Page 9 of The Devil After Dark
“That’s great to hear … And how are you doing?” I asked as I gently gave his hand a squeeze. I was trying not to scream from the fact that he held my hand in his. The touch sent tingling pleasure straight to my core and I felt like a silly teenager for not being able to control myself. But he had just mentioned his friend who suffered a gunshot wound. I was such an ass for being turned on when he was talking about his friend who almost bled out in front of us. We had not discussed the shooting all night. We had not discussed anything of real substance all night.
“Unfortunately, it is not the first or last time I will be shot at and even more unfortunate is the fact that I will lose even more friends eventually.” Cassio’s words were sad, but his voice was so matter of fact. It was like he just accepted it all. We stood together just looking at each other as a black town car pulled up.So he wasn’t going to invite himself in tonight.My heart sank with a little disappointment. Cassio glanced over at the car, then turned back to me. “Goodnight, Angel.”
“Angel?” I questioned with a laugh.
“The way you swept in to help Jason makes you seem like an angel to me,” he said with a wink as he dropped my hand and walked to the town car. Zac emerged and opened the door for Cassio.
“Goodnight,” I said as I watched him disappear into the car. I buzzed myself into my complex before the car drove away and I didnot look back. I forced myself to not look back. I didn’t want to appear as desperate to see him again as I felt.
I was sitting on my couch with a glass of wine I definitely did not need and the small pieces of Rome’s business card laid out on the coffee table in front of me. I could still read the phone number easily.Don’t call him. Don’t message him.The masked man’s voice echoed in my head. But moments ago I had heard a car pull up outside and when I finally found a window I could see it from, I realized it was a blacked out SUV. It could be anybody. Cars like that were popular among the rich … and the gangs. I really wanted to know if I should be worried. Someone had already broken in and I had triple checked every single lock in my place. I put chairs in front of the doors to my balcony—not that chairs would really stop anyone, but maybe it would make their entrance louder.
I chewed my lip and cradled my wine glass in my hands as I stared at my phone and the torn up business card. I was messaging Rome. I took a deep breath and my hand shot out to my phone. I leaned over to see the numbers better as I started adding them to the recipient number field for a new message. Four numbers in and my phone buzzed in my hand. A new message. My thumb hesitated over the screen before tapping the notification.
Don’t disobey me. You won’t like the punishment.
I dropped my phone with a clatter onto my coffee table and nearly climbed over the back of my couch to get away from it. How had the masked man known? My head swiveled around my condo. Nothing was out of place. I had searched every room before settling on the couch—including the closets and under the beds. My eyes slowly raised to the windows. Could he see me?
My phone buzzed on the table and I peered at it. Another message from the same unknown number.
Go to bed, baby. You’re safe. It’s late and you have work tomorrow.
I looked at the timestamp, it was almost two in the morning. Damnit, he had a point. I carefully picked up my phone and headed towards my bedroom.
eleven
LIANA
Somehow I had slepta few hours and when I woke up, Rome’s torn business card was not on the coffee table where I was sure I had abandoned it. The masked man had come and taken it while I slept. It was the only explanation. I wanted to cry. Why was this happening? My phone buzzing in my hand made me jump. When I looked down, it was just a message from Roger.
Sent you an email. Stop by my office when you get in.
I rolled my eyes. Okay, Roger.
I looked up from the email I was reading on my phone as a black town car pulled up to the bus stop. The door opened and Zac got out. “Get in, Liana. Cassio asked me to drive you to work today,” he said as he quickly rounded the car and openedthe door for me. My bus stop mates just stared at me and I just stared at Zac. “Let’s go,” Zac said again and extended his hand.
My feet moved without thinking. I guess I was riding to work in a fancy black car. “Why are you giving me a ride?” I asked as we pulled away from the bus stop.
“Cassio requested it,” Zac responded simply. How they knew what time I went to work was beyond me. “Oh, and I will pick you up at the end of the day too,” he added.
“You do not need to do that, Zac,” I said as I settled into the seat.
“Not my decision,” Zac said as he smiled in the rear view mirror at me.
“So … why did he ask you to give me a ride?” I pressed.
“It is not my business to ask those questions.” Of course it wasn’t. I looked out the window at the familiar drive towards my office. This was weird. First Cassio shows up to crash my dinner and now he’s sending his personal car? Maybe he was into me. I could hope right? Maybe dinner last night was not just some weird thank you for helping him and Jason. I should not be hoping for this. He was a magic wielder. He was asomebodyin this city and out of my league. Zac opened the door for me and I realized we had already arrived at my office building. “I will be back at five, but I will wait until you are done. Don’t end your day early on my account.”
I thanked him and watched him drive away.
“Okay! And who dropped you off this morning?” Thea asked as she came walking towards me from the parking lot.
“Oh gods. It’s a long story.” I rolled my eyes.
Thea laughed and I fell into step next to her as we entered the building. “I’ve got time this morning.”
“You know that biker? The night of the shooting? Well he interrupted my dinner last night and we actually had a nice time. Nothing happened besides dinner, but yeah … that was his driver. Apparently, he is picking me up at the end of the day too.” I shortened the story asmuch as I could. Thea was the person I told everything to. She was my best friend. Hell the people in this office were my only friends.
“Wait … nothing happened like he did not stay over or you didn’t stay over, but his driver still came to give you a ride to work?” Thea questioned suspiciously as she stopped me in the hallway.
