Chapter Sixteen

“It’s not so bad,” I said.

Cass snorted, but her smile was genuine, like she was secretly rather pleased with the outcome. She smoothed her hair a little self-consciously.

“You look good,” I added.

“I look like a cheap club rat,” she replied, but she was smiling.

I pretended to survey her outfit again. The pants were cinched up tightly along the ribboned seams, and no part of her leg was actually exposed. The top was not nearly as sheer as it had looked when she held it up in the room. It hinted at bare skin rather than showing it all off. The affect was enticing. She’d grabbed a long-sleeved, bomber length velvet jacket from the suitcase, and with her heeled boots, she was anything but cheap.

“You’re too classy to be a club rat.” The sincerity in my voice was obvious.

She gave me a slow once over. I’d showered and shaved, and I was dressed in a fitted black T-shirt and dark-wash jeans. I’d thrown on a gray sports coat, too. I enjoyed the feel of her eyes on me, and smiled at the clear appreciation reflected on her face.

Her cheeks coloured as she realized I was watching her examine me.

“I wish I had some mascara,” she told me with an embarrassed laugh. “And some hairspray.”

“I’m glad you don’t have either,” I replied.

I placed my hands under the collar of her jacket and pulled her hair out so it hung midway down her back. My fingers paused very briefly on her neck as I shook it all out, and my body heated up in response to the feel of her soft skin. She cleared her throat and took a quick step away.

“You’re going to have to get over your aversion to being touched by me if this is going to work,” I teased.

“I don’t mind…” she stopped herself, and I grinned as I realized what she had been going to say.

I don’t mind being touched by you.

“I’ll work on it,” she said instead.

“Pretend you like it,” I suggested.

I threaded my fingers through hers. My hand instantly got warm, and it was easy for me to admit—at least to myself—that if anything, I liked this a little too much.

I hadn’t slept well, and as good as it felt holding onto Cass, I was uncharacteristically nervous about what we were about to do. Not that I minded lying to my associates—dishonesty was an integral part of my business—but it was the first time I included someone else. And because it was her, I was doubly apprehensive.

“Where are we going?” Cass had asked over our bacon and eggs breakfast.

“It’s just an experiment,” I replied. “To test out our plan. Don’t worry. These are some of my most trusted clients. I just want to see how they react to you. And I want to start some rumours.”

“Rumours?”

I shrugged. “I can’t think of a better way to solidify my claim on you. Then I can still conduct a little business.”

“What kind of business is it you’re in?”

I blinked at her. I half-expected her to balk at my use of the word claim. It hadn’t occurred to me that she’d ask about my work directly. It threw me off. She looked at me expectantly, and I found myself speaking without thinking.

“It’s complicated. I’m chasing down a…” I trailed off as I realized I’d been about to tell her everything. “I’m in finance.”

I was sure she caught my quick correction, but she’d just taken another sip of her coffee and let it go.

I squeezed her hand as we waited for the elevator, and the warmth travelled up my arm. She tried to pull away, but I made her hang on.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. We stepped inside, and I was suddenly aware of how very small the space was. Her leg accidentally rubbed against mine, and I drew in slow breath.

“You nervous?” I asked, trying to fill the air with something other than tension. “These guys won’t be so bad.”

She turned and looked up at my face, and I felt lightheaded. She must’ve felt it, too, because when I touched her face, she stumbled into me. I grabbed her gently and righted her. I cupped her chin with my palm.

“Cass? Are you okay?”

She shook her head, then changed it to a nod.

“I’m okay.”

“Did you hear what I said before about it not being so bad?” I asked.

“Sorry, I think I spaced out. Must still be the aftereffects of the ether,” she told me.

I let my hand fall away from her face. She grabbed it and rethreaded her fingers through mine. My heart beat a little faster, but it didn’t stop me from worrying.

“We should go back,” I said, not bothering hide my concern. “I pushed you too soon.”

“No, I’m fine.”

I felt doubtful, but as the elevator came to a stop, and I let go of her hand, she took a deep breath and smiled. We stepped out into the lobby. It was completely empty. There wasn’t even a concierge at the desk.

“John, are you the only one who lives here?”

“It’s my building. I’m overseeing the renovation,” I replied. “No one lives here right now except my security team. That’s why I knew it was a safe place to bring you.”

“So…you’re in real estate, too?” she asked.

“Sometimes.”

I pulled her through the lobby and then outside. I could tell from her face that she still couldn’t fathom where we were. The front of the hotel was covered with scaffolding and blue-tinged plastic. Ten foot hedges surrounded the property, and all we could see was green. There weren’t any other buildings within our view, and we weren’t within the city limits.

A vehicle pulled up, and Cass’s eyes widened a little at the sight of it. It was an impressive one, and I’d had it brought around on purpose. It was a boat of a car—red with a black soft top roof, and huge seats. It also happened to be my favourite. A perfectly restored, 1964 Pontiac Parisienne with custom paint.

“Go big, or go home,” I murmured.

The man who stepped out of it was big, too. He was about six feet tall, and had a chest like a barrel. He flicked his eyes in Cass’s direction for just a moment before he handed the keys over to me.

“Are you all right, boss?” he asked.

I glared at him, but I cringed inwardly at the side of me Cass was about to see.

Might as well get it over with.

“Boss?”

“What are you suggesting, Yuri?” I replied coldly.

I pretended not to notice Cass’s visible surprise at my tone. I made myself smirk, and I was aware that there was something cruel about my expression. Men bigger than Yuri had backed away from it.

“Do you really think I can’t handle this little girl?” I added derisively.

Cass opened her mouth, then closed it. Yuri looked downright terrified.

“No, sir,” he managed in a somewhat clear voice.

“Are you sure about that?” I asked.

“Yes, sir.”

I took a step closer to him. “You’d better be. Now open the door for the lady.”

Yuri rushed to the other side of the car, and Cass followed him, looking uncomfortable. She didn’t meet his eyes—or mine—as she climbed in and buckled up. I climbed in, too, and started the car without a word. I slammed on the gas. We whipped down the winding driveway which led up to the hotel, and cut quickly onto the highway.

After a few minutes, I cleared my throat.

“Cass…” he started. “I should’ve warned you about that.”

“Do you have multiple personalities, or what?” she blurted out.

I threw back my head and laughed. “That’s just about the most apt, honest question I’ve been asked in God knows how long.”

She frowned. “What?”

I laughed again. “Never mind. I’m sorry.”

“Okay,” she said uncertainly.

She clearly wanted more of an explanation.

I shifted gears and sped up. Cass looked out the window, and I wondered if she realized where we were—miles outside the city on the highway that led through the countryside and eventually wound down into an old industrial area. She looked annoyed

“All right,” I sighed. “Are you going to make me admit it?”

“Admit what?”

“I have a reputation to uphold,” I told her. “I can’t do what I do, and be overtly kind at the same time.”

“So…You were faking that meanness back there?” she wanted to know.

“Not exactly. I’m really that guy more often than I am this one,” I admitted.

“This guy seems better,” she said.

“It’s been a nice change for me, too. But I hate Yuri, and he hates me. He’s a mercenary. He’ll do anything he’s paid to do. And sometimes I need that. Which makes me hate him even more,” I explained.

“And why does Yuri hate you, then?” she wondered out loud.

“Because I’m the one with the money.”

“Couldn’t you just use someone else? Aren’t there any mercenaries out there who you do like?” she asked.

“No.”

“I’m not sure I understand. You hate him because he breaks the law for money. No offence, but there seems to be a bit of irony there,” she observed.

Her face coloured as she realized she had just called me a criminal.

I shrugged it off. “It’s a family business for me. There’s honour in that.”

Cass frowned and pursed her lips, looking like she had her doubts. I waited but she didn’t voice them.

“I can tell by your expression that you don’t agree,” I stated, and it was her turn to shrug.

“I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.”

“Let me ask you something.”

“Go ahead,” she said.

“Other than my ‘meanness,’ does none of this bother you?” I wanted to know.

“Bother me how?”

“Yesterday, you were going about your daily life, worrying about whether to go to yoga or zumba—or whatever it is you normally do on Thursdays. Today you’re a kidnap victim, pretending to be a thug’s fiancée so you can avoid being killed by another thug,” I said.

“I’m trying not to think of you as a thug,” she replied lightly. “Although with that little show back there…”

“It’s as true a description as any, though,” I insisted. “And in just a minute, you might not be able to think of me as anything else.”

We slowed down, and I pulled the car into a gated industrial park. I stopped in front of the fence and glanced at the camera on top of barbed wire. The red light flashed an acknowledgment, and I grinned up at it—the same smirk I’d given Yuri. After a moment, the gate slid open automatically. We cruised slowly into the lot, weaving carefully between structures. We halted at a large building with blacked out windows.

“This is it,” I announced, and I hoped she knew that I meant the beginning of our experiment as well as arrival at our destination.

A man who could’ve been Yuri’s twin rushed out of the building, and waited at attention beside the car. The second I turned the engine off, the big man opened my door. When we were both out, I handed him the keys without speaking and took Cass’s hand.

“I’m going to give her a little tour of my warehouse, all right?” I said to the big guard, who nodded.

It was partly my need to stall the inevitable, and partly a sudden urge to show off that prompted me to make the spontaneous decision.

I continued to hold Cass’s hand, and pulled her past the first few buildings to a huge one. It always reminded me of an airplane hangar, and I grinned at Cass’s openly awed face.

“C’mon,” I urged.

She followed me in, and I was pleased to see her jaw drop as she took in my collection.

“Are you, like, really rich?” she asked, and turned a furious shade of red.

Was she always so easily embarrassed? I hoped immediately it was just me who made her blush like that. I desperately wanted to be the only one who affected her this way.

“Not really really,” I replied with an exaggerated wink. “I just like bikes.”

“Apparently,” Cass observed dryly.

It was true. The building clearly displayed my passion.

For me, one of the hardest parts of the business was learning to spend money like it was nothing. I could happily and easily rob a competitor blind, but each extravagance—the expensive clothes, the overpriced cars, and even my trendy apartment—was a forced one. One of the quirks of growing up poor, I think.

My mom had passed away when Colin was just a baby, and even though I had vague memories of taking trips, and of riding in a nice car, most of my childhood had been spent scrimping and saving on my dad’s low-level salary. The sudden windfall at eighteen—the inheritance my mom left for both Colin and me—was totally unexpected. I would even say it shocked me.

“I started with an old Harley,” I explained. “I rebuilt it as a teenager, and moved up from there. I’ve got the two customized choppers, a partly redone Indian Chief Classic, and that one you’re beside is an Ultralow.”

Cass went to the smaller bike automatically. I watched her run her fingers along the smooth leather seat, and along the white body. I was both pleased by, and envious of, her obvious admiration.

The motorcycles—and the Parisienne—were my only truly personal indulgences. Everything else went into the business. The delight on Cass’s face made me wish I had spent even more.

“Who rides these?” she wanted to know.

“I do.”

“Alone?”

I shrugged. I had never found anyone who wanted to share the experience with me. And I had never found anyone worth sharing it with, either.

Impulsively, I reached up to the enormous key ring on the wall. I pulled down a big key and walked over to Cass.

“Here,” I said.

She frowned, and I reached out to smooth the little wrinkles her expression made on her forehead.

“Put out your hand,” I commanded, and when she obeyed, I pressed the key into her palm. “When this is done, I will teach you how to ride. But for now, let’s go get paid, okay?”

She nodded and inhaled deeply. I steeled myself for our debut as I led her back to Leo’s warehouse “office.”

The building was nearly dark on the inside, and it smelled heavily of cigar smoke, as it usually did. I could hear men laughing and talking from somewhere else in the building. I guided Cass through a narrow corridor and into an open room. I watched her as she tried not to look interested in her surroundings. Her face went still as she tried even harder not to notice as all eyes turned to us. Lazy ceiling fans twirled above us, and the table full of men with cards in their hands were almost silent.

Three women, scantily clad and heavily made up, were serving drinks and giggling. They were working girls—I didn’t doubt it for a second. I gave them a disgusted look and stepped a little closer to Cass.

“Is this what you guys do with my money when I’m not around?” I asked.

No one responded.

Cass plastered a half-smile on her face, and stood on her tiptoes so she could almost reach my ear. Her mouth tickled my skin, and my body responded automatically. I stifled a groan.

“This place stinks,” she told me in a whisper. “Now laugh.”

I chuckled quietly, and even I couldn’t tell if it was fake or not.

“We weren’t expecting you,” said Leo, the man who ran their operation.

“Weren’t you?” I countered coolly. “Then someone must not be doing his job.”

There was a general grumble at my implication, and Cass gripped my hand a little tighter.

“It’s not you, baby,” I murmured into her hair. “They just don’t like to be teased.”

Leo appraised Cass slowly, and I my own grip tightened. He was generally cucumber cool, and his eyes only betrayed the slightest hint of curiosity as he assessed her. I casually slipped my hand out of Cass’s and slid my arm around her waist.

“This looks boring, John,” Cass complained. “Let’s go back to your place again. I can think of something way better to do. Unless you think we’ve done it enough times already.”

I wasn’t expecting those words—or anything close to them—to come out of her mouth, and I covered my surprise with a big laugh. A couple of the other men actually laughed, too.

“I’m just surprised to see you here with a piece of merchandise on your arm,” Leo stated.

My pent-up anger got the better of me. Billy’s comments, Monato’s attitude, Vance’s information—it bubbled up, and there wasn’t anything I could do stop myself.

I twisted away from Cass quickly, shot across the room and put my hand around Leo’s throat. I saw at least four of the six men in the room draw weapons. One of the overdone women squealed, and another dropped her drink. I ignored them all.

“She is not a piece of merchandise,” I said through clenched teeth.

“What is she?” Leo asked as he eyed Cass, seeming not to care that I was about to choke the life out of him.

“An opportunity,” Cass replied artfully. “Or an opportunist, depending on how you look at things.”

A few more of the men laughed, and one of the tables resumed their card game. With a boldness I was sure Cass didn’t really feel, she sauntered over to me and placed her hand on my arm. I was betting she could feel the tension there, even through my jacket.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?” she asked.

I released Leo’s neck and pulled her close. I had to find a release, so I leaned down and kissed her—hard. She closed her eyes right before I closed mine, and she sank into my embrace. I wished immediately that we didn’t have audience. Putting on a show or not, my blood was heating up. Desire licked through my body as I gripped her soft hair in one of my fists. When I finally let her go, there was a round of applause in the room, and Cass buried her face in my chest.

“Very good,” I murmured into her hair.

Did she know my momentary passion was anything but feigned?

“Gentlemen, this is Cass. The new love of my life,” I announced.

“You gonna marry this one?” Leo asked.

“This one,” Cass scoffed. “How many of us have there been?”

“None like you, Cass,” I replied sincerely, and I saw one of the men roll his eyes.

Cass lifted her hand, showing off her ring, and spoke conspiratorially to the whole room. “The only problem with husbands is the second that ring is on your finger, they just start thinking of you as piece of property. And I’m not that kind of girl.”

No one said a word, and I waited to see if she’d gone a little too far. One of the working girls pouted, and another shot Cass the evil eye. But even without that, there was an odd vibe in the room. I couldn’t quite put my finger on where it was coming from.

“Cass,” I said finally. “I’d like to you to meet my team of professionals and some of my business associates. This is Gary, my money man, and—”

She cut me off. “Dopey, Happy, and Sneezy. Don’t tell me their names. Just tell me about their bank accounts.”

“Thinking about trading him in already?” Leo joked.

“Are you kidding?” Cass responded with a grin. “Have you seen the size of his…”

My jaw just about dropped as she clapped her hands over her mouth and giggled.

“I’m not good with names,” she confessed. “The only reason I remember his is that it’s almost the same as my sister’s—Jeannette.”

She pointed at me and winked.

Leo grinned. “And is your sister as charming as you are?”

“She might’ve been at one point,” Cass answered. “But she’s been dead a long time. Let me know if you figure out a way to get in touch with her. She still owes me some money. And a boyfriend.”

My arms—which were still around her—relaxed ever so slightly. I was still pretty wound up, but things were going way better than I could’ve possibly planned.