Chapter 5 - Devil in her

Cassandra stood at the window of her office. She was waiting for Michael to get back. Vance sat in her visitor’s chair, his suit wrinkled, and hair dishevelled. Obviously, he’d not had time to shower and change. She ignored his mutterings and frantic tapping on the tablet in his hands. She thought back to a few hours ago when she’d been walking the beach with Olivia. It had been such a strange thing. To find herself enjoying the company on her usually solitary walk. Strange that it had been her, and not Emma that had come after her. Maybe Emma was worried that she’d be angry at her. She had to admit, it had hurt when she’d seen the accusation in Emma’s eyes. She couldn’t blame Emma. Cassandra had been on top of a screaming Olivia.

“I don’t understand how he got the bodies past the first guards.” Vance said. “They should have seen something like that.”

“They were paid not to.” Cassandra said stonily. “I want them fired.”

“Cass, we don’t…”

She spun around and he nodded. “Now, I need to meet with all the families.”

“You don’t need to do that, we’ll send flowers, pay for the funerals.”

“I want a meeting, and we’ll be at every funeral.”

“Damn it, Cass.” He rubbed his head. “Why punish yourself more than you need to?”

“They were left as a message. I received it loud and clear. I can get to you and yours just as easily as I got to these whores.” She growled. “I want his head on a spike. I want to burn his whole empire to the ground.”

“So, burn it. You have the power in the palm of your hands.” He stood. “Losing his daughter would hurt him.” Vance said. He held up a hand when she glared at him. “Why do you have her, if not to break the man?”

“Do you know what brings more fear to a man than the death of his child?” She smiled, a predatory smile. “Thinking you lost her to your worst enemy. Thinking she chose your enemy’s bed, over you.”

“You’re going to seduce her?” Vance shook his head. “She’ll never play along, she’s your prisoner. And he’s, her father. Why would she do this?”

“She doesn’t have to know. I don’t really have to do anything, just keep her close and safe and maybe send him photos, let him see us together. It will drive him insane knowing that his precious daughter is being wined, dined and fucked by me.” She laughed then. “And when he’s distracted enough, I will bring down the hammer and take what little power he thinks he has and shove it down his throat with a bullet.” She vibrated with anger and fought to control the rage. She needed calm, needed to keep her head. “Find out where Michael is, will you? I want to get home.”

“Yes.” Vance walked to the door. “Be careful.” When she just stared at him, he continued. “She’s innocent in this. Just be careful that you don’t get yourself, and her, hurt.”

“I will be fine.”

“Yes, you will. Make sure you don’t hurt her then.”

“A little heartache won’t kill her, and the more believable it is, the better.” She waved a hand at him. “Stop worrying.”

He shook his head as he left. She turned back to the view outside her window. Yes, she’d make him believe that his daughter was fucking the enemy, and while he’s distracted by that, she’ll take out his ally and leave him for last. Three beautiful girls were dead, because he wanted to make a point and send her a message. He’d achieved his goal. Her attention was now fully on bringing him to his knees, and ultimately to his grave. The door opened and Michael followed by Vance stepped in.

“He’s ready.”

“Thank you. Set up the shopping trip for an hour from now. Make sure the right ears hear about the outing. Tell Pedro to stay close to Emma and Olivia. But not too close. You and I will join them later.”

Michael nodded and left. “I don’t like that you are putting Emma in the middle of this too.” Vance said.

“My sister is my concern.” Cassandra said and slipped her jacket on. “Come on, we have a meeting about boats.” She rarely felt happy about a meeting. But meetings about boats she loved. “Vance, a word of advice. When you sleep over at my house, make sure you have an extra set of clothes.” She tapped his shoulder. “You know, as to not be so obvious.” She walked out and left him staring after her.

“Emma, do we really have to go into every single shop in this massive mall?” Olivia’s feet hurt, and her arms ached. Yes, Pedro and the other gaurds carried most of their bags, but she still felt obligated to at least carry some. “I’m absolutely exhausted.”

“One more, I promise, just one more.” Emma said and walked briskly toward a jewel shop.

“Fine, I’m going to sit here and wait for you.” Olivia set her bags down and sat down on a bench. Pedro not far from her, spoke into his wrist mike and moved even closer to her. “What is it now?”

“Unknown man making his way toward us.” He said.

“This is a mall, most of these people are unknown to me.” She rolled her eyes. How much longer is she going to keep us here?”

“This is usually her last stop.” He said. He stiffened as a man sat down next to Olivia. “Please move on.” When the man stared at him and ignored him. Olivia made to stand, and avoid a fight in the centre of the mall. But the man grabbed her arm.

“We’ll walk out of here together. Your father sent me.” He told her. She watched Pedro reach for his weapon and shook her head lightly.

“Go away. I don’t want to leave.”

“I was told to get you by any means. And I will.” The man growled.

“You will remove your hands from her, or lose them.” A cold, deadly voice spoke from behind Olivia and she whipped her head around to see Cassandra. “Now.”

“You won’t risk these peoples lives. She comes with me, or we have a little shoot out.” The man laughed. “We both know you won’t have innocent people killed.”

“You are right.” Cassandra said. “Olivia.” The way Cassandra said her name made her shiver. It was said as a caress, low and deep. “Do you want to go with this man?”

“No.” What was she doing? This was her way to get away from Cassandra. But where would she go, to her father? “I don’t want to go with him.”

“There, the lady made her decision. Now, the choice is yours. My man will take care of you quietly, or you and I can go have a talk in the parking lot.”

He scoffed. “I’ll take option two.”

“No, Cassandra, don’t do this, not for me.” She would not have anyone’s murder on her conscience.

“He made his choice. Pedro, stay with them, take them to the car when my sister is done.” Cassandra turned and walked away without waiting on anyone.

“You are a stupid woman.” The man snarled. Coming out here with me, alone. “I could kill you. I think I will, solve all our problems.”

“So, go ahead. Try.” Cassandra stood her ground as he lunged. She side stepped and watched him land on hands and knees. He snarled and lunged again, this time she grabbed him in a headlock, her forearm pressed hard into his neck, her other hand fisted in his hair. “You teleport your moves.” She shoved him back and he sucked in air. “Come on, again.” He pulled out a knife and swung it in front of him. “Ah, a weapon.” She smiled. He screamed as he lunged this time, she felt a shot of pain to her forearm and cursed. He laughed and lunged again. This time she used his momentum, she grabbed his wrist, pulled him toward her, twisted his hand around and watched in some satisfaction as the knife plunged into his chest. “Never go into a fight unprepared to die.” She stepped back and he fell to his knees. She looked at her arm and shook her head. “Another shirt ruined.”

Olivia stood, her mouth agape in shock. Cassandra stood, backlit by the sun setting. Her hair wild, the left side of her white shirt hung loose from her pants, blood soaked her sleeve, and a man lay at her feet. When Cassandra looked up she was shocked to find herself lost in blue eyes. The rumours that she was cold was far from the truth. She was heat, white, hot heat. And Olivia feared she’d be burned alive is she didn’t get away. Something must have shown on her face. Cassandra straightened and stared at her in challenge. The devil behind the cold eyes a deep contrast. “I want to go home.”

“Home?” Cassandra asked as Michael helped the man to his feet and walked him away.

“He’s not dead?”

“No.” Cassandra stopped in front of her. “You want to go home? To your dad?”

“No.” Olivia looked up at her, defiant.

Cassandra leaned down and stroked her cheek. A camera snapped and she smiled. Perfect. “Then let’s go.” She took Olivia’s hand and led her to the car where Emma stood waiting with arms folded across her chest.

“You always have to play with them.”

“How else will I get my training in?” Cassandra asked. She waited for Emma and Olivia to climb into the car then followed. She sat opposite them in the modified SUV and watched Olivia look anywhere but at her. “We have two stops to make on the way home. I expect patience from you two.” She’d already seen two families on the way to the mall. She’d see the last two now.

There was sorrow behind the blue eyes that got back in the car after their first stop. What was she doing and who was she seeing? Olivia wondered as she waited with Emma after the car stopped for a second time. No-one had told her yet what had happened the night before or what her father had done to cause the upset he’d caused. Blood was spilled, she knew that much, the blood on Cassandra as she’d come back to the room had been proof enough. Did she do the killing? Or was she the one that lost someone? When the door opened and she slid in, there was more than sorrow in the blue eyes, there was exhaustion. And before she could think she leaned over and laid a hand on Cassandra’s knee. The woman froze under her touch, then she looked up into Olivia’s eyes and smiled before giving a slight nod. Olivia slid her hand away and sat back against the seat. She felt Emma’s eyes on her as they drove home. When they stopped in front of the house Emma was the first one out of the car, Olivia followed then Cassandra.

“I’m going to shower and change. Your bags will be brought in.” Cassandra said.

“We’ll be at the pool having a drink. Join us?”

“I’ll be down in a while.” She smiled at them and left.

“Who was those people she stopped at?” Olivia asked as she watched Cassandra walk away.

“Probably the families of the girls killed last night.”

“What girls?” Olivia grabbed Emma’s arm to stop her from walking away.

“You don’t know?” Emma shook her head. “Your father left her a message. He killed four of the brothel girls, dumped them like trash at our gate last night.”

“What?”

“Look, I know you don’t like who or what she is. But by now I hope you know she would never hurt a woman. And she has a strong aversion to women being hurt. What happened last night…” Emma shook her head and looked up at the door where Cassandra disappeared through. “She won’t let it slide. Cass has been trying to avoid war, she’s set up negotiations, she’s tried to compromise, but he wants it all. And now he’s roped in her ex, Margo, they are attacking her where it hurts most. So, the war she’s been avoiding is now a matter of when she’ll attack.”

“She’ll burn this city to the ground.” Olivia shook her head. “I thought she was supposed to protect it?”

Emma laughed ruefully. “I tell you that your father killed women, and she will find justice for them, and you see her as the bad guy.” Emma sniffed. “Maybe I was wrong about you.” She walked away without waiting on Olivia.

Olivia stared down at her phone. She’d come up to talk to Cassandra, but she’d spotted her phone and picked it up. A text from her father was a photo of her staring up at Cassandra, in what seemed to be a loving way, as Cassandra stared down at her with a soft smile and her hand on Olivia’s cheek. The text simply said: So, now you’re her whore. The rage drove her through the bathroom door and into Cassandra’s face. “What the fuck is this?”

A dark eyebrow lifted as she stood naked and proud watching Olivia. “A phone.”

“You treat me like a toy in this game you’re playing with my father! Turn me into a whore?”

Cassandra’s head snapped as if Olivia had landed a blow. “Excuse me?” She tilted her head. “You are not being treated as such.”

“Oh please, captured, held against my will, set up in your bed, paraded around like some stud mare. It sure as hell looks like that’s what’s happening, at least to him!”

“Step away, Olivia.” The warning was spoken softly.

“Oh, fuck you! You think you have power over everyone and everything, you don’t! I’m here because I want to be, I want to help you stop this stupid war, and you go and fuel it with this stupid set up photo! You say you don’t want a war, you say you want this city safe, but here you are, fighting right on back and presenting me as some, some common whore!”

Cassandra gripped Olivia’s shoulders, slammed her mouth over the stunned woman’s and kissed her, bruising the lips. For a second Olivia was too stunned to react and then she felt her give as good as she got. She shoved her back, smiled coldly. “Now, you can call yourself a whore.”

“I hate you!” Olivia whispered. She touched her lips as Cassandra dressed and walked to the door and left.

“Me too.” Cassandra whispered as she left the room.