Casing ✔️

Chapter 22

"Nothing," I said.

Even though I wanted to, I couldn't take my eyes off of James. His eyes had brightened, and he was smiling at me. I punched him as hard as I could, because he'd taken three lives, and he was smiling. Dimples and all.

He truly was psychotic.

And I wasn't sure I disliked it. Judging by the feeling inside my body, I even liked it. I just didn't want anyone to know.

"It doesn't look like nothing," dad replied, crossing his arms. I closed my eyes for a moment longer than strictly necessary, and moved my head so I'd look at my father instead. When I did, I saw he was staring at James too—albeit with more anger laced through it.

"Kevin," James greeted him, "I just wanted to make sure your daughter wasn't too traumatized by all of this."

He sounded so casual and cold, I almost doubted it was really him who spoke. But I'd heard that same voice in this warehouse before, during one of our dates.

"No disrespect, boss," dad said, clearing his throat, "but why would a man in your position care about my daughter's wellbeing? And why would she punch you?"

No disrespect, my ass. If he thought for a second that James had violated me, brought me pain or anger in any way, this family loyalty-thing would just go up in smoke for him. I loved him for that. But I also hated him for it.

He'd taught me to use the weapon currently attached to my hip. I could take care of myself.

"Because she has trouble thinking before speaking or doing things," James replied, and I heard his smile spread as he said it. "I forgive her behavior," he added, sounding bored again, "if you help clean up this mess tonight."

Dad grumbled something I couldn't hear, before saying, "I don't think it's a coincidence that Nina is clinging to Damian, and you're here with Elina right now."

"Between you and me, Damian is the one you should watch out for, he has no pure intentions with Nina," James said in a voice a little lower, mocking a whisper. "Whereas I would never harm my princess."

He made a show of taking my hand and bowing deeply, before kissing my knuckles with his eyes firmly on mine.

There was no going back now. Not after this. My skin was boiling from the anger James produced, revealing my only—and deepest—secret to the one man who'd put a stop to it.

Even if his claim made my whole body tingle with so many lovely emotions that I could barely find the anger again. But when dad let out a harsh breath through his nose, the pink cloud-like thing that had engulfed James and I, and our hands—still together—disappeared completely, leaving nothing but the reek of blood in its wake.

"Your princess?" I'd never heard dad so angry. Not even from what I remembered after mom died. "You listen here, you little—"

"Is everything okay here?" Damian suddenly appeared between James and dad, a hand on each of their shoulders.

"I think Kevin was about to threaten my life for stealing his daughter's heart," James explained casually. He chuckled and nodded towards my dad, adding, "Go on."

I bit my tongue. Though I didn't need to. My throat was too dry to speak anyway, and my mind was completely blank, except for the very visible fear that something would go terribly wrong in a matter of seconds.

James squeezed my hand and pulled me closer, lacing his fingers with mine as if underlining his claim even more. Butterflies flew all over my body. And my blood started heating up again, for two different reasons.