Page 13 of The Devil After Dark

twelve

CASSIO

Watching Rome in Liana’s office had my hackles up.

I trusted Rome enough to know I shouldn’t trust him.

He was a dirty cop—sure I was the one paying him, but you really couldn’t trust dirty cops even if they were on your payroll.

He never went this far out of his way for people.

First, going to Liana’s condo and now showing up at her work.

Did he have a crush? Or was there something else I needed to be worried about?

Either way, his visit would have been the perfect time for Liana to tell him about a stranger breaking into her condo or even that she was feeling unsafe in some way, yet she said nothing.

This was a good start. She was listening to my commands—probably out of fear, but I also had the feeling she liked it a little.

I had purposely not altered my voice when I visited her.

Sure I could have, but I wanted to watch her figure it out and when she did, I wanted to see if she would be the one to say something.

Why couldn’t I just be normal? Liana was going to be mine.

I knew it—I felt it—as soon as I saw her.

I confirmed it when I watched her and visited her each night.

I knew I would marry her after our dinner together.

And instead of being a normal and reasonable person and asking her out, I felt the need to play games.

I guess part of me wanted to see how she would react to learning I was the one in a mask breaking into her home.

If she was going to get in bed with the richest crime boss in the province, I wanted her to know what she was signing up for—and my sexual tastes were pretty fucked up.

I could blame it on growing up in a crime family.

A magic wielding, council seat holding, crime family.

I don’t think we could get any more fucked up.

Magic wielders are taught from an early age our superiority over the others.

We could simply wipe them from the world if we wanted to, but instead, we found a way to enslave everyone else and make them believe they were free.

They were really just our little pawns. Sure some of the magic wielders tried to make the world a better place, but most of us just enjoyed our status and riches and bathed in the wealth controlling the world gave us.

Then there is the council. The council tries to ensure we don’t kill everyone off, while at the same time ensuring we all keep our power.

They are more fucked up than I am. When too many magic wielders get bored, the council arranges games for them.

Sick and twisted games using the lesser humans as the game pieces and prizes.

Our own laws restrict us from using our powers in front of the lesser humans.

It would create too much angst and unrest if we did.

Over the centuries we learned the lesser humans stay out of our business if they are able to pretend we don’t actually exist. But between magic wielders, our magic often leads to bloody and barbaric conflict.

My grandfather built a crime empire trafficking drugs, and two generations later, I was born.

Raised to be the perfect fucked-up, rich, and controlling asshole I am today.

When my father and kid brother were killed by the Delacourts, however, I decided to change the game.

I have been systematically removing key pieces of that particular organization one by one over the years.

I am so dirty the city also thinks I’m a philanthropist. I really just needed some legitimate businesses to run finances through.

And looking legit also gets me a seat at the table with all the other closeted dirty players just like me.

So here I am. And although my focus has never been on women, finding this one makes me want to reel her in until she is so deep in with me she has no choice but to accept this life—to accept me.

And that means I need her to be able to stand by my side at fundraisers for sick children, as well as, be a dirty little slut for me in the bedroom.

If she doesn’t know how, I am just going to have to teach her.

I picked up my phone again to look at the single message Liana had sent.

Like doggie biscuits?

I actually laughed when I read it … but also she must have balls to make a joke like that when she is at my mercy. I meant it when I said I would remind her of her place … which was with her legs spread and my name on her tongue as she came for me.

I picked up my desk phone and dialed Liana’s main office number. I was going to set up a meeting. “Caldway and Associates, this is Thea, how may I help you?” Thea’s voice answered the phone.

“Thea, my name is Cassio Padovano and I heard about your firm through an acquaintance. I am looking for some consulting work on one of my new apartment developments and was hoping to sit down with your group to see if you were a good fit. I believe I was given the name Liana Sutton as the person to ask for,” I said into the phone.

Did I need help with this? No. I had a team who did shit like this, but hiring it out this time seemed like it would be fun.

“Of course, Mr. Padovano. I imagine you are quite busy. Is there a day and time I can schedule for you to meet with Mr. Caldway and Ms. Sutton?” Thea’s voice said pleasantly into the phone. She clearly had a lot of practice with needy clients .

“Is lunch tomorrow too soon? My last consulting group left me in quite a bind,” I replied casually. She would say yes of course.

“That is not too soon, they are both available at noon and we would be happy to provide lunch at our office in one of the private meeting rooms. Do you know where we are located?”

“I do. See you tomorrow,” I said and hung up the phone before Thea could say anything else.

I watched the cameras I had my men install in the Caldway and Associates office.

Thea typed furiously on her keyboard, then picked up the phone to make a call.

A few minutes later she was rushing from her desk and heading towards Liana’s office. This was way too much fun.

The camera in Liana’s office had the microphone turned on so I could hear everything she said.

Thea tried to explain what little information I had given her about meeting tomorrow—which was basically nothing.

And I watched with a sick grin on my face as Liana’s hand slowly reached towards her phone.

“Thanks, Thea. We will just wing it like we normally do with these kinds of clients,” Liana said and Thea retreated back to her desk.

What was she doing on her phone? I squinted at my screen as I tried to see what Liana was doing. Then my phone pinged with a new message alert.

My place? Care to inform me where exactly that is so I know ahead of time?

I had just thrown her a career curveball and the first thing she does is send a snarky message to her masked man?

I took a deep breath and realized my dick had hardened.

I could not wait to see how she felt about making snarky comments after I slid my dick into her mouth to shut her up. I shot a quick message back.

Legs spread beneath me.

Okay, not my finest response, but it wasn’t not true.

Let’s see how she handled that one. I watched her shift in her chair as she read the message.

Her fingers were poised over her phone. She laughed to herself, her shoulders shaking a little and a smile crossed her face.

I watched her fingers move a little and my phone pinged again.

Funny.

Funny. Funny? I was going to fuck that laugh right off her face.