Behind The Alpha Book 4 CASS

Chapter 14

(Chapter song ‘I Just Died In Your Arms' by Cutting Crew)
EMBER

Two days turned to four real quick due to the fact that, in order for me to get the arrow, I have to steal it from Eros' office.  The place he barely leaves. 
I’ve been putting my feelers out for any sign he's left and I’m also trying to keep it together, but Cass is starting to grate.  Mostly because he wants to start something and I’m not letting him.  So what’s the problem…I kind of do too.
I’m sitting on my bed, watching my organizations website security system.  I’ve been glued to it for days. 
Cass is on the floor, sitting against a wall, tossing playing cards into a boot.  His toes in his white socks flexing with each toss.  I swear, he’s a giant 5 year old.  He tosses the last one and proceeds to pick them up to play again.
“Let’s go do something.”  He mumbles as he straightens the cards and sits back against the wall.
“No.  I have to be ready to get the arrow.”  I say as I rest my head on my hand and refresh the feed. 
He stands up.  “Come on.  We’re in this great city.  There’s tons we could do."  He sits on his bed. 
“No, Cass.”  I don’t even look at him.
He flops back on his bed and shuffles the cards  “Ok, fine.  At least let me go to the training center and hang with Dea.  You can sit under a tree or something.” 
I shake my head.  “No.  I don’t need your heart popping again.” 
He growls and flops to his back on the floor between the beds.  “I’m bored.”
“I can see that.”  I grumble. 
“There’s got to be something we can do.”  He says.
I turn to the space between the double beds.  I can’t see him, but I can smell his cologne.  “We aren’t doing anything.  Entertain yourself.” 
“With what?”  He pouts. 
This man is really trying my last nerve.  “Read a book.” 
“No.”
I look to the space.  “Play a game on your phone.” 
“Too many ads.”  He complains from the floor.
I take deep, patient breathes.  “Listen to music.”
Silence from the peanut gallery.  Finally. 
I flip the camera images outside and around Eros office. 
As I watch, a sound drifts up from the floor. 
I turn my head slowly as Cass starts to sing ‘All Out Of Love’ by Air Supply.
I listen and my heart speeds up.  No.  It’s not what you think. 
He really gets into it when I flip my head over the side.  He smiles.  I don’t.  “What are you doing?” 
He spreads his hands out.  “Singing.”  He shuffles the cards. 
I narrow my eyes.  “Don’t.”
“You don’t like Air Supply?”  His brows go up. 
“No.”  I growl and sit back up. 
There’s more silence and then ‘Bed Of Roses'  by Bon Jovi rises to my annoyed ears. 
“Cass!”  I hit the bed with my hands. 
Silence.
I blow out a breathe and go back to my phone. 
I thought I was actually in the clear until ‘Heaven' by Bryan Adams fills the room.
I flip over the edge.  “CASS!” 
He sits up.  “You know…”  He gets on his knees and rests his arms on the bed.  He puts his chin on them.  “For a love bug, you aren’t very lovey.” 
“I’m not supposed to be.”  I glance at him and back at my phone.
“I don’t get it.”  He climbs up and sits across from me with his legs crossed. 
“There’s nothing to get.  I told you.  I don’t do love.”  I say as I stare at my phone.
He leans his head on his hand.  “No.  There’s something more in that pretty, red head of yours.  I want to know.” 
I raise an eye to him.  “Leave it, Cass.”
He sits up and smirks.  “No.”
“I mean it.”
He leans to me and smiles.  “Tell me.”
I drop my phone.  “No.”
He tilts his head to me.  “Yes.” 
“Cass…”
He shoots another smirk and steals my phone.
“GIVE IT BACK!”  I yell.
He jumps backwards off the bed and holds it behind his back.  “Tell me.”
I fume as I get off the bed.  “Give it back!”
He holds it up in the air.  “Come get it, hot stuff.”  He grins and crooks his other hand to me. 
I bite back my own snarky smile as I walk up to him.  I reach up to grab it and he switches hands.  “Too slow.”
“Don’t piss me off.”  I warn.
“Tell me and you’ll get it back.”  He raises his brows.
I try to snatch it and he passes it around his back and it’s outstretched in his other hand as he backs up. 
“Cass…”
“You gonna tell me why you hate love so much?”  The corner of his lip ticks up.
“No.”  I walk toward him as he walks backwards toward the other bed.  He steps up on it, walks across and jumps down.  I follow like I’m hunting him down.
“You’re not getting it.”  He whispers.
“Yes, I am.”  I nod. 
“No, you’re not!”  He bolts for the door, throws it open and runs out to the hallway. 
“Get back here!!”  I run after him. 
He looks back just as he hits the stairwell.  He smiles as he runs in to start climbing the stairs, two at a time. 
“CASS!!”  I call after him.  He is so dead. 
He climbs the stairs, singing one bad love song after another.
“YOU’RE SUCH AN ASSHOLE!”  I pull myself up by the railing as he cackles. 
“Come get it, love bug…”  He slams himself into a door at the top.
I push through it and we’re on the roof.  The moon hangs high and the stars are paled against the city lights of Phoenix.  The night traffic can be heard even from 20 stories up.
He’s breathing heavy, smiling and bouncing my phone between his hands.  “Well, you getting it or what, sexy.”  He ticks his head with a smirk.
“This isn’t funny.  Cass, give me the phone.”  I hold out my hand. 
He puts it behind his back and leans to me.  “Kiss me first.”
“No…Cass, give me my damn phone!  Please!” 
He holds up a finger and enters my space.  “You…kiss me and I’ll give it back.” 
“That’s coercion.  You realize this.”  I say.
He grins.  “Sexy coercion.” 
I shake my head.  “I just can’t with you…”
He grabs the back of my head and his lips engulf mine.  He asks for my lips to part and my heart explodes in my chest. 
I try to push him off, but it’s like all my strength disappeared the moment our skin touched.
I whimper at how good he still feels knowing everything that’s happened.  I’m melting completely.  He wraps his arms around me as his soft tongue explores my mouth.  He holds me up as my knees get weak. 
God…I can’t…he’s…please…
My arm wraps around his neck and my other hand gently pushes his chest.  I can feel his heart race and our heat rise.  His gentle lips send shivers right through me. 
He pulls back and sucks my lip.  He still stays close.  His hot breath raises goosebumps.  He swallows.  “Wow.”  He grins. 
My eyes meet his dreamy blue ones.  “My phone.”  I hold out my hand. 
I puts the phone in my hand and let’s me go.
“Thank you.”  I mutter.
“Are you going to tell me?”  He asks.
I look at my phone.  “Shut up!”  I hold a hand up to him.
“Come on, Ember…”  He whines as he flops his hands to his sides.
“No, goofball.  Look.”  I hold the phone to him and show him the empty office.
Cass looks at me.  “He’s gone.”
I smile.  “Let’s go.”
I grab his arm and blink.  We appear in a vacant office across from Eros’. 
I silently open the door and peak in the crack.  Persephone is at her desk.
I look at Cass, put a finger to my lips and dial the phone.  I clear my throat as I put it to my ear.
Persephone pick up.  “Cupids office.”
“Persephone.  It’s Ember.”  I answer.
“Ember.  How are you?”  She says in a bubbly tone.
“Good.  Listen.  Can you go down and see if Eclese is in his office?  I can’t reach him.”  I ask as Cass looks through the crack.
“Sure.  I’ll call you back.”  She says.
“Thanks.”  I hang up.
Cass looks again, turns to me and nods.
She’s gone.
I slips into the hall with Cass behind me.  When we get to Eros' office door, I try the handle.  It’s locked. 
“Let me.  Got a lock pick?”  He holds out his hand.
I produce one out of thin air.  “You know how to pick locks?”
“Yeah.  My friends mate taught me a few things.”  He grins.
He crouches down and works on the lock as I watch the halls. 
The door pops open and Cass pushes it.  “After you, my love.” 
I eye him.  “Knock it off.”  I grumble.
“You need to lighten up.  For real.”  He arches a brow.
“No, I don’t.  Watch the door.”  I instruct as I stride into the office.
I walk to behind his desk,  move some books off a shelf behind it and pull out a glass lock box.  Inside, on two pedestals, sits the famous black and gold scrolled arrow.  The tip still has his blood on it after centuries.  I don’t know why he didn’t fix it like I am, but I can only assume it’s because he likes suffering the mental anguish of Psyche chasing him all over. 
That will not be me. 
I pick up the heart shaped key lock.  I open all the drawers only to find nothing.  He must have it on him.  I raise my head to Cass.  “Wanna give me a hand?” 
He walks around to me and looks at the lock. He picks it and pops it off.
I open the lid and instantly I’m flooded with lust.  Not love.  Lust.   I reach in and pick its thin shaft up in my finger tips.  My body temperature rises mostly because of stealing the arrow, but also from the power it’s giving off. 
Cass clears his throat.  “We got it.  Let’s go.” 
“Eros just stepped out, but you can leave it on his desk…Huh, the doors open.”
My eyes shoot to the door.  I quickly close the box and put it back.  Cass puts the books back.  I grab his arm just as Valentino walks in and we blink out to the hotel room. 
We both blow out a breath. 
He smiles.  “That was a little exhilarating.” 
“No.  It really wasn’t.”  I dial my phone.  “Jesse?  We got it.  Where’s Puck?...”  I pace, sigh and rub my forehead.  “How long?”  I grit.  “Ok.  Call me when you locate him.”  I hang up and throw my phone on the beside table.  “We have a problem.”
“What?”
“Pucks gone.  He was tracked by Michael now he’s in hiding.  Jesse’s looking into known hideouts, but he’s coming up empty.  My brother won’t be found if he doesn’t want to be.”  I sit on my bed.
“So…what do we do?”  He asks. 
I lay down, put my hands behind my head and cross my feet.  “Now…we wait.” 
Cass rakes a hand through his hair, blows out a breath and sits on his bed.  “I’m going insane.  You know this.”
I narrow my eyes and smirk.  “That’s not a far trip.” 
“Haha.”  He replies and throws a pillow at me as I chuckle at him and throw it back.