Cassie (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #3) (3 page)

That’s two
. Cassie turned to face the pair of men still grappling. Blondie looked like he was holding his own pretty well, so she scanned the parking lot to make sure there weren’t any other people outside. It would be better for her to not have any witnesses. Thankfully the tournament and cold weather had kept everyone in the bar.

She would have walked away just then, but her car was out of commission, and it didn’t seem right to ditch Blondie after he’d saved her bacon. Cassie sighed.
Fine
. She walked up to the fighting men, and grabbed hold of Right Hook’s arm as he was about to swing.

Blondie launched an uppercut into the guy’s chin, and it was over. Right Hook crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Cassie stepped back, and made sure she was standing between Blondie and the truck she had punched a hole through.

“Friends of yours?” Blondie asked as he caught his breath.

She scoffed.

“Ex-husband then?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

Blondie shrugged. “I’ve seen stranger things.” He wiped the blood from his lip. “You okay?”

Cassie nodded, “Yeah. You?”

“I’ll live,” he grinned. “This was a lot harder than buying you drink. Tell me I at least earned a kiss.”

Cassie shook her head.
Men
. “Tempting, but I don’t normally kiss men who I don’t even know their names.”

“I’m Caleb,” he offered his hand. “Caleb Snyder.”

She didn’t take his hand, but decided to do her part of the introduction. “Cassie. Thanks for the help.”

“No problem.” Caleb lowered his arm, and eyed her for a moment.

A really uncomfortable silence followed. Those stormy blue eyes bore into her, while his chest still heaved a bit from exertion.
And those biceps
. Cassie wasn’t sure what to do. On any other night she would have at least flirted with him, but given the circumstances she needed to get the hell out of there.

Caleb rubbed his jaw. “Well, it’s been exciting meeting you, but I should be going.” He tilted his head toward her, and started back to the bar.

Cassie watched him go with a touch of regret, and then looked at the flat tire on her car. “Wait,” she called after him.

He stopped, and turned with a raised brow.

“Look, I’m kinda in a bad way here,” Cassie admitted, as she walked up to him. “Those guys trashed my car, and I need to get out of here...”

Caleb smiled, “Let me get my jacket, and I’ll give you a ride home.”

“Thanks.”

Within five minutes they were in his 1967 Shelby Mustang. It was a sweet ride. Black with white stripes, leather seats, and an ass-ton of speed. A rock song from the 70’s blared from his stereo, as they cruised down the highway.

Caleb turned the volume down. “What was all that about back there, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“It was a mistake,” Cassie replied. “I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

“I get that, but those guys were trying to rape you. That’s pretty serious. I mean, don’t you want to press charges or anything?”

The guilt of her lie, and her past, suddenly weighed down on her. “What’s the point? It’s not like anything would be done about it.”

“Well, it’d go on their record at the very least,” Caleb said. “Might not be much, but it’s something.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

He glanced at her. “You
are
a felon, aren’t you?”

Shit. Of all the people to get a ride from, I had to get one from Sherlock Freakin’ Holmes
. Cassie rubbed her temples, but didn’t say anything.

“It’s cool,” Caleb said. “I just don’t want to get knifed or anything.”

Cassie barked a laugh, “I’m not that kind of felon.” Well, technically she was, but he didn’t need to know that.

“That’s comforting.”

“Look, you can let me out here,” Cassie said. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I’m not
that
big of an asshole,” Caleb chuckled. “A ride home isn’t a problem. Just don’t knife me. Deal?”

Relief flowed over Cassie, and she smiled. “Deal.”

When they pulled up to her hotel, the parking lot was pretty scarce. Not unusual for this time of night, but it set Cassie on edge considering the evening she’d had. The realization that her world had been disrupted, and the life she had built here was over, started to sink in.

“You sure you’re gonna be okay?” Caleb asked.

“Yeah,” she replied lamely. “I’ll be fine.”

“I can get us something to eat if you want.”

Cassie laughed, “You are persistent, I’ll give you that.”

He gave her that enchanting grin. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

As gloomy as she felt, Cassie couldn’t deny the man’s charm, and at this point it didn’t matter if she kissed him or not—she’d be gone in the morning.
Okay handsome, let’s see what you’ve got
. She leaned over, took his head in her hands, and planted one right on him.

Cassie had kissed men before, but since she’d been on the run for so long, that particular activity had been few and far between. Even so, none of them had felt like this. His lips generated a lightning bolt of desire that went straight to her core. She was wet instantly, and an urge to devour him like candy took control.

Caleb returned her passion, hungrily sucking, and biting her lips. He pulled her close in a crushing embrace. Their clothes had become a barrier that prevented the closeness Cassie desperately desired. She needed to touch his skin, to press her naked body against his. She clawed at his shirt, until the neckline tore. Heat akin to her power rifled through her veins, driving her mad with want.

This isn’t right,
Cassie thought suddenly.
My power...
She pulled away from Caleb, panting. His eyes were wide, filled with as much shock and desire as she felt.
Does he feel it too?
The electrical pulse she’d experienced during their kiss continued to ebb from his chest into her shaking hands. “What’s happening—”

Caleb kissed her again, pulling her back into his embrace. His hands were everywhere, rubbing, and squeezing. Their clothes came off, and were flung heedlessly away.

She climbed into his lap, straddling his legs in the driver’s seat. She eased down onto him, and shuddered.
It’s so hard
. A moan of delight escaped her, as she began to rock back and forth. The tingling from before now charged every part of her that touched him. It was glorious. One of his hands cupped her breast, while the other gripped her hip, urging her to rock at a greater speed. She slammed her hands on the roof of the car, as she bucked against him. His lips and tongue played with her hardened nipples, causing her to gasp, and grab a handful of his hair. An orgasmic wave crashed into her. She screamed out while clinging to him. Caleb called her name, as he too released his ecstasy.

Cassie collapsed. Her arm streaked the condensation that had built up on the window, as it fell to her side. The tingling from their touch continued to ripple across her entire body.

“I think I might have broken something with that one,” he remarked, as he tried to catch his breath.

She laughed, and then realized what had just happened.
I had unprotected sex with a stranger...in a damn car! What the hell was I thinking?!
She slid off of him, shuddering again. She instantly regretted the lack of contact, yearning for that electrical touch, but refused to acknowledge it. She scrabbled at the floorboards in search of her clothing.
I’m a total slut. Ugh, the humiliation
.

Her hands finally came across a shirt, unfortunately, it wasn’t hers. Cassie sat up and offered the torn t-shirt to Caleb, unable to meet his eyes. “Sorry about the damage.”

“It’s okay,” he replied. “I’m sorry about this...” The Taser hit Cassie full in the ribs, bringing all thought to a grinding halt, as she convulsed into unconsciousness.

T
he cafeteria was crowded, as it always was this time of day. The jocks, nerds, preps, and goths, had gone to their corners, leaving the central wasteland open for those who didn’t fit in with any of the major social orders. Cassie was one of those “unclassified” nomads that roamed the uncharted areas in relative peace. Every so often a few of the majors would stumble upon her, only to be banished with a baleful stare, or barrage of harsh language. It was Cassie’s way, or it was now at least. It hadn’t always been though. Jocks and preps alike used to welcome her, and she them, but that had been a long time ago. Her new role was more appropriate nowadays, and with this being her senior year, wouldn’t last much longer.

Cassie loitered the halls that intersected with the lunch room, rarely entering the cesspool in hopes of avoiding confrontation. Not that she was afraid of getting hurt, it was more the fear of hurting someone else. She tended to lose control when things got physical, and had been expelled several times for beating a few kids senseless.
They deserved it,
Cassie thought with a grim smile. She stopped and looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows, wishing she could be anywhere else but here.

“Cassie Gallagher,” Mrs. Keller’s voice crackled over the intercom system. “Please report to woodshop. Cassie Gallagher, report to woodshop.”

Crap. She’d known that call would be coming sooner or later. After her last project had caught on fire, and almost burned down the entire shop, a reckoning with Mr. Garber had been lingering on the horizon.

Taking one last look at the rolling hills in the distance, Cassie shuffled off toward the shop room. A few snickers followed her, as she made her way. Of course, the whole school knew of her blunder before class had let out on that terrible day. The looks and wisecracks had been limitless, as well as ruthless, and only after Carl Zimmerman had created juicer gossip by coming out of the restroom without his pants, did the teasing relent.
Thanks Carl,
she thought as she approached room 1009.
Even if it wasn’t intentional
.

Cassie shouldered the door open, and walked into the woodshop. The scent of freshly cut pine filled her nostrils. The smell was something she actually enjoyed about the class. The room was empty, as it would be during lunch hour, giving the place an eerie post-apocalyptic feel. She hurried past the various work stations, saws, and planers, to the back of the room where Mr. Garber’s office was. It looked like a little shack compared to the vaulted ceilings of the rest of the room—an afterthought shoved in the corner. The lights weren’t on, and the door was locked when she tried to open it.

Cassie frowned. “Mr. Garber?”

“He’s out Cassie,” a familiar voice answered from behind her. “But I’m the one who wanted to...see you.”

Cassie spun around, startled. “Mr. Carson?!”

Her English teacher stood in the middle of the room with his fists on his hips, and a belt in one hand. He wasn’t exactly old, but his salt and pepper hair wasn’t doing him any favors. Neither was the receding hairline.

“What the hell, man? You scared me.”

He smiled. His dark mustache fanned out across his face, and the black framed glasses he always wore raised, as his eyes squinted in delight. “An added bonus.”

Cassie gave him a hard stare. “Look, if this is about that essay thing, I’m not going to be turning it in.”

Mr. Carson’s only response was to push his glasses back up on his nose.

Frustrated, and a bit creeped out, Cassie stomped toward the exit. “Whatever.”

His belt crashed into the side of her face, as she tried to pass by him. The searing pain lit up her cheek, and knocked her back into the table saw.

She brought a hand to her bruised face. “What the fuck?!”

Mr. Carson was on her in a flash. The belt was around her neck, and his free hand ripped her shirt open. He leaned in on top of her, the smell of Old Spice overshadowing every other scent.

Cassie pushed at him, but she was bent backward over the table, and had no leverage. She tried to scream, only to find her vocal cords crushed by the belt.