Roll For Initiative

70. Cassie

B esides the fact that he completely betrayed my trust by going through my phone, it led to where we are now, so I can’t be too mad. I’m just freaking out over Theo. I still can’t believe that he is gone. That this nightmare might actually be over.

"Cass. I just want you to know we... I did what was necessary. He hurt you, and I couldn’t just sit by and let him get away with it. He was too powerful. The day we found you, we had tracked down the doctor who took out your IUD. He told us everything. I snapped. I couldn’t wait for Jayme's team to be in place. I knew I needed to get you out then."

“So Jayme. Are you really part of the Mafia, like Theo said.” I asked.

Lucian tries to speak, but Jayme cuts him off.

"It’s ok, Lucian. If she is going to be with you, she needs to understand all this. I trust her. Cassie, my real last name is not West; it’s Morelli."

"Morelli? Theo called you the Morelli boy.”

"Morelli’s are the top mafia family in California right now. My cousins are the leaders in L.A. My dad runs Santa Monica, which I will soon be taking over. Lucian is going to be my 2nd in command. Mr. Snider and Madam Odette are also in the circle too. Snider is related, and Odette is just a close friend. They are the ones who helped me put together a team to get you back." He says this shit so casually. I can’t help but laugh.

"OK, so you are a mafia lord. Lucian is going to be your partner in crime, and Madam Odette is a badass by day and a dominatrix by night. Is that all?"

"It’s all true, Cass—every word he said. West enterprise is the front, ran under his mother’s maiden name to avoid suspicion. I will eventually be moving to California, and I’m hoping you will come with me. Leave this place. You will love Santa Monica. The beaches are amazing." Lucian says.

"Holy shit, so you aren’t joking. Well, shit. Thank you again. You really went out of your way to get me back. Thank you, both of you." I say, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"It’s no problem at all, sweetheart. We protect our family, and you are part of the family now." Damn, real-life mafia. Who would have guessed it? And now Lucian is going to be part of that life, too. Hmmm.

"So, what happened when you guys got to the bedroom?" I can tell it is going to be bad. Lucian rubs his hands over his face and takes a deep breath. I feel bad for making him relive it, but I need to know what happened so I can move past this... well, try to, at least.

"He was standing outside the room, staring at me after I had just killed his last guard. He was smiling, actually fucking smiling. I demanded to know where you were, and he pretended to be talking to you but then said you were out of commission. I snapped and saw red. I shot him in the knee, and when he went down, I jumped on him and started beating him with the gun. Jayme had to stop me before I killed him."

He pauses for a moment. I’m unsure if it is for my benefit to process or his when recalling it all.

"When I glanced in the bedroom, I felt like I was dying. You were lying naked in a pool of blood. Your body was twisted at a weird angle. You were barely breathing, and there was just so much blood. We couldn’t risk moving you in case your neck was broken. There were so many bruises on your neck. Jayme called the ambulance, and they came and got you. Tim called ahead and spoke to the hospital staff to avoid too many questions. They also called the state cops and told them a lie about where we found you. Unfortunately, the city cops are loyal to Theo."

“I still wish we could expose the shit he did. What happened next?”

“After Jayme spoke to the doctor, who assured us he would keep us updated while you were in surgery, we went to the docks. Mr. Snider has a warehouse there. We had Theo held there. And you know the rest.” Lucian looks ashamed of what he did, but he shouldn’t be.

I’m in slight shock. This man killed so many people just for me. He was shot because of me. And he killed my captor to make sure he could never hurt me again. I sit there silently. How could so much in my life have changed so fast? The way Lucian tortured and killed Theo for me should terrify me. How could a man I’ve known most of my life be capable of such violence? But it doesn’t terrify me at all. I don’t know what that says about my mental state, but oh well.

"Cassie, please say something." Lucian places his hand on my arm. I realize I’ve been staring at nothing for multiple minutes, just disassociating.

I look over at Lucian. His eyes are wide, and he is afraid of what I might think of him. He needs to know I don’t fear him at all. I grab his face, ignoring the pain of my busted hands, and crash my lips to his. I need him more than my lungs need oxygen. He breaks away to look into my eyes.

"You are truly amazing. Don’t you ever forget it?" He says before he recaptures my lips. Jayme clears his throat, but we don’t pay him any attention.

"All right, well, now that that’s all out in the open, I’m going to just head out for a few. Umm. Yea, I’m just going to leave you lovebirds alone now." He leaves and shuts the door. Hopefully, no one else barges in.

His kisses are frantic. As if he is afraid if he stops kissing me, I will disappear. Consuming me with the hunger of a man who has been starved for weeks. I could get used to this kind of passion. He leans against me, deepening the kiss, but my body screams out in agony, causing me to yelp.

"Shit. I’m sorry. Are you ok?" He is terrified that he may have just broken me more.

"Yeah, I’m ok. I'm just still in a bit of pain. Maybe we should hold off on this make-out session till I can move without wincing."

He kisses me on my forehead and brings me to his chest. "Take as much time as you need, mi amor. We have all the time in the world because I’m never leaving your side again."

Mi Amor? My Love? He actually loves me. It’s still so crazy to think that this man who has stood by my side for the last 15 years is the piece I have been missing inside me all along. I love him more than life itself. I never want to be separated from him again.

I melt into his embrace. My mind is calm now that I know Theo is completely gone. I can actually move past this without feeling like I have to watch over my shoulder for the psychopath. Maybe things can go back to being normal. I hope I will one day be able to sleep without seeing him in my mind.