by KD Jones
“I am very pleased, Ari. Cassandra will be coming tomorrow for lunch. I hope to convince her to have dinner with me and my wife. Then we’ll convince her to move in with us. It will be like having my Laura back again.”
“Cass is her own person,” Ari told him, but Abraham wasn’t listening.
“She’ll need a whole new wardrobe, allowance, and a car, of course.”
“Cass doesn’t have a license.”
“Well, my driver can drop her off and pick her up after bringing me to work each day. I’ll have to speak with the head of the business school to get her in.”
“She’s already taking part-time classes.”
Abraham did hear that and snorted. “That school is for the poor. Cassandra is meant for greater things.”
Ari questioned once more the wisdom of exposing Cass to Abraham. He could offer her a better life, one of leisure, but at what price? Years of living a rough life on the streets had taught him that no one offered something for free; there was always a price to pay. That was what worried him. What price would Cass have to pay?
Chapter 9
The next day
Cass had helped with Father Raphael earlier that morning so she would be able to meet her grandfather for lunch. She went back to her apartment to change. She took an hour to try to find the right kind of outfit to wear to her grandfather’s office. Her casual jeans and a t-shirt would not go over well and she didn’t want to wear her club outfit. Thankfully, Leeza was there to help her out.
Now she wore a long black pencil skirt with a blue silk blouse. They belonged to Leeza, of course. Leeza had also helped her put her hair up into a French braid and done some light makeup. She wore black heels, which were thankfully not that tall. Looking in the mirror, she had to admit she looked very nice, elegant and professional. All things that weren’t her at all.
Getting off the bus, she walked the two blocks to Abraham’s office building. Looking up at the sign, she realized that the whole building was his. “Wow.”
She was reaching for the door when it suddenly opened and a man in a doorman uniform opened it for her. She thought doormen were only for hotels or expensive apartments.
“Good afternoon, miss. Can I help you?”
“I’m here to see Abraham Knight.”
“Who are you?”
“Cass...Cassandra Knight.”
“Oh, you must be his granddaughter. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Mr. Knight’s office suite is on the tenth floor. I’m Geoffrey. If there is anything you need, just let me know.”
“Thank you.”
She entered the elevator and went up to the tenth floor. The lobby had been beautiful, but it was nothing compared to the tenth floor. When the elevator doors opened, she saw a wall of windows looking out on the city. This was the top level of the building, so it didn’t really qualify as a skyscraper. However, the view was spectacular.
She walked over to the receptionist desk. The woman behind the desk looked up and smiled. “Miss Knight?”
“Call me Cass.”
“Cass, your grandfather is finishing up a meeting and will be right with you. You can sit in the waiting area. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“No, I’m fine, thank you.”
She went to the sitting area across from the large windows. Reaching for a magazine, she fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable, and was tempted to get up and leave. She had gone most of her life without knowing where she came from, it wouldn’t make that much of a difference to find out now about part of her heritage. What kept her in the seat was the faded image of her mother. She wanted to know more about her.
A door opened and she glanced up to see a tall, good-looking man with short, dark blond hair in a dark suit walking toward the receptionist desk. He started to say something to the woman behind the desk but froze and almost stumbled upon seeing Cass. Having been caught staring at him, she quickly looked back down at the magazine she was holding. Don’t look up...don’t look up.
“Excuse me, can I help you?”
Oh shit, the man had come over to where she was sitting. She looked up and was caught in the gaze of his dark brown eyes. The man was gorgeous and completely out of her league.
“I’m waiting on Abraham Knight.”
He sat down next to her. “I’m Maxwell Tate, manager for Knight Properties. Are you a new client?”
“I’m Cassandra Knight…”
“Oh, his granddaughter. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Really? Abraham just met her. What could he have possibly told him?
“Do you live in the Detroit area?”
“I’ve lived here my whole life.”
“Your grandfather tells me that you grew up apart from them for many years. I bet you’re glad to be reunited.”
Was that what he was telling everyone? It sounded like she had gone off to some fancy boarding school in another country. She was about to set him straight, but at that moment, Abraham came out of his office, walking beside another man in a suit. They said a few more words before the other man got into the elevator. When Abraham turned back, he caught sight of her and smiled. For some reason, the smile didn’t put her at ease, but instead made her feel more uncomfortable. Cass stood up to face Abraham. He put his hands on her arms and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. She fought the urge to pull away.
“Glad you came, Cassandra. I see that you have met Maxwell.”
“Yes.”
Maxwell put his hand on her arm. “Well, I’ll let you to go so you can have your lunch. I hope to be seeing a great deal more of you around here, Cassandra.”
“Nice meeting you.”
She stood next to Abraham and watched as Maxwell walked away. Her grandfather looked from Maxwell to her. “He’s a great manager, one of my best. His girlfriend called things off, so he’s available.”
Uh, no, she did not need her demi-demon grandpa setting her up with anyone. “I’m dating someone.”
“Who would that be?”
“A nice human boy I met in college.”
He motioned for her to move toward the elevators. “Let’s go across the street, I’ve reserved us a table at the restaurant. Then you can tell me about this boy you’re dating.”
Cass bit her bottom lip, worried. How much should she tell Abraham about the people in her life? He had to know she was the Child of Light, right? There were so many factors to consider.
The doorman was there, ready to assist them as they left. “Enjoy your lunch.”
“Thank you.” She walked next to Abraham as they crossed the street. The restaurant was new, but very expensive looking. On her pay from the diner, she would never be able to afford eating here.
Even though the restaurant was new, it was clear from the way the staff scrambled to impress her grandfather that they had seen him many times.
“Good day, Mr. Knight. We have your table ready with a glass of wine waiting.”
“Thank you, Melissa.”
Wow, he even knew the hostess’s name. She had to give it to him, he knew how to hold himself with power and prestige. People respected him because he demanded it of them. He exuded a confidence she had never had.
As he pulled out a chair for her, she tried to remember every movie she had ever seen where people used manners. She unfolded the napkin and placed it in her lap. At least she got that right. He motioned for the waitress to pour a glass of wine.
Cass put her hand over her own glass. “Just water, please.”
Abraham raised an eyebrow. “Surely one glass of wine won’t hurt the Child of Light.”
There was one question answered. He did know about the prophecy. “I don’t like the taste of alcohol.”
“This is a $500 bottle of 2009 Ornellaia from Tuscany. It is a different from anything you would have had before. Give it a try.”
Moving her hand out of the way, she allowed the waitress to pour the glass of wine. It was true that she never really cared for the taste of alcohol, but her bigg
est reason was memories from a foster home she had been in where the woman was drunk all the time. There had been days where she wasn’t fed because the woman drank until she passed out. Then, when she lived on the streets, she had never wanted to be caught unaware by one of the drug dealers or pimps. They would have used and abused her in a heartbeat. Looking around the restaurant, though, all the other customers were drinking and talking, looking quite happy. None had the issues that she did. Did she really want to let her past affect her present?
She lifted the glass to take a sip. It had a sweet berry flavor. “It’s good.”
Abraham snorted. “It’s phenomenal, one of my favorites. So what would you like to eat?
Cass opened the menu to look, but couldn’t get past the prices. Forty-one dollars for a New York strip steak! She had never had a steak that cost more than ten dollars. “Just a garden salad, please.”
“Nonsense, we’ll both have a filet and Maine lobster tail, two side salads, baked potatoes, loaded.”
Good gosh, just one of their meals was sixty-five dollars! Her forehead felt a little sweaty. She used her napkin to dry her face a little.
“Are you feeling well, my dear?”
“I’m just not used to all this…” She motioned to the restaurant.
“Tell me what your life was like.”
“Ari didn’t tell you?”
“No, only that he thought you could be my missing granddaughter.”
“I don’t remember much of my life before I was eight. I was found walking the streets with no memory. I spent a few years going from foster home to foster home. Then I left and lived on my own.”
He reached out to pat her hand. “You’re not on your own now. You have a family and there is a whole new world waiting for you to explore.”
Cass had always wanted a family. That part sounded great, but the new world part scared her. The waitress arrived with their food. She took a bite of her steak and almost groaned at how good it was. If this new world included food like this, she might be able to deal with it.
“Your grandmother is just beside herself with wanting to meet you. She is planning a big family dinner tonight and…”
“I can’t come tonight, I have to work.”
“It’s just a small, run-down diner. You don’t need to continue to spend time there…” he said dismissively.
“I love the diner and my friends! Just because I’ve suddenly found my family doesn’t mean I’ll dump the people who have become my family over the years.”
She could tell by the tick at the side of his face that Abraham wasn’t used to people talking back to him. “Would you be able to come tomorrow night for dinner?”
“I do have off tomorrow night, so yes, I’m free to come for dinner.”
“Wonderful.”
They were quiet as they finished eating their meal, keeping the conversation light and impersonal. She asked about his business, and he proudly regaled her with tales of his accomplishments. He spoke kindly about his wife, but every time she asked about her mother, he would become evasive. Maybe her grandmother would be more forthcoming. He got a phone call near the end of their lunch, which he took. She looked out the window and caught sight of Ari watching them from across the street. What the hell? Was he stalking her now?
Abraham paid the bill and they left the restaurant. Ari was conveniently missing from his lookout spot. She stopped outside the door of her grandfather’s building. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
He kissed her cheek, then went inside. She turned to head down the block to the bus stop. Getting on the bus and taking a seat, she felt the hair on the back of her neck rise.
“Why are you spying on me, Ari?”
She felt his breath on her neck as he leaned in close from the seat behind her. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Abraham can be a bit overwhelming.”
“Yeah, well, I can hold my own with him just fine.”
The bus stopped and the man beside her on the other side of the aisle stood up to leave. He dropped the newspaper he had been holding. She bent down to pick it up.
“Excuse me, sir! You dropped something.” The man didn’t turn back around before he got off the bus. The driver quickly drove on. Cass opened the newspaper and was about to toss it onto the empty seat next to her but froze when she read the headline.
Two women had been found downtown late the night before with the blood drained from both their bodies. They were last seen at a local nightclub.
Oh shit! It was the girls who had been with the blood demi-demon. Now they were dead. Looks like I’ll be going on the hunt for a demi-demon.
Chapter 10
Later that evening at the diner
“Order up!” Jerry yelled out.
Cass went over to grab the plates and load them on her tray. These were her last customers for the night. Jerry had two part-time waitresses working and had told her she could leave early. Leeza was helping out with Father Raphael.
Michael was still working, so she was going to be doing this hunt on her own. She scooted out while Michael was distracted, since she knew he wouldn’t want her to go alone. He and Father Raphael still thought that she needed more time, but she knew that she was ready. It was time she took control of the situation. She was the Child of Light, after all, the one to lead the arkangels in the great fight against the demons.
She used her speed to swing by her apartment to change into a leather bustier and a velvet jacket. Then she put on her skinny jeans and a pair of steel-toed biker boots that she kept a silver knife hidden in. She put her hair up in ponytail as usual, but because she had to look like a clubber, she did apply makeup. Glancing in the mirror, she had to admit, she looked like a sexy dominatrix or something.
“Time to kick some demon ass.”
Cass used her speed to run the distance to the club. She slowed down as she neared the street where the bodies were found. Police tape was still up and there were a few cops out. She wouldn’t be able to get any closer until the cops left.
Moving past the scene, she headed towards where all the music was coming from. From this distance it was just loud pulsing beats. Truly, it wouldn’t be any better once inside. The music could be so loud that she could feel it vibrate through her body. It was kind of nice when she came with West and could let herself get lost in the rhythm of the music, but right now trying to focus her senses to hunt a demon with all these distractions was going to be hell.
She halted when she got a look at the line. Oh man, it would take an hour to get in if she actually waited. Not only that, but the club was pretty big, so it could take her a while to track the demi-demon down once inside. No, she needed to do this differently.
Glancing around the side of the building, she noticed a fire escape. She moved down the alleyway between the two buildings and realized she was going to have to jump for the ladder because it was up in the air. She had been practicing with running and jumping.
With a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, she drew on her inner power and raced toward it, leaping into the air and catching the bottom rung. Good thing Michael made her do push-ups and pull-ups as part of her training. Her strength wasn’t anywhere near an arkangel or a demi-demon, but she was definitely stronger than several human men combined, so pulling herself up was no problem at all. She got to the landing and then took the metal stairs up to the rooftop. There was a small half wall that was meant to keep someone on top from falling off the edge, but that was no obstacle to her.
Cass sat on top of the wall and looked down below at the entrance of the club. If the blood demi-demon came or left, she would see him. Watching the people coming and going was an education in how people acted; women wearing skimpy outfits, men undressing them with their eyes. Some of the men would move close to the women so that their bodies would accidentally brush against theirs. She never liked it when men did that to her at the diner or when she
came to the club with her friends. It made her skin crawl. The problem was, Cass craved to be touched, but the one person she wanted to do the touching was a lying, cheating asshole who she couldn’t stop thinking about—Ari,
He had followed her off the bus earlier that day, asking why she was acting so strange. When she told him about the dead girls from the club, he said he would look into it for her.
“Just stay with your priest where it’s safe and I’ll handle it.”
That just infuriated her even more. How dare he think he could tell her to sit back at home and do nothing? She told him just how wrong he was.
“It’s my job and you’re not my boss!” Annoyed, she got off the bus a little earlier than she should have, but she didn’t care as long as she put some distance between them.
The line to the club died down but no one was coming out. It was possible that she would be out there until after last call. She pulled out her phone to play a game while she waited.
“Calling your boyfriend?” a voice called out from the dark.
She jumped up and turned around, about to reach for the knife she’d had Leeza sew a special slot for her in the leg of her pants.
“Good God, Ari! Why the hell are you sneaking up on me like that?”
“I knew you wouldn’t stay away and let me handle the demi-demon.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s my job. This is what I was born to do.”
Ari leaned casually against the short wall. “That may have been what the arkangels thought, but you were born with free will. You get to choose what you want to be.”
Moving to lean on the wall facing him, she looked into his dark eyes, feeling suddenly vulnerable. “What else is there for me? I work at the diner, I take part-time classes, and I hunt demons.”
“You’re more than that, Cass. You’re smart and beautiful. You are kind to everyone, you stand up for those who are weak, and you want to make the world a better place. I just think you could do all that without getting involved with fighting the arkangels’ war.”
