"That's not all we're running from," Amber muttered. "You've no idea, Cass."
I inclined my head, taking in the nervous tinge wafting from her. "He's safe with me."
She sighed. "You're probably right. At least you're not going to kill him to hurt us. Just don't break his heart. He really likes you."
"I like him too." I grabbed her hand. "Stay here for as long as you want. I'll pop back in the next couple of days to sort out a few things."
"Like?"
I shrugged. "This and that. Just trust me."
Various emotions crossed her face. Curiosity, hesitation, even scepticism, but she didn't insist.
"Anything else you'd like to run past me?" I asked.
"Let me think." Amber stared out at the expansive wonderland of rock formations and cinder cones strewn across the barren landscape in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. A puff of air made her jump. Huge plumes of sulfurous fumes and steam poured out through long cracks and fissures along the baked, dry desert ground.
The sound of rumbling filled the air; a red light from the fountain of glowing lava shone in the distance.
"Anything?" I prompted.
She shook her head. "Not really. But I have a question or two."
She pointed to a glowing cascade of lava way off to the east. "How did you explain"—she cleared her throat—"the fiery waterfall to Dallas?"
I smiled. "Special effects. It's Disneyland, right?"
She grinned. "You might get away with that, but how do you explain the temperature?"
"Everyone knows it's hot in California."
"So what's with the heat anyway? This place reminds me of a desert," Amber said.
I snorted. "I believe you'll find a desert's cooler."
"That's California for you." She laughed and we returned to the cottage. I could see from the faint smile on Aidan's face he eavesdropped on our conversation. The problem with vampires is they have too many abilities for their own good.
We arrived at Dad's mansion with half an hour to spare before dinner. Ginny wasn't here so, to avoid provoking Dad's suspicion, I decided to play waitress tonight. Lucky for me, Dad didn't join us.
"How's the campaign going?" Dallas asked.
I took a bite of my Chicken Tikka Masala, burning my tongue.
The trouble with Hell was, even the food never cooled down.
"Are you okay, babe?"
I nodded, swallowing down the chunk with a mouthful of water.
"I'm fine. In case you haven't noticed, we've been away all day. I didn't get a chance to spend time on brainstorming."
"I've been thinking about something that could really make an impression on prospective visitors."
He had no idea. Hell never failed to leave an impression, particularly not when Dad showed up in his business suit, carrying his briefcase aka torture instruments box with him.
"What do you have in mind?"
Enthusiasm sparked in Dallas's gaze. He put down his fork and grabbed my hand. "Imagine this: darkness, creepy music. Suddenly, a masked guy with an axe jumps from behind a bush. People will be scared to death."
If they don't laugh themselves into an early grave, Kinky muttered.
I smiled. "How did you come up with that?"
"You like it?"
I nodded. "Yes, but how does it fit in with Disneyland?"
"Don't you see, babe?" Shaking his head, he moistened his lips.
"What's more sensational than a mad murderer?"
One's got to admire his zeal and dedication. "Disneyland's about fairy tales, princesses and castles."
Dallas held up a hand, interrupting me. "You forget Freaky Friday."
He couldn't be serious. "Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the scariest part of that movie was a teenager being stuck in a middle-aged woman's body and the boyfriend trying to make out with one's mother. Did the mass murderer escape my attention?"
"You have a point." Dallas picked up his fork and resumed eating, speaking with his mouth full. "I'll come up with something else."
"I'm sure you'll do."
He peered at me, smirking. "You're winding me up."
"No." I shook my head, taking in his sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks. "I'd never do that. I love your ideas."
His fingers closed around mine, drawing circles. The sensation travelled up my arm and down my body, settling in the pit of my stomach. "What did Amber tell you about their situation?"
The sudden change in topic took me off-guard. "Nothing."
"She didn't tell you why they needed to leave London for a while?"
I shook my head, hoping my expression looked innocent enough.
"Did they rob a bank?"
He laughed, but I could see a frown forming on his smooth forehead. "Trust me, I wish it was the case."
"Do you want to tell me about it?" This was his chance to open up to me and establish the sort of trust that defines whether a relationship is long-term material. If he betrayed Amber's secret, I knew he saw me as someone he'd like to keep in his life. I might even be inclined to share with him a few details about my own life.
My palms started to sweat, this time not from the heat. Dallas ran his fingers through his hair, hesitating. Eventually, he grimaced. "I can't. She wouldn't want me to."
I wished I could yell that I knew everything already, so what was the big deal? But that wouldn't help us make progress in our relationship either. Fortunately, my big plan would go into action tomorrow. Soon, he'd be bound to realise it was time to leave the family nest and start a new life with me as his top priority, hence, no more secrets or words unspoken. Nothing against Amber, but she stood in the way of our predestined bond.
Patting his hand, I smiled. "I understand. I'd never want you to do something behind her back and betray her trust. It wouldn't be right."
"You're so gorgeous." He stroked my arm. "Let's do something together, something romantic. Just the two of us."
Romance sounded great. "Tomorrow?"
"Or today." He raised his brows meaningfully. Whatever he meant, I'd have to shatter his hopes because I wasn't that kind of girl.
"We could head to LA tomorrow, do a Hollywood tour if you're into movie stars. I know where a few of them live." I didn't mention that I stalked half of them into their mansions in the hope of a flash of inspiration regarding my next career move. After trying my hand at being a personal shopper, which failed because people had no taste, I came up with the idea of gathering work experience at Skylife and then taking on the Amazon imperium.
"Hollywood isn't my thing," Dallas said. "We could go shopping though."
My jaw dropped. A guy offering to go shopping was about as rare as catching a snowflake in the Amazon Rainforest. Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't such a rarity after all given that Dallas owned twice as much stuff, and I was already the hoarding kind, collecting whatever junk I could find. No wonder my clatter didn't bother him.
I nodded. "Great. Let's leave right after lunch so we have enough time to crash Rodeo Drive." Ginny should be finished with all preparations.
We ate our dinner chattering about this and that, then snuggled on the sofa in the living room. I had no idea where Dad was, but I couldn't shake off the feeling he was avoiding us. Maybe he had started to see the bond between Dallas and me, and kept away to give us privacy.
Who was I fooling? He didn't seem to take a liking to Dallas during our only dinner together. Knowing Dad, he was plotting the demise of my blossoming relationship this instant. If so, he underestimated me because I was already a step ahead.
Chapter 14 – Wrong turn
Dad didn't turn up for breakfast either, but he left a cryptic message mentioning something about finding one of the gates open. I instructed the chef to employ new kitchen help and clean up himself in the meantime, then retreated to my office. Dallas had left for the cottage to spend time with his sister. It suited me just fine because I'd rather work to take my mind off my plan. The anticipation kept me awake mo
st of the night already.
The campaign was still stuck in stage one aka brainstorming. I spent half an hour staring at the towering plumes of dark grey smoke rising from the volcanoes in the distance, trying to decide what the patterns in the dark swirls looked like, then another ten minutes peering between my screen and the empty sheets spread across my entire work surface.
Hell didn't feature in the 'Top 10 Destinations to Visit'. Heaven might be the more obvious choice. How did one make the one place popular that had been slandered for centuries? Even if the right advertising could change people's perception of what it was like to live down here, Dad's reputation as a trickster would be hard to shift.
Still no idea? You've been spending hours on this assignment and it's getting boring. Kinky leaned over my shoulder, making me jump.
"Could you stop creeping up on me like that?" I frowned. "May I remind you I've been busy with more important issues?"
Like hiding two vampires in Hell? Your dad will be so proud.
"Shush. They'll be gone before he knows it." I started flicking through my papers in the hope he understood how busy I was and made a beeline for the door, or my purse. But Kinky had never been the perceptive kind.
The idea with the murderer wasn't even a bad one. We could send a few demons up there and offer people the opportunity to hide in Hell. Once they see how lovely it is down here, they won't want to leave.
"That's sneaky." I rolled my eyes. "How is your little plan of misleading mortals into coming down here helping Dad's reputation?"
Kinky shrugged. You don't want to acknowledge how grand my plan is because you're so competitive.
What about inviting some journalists over? Pinky asked. They could have dinner with your father.
My jaw dropped. I stared at him unbelieving. "Pinky, who in their right mind would accept an invitation to dine with," I held up my hands, imitating direct speech quotes, " the devil?"
I know a few, Kinky said.
"Go away, you two. I need time to think and you're not helping."
She's jealous because she can't keep up with my imagination, Kinky whispered.
"Go away," I yelled. "If you don't disappear this instant, I swear I'll find a new job for you—feeding my lovely pet."
That beast of a hound? You're so mean. I was only trying to help. Kinky scoffed and disappeared.
I pointed at the self-satisfied Pinky. "You too." Shooting me a pained look, he vanished in his usual puff of white smoke.
The room fell silent again. I took a long, deep breath before I dared return to my work. My muse didn't seem to want to honour me with her presence today. I spent hours jotting down half-baked ideas, then tossed them into my mental wastebasket. I was even starting to consider giving Pinky's dinner invitation a chance, just to have at least one plan to show off.
By midday I gave up and headed for the cottage to pick up the man of my dreams. Dad's campaign might not take shape the way I hoped, but at least my relationship flourished, and soon we'd take it to the next level. No curse would keep me bound to this place, devoid of a social life, with Dad as the only company. I shivered. Nothing against Dad, but his ideas of fun involved working from dawn until dusk, and watching lower demons feed the hound guarding Hell's main gate who was quite prone to biting off a limb or two in the process.
Dallas chattered all the way to at The Boulders of Hell on Dragon's Path where I pulled out my phone to open the portal. As though sensing what was about to happen, he frowned before we stepped past the stones and through the invisible portal, reminding me of a conditioned pet that feared the electric shock right before he was being served dinner. Soon, he'd start questioning the sudden presence of charged particles in the air. From then on, it was only a matter of time until he suspected a connection between the electric jolts and me flipping open my phone.
"Did you feel that? My hair's standing." Dallas shuddered.
"It's the Golf of Mexico. There's probably a thunderstorm in South America. Happens all the time." I put the phone back in my pocket. "You'll get used to it."
He frowned. "It's only when I'm in this particular place, nowhere else." He was quicker than I gave him credit for.
"Really?" I peered at him, faking surprise. "Are you sure, babe?
Maybe you're just standing in a particular spot, or you're overly sensitive to the thunder. Some people complain about a strange sense in their bones right before the onset of rain."
Rolling his eyes, he pulled me closer. "That's called arthritis. I'm pretty sure I don't suffer from that condition just yet."
"Perhaps you will in the future. Make sure you drink your glass of milk every day."
"You're not taking me seriously, Cass."
I smiled and cuddled against him. A blue spark flickered where our skin met. He flinched. "Got to love static electricity," I said, lest he start asking questions.
"If you say so," he mumbled.
I guided him to a car, hoping he wouldn't notice it wasn't the same as our rental which one of Dad's employees returned the day before.
"Everyone around here's used to this phenomenon. Maybe it's time to stop paying attention to it. So man up and get used to it."
"Oh, I'll man up all right." Grinning, he reached out to grab me. I jumped into the driver's seat and shut the door. "Quick reflexes,"
Dallas said, seemingly impressed.
"Yep. Now, get in." I chuckled and adjusted the rear-view mirror, then started the engine as he got in. Time to change the subject before his inquisitive mind focused back on the portal. "Did Amber say anything about us dating?"
"She's cool with it."
"That's what she said?" I pulled out of the parking lot, barely paying attention to the crowded street because my heart was racing in my chest. Usually, I couldn't care less what anyone thought, but Amber played a huge part in Dallas's life and could influence his decisions.
"She said you're great and that she's okay with it if we start seeing each other."
I smirked. "How nice of her."
"I'd rather my girlfriend got along with my family," Dallas said.
"It saves drama."
Drama was exciting. The more tension, the better. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that? "Did you also mention that on our very first date, we decided to skip the dating and move in together? And that it was completely your idea?"
He laughed. "I think I left out the tiny details."
"You're right. Your family approving of me is the most important thing in this relationship." If he noticed the sarcasm in my voice, he didn't comment on it.
Turning the car, I changed lanes and drove past a petrol station into a broad road with dilapidated buildings towering on both sides.
Small shops advertised cheap haircuts and designer clothes, all knockoffs of Gucci and Prada available for a fragment of the runway price. Children played on the sidewalks next to women clad in tiny shorts and tank tops. As we passed a dark alley, I was sure I heard gunshots and people screaming.
Dallas snorted. "So this is where the stars shop in Beverly Hills?
It doesn't look like Rodeo Drive."
"Only the ones that plummet at the box office." I peered at a guy in what looked like a trench coat selling fake Rolex watches in front of a fast-food restaurant. "I'm taking a shortcut." From the corner of my eye, I spotted a frown on his face. Amber must've said something because he was more suspicious than before.
Two beady, yellow eyes glowed in the headlights. I hit the brake hard. The car came to a standstill, throwing us forward, as an animal as big as a dog scurried by and into the maze of trashcans.
Dallas shot me an irritated glance. "Come on, Cass. What's with all the back alley shortcuts? I'd rather not get eaten alive by giant sewer rats."
He looked so cute with that expression on his face. "Don't tell me a big, tough guy like yourself is afraid of a little dog?"
"You call that thing little?" Snorting, he looked up at a graffiti image splashed across the concrete wall of a buildi
ng. Big block letters in a rainbow of colours glared out at us. "Great. We're in gang territory. Can't you just take the main road like everyone else? I'd rather we didn't end up dead somewhere in a gutter."
"Or a wheelie bin." I laughed. "Relax and embrace your inner thug."
"If someone comes near us with a tire iron, I can fight if I have to. Trust me, I'm no wimp."
Definitely hit a soft spot there. I leaned over and squeezed his hand. "I've been here a million times and know my way around." Which was true. Not even New York boasted the same amount of drama and human emotion so, naturally, I came here often.
"If you say so," he muttered.
We stopped at the traffic lights. A group of youngsters crossed the street, yelling and shoving, proud of a crime they'd just committed. I focused and saw hazy pictures flashing through my mind.
Raiding a building. Stealing half a pound of drugs. I closed my eyes, slowly inhaling their elation caused by a surge in adrenaline. There was something else though. The air around them darkened, carrying the imminent scent of disaster and pain. Unbeknown to them, they were about to die.
"We shouldn't be here," Dallas whispered. "Please just drive."
I opened my eyes again and turned to face him, only now noticing the colour had drained from his cheeks. The bond was slowly making him sense a bit of how I felt. He wasn't used to having a sixth sense so, naturally, he didn't know how to handle it, or so I thought.
The lights changed to green, but the youngsters lingered in the middle of the street. Two large, hooded figures appeared on the sidewalk behind them and pulled out guns. My knees started to tremble, but not from fear.
Dallas opened the car door when I grabbed his arm. “What are you doing? Are you crazy?”
“Those are just boys, Cass. I can’t watch them die and not do a thing. Stay here, call the police, and lock the doors.”
A sense of thrill washed over me. I could barely discern his words. The hooded figures raised their guns and aimed.