Page 39 of The Devil After Dark
CASSIO
SeeingLiana at the police station was unexpected. I was there ensuring Rome handled Dimitri’s case appropriately. She saw me and she ran. Sheran. Rome had gone after her, but returned only a few minutes later. “Did you find out why she was here?” I asked casually. But I had seen her face. She was there because of me.
“Apparently she asked to file a restraining order. They didn’t get a name before she left,” Rome responded. “Any guesses? She works for you now, right?”
“She does, but I couldn’t tell you,” I replied. I should be furious. She was going to file a fucking restraining order against me. Had she learned about Dimitri? She looked at me like she had known. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. I needed to see her. I needed to explain to her so that she understood. “Call me if you find anything out about this Dimitri guy,” I tossed over my shoulder to Rome as I made for the door.
The way I had killed Dimitri sent a message and messages wereusually sent by gangs. Rome only knew that I had an interest in taking down the Delacourts and any gang business in my territory needed to be reported to me. Whether or not he suspected me as the killer, I didn’t know—and right now I did not care. Dimitri’s death would not fall back on me. I had gotten away with far worse.
Liana was missing. I had searched for her everywhere I could think of and came up empty. Then I had resigned to watching the camera feeds and waiting until she showed up. My cameras had alerted me to the intrusion at her place before she got home and I hadn’t hesitated to jump on my bike and tear through the city to get there. I had made it just in time. She had come home while they were still there. Now I let my arm and hand hold on to her trembling arms as we sped further from the city.
I slowed and pulled the bike off the road. Her arms still clutched me and her body pressed against my back even as I turned my motorcycle off. I was acutely aware that my Angel was not wearing a helmet and I wasn’t going to drive ten feet further until she was. “Hey, it’s okay, we lost them,” I said gently as I peeled her arms gently back from my waist. She let go of me suddenly and jumped off the bike. With her hair tangled around her face, and the moonlight illuminating her, she looked absolutely gorgeous—even though she was shaking like a leaf and tears were falling down her cheeks. Her hands frantically swiped at her hair, trying to get it out of her face.
I removed my helmet and set it on the bike before crossing the space between us. I didn’t want her crying. “You’re safe, baby,” I whispered as I gently brushed the tears from her cheeks.
“Cassio …” There was pain in her voice as she breathed my name.
“I’m going to take you somewhere safe,” I reassured her. No one was going to hurt her. When she was safe at my place in the countryside,I was going to hunt those sons of a bitch who tried to hurt her and I would kill them.
“I need you to tell me everything. I need the entire truth,” Liana said, her voice uncomfortably loud for the quiet night.
“The truth? I haven’t been lying to you,” I responded carefully.
“I want to know who you really are. I want to know about all your businesses. I want to know what relationship you have with the police. I need to know what you did to Dimitri. I need to hear it from your mouth,” she said firmly as she took a step back from me.
I should have been excited to know she wanted to know everything, but at the same time only a few souls who were still breathing knew all of that. I wasn’t about to tell my woman, who seemed to hate me, my deepest secrets just so she could destroy me. She would have to earn that privilege. “Let me take you to my home in the countryside where you will be safe. Then we can talk about all of that,” I offered.
She shook her head no at me. “Tell me now.”
“It is too much to tell and we are sitting ducks out here. Let’s get you safe and warm and then we can talk,” I reiterated. Her eyes flicked to the motorcycle behind me and I watched her arms tighten around herself. “You wear the helmet,” I said and turned to retrieve my helmet. I handed it to her and she just looked at it in her hands. I took it back and lifted it to the top of her head. Her hands helped me guide it as I slipped it over her head and secured the chinstrap. Then I shrugged out of my leather jacket and held it for her to slip into. She still didn’t say a word as she complied.
I would be stupid to think this was submission from her. She might be exhausted and cold, but she wasn’t going to let me off that easily. She was going to question me like I was in an interrogation as soon as she had some rest. I climbed back on my bike and revved it to life. “Come on,” I said and held out my hand to help her climb on behind me. Her hands didn’t grip my waist as tightly this time around and I used my own hand to show her how tightly she shouldbe holding. I slowly pulled the bike back onto the road and we drove off into the night. As soon as I picked up some speed, she was squeezing me tightly again. I fucking loved it. I loved her body pressed against mine and the little bit of fear she held onto me with. I never wanted her to let go.
A few hours later I pulled up to my home in the countryside. We had been on my private driveway for a couple miles now, but Liana probably hadn’t realized. Her body had relaxed over the hours, I’m sure pure exhaustion was taking over. When I turned off the bike, she peeled herself off me and slipped off, her hands reaching to undo the chinstrap of the helmet. She fumbled with it and I took her hands in mine, giving them a gentle squeeze before undoing the strap myself. I let her pull the helmet off and took it from her when she held it out to me. There was fear in her eyes as she looked at me, but she quickly looked away and took in the entirety of the mansion we now stood in front of. This would be her home too if she would just stop being so stubborn.
I guided her with a firm hand on her lower back into the home. “Follow me,” I instructed once we got inside. I walked towards the kitchen and she trailed me a few paces back, looking at everything with awe. It was cute, the pure wonder and confusion on her face.
She stood cautiously by the door to the massive kitchen as I made tea for us. I didn’t say anything either, but I couldn’t help the smirk on my face as she just stared at me. A few minutes later, I handed her a steaming mug of tea. “Who exactly are you?” she asked, not looking at the tea, but staring me down.
“Cassio Padovano. Philanthropist. Business owner. Magic wielder. Council seat holder for this province and king of the largest drug trafficking empire in this country,” I replied calmly as I lookeddown at her.
“Do you pay off the police?” she asked as if my admission of who I was didn’t fully surprise her.
“Yes,” I said simply and raised my own mug of tea to my mouth. She looked down at her own and then around the kitchen again as if she had already run out of questions.
“Did you kill Dimitri?”
“Yes.” She just stared at me for a while before dropping her eyes to her tea again.
“How many homes do you have?” she finally asked.
“Three in this province.”
“Why me?” Her eyes settled back on mine with her question.
“Because I am inexplicably drawn to you.”
“So you don’t even like me, you just want me because you’re … drawn to me? What does that even mean?”
