Page 56

“It’s cool, a short walk won’t kill me. I’ll be right back.”

Pushing back from the table, Aella left Cassius at the table. The cold hit her the moment she stepped off the gazebo, sharp enough to steal a small breath from her lungs. Aella pulled her coat tighter around herself, the fabric doing little to fight the bite in the air as she made her way toward the car.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she replayed the conversation. She would have never guessed that she would have grown to like Cassius after their initial encounter, but Aella had to admit that there was something endearing about him.

The shift was unexpected, but nice.

There was a crunch of gravel behind her just as she reached to tug the passenger door handle of his car.

“Listen,” she chuckled. “We aren’t going to work if you don’t trust me to do something as simple as walk to the ca⁠—”

A gloved hand clamped over her mouth before she finished her sentence. Aella’s breath hitched sharply as panic shot through her when her back met a solid and unyielding chest. Before her brain even had time to register the panic, warm blood sprayed her face, and she was free. Panting, Aella dropped to her knees, sucking in air as her mind worked to sort out what was going on.

“We gotta move,” Cassius’ voice was the only thing that made sense as he gently tugged her elbow to pull her to her feet.

She released a low sob upon noticing the sprawled legs of a man she’d never seen before, lying dead in the grass.

“Don’t,” Cassius blocked her vision, nudging her toward his car. “Just focus on me. I got you, Elle. Always.”

Aella couldn’t wrap her mind around the changes her life had taken in just a few weeks. It felt like things shifted from utterly normal to something out of a horror movie in the blink of an eye. She was vaguely aware of Cassius barking orders into the phone from the driver’s seat, but couldn’t exactly make out what he was saying. Her brain lagged, keeping her from fully understanding what had just transpired.

All Aella could register was that her life was still in danger. Her family was still in danger. And she hadn’t the slightest idea of how to begin protecting herself.

“My car,” she murmured, finally realizing that Cassius was heading toward his home.

“I’ll take you to pick it up tomorrow. Right now, I need to keep you as out of sight as possible.” Reaching over, he placed his hand at the back of her neck, gripping gently. “I don’t care who asks, you weren’t anywhere near that park today, cool?”

“But—”

“Elle, I need to know you understand what I’m saying. I picked you up from work, and we went on a date. That’s all the details anyone needs to know, a’ight? You were never there.”

It wasn’t lost on Aella that he was trying to protect her. But in return, she was worried about protecting him.

“And what will you do if someone asks if you were there?” she quietly inquired, toying with her hands.

Removing his hand from her neck, Cassius gripped Aella’s chin, forcing her to look at him as they stopped at a red light. “I’ve been getting myself in and out of messes for longer than I probably should have. I’ll be fine. My priority is you. Protector and provider, remember? For better or for worse.”

“Technically, we haven’t exchanged those vows yet,” she quipped, making him laugh.

“It’s nice to know the night’s craziness hasn’t affected that smart-ass mouth of yours.”

Their light-hearted exchange didn’t last long. When they arrived at his home, Cassius ushered her straight to the bathroom to get her out of her soiled clothing. Upon catching her reflection in the mirror, Aella nearly had a meltdown at seeing the blood splattered on her face.

“Oh my God,” she backed away, frantically searching for something—anything to clean her skin with.

“Elle,” Cassius gripped her shoulders. “Breathe.”

Tears blurred Aella’s vision as she tried to shake him off. “Get it off of me!”

“Baby, I’m trying,” he pulled her to him, kissing her forehead. “I have to let go to turn the shower on, but I’m right here. I’m not leaving you.”

Aella’s sobs increased as the severity of the night’s events finally sank in.

As promised, Cassius only let go of her long enough to turn the shower on and get it to temperature, and then he was right back.

“I’m going to take these off you,” he tugged at her clothes. “So if you’re worried about modesty, speak now or forever hold your peace. I can give you some privacy to handle it on your own.”

Her face now a mix of smeared blood and tears, Aella gazed at him in terror, her hands violently trembling as she gripped his waist. “Stay.”