Cassandra (Scruples Book 2)

by Ditter Kellen

  “Because you came here out of some misguided attempt to protect the woman I love, I’ll let your threat slide. Once.”

  Malik strolled over to the dresser and poured himself a glass of wine. “As for my intentions?” He took a healthy drink and twirled the wineglass in his hand. “I intend on making her my bride.”

  “She’s human, Devain. She’ll never survive in your world.”

  “Then I will stay in hers,” Malik murmured before taking another sip of wine. “I have a question for you, Sanders.”

  Logan nodded. “By all means.”

  Malik poured another glass of wine and handed it to the shifter. “How come your wife remains human?”

  “That’s none of your business,” Logan growled. “I didn’t come here to discuss Carly with you.”

  “Then tell me what you know of Harvey Cohen…”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Cassandra sat on the window seat in the Murphy sisters’ den, staring up at the stars twinkling in the night sky.

  Malik was out there somewhere, probably packing to return home, back to his exciting life of art, money, and no doubt, women.

  With a heavy sigh, Cassie tucked the hem of her borrowed sundress under her thighs and thought of everything that had happened over the past week—from the first time she’d laid eyes on Malik to the night she’d given herself to him without regret.

  For the first time in her life, Cassie had felt free, unencumbered by her past and the painful reminders of Harvey’s abuse.

  Malik had been responsible for that. He’d shown her how it felt to be whole. She’d come alive in his arms, experiencing desire that surpassed a lustful moment in time. No, this had been more of an ache that formed in her soul to mingle with the love growing inside her heart.

  “You love him, this vampire.”

  Startled, Cassie turned from the window to face Sadie. “He betrayed me.”

  “You sit here and grieve him.”

  “I can’t trust him, Sadie. Everything I thought I knew about him was a lie.”

  “And yet, he killed his own kin to protect you.”

  Cassie brought her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. “Why are you defending him?”

  “Because I have never seen you like this, and my heart tells me that, vampire or not, Malik Devain would stop at nothing to protect you or make you happy.”

  “How can you know that?” Cassie sniffed, blinking back tears.

  “We witches know more than we let on, my dear.”

  It still boggled Cassie’s mind that the Murphy sisters were witches. That piece of information had been revealed to her upon her return at dawn. “I can’t believe I never knew you were a witch.”

  Sadie sent her a small smile. “Well, it’s not something we advertise. You know how small towns are. If they knew of us, we’d probably be burned at the stake.”

  “I would have kept your secret.”

  “I’m sure you would have, but it wasn’t something we could risk at the time. With Harvey’s intimidation…”

  The sound of her stepfather’s name turned Cassie’s stomach. “I need to go check on Mom. I haven’t heard from her since his untimely visit the other night.”

  “Your mother will not be whole until Harvey is six feet under.”

  Cassie got to her feet and took hold of Sadie’s frail hands. “Can’t you do something to protect her from him?”

  “We have been protecting her for years, Cassandra. Why do you think she still lives?”

  “You have the power to make him disappear, right?”

  Sadie’s expression softened. “We do not take lives, nor do we bring them back from death.”

  “But you can,” Cassie persisted, squeezing Sadie’s hands.

  “We don’t.” Sadie pulled free of Cassie’s grip. “We won’t.”

  Cassandra hated asking the witches to do something they obviously felt to be wrong, but desperation spurred her on. “Why not?”

  “We do not practice dark magic, child. A spell of that magnitude comes with great consequences.”

  “Such as?”

  Sadie took a seat on an ottoman in front of the couch. “To take a life, no matter how justified the reason, would merely destroy the flesh while setting the soul free to roam the earth, potentially causing even more damage than if they lived. As for raising the dead, the flesh would arise without a soul, leaving an open vessel available for any evil entity to possess.”

  Cassie’s mouth fell open. “So, Harvey’s spirit would be loose to haunt us?”

  “I do not know, but the possibility is far too great to chance it, sweet Cassie. If not for that very fact, I would have removed him from your lives long ago.”

  It humbled Cassie to know that Sadie would risk using black magic to keep her safe if it were possible. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done for me and Mama. I’ll never be able to repay you.”

  “Your happiness is all my sisters and I have ever wanted. And from what I have seen of your future, immeasurable happiness lies with the vampire known as Malik Devain.”

  Cassie’s breath caught. “You have seen my future?”

  “I have,” Sadie responded with a soft smile, motioning for Cassandra to sit next to her on the ottoman.

  She settled on the floor at Sadie’s feet instead. “What did you see?”

  Sadie brushed the backs of her fingers down Cassandra’s face. “I cannot reveal all, as it runs the risk of changing the natural course of things, but I will tell you this: Malik is your destiny and plays a part in your mother’s as well.”

  Cassie’s heart fluttered from excitement and more than a little fear. “Did you see children in my future?”

  “That is something I cannot divulge,” Sadie hedged. “But I will say this: you will be loved and embraced by many, looked up to and revered by all that know you.”

  Leaning forward, Cassie laid her head on Sadie’s lap. “So much has changed in my life recently. I feel like I’m spinning out of control. As if I’m on a merry-go-round that’s spinning faster and faster, and if I don’t jump off soon, I may never get the chance to again.”

  “Perhaps you’re not meant to jump, Cassandra. Maybe you are supposed to stay on the ride and enjoy the rush, the thrill of the unknown.”

  Cassie laughed. “You make it sound so romantic.”

  “That’s because it is. A man like Devain comes along once in a lifetime. And that’s saying a lot, coming from me. I abhor vampires.”

  Lifting her head, Cassie studied the elder woman’s face. “Then why give Malik a chance?”

  “I suppose you’re not the only one that needed to change.”

  “But—”

  “Do you love him?” Sadie asked, effectively cutting her off.

  Cassie nodded. “I slept with him, Sadie, after only knowing him a week. It took me years to feel comfortable enough with Justin to sleep with him. And that was mostly out of guilt and pity. But with Malik… Ah, Sadie, it was magical and beautiful. I trusted him with my heart as well as my body.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Yes. I love him. So much my heart feels like it will explode when I’m away from him, and yet it’s full to bursting in his presence also.”

  “Then why are you still sitting here?”

  Cassandra sat back on her heels. “What if he’s changed his mind and doesn’t want me? I mean, what if he thinks about what he did to his uncle and blames me for it?”

  Sadie patted her on the head and slowly got to her feet. “There is only one way to find out. It’s this old lady’s bedtime. If I don’t see you in the morning, I’ll know you made the right decision.”

  Cassie watched Sadie hobble from the room, the elder woman’s words playing through her mind like a mantra.

  She did love Malik, and no matter what his plans had been when he’d arrived in town, he had been nothing but good to her.

  He’d treated her with respect, shown her that sex could be so
mething other than dirty or an obligation to keep another person happy.

  Sex with Malik had been unbelievably beautiful, an experience she would likely never forget nor want with another but him.

  The answer to her happiness had been inside her all along. She was capable of love, of trust, and letting go of her coveted control. She’d just needed the right man to open up to—one who would accept her for who she was, flaws and all. And that man was Malik Devain.

  But Cassandra hadn’t been completely honest with him, she silently admitted. Would he still want her if he knew the truth about her?

  There was but one way to find out. She jumped to her feet, pulled on her shoes, and slipped out the screen door at the end of the kitchen.

  Her heart began to pound as she emerged onto the porch and hurried toward the sidewalk. She had a two-block walk ahead of her, which left very little time to gather the courage needed to come clean with Malik.

  The sound of a car coasting up behind her caught her attention. She turned her head in time to see a door thrown open and the end of a shotgun aimed in her direction. “Get in.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Malik emerged from the shower, feeling fresh and more than a little anxious.

  Logan’s visit had proven beneficial as well as enlightening for the both of them.

  Though Malik felt an enormous amount of guilt for discussing Cassie’s past with the younger Sanders, he also needed Logan in his corner when it came to disposing of Harvey Cohen’s corpse. And Cohen would be a corpse when Malik finished with him.

  He brushed his teeth while pulling on jeans and a T-shirt in record time. The sooner he took care of Cassandra’s stepfather, the sooner Malik could get back to proving to Cassie how sorry he was for his deception and hopefully convince her to be his bride.

  Malik bypassed his boots for running shoes and dropped his tall frame into the chair in the corner of the room to slip them on.

  A strange feeling overcame him as he tied the laces of his sneakers. He eased his eyes closed and opened his senses. Cassie’s expressive face flashed behind his closed lids, terrified and haunted.

  Malik’s eyes flew open, and he jumped to his feet. Something was wrong; he could feel it in his gut.

  Grabbing his cell phone, he dialed Cassie’s number only to get her voicemail.

  “Damn it, Cassandra. Where are you?”

  With vampiric speed, Malik left the hotel, jumped in his car, and headed to the Sanders’ ranch while continuing to try Cassie’s number. He’d never hated voicemail as much as he did in this moment.

  Traffic had always been a vampire’s nightmare, and this particular evening was no exception.

  Malik weaved in and out of the slow-moving line of vehicles, passing cars on the double yellow line.

  It irritated the hell out of him that people poked along, barely doing the speed limit as if they had no place to be. Well, he was in a hurry, and if they didn’t like it, they could all kiss his ancient ass.

  He arrived at the Sanders’ place a few minutes later and jumped from the rental car without bothering to switch it off.

  “What are you doing here?” Logan asked, stepping out onto the porch and subduing the growling wolves.

  Malik blurred his way up the steps. “Have you heard from Cassandra?”

  Logan shook his head. “Not since noon. Why? What’s the problem?”

  “I’m not sure there is a problem, but I have a bad feeling that she’s in trouble, and she’s not answering her cell.”

  Logan ordered the wolves to stay and spun back toward the door, leaving it open for Malik to follow.

  “I heard,” Carly barked as Logan stopped next to her in the living room.

  She jerked up the phone and pressed a button on the keypad. “I’m calling the Murphy sisters. That’s the last place I saw her.”

  Malik stalked across the room to peer out the window, listening intently as the voice on the other end of the phone reached his ears. “I heard her leave about twenty minutes ago, Carly. She was on foot. I figured she would be heading to retrieve her car from Scruples and then go home.”

  “Thank you, Sadie,” Carly murmured. “Please call me if you hear from her.”

  Malik’s stomach tightened with dread. He turned to face Cassie’s closest friend. “Maybe she’s at Scruples?”

  Carly nodded. “I’m calling there now.”

  The look on Carly’s face said it all. Malik didn’t need to hear Sam’s voice to know that Cassandra wasn’t there. “Where else could she be?” he growled, dragging a hand down his face.

  “She may be with Cherokee,” Logan suggested, nodding for his wife to dial Cassie’s friend, Michelle.

  After several more unsuccessful attempts by Carly to reach Cassie, Malik stormed toward the door.

  Logan laid a hand on his arm to stop him. “Where are you going?”

  “To find Kyle.”

  “Ben is on his way here now,” Logan assured him. “If you can wait a few minutes longer, I’ll go with you.”

  Malik’s top lip peeled back to reveal his fangs. “I can’t stand here twiddling my thumbs while Cassandra is out there, possibly hurt or worse.”

  “We don’t know that she’s in trouble, Malik. She’s been through a lot recently. Maybe she went for a walk to clear her head. Besides, you have no idea where to look for her. “

  Carly stepped in close to Logan’s side, holding the phone in a white-knuckled grip. “There’s no reason to wait for Ben. He’s on his way, and I have plenty of weapons here if I need them. If something has happened to Cassie…”

  A growl came from the porch, followed by barks of excitement. Carly gave her husband a gentle push. “Ben’s here. Now go.”

  Logan jerked the door open and stepped onto the porch, barking orders to the wolves as he approached the giant familiar. “Malik thinks Cassie is in trouble. I need you to stay with Carly and the baby while we go look for her.”

  “I think I might know where she is,” Ben muttered, shifting his gaze to Malik. “I saw Harvey’s truck parked next to Cassie’s car about an hour ago.”

  Malik’s vision turned red with rage. “Where would he take her?”

  Ben ignored the question, instead addressing Logan. “I’m going with the vampire.” He held up a hand when Logan would have interrupted. “I know that you care for Cassie, but you have a family to think about now. Go inside with Carly and pretend you never saw either of us tonight.”

  Logan turned and locked gazes with Malik. “Do what you have to do. No matter what.”

  Malik nodded, foregoing the steps and jumping to the ground. He slid behind the wheel and threw open the passenger side door for Ben.

  “Go,” Ben demanded, sliding onto the seat with a quickness that belied his massive size. “Take a left when you get to Highway 83.”

  Throwing the car into reverse, Malik backed out of the drive and gunned it toward the main road. “Where are we going?”

  “To the place where Cassie grew up.”

  Malik could barely unclench his teeth enough to respond. “If he has harmed her in any way…” He couldn’t finish the thought.

  “We have to keep our heads, Malik. If we run in there—”

  “It’s not our heads you should worry about.”

  Ben sighed, gripping the dash as Malik slid sideways onto Highway 83 without slowing. “And attracting the attention of the local law enforcement isn’t going to help us get there any faster.”

  “The only thing I hate worse than slow drivers, are backseat drivers,” Malik snarled, straightening the car and flooring the gas.

  “We’re not even sure she’s with Harvey, Malik. Don’t get us arrested before we can find out.”

  “She’s with him, damn it. How much farther?”

  “About two miles up, take a right onto Davis Drive. It’ll run into Old Landfill Road. We’ll park there and go the rest of the way in on foot.”

  Malik’s cell phone rang, shattering his concentration. He snatch
ed it up without bothering to check the caller ID. “Cassandra?”

  “It’s Logan. Kyle’s here, and he’s fit to be tied.”

  “I’m heading to the Cohen’s place. Tell the familiar to get to the corner of Davis and Old Landfill Road. He is to wait there until I say otherwise.”

  “What are you going to do?” Logan questioned, his deep voice filled with impatience.

  “What I should have done when I first arrived in town.”

  “Damn it. I should have gone with you.”

  Malik took a left onto Davis Road. “I won’t let anything happen to Cassandra. Trust that I will take care of Cohen in my own way. And tell Kyle to hurry.”

  “He left the second he got the information he needed. He’ll be there shortly.”

  “Thanks, Logan. I’ll be in touch.” Malik pressed the End button on his cell and dropped it beneath the stereo. He pulled the car off the road at the intersection of Davis and Landfill.

  The smell of blood reached Malik’s nose the instant he jumped from the car. His fangs descended, making it difficult to speak. He glanced at Ben. “Cohen is mine.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Cassandra bit back a cry of pain as Harvey tightened his hold on her hair. He jerked open the tattered screen door to the house she’d grown up in and shoved her inside.

  “Sit right there and keep your mouth shut, or you’ll end up like your mama.” He indicated a chair at the kitchen table with the tip of the shotgun he held.

  The room tilted beneath Cassie’s feet. She dropped on the chair before her legs gave out. “Where is Mama, Harvey?”

  “She wouldn’t stop her damn crying and carrying on. Threatened to call the law on me. I ain’t going to jail.”

  “What did you do?” Cassie whispered, tears already forming in her eyes.

  “What I should have done years ago.”

  Cassie slowly stood, her legs shaking to the point she nearly collapsed. “Where is she?”

  “She’s dead.”

  Spots danced before Cassandra’s eyes. She stared back at her stepfather in horror, shaking her head in disbelief. “No. You’re lying. Please tell me you’re lying.”