Free Pello Island: Cassia by A.L. Jambor

things work.
    “Yeah, well, that’s great, buddy, but remember, if you don’t answer the phone, you die.”
    “Why isn’t she here, Janus?” Darius asked.
    “She’s where she needs to be, buddy.”
    “Screw that buddy crap and tell me where she is?” Darius was getting angry.  He knew that something was up or she’d be here.
    “I can’t tell you because I don’t know, Darius.  They’re keeping her under wraps.”
    “Why?  What are they trying to pull?”
    “Take it easy, buddy. Jeez, look at the time - I gotta go.  You all take care and we’ll all meet back here for Christmas.” Janus looked from Darius to Cassia.  Cassia nodded her head.  Darius got up off the sofa and grabbed his IDs.  
    “I have to go to a meeting,” he said and left the room.
    “That went well,” Cassia remarked. 
    “It will work out, Cassia.  It has to.  They’re serious about locking us out.  So, what are your plans again?”
    “I’m going to my spa.”
    “Oh yeah, the one you bought, what life was it?”
    “The one before last.”
    “That’s right.  How’s that cute doctor, what’s her name?”
    “Patricia Morgan, M.D.” Cassia smiled at Janus.  “She remembers you, too.”
    “They all do, Cassia, they all do.  So, you have a good time washing out your blood and I’ll see you in a few weeks.  We’ll turn him around.  Maybe we’ll bring Amatus, I mean Barnaby, gods I hate that name, back.  He always brings out the competitor in Darius.”
    “He lets me call him Amatus,” Cassia teased.
    “Of course he does.” Janus stood up.
    “I wonder where he’s really going,” Cassia said.
    “Who?”
    “Darius.   His meeting isn’t until later.”
    “I wouldn’t worry about it.  He’s going through some stuff.”
    “Aren’t we all?”
    Cassia stood up, too, and walked Janus to the front door.  
    “You have my number if you need me.  Tell Sara I’ll be back at midnight for our rendezvous,” he said as he opened the door.
    “I heard that,” Sara said from the kitchen.
    Cassia climbed the stairs to see if Darius went to his room.  She found him brooding on one of Amatus’ couches.
    “What are you doing in here?” she asked.
    “It’s like home,” he said.
    “So, what’s your name?” she said.
    “Ian McAllister.  I had a wife, Maureen, and a daughter.  It doesn’t give her name, though.  That’s weird.  I don’t know what happened to Maureen.”
    “Janus must know.  Maybe he didn’t want to talk in front of me.”
     “Never stopped him before.”
    “Well, I have to get ready.  You have my number if you need me.”
    Darius got up with her and grabbed her.  He kissed her, hard and deep.  She responded in kind and didn’t want to stop.  Finally, she pushed him away.
    “You know I have to go.” She paused.  “But don’t forget what that felt like.”
    She ran her finger down his chest and stopped just short of his zipper.  She walked away slowly so he could watch her, and felt like such a fraud.  She knew how to play him, and she hated doing it this time.  Darius was in for a bad time, and she had a part in it.  Cassia had never liked hurting anyone, and she felt this time the damage would be ruinous.  
    She walked into her room and packed a small bag.  She dialed Manuel’s number and he said he would meet her at the door.  As she walked to the stairs, she peeked into Amatus’ room and saw Darius still sitting on the couch, looking lost.
    “I’ll see you in two weeks,” she said, trying to sound cheery.
    “I’ll be here,” he replied and smiled wanly.
    “It will all work out, Darius, you’ll see.”
    “You take care of yourself, Cass.”
    She met Manuel at the door and got into the limo.  Manuel knew the way to the spa, and it took an hour to get there on the thruway.  She was greeted by the receptionist, Candi, who didn’t blink an eye when Cassia told her who she was.  Soon she was hooked up to the IV drip that would cleanse her body and