Chapter 14 Cassian
CASSIAN
“Cassian? Cassian!” she calls after me as I ascend the stairs, my hand on my side. She opened the wound, and I need to take care of it. “You can’t leave me here. Please!”
I won’t leave her for long, but she is too wild. Too violent. She needs to learn.
“You’re bleeding,” Enzo says once I’m upstairs. He must hear her, but doesn’t comment. I pull the door closed behind me, lock it and set the key back above the frame.
“It’s fine. No one goes down there.”
He nods once, doesn’t ask questions. He rarely does.
Enzo and I grew up together, his father often more a father to me than my own.
I think I spent as many nights at his house as I did mine.
He is respectful of our positions within the family, though, which is very different to Jet.
Jet and I are not blood, but he feels very comfortable inserting himself where he doesn’t belong.
I hear my phone ring as I approach the bedroom. I must have left it in there. It stops before I reach it. I’m not through the door when it starts again. I rush to answer because it’s Vivi’s ringtone and I know in my gut that something’s wrong.
“Vivi?”
“Cassian. Shit, Cassian.” She’s crying.
“What is it? What’s happened? Are you all right? Is Gage?”
She sniffles and it takes her a minute to speak. I can almost see her inhaling deeply, telling herself to pull it together.
“He’s okay. We’re both okay, but—”
I exhale, but don’t miss the panic in her voice. “What’s happened?”
“Someone came to my mom’s.”
“What?”
“I was going to drop Gage off like I always do, but when I got there, she said his uncle had just left.”
My heart begins a slow, echoing throb. Vivi’s mom babysits Gage twice a week while Vivi works.
Although she doesn’t need to work, she knows I’ll look after her and Gage, she’s as stubborn as Seth was.
So far, she’s refused protection and although I haven’t been comfortable with the choice, I’ve tried to respect it.
Now, I think that may have been a fucking stupid thing to do.
“What uncle?” I ask, my voice tight.
“I don’t know. She just said he had dark hair, was pretty tall and he was wearing a suit. She didn’t know him. It was early, whoever it was rang the bell when she was just getting out of bed. I think he caught her by surprise and was gone before she could even ask him his name.”
“Is she all right?”
“Everyone’s fine, but…”
I sit on the edge of the bed, look down at the drying blood on my hand, peel my shirt which is sticking to it, away.
I swallow the pain, letting it remind me the difference a few inches would have made.
Letting it remind me that Allegra may look like she can’t do much damage, but it’d be a mistake to underestimate her.
She’s a Moretti. And spending a little time in the crypt might be good for her.
“But what?” I ask.
“He left something. An early Christmas gift for Gage he said.”
I’m on my feet in an instant stalking out of the bedroom. “Whatever it is, don’t open it. Leave it where it is and get out. Get out of the house!”
“Cassian. Cassian wait,” she interrupts.
I hurry to the exit. “I need you with me,” I tell two of the soldiers who stand smoking just outside the front door.
“Cassian, I opened it.”
“You did what?”
One of the soldiers slides into the driver’s seat and starts the engine.
“It was a gun.”
“A gun?”
“Yes. Gage thought it was a toy, but it’s not. Shit. It’s not.”
“Are you still at your mom’s?”
“Yeah. I called you right away.”
“Where is the package?”
“Here, on my lap.”
“Put the package aside and get out of the house. Go to the café two blocks away, what’s it called?”
“Trifle.”
“Trifle. Good. Go. Now. Take your mom and Gage. Leave the door unlocked. Get out of the house. Now. I’m on my way.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“Just g…” I force myself to stop, to breathe. “It’s fine. I’m sure. Just go. Now. Okay? I’m going to stay on the phone with you until you get there. Move, Vivi.”
“Okay. Come on, Gage. Let’s get ice cream.”
“Ice cream!” I hear Gage’s voice followed by rustling, her mom muttering, and, a few minutes later, the door closing.
They’re outside. Good. Keeping her on speaker, I text Angelo to get soldiers to both Vivi’s house and her mother’s as well as to the café.
I never thought it was a good idea she didn’t have protection.
Gage is Seth’s son. He’s my father’s grandson.
Our enemies could take him. Use him. Worse.
Fuck, a lot worse. Hell, maybe we’ve been lucky no one has hurt him yet.
“We’re here,” Vivi says ten tense minutes later.
“Okay. Angelo’s sending soldiers. They’ll stay in their vehicles—”
“I don’t want soldiers, you—”
“That’s too bad,” I cut her off. “Sit tight. I’ll call you back once I’m at the house.”
“You don’t get to decide that Cassian.”
I bite back my words because I do. He’s my nephew. He’s my brother’s son. And she would have been his wife. I’m not going to leave them unprotected. Shit, the fact that I have this long was just stupid. “We’ll talk after, Vivi. Let me get this handled.”
“Fine.”
“Call me back if you need anything.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
“I always am.” I disconnect the call and look out the window thinking who it could have been.
There are any number of options. Shit. When we pull up to the house almost an hour later, two soldiers climb out of their car to greet us.
I walk up to the front door, two men flanking me, more joining the others already out back.
Vivi’s mother’s house is on a quiet street of mostly nondescript homes. It’s a two-story colonial, well maintained, ordinary. I don’t miss the heads that pop up at the windows of nosy neighbors. I don’t pay attention. Instead, I walk into the house not sure what I’m expecting.
The house is neat, as usual. Soldiers split up to begin a search although I don’t think there would be anyone here.
I see Gage’s little backpack discarded by the door. A few toys left on the stairs. I walk into the kitchen where the smell of burnt coffee permeates. I see the package on the kitchen table as I cross the room to switch off the coffee machine.
The box is from a toy store in town. I recognize it because I’ve bought Gage toys from there.
Tissue paper in pastel colors looks like cotton candy, but at the center of the package sits the revolver.
I pick it up, open the chamber and remove the single bullet.
I put it in my pocket and look at the gun.
The serial number is filed off, but not well, like it wasn’t meant to be scratched off at all.
I can almost make it out, which is unexpected.
I put it back into the box, close the paper around it then put the lid back on.
A soldier enters to tell me the house is clear.
I take my phone out to call Angelo.
“Cassian, what’s going on?” he asks.
“What’s the status of the soldiers?”
“They should be parking outside the café now. Yes, I have confirmation. Two are at Vivi’s house and you should have seen the other two when you got to her mother’s house.”
“They’re here. Thank you. The house is clear, but I want soldiers here and at Vivi’s. I’m going to see her now and I’m going to send you a photo of a partially filed off serial number. It’s still legible.”
“Calling card?”
“Maybe. Find out who the gun is registered to. Do it quickly.”
“I will. I’ll do it before heading to AC.”
“AC?”
“Atlantic City.”
“Oh. Shit the charity.”
“You’re not attending.”
“Not planning to.”
“No worries. Let me go find out who sent that gun. And good call to get soldiers to Vivi.”
He knows she doesn’t want protection. “Should have done it a while back.”
“I’ll send whatever information I find right away.”
We disconnect and I climb into the SUV. I unpack the box, pull the tissue paper away and snap a photo of the serial number. I send it to Angelo as we head to the café.
The café is only a few minutes away and I see Vivi looking anxiously out the window from their booth as we pull into the lot. The soldiers stand by the SUV because I’m drawing enough attention. We don’t need more.
The bell over the door chimes when I enter, and I notice how Vivi’s mom watches me from beneath her lashes even as she plays a game with Gage.
She has made no secret of her dislike of our family, and I get it.
I don’t hold it against her. If it wasn’t for Seth, Vivi would be safer.
But if it wasn’t for Seth, there would be no Gage.
“Uncle Cass?” Gage says when he sees me, a smile stretching wide on his little face.
“Hey, Gage,” I say, forcing myself to smile as I pull him out of his seat and hug him.
He buries his face in my neck for a minute then shows me his toy which is a pink pony. Gage’s choice in toys is a relief to me. He’s young, I know, but I hope he grows up wanting to have nothing to do with guns.
“Who’s that?” I ask.
“Buddy.” He hugs the toy to his chest.
“Buddy, huh?” He names all his toys Buddy, and I exchange a look with Vivi, see how she smiles a little. She can’t hide what she’s truly feeling from me, though. I see her anxiety.
“Gage, let’s go see about that ice cream, shall we?” Vivi’s mother says, standing and taking Gage from me as quickly as she can.
“Thank you,” I say to her even though she doesn’t acknowledge me. She walks away and I slip into the booth across from Vivi. “You ever get something like that again, you don’t open it, understand?”
She’s surprised by my tone, clearly.
“It could have been something else,” I say, reaching over to touch her hand, trying to soften my tone.
She nods, bites her lip. “How did they know where he’d be? Why would they…” She looks over at her mom and Gage.
“Listen, I’m thinking a vacation might be a good idea.”
“What? Vacation? I can’t just—”
“Only until I figure out what’s going on.
I need you to be safe, Vivi. You and Gage and your mom.
Anywhere you want to go. Hawaii, right? You love Hawaii.
” Seth had proposed to her in Hawaii. Recalling that, I notice she’s taken the engagement ring off.
That’s new. I don’t comment. It’s been two years.
She’s young. Of course she’s going to move on with her life. She should move on with her life.
She must notice me looking and sets her hands on her lap.
“If I agree, no soldiers when we’re back, okay?”
“Not okay. Hawaii then?” I take my phone out.
“You don’t get to decide. Seth wouldn’t—”
“Seth would want me to protect you,” I say, cutting her off.
I lean across the table toward her. “Seth would want you safe. You know that. I will take care of this, Vivi. I promise. You’ll stay at the house.
There’s a pool there, you’ll have everything you need.
Gage will love it. Your mom will. Hell, it’s freezing here. ”
“Cassian—”
“Vivi, I’m not asking,” I make clear.
She studies me for a long minute, then, finally, nods. “I need to pack.”
“Just essentials. I’ll arrange for anything you need to be there before your flight lands. Just give me a list.”
“My mom—”
“Your mom will want you safe.” I slip out of the booth and Vivi’s mom returns with Gage who is holding a popsicle in a bright, unnatural blue. “I hear you’re going on a plane,” I tell Gage who makes an O out of his mouth and looks at me with huge eyes.
“A plane?” Vivi’s mom asks, eyebrows high.
“Vivi will explain, Mrs. Chance. I need to go. I’m sorry for what happened. It shouldn’t have happened.”
She snorts.
“Vivi.” I give her a nod.
I ruffle Gage’s hair and walk out of the diner, all eyes on me as I climb into the SUV just as my phone buzzes with a text from Angelo.
Angelo: That was too easy and you won’t like it.
There’s an attachment and when I open it, my blood boils.
Because the gun is registered to Blackstone Holdings.