"Before your time." He was avoiding a straight answer.
"Even before Mum?" Silence. "You're hiding something. Spit it out, Dad," I hissed. He couldn’t be talking about Mum, or why else would he keep quiet about it?
"It's not important," Dad said, scowling.
"I want to know."
"Because you're curious."
I sneered. "I wonder who passed this particular trait onto me.
Now that's a good question."
"Cass, just drop it. Please."
"I'll bug you until you tell me. Don't count on me forgetting because I won't. If you don't, I swear I'll join Mum and the seraphim troop in Heaven."
He sighed and dropped into his leather chair, gaze fixing on the fiery-red mountains in the distance. "It hurts to talk about it."
Changing tactics wasn't going to work its magic on me. "The sooner you open up, the better for your healing process."
Dad smiled. "No sympathy for your old man, then?"
I grinned. "None whatsoever."
"Okay, but you've been warned so don't blame me if you can't handle it." He took a sip of his sugary afternoon coffee.
Drumming my fingers against the smooth surface of his desk, I wondered whether I actually wanted him to reveal his secret. Of course there were other women before Mum, and some were yet to enter his life, but the knowledge didn't make the thought any easier to bear. Even though it had been years since my parents split up I still dreamed of a reconciliation, or at least a few hours without fighting.
"On the day I was sent down here, I met this beautiful woman.
Five minutes with her and I knew she was the one," Dad said.
Just like me with Dallas. Dad had felt the bond...the connection. Leaning forward, I listened intently, because it was cute.
I still wished he were talking about Mum though. "You were in love.
What happened?"
Dad moistened his lips, his eyes glazed over as though he was in deep thought, reliving his past. "I tried to get a date for years, but she kept blowing me off."
"Your charm didn't work on her?" I laughed. "That's a first."
Dad nodded. "Still doesn't."
"You're still seeing her?" Did he cheat on Mum during all those years they were together?
"Not as often as I'd like to," Dad said.
"You—" My eyes threw daggers. I was lost for words. "You were thinking about her when you were with Mum. I'm going to tell her." I jumped up, knocking over his cup. The black liquid spilled onto Dad's papers. With an irritated flick of his hand, the stains disappeared, leaving behind white paper and no traces of what just happened.
"No, Cassie. It's not like that." Dad grabbed my hands, pulling me to face him. "Please, let sleeping dogs lie."
"She knows?" I don't believe it. No wonder she couldn't get fast enough out of Hell."
Dad avoided my gaze again. "You could say that."
In that case I'd rather not remind her and risk making her more upset, but that didn't mean I couldn't use the knowledge to my advantage. "I propose a deal. I'll keep quiet and you give Dallas a chance."
"Cass, you know I couldn't possibly agree. He's mortal, your time together is short. I don't want you to suffer when he grows old and dies."
I waved my hand around. "You're worried, got it. Now let's get back to business. I promise I won't tell Mum if you vow to like and accept Dallas."
"How could I when I don't even know him?"
I shrugged. "Who cares? Spend some time with him, make him feel welcome. If he takes off because of something you do or say, I won't ever forgive you."
Dad laughed, eyes glinting. "You'll make an excellent second-in-command."
"So you keep saying." I rolled my eyes. "Promise, Dad."
He nodded. "All right. You have my word. I'll treat Dallas like I'd treat my own son."
Given Dad's constant pressure on me to do as he said, I wasn't sure treating Dallas like he was part of the family was a good thing.
"Just don't go overboard."
"Done." Dad peered around. "Well, where did you hide him?
Bring the boy over so we can start bonding before I change my mind."
Why did everyone keep calling him a boy? I jumped up, heading for the door, then stopped in my tracks. "I almost forgot. There's something else."
"What is it?" He sounded suspicious, slightly annoyed. "Please don't tell me I'm going to be a grandpa."
I puffed. "Fat chance. We haven't even kissed yet. You should know, since you have me spied on twenty-four hours a day."
Dad smiled, self-assured. "Yes, my invisible ghouls are my eyes and ears."
"Suck-ups."
"They're loyal." His green eyes flickered as he crossed his arms and leaned back, relaxed, as though a weight just lifted off his shoulders. "The fact that you and the boy haven't gone further than a peck on the cheek's the only reason why I haven't yet whisked him off to Dungeon 283."
"Dad! Are you bonkers?" Dungeon 283 was reserved for people like the bloodthirsty Roman emperor, Nero, and Ivan The Terrible. I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, my gaze connecting with his as I whispered, "Dallas doesn't know who we are. Let's keep it that way."
"What do you mean?" Fake confusion crossed his face.
I sucked my lip, considering my words. No point in beating around the bush. "Dallas thinks we're in Disneyland, California." Dad laughed. I held up my hand to stop him. "In fact, he thinks you're running the place. So, no talk about Hell, wrath, fire, demons, torture chambers, or anything else that might give us away."
"You're kidding."
"You are fit to rule this kingdom with your deceit. How did you pull it off, kiddo?"
I smirked, faking surprise. "What? You don't know? Oh, wait, you haven't gotten your daily report on me from your spies yet?"
"You know they report to me every night."
"Well, then I'll save you the trouble of reading." I rolled my eyes. "I flew him to California, took him to the amusement park entrance and opened the portal."
"Human bodies are not designed to take on that kind of trauma.
In this dimension, the energy is too much for his mortal body. He should've been disintegrated. Did you have the portal set on human transportation?"
Did I? My mind went blank. I couldn’t remember I even had that option on my phone. "Is that how it works?"
He arched a brow. "That's a 'no' then. There must be something special about him that he survived."
My secret plan almost fried my lovely new boyfriend. Maybe Fate was looking out for Dallas, after all. She must have a grand plan for him, or our bond kept him safe to travel where I was. I knew nothing about bringing humans into Hell and should've discussed it with Dad first. He could've given me the proper setting, but I couldn't take the chance he'd say no.
Dad's words snapped me out of my thoughts. "Back to my name, Cass. You can introduce me as Lucifer."
"Won't work." Thinking, I tapped a finger against my lips. "What about Luke from Lucifer, or Bob from Beelzebub?"
"No way, Cass. You said you wouldn't talk to your mother if I welcomed Dallas. That's a deal I'll keep, but being called something else other than what I am wasn't part of it." Dad shook his head vehemently. "It's bad enough we have to pretend we don’t exist. If I let him call me Bob, I'll end up the laughingstock."
Damn, I should've bargained better. It was time for a change in scheme. I popped my eyes wide upon until they burned so they looked shiny and ready to burst into tears any minute. "Please, Daddy. I'll love you forever and ever if you do this. Besides, no one will know and it won't be for all eternity, just for a week or two until he returns home."
My lips started to quiver from the effort of keeping my aching eyes open. Dad looked away. His hesitation was a sign he was about to crumble under the pressure. I walked around his shiny desk, my heels clicking noisily on the wooden floor, and forced him to face me.
"All right. But only for a week," Dad said eventually. A week sounded lik
e pure bliss. As the ever-optimistic chick, I knew anything could happen in a week, like Dad completely falling for Dallas's charm and morphing into his BFF.
I breathed out, relieved, and jumped into his open arms. "Thank you. Are you ready to meet the man of my dreams?"
Dad groaned. "Do I have a choice?"
Chapter 8 – Dinner small talk
I found Dallas inspecting the photos on my pin wall, which stretched from my cluttered dresser to the bay window across three quarters of the wall. Most of the pictures were snapshots of my parents and aunts; some were taken in front of famous places around the world. Luckily, Dallas had travelled extensively himself so he wouldn't feel inferior.
He didn't notice me standing in the doorway. I took a moment to gawk at him, marvelling at how tall he was. Dad's slacks fit him like a glove, the shirt was a bit loose around his toned torso and broad shoulders, but it was barely noticeable. His brown hair had a shiny hue; the ends were darker where the moisture from the shower hadn't dried yet.
"Hey." I inched closer, wrapping my arm around his waist and pressing my cheek against his shoulder.
"I wasn't prying." He turned and shot me a lazy smile. His arms pulled me close. I could smell the sweet scent of my shower gel on his skin. "I figured you wanted me to change into these." He pointed at his clothes.
I winked. "You look cute."
"So do you." He leaned into my embrace, tracing my lips with his finger. My skin tingled, my breath caught in my throat. The air between us crackled. I wish this could be our first 'magical moment', especially since he looked so hot all cleaned up but Dad was waiting.
And you don't keep Dad waiting...again.
I broke off first. "Dad wants to meet you."
Dallas nodded. "We shouldn't keep him waiting then."
"Having dinner with my Dad can be worse than going to a job interview. But don't be nervous. Just be yourself and he'll love you."
I pulled him down to peck him on the cheek before we joined Dad in the dining room. He greeted us at the door with a huge smile. I peered behind him and felt the heat drain from my face. A little Omnidus, dark as coal with tusks that reached up almost a foot, was setting the table. Spinning around, I grabbed Dallas's arm and yanked until his back was turned on Dad's maid demon.
"I'm B—" Dad cleared his throat. I glared at him. Seriously, how could it be this hard for him to spew out a fake name? Guess when it came down to pride, losing his identity sucked big time.
"Bill?" Dallas prompted.
I nudged him. "Bob."
"Short for Robert?" Dallas asked.
"He hates that name, babe."
"I'm Bob," Dad said, holding out his hand.
Dallas gave it a vigorous shake. "Dallas. Pleasure to meet you, sir."
"Please, call me Dad. All of Cass's boyfriends do."
Laughing, I slapped Dad's arm harder than intended. "He's just joking. I've never brought anyone home before."
"Which doesn't mean I didn't know about your boyfriends," Dad said. I glared at him, lest he keep embarrassing me, making me seem like a tart, but he changed the subject. "Dinner must be ready by now.
Care to join us?"
From the corner of my eye, I noticed the Omnidus scurry through the connecting door into the adjoining kitchen. I grabbed Dallas's arm again and dragged him to the decked table. Our best china and silver shimmered in the dim light of the candelabra; three glass vases with red tulips, simple yet chic, built a beautiful contrast to the white brocade tablecloth.
"This is nice," I whispered. Dad winked, smiling. Maybe having the Omnidus around was a slip-up and he didn't mean to sabotage my relationship. Dad poured cranberry juice into three glasses and handed us one.
Dallas took a sip, insecure, as Dad focused his gaze on him. I knew this look. He was about to start the interrogation. He might as well strap Dallas to a lie detector and give him a polygraph test. As much as I would've liked to help the love of my life this was one battle he had to fight for himself. If not, Dad would never take him seriously.
Eager to give them a minute alone, I got up mumbling, "I'll see about dinner. Be right back."
Dad nodded, but didn't look at me. I headed out the door, tuning in to the conversation, which started almost as soon as I closed the door behind me.
"So, how do you like it here in California?" Dad emphasised the last word like it was Chinese.
"It's nice. I've been here before."
"You're a well-travelled man then?" Dad asked.
"From one side of the globe to the other," Dallas said. "I've even climbed the Andean mountains for thirty five miles in Peru to the fortress of Machu Picchu."
"That's one of the Seven Wonders of the World," I said, impressed, leaning forward over the table, careful that my dry hair wouldn’t catch fire. "The Incas started building that around AD 1400.
The Inca king, Tupaq Amaru, kidnapped my Aunt Krista for a virgin sacrifice in one of those temples without noticing she wasn't much of a virgin. Dad sent the Spanish on them who won in the end."
Dad grinned. "I was so proud of myself until I realised I had just wiped out an entire civilization."
I snorted. "How can anyone be proud of starting a war?" My gaze wandered from Dad's amused face to Dallas's questioning look when it dawned on me. Oops, I'd slipped. I burst out in a fit of laughter. "Just kidding."
"We almost had him," Dad said, trying to cover up for me.
Dallas laughed. "You two are such a riot."
"See, Dad? Dallas has been everywhere," I said, changing the subject. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one to return to the topic at hand.
"You're a nomad?" I could hear the accusation in Dad's voice.
"I wouldn't call myself that, sir. I'd love to settle down one day."
Settling down? Dallas was digging himself an early grave here.
Sucking in my breath, I signalled the Omnidus to bring over the cart with the first course. He bowed deeply, then scampered away. I pulled the door open, smiling. "Who's ready for the first course? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
"Dallas was about to tell me his plans for the future," Dad said.
"Isn't that interesting?"
I nodded and lifted the lids off the serving dishes. "Uh-uh. We have smoked salmon and salad. Yum."
Dad started shoving food onto Dallas's plate. Either he tried to fatten Dallas up like a Christmas goose, or it was an attempt at challenging his stomach's capacity until he threw up across the rug and made a dash for the nearest exit, too mortified to ever see me again.
I wouldn't have any of it, so I grabbed the plate out of Dad's hand and placed it in front of me, then handed Dallas my own plate. "Thanks, Dad. You're a star."
A fake smile spread across his lips as he helped himself to a few slices of salmon. "You're welcome, sweetie." I dug in even though I wasn't hungry. Dad resumed the conversation. "Did Cass tell you she'd be leading our most important advertising campaign to date?"
"Really?" Dallas nodded and shot me a crooked smile. "That's fantastic. At such a young age it's a major achievement. You must be very proud of her."
"I am." Dad clicked his tongue. "She's carrying plenty of responsibility on her thin shoulders. To avoid any distractions, she's decided to move back home."
Dallas's eyes widened as he turned to meet my gaze. Putting my fork down, I peered at him from under my lashes. "Sorry, I meant to tell you."
He squeezed my hand. "No, it's okay. I don’t need a babysitter while you work."
"Perhaps you could help out," Dad said.
Dallas shrugged. "Sure."
I glared at Dad. What was he doing? He knew well Dallas couldn't possibly contribute to our make-Hell-popular campaign. "I don't mind if you stay at the hotel and watch TV, or go to the beach."
"No, I'd love to help. This is bound to be so much more interesting than getting a tan," Dallas said.
Dad clapped his hands. "Fantastic. If you do well, I might even offer you a job."
&nb
sp; I clasped my hands in my lap, digging my nails into the fragile skin of my arms. "Please don't make any concrete plans. You know I won't be staying forever, and Dallas isn't keen on the heat here."
Dad cocked his brows. "Really?"
Narrowing my gaze, I pointed at the still half-full plates. "Why don't you get the main course while I tell Dallas a bit about the campaign. You know, to brief him in."
Dad cleared the table in silence and left for the kitchen.
Groaning, I started massaging my temples.
"It's not that bad," Dallas whispered. "Things are going better than I expected. Your dad's—"
"Shush, he can hear you," I whispered back.
Dallas shot me his easy going grin. "Not unless he has super sonic hearing."
"Let's just say he's never been a fan of headphones. His hearing's better than mine."
The door opened. Dad wheeled the cart in, heading straight for Dallas's chair. "I hope you like beefsteak."
"Sounds good to me." I smiled up at Dallas, only then noticing all colour had drained from his face. My gaze moved to his plate where a puddle of blood had gathered around a piece of meat as large as my palm.
Dad slapped his shoulder, making Dallas sway a few inches in his seat. "Men like their steaks rare."
"That's disgusting, mate. You should fire the chef." I jumped to my feet, reaching for Dallas's plate when he held up a hand.
"No, that's exactly the way I eat it." I could tell from the panic in Dallas's eyes that he was lying, but I wasn't going to start an argument and emasculate him.
Dad slumped into his seat and started piercing the rare meat with a kitchen knife that wouldn't look out of place in a military base.
"Where did we leave off?" He bit into a bloody piece, red liquid trickling onto his white collar. His teeth seemed to chew forever before he finished and swallowed the thing down.
"You were trying to scare my new boyfriend with your Dracula eating habits by sinking your teeth into a raw piece of meat like some ravenous werewolf."
Dad grabbed a linen napkin and wiped his mouth, grinning.
"Where are my manners? I apologise." Yeah, right.
"It's okay," Dallas said. "I don't scare easily."