Page 47 of The Devil After Dark

forty-six

CASSIO

I woke with my head pounding and tied to a chair in my own fucking kitchen.

I squeezed my eyes and blinked as the room came into focus.

It was still night, but the fuckers had turned on every light in the room.

I squinted against the harsh light as pain pulsed through my head.

Remi and Rome both sat across the kitchen table from me.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Remi said as he smirked at me.

I just glared at him. I would never forget the way he looked at me and then Liana as I lost consciousness.

Remi had been my fucking double for fifteen years and he was betraying me.

My heart beat wildly as I grit my teeth and tried to swallow the panic that was rising inside of me.

What had they done with Liana? Had he already hurt her?

Had he raped her? Remi examined his nails as if he was bored.

Finally he spoke. “I will just get right to the point, Cass. This is a take over. You will be resigning from the council and letting go of your businesses. Do it without a fight and you get to live. Hell, I will even allow you to keep a few of your legitimate businesses if you do this without a fight. ”

“Why the fuck would I do that?” I spat back at him. He was out of his mind if he thought I would give up my council seat. My family had held that seat for centuries. I was not going to be the one to lose it.

Remi chuckled and leaned back in his chair.

Rome just sat with his arms crossed, staring at me.

Another rat. I knew Rome couldn’t be trusted.

I should have cut him off as soon as he started inserting himself into Liana’s life.

I had brushed off his new interest as my own paranoid possessiveness, but clearly I had been fucking wrong.

“Well you aren’t really in a position to negotiate.

Rome here shot you with a dart that not only knocked you out, but also does this handy thing of keeping your magic stifled.

I currently have your girl tucked warmly into bed upstairs and if you refuse to sign over everything, I will not hesitate to use her to motivate you,” Remi replied.

Liana was upstairs. What had he done to her?

He was clearly willing to harm her in order to get what he wanted, but what had he already done?

“Tell me one thing, Remi,” I started as I glared him down.

“Why? You have worked with me for fifteen years. Why now? Did I not treat you well? I considered you a brother,” I questioned.

My throat burned as I talked and my mouth felt like I was chewing on sand.

Both symptoms were the lovely side effects of magic suppressing tranquilizers.

The head splitting headache was another.

I wanted to ask about Liana, but I wasn’t dumb enough to bring the attention back to her.

The more he thought I was worked up over her, the worse it would be for her.

“I realized a few things, Cass. First, I want more than to be a side piece, and second, you were getting sloppy chasing that woman. What better time to pursue career growth for myself than when you are completely distracted from your initial goals. Which by the way, we will be stopping our destruction of the Delacourt family. It will be much more profitable to work with them. I clued Merrick in on what you’ve been doing to his family and he has already agreed to a truce as long as I am the one who takes control of our drug business and the seat on the council,” Remi revealed.

He looked so smug and pleased with himself.

He thought he was so smart siding with another council seat holding family.

Remi clearly did not study his history well enough if he thought that was a good idea.

What Remi said started to sink in. He had informed the Delacourts that we were killing their people and dismantling their empire.

Years of work to destroy the family were completely undone.

Revenge for my father and brother was completely ruined.

And Remi was a fucking idiot believing Merrick would work with him.

Merrick would be out for a payment in blood after hearing of what we had been doing.

I turned my eyes to Rome. “And what about you?” I asked through my teeth.

Rome had been my top inside man with the police.

Everything ran through him. There was a time when I thought he might actually be a stand up guy.

I quickly learned he wasn’t. He just pretended to be one.

Rome had the audacity to shrug. After a few moments of me glaring at him he finally decided to speak, “Remington had a better proposal for me.” Fucking sell out. That was all it took for Rome to flip—money.

“And was your special interest in Liana for you or for him,” I asked as I jerked my head towards Remi.

Rome’s eyes darted to Remi before returning to look at me.

“I had a little hope she would see you weren’t good for her and I could get her out of this mess,” Rome replied curtly.

I wasn’t sure I believed him. I had seen the way he had looked at her and the way he touched her.

He probably wanted to fuck her himself and simply ran out of time in his quest to get into her pants.

“Okay then. Let Liana leave and we can sign the paperwork,” I offered. I needed her out of here. I needed her far far away from these two. I had no intention of actually signing my entire life over to Remi, but I needed Liana safe.

Remi threw his head back and laughed. “No, Cassio, I don’t think you fully understand my intentions here. I am keeping her either way. It’s up to you how much pain she feels before this is over. Sign now and I will treat her like the princess she is. Refuse and I will break her in front of you.”

My blood boiled. If I hadn’t been tranquilized with some fucking drug that knocked out my magic, I knew my magic would be leveling this entire room with the rage I felt. “She will never agree to be with you,” I seethed.

“I’m not looking for her agreement, Cass,” Remi retorted. I launched myself at Remi. There was no fucking way I would let him hurt Liana.