Cassie

 

“Stop glaring and take these over there.” Nora set two large cups of coffee on the counter in front of me, forcing me to abandon my telepathic assault on my least favorite customer. If only I really could shrink his testicles with my mind. “And don’t spit in his coffee,” she added, already at work on the next customer’s order.

With a dramatic and aggravated sigh, I pushed myself up from my slumped position and grabbed the coffees. I straightened my shoulders, rising to my full five-foot and three-inch height—I could thank my half Korean mother for that—and pasted on my I don’t give a fuck face. Because I didn’t. It didn’t bother me that he was here. At all. It didn’t bother me that he came here every morning. Every. Single. Damn. Morning. Looking like some dark, Russian angel of pain and death and heartbreak, because those were the only things you’d get from him. I suspected he was equally skilled at dealing out each. He was ice cold. And maybe an assassin? I didn’t know, and neither did I care. He was nothing and no one to me.

Sure, he could turn on that blinding white smile, melt you with those startling blue eyes, and make your insides feel squishy with that deep, barely there, hint of a Russian accent that all his years in the US hadn’t completely eradicated. You might even be fooled enough to fall into the sack with the guy, whereupon he would deliver the most earth-shattering orgasms of your life, but come morning, he would revert back to his usual gruff and severe self. In fact, he didn’t even wait until morning. The second the condom was in the trash, it was all wham, bam, and not even a thank you ma’am. Just a, you can go now.

You can go now.

For fuck’s sake, it wasn’t like I’d expected flowers and breakfast in bed. I knew it was just a hookup, but seriously? You can go now?

That’s it?

Prick.

Okay, maybe I was bitter, but he was still an asshole. His dickish behavior had continued long past our one night, which I now looked back on with only regret.

Both guys looked up from the, no doubt, top-secret and all-important conversation they were having as I neared their table. I offered Nora’s brother-in-law, Camden, a brief smile and handed him his coffee. “Morning, Cam.”

“Morning, Cass.” He accepted his coffee with a warm and sexy smile. Just when I thought I’d definitely decided which of the Shaw brothers was hotter, the other would show up and I’d be back to debating dimples and penetrating stares, but that was beside the point. They were both very taken anyway. I hardened my features, turning to Nikolai, and thunked his cup down in front of him.

“Here.” If I could spit knives with my words, I would have stabbed him ten times over with that one word. He didn’t so much as blink at me. He simply sat there, his expression almost bored and slightly smug. I bit down on my frustration. He reached for the cup, one corner of his mouth curling up just slightly.

I spun around on my heels, huffing out an annoyed breath. I knew better than to let him goad me into a reaction. It was pointless.

“Wait.”

I turned around. He had the cup halfway to his mouth. “You didn’t spit in it this time, did you?”

I shrugged and smirked, then sauntered away, rejoining Nora behind the counter.

“You ever going to tell me what happened with you two?” she asked, leaning against the counter now that there was a lull in customers.

“Nothing to tell,” I muttered.

“Right,” she smirked. “Ever since the wedding, you’ve looked like you wish you could chop his balls off and put them in the blender.”

I shrugged. “I’d be doing the female population a favor.”

“Okay, cut the shit. Obviously, you two hooked up.”

“Maybe we did.” I chanced a look at their table. Nikolai caught me and winked as he lifted his coffee to his lips. I tore my gaze away and gritted my teeth. “If so, it was a one-time thing that will never, ever happen again. As in never ever, ever, T-Swift style. Because he’s an asshole. And he wasn’t even all that good in bed.” Lie. Lie. Lie.

Nora’s brow arched. “What’d he do? Tie you up and spank you?” She shot a curious look at the guys’ table. “He kind of seems the type.”

“Geez, Nora. No.” But thanks for those mental images. As if I needed any more. Not to mention that I sort of got the feeling that night that he was the type who would have been into it if I’d have let him. “You really want to know what happened?”

Her face said, “Duh.”

“Okay, whatever. We hooked up after your rehearsal dinner. I was drunk, he was hot and charming, or maybe I was just drunk enough to think he was.” Because I certainly hadn’t seen any of that charm since. “Afterward, he practically shoved me out of the bed and his hotel room. He’s been a complete dick ever since.”

Nora cringed.

“Wasn’t like I expected a promise ring, but he didn’t have to be a jerk.”

“I’m sorry. He’s Spencer’s best friend, but I really don’t know him that well. He’s always come across a little . . .”

“Heartless? Emotionally crippled?” I supplied.

“I was going to say taciturn.”

“I like mine better.”

“Okay, but asshole or not, he’s not going anywhere. So, maybe you could try to play nice. Or at least you two could stop provoking each other.”

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and sighed heavily. “Fine. I will if he will. It’s not like I even care anymore. I’m over it.”

“I can tell,” Nora muttered under her breath. I made a face at her back as she busied herself cleaning up from the last rush. Business had better than good. It seemed any publicity truly was good publicity. Even if that publicity centered around a serial killer whose story was about to be made into a major motion picture. I couldn’t believe how many people a day asked Nora if she was the girl from the story, the one the Northwest Strangler was obsessed with. I could tell it bothered her, but she handled it better than I did the ones who confronted me. Nora got sympathy and curiosity. I got scathing looks when they asked if I was the one who’d been dating him.

Nobody likes a girl who fucked a serial killer. Even if said girl had no clue he was a psychopath. It wasn’t like he introduced himself as the Northwest Strangler. He didn’t even use his real name. I was as fooled as everyone else. He was the liar, the deceiver, and a damned good actor. Yet, according to just about every speculator out there, which was most people, I should have known. I should have seen some sign, as if there’d been a neon one flashing above his head.

Let me assure you, there wasn’t. There were no signs, neon or otherwise.

Almost two years had gone by and still no one could forget. Or let me forget. In fact, since the movie option had been announced, the story had seen a revival. Filming started last week. Right here in the good ol’ Pacific Northwest, where it all went down. I couldn’t wait to see how I was portrayed on-screen. Not. The media had painted me as a brainless and reckless party-girl when the story broke. Why would the movie be any different? I planned to be out of town when it hit theaters. It would be a good time to head to Florida to visit my parents. The release was sure to bring out more of the crazies, crime junkies, serial killer fanatics, and people just too nosy for their own good.

Lost in my depressing thoughts, it took me a moment to realize there was a customer staring at me expectantly. His slightly amused expression became a full-on grin as I straightened up.

“Hi, what can I get for you?” He was easy on the eyes in an athletic, well built, hipster way. It was like all the hipsters started taking protein, hitting the gym, and growing beards. I didn’t know what category to put them in anymore.

“Can I get a twenty-ounce quad shot with almond milk and a pump of caramel?” He was still grinning, a little twinkle in his baby blues.

“Sure thing.” I rang his drink up, returning his grin with a polite smile as I took his money and then reached for the cup to make his drink.

“This place is great,” he commented while I worked. I forced another smile and nodded. “I just moved to town from Everett,” he continued. “I’m still getting to know the area, but so far I like what I see.” His flirty tone told me exactly what he liked. I ignored it and thankfully the noise of the espresso machine cut off any further conversation.

The guy was persistent, though. As soon as the shots finished brewing and the noise subsided, he started in again. “Are you from here, or are you a transplant as well?” This was not a guy suffering from low self-esteem. He knew he was good looking.

“Born and raised.” I snapped a lid on the cup and slid it into a sleeve. “Here you go.” I handed him his drink.

“Don’t suppose you wrote your number on it?” He flashed those extra-pearly whites.

I gave him an impassive look. I was immune to his type these days.

“Alrighty,” he mumbled, taking his coffee and retreating.

I didn’t feel badly. His ego could take the hit. He’d get over it.

I was sure I’d done myself a favor. Spared myself the trouble he no doubt was. A guy seems all cute and charming at first, and then you find out he has a secret identity, only he’s not a super hero—unless his last name is Shaw. Instead, he’s an insane person who likes to rape and strangle girls in the basement of a creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere. Or maybe he’s just a regular asshole. Either way, I’d both been there and done that.

“He was cute,” Nora interjected into my musings.

I shrugged.

“Really cute, and it looked like really interested,” she added, nudging me.

“He probably has a foot fetish or something else weird,” I responded.

She sighed, “Cass, not every guy you meet is a creep.”

“I know that. Some are just jerks.” Case in point, my eyes flicked involuntarily toward Cam and Nikolai’s table.

Nora followed my gaze. “Thought you were over that?”

“Maybe it’s the other stuff I’m not over, Nora,” I snapped a little harsher than intended.

She looked taken aback for a moment, and then her eyes softened, and a small pinch of concern creased her brow. “Have you considered talking to someone, like a professional? I think it might help you to be able to process everything with–”

“Can we just not go there,” I cut her off. Any day I could go without having to hear his name was better than most. “I don’t want to talk about my feelings and let a shrink sift through my head.”

She didn’t get the chance to argue further, because a group of knitted hat, scarf, and Ugg boot wearing college girls came in the door. Fall had arrived, and so had the pumpkin spice crew.

We served them their drinks and three Chocolate Sin cupcakes, which, in my opinion, contained the source of life and were baked with joy and passion and a little bit of sex. They were that good. Anyone who didn’t believe me could listen to the little moans of delight coming from the pumpkin spice table. I called that a cupcake-gasm. They were common around here since Sweet Treats started supplying us with these babies. If Nora or Reggie didn’t watch me closely, I’d eat three in one shift. Zero regrets.

Cam ventured over from his seat to lean on the counter. “You coming to dinner tonight?” he asked Nora.

“Probably. Your brother isn’t back from California and it’s been a while since I’ve been out to see Em’s parents.”

“You bringing some of these cupcakes?” he nodded at the display case and the aforementioned cupcakes. Nobody could resist them.

“My order is already in at the bakery. I’ll pick them up after work,” she assured him. I tuned out their conversation, assuming Em’s parents were having one of their usual family dinners. They were always barbecuing up something, and this late in September, the weather would be changing fast. It was probably one of their last weekends to take advantage of the grilling weather. I’d been invited on more than one occasion, but I preferred to spend my evenings in with Grandmama.

My mother’s mother lived with me, or me with her, however you wanted to look at it. Last year, my dad retired from the military and my parents were now the proud owners of a beach house down in the Florida Keys. They went from being on the other side of town to the other side of the country. I think they’d expected me and Grandmama to pack up and go with them They’d tried their best to convince me it would be a fresh start, but here I was.

Grandmama hadn’t wanted to go either. She was a stubborn woman and I don’t think she was ready to give up the house she’d shared with my grandfather for forty years, right up until the day he died, just before my twenty-first birthday. All the years of smoking while he was in the military and then the cigar habit he picked up in his later years did him in.

Grandmama’s health hadn’t been the best since he passed. I worried about her being on her own. I think she worried about me for the same reasons. I’d moved in temporarily after I gave up my apartment, the one he’d tainted, and I hadn’t left yet.

As far as roommates went, I could do a lot worse than Grandmama Mari. She was a spunky old lady. Lots of sass and fire in her. She was sharp as a tack and had a quick wit. Part of her heart was still in Korea, and she’d hung onto a lot of the traditions. She tried to instill them in my mother and me, and we Americanized her, with Papa’s help. He was an American soldier posted in Korea when they met and fell in love. She left everything behind and came home with him to make a new life in America. She was probably the bravest woman I’d ever met. I don’t think I could have done it. Not even for a handsome soldier. And my grandfather had been a handsome man, like a dark-haired Clint Eastwood in his younger years. I missed him, and I didn’t mind looking after Grandmama, even if she thought she was the one looking after me.

Honestly, I probably got the better end of the deal. She cooked and baked for me, so the little house we shared always smelled wonderful when I came home. In the evenings, we would watch her shows she’d recorded on the DVR. She was an in-bed-by-eight, early bird, so my nights were all mine. Not that I did much with them lately. Grandmama Mari lived a more exciting life than I did, with her knitting club and church socials.

“You coming, Cassie?” Hearing my name drew my attention back to the conversation.

“Huh? Oh, the barbecue. No, not this time.”

“You sure? Nikolai’s going to be there,” Cam teased.

I glared, earning a chuckle.

“Someone say my name?” Nikolai came up behind him, his typical smug countenance in place.

“I was just telling Cam how disappointed I am that I won’t be able to make the barbecue tonight since you’re going to be there.” My lips were stretched in a false smile and my words saccharine, but my eyes were still all stabby, stabby.

“I’ll bet,” he snorted. “I’ll miss you too, sweetheart.” Then he turned to Cam, cutting me out entirely. “We better get going. I’ve got to relieve James in thirty, and I’m sure he’s already going out of his damned mind. I don’t want to push it, or he’ll be the one we have to protect the client from.” He said “client” like it was some secret that they were running personal security for Norah’s movie doppelganger, Riley James—A-list actress and America’s current favorite sweetheart. She was in town for filming, and word was she might have a stalker. Word also was she and James went together like diesel and fertilizer.

Before Cam could utter a response, Nikolai’s phone buzzed long and loud in his pocket. He fished it out, and upon glancing at the screen, a deep frown marred his brow. “One second, I’ve got to take this. It’s the ex-wife’s replacement me. Could be about Elijah,” he told Cam and then quickly stalked toward the door as he answered the call.

I, meanwhile, was left in a stunned state, jaw on the floor. “Ex-wife? You mean someone married him? Although, clearly she was smart enough not to stay married to him.”

Cam shook his head. “Can you two ever play nice?”

We had once, for about two hours of flirting, twenty minutes of foreplay and then about forty-five minutes of orgasm after orgasm. Then it seemed he was all out of nice.

“From what I understand, his ex is a crazy bitch and he ended it, but they have a son together.”

“Crazy bitch according to whom?” I snorted. “But holdup, you said they have a kid? There’s a little Nikolai spawn out there running around?” I just couldn’t picture it, and I was trying. In my mind, all I could see was Nikolai’s scowling face on a mini version of him, carrying a gun and all tatted up. It was scary to think he’d reproduced.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t bring it up if I were you. He’s real touchy and protective when it comes to his kid.”

So, the guy gave a shit about someone. He was actually human. Who knew?  I’d yet to see it. I looked at Norah. “Did you know any of this?”

She shook her head, and I could tell she was nearly as shocked as I was. “I had no idea. Spencer never mentioned it, but if Nikolai wanted to keep it private, Spence would respect that.”

Before I could wonder too much more about Nikolai’s secret life, he stormed back in, the scowl on his face even deeper. It was clear the phone conversation had not gone well.

“Lisa was killed last night in a car crash,” he told Cam, almost like he couldn’t believe it. “You’re going to have to tell James I’m sorry, but I won’t be relieving him. I’ve got to get my ass on a plane to Texas.”