotel room.”
Malik’s fangs descended and his eyes burned with fury. Azrael had taken his sweet Cassandra without her clothes. Malik may as well have handed her over to Harvey; it would be no different in her eyes. “Get me out of here.”
“I will look for the keys and see if there are clothes in this place that we can wear. We can’t very well tear the town apart in the nude.”
Malik looked down at his own naked form with unseeing eyes. He had brought Cassandra back to his hotel room, made love to her beautiful body, and inadverte
ntly led his uncle straight to her. He should have been more careful. Malik knew Azrael better than anyone. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Cassie before he could find her.
Kyle disappeared through a door across the room, in search of the keys to Malik’s cell and hopefully a pair of pants. Malik had seen more than enough of the familiar’s ass to last a lifetime.
Pacing his cell, Malik relived the look in Cassandra’s eyes over and over. The hurt, anger, and disbelief coming from her had staggered him. He’d give everything he owned to remove her pain, her distrust of him.
“I found some clothes, but no keys,” Kyle announced, entering the room wearing a pair of shorts and a white T-shirt. He shoved a pair of jeans through the bars, along with a black tank top. “Put those on while I get something to pick this lock with.”
Malik accepted the garments, quickly donning them as Kyle rummaged through a draw in the nearby kitchen.
“This should do it,” the familiar murmured, returning with an icepick in hand. He inserted it into the lock and went to work.
Less than a minute later, Malik stumbled out of his prison, clapping Kyle on the shoulder as he went. “I owe you.”
“I’ll remember that. Come on, let’s go find Cassandra before we lose the cover of night.”
“How did you know where to find me?”
“I’m a familiar. I know everything.”
“Bullshit,” Malik barked.
“The Murphy sisters told me,” Kyle admitted with a shrug. “It’s a simple as that.”
Malik made a mental note to thank the witches as he followed Kyle through the house, out the door, and into the woods.
The familiar came to an abrupt stop and turned to face Malik. “I can run like the wind in feline form, but nowhere near the speed of a vampire. If—”
“I get it,” Malik interrupted, understanding he would need to carry Psycho the cat. “Make it quick. We’re wasting time. And where are we going?”
“To Logan Sanders’ place. It’s about five miles west of here.” With a shimmer of light, Kyle disappeared, and in his place stood the black feline known as Psycho.
Malik quickly scooped the cat up into his arms. He hated like hell to go to Albert’s son for help, but this was about Cassie and her safety. “Do not scratch me, cat, or I’ll sling you up against a tree. Hard.”
With a hiss, Psycho bared his teeth and settled into Malik’s arms.
Malik ran with the speed born of a vampire, pushing himself harder with every mile, not slowing until he reached the tree line on the outskirts of Logan’s property.
Psycho jumped from Malik’s arms, shifting to human form seconds after his feet touched the ground. He straightened and brushed off his hands. “You are going to have to go in alone.” He waved a hand down his once-again nude body. “If Logan doesn’t stake you right away, toss a robe or something out on the porch, and I’ll join you.”
“You are going to have to start stashing clothes everywhere you go, Psycho. This is getting a tad ridiculous.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow. “Coming from a fang-sporting corpse who’s afraid of a little sun, I find that a tad hypocritical.”
Malik might have found the familiar humorous under different circumstances. Not today. “Stay behind those trees and wait for my signal.”
With a nod, Kyle vanished into the underbrush.
The hair on Malik’s arms stood on end, the feeling of being watched growing stronger by the second.
He scanned the area for signs of life, but found nothing save for Logan’s two wolves and a couple of mice scurrying about.
It had to be Ben watching him, Malik thought, holding both arms out to his sides. “Show yourself, familiar.”
“I wondered how long it would take for you to sense me.”
Malik spun around and came face to face with Ben. “You must have been one of the rats scurrying about. And of course, you’re nude also.”
The giant familiar grinned. “Ah, but unlike your kitten hiding in the woods, I happen to have some clothes out here.”
“And I would be eternally grateful if you would put them on. If I never see another penis in my lifetime, it will be far too soon.”
“Jealous, vampire?”
Malik raised a brow. “Hardly. But I didn’t come here to compare sizes. I came to ask for help.”
Ben walked over to a tree and snagged his clothes from beneath it. He began dragging on his jeans. “Help with what?”
“Cassandra is in trouble.”
The big familiar was instantly alert. He began pulling on his shirt and shoes with jerky movements. “Tell me everything.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Cassie came awake slowly, her head throbbing in time with her heartbeat. She cracked her eyelids open and glanced around an unfamiliar room.
“Ah, you’re awake,” Malik’s uncle murmured, appearing in her line of sight.
She pushed herself up into a sitting position as realization dawned. She’d been taken from Malik’s hotel room the night before and brought…where? she wondered, backing up against the headboard.
A moan resonated through the room, and she gasped as Albert Sanders’ bloody form came into view.
“Oh, my God! Albert, are you okay?” Cassie jumped from the bed, dropping to her knees in front of the chair he occupied.
No straps or chains held him down as his head lolled from side to side. He’d obviously taken one hell of a beating if his face was any indication.
Cassie stood on shaky legs, relieved that her captor had dressed her in Malik’s robe before abducting her.
She turned to face Azrael Devain. “Why are we here?” She threw a hand out, indicating Albert as well.
Azrael took a seat in a nearby chair and crossed his legs at the knee. “That piece of waste over there is responsible for the death of someone very dear to me.”
Cassie glanced back at Albert’s limp form. She knew better than anyone what Logan’s father was capable of. He’d nearly caused the death of her best friend, Carly, less than a year ago. But that didn’t mean Cassie wanted him dead. “What are you going to do with him?”
“He, along with his family, will pay with their lives.”
The floor shifted beneath Cassie’s feet. “You’re going to kill them?”
The corner of Azrael’s mouth lifted. “That’s the plan.”
Another thought struck. “But Logan has a baby. Surely to God, you don’t mean to kill him too?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“But Carly—”
“Has to die also. There can be no witnesses left that can tie my family’s name to any of it.”
Tears of rage gathered in Cassandra’s eyes. This monster sitting before her meant to destroy everyone she cared about. Over her dead body, she decided, glancing around for a way to escape.
“There isn’t a way out, Cassandra Blanchard. I suggest you make yourself comfortable if you are to assist me in tarnishing the Sanders’ name.”
“Tarnishing? I wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire. If you think I’m going to help you hurt Logan and Carly, you’re sorely mistaken.”
In the blink of an eye, Malik’s uncle was suddenly in her face, his lips peeled back to reveal what could only be described as fangs.
Cassie stumbled back in terror as she stared into the blood-red eyes of a monster. She’d known that shifters existed; the Sanders family had been a testament to that. Not to mention Ben with his familiar descent, but neither of those had shocked her much as the creature standing before her now.
“Vampire,” she breathed, holding her hands out in front of her defensively.
“Brains as well as beauty. Now sit.” He nodded toward the foot of the bed.
Cassie wasn’t about to go near the bed with him looming over her like a cobra about to strike. “Thanks, but I think I’ll stand.”
“It wasn’t a request.”
A strange feeling came over her in that moment. Her eye
s grew heavy and her body began to relax. The feel of her feet carrying her toward the bed felt foreign and unnatural as if someone else controlled her body.
She eased down to the mattress, never taking her gaze from the fiend in front of her.
“Winston?” Azrael called, while continuing to stare into Cassandra’s eyes.
Cassie became aware of another presence in the room, but she couldn’t seem to look away from Malik’s uncle long enough to investigate.
“Set the camera up over here.” Azrael’s voice, though calm, reeked of authority.
Another form, dressed all in black, appeared in Cassandra’s peripheral vision. He began moving about, setting up what Cassie assumed would be the camera Malik’s uncle spoke of.
Azrael’s eyes narrowed, and a throbbing started at the base of her skull, working its way up the back of her head toward her temples.
“Tell me your name,” her captor’s voice demanded in a soothing tone.
She answered without preamble. “Cassandra Blanchard.”
“How did you come to know Albert Sanders?”
No matter how hard she fought against the hypnotic state of her mind, she was powerless to prevent the words from spilling out of her mouth.
Cassie recited everything she knew about the Sanders family—from the kidnapping of her best friend, Carly, to the details of Mack Doyle’s death. Including Ben’s involvement.
She told of the money that Sarina had kept hidden for years, and Albert’s part in Doyle’s release from prison.
Forgive me, Carly, her mind whispered, repeating the words like a mantra while her lips continued to move, revealing every sordid detail of the previous year’s nightmare.
“That’s good enough,” Azrael muttered to Winston. “Transfer the video content to disc and have the camera ready for tonight’s festivities.”
Cassandra’s lethargic state left as quickly as it appeared. She took in great gulps of air, locking her fingers together to slow their trembling. A hatred unlike anything she’d ever felt settled over her like a blanket.
“Why—” Her voice broke, and she tried again. “How could you?”
“Don’t take it personal, my dear. If it’s any consolation, you won’t be around long enough to feel any shame.”
Cassandra (Scruples Book 2) Page 10
