by V. A. Dold
Gentle hands were on him seconds later. He wiped hair and blood from his face to find Cassidy searching his body for broken bones. “Don’t move, you hit your head hard and may have a neck injury,” she scolded with more concern than heat.
“I’ll be fine, cher. Though I enjoy your hands stroking me, there are no broken bones. What I do have is a splitting headache and dislocated shoulder.”
Stefan hunkered down next to Cassidy. “Can you wait until we get back to the office, or do you want me to pop it back in place right now?”
Cassidy’s eyes went wide. “What? No! He needs a hospital.”
“I’m fine, mon amour. Other than the aching head and my shoulder, I have nothing more than a few bruises.” Groaning, he rolled to his knees, his hair falling into his face once more. Everything hurt. Hell, even his hair hurt, but he had to get up, or she’d follow through on her threat, and he’d be in the belly of an ambulance.
Cassidy frowned, then scowled. “I’m not so sure. You look a little green.”
Marcus just grinned, took a breath, and heaved his aching body into a standing position. Waves of nausea and wooziness assailed him, but he refused to let it show on his face.
Stefan’s brows rose when Cassidy slipped her arm around Marcus to help him to the limo. “Not here then. I’ll take care of your shoulder when we get back.”
Stefan had just opened the passenger door for them when he cursed. “Damn it. We can’t leave now.”
That’s when Cassidy heard it. A cacophony of sirens screamed from every direction as what must be the entire police department descended upon them. Stefan nodded at the open door when she hesitated.
“Get him inside the car. You don’t need to be visible when the police get here. They can interview you inside the limo and away from the cameras.” Once he was safely inside, Stefan leaned into the backseat and said, “I’ll get you back to Corporate as soon as possible. Anna is there today, and she can take care of any lingering injuries.”
Cassidy narrowed her eyes at Stefan. What was she, chopped liver? She was more than capable of taking care of Marcus. He didn’t need another woman doing that. Then she pulled her thoughts up short. Was she jealous of his sister-in-law? No, she wouldn’t be that woman.
Marcus wanted her. She’d heard the truth of it in his voice during lunch and again only minutes earlier. She knew in her heart and soul he wasn’t a playboy. When he pursued a woman, he did so with his entire focus.
Cassidy breathed easier when ten minutes later, the police officer exited the limo with a promise to be in touch when they apprehended the hit and run driver. “That took less time than I expected.”
“The Le Beau Corp donates a lot of money to the force. All of the New Orleans officers know the family. Not that we should get VIP treatment for it, but we do.”
Stefan slid behind the wheel and drove them back to the office. She noted that he avoided every pothole and took the corners slowly as to jar Marcus as little as possible. She wanted to kiss him for that consideration.
Stefan parked in front of the main entrance and tossed the keys to the attendant. Then he opened the door for her and waited for her to exit the limo.
When she got to her feet and immediately turned back to offer Marcus a hand, he shook his head. “I can do it.”
He grunted as he got to his feet, then took a deep breath and accepted her assistance when she wrapped her arm around his waist. Except for his destroyed suit and bloody face, she wouldn’t know he’d nearly been killed.
She’d had a few dislocated shoulders in her time and knew every step he took was excruciating, yet he moved with fluid grace as they crossed the lobby. If he could pretend that all was well in front of the employees, she wouldn’t ruin it by asking him how he was doing.
“I called ahead. Anna is waiting for you in your office,” Stefan said as he punched the up button at the elevator. “I’ll take care of that shoulder, and then I have to meet with Cade and Dad. They’re waiting for an update.”
It didn’t come as a shock that the family was in the loop about what had transpired. The Le Beaus were tight-knit, and news as serious as one of them being run down in the street would spread like wildfire. As a little girl, she’d often dreamed of a family such as them swooping in and saving her from Jones. A mother and father, showering her and Colin with love and attention. But those were the dreams of a foolish child.
The instant they were behind the closed doors of the elevator, Marcus gave her a relieved smile. “Thank you.”
What she knew he meant was, thank you for staying quiet. Thank you for moving quickly across the lobby. Thank you for staying with me.
“You’re welcome.” She left it at that. There would be time later to yell at him for not going to the hospital. Now was all about resetting his shoulder and cleaning his wounds.
Anna stood in the doorway to Marcus’s office. Her beautiful features lined with worry. “Oh, Marcus,” was all she said as she stepped back to allow them entrance.
Cassidy watched Anna closely, confused as to why Stefan took Marcus to her and not a doctor. What could a marketing executive possibly do for an accident victim?
She swallowed a demand that Anna remove her hands from Marcus when she ran them over him to assess the injuries. What the heck was wrong with her? Anna was happily married to Cade. Besides, other than a lunch date, she had no claim on Marcus.
“It’s not as bad as it looks, little sister. Step back for a minute so Stefan can put my shoulder to rights, and then you can take a closer look at my head.”
Marcus took a seat in one of the chairs reserved for visitors, his injured arm tight to his body, forearm across his belly. Stefan stepped in close, and said, “You know the drill. Relax and breathe.”
Gripping the elbow and forearm, he slowly raised the arm until it was straight out from the shoulder at a ninety-degree angle. Then ever so slowly, Stefan rotated the forearm, keeping the elbow bent, until Marcus’s hand was toward the ceiling.
Cassidy cringed when the joint popped back into place. “I wish that technique had been used on me. It’s much gentler than what I’ve experienced.”
Marcus’s eyes went dark. “You’ve had a dislocated shoulder?”
Cassidy flicked a glance at Stefan and Anna, warning Marcus to shelve the conversation until they were alone.
“We’re going to talk about that, Cassidy,” he growled.
Anna saved her from having to respond by handing her a pile of washcloths. “Would you wet these for me? We need to wash the blood away so I can see the cut.”
Cassidy busied herself at the small sink that serviced the coffee bar, all the while keeping her back to Marcus. She couldn’t afford for him to ask more questions until they were alone. Returning, she held them out to Anna.
Anna shook her head. “I need you to wash the blood away while I work on healing the cut and concussion.”
Cassidy frowned at the strange statement but kept her questions to herself. Anna had told the truth about healing Marcus, though she couldn’t see how that was possible. Perhaps if she watched the other woman closely, she could ascertain the answer.
She had the gift of hearing lies, and her friend Jamie could scale a wall without climbing gear or finger holds. Who’s to say there weren’t other unbelievable gifts out there.
As she dabbed the blood from his forehead and cheeks, a pretty woman dressed like a gypsy rushed in with a man who didn’t look like a Le Beau close on her heels.
The man’s intense eyes flicked from her to Stefan and Anna and finally settled on Marcus. The hair on the back of her neck rose. She knew that instinctive behavior all too well. That man was a hunter, a very, very dangerous hunter.
“Cassidy, I’d like you to meet my mother, Emma, and brother, Seth.”
Emma gave her a quick smile, and Seth nodded.
Brother? There was a story there. Either he had at least one unrelated parent or was adopted. She studied Seth’s face, hair, stature. She’d bet on adop
ted.
“Emma, I need you on his other side. His brain is badly bruised, and there is a minor bleed. You and I will work on those. Seth, I’d like you to check him for internal injuries.”
Cassidy stepped back to make room for the newcomers but stayed close enough to assist if asked.
Neither questioned Anna’s assessment, doing as she directed. The office went eerily quiet as the three of them placed hands on Marcus’s head and chest. Energy, unlike any she’d ever felt pulsed in the room, raising the hairs on her arms and neck.
“Two cracked ribs,” Seth murmured. “I’ll fix those, then heal your shoulder muscles and tendons, so it stays in place.”
Cassidy watched, fascinated by the miracle of humans with healing hands. Anna and Emma had their hands on Marcus’s head, their eyes closed. Seth placed his on the right side of Marcus’s chest. A few minutes passed before he opened his eyes and moved them to the shoulder. The entire process was over in ten minutes.
“You may have a mild headache for the rest of the day, but the bruising is gone,” Anna said as she walked to the coffee bar and began to make two cups of tea.
Marcus rotated his shoulder, then bent his head left and right. “It doesn’t ache too badly. Thank you. All of you.”
Emma kissed his cheek. “No thanks are necessary.”
Stefan straightened from where he’d been leaning against the wall. “Everyone is waiting in Cade’s office.”
Marcus stood and held out his hand to Cassidy.
She glanced at Stefan, noting his scowl. “I don’t think I’m invited to the meeting.”
“I’m inviting you. I want you with me.”
Glancing at Stefan one more time, she placed her hand in Marcus’s and prayed they didn’t ask her questions she couldn’t answer. She was pleasantly surprised when not only Seth but Emma and Anna joined them in the elevator. Were this Jones calling a meeting, only the assassins would be allowed. Unlike Jones, the Le Beau men respected their women.
Cade came to his feet the instant she and Marcus stepped into his office. His eyes ran over Marcus from head to toe. His hands clenched and unclenched as if he fought to not run his hands over him as well. Seemingly satisfied, his gaze shifted to Stefan. “What the hell happened?”
Stefan toed a chair around and straddled it. “A car came out of nowhere as they crossed Canal Street to where I was parked.”
Cade switched his gaze to Marcus. “Coincidence or deliberate?”
“Deliberate. The driver was accelerating and adjusted his trajectory when I tried to get out of the way.”
Cade growled before moving back to his chair and pulling Anna onto his lap.
“Officer Dupré, one of Etienne’s vampires, left only minutes ago. They found the car abandoned a few blocks from Canal Street. The car was wiped clean of fingerprints, and the identity used to rent the car was fake. Knowing we require neither, he cut the upholstery from the driver’s seat,” Isaac said, an ominous calm in his tone. He picked up the scrap of fabric she hadn’t noticed and tossed it to Marcus.
“The driver believes he’s in the wind,” Marcus surmised with a heavy sigh. “He’s out there planning his next move,” he said as he sniffed the cloth, then passed it to Seth. “Without his identity or address, we won’t have a starting point.”
Cassidy watched their strange behavior. Clearly, the Le Beau family wasn’t entirely sane. Sniffing dirty automobile upholstery? Really? She cleared her throat. It was time to step in. Exposing herself would destroy the dreams she had of dating Marcus, but at least he’d be alive and in the world. “I don’t know who he is, but I know who sent him.”
Six pairs of eyes pinned her where she stood. “Tell me what you know,” Cade snarled, getting to his feet and stalking toward her in a threatening manner.
Marcus was between her and Cade before she knew he was moving. “Take that tone with her again, and I’ll beat you to within an inch of your life,” he growled menacingly.
“She endangered my family. I’ll speak to her as I please,” Cade snarled back, right before Marcus’s fist broke his nose.
Cade retaliated with an uppercut to Marcus’s jaw.
Cassidy backed away, putting her back against the wall, then drew a blade in preparation of Cade’s fury turning on her.
Before either brother could throw another punch, Isaac stepped between them. “Enough!”
Glaring, both men dropped their clenched fists to their sides.
“You can either sit down of your own accord, or I’ll do it for you,” Isaac warned when Cade held his ground, flexing his fingers.
Cade swore under his breath but retook his seat. Anna stayed on her feet but stood behind her husband, stroking his hair. Oddly, Anna’s petting calmed him immensely. The Le Beau’s get stranger by the minute.
Cassidy waited, ensuring the violent outburst was over before tucking the blade back in its sheath and moving away from the wall. Very carefully, as to not trigger his fury again, she placed a hand on Marcus’s arm.
He didn’t turn, but his hand covered hers, then pulled her from behind him to stand at his side. Though his protection was sweet, she was an elite assassin. Snarling men didn’t faze her. Cassidy looked Cade directly in the eye, and said, “What I have to say, I’ll say to Marcus in private. After that, he can choose to do with the information as he sees fit.”
Cade opened his mouth to refute her statement, but Anna slapped her palm over his mouth. “Marcus is hers, would you do less for me?”
Cade glared at Cassidy for a second longer, then kissed Anna’s palm and lowered it from his mouth. “I would appreciate it if you read the family in on the situation after you have spoken with my brother.”
Cassidy gave him a single nod. “If that’s what Marcus wants, I’ll be happy to tell you all I know.”
“Thank you, Cassidy. And please accept my apology for my behavior. My only excuse is fear for my brother’s life got the better of me.”
Cassidy gave Cade an understanding smile. “I have a younger brother, too. For him, I would have done much worse.”
“If we’re finished here, Cassidy and I will excuse ourselves.”
“We’re finished for now,” Isaac said as he stood and offered his hand to Cassidy. “Take good care of my boy.”
Grinning, she gripped his hand. Though her heart ached with the loss to come, she adored Isaac and couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll do my best.”
Marcus leaned in and whispered into her ear, “I’m taking you to your home. We’ll talk there.”
Cassidy’s heart jerked. She didn’t want Marcus to see the crappy little apartment she had rented. “I don’t need a ride. My car is parked in the parking ramp.”
“Leave it there. I need you within reach where I can protect you.”
She searched his face for a moment, replaying his words in her mind. He meant that. He really needed her close to him. This may be her last chance to spend time with him, so she complied. She could take a taxi to retrieve her car later.
Nine
It wasn’t Stefan driving them this time. Instead, Seth had insisted on babysitting Marcus.
“Did El call Stefan home?” Marcus asked as he slid into the backseat beside Cassidy.
“No. I discussed it with him, and he agreed that if another attempt is made on your life, I should be there to heal you.”
Marcus snorted but kept his thoughts to himself.
Grinning, Seth utilized the rearview mirror to glance at Cassidy. “Where to milady?” he asked with an English accent.
She rattled off an address, then turned to look out the window hiding her face from him.
Marcus felt her apprehension vibrating around him. The stringent scent made his wolf curl his lips back and sneeze.
He didn’t betray his knowledge of the address or express his anger over her choice of rentals. He’d rectify the problem soon enough.
Less than ten minutes later, the limo parked in front of the ratty building his mate lived in.
Litter and used needles were a thick layer of disease-ridden debris along the curb and tossed carelessly throughout the struggling area that used to be a lawn. Undoubtedly, inside the building itself would be just as bad, if not worse.
His wolf got to his feet and snarled. Yes, he agreed wholeheartedly. This rundown, crime-infested block was no place for their mate.
Cassidy didn’t wait for him or Seth to open her door. Faster than he thought possible, she had the door open and was out of the vehicle. “Thank you for the ride. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said in a rush.
Marcus wasn’t about to allow that. “I think not, Cassidy. My mother taught me to be a gentleman. I’ll escort you to your door.”
She scowled and turned her back on him, then marched stiff-backed to the door.
She raised her hand to pull it open, but Marcus was there first. When it opened easily without a key, his jaw clenched. He controlled the growing rage roiling in his gut at himself and his brothers assigned to guard Cassidy. One, if not all of them, should have checked the building’s security or lack thereof. “Why isn’t the building secured? Anyone can walk in off the street.”
“You can’t lock a door without a lock,” she snapped, a bite in her voice.
As suspected, the interior was as rundown as the exterior. Though he could see well enough with his wolf's night vision, the halls and staircase were dangerously dark for a human. The rage he held in check flared again. His anger was for his own failing. Cassidy was his to protect. It was his responsibility to ensure her safety. A responsibility he’d left to others. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
When he stayed with her to the foot of the staircase, she glared at him as it became obvious, he was taking her all the way to her unit. Marcus kept his grin to himself.