Page 15 of The Devil After Dark
Jason entered the great room and I watched his reflection as he crossed the room to join me in looking out the window. I slowly closed my laptop, not wanting to take my eyes off her. “You went to see her didn’t you?” he asked with a slight tease in his voice. I dipped my chin in confirmation. “She’s got you hooked, huh?”
“You have no idea,” I replied and turned away from the window, picking up my gun from where it sat next to my laptop on my dining table. I gave Jason a once over. He had recovered quickly, but I knew he still wasn’t completely better. Jason was my second in command. After my father and brother were killed, it just left me to run the Padovano crime empire. I needed someone to take over if something happened to me, and that person was Jason. There was no one I trusted more, and I wasn’t sure if I was more fucked-up over him being shot than he was. “Are you up for this?” I asked.
Jason looked back out the windows and over the city. “I’m not going to let you have all the fun,” he replied flatly. Then he turned back to me with a look in his eye that told me he was ready for violence.
LIANA
I stared at the huge hickey on my neck in the mirror. Last night was not a dream. Cassio had broken into my house, woken me up, and fucked me with my own dildo. My emotions had taken me on a rollercoaster. I did not know if I was terrified or turned on or angry. It had been Cassio this entire time. Part of me wanted to say ‘I told you so,’ but the other part was still in complete shock. Not only had he hijacked our meeting, but apparently getting me off was good enough for him that he needed a second opportunity the same night.
I picked up my phone and messaged Roger that I would be working from home. I wasn’t sure if I should be scared of Cassio. Shouldn’t I be terrified that he was basically stalking me? Breaking into my home and finding ways to insert himself into my work must certainly qualify as stalking. I pulled my hair up into a messy bun with a scrunchy and headed to the kitchen for coffee. I refused to feel scared in my own home. I set myself up at my kitchen table and opened my laptop. A reminder dinged and swore as I saw what it was: A client dinner tonight.
I had put on a sweater with a high neck and used makeup to blur the huge hickey on my neck. Then I slipped into a high waist faux leather skirt, semi sheer tights, and heeled boots. Daren was not my favorite. His conversations always bordered on inappropriate andRoger never did anything about it. Roger liked the retainer fee Daren paid us way too much. Tonight didn’t even have a specific business objective. This dinner was simply to keep Daren Worthington happy.
“Roger, are you sure you can’t just loan Liana out to me full time for a few months?” Daren asked before shoving another forkful of food into his mouth. He of course was talking about using me for work, but the way he worded everything felt gross.
Roger just laughed a little as I took a huge swig of wine. “Not a chance, Daren,” he responded. “Liana does an excellent job seeing to your requests and there is no way I am loaning her out. She is too valuable to my business.”
“Is that how you feel, Liana? Don’t you want a change of scenery for a little while?” Daren pressed.
“I am quite happy working for Roger,” I replied stiffly.
“Then, forgive me, but maybe I can fire you and ask you out on a proper date?” There it was. Some variation of this question came up at every dinner with Daren.
I gave a semi friendly closed lip smile in return. “It’s flattering Daren, but I am obligated to decline, regardless if you fire us or not.”
Daren laughed loudly and grinned at me, “I am just going to keep asking, darling.”
“And I am just going to keep declining.”
“Daren, lay off her or I’ll take her off your accounts and leave you with Ivan and Stephan,” Roger lazily cut in. At least he defended me a little bit tonight. I’d take that small win.
The rest of our dinner was more of the same and by the time we were leaving, Daren was swaying on his feet and sloppily giving me a too friendly hug goodbye.
Roger and I watched Daren’s driver close his car door and driveoff into the night. “After the fundraiser we are dropping him as a client,” Roger said solemnly from beside me.
“What?” Daren was a huge client for us and I wasn’t sure I had heard Roger correctly.
“I’m not oblivious to how he talks to you, Liana. Plus, Cassio Padovano just signed a retainer agreement. His business will more than make up for Daren. Good work,” Roger said with a proud smile.
But Roger didn’t know we’d likely gotten the business because I spread my legs for Cassio. I had been ready to tell Roger we couldn’t take Cassio’s business, but what the hell was I supposed to say now?
eighteen
LIANA
I closedthe door to my condo with a decisive click before dropping my keys in the bowl next to the door. Then I flicked on the hall light. “Were you on a date?” a voice said with a clearly forced calm.
I nearly fell back against the wall as my eye snapped to my living room and I saw the figure sitting in my chair. The white from his mask glowed in the moonlight coming through the windows and the hall light did nothing but cast shadows into the room. “Business dinner,” I managed to say, breathing out a few measured breaths to calm myself.
“Come here,” Cassio said from his seat.
I didn’t move. I had been so enthralled with Cassio and then I found out he was the one turning up in my home uninvited … I knew what Ishouldthink, but I was still trying to rationalize it. “Why are you in my home, Cassio?” I asked instead of obeying him.
“Baby girl … come here before I have to cross this room to get you,” Cassio replied. His tone had me automatically stepping in his direction. I stopped just in front of him and before I could ask him again why he was in my home, he reached forward and grabbed my hips, pulling me to straddle him.
I could feel instantly that he was hard underneath me. My mouth dried and I swallowed. “Why are you here?” I asked again in a whisper.
His leather gloved hand ran up my body and to my jaw. He turned my head to the side and used a gloved finger to push my high neckline out of the way. I realized he was looking at the mark he had given me. Then his hand moved up to caress my cheek. “I am here every night,” Cassio responded.
