Rage swirled at the base of my spine and spread like a deadly virus all throughout my body. Even if I wasn’t already claiming Devi as mine, I despised rapists. And there was no doubt that what he was doing was rape. A carefully orchestrated rape.
I wanted to take her in my arms, but we weren’t there yet. So, instead, I ushered her towards the sidebar, sat her down on one of the stools, and poured her another drink. And, this time, she drank it without any argument.
“What did you tell him?”
Devi set the glass on the bar top before looking up at me. I was so much taller than her, that even with her sitting on the stool, I still towered over her. “I told him no, of course.”
“And what did he say to that?” Fury was making it hard to steady my voice, but I didn’t want to scare her. If Devi had any idea what was going on in my head, she’d run scared.
“He said he wasn’t taking the money and there was no sense in owing two people money I can’t afford to owe. So he put the envelope back in my purse, and told me I had three weeks to warm up to the idea because that was the only form of payment he was going to accept.”
“Sonofabitch,” I growled because there was no holding it in.
“I…I don’t know how this works. If…do…if I still owe you interst-”
“Forget the fucking money, Devi,” I snapped, causing her to wince. “I don’t care about the goddamn money.”
“Well, excuse the hell out of me,” she fired back, her nerves done as she jumped down off the bar stool. “How the hell am I supposed to know what the fuck happens now?”
I speared her with a look. “Careful, Devi.”
At that, she let out an incredulous laugh. “Careful? Are you serious? I’m always careful,” she declared. “And look at where that’s gotten me, Cassius.”
My name falling off her lips, even with the heat of angry, frustrated fire, sounded so fucking sweet. And as much as I wanted to just kidnap the woman, I had to prioritize. “And what did your brother have to say about all this?”
“I haven’t talked to him yet,” she said, her voice calming down. “I came straight here to return the money. The last thing I need is to accidently lose it.”
All on its own, my hand slid around her neck, cradling her face, and the way she leaned into my touch didn’t go unnoticed. “Here’s what’s going to happen,” I told her. “We’re going to go to your brother’s, find out what the fuck is going on, then I’ll handle the rest.” Her head reared back, but my hold on her neck tightened.
She wasn’t getting away.
Her eyes searched mine. “I don’t understand,” she said. “What do you mean,you’llhandle the rest? Why…why are you involving yourself in my problems?”
What a question. But I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth just yet. “Are you telling me you don’t need my help?”
At that, she let out a bitter laugh as she took a step back, dislodging my hand. “I know you probably think I’m some poor, unsophisticated idiot, coming in here and begging for money, but I’m not,” she bit out. "Why would someone like you help someone like me?”
My chin went up. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because people aren’t generally selfless, Cassius,” she shot back. “No one would get involved in something like this unless they wanted something in return.”
“Maybe I just don’t like the way Alvin Fischer does business,” I remarked.
“I’m not buying it,” she replied. “What’s in it for you?”
“Does it matter?”
“Hell yeah, it matters.” Devi took a deep, steady breath. “I’d rather deal with the devil I know than get obliterated by the one I don’t.”
Cold fury was a real thing because I was feeling it now.
“Let’s go talk with your brother,” I said, holding onto every shred of self-control I had. “And after talking with him, if you’d still rather spread your legs for the devil you know than trust the devil you don’t know, then have at it.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” she snapped quietly.
On the verge of losing my shit, I simply said, “Let’s go.” And not another word was said until we both pulled up to her brother’s apartment building.
Chapter 10
