The Devil's Own- Cassidy's Story

by Angela Stevens

  She leaped up off the sofa and backed across the room. “You’re a fucking cop?”

  “No. But sometimes I work with them.”

  “Shit, I have to go back. Kane will be looking for me. He’ll kill me when he finds out.”

  Liam reached the door before she did and barred her way. “I can’t let you do that.”

  By now, Cassidy guessed her face was as red as the stupid costume she was wearing. “I have to go back. Kane will use Ryker and Falcon to get me.” She tried to dodge around Liam, but he caught her arm and held her firmly in place.

  “Ryker and Falcon have been planning this for a year, Cassidy. Do you really want to ruin all their hard work?”

  “What?”

  “The organization I work with recruited your brother twelve months ago. He has been passing me information about Kane. With Falcon’s help, he has been working on collecting enough dirt on the Bowker Street Devils so that the three of you can walk away.”

  “I-I don’t believe you.”

  Liam tugged her back over to the sofa and pushed her down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope with her name on it. “Read this.”

  Her hand shook as she took it, but she wasn’t sure if it was through fear or anger. Why the hell am I trusting this man? Tearing open the envelope, she scanned Ryker’s familiar handwriting. The letter went on for almost two pages, listing dates and clarifying what Liam had said. At the end, it finished with a plea for her to listen to Liam, and to do exactly what he told her. “How do I know you didn’t forge this?”

  “Seriously?”

  She folded the letter up and pushed it back into the envelope. Cassidy didn’t really think it was a fake, that almost illegible chicken scratch was all Ryker’s, and it sounded like him, too. “Why isn’t he here?”

  “Because we had to change our plans. Something happened, and he needed to get you out sooner than we anticipated.”

  Oh, Lord! “Did I screw things up?” She felt the color drain out of her face. “I thought I was helping him. If I’d known about any of this, I’d never have made a deal with…”

  “It’s not your fault. We all knew that you were on borrowed time. Ryker wanted more evidence, he was looking for something to put Kane away forever.”

  “But you have to pull him out now. When Kane knows I’m gone, he is going to go straight for my brother. Falcon, too. He was driving me to the club, and Kane won’t believe I attacked him and escaped.”

  “Eat your food, Cassidy. Ryker and Falcon know what they are doing. Tomorrow—two days, tops—they’ll join us, and my people will get you out of here. You’ll have a new life, a new identity. You’ll be free of all of this.”

  “You make it sound so simple.”

  Liam shook his head. “No, it’s not simple. It has taken us months to get this far. I’m not going to lie, the next few weeks are going to be hard. You’ll be questioned, and you need to tell them everything you know about Kane and the Devils. You will never be able to go back. If you have friends… they are gone. Family? You don’t have them anymore. There will be no putting this back in the box, Cassidy, but you will get to live a better life.”

  She rested her head in her hands. “I don’t know how to survive outside of the Devils.”

  “You’ll learn. You can go to college, be what you want to be.”

  “It all sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?”

  “Like I said, they’ll question you. They will expect you to turn state’s evidence, and in exchange, they will put you in the witness protection program.”

  “With Ryker and Falcon? I’ll still be able to be with them?”

  “Ryker, yes. You’re not related to Falcon, so it is up to him and the deal he makes. Now, please, eat something. I’ll tell you more when I can, but for now, it’s best if you don’t know too much.”

  “In case Kane…”

  He nodded.

  Cassidy picked up her burger and bit into it. The thing tasted like sawdust and she found she could barely swallow the mouthful. Her head was mulling over all the stuff Liam told her. How, in so little time, had my world turned upside down?

  She pushed what was left of her food away, unable to take another mouthful. “Have you been in touch with Ryker since I left? Is he okay?”

  “As soon as he contacts me, I’ll let you know. This isn’t a bad sign, Cassidy. He has a job to do, just let him do it.” Liam stood up. “You finished with that?”

  She handed him the plate and he vanished into the kitchen with it. When he returned he had two beers in his hand and held one out to her. “You look like you could do with a drink.”

  Cassidy took it. “What changed? The other night you said I was too young.”

  “You’re eighteen now. Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”

  She laughed. “But I’m still under age.”

  “If you don’t want it, I’ll take it back.”

  “I’ll have it. But if my brother finds out, I’m gonna tell him you gave it to me.”

  Liam winked at her. “Hey, what happens in this apartment, stays in this apartment.” For a moment, their eyes locked, and Cassidy felt herself drawn to this man. In the back of her mind was a distant memory, a sweet kiss that had been her first. As she looked at the man she knew as Liam, and tried to fit that with the boy, Cam, she once knew, her heart skipped a beat. She remembered, all too well, the chaos the next day when Kane discovered him missing. The gang was on lock down. No one went in or out of the compound without Kane’s permission.

  Ryker and Falcon had talked about Cam’s disappearance for days. Had they been in on that, back then? Cassidy doubted it. Her brother would have only been about her age now—a bit younger, maybe and Falcon had only just been released from prison.

  She tipped back the beer and let it slide down her throat. “This is as weak as shit.”

  Liam laughed. “Why do you think I let you have one?”

  “I’m not a kid.”

  He looked her up and down, and raised an eyebrow. “I can see that.” He ran his hand over his chin. “I remember you from back then. You were the only good thing in my life.”

  Her beer went down the wrong way, and Cassidy choked on it. “I was? I didn’t even think you noticed me. I was just a kid with a crush on you.”

  “Seriously? That’s kind of ironic, as I thought I was the one with the crush.”

  Cassidy lowered her eyes as she took another drink, unsure whether she was feeling shy or embarrassed. “What was it like?”

  Liam raised both eyebrows. “Frustrating. Like you said, you were a kid, and I… should have known better. But, in my defense, you were damn cute, and you didn’t look like a kid, even then.”

  “Oh, I meant when you left the Devils, not….” Her cheeks heated a little. “Um, what was it like being on the run from Kane?”

  “Hard. There wasn’t the setup we have now. But it was worth it.”

  She picked up the forked tail and twiddled it in her fingers. Liam’s revelation that he had liked her made her curious. “Did you really have a crush on me?”

  “You’re really gonna make me do this?” Liam got up and disappeared into the kitchen, this time when he came back, he carried two glasses and a fifth of whiskey.

  Cassidy didn’t rib him this time but took the drink he handed her.

  “Yes, I had the biggest crush on you. I dreamed about you every night. Fuck, Cassidy, you were so sexy, even at fourteen. But you never noticed me. You were why I left.”

  “I was? God, was I that terrible to you? If I was a bitch, I apologize whole-heartedly.”

  “No, you were always nice. I knew Kane had set his sights on you, even back then. I’d seen the way he looked at you, and it made me sick. Then it hit me, that if I stayed, I’d have to watch him destroy you.” Liam sipped the whiskey and leaned back on the sofa. “I was tired of watching him destroy everything he touched. And I was tired of my life being just one crime after another, always waiting for that one thing
to go wrong that would kill me or put me in prison. Three months before I went, I met this guy who said he could help me if I ever wanted out. All I had to do was slip him some information. So, I took him up on it. Figured if I got out, I might someday be able to come back for you and Ryker.”

  Cassidy gasped. “The drugs shipment?” It all came back to her now. That had been another reason Kane had been pissed after Liam left! Four of his best men had been swept up by the police when they were ambushed picking up a shipment. “That was you?”

  “That was my ticket out.”

  “And what’s my ticket? I don’t know anything, Liam. Just small stuff. I’m too far down the food chain.”

  “Ryker is your ticket.”

  “What? You want me to give evidence against my brother?”

  “No. Ryker has you covered. I told you, he and Falcon have been passing me information for months. The stuff he has given me more than covers it. Besides… I won’t leave you there again, Cassidy.”

  She relaxed into the sofa. The whiskey burned down her throat, but it gave her comfort and fostered a bravery she hadn’t had before. It also made her feel horny. Or perhaps that was all down to the very attractive man next to her. Cassidy placed her hand on Liam’s thigh, and she stroked along the black denim. “For what it’s worth, I did notice you. I was young, not blind.”

  Liam glanced at her sideways. “What are you doing?”

  The alcohol fueled her. “Just wondering if you still think I’m cute.”

  “Fuck.” The word came out as a growl, and Liam leaned across her, his hands either side of her on the couch. “Don’t play this game with me, sweetheart.”

  His face was so close to hers, she could feel his breath brushing her lips. It wouldn’t take much for her to reach up and kiss him. The clinch they were in when he tried to hide her from the men on the street earlier was on her mind. Even though it had all been an act… okay, well, Liam might have been acting, but I wasn’t. Jesus! The way he’d run his tongue over her neck and nipped along her collar bone… it had made her feel stuff she hadn’t felt in quite a while. Thinking about it again now only turned her on more. Mmm, what would it be like if they did that for real? If they did more than just that?

  “What if I am not playing games?”

  Liam didn’t move a muscle, but his eyes burned into her.

  “I’m not a virgin,” she blurted out.

  He laughed and looked away. “Now why would you tell me that?”

  “I… I thought maybe you thought I was and were being… noble.”

  “Noble? Oh, Cassidy, I’m many things, but that isn’t one of them.”

  “So, in that case, what’s stopping you?”

  Chapter 15

  It was probably the alcohol talking—for her, not me, so I should probably do the decent thing and back away.

  Except Liam was past the point of no return, and the temptation of her tugging on his shirt, her lips pursed, chin tilted up towards him, and the heat radiating from her, all conspired against him, and four years evaporated in a finger snap.

  He felt twenty again, but this time, Cassidy was no longer fourteen, no longer taboo, no longer forbidden. He closed the gap between them, his teeth tugging at her bottom lip, encouraging her to open up for him, and she did. It took every fiber of his being to control the kiss, to take his time. His shoulders shook as he held himself away from her, only allowing them to join at the mouth.

  Jesus Christ, the memory of their kiss, four years earlier, did not do the actual reality any justice.

  Eager and relentless, Cassidy tried to hurry things. Her mouth, greedy and demanding, followed him every time he retreated. But as eager as she was, he felt her trembling when they kissed, and her clumsy attempts to initiate more than that made him doubt she was that experienced with men. Not that he thought she’d lied about the whole virgin thing. Christ, the way she looked, and she was eighteen now, for fuck’s sake—some bastard had to have gotten lucky. He pulled away from her as an ugly thought crossed his mind.

  Cassidy’s eyes flew open, and she looked confused at his sudden disappearance. “Liam?”

  “Who was it?”

  “Sorry?”

  “Who took your virginity?”

  She looked amused. “I don’t think that is any of your business.” She reached up, and her fingers crept around his neck, pulling him back towards her. “I never pegged you as the jealous type.”

  “Shit, I’m not. I don’t care how many guys you’ve been with, I just want to know if Kane ever forced you…”

  “God, no. Nothing like that. It was a guy my age, we were sort of together. Just for a while… he was killed six months ago. I swear Kane has never touched me.”

  Relief flooded his system. For a moment, Liam was scared he’d waited too long to extract her, that he was too late to protect her.

  “Are you coming back over here?” Cassidy’s stare was intense, and Liam’s resolve was weak.

  “What are the rules, baby?” He reached across and kissed her gently this time. So far, he’d kept his hands to himself, but unless she drew some boundaries, that was about to change.

  “There are no rules.” She leaned back on the sofa and pulled down the zip on the front of her catsuit.

  Liam stifled a groan as the PVC parted. Her white flesh against the red was a heavenly strawberries and cream combination, and he’d always loved that dessert. He swept his hand over a barely-constrained breast, freeing it, and cupping her in his hand. God give me strength to take things slow, to make this good for her. He fought a smirk as he realized that he was asking the Almighty to sanction the seduction of a devil by a priest… or was it the other way around? Either way it was fucked up… least it would be if she were the real Devil and he a genuine priest.

  He cupped the freed breast and dipped his mouth, eager to taste her. As his tongue swirled around the areole, he had never been so glad that his life was a lie. Liam was no more a man of God than she was the Devil’s daughter—Thank God! Or this would really be fucked up.

  When he sucked her nipple into his mouth, she whimpered and arched her back, thrusting her breast up to him, encouraging him to take more. But peeling her out of the costume proved more difficult than he imagined, and in the end, he scrambled off the sofa and pulled her to her feet.

  “Jesus, this fucking thing.” He tugged and wrestled with the plastered-on fabric, wondering if he would need to find a pair of scissors.

  Cassidy laughed, as he hurriedly yanked the form-fitting pants down her legs.

  “Shit!” Too late, Liam realized his mistake as the suit met the tops of her red boots. “This is a goddamn cock blocker. I’m gonna need some help here.”

  “They unzip.” She bent over and slid the zipper down on the right boot.

  Liam dealt with the left, and he pushed her back on the sofa while he yanked them off. The rest of the catsuit took some persuasion, but finally she was free of it. Now all that remained were a pair of red satin panties, and those Liam was in no hurry to remove.

  He slumped against a chair opposite her, and rested his arms on his knees, taking a moment to drink her all in. For the last four years, he’d made do with an ethereal memory of one delicious kiss. Although her face and her lips were etched in his mind, the rest of her body was a complete enigma. All he’d had to go on were the clothes she’d worn and how that white blouse had tugged across small breasts. He remembered how his big hands had almost met around her tiny waist back then—Cassidy was part adolescent, trying out an almost-woman’s body.

  Now, for the first time, his eyes feasted on her fleshed out, feminine shape. Breasts that were still small, but rounder and had a delicious heaviness in his hands. Her waist was still tiny, but it flared into curvaceous hips.

  He put out his hand, palm up. “Come here.”

  Cassidy didn’t hesitate. Confident in her near nakedness, she went to him and threaded her fingers through his. He parted his knees and tugged her closer, as she climbed onto
his lap and lowered her crotch to his.

  There was something erotic about him being fully clothed while she was dressed only in her panties, and his cock swelled, lifting up to meet her. Liam slipped his hand between her legs, and his fingers explored beneath the scrap of satin. Wet heat greeted him, and a choked back gasp from her encouraged his foray. When he slid his finger inside her, she rode his hand, undulating her hips with her head thrown back. That ridiculously long red hair swayed hypnotically to the sounds she made, and the frantic, hurried movements told him she was already close.

  “Come on, baby, let go, and I’ll catch you.” Liam wanted her to lose control, and come in his hand, so he could hear that one unique sound she made when she could no longer hold back.

  Liam didn’t have to wait long to get his wish, and when he watched her come undone, it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

  “Jesus, baby.” That moment would be etched in his mind for all eternity, replacing the way too innocent kiss they’d shared in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Cassidy ran her hands through her hair, her eyes still closed, as she stretched and rode out her orgasm. Her fingers tangled with the devil horns there, and she laughed. Her eyes flew open, and her cheeks blushed. She went to remove them, but he caught her hand. “Leave them on. I wanna fuck you wearing them.”

  ”Mmm, and what are you going to wear when you do that?”

  He lifted her off his lap and stood up. “Nothing, baby, unless you have a request.”

  Her eyes drifted to the priest’s collar discarded on the floor, and she licked her lips.

  He scooped it up. “You want me to wear this?”

  She chewed on her lip and nodded.

  Grinning from ear to ear, Liam swept his undershirt off and positioned the simple clerical collar around his neck. This one was a minimalist design and quite literally looked like a dog collar, but if it turned her on as much as the horns did for him, he didn’t mind indulging her.

  Cassidy’s eyes widened appreciatively as Liam reached down and unbuttoned his jeans. He pulled the zipper down and eased the black denim over his hips. “You ready for me, baby?”