Casing ✔️

Chapter 12

The world seemed so much bigger. Even if I was looking at it from the same window I'd looked out my whole life. It was just...bigger. Wider. Deeper.

I hadn't been able to face Nina after hearing what she'd said about mom, even if there was a chance Damian was lying. I just didn't know why he would. So I'd locked myself up in my room, devoured three dark erotic novels that had heroes with danger as their middle names, and fantasized about James Davis—mafia man by night, charmer by day.

Because he was a charmer, without a doubt. He'd already planned our next date, and I wasn't allowed to know anything about it at all. Just when he'd pick me up, which was in approximately twenty-four hours. He had some work to do first, and swore he'd have it all done before the date, so we wouldn't get interrupted.

I'd said that I wouldn't mind another interruption if I got two more romantic dates with him from it, to which he laughed and agreed. Then he said he could always plan an interruption. I didn't doubt that he would. At all.

There was a firm knock on my door just as I'd finished a particularly sad chapter in my book. I put my bookmark in and grabbed a couple paper tissues to wipe my cheeks and nose, before I opened up the door to see Hank standing there.

His stoic expression changed to worry as he looked at me, his dark features softening to an almost unrecognizable look, as he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I was reading," I explained, stepping away so he could come in. I already had my suspicions about his reasons for visiting me.

"Oh." He cleared his throat, as if he was uncomfortable, before he found his way to my window and the bench below it. He sat down, his massive body making the wood creak. "Elina, I just wanted to ask you about—"

"About James?" I finished for him, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. He nodded, and I looked away, dabbing at my still-wet eyes with the tissue.

"I haven't said anything to Kevin, but I don't want to lie to him." He sighed, shifting in his seat. "I don't like it, Elina. He's too close to the core. An errand boy would've been dangerous enough."

"Wouldn't that be more dangerous?" I asked, looking up from my lap and into his worried eyes. "James is well protected, which means I would be, if it were more than just dates."

"Isn't it?" He stared me down, making me cower.

It wasn't—yet—and I said as much when he pushed me further with his frown. I tried not to be affected by this man's stare, or his worry, but I couldn't lie to him, or to my dad. So, in a way, I was happy it was Hank who knew, and not dad. Hank at least had some common sense about it.

"Not yet, at least," I admitted, carefully looking at his reaction.

"I'm not your father, but I imagine he'd lock you back up if he knew about this." He rubbed his eyebrows with his hand, sighing deeply. I already knew where he wanted this conversation to go, so I went down on my knees in front of him, conjured some more tears and looked up as if he was about to break my heart. "Elina, please," he groaned as he looked at me, "you know I can't fucking say no to this shit."

"Please let me figure it out on my own, uncle Hank," I practically begged. I realized I was being manipulative as shit, but Hank could say no and flick me away like a fly if he wanted to. "I promise I have your number on speed dial if I should need it."

He stared at me as if I'd grown three heads and turned into a dog. Like Fluffy. But I was just asking him to let me go out and live my life—that happened to stray closer and closer to the darkest part of the city, darker than where even Hank and dad were.