She could only see two ways to go. Straight ahead to the open door at the end of the corridor or into one of the vacant stalls. Blinded by tears, she stumbled toward the door and found an office. She stepped in then closed and locked the door behind her. Across the room she saw another door. Hoping it led to another exit, she opened it and found a small bathroom. Refusing to trap herself in the small space, she closed the door then moved to the window behind the desk. She opened it, and pushed on the screen. It popped loose and she climbed out then shut the window behind her before crouching down against the side of the building.
Cassie scrubbed the tears from her face then massaged her aching temples with her fingers. She felt trapped and scared and out of control but she wasn’t sure why. She only knew that she had to get away. She crept to the corner of the building and peeked around it then took off for the house. She had to get to her room where she had left the tote bag that held her father’s gun and knife. She entered the house through a side door then seeing that the coast was clear she took off for her room.
Once inside she pulled on a pair of jeans, a pullover shirt, and sandals then grabbed her tote, determined to make it to her car. She opened the door and found Luc and Logan on the other side. She screamed and tried to shut the door but her strength was nothing compared to Luc’s, and she quickly lost the battle.
Backing away from the door, lost in a memory from the past, she screamed, “Go away, go away,” while searching the bag for a weapon.
Luc and Logan froze, their eyes going to the bag in her hand.
“Cassandra, we’re not going to hurt you,” Luc said, his voice soft and calm.
“Go away,” Cassie said, her voice cracking. She rubbed the tears from her eyes as tremors racked her body.
“Sugar, we want to help you,” Logan said.
Cassie shook her head, then rubbed her forehead as images began to flash faster through her mind. The last image was her father’s tombstone. Lips trembling, she backed away from them. “They’ll know about you and you’ll die, too.” Another sob escaped her as she looked at Luc and Logan. She wanted them with everything in her but they would be safer away from her. She was going to get them killed the same way she had gotten her father killed. Her strength left her and she dropped to her knees. Not in submission but in defeat.
Luc pounced. He picked her up then sat down on the end of the bed with her on his lap. Her body shook so hard he could barely hold onto her. He held her tighter as Logan lifted her tote bag to the bed and dumped it out.
“Bro, what are you doing?” Luc asked as Cassie curled up on his lap, and tightened her arms around him, then buried her face in his neck and cried.
“I hate crying. I hate crying,” she said.
“We know you do, pet.” Luc nuzzled her neck.
Logan sorted through the weapons in the tote then read the labels on the two pill bottles he found and held them up. “Sleep medication and something for anxiety,” he said as he opened Cassie’s wallet and rifled through it then held up a card. “The doctor who prescribed the medication.”
“You take her. I’ll make the call,” Luc said.
“No. You suck at talking to people.” Logan pulled his cell phone from his wet jean pocket, frowned at it when he realized it was out of commission, then left the room.
Luc tightened his arms around Cassie and rocked her, all the while wondering how he had ended up with her, in tears and on his lap. He didn’t do this kind of thing and he was completely out of his element. Wishing Logan would hurry up and return, he nuzzled his chin against the top of her head. “It’s okay, pet. Logan will take care of you.”
He didn’t know if she heard him or not, but the crying seemed to be easing off. A few minutes later, after a couple sniffles and a few hiccups, he felt her body softening until she lay quietly in his arms, asleep. Feeling her shiver, he carefully laid her down and removed her damp clothes. Her feet had several small cuts and scrapes on them and he made a note to clean them and have the doctor check them out. Picking her up, he carried her to his room and gently laid her on his bed. He changed into dry clothes then decided Cassie would be scared if she woke up naked. He dressed her in one of his T-shirts, then smiled when he saw how it covered her to her knees. Standing by the bed, looking down at her, he thought, what the hell, and slid onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. He justified his actions to himself by deciding Logan would expect him to take care of her while he was busy calling her therapist.
A few minutes later Logan walked into the room, followed by Doc Roberts.
“How’s she doing?” Logan asked.
“Sleeping.” Luc stood up. “Wore herself out crying.”
Doc Roberts moved to the side of the bed. After checking Cassie’s pulse and heart rate, he used a small flashlight to examine her eyes then stepped back, rubbed his chin, and said, “Tell me again what the therapist said.”
“I told her what had happened, and all she said was she couldn’t discuss Cassie with me but that she needed to see her as soon as possible.”
“I’ll call her,” Doc Roberts said. “From what you’ve told me, it sounds like something you did triggered a panic attack. It’s best to let her sleep for a while.”
“Her feet have some cuts and scrapes on them,” Luc said.
Doc looked at Cassie’s feet while Logan got a tub of water and several washcloths and a towel. After Doc cleaned the shallow cuts and put ointment on them. “They’ll be okay.” He walked toward the door to the hallway. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to call Cassie’s therapist.”
Logan moved to the side of the bed, sat down, and held Cassie’s hand. “What the hell happened?”
Luc shook out the cashmere throw that he kept at the end of his bed and covered Cassie with it before sitting down on her other side. He picked up Cassie’s hand and ran his fingers over her wrist. “Limits. No restraints. I was holding her wrists.”
“I put the towel over her head to dry her hair.” Logan frowned. “She only plays in a club. Clubs have monitors. She feels safer there.”
“No. She doesn’t play there either.”
“She played with Thompson.”
Luc handed Logan his waterproof phone. “Call him.”
After a short conversation, Logan handed the phone back to Luc. “Thompson said as soon as he put a cuff on her she freaked out on him. He calmed her down then talked to her about getting some counseling with a friend of his.”
“Doctor Carson,” Luc said, saying the name on the pill bottles and business card.
“Yes.” Before Logan could say what was on his mind, Doc Roberts came back in the room.
“I can’t disclose what Cassie told Doctor Carson other than that Cassie hasn’t made any progress in her therapy sessions.”
Luc glanced at Logan. A quick series of facial movements flew between them and then with a final nod they came to an agreement.
“One other thing I found interesting, though,” Doc Roberts said. “Doctor Carson said two weeks ago someone broke into her office. She said she never would have known about the break-in but her assistant had been in a hurry the previous day and had stuck several files in the front of a drawer intending to file them the next day. When the assistant opened the file cabinet to get them they had been moved to another drawer—the one where Cassie’s file is kept and her file was with them.”
“They want to know what she’s told the doctor,” Logan said.
Luc tightened his hand around her wrist. “How do they know about Carson?”
“Maybe they’re following her,” Logan said. “She said ‘they’ll find out about you and you’ll die, too’ when we said we wanted to help her.”
“So, maybe she knows someone is following her, but who died?” Luc asked.
“Her father, Ryan Edwards, when she was seventeen,” Jackson said from the doorway.
“Tell us what you know,” Luc said.
“Not much,” Jackson said. “Just that while Ryan, Thor, and I were
out of the country, something happened to her. She told her father and he called Thor in a rage. They arranged to meet at Club Elysium but on the way there Ryan stopped for gas and was killed in what the police decided was a robbery that turned into a homicide. A witness who was ex-military told Thor it was a professional hit. Two men. Well organized.”
Luc lifted Cassie’s wrist to his lips and kissed it. “Does Cassie know he was targeted?”
“Yes. We had to tell her. She was blaming herself for his death because she had driven his car and left the tank empty again.”
“No, there’s more to it than that. She’s hiding something,” Logan said. “She’s afraid of something or somebody.”
“Ryan was always very protective of Cassie after his wife left them when Cassie was three. At first we thought maybe some guy had done her dirty and he was upset about that. But over the years we’ve watched Cassie withdraw and we’ve been looking into what really happened that night.”
“When Ryan was on a mission, who took care of Cassie?” Logan asked.
“Cassie lived with Ryan’s sister, Velma.”
“Where is she now?” Luc asked.
“Dead. Two months after Ryan died, Velma and Cassie were run off the road on their way home from shopping. Velma died. Cassie spent over two weeks in the hospital with a concussion.”
“They wanted them both dead. Velma must have known whatever Cassie told her dad,” Logan said.
“We’ve questioned Cassie but she says she doesn’t remember. She was diagnosed with post-traumatic amnesia after the accident.”
“Retrograde?” Doc Marshall asked.
“Yes. The doctor who treated her said she probably wouldn’t ever regain the memories of those months.”
“How many months does she say she can’t remember?” Luc asked.
“She claims six months before the accident,” Jackson said.
“So, something happened to her in the four months previous to her father’s death,” Logan said.
“We need to get Thor back here. Maybe he can force her to tell him the truth,” Jackson said.
“Nobody’s forcing Cassandra to do anything,” Luc said. “Unless it’s me and Logan.” He sent Logan a series of silent gestures then stood up and left the room.
“Where’s he going?” Jackson asked.
“He has computer things to do.” Logan lifted Cassie to his lap and cuddled her up close to his chest then settled back against the headboard. “Doc, tell me about this amnesia.”
“Post-traumatic amnesia? Its most often brought on by a head injury, like Cassie’s concussion. Retrograde means memory loss that can go back months or even decades before the injury occurred. Some people will recover the memories, but the more severe the injury the less likely it is that they will.” Doc looked at Jackson. “You said she was in the hospital for over two weeks. That would indicate a fairly severe head trauma.”
Luc walked back into the room, frowned when he saw that Logan was holding Cassie, and took her out of his arms. “My turn,” he said, before he sat down on the edge of the bed with her on his lap. “The hospital Cassie was in after the wreck had a problem with their computer system a couple weeks after Cassie was discharged. Their medical records office was hacked.”
“For eight years she’s made them believe she couldn’t remember what happened but now that she’s seeing a therapist she’s got them worried she might be remembering. They’ll come after her again,” Logan said.
“They already have,” Luc said. “She was attacked outside her apartment a week ago. A passerby called 9-1-1. The police report states they couldn’t find the victim but the description matches Cassie.” He tightened his arms around her and nuzzled her neck before he looked at Logan. “I’ll help you protect her until we catch these fuckers.”
Logan smiled and Luc glared at him. “Protection only. No playing. No contract.”
“Speak for yourself,” Logan said. “I’m playing with her every chance she’ll let me. You can join us or not.”
Luc frowned. “Not.”
Logan smiled again. “Fine with me. I won’t have to share.”
“Thank god.” Cassie reached up and rubbed her temple. “The two of you together give me a headache.”
Luc looked down at her and the lines appeared around his eyes. “That’s not what we make ache, Cassandra.”
Logan leaned forward and pushed Luc’s head out of the way, putting his own face directly above Cassie’s. “Hi, sugar. Feeling better?”
Nodding, Cassie lowered her eyes. There was no way she could get away with speaking a lie so she kept quiet, hoping they would let it go. She looked around and realized she wasn’t in her own room anymore. This room had to belong to one of the twins as it was definitely a man’s room with charcoal-gray walls and taupe-and-medium-blue accents. The bed was a four poster but the square posts and the headboard were padded leather. She could see discreetly placed hooks in a decorative edging along the frame of the canopy above her. She ran her hands over the throw she was wrapped in and smiled with pleasure at its luxurious feel.
“Cassandra, we need words,” Luc said.
She glanced at Luc then quickly returned her gaze to Logan. “I feel better now, Sir.” She was saved from further questioning when her tummy growled.
Logan laughed and gave her an upside-down kiss. “Let’s get you dressed and fed.”
Cassie managed to give him a little smile before Luc pushed him away. “You put her in the shower. I’ll get her things.”
“I can use the shower in my room.” She needed some time away from them to build up her defenses.
“No. From now on you stay with one of us,” Luc said.
“Why?”
“We’ll discuss that after lunch, Cassandra.”
“There’s nothing to discuss.”
“Then Logan will talk and you’ll listen.” Luc stood up then tried to give her to Logan.
Logan ignored him. “You’ve got her. I’ll go get her things.” Before Luc could stop him he walked away.
Luc frowned then gave in and carried her into the en suite bathroom. He hit the button that turned on the overhead rainfall showerhead then set her on her feet. When he grabbed the hem of the T-shirt she wore, she grabbed his wrists and tried to keep him from pulling it up.
“Luc, stop. I can undress by myself.”
“What’s your safeword?”
“Red.”
“Use it or let go.”
Cassie thought about the situation for a moment but didn’t move her hands. “I don’t know what to do,” she said, her voice broken.
“Trust Logan. He’ll never do anything to harm you.”
“What about you, Sir? Are you going to hurt me?”
Luc slid his finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to his. “Don’t try playing your games with me, Cassandra. I’m immune. Now, let go.”
Cassie held on for a moment longer then dropped her hands to her sides. It wouldn’t do any good to proclaim her innocence. Luc had already decided the kind of woman he thought she was so she’d let him go on believing that. Besides, what did it matter? She wasn’t staying here much longer no matter what Thor said. In fact, it might be better if she took that job offer in Houston. That would get her away from Thor, the Ramseys, and possibly the people who were after her.
Luc stripped the T-shirt over her head then backed her into the shower stall until she was beneath the warm spray.
She stood there, head down, for several moments while the warm water ran over her. When she raised her head, she saw Luc and Logan standing at the entrance to the shower, watching her. She paused, waiting for the fear and panic to take over, then breathed a sigh of relief when it didn’t. Cheeks pink, she washed herself then rinsed off and moved toward the entrance and reached for the towel Luc held. He pulled it away then gestured for her to step forward. She did and he used the towel to dry her.
Logan handed her another towel, then said, “Dry your hair, sugar.”
Luc grabbed her hand and shook his head. “Logan will dress you.”
Cassie froze for a moment then nodded and waited to see what he would do.
Logan shook out a short, peach-colored sundress. “Arms up,” he said. Cassie raised her arms and Logan pulled the dress over her head, pulled her hair out of the collar, and then smoothed the skirt down her body. He straightened the straps over her shoulders then turned her to face the mirror and held his hand out for the blow dryer Luc held. Luc ignored him then combed through Cassie’s hair while he moved the warm blast of air from the blow dryer over the silken strands. He combed through it one last time until it lay in a burnished golden river down her back to her waist. “Beautiful,” he said then kissed her. “Time to feed you.”
“Shoes.” Logan knelt down and slipped a pair of beaded sandals on Cassie’s feet. He touched the soft pink polish on her big toe then lifted her dress and looked at her pussy. “Bro, they’re the same pink.”
Cassie groaned with embarrassment and shoved her dress down. “You two are really good at dressing a girl. You’ve had a lot of practice apparently.”
“We’re better at removing a girl’s clothes.” Luc hugged her until she squeaked, then led her past Logan. He bumped shoulders with Logan before leading her out of the room and down the stairs to the dining room. The three of them entered the room, and Luc and Logan pulled her to a stop between them. Cade and Jackson sat at either end of the table. Addison and Jenna were on one side and their younger brother, Zane, sat across from them. Luc led Cassie around the table, stopped behind Zane and waited. Zane grumbled then got up and moved to the chair between Addison and Jenna. Luc seated Cassie in the middle chair then he sat down on her left while Logan took the chair to her right.
Cassie caught Addison watching her. Addison smiled then winked at her, and Cassie thought, Oh hell, what’s she up to now? She shook her head at Addison then caught Jenna hiding her laughter behind her hand.
Their Temporary Sub [The Doms of Club Mystique 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 5
