“And you are familiar with his work?”
Damon nodded in response, not trusting his voice.
“When I was with the Mafia, I had a code. Men like him do not. I tried to warn Cassandra last night, but she is stubborn.”
“I realize as much.”
“Then you need to do a better job at protecting her.”
Silence followed, then only the slightest shift of the air announced Fabrizio’s departure. Damon’s eyes landed back on Cassandra and Wraith, and he expelled a breath.
Enough is enough.
♥∞♥
Cassandra blinked, her mouth falling open at Alain’s proclamation. She searched his gaze, expecting him to laugh, but his expression was neutral.
“I, um…” She trailed off, at a loss. Is he a reporter?
Alain laughed at her distress, then flashed a grin. “I’m joking, pretty lady. Though I have to admit meeting you was the highlight of my night.”
Cassandra sighed in relief, then eased back in her chair and took another sip of her coffee. “So what did bring you there, then?”
“I’d had a particularly bad day – business deal gone sour. The valet at my hotel read my mood and suggested the new hip place in town for some relaxing. I wouldn’t have gone, but I discovered much sparse energy. Dancing is always a good way to get it out of my system.”
“And yet you were at the bar when I first met you.” Cassandra’s wicked grin seemed to throw Alain for a loop, but he recovered with an easy-going shrug.
“I needed some liquid courage, especially if I was to speak to the most beautiful woman there.”
Cassandra blushed at the reverence in his tone, and looked away. As fate would have it, her gaze landed on none other than Damon. He was crossing the street, stalking towards them with a murderous look in his eyes.
“Damon?”
Alain’s head whipped around at the name, and he also noticed the approaching thunderstorm.
“What are you –” Cassandra was interrupted when Damon only reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet.
“We need to go.”
“Um, no.” She yanked her wrist out of his grip, rubbing the reddening skin. “And you need to learn some manners. I’m enjoying a nice cup of coffee with a friend, and I intend to stay.”
Damon blew out a breath and deigned to notice Alain. He angled his body between Cassandra and the other man, clenching his fists. “Nice friend.” When those fiery emerald eyes turned their full force back on Cassandra, she felt it from the tip of her toes to her head. “Come with me, now.”
“I don’t think so.”
Alain stood at that point and threw some bills on the table. “Perhaps it might be a good idea to hear your friend out, Cassandra.”
Ignoring his suggestion, she shoved Damon out of her way and took a step closer to the Frenchman. “I’m really sorry for this.” Swiping her book off the table, she ripped a piece off the back page and jotted down her number. “Give me a call sometime? I’ll take care of my issues in the meantime.”
Damon didn’t flinch at her glare, but Alain seemed amused. “Take your time.” He lowered his head to kiss her cheek, then strode away whistling.
Cassandra whirled on her heels to face Damon, but already he was tugging on her wrist.
“Damon, let go!” she ordered, but his grip only tightened.
“Sorry, Cass, but we have to go. Now.” Something in his tone of voice and in the gleam in his eyes warned her not to make a fuss, unless she wanted to cause a scene.
She let Damon drag her two blocks down the street, in the opposite direction Alain had disappeared to. When it seemed he wasn’t about to stop, Cassandra dug her feet in and refused to budge further. “Enough!”
A couple passing nearby threw them a look, and Cassandra lowered her voice. “I don’t want to get you into trouble considering the cops are probably following you, but you have to stop acting like a caveman.”
Damon snorted, but glanced around to scan for police. When he noticed nothing out of the ordinary, he met Cassandra’s gaze once more. “I think your buddy Sean got the message earlier.”
“Earlier?” His tone confused her. “What are you talking about?”
“Sean’s been tailing me since this morning when I went for a jog. He took off after I made it clear he’s not being subtle.”
“Damon…” Cassandra shook her head. “You need to watch your back with him. This isn’t ten years ago, and you’re not a boy who can get away with stuff. Be careful where Sean is concerned.”
“Oh, like you’re being careful?”
Cassandra didn’t like his tone. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Do you even know who that guy is?” Damon’s question, and the loaded emotion behind it, took her by surprise.
“Why do you care?” She shot back, pursing her lips.
“Cass, don’t play games. Do. You. Know?” Damon’s voice was bleak with anger, and something else.
If she had been on a calm mindset, Cassandra probably would have backed away a few feet. Instead, with her own temperature mounting in frustration, she took a few steps towards him.
“Honestly, Damon, how am I supposed to know? All you’ve done so far is showed up in my life, trying to take control, acting like I'm yours to protect after all this time, yet not delivered on the answers you promised me. So rather than ask me if I know who Alain Valois is, how about you tell me who the hell do you think you are?”
Damon mimicked her movement, inching closer. “You’ve asked me that question before, and I’ll be damned if I don’t answer it now. You seem to think I’m the enemy here, when I made it clear I want to protect you. And to make it crystal-clear, I’m what you don’t seem to realize you need right now. As for your so-called Alain, you need to stop listening to your hormones and stay away from that guy!”
Cassandra’s slap resounded in the street, causing more than one pair of eyes to turn to them. It surprised her because it hadn’t been a planned reaction, yet Damon seemed to bring out the worst in her.
“I must be setting a record,” Damon muttered, rubbing his cheek.
His expression had gone blank, but Cassandra was only getting started. She jabbed a finger in his chest, rising to her full height. “You may be some big shot security guy now, Damon, but this has to stop. I’m not going to let you control my life, I had enough of that growing up. And I’ll do as I damn well please. So if you want to keep staying at my place, I’d suggest you keep your nose out of my business.”
She stalked off, not even sparing a glance back.
Damon watched her go for a bit, then started to follow in her steps. No way did he plan to let Cassandra out of his sight, pissed or not. She’ll be the death of me. His wry amusement was only outweighed by the seething anger at Wraith, and the games he was playing.
♥ Chapter 12 ♥
Noises downstairs woke Cassandra up. She’d gone on a jog shortly after the confrontation with Damon, and when she’d returned had gone straight to shower.
I must have fallen asleep after… She got up from bed, stretching her muscles. A loud growl from her stomach stopped her mid-stretch. After a quick scan, she concluded around twenty-four hours must have passed since her last meal, and it was high time she ate.
Cassandra brushed her teeth, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a sweater then headed downstairs. Enticing smells of pasta and meatballs caused her stomach to contract, and she increased her pace.
Peeking around the door to the kitchen, Cassandra was startled by what greeted her. Damon was moving around the stove, dumping some ingredients into what was her largest pasta pot. He stirred for a bit, then seemed to sense her eyes on him and turned.
“You’re awake.”
Cassandra glanced between him and the pot, torn between wanting to stay mad at him for his rude behaviour earlier, and the hunger clawing at her intestines.
She was saved from having to decide when Damon set down the wooden spoon he’
d used to stir. “I’m sorry, Cassandra.”
Taken aback by his raw, sincere tone of voice, she looked into his eyes. There was no effort to hide his feelings, and she got lost in the depth of his gaze. A long time ago, they’d had something. Could have had more. Was it so late, were they so removed from that time, that it had become impossible?
Cassandra bit her bottom lip. She couldn’t get the sarcastic reply meant for Damon past her choked throat. Instead, she said, “It’s not an apology I want, but an explanation. Why were you being so rude and overbearing earlier?”
“Viktor. I meant to tell you last night, but with the attack, we got side-tracked.”
Cassandra frowned, trying to think what could have been so important. Then it dawned on her. “You were gone earlier in the night, just before I left for the club. Your note said something about information on Viktor.”
Damon nodded, and some of the tension eased off him. “I went to see a source outside of town, and he confirmed we were on the right track. Everything he said already had me on edge, and the night only turned worse after.”
Cassandra folded her arms across her chest, arching an eyebrow. “Still doesn’t explain your jackass behaviour.”
Damon ran a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. His neck was corded, and something about his stance made Cassandra want to take back the line of inquiry. Before she could, Damon met her eyes once more.
“You’ve obviously guessed, even more so than what I told you, that I’ve got some military training.”
“I’d say it’s pretty much a given.”
He flashed a smile, gone just as fast. “Well, the one thing they don’t teach you there is showing emotions. Protection comes second nature, and everything I see as a threat to you, I want to remove. But you don’t make it easy. And I’ve been so used to taking command, being in charge, that it’s not something I can shrug off easily. Plus, I didn’t expect you to be so…” Damon trailed off, then shrugged. “So you.”
“Meaning?” Cassandra asked.
“Meaning you’re gorgeous, independent, and so damn used to having your way that it makes me want to take you away from all this craziness, just to keep you safe. But,” he held up a hand when she opened her mouth to protest, “I know you’d never agree, and it would be crossing a line.” Damon paused, searching her expression. “I am sorry, for earlier.”
Cassandra stayed quiet, soaking in the apology and the truth of his words. She’d come to think there was nothing soft left in Damon, but this new side of him was making her rethink it.
A more pronounced growl from her stomach broke the heavy silence. Cassandra stepped around Damon, peeking over the pot to see if she’d been right. Pasta and meatballs swam in a dark sauce, and the smells wafting off it had her salivating.
“Is it almost ready?” She hated the whiny sound of her voice, but it did the trick as Damon relaxed and gave her a tentative grin.
“Yeah, a few more minutes. Why don’t you set the table, and I’ll do the serving.”
Cassandra held his gaze for a few more seconds than necessary, then nodded. “You’re not quite forgiven, just so you know. But this is a step in the right direction.”
Damon chuckled, “I’d expect nothing else.”
Cassandra grabbed plates and cutlery from the cupboards, and a bottle of wine from the fridge. By the time she was done setting up and adding two glasses, Damon returned from the stove with the pot. He served them both generous portions, then took a seat at the table.
An uncomfortable silence reigned for a few moments as they chewed through their food, then Damon reached for the wine bottle at the same time as Cassandra.
His touch was like a spark and she quickly withdrew her hand, focusing back on the food instead. Undeterred, Damon poured the wine and handed her a glass.
“To old friends reuniting.”
His raised glass was both a challenge and peace offering, and Cassandra hesitated. Under all the possessiveness and blank expressions, this man had parts of the boy she’d known. Would it be the end of the world to try their hand at friendship, especially if it meant Viktor would get what was coming to him?
I guess not.
Cassandra sighed and clinked her glass with Damon’s, offering a tentative smile. “To old friends.”
They got through the rest of the meal in silence, though it wasn’t as uncomfortable as before. And to Cassandra’s surprise, Damon was a more than decent cook.
With the dishes away, they moved into the living room, now each nursing a second glass of wine. As she took another sip, Cassandra figured it was past time to poke the beast. “So, plan to fill me in anytime soon?”
“Fill you in? About what?” Damon took a seat opposite her on the couch.
Despite the ambient temperature in the room, Cassandra was aware of the heat radiating off him. Part of her wanted to get closer, soak it up and forget the world existed. The other part realized she was only reacting so because it’d been much too long since her last relationship.
The alcohol gave her a slight buzz, but she had to make a conscious effort to redirect her thoughts to safe ground. No matter what her muddled feelings were trying to communicate, Cassandra vowed not to fall back in Damon’s arms. It would only bring complications she didn’t need.
“Cass?”
Damon’s voice brought her out of her ruminations, and she blinked, focusing on him. “Hmm?”
“You’re staring.”
His blunt statement caused her cheeks to flame. She couldn’t decide if it was due to embarrassment or annoyance, but he definitely didn’t lack self-confidence.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” After swallowing another gulp of wine, Cassandra met Damon’s gaze, letting her voice grow as sweet as possible. “You may have an incomplete file, but let me fill you in. There are men far more interesting than you out there. Ones who want to date me.”
It took her a few seconds to realize Damon had grown silent at her words. When she darted a look at him, his emerald eyes were blazing.
“Oh, I’m sure there are men out there who just can’t wait to date you.” There was something hidden in the tension behind his words that raised Cassandra’s hackles.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Her voice was inflicted with not only hurt – they’d been doing so well – but also a hint of challenge.
With his free hand, Damon rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I only meant that I’d hate to see you hurt, and I can still easily recall what the dating scene is like in Montréal… Especially at clubs.”
“How nice of you.” Now that she’d started, Cassandra couldn’t keep the acid out of her voice. “And did you think about how hurt I’d be when you left ten years ago?”
Damon stared back, all emotion drained from his expression. There was something in his eyes, similar to that haunted look that implied he cared about something…About her.
Still, the words continued to come out, with Cassandra powerless to stop them. “Or are you saying that leaving me behind doesn’t count as getting me hurt? You’re being a hypocrite, Damon, don’t you think?”
When Damon finally met her glare, his voice was soft. Before her defensive walls could rise again, Cassandra found herself listening to another apology she hadn’t asked for, but that was long overdue.
“You’re right,” Damon said. “What I did back then… It wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever made. I thought it was for the best, you have to believe me.”
“How could it be for the best, when it caused that much pain?”
Damon set aside his glass, and reached for hers. Removing it from her numb fingers, he placed it on the coffee table then took her hands in both of his. His gaze was earnest, at its most vulnerable that she’d seen since his return.
“I need you to believe me when I said there was more to it, and I will tell you. Like I’ve told you other things. I’m not here to lie to you, or betray you, just to protect you
. Please, Cassandra, if nothing else, believe that.”
Her heart tugged, feeling like it was being split in two. There was so much Cassandra wanted to say, but the words that came out were as disillusioned as the rest. “Believe you? Damon, that cost me more than I was ready to lose, once upon a time. Do you honestly think I’m about to risk more?”
Damon’s eyes turned wary, but he didn’t let it go. “Cass, what you’ve been through–”
“Don’t!” The harsh reply left her lips unwillingly, as she got up to her feet. “Don’t even pretend you know what I’ve been through in these past ten years, because you don’t!”
On some level, Cassandra was aware she was overreacting, especially considering he’d apologized. But this was a conversation they hadn’t had yet, and all the hurt of the past years bubbled underneath the surface.
To her surprise, it wasn’t just her demons that rose to the surface. Damon shocked her by getting up to his feet, storming to her until they were nose to nose. “And don’t imagine you know everything, because you don’t! I’ve been through hell and back trying to survive leaving you behind, and I’m still there, Cass!”
Damon’s words froze Cassandra on the spot. There was something about his determination, the raw pain in his expression, that got through her walls quicker than anything else had.
She tried to keep in mind that words didn’t mean a thing for Damon. He’d promised her the moon and the stars, the world, and then disappeared without a backward glance. She didn’t plan to fall for that song again. Once was more than enough.
“We’re getting off track.” Cassandra attempted to keep her voice calm, even when Damon’s intense glare didn’t cool off. “I didn’t come down to pick a fight with you, but to give you whatever information you need on Viktor. The sooner I do, the sooner you can get him and be out of my life.”
Something flashed in Damon’s eyes, but he seemed to bite back the words on the tip of his tongue. He kept his distance, crossing his hands over his chest. “I’m listening.”
“I don’t know what you already have on him, that’s why I asked you earlier to fill me in. And keep in mind I left Viktor’s house the minute I turned eighteen, so what I know may be out-dated.”
Blood Ties, Love Binds Page 10