“Keep us updated,” Julian said as she strode toward the door.
“I will,” she promised. “I love you all.”
“Love you too,” the three of them said as she opened the door and left the apartment.
She jogged down the steps to the first floor. She was eager to see Dante again, but she had to make a call first. She had opened the front door and was running down the steps when Kyle called her name.
Stopping on the sidewalk, she looked up to find him leaning out the living room window with his arms wrapped around himself while he kissed the air. “Oh, Dante, how I love thee,” he called in a high falsetto. “Let me count the ways!”
From the open kitchen window, Aida and Julian laughed as they crouched down in it. Cassidy rolled her eyes and gave them the finger. She started to turn away but crashed into something that caused her to stagger back.
Before she could recover, the scent of leather filled her nose.
Chapter Twenty
“Oh no!” Aida cried, but her words were drowned out by Julian and Kyle’s loud laughter.
Cassidy gritted her teeth as she restrained herself from running up to her apartment and pummeling her brothers into a bloody pulp. However, she was too mortified to move as her face burned.
The windows sliding shut didn’t completely drown out their laughter or Aida’s scolding. Cassidy kept her head bent; there was no way she could ever look at Dante again. Maybe Aida hadn’t seen Dante coming, but she had no doubt Kyle did.
He’d done this on purpose, and because of that, she would make him pay. There was a reason she was the reigning queen of the prank wars amongst the younger siblings. And when she finished torturing him, she would kill him. Her parents had nine other children; they wouldn’t miss him.
Dante bit his lip to keep from laughing as he gazed from the closed windows to Cassidy’s fiery red face. He could still hear her brother’s raucous laughter, something he hadn’t expected to hear from them when it came to him.
He was half convinced he would end up fighting with them on his walk over here. He was sure the two of them would be ready to kill him after last night. He was aware Cassidy would tell her brother what happened, and Kyle could never show his face at Lavender Moon again.
Instead, he found the two of them hanging out the windows and teasing her. It was something he would have done to Maya. If it weren’t for the fact Cassidy looked so uncomfortable, he would have laughed with them, but when she still wouldn’t look at him, some of his amusement faded.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I wish people would stop asking me that,” she muttered.
“I won’t ask again then.”
Cassidy struggled to get her face to stop burning, but she could not make her blush cease. She stared at his battered leather jacket. It was a lighter brown and more worn than the one he’d been wearing last night.
“I thought we were going to meet at your place,” she muttered.
“It’s a beautiful day out; I decided to go for a walk. I was only going to go halfway, but I kept walking.”
It was more like he’d been too impatient to see her again, and unable to stay in his apartment. He hadn’t meant to walk all the way here, but after waiting for half an hour on the street corner, he was starting to look suspicious. When he realized he still had another ten minutes, he couldn’t wait any longer.
He’d taken his time to window shop as he strolled toward her apartment, but he still arrived earlier than anticipated, and in time to find Kyle tormenting her. He felt like an overeager schoolboy, but now that he was seeing and holding her again, he was glad his usually endless patience abandoned him today.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“Yes,” she murmured, but she still couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
She was happy and sad he was here. She hated being this mortified over Kyle’s stunt and Julian’s laughter, she’d planned to call Brian while walking to meet him. She didn’t dare call while she was in the apartment; they were too many nosy, oversensitive ears there.
And now, she wouldn’t get the opportunity to make that call. However, no matter her embarrassment, and her guilt over keeping something from him, she was still thrilled to see him.
Finally, she chanced a glance up at him and smiled when she saw the twinkle of amusement in his deliciously dark chocolate eyes. She may be standing here looking like a cherry tomato someone doused with gasoline and lit on fire, but that smile and twinkle were worth it.
“Then, let’s go,” he said and released one of her arms.
He kept his hand on her other arm as he led her toward the road. “Just so you know, she thinks my name is Dan Vares. That’s the alias I use when working these cases. I don’t want my real name getting back to anybody on the force.”
“Got it.”
Dante waved down a cab and held the door open for her to slide inside before following her. He gave the driver the address and sat back beside her.
Cassidy kept her head turned toward the window and her hand resting on the seat between them. Unable to resist, Dante traced his fingers over her delicate ones. The hitch in her breath caused blood to rush into his cock; he shifted as he pulled his hand away and tried to get his libido in check.
She glanced shyly over at him before focusing out the window again. He hadn’t been lying; it was a beautiful spring day, and many people were taking advantage of it. She suspected more than a few of them decided to make Friday part of their weekend and called out of work today.
Once Dante felt in control of himself again, he couldn’t stop himself from touching her; he rested his hand over hers. When she turned toward him, the red shade of her face caused her blue eyes to shine brighter. Her alluring, rosebud mouth curved into a smile.
He clearly recalled the taste of that mouth, and he would experience it again as soon as his interview with Paris ended. The jarring ring of his phone pulled him out of his thoughts. Shifting, he dug into his pocket and pulled it out.
“Shit,” he muttered when he saw the number on the screen. He swiped the green button. “Hello, Paris.”
“Hello, Mr. Vares.” Paris sounded a little breathless as she called him by his pseudonym. “I can’t make it to the common.”
Dante refused to sound annoyed when he replied. “I can meet you somewhere else then.”
“I have a lot going on today.”
“I understand, but Julie’s mother is really concerned about her, and I think you can help me find her.”
“I don’t know what I can do.”
“A lot of times, in cases, people see or hear things they don’t think are useful, but they’re wrong. You could be what brings Julie home.”
“But what if she doesn’t want to come home?”
Though she tried to hide it, Dante heard the hitch in her voice. “Have you talked to her recently?”
Paris sniffled before replying, “Not in a couple of weeks.”
So, her last contact with Julie was around the same time as her mother’s. “I understand this is difficult for you, but I won’t take up much of your time. However, we must speak.”
She released another sniffle before muttering, “Okay, but I don’t want to meet by the swan boats.”
“Where would you prefer to meet?”
She pondered this before replying, “The No-Doze Café on Boylston Street.”
Before Dante could reply, she hung up.
Cassidy held her breath as she studied Dante’s countenance. The set of his jaw and the muscle twitching in his cheek were the only indications of his irritation. He returned his phone to his pocket and stared ahead as he told the driver their new destination.
“Do you think she’ll be there?” Cassidy asked when his shoulders relaxed a little.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
Paris was the best lead he had to Julie; she had to be there. If not, he was going to have to hunt the girl down, and stalking teenagers was a little creep
y. However, the tears in Mrs. Abbott’s eyes, and the heartbreak she would experience if he failed to bring her daughter home, ensured he would camp out in front of Paris’s house for a month if that’s what it took to get some answers.
He’d seen his mother’s heartbreak in her eyes every day after Maya disappeared; he would not fail another mother.
“If she doesn’t show up, I’ll hunt her down and get the answers from her,” he murmured.
Cassidy did not doubt that; he wouldn’t let himself fail in this, but he didn’t realize it wouldn’t be a failure. There were some things in life he couldn’t control. However, he probably knew that better than anyone. Yet, he was sitting here, beating himself up because of the whims of a teenage girl.
He was too tough on himself, but she didn’t think there was anything she could say to change that. No matter what, he would always see his inability to find Maya as his failure when it wasn’t. And if they didn’t find Julie, he would beat himself up more.
That only made her more determined to help him find the girl and bring her home. She couldn’t stand to see him like this, and she would do everything she could to stop it.
Dante drummed his fingers on his knee as he debated if Paris would be at the coffee shop or not. He didn’t understand why the girl was so difficult about this, but after Missy, he wasn’t sure Julie had any real friends. Which made him feel worse about the whole thing. She needed someone to fight for her, and he would do it.
When Cassidy settled her hand over his, some of his tension eased, and his fingers stopped tapping. Without thinking, he twisted his hand in hers and held it. The beautiful smile she gave him caused a small ray of hope to pierce through his dismal thoughts.
Chapter Twenty-One
When the taxi pulled up in front of the coffee shop, Dante paid the driver and opened the door. He clasped Cassidy’s hand and helped her to stand beside him on the sidewalk. He closed the door, and the driver pulled away.
“Do you know what she looks like?” Cassidy asked as they entered the coffee shop.
The scent of fresh-baked pastries and brewing coffee washed over her. Warm, gooey treats sat behind the glass counter to her left, and she savored the aromas of creamer, cinnamon, and sugar.
Unlike the dark tones and dim lighting in Mugs’ coffee shop. This place was well lit, and splashes of color decorated the walls. The tables and chairs were eclectic and often clashing in color, but somehow, they looked amazing as they landed an air of vibrancy to the place. Mugs’ was designed as a place to relax; this place wanted to keep people up.
“No,” Dante said. “Hopefully, there aren’t too many teenage girls here.”
College kids and middle-aged men and women sat at the tables with their laptops, tablets, and phones. However, there was a table of high school students near the back. Paris could have brought a group of friends for protection, which would have been smart of her.
“She’s only expecting me,” Dante said. “I should approach them alone.”
Cassidy pointed to an empty, high top table near the back. “I’ll be over there.”
Dante hesitated before squeezing her hand and walking over to the table of teens. She didn’t hear what he said as she made her way toward the back and settled at the table. When she looked back at Dante and the teens, they were wearing ‘who is this crazy old guy?’ expressions.
Dante turned away from the table and walked back to join her. The set of his square jaw and the steely glint in his eyes told her he was growing increasingly frustrated. She had to find the time to call Brian soon. If her brother-in-law could do something to help, especially if he could locate Maya, she needed to know, and so did Dante.
He slid onto the stool across from her and turned so he could see the door. The tiny bell over the door rang, but it was a couple of guys who stepped inside. He drummed his fingers on the table as a waiter walked toward them.
The young man barely glanced at him before focusing on Cassidy and giving her an arrogant smile. Dante’s already high blood pressure started to skyrocket. It took everything he had not to smash the arrogant asshole’s face off the table.
“What can I get for you?” the man asked.
“I’ll have a water,” Cassidy said.
“But we have so many fine coffees for you to try, and you look like the adventurous type.”
Cassidy wasn’t entirely sure how to take that, but if the look on Dante’s face was any indication, he hadn’t taken it well. Leaning forward, Dante rested his hand over hers while he glowered at the man.
“She’ll take a water, and I’ll have a coffee,” he growled. “And I want a regular, black, non-adventurous coffee.”
The man’s eyes darted toward Cassidy and then the counter. “We have many flavors—”
“A regular black coffee,” Dante interrupted.
“Yes, sir,” the waiter stammered before rushing away.
Dante scowled after him. He wasn’t entirely sure what had come over him. He wasn’t the jealous type, or at least he wasn’t before meeting Cassidy. When Tiffany was accepted to college in California and decided not to do the long-distance thing, it broke his heart, but he never felt possessive or jealous.
Since her, he hadn’t had many relationships. The year and a half he spent in college, he mostly focused on studying. After college, his life was a shitshow with no room for relationships. He dated some girls over the years, but he never once felt the urge to punch some guy in the face because he spent a little too much time checking out his date.
He glanced at Cassidy, who had her head tilted to the side as she studied him. She probably considered him a chauvinistic asshole. He didn’t know what this was between them, but he couldn’t destroy it before he figured it out.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to be an asshole.”
Cassidy turned her hand over in his and squeezed it. If he was her mate, then there was an explanation for his behavior, and he would be unstable until they completed the bond. However, now wasn’t exactly the time to discuss it.
“It’s okay,” she assured him.
She wasn’t exactly enamored with the way women reacted to him. If the woman from the cab last night were standing in front of her, Cassidy would have choked her, and she’d never wanted to attack a human before. If anyone understood acting differently than usual, it was her.
“I’m not normally like that,” he said.
Sympathy tugged at Cassidy’s heart. “It’s okay.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but the ringing of the bell cut him off. He drummed his fingers on the table as two moms, pushing strollers, entered and walked up to the counter.
The waiter returned with their drinks, but Dante barely paid him any attention as he focused on the door. Paris had to show up; he didn’t like using his vampire ability on anyone, but he would track her down and make her tell him everything she knew about Julie and Preston if that was what it took to bring Julie home.
The bell went off again, and a young girl with her blonde hair styled into a sleek bob stepped through the door. Large sunglasses covered half her small face. He couldn’t see her eyes, but her head turned as she surveyed the room.
When Dante rose from the table, her head stopped turning when she spotted him. Then, her gaze went to Cassidy, and her eyebrows knit together before she started searching the room again.
“I’ll be back,” Dante said to Cassidy.
“I’ll be here,” she said.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Dante wound his way in between the tables, and the people gathered around them, as he made his way toward the young girl. Her attention returned to him, and her shoulders went back as he approached.
“Mr. Vares?” She inquired when he stopped before her.
“Yes, and you must be Paris.”
“I am. Who’s the woman with you?”
“She’s a friend who’s helping me find Julie. I hope that’s okay.”
“Um, yeah…ah… Yeah, that’s fin
e.”
“Then, let’s go sit and talk.”
Dante let her lead the way back to the table. She pulled out a chair and settled in across from Cassidy. Dante returned to his seat as Paris removed her glasses to reveal her bloodshot brown eyes. She set the glasses on the table, lifted her hand, and wiggled her fingers at the young waiter. He hurried over to take her order.
“I’d like a large, non-fat, extra hot caramel macchiato upside down,” Paris said.
She had the air of someone who had ordered the drink a hundred times before, but Dante didn’t know if she was getting coffee, ice cream, or some kind of upside-down cake.
“It’s one of our specialties,” the waiter said.
Dante would like to believe the waiter was kidding, but he wasn’t. Then, the waiter shot Dante a smug look that said his choice of black coffee was tasteless, before walking away. Dante glanced at Cassidy, who was biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing.
“I don’t have much time,” Paris said as she turned back to them. “I’m meeting friends for a school project soon.”
“I won’t take up much of your time,” Dante assured her as he shoved aside a stake to remove his pad and pen from an inner pocket. “How long have you and Julie been friends?”
Paris fiddled with the earpiece of her glasses as she looked between him and Cassidy. He couldn’t tell if her bloodshot eyes were because she was hungover or if she’d been crying.
“Since kindergarten.” Paris looked over to where the barista was making her drink. “We met on the first day of school and just… clicked, you know?”
“I do,” Dante said, but he didn’t.
He’d had plenty of friends in his life; he was popular in high school and college, and well-liked on the police force. However, by the time he joined the academy, most of his close friends from high school had drifted away, and he lost touch with the ones he made in college. Most of them didn’t know what to say or how to react after Maya went missing.
Relentless (Vampire Awakenings Book 11) Page 12