“Baby, I’m going to release your hands. Don’t touch your face yet.”
He sounded so strong and in control. The last remnants of her sanity latched onto that capable voice. She whimpered and nodded as she tried to blink through the stream of tears running from her eyes. She felt him moving her hands under the cool water.
“Start splashing your face, but don’t touch your skin. You spread this and it’s going to burn worse.”
Nodding again, she began violently splashing her face with water. Yes! Yes! So cool…I’m okay. She started to sob and didn’t even care.
“Good, baby. That’s good. Keep crying. Your tears will help wash the spray from your eyes. No. Don’t rub, just splash. Good girl.”
“Here, will this work?” Cassie heard Darla’s panicked voice and Severus’s calm response.
“Yes, that will do. Thank you. Now, go call 9-1-1 and get an ambulance here. I’m not sure if she might have an allergic reaction. Tell them she got a face full of pepper spray…the high-octane kind. Quick.”
She wanted to scream when the water was turned off, but before she could release the sound, she felt her face being slathered with globs of cool gel or lotion.
“Don’t open your eyes yet, baby. I’m putting some gel on your face and then I’m going to wipe it off. Water will not get rid of the spray. We have to get this off your skin.”
Nodding like an automaton, she felt a cool cloth wiping gently around her eyes, move down to her lips, and then across her nose and cheeks. Relief! Such beautiful relief. She released a low moan as she felt a cold, wet cloth cover her eyes. Her hands shot up and she palmed the material, pushing the coolness into her skin.
“Press gently, sweetness. Just dab at your eyes. Don’t rub them. That’s it. Oh, mellis! I’m so sorry this happened to you. Come here, baby.”
Cassie leaned heavily into his chest and let him wrap her up in his big arms. She felt him pushing her hair away from her face and rubbing her back.
“When the medics get here, we will make sure you aren’t having any reactions. Then I’ll take you home. Don’t worry about anything, sweetness. I got you. I got you.”
Chapter 19
“Hello, Trejani. Are you well?” Severus took a deep breath. He had to tell Drusus and Lina what happened. Lina was going to be extremely upset, and in turn her pain would immediately bleed over to his prince.
“Yes. We’re doing quite well. My Avelina has just beaten me in a game of pool. I believe she was fibbing when she said she’d never played before.”
Severus could hear Lina laughing in the background. She was shouting something about beginner’s luck. “Trejani. I have some disturbing news. Cassie was attacked at work today. She was sprayed in the face with police-grade CS gas. I brought her back home with me. She is resting now and the medics say she should be fully recovered by tomorrow.” Severus heard Drusus call out to Lina.
“Sweetness, I have to take this call. Can you get me another beer? Yes, I would like one of your Michelob’s. Yes. I agree that you were right. It’s very smooth. Love you, too, baby.”
Severus heard rustling sounds. Drusus must be moving to another room. While he waited, he looked over to Cassie sleeping on his couch. She’d been out for several hours. She’d balled up tight with a mound of pillows surrounding her. She was wrapped in a blanket with just the top portion of her face exposed. Her eyes were red and puffy. He’d never forget the feeling of helplessness that had overwhelmed him when he’d sat outside the bathroom door while she showered and sobbed softly. To see his feisty Cassie taken down by something so cowardly made his blood boil.
“Okay. Tell me what happened.”
Severus relayed everything that occurred then released a shuddering breath. “Amici. I’ve never been so scared before in my life. I’ve felt fear for my father and if he would live through the passing of my mother. I’ve felt fear for Lina when Basilius took her from you. But, I cannot put into words what I’m feeling like right now. Just knowing that someone could harm her has me crazed. I would not survive if her life is taken. Perhaps I’m finally coming to know what you felt like when your mate was stolen. There are no words in any language that can draw a line around this feeling.” He paused and bent his chin to his chest, fighting to control the tears biting at the back of his eyes. “I want to kill him, Drusus.”
“Listen, my brother. I have lived this pain and it was you that kept me steady so that I could see my Avelina returned. It is now my time to do the same for you. We knew that Basilius had taken her. He spelled it out with his own words. Do you know for certain that Drexler is the one that attacked her? Do you have the proof that would free your heart to do what must be done?”
Severus knew he was right, but his muscles ached to take action. “No. No I don’t. I know you’re right, but I want to eliminate any possibility that it could ever happen again.”
Drusus chuckled softly on the other end of the line. “Aw, my poor amici. If you only knew how many times a day I worry that I may lose her again. I can’t even breathe right when she drives away in the very vehicle I gifted her with. What you’re feeling will never pass. We can’t protect them at every moment no matter what our instincts scream to control. We can only plan and prepare. Now tell me what you know and perhaps we can develop a sound strategy.”
Severus felt his muscles relaxing. This is what he had wanted. He had needed his brother. No matter the lack of common bloodlines, they would always be brothers of the heart.
“Cato and I believe he used the attack as a way to get her out of the office. He’s been data mining the servers, but obviously not finding what he’s after. He’s using this as a diversion. For what, we haven’t figured out yet. The police are analyzing the box, but we doubt they’ll find any traces. The attack was sophisticated. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave fingerprints or a trail on the canister. So, basically, we’re stuck waiting for the next move.”
“Hold up, Severus. Hey, sweetness. Thanks. Yes. Almost done. I’ve something to tell you. No. It’s going to be okay. I’ll be right in and we can talk about it. Give me a kiss, mellis. I have to feel your lips on mine.”
Severus waited and smiled as his besotted prince reconnected with his mate.
“I’m back. She’s gone now. Listen. We won’t make the same mistake we did with my Avelina. You must make Cassie stay with you. She cannot return to work until this is resolved.”
“I agree with you on that. She’s already going to need a few days to recover, not just physically but mentally, from this attack. I’ll convince her to take an extended leave until we can catch this bastard.” Severus hesitated for a few seconds before asking the next question.
“Drusus. What I really want to do is bring Cassie with us when we return home to see your father. I can’t do that unless she’s made aware of us. I think it’s time for us to tell her about the Insedi race. I’m sure that this has bothered Lina in keeping such important information from her best friend.”
“Yes. You are absolutely right in that my Avelina has been upset at keeping this secret from Cassie. I agree that she should be told. We can be back tomorrow, first thing.”
“No. Don’t end your visit with Quintus and Madeline. Cassie will be unhappy if we cause you to return early. There isn’t anything that either of you can do right now. The initial crisis is over. Cassie needs this time to recover before she’s hit with more news. I’m sure Lina will want time to prepare for the conversation with Cassie. I’ll call you if anything changes.”
“Very well. But, have Cassie call Avelina so she will not worry. She’ll need to hear her voice.”
Severus turned his head at the sound of a soft knock on his door. “Yes, of course. I have to go, my Trejani. Cato is at the door. Perhaps he has some good news.” He said his good-bye to Drusus and slipped the phone back in his pocket.
Severus opened the door and motioned for Cato to be quiet and follow him to the kitchen. He took the small purple bag from him and set it bes
ide the door. He chuckled under his breath at the thought of Cato walking around Cassie’s house and grabbing all the items she had asked for. He was definitely going to have to reward Cato after this fiasco was over. Maybe he’d surprise him with that exhaust package he’d been drooling over for the last month.
“Thanks, amici. You didn’t break any of her hummingbirds, did you?”
Cato threw him an eye roll. “No. I didn’t break anything. I’m a little more graceful than you give me credit for. But, if you want me to hang with you guys anytime in the near future you’ll need to get her a bigger place or move her ass in here. That isn’t a house, it’s a damn closet.”
Severus smiled at the thought of moving Cassie in with him. Just as quickly, the smile faded. Hell. He’d had a hard enough time convincing her to come over for the night. She had tried desperately to maintain her “I’m a badass and can take care of myself” façade, but he could tell she had been shaken to the core. When she’d finally relented, he could see her obvious relief even though she tried to hide it. He couldn’t foresee her relenting when all of this was over. He’d have no excuse to keep her safe and she would drift right back out of his life with him relegated to maintenance again. He shut down his morbid thoughts and tried to focus on the present.
“Dude. You’re going to need your jaw realigned if you keep clenching your teeth like that. Slow your roll.”
Severus stretched, realizing Cato was right. He was wound up and needed to relax. “Want a beer?”
“Sure. Whatever you got.”
Drink in hand, they sat at the kitchen bar. “So, you have anything new? Please tell me you have something on that jackass. Drusus won’t let me kill him unless I have something solid.”
Cato barked out a laugh. “Yep. That’d do the trick. Wrap things up nice and tight. Well. Sorry to disappoint. I have just enough for us to keep on his ass. Getting closer, but not quite there yet. Drexler’s focus is strictly on Cassie and her boss right now. I found out that Jacqueline’s computer was breached just for the stash of passwords she kept. Get a load of this. She had all personnel passwords stored in a folder called ‘passwords.’ Lovely, yes I know. Once he got those, all focus went elsewhere. I never could find a cell to trace, so he definitely has a satellite phone, or he’s reverted to sending messages to his overlords by carrier pigeon. Nothing interesting coming from his home or work numbers. I’ve had Ludo glued to him since this started and nothing to report there. He goes home and stays put unless he ventures out for food or to the gym. Doesn’t meet up with anyone at any of these locations, either. Unless he has an underground tunnel beneath his house, he’s not meeting anyone face-to-face. Me and Ludo misted in this morning after he left. We didn’t find anything of note. No computers interfacing with what he has at the job and no paper trail on what he’s about. Just typical bill stuff and legal books. The only thing interesting was a photo Ludo found on the floor behind the nightstand.” Cato pulled a small picture from his wallet and shoved it over to Severus.
Severus picked it up and studied the pretty woman smiling at him. She had light-brown hair and blue eyes. It looked like the picture had been taken on a yacht. She had the look of someone with money. Her expensive watch and necklace gleamed in the sun’s rays. Her hair was flying in the breeze and she was holding up a champagne glass. He turned the picture over. The name Rachel and a date from last year were written in bold print.
“I’m going to load this up tonight and start facial recognition to see if we get a hit on a DL. We lifted Drexler’s fingerprints and Ludo has those running for a match now. We’re hoping for locals or this might take a few days.”
Severus handed the picture back and grabbed them two more beers. “Damn. What the hell is that bastard looking for?”
Cato grunted. “I’ve got an answer for you on that one, but we’ll have to wait for Cassie to wake up to figure out what it means. I had thought he was just fishing around the entire system just to find something that might be of value for extortion. You know, snatch some nefarious activity by a senator and threaten to go public. Crap like that. But I finally figured out that’s been a smoke screen to cover up the background queries that were looking for something in particular.” Cato flipped his empty bottle in the trash and pulled out a small notepad.
“He’s mining for three specific things. Cadmium, WynnKauf, and a guy named Doug Benson. WynnKauf is a battery solutions provider with corporate offices based out of Houston. The name of the company is a combination of the founders Andrew Wynn and Nicoli Croskauf. Cadmium is a metal used in making batteries and Doug Benson is a current employee. He’s low-level management and has been off the grid for several weeks now.” They both swiveled around in their chairs when they heard a sharp, feminine gasp from the kitchen doorway.
Severus smiled and shot up out of the chair to make his way over to her. “Hey, sweetness. Come over here and sit down. You want something to drink?” She looked dainty and fragile wearing his black bathrobe. It dragged along the floor and the arm sleeves were rolled up several times and he still couldn’t see her hands. He wanted to scoop her up and carry her around. But, he knew she would get pissed if he showed any signs he thought she was weak.
“Water. I just need water.”
He cringed at the huskiness of her voice. That wicked cough had messed her throat up. She had sat next to Cato, who was now patting her on the head like a little puppy. If he started rubbing her ears, he’d have to punch him. He handed a bottle of water to her and pinched Cato on the back. Cato flipped him off and grinned.
“You need anything else, mellis?”
She took a healthy swig of the water and shook her head. “No. I’m fine, Severus. I just want to talk about what Cato found. All of that information he gave you is associated with the cadmium case my boss is working on. The case is the reason I had to go to the dinner for Sturdivant. He was meeting with the FBI. He’s representing Doug Benson. He’s this young kid being held in an undisclosed location for his protection. He’s a whistle-blower for the FBI on illegal dumping practices of WynnKauf Battery Solutions. Benson stumbled across information that could bring indictments against both partners. Supposedly, they’re releasing extensive amounts of cadmium into the soil and water supply. If ingested or exposed for long periods of time, it could cause thyroid problems, stomach issues, kidney failure, and even cancer. Sturdivant told me that cadmium is found naturally in the soil, but at lower levels and usually as a mineral attached to other elements. It’s some pretty rank stuff when it’s found in metal form out in the environment.” She paused, rubbed her throat, and took another drink.
“When Benson found evidence of their dumping practices, he went to the top executives and they promised they’d look into it. Instead, he started getting threatened at work to keep his mouth shut. As soon as the threats extended to his family, he went into hiding and contacted the feds. Sturdivant knows the parents and agreed to represent him in his dealings with Washington.” Cassie set the water bottle down and started tapping the countertop.
“You know, it makes sense now why my documents kept disappearing when I printed them. Drexler was in the copy room when I had several come up missing. He’s not going to find anything in the system that’s worth taking. Mr. Sturdivant keeps all the pertinent information on his laptop. I’ve tracked the documentation associated but it’s always been kept on a thumb drive, never on the servers. Drexler’s wasting his time.”
Cato nodded his head. “He may be finding that out, too. I’m thinking he used you as a diversion tactic. He gets you out of the building and he can snoop around Sturdivant’s office. Once he figures out that there’s nothing there, he may start hitting Sturdivant’s home, if he hasn’t already. Give me his address, Cassie, and I’ll put someone on his house.”
Cassie wrote the number down and handed it to Cato. “Hey. Earlier, you said that you and Ludo ‘misted’ into Victor’s house. What did that mean?”
Chapter 20
Severus’s gut c
lenched. She’d been standing at the door longer than he’d thought. Cato saved him from explaining.
“That? Just a little saying we came up with when we go into stealth mode. Let’s just say we can get into a house without anyone ever knowing we were there.”
Cassie arched a brow. “You sure have a lot of nifty little gadgets and tactics for a dating service.” She waved her hand in the air when Cato opened his mouth to counteract her astute observation. “No. Never mind. I don’t want to know. I’m just happy you have the capabilities. I’ll leave it at that.”
Severus and Cato shared a quick glance before Cato knocked on his barriers. You have a smart one here, Severus. How much longer before she stumbles on the truth?
Severus responded. I’ve already spoken with Drusus. We’ll be telling her tomorrow. Lina doesn’t want to keep this from her any longer. This attack just pushed up the timeline since I plan to take her back home when we leave this week.
Cato nodded and stood up. “I’m going to head out. I want to get this picture into the scanner. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
Cassie touched Cato on the arm before he could leave. “Thanks for what you’re doing, Cato. I’m really glad you’re on our side in this.” She gave him a little grin. “Remind me never to piss you off.”
Cato laughed and ruffled her hair. “No problem, sweetness.” He nodded at Severus and left.
Severus took the seat Cato had vacated and nudged Cassie with his shoulder. “Hey. You want something to eat?”
Cassie shrugged. “Not really. My throat’s still a little sore. You have any hot chocolate?”
Severus grinned. “Always. Coming right up.”
He felt her eyes on him the entire time he made the drink. He wondered what she was thinking. “Here you go, sweetness. You want marshmallows?”
Fueled by Lust: Severus (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 15
