Desire Me (34 page)

“I’m not expecting anyone, Calliope,” Sabine said as she walked around the curtain to the front of the store. Her eyes lit
on Cassandra. “Oh, Madam St. James, how unexpected of you to drop by. Did you not receive the shipment I sent to your house?”
The woman never missed a beat. She kept her smile in place and her tone friendly as she would for any customer, but Cassandra
could see congeniality never made it to Sabine’s eyes.

“I did,” Cassandra said. “Why don’t the two of us skip the pleasantries. I can certainly tell you don’t like me any more than
I like you.”

“Very well,” Sabine said. “What do you want?”

“I want the fountain of youth.” She smiled and held a hand up to stop Sabine from denying anything. “Don’t pretend you don’t
know what I’m talking about. It’s your secret ingredient for your facial crème, is it not?”

“You hired the chemist,” Sabine said.

Cassandra shook her head. “Worthless man. He actually had the audacity to threaten me.”

“And you killed him,” Sabine said.

“He might not have figured anything out, but I’m no fool. I know you have it. And I want it.” She punctuated the last sentence
by pulling out her pistol and aiming it at Sabine.

Sabine visibly swallowed, but showed no other sign of fear. “I see,” she said slowly.

“What did she want?” Calliope asked as she stepped around the drape, then stopped short when she saw the gun. “Oh, dear.”

“Calliope,” Sabine hissed. “Why did you not stay behind there?”

“It matters not,” Cassandra announced. “We’re all going back together. Come along, ladies, nice and slowly.”

Together Sabine and the old woman walked into the storeroom, with Cassandra close behind. She couldn’t help but notice Sabine’s
dress and her worn shoes. The woman was beautiful, Cassandra could tell that much, but her apparel did nothing to aid in her
appearance. She also did not wear her hair in the appropriate manner. Instead of wearing her hair up as most women of good
breeding did, she allowed her mahogany-colored locks to fall down her back in a cascade of waves. Highly improper. While her
dress was not at the height of fashion, the green material fit the woman well, accenting her lush curves.

“I would think you would earn enough coin here to buy yourself some decent shoes and dresses,” she said disdainfully.

Sabine looked down at her feet. “I’m far too busy helping those with unfortunate complexions to go shopping.”

“You’ve got a cheeky mouth on you,” Cassandra snapped. “It’s not very becoming.”

“Have you come to give me lessons then? On how to be a courtesan?” Sabine asked.

The old woman swallowed a giggle, which infuriated Cassandra even more. “Shut up.” She glared at Calliope, then turned back
to Sabine. “Are you having trouble satisfying Max in bed? Or perhaps you can’t lure him between the sheets at all.” She smiled.
“I suppose I could pass along a few tips.”

Sabine’s brows pinched together. “Max is quite satisfied, actually.”

Cassandra felt her temper rise. Her ears grew hot, and her palms itched. She forced herself not to take the bait. The bitch
was lying, and Max was
not
the reason Cassandra was here.

“I don’t want to kill you, but I will. Now where is the fountain?”

“What fountain?” Calliope asked.

“She’s after the elixir,” Sabine said calmly, then faced Cassandra. “It’s not here.”

“What do you mean, it’s not here? Where is it?”

“I don’t have it,” Sabine said.

Cassandra was no fool; she knew when someone was lying to her. She walked up to the old woman and pressed the gun against
her wrinkled neck. “Where is it, Sabine? Tell me, or your aunt will get a bullet in her skull.”

Sabine’s eyes darted to her aunt, then to her left, then quickly back to Cassandra. Sabine probably didn’t even know she’d
done it, but she’d just shown Cassandra precisely where the precious elixir was.

Max watched Cassandra’s London estate come into view as the carriage made its way up the drive. Sabine had gone into the shop
to help Calliope today, so Max had
taken the opportunity to pay Cassandra a visit. It had been years since he’d been here,
but the stone structure looked the same—still large and ornate and hideously grand. Ten years ago, he should have known simply
by looking at her house that she was not the right sort of woman for him.

But there was no right kind of woman for him. He was only interested in a few nights of pleasure, here and there, nothing
long-term, nothing serious. Though it seemed he would never tire of Sabine. But that had no bearing on anything. He’d promised
himself a long time ago that he’d never have a family again.

He rapped on the heavy wooden door and waited. A few moments later, it swung open to reveal Johns. The man’s eyes widened.
“What do you want?” he asked.

“Where is Cassandra?” Max asked. He elbowed his way into the foyer and walked down the hall.

“She’s out.” Johns’s voice echoed down the high-ceilinged hall.

Max turned to face the man. “And she left you here alone?”

“I don’t know where she went.”

Max started to argue, but for some reason he believed Johns was telling the truth. It could have been that he questioned whether
the man was bright enough to formulate a lie, or perhaps it was simply the honesty in his expression.

Max stepped back over to the front door. “If I find out that you and Cassandra are behind all of these murders—” He paused
and took a deep breath. “Leave Sabine and her aunts alone.” Then he strode out the door.

S
illy girl,” Cassandra spat as she walked over to the cabinet.

Cassandra was right, Sabine realized, she was a silly girl. Of course, they kept some of the elixir here at the shop to use
when putting their concoctions together. A guardian could always separate the elixir, but the amphora with the main supply
had to remain safe. She was thankful that was safely tucked away at Max’s house. Still it appeared the small amount here was
in danger of being stolen.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sabine lied, though she knew it was too late to fool Cassandra.

Still aiming the gun at both Sabine and Calliope, Cassandra knelt at the cabinet and opened the drawers.

Sabine had never considered that the Chosen One might be a woman. Foolish, really, considering her mother and now aunt had
been guardian. It would take Cassandra a while to locate the bottle; still it seemed unlikely that tonight would end well.

Cassandra had obviously figured out the connection Sabine had with Atlantis and thus believed she was the remaining guardian.
Evidently she thought Sabine kept the entirety of the elixir here at the shop. Once she realized that the rest of it was elsewhere,
she would, no doubt, return.

Or perhaps Cassandra would simply shoot both Sabine and Calliope and be done with it. Thankfully Agnes and Lydia had remained
at the townhome today with Max’s guards to protect them. So at least they were safe.

Cassandra withdrew the baskets of scented oils, herbs, and other ingredients for the beauty products Sabine sold. With a basket
in hand, Cassandra made her way to the table closest to Sabine and Calliope. She picked up a couple of bottles, examined them,
then placed them back.

“How do you tell what is what?” she asked tartly. “None of these bottles are labeled.”

“It is not difficult to know the difference between rosemary and rose oil,” Sabine said.

Cassandra eyed her for a moment, then recognition lit her icy blue eyes. “The scents.” She stood and walked back to Sabine
and Calliope. “But first, we need to make certain that the two of you hold still. We can’t have you trying to be brave while
I’m distracted. Where is some rope?” she asked.

“Why should we help you tie us up?” Calliope asked, then crossed her arms over her chest. Her diminutive frame did little
to make her appearance formidable.

“Because, old woman, if you don’t, I’ll simply shoot you and then I’ll know the girl here will hold still. Should I just do
that instead?” Again she held the gun to the woman’s throat.

“No, please,” Sabine said quickly. “There’s rope, under
there.” She pointed to a shelf to their right. “On the bottom. I’m
afraid it’s rather thin, since we only use it for parcels. We’re currently out of rope for tying up people.”

“Watch your tongue and don’t move,” Cassandra said. She walked over to the shelf Sabine had indicated and bent to search for
the rope.

Sabine wasted no time in seizing the free moment and picked up a chair, slamming it down over Cassandra’s back. The woman
screeched and dropped the gun. Sabine dove for the weapon, slamming her body onto the hard floor and reaching for the pistol.

“Bitch!” Cassandra yelled. She clawed at Sabine, holding her ankle and preventing her from getting any closer to the gun.
Calliope jumped on Cassandra’s back and tried her best to choke her. Cassandra stood and grabbed Calliope’s arms. The older
woman was no match for Cassandra’s strength as she flung her off and onto some shelves in the corner. Sabine had nearly wrapped
her fingers around the gun when she heard Calliope’s cry.

She looked over to find Cassandra leaning over her beloved aunt with a small dagger pressed to her cheek. A drop of blood
dripped down her aging face where the woman had cut her.

“Leave the gun alone, Sabine.” Cassandra’s cold voice filled the room.

Sabine stilled. It was too risky to attempt to snatch the gun, turn, and fire. She couldn’t be certain she’d hit her mark,
because she’d never shot a gun before.

“Get the rope,” Cassandra said.

Sabine complied and stood with the rope.

“Now then, if you two can agree to not do anything stupid, I would prefer not to bloody my hands tonight. It’s not that I
won’t do it.” She jerked Calliope to her feet and
led her to a chair. “But I much prefer to have these sorts of tasks done
for
me rather than doing them myself. If you comply with the rest of my wishes, I won’t send my man back here to finish the job.
Do we have an agreement?”

Sabine met her aunt’s eyes and saw raw fear filling the blue depths. “Yes, you have our word,” she said firmly. She tried
to smile reassuringly at Calliope, though doubted she managed it with any confidence.

With no more conversation, Cassandra tied them both to chairs, with the backs against each other.

“Where was I?” she asked once she was finished. She made her way back over to the bottles. “Ah, yes, the smells. I don’t want
to trust you to tell me which bottle, considering you might try to poison me.”

“I might,” Sabine said honestly.

“I can still call out my dogs,” Cassandra said. But she said nothing more as she went about pulling the corks and smelling
one bottle after another. “Lavender, thyme, lemon, rose.”

Sabine could see the bottle with the elixir. It was a small bottle made of blue glass, buried in the midst of the scented
oils.

Cassandra picked it up, popped the cork off, then held the bottle to her nose.

Sabine held her breath.

She put the cork back in and moved to return the bottle.

Sabine relaxed.

Cassandra stopped. She pulled the bottle back to her nose and inhaled deeply. “This one has no scent.” Then she turned to
face Sabine. “You can’t imagine what I’ve gone through searching for it. Countless hours and more money than I’d care to consider.
This is it, isn’t it?”

Sabine said nothing.

“It is, I know it. I can feel it.” Cassandra’s smile had changed from one of glee to the wild-eyed grin of madness. “Do you
have any idea how long I’ve searched for this? I won’t let you or anyone else steal this from me now.”

Again Sabine didn’t answer. There was no need to engage in a conversation with the woman. It was best to keep quiet and maybe
she’d leave them here, safe, as she’d said she would. Though Sabine doubted Cassandra’s word meant anything.

“Ever since Max told me about the fountain of youth that ran through the center of Atlantis, I’ve wanted to possess it. I
knew he’d find it eventually. And he did. He led me straight to you.”

Sabine’s heart contracted. Had he told this woman about the elixir and where to find it? Were they working together, setting
a trap for her that she’d willingly stepped right into? The thought sickened Sabine. She’d given Max her body, had nearly
given him her heart.

Cassandra set the cork down on the countertop and brought the bottle to her lips.

“Don’t drink it!” Sabine said.

“Why wouldn’t I drink it?” Cassandra asked. “It will make me young and beautiful forever. Women everywhere will crave my secret.”
She clicked her tongue. “Too bad I’m not interested in sharing.”

“Too much elixir will kill you.”

Cassandra smirked. “Nice try, but I’m not going to fall for that.” Then without another word, she tipped up the bottle and
drank the entire contents.

Max had knocked three times at the back door of Sabine’s shop with no one answering, but he knew they were
inside. He could
hear their muffled voices through the heavy wooden door. If Sabine wasn’t answering, something was wrong. It took only one
great kick for him to burst through the lock. The door to the shop swung open. Inside the storeroom, he saw Cassandra standing
over by the cabinets, a bottle to her mouth.