by Maggie Ryan
Sliding his hand beneath his jacket’s lapel, he pulled out a white envelope that looked like the one Deo had thrown on his desk that night. Baal held it up and waved it toward me.
“The vows.”
I snatched it from his hands. Opening the envelope, I pulled out the papers. There was our marriage certificate, signed by our two witnesses, and by us, Cassandra Hale and Deo Ambrosia. Under the certificate, typed on a piece of paper were the wedding vows Deo and I had exchanged. “How did you get these?” I demanded.
Instead of answering my question, he leaned back in my chair, his comfort level with my office starting to scare me. It was as if he had been here before. “Read them.”
I began to scan the document, my progress instantly thwarted when he chuckled.
“No, I can’t hear you. Read them out loud, if you will.”
Baal’s cockiness had me wanting to throw the papers back at him, but the desire to piece together the puzzle of what was going on was stronger. I chose to read them aloud, as he asked, hoping to gain clues to solve the mystery.
“I, Cassandra, take thee, Deo, to be my wedded husband; to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health; to love, cherish…” I stopped, my eyes cutting to Baal, trying to read his face. “What does this have to do with anything?” I snapped.
He simply quirked an eyebrow, not even bothering to answer.
“I should have had a Greek wedding,” I muttered. When we were planning our wedding, I’d gone with Deo to a church. The walls and carpeting were a dark red velvet, the words foreign to me. When the priest had started to wave incense around the sanctuary, I had begun to feel dizzy and had rushed outside to get air and catch my breath. We’d opted for a simple ceremony and reception at a gorgeous cathedral that had been renovated to host events, but now I had to wonder if I’d made a mistake.
Baal shook his head. “It’s not the place, it is the pledge made. Though vows are not exchanged in the Greek Orthodox church, the oath is still made, is still sacred.” He paused as if to make sure that I had absorbed his words. With a nod, he said, “Finish, please.”
Though I looked at the paper in my hand, I didn’t need to actually focus on the words printed. I knew them by heart, picking up where I’d left off. “To obey, till death do us part.”
Baal nodded, his tone lowered to one that brokered no nonsense. “You know Deo sent me. You know his instructions. Now, obey them.”
Looking up, I was not quite ready to surrender. “Is Deo in trouble?”
Baal shook his head. “Deo can take care of himself.” Then, he lifted his clasped hands, index fingers together, like a gun, the same gesture Deo had used that night. Pointing directly at me, Balthazar’s manner remained confident, but his pale green eyes gave away his concern.
“Me?” I said quietly. “Am I the one in trouble?”
Baal confirmed my guess with a slight nod.
Mind spinning, I tried to process what I knew about groups like the mafia. They often used businesses to launder money, clean it for them. Sometimes the clients were in on it, sometimes they weren’t. Things didn’t go as planned and, ‘boom’, there were kidnappings, death threats.
“My work here? For Deo? Was I into something I wasn’t aware of?” I asked in a hushed whisper.
Holding a finger to his lips, Baal gestured for me to be quiet. He stood and walked over to the bag I had declined, handing it to me. “Hurry,” he said softly, his eyes now kind.
The truth tugged at my heart. As strange as the situation was, I trusted Deo with my life. Baal had the bracelet; he had the vows. I had no doubt that my husband had sent him. I suspected that this was one of the ‘other things’ Deo had hinted at. Whatever the reason, Deo wanted me out of here, now. I would go.
Mind racing and fingers fumbling, I collected all the files pertaining to Deo’s accounts. As for my personal artifacts, I picked and chose as fast as I could. I took nothing breakable, save my small gemstone globe, which Baal was now wrapping in paper. Let the secretaries divide it all when they realized I wasn’t coming back. They weren’t paid nearly enough to put up with us as it was.
My eyes grazed the white envelope on the desk. I stuffed the certificate and vows back in the envelope, seeing there were a few other papers in there, and threw it into the bag on top of my other things. I pulled the zipper shut. Moments later I stood, ready, by the door.
Baal took the duffle bag from my hand and heaved it over his shoulder. “Ready?” he asked.
I nodded.
Casually, Baal opened the door, stepping out first and striding smoothly toward reception.
I followed closely.
When we got to Debbi’s desk, her eyes drank in Baal’s lean figure, as she asked me, “Headed out? Your two o’clock is in the lobby.”
The reminder had me realizing that I needed to give some sort of explanation, though I truly didn’t understand it myself. “I have a family emergency and must leave immediately.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Debbi said, her eyes widening in surprise. “When will you be back?”
I had no idea, but since Baal seemed ready to drag me to the door if necessary, I just said, “I’m not sure. Please ask one of the partners to assign another lawyer to the client.”
Debbi’s look said she wanted to ask more questions, but when she looked from me to Baal, she turned back, gave me a wink, and picked up the phone to do as I’d asked.
Baal and I made it past the glass doors without any further interruptions. I grabbed his arm to stop him from heading toward the elevators. “We need to take the back stairs and leave out the alleyway. Otherwise my next appointment will see me leaving and will want an explanation.”
Baal nodded, and we headed for the stairwell, just as I heard, “Cassandra, wait up!” over my shoulder.
He was too close to pretend I hadn’t heard—Andrew. Baal’s jade eyes flickered to me, then to Andrew, looking annoyed.
Andrew eyed the Greek man and the duffle suspiciously. “Cass, who’s this? What’s going on?”
“I’ll get rid of him,” I whispered to Baal. Flipping my hair over my shoulder casually, I called out, “Andrew,” giving him my most serene smile. “This is Baal. He’s helping me.”
“With what?”
Pointing to the duffle in Baal’s hands, I said, “I’m doing a little work for Deo and there are a lot of files he requested. And his… um…”
“Cousin,” Baal provided, his lips curling with amusement when I struggled to complete my explanation.
“Right,” I said. “Anyway, his cousin, here, is helping me out.”
Though Andrew was eyeing Baal like a criminal, he nodded. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“No problem, man,” Baal said, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulder. Flashing Andrew a wide white smile, Baal guided me toward the stairwell door.
“See you around, Andrew,” I said over my shoulder. There was a look of concern and determination in his icy eyes that told me he didn’t truly buy my story. I could feel his protective gaze remain on me as the steel door slammed shut behind me and Baal as we made our exit.
There was a car waiting on Main. It was a sleek black Escalade with dark windows, a duplicate of the one that had picked Deo up outside Hibernia. Baal held the door open for me as I climbed into the backseat. Shutting the door, he went around to the passenger side.
I peeked over the front seat at the driver, but I didn’t recognize him. Though he was seated, he appeared to be the same height as Baal but with a thicker build. His brown hair was medium length, with wave and body to it. His tanned skin was clean-shaven, showing off his strong jaw and full lips. He didn’t acknowledge me, just turned to get a good look at me, his chestnut eyes locking on me, the warmth and kindness in their depths drawing me in. After a moment, he turned back to the front. The glimpse I caught of his face stunned me. Had all the Greek gods suddenly fallen to Earth?
“Cassandra, meet Drac
o. He’s our dragon guardian,” Baal said, arranging himself into his seat.
“You mean his name translates to dragon,” I corrected.
“That too,” Baal quipped, exchanging a knowing smile with Draco. “We still have one more for you to meet—Xander.”
“And let me guess. Xander has some amazing meaning as well?” I quipped.
“Protector,” Draco murmured. His deep voice was low and velvety, his accent much thicker than Baal’s.
Glad to have something to take my mind off the question of why my heart had skipped a beat the moment Draco’s eyes met mine, however briefly, I rolled my eyes so hard they hurt. “Let me get this straight. Deo is godlike, his brother Alekos defends mankind, Balthazar protects the king, Draco here”—I threw a hand up in our driver’s direction—“is the dragon, and Xander is protector? Did I miss anyone?”
Baal turned back, beaming at me. “Perfect. And, you pronounced them all correctly. Good for you.” With a wink, he said, “You’ve only forgotten yourself.”
I leaned back in my seat with a groan, the back of my head hitting the leather cushion. “Right. Cassandra, the unheeded prophetess.” I lifted my finger in the air as a reminder. “Though according to the story, she wasn’t really a prophetess.”
“But she was beautiful,” Draco said, throwing me a look in the rearview mirror that made me blush.
“And smart,” Baal added.
We rode in silence for a few minutes. When we approached my street, I felt the anxiety start to melt away. Deo would be there, and he would explain all this. As my house neared, I admired the manicured lawns and ornamental trees that lined the steep winding driveway to our stone house on top of the hill. Draco did not slow the vehicle as we grew closer.
Leaning forward, signaling with my hands, I called, “Stop, this is it on the right.”
“I know. I’m afraid we won’t be going there,” Draco said quietly.
I watched as we passed by my beautiful estate. My husband and I shared a deep love and appreciation of stunning architecture, and we had fallen in love with this house as fast as we had fallen in love with one another. Deo and I had moved in on our wedding night, choosing to spend our honeymoon furnishing the massive home.
The first night, we had dined on Chinese takeout, on a mattress in the center of the grand foyer, staircases swirling up on both sides above us. Afterward, Deo had lit candelabras filled with tall candlesticks, the light reflected in the mirrors that hung from the gilded walls. It was an unforgettable night.
I knew the answer, but as a lawyer, I had to ask. “Can you gentlemen answer a few questions?”
“No, I’m sorry,” Baal said to me apologetically. “But you will be with Deo, soon,” he added softly as he began to push buttons on a small black box that resembled a GPS.
The stress from the day bore a heavy weight on me. Sighing, I curled up on my side against the car door as best I could. Closing my eyes, I chose to remain in the memory of the night with Deo, amongst the hundreds of flickering lights. As I drifted off, I overheard Draco speaking. “She’s strong, this one.”
Baal chuckled. “And stubborn. She doesn’t give in easily or accept things without question. I felt like I was being deposed.”
“That will serve her well.” After a brief pause, Draco’s voice softened as he continued. “She may have a warrior’s heart, but she looks like an angel when she sleeps.”
I didn’t truly understand the meaning of their whispered conversation but couldn’t help the small smile that played at my lips as the darkness took over.
Chapter Five
Cassandra
Awakening, my mind felt foggy as I opened my eyes, taking in the view. We were riding through dense woods. Studying the unfamiliar terrain, I tried to decipher where I was. The dusky sky gave the day an ominous feel. The curvy roads were lined with stone walls that reached up to meet the crests of hills.
“Where are we?” I asked groggily, wiping the sleep from my eyes.
Draco’s brown eyes met mine in the rearview mirror as he replied. “Upstate New York. We are approaching the Catskill Mountains.”
Oh, joy. Upstate New York. Home of Judge Judy, the daytime TV court show star, and not much else. Bobcats, maybe a few mountain lions? The rocky hills were getting steeper as we climbed the sparsely inhabited land.
“Why are we here? Did Deo recently take up hunting?” I asked, trying to smooth my hair and straighten my clothing after my little snooze fest. God, I hoped I hadn’t been snoring. I could tell by the wet patch on the shoulder of my blouse that I had been drooling.
“Something like that,” Baal answered, his voice returning to its arrogant, cryptic way.
“I was kidding,” I said, knowing full well Deo was tough, but no outdoorsman. “I highly doubt my husband has taken an interest in tracking mountain lions.”
“Catamounts.” Draco’s deep voice penetrated the air.
“Excuse me?” I was growing weary of the mysterious atmosphere these two were keeping.
“The lions, they are called catamounts,” Draco answered politely.
If I kept rolling my eyes like this, they were seriously going to get stuck like my mother had always warned me. “Catamounts—whatever. Will someone please just tell me what the hell is going on?” Nerves destroyed my calm exterior. I could no longer play the nice kidnapped wife even if I’d come willingly. “And why isn’t Deo here?” I was surprised at how strongly I longed to see his face and hear his voice.
“Soon, we are almost there,” Baal said, empathy softening his previous bravado.
I looked, up, to where my captor was pointing.
Perched at the top of the hill that we were slowly climbing was a castle. A real castle, built of gray stones. With turrets. I unbuckled my safety belt and scooted up further in my seat to get a better look at the magnificent structure.
“Belt,” Draco quickly commanded.
My first instinct was to obey, but the bossiness of these men was getting ridiculous. “I’m fine,” I replied grumpily, waving away his concern with my hand. “Have you even seen another car since we’ve been driving on this road?”
“It’s not cars he’s worried about,” Baal answered.
Draco’s eyes intensely gazed at me in the rearview mirror. “Belt, Cassandra,” his low voice demanded again.
I sat back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest, staring defiantly back at him.
“Fine,” my mysterious chauffeur murmured. Slowly, he pulled over onto the shoulder of the road.
Uh-oh.
Casting me a reprimanding glance, Draco unclicked his safety belt, opening his door. I watched as his solid frame passed through the headlights of the car. In a matter of seconds, he had my door swung open. I should have locked it, but I had a feeling something as weak as the tiny metal latch of a car door wasn’t going to get in this man’s way.
Leaning down, inches from my face, his chestnut eyes locked onto mine. I couldn’t breathe; he was too close to me. Without looking away, he pulled the buckle down from above my shoulder, and brought it tight over my chest and across my waist. I was very aware of the weight of his arm across my body, watched his fingers as they manipulated the tab of the buckle toward its slot.
The muscle in his jaw twitched as he said, “Obey, Cassandra. Deo would not be pleased to hear how lightly you take your own safety.”
I had no doubt that Draco’s hard stare was telling me two things: he knew about my husband’s new handling of me, and second, he had no problems with that new dynamic.
The loud click of the belt latching pierced the silence, the sound startling me, allowing me to release the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Dragging in a huge lungful of air, I told myself my lightheadedness was due to lack of oxygen and that my trembling had nothing to do with this man being so near.
The door closed quietly but firmly, and I watched as Draco once more moved through the lights. A shiver ran down my spine. “Wow.” When Baal chuckled, I rea
lized that I’d spoken the word aloud.
“Shut it,” I murmured, trying to maintain some shred of dignity.
Baal’s chuckle turned to a laugh, but he quickly extinguished it as Draco opened the driver’s door, returning to his seat.
“Ready?” Draco asked, eyeing me in his mirror once more.
I didn’t answer.
“Cassandra.” He said my name like a threat.
“Yes,” I mumbled, feeling like I belonged in a child’s car seat riding behind these two. When had my world changed so much? Twenty-four hours prior, I’d been one of New Jersey’s most respected lawyers, one of the best at what I did. Now, I was being—babysat. I had no idea when, if ever, I would return to my estate, my career. All I knew was that I was being driven through the winding mountain roads in the middle of nowhere upstate New York, by two drop-dead gorgeous Greek men, headed to a castle where I would meet my husband, who expected me to obey without question. On top of that, my life might be in danger.
Gathering that my guardian would not think twice to tell Deo I was difficult, and possibly add a punishment to the list of what was going wrong today, I decided to behave.
The Escalade made its way up the steep drive. As we rode over the crest of the hill, a gatehouse appeared. Two stone bastions stood with cone-shaped, shingled roofs, and were topped with copper arrow weathervanes that had long ago tarnished to a light teal. There was a bridge-like structure connecting the tops of the two towers, curving up at the bottom to create the arched roof of an entryway.
I leaned forward to get a better view of the upcoming castle. At my slightest movement, I saw Draco quickly considering the rearview to double check my safety belt. Without thinking, as soon as he looked away, I stuck my tongue out at him, something I hadn’t done since I’d worn my hair in pigtails. There was no way he could see me, but I swear the corners of his full lips turned up into a small smile.
Gravel crunched under the tires of the car. I looked out of every window to see which would offer the best view of the castle as we rode underneath the arcading. Looking out the rear window, I saw that the entrance cut through a wall that ran further than I could see in either direction, the walls covered by years of climbing foliage. When I faced forward, the castle was before me.
