And here we go!
Every major part of someone's life, every string of fortunate or unfortunate events or traumatic or happy experiences can usually be traced back to a single, solitary incident.
Whether it be being late for work and missing your train, or accepting a new job, or in Cassie's case, bumping into the wrong person on the street that day. It didn't matter. What mattered is the domino effect that always followed afterwards. But you couldn't know what awaited you whenever you were still at the beginning of the journey.
So, when Jerome called Cassandra that day, offering her a free ticket to the circus so they could meet up afterwards that night, she had no way of knowing what danger of accepting the invitation would eventually put her in. Had she known, if she'd had even the slightest inkling how it would affect her future, she might have left Gotham all together.
"Wow, a circus, huh?" She had the phone cradled between her shoulder and cheek as she was folding clothes, clad in a tank top and some shorts as she enjoyed the solitude of her apartment. Jim was spending a lot more time with Lee, meaning she had the place to herself again. Which she'd never been more grateful for; her older brother was such a slob, and she refused to clean up after him.
"Yeah, I didn't want to scare you off too early; what with the whole living-with-my-mother thing added on top of that."
Cas just giggled, shuffling through some of her pants. "Well, the thing about me is I'm a lot braver than I look. I'll be there."
There was a loud thump in the background and the sound of something clattering loudly to the ground, followed by a raspy voice. She paused. "Jerome?"
Several seconds later, his voice came back on, a little out of breath. "Sorry about that; setting up for the show is just a little hard. Hey, I've got to go, but I'll see you tonight, ok?"
After hanging up, Cas stood, walking over to her closet and surveying the outfits.
What to wear…
The circus had never been a favorite of hers; if Cassie was being honest, she avoided clowns as much as possible. But she did her best to keep an open mind.
Jerome had told her he'd be busy during the show, and to just enjoy it until they could meet up. He would be in a place with no cell phone service, so they wouldn't be able to talk until after. Finding a spot near the back, she sat, watching the men and women in the colorful clothes do flips and tricks on the trapeze.
Despite not loving the show as a whole, she had to admit they were talented. She even found herself gasping in awe a time or two when they pulled a particularly spectacular trick.
But near the end was when things got really interesting.
As the Flying Grayson's were joining hands and bowing to the cheering crowd, a loud, comical beeping drew Cas's attention to a small red clown car that was pulling into the ring. The rest of the crowed appeared to love it and was cheering loudly, but the blonde caught the clown stumbling out last almost immediately, bottle clutched in his hand.
Uh-oh… She began to stand, but gasped when the clown shoved the ring master out of the way, stumbling forward to crack his fist into the jaw of one of the performers.
The cheering died immediately as the crowd gasp and shouted surprise, and then from there, it was a free-for-all. The performers were kicking, punching, shrieking, hair pulling, you name it. Right when Cas was wondering what kind of security they had in this place, a familiar voice made her freeze.
"GCPD! Everybody freeze!"
Jim?
Her big brother was moving towards the fighting crowd as the rest of the audience was beginning to stand and file out. Rising to her feet, she started down the steps.
The paramedics would probably need some help with all these patients.
As it would turn out, the paramedics did need help, and so did Lee. Her brother and his girlfriend had been on a date that night, which made Cas snort. Her brother had the worst luck. Then again, so did she, so she couldn't make fun.
As Lee worked on the first victim, one of the Grayson's, Cassie was tending to a swollen wrist of one of the other fighters, a female. They were about the same age, and you would have had to be stupid to miss the amount of tension between them. The girl in front of her kept shooting glares over Cas's head, most likely to Lee's patient, then scoffing. Finally, she had enough.
"I swear, John Grayson, if you give me that look one more time, I'm going to slap you silly!"
"You wish." The other man, John, sneered her way.
"Don't think I can't!"
"Wow," Cas spoke up, preparing a splint for one of the girl's fingers, "What's the problem here?"
"The Grayson's are a bunch of arrogant buttheads is the problem!" The girl exclaimed, practically snarling at the man across from her. Cas had to bite back her laughter.
They would make such an adorable couple.
"The Lloyd's are feckless drunkards, is more like it." John bit back, and both Lee and Cassie shot each other matching looks before turning back to their patients.
"So, it's a family feud." The older woman guessed, checking John's neurological response.
"The Grayson's don't get along with Lloyd's." He explained, shrugging. "Been that way for years."
"It's sort of a tradition." The girl explained, but Cas couldn't help cocking her head to the side in surprise and confusion.
"You guys fight like this every night?"
"No," John brushed off, "This was just her idiot uncle doing his thing."
"You know damn well it must be Lila's fault."
The name made Cas pause in her work, and she pulled back, staring at the girl in shock as John spoke up in a warning tone.
"Mary…"
"What?" Mary hissed as Cassandra narrowed her eyes.
"Lila? The snake dancer?"
Both parties and Lee all turned to her in surprise, Mary's eyebrows raising as she spoke.
"You know who she is?"
Cassie bit her lip. "Not personally, no…"
By the time she was done with Mary, Lee had been done with John for several minutes and was speaking to Jim. Cassie looked around, trying to spot a familiar head of red hair, but she couldn't. This was surprising, to say the least. If Jerome really did work on the cleanup crew, why wasn't he here?
Walking towards the talking couple, she heard Jim finishing his sentence. "…none of them will talk, of course."
"It's cause they're rival lovers." She interjected, causing both parties to look her way. "They're fighting over this woman named Lila, she's a snake dancer. She's also something of a man eater, from what I understand."
Jim cocked an eyebrow at her, looking extremely confused. "How do you know who Lila is?"
Cas shrugged, trying not to look so sheepish. "Well…"
The area of trailers surrounding the circus tent was lighted with bright white bulbs, strung on like Christmas lights. It would have been extremely pretty if it wasn't so freezing, and Cas shuffled behind, wrapping her black leather jacket tighter around her. She could've kicked herself for caring more about looks than warmth tonight; all she had on was a tight, quarter-sleeve blue shirt and some ripped, dark wash jeans with heels.
As they approached the trailer, they were greeted with a large cage in front that held a long, hissing snake. Cassie was no reptile expert, but she assumed it was some type of constrictor. The ring master reached up and knocked loudly on the trailer door as Cas shuffled up to her brother's side, apprehensive as it opened.
Jerome looked…different from the last time she saw him. No mischievous smile, shoulders hunched, eyes looking a little watery. He met her eyes in shock, and she smiled apologetically as her brother spoke up.
"GCPD, we need to speak with Lila."
"Um, she's not here." Jerome responded, shrugging on his coat as he stepped out into the cold.
"Do you know where she'd be?"
"I don't know," The ginger denied, shaking his head. "She was supposed to be home ages ago."
"You a relative?"
"Yeah, I'm her son, Jerome." Finally, he turned to Cassie. "Cas, what's going on?"
Jim turned to his sister, eyebrows raised. "You know each other?"
Oh, well, might as well bite the bullet, she thought to herself, then smiled. "Yeah, I was actually here at the circus to meet up with Jerome after it ended. We're, uh…" She trailed off, shooting the boy a panicked look, and he seemed to realize why she was faltering.
"We're friends." He explained, and Cas nodded in thanks as her brother's eyes narrowed into slits not unlike the snake in the cage next to him.
"Ok, Jerome, when did you last see your mother?"
"Uh, she was here when I left for the library this morning."
"Relax, Jerome," The ringmaster assured as he stepped forward, "This gentleman is just here because Owen and Al had a disagreement. Your mother's fine; gone on a spree, no doubt. You know how she is."
Cas had to stop her mouth from opening in shock. Was that how you spoke to someone about their mother? From what the blonde understood, Lila was a bit of a sex addict and a drunk, but outright referring to someone as a slut in front of their child was a bit much. And Jerome had told her how much he hated it when people talked about his mother's, ah, reputation.
But her thoughts screeched to a halt as Jerome only shook his head. "A spree without her hat, her coat, her purse?" He nodded at the cage, where the snake was hissing and moving, clearly stressed about something. "Look at Sheba; she's distraught, she knows something's wrong."
"The snake does appear to be agitated." Jim agreed, and Cas moved to stand by Jerome as the ringmaster pulled Jim aside. As he whispered to him, she turned to Jerome, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You ok? I didn't see you at the cleanup, I got a little worried."
Jerome nodded, still shivering in the cold. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little concerned, I've been at the library almost the whole day, she could be anywhere."
Cassie stopped, raising her eyes to him in surprise. "Wait, the library? I thought you were helping set up for the show earlier. Remember, when we were talking?"
Jerome's eyes widened, and he shifted. "Oh, right, um-"
"How fast does an animal like that move?"
The two looked up from their conversation to see Jim, eyes flickering between them to the cage that held Sheba. Jerome shrugged.
"About a fast-walking pace. They rely on surprise, mostly."
Jim hummed, then turned back to the boy. "Let her out."
Jerome, Cassie, Lee, and the ringmaster all looked at him like he'd grown a third eye. "Sir?"
"Let her out." Jim repeated, and Jerome turned back to Cas with raised eyebrows. She only shrugged, nodding at the cage. Finally, the redhead released the lock, and the group followed the snake as it moved forward.
"So, why are you with the detective?" Jerome's voice broke through Cassie's concentration on the snake, and she smiled ruefully.
"Remember my older brother, the one I was telling you about?"
His eyes narrowed as he looked between them, then went slack from shock. "What- you didn't say he was a cop!"
"I know," She told him in an apologetic voice, "It's just that most guys run as soon as I let them know he's in the GCPD, and I didn't want to scare you off."
Jerome paused, and she looked over to see him watching her. Something was hidden in his eyes, that same emotion she'd seen before but couldn't distinguish. Finally, he smiled.
"Don't worry; your brother being a cop won't keep me away from you."
Their conversation stopped when they realized the snake was now moving towards a covered pile on the back of a trailer. Something about it made Cassie's heart speed up, and she put her hand on Jerome's shoulder, watching the sight apprehensively.
"Um, maybe we should-"
But he didn't move; he was just staring at the trailer. Jim stepped forward, grabbing the edge of the tarp, and flung it back.
Cassie couldn't control the choked gasp that ripped from her throat, and she felt Jerome start to sink to the ground, sliding out of her grip. A broken sob flew past his lips.
Lila Valeska's body lay in the trailer, bloody and mangled. She was covered in blood, multiple wounds from what appeared to be some type of knife or blade all over her head and chest.
"Oh my god…" Lee murmured, horrified, and Cas snapped back to reality, crouching next to Jerome to hug him.
"Don't look, Jerome, it's ok." She tried to soothe, but he was rooted to his spot, staring at the body. He didn't seem to want to move, or look away, or maybe he couldn't.
Must be shock, she thought to herself, and Lee walked over, placing her hands on the boy's shoulders.
"You knew." Jim's accusation caused the blonde's eyes to fly up and see him standing in front of the ringmaster, who didn't look even the slightest bit surprised at the body. "You knew she was there."
"No!" The man tried to deny vehemently, but he wasn't a very good liar. After a few seconds, he withered under the detective's harsh glare. Sighing, he nodded at the body.
"She was like that when we found her."
Jim called in backup, and they arrived to take Jerome down to the station so he could give a statement. Cassie offered to go with him, and they sat together in the interrogation room. Normally, they wouldn't be allowed, but she knew this was one of the rooms with the well-working security camera's, so they weren't without surveillance.
"Here." She said softly, handing the boy a steaming cup of coffee. "It's not the best kind there is, but it's something." He thanked her, and she sat by him, sipping her own cup slowly.
"Kind of a terrible date, huh?" He asked her, chuckling brokenly, and Cas smiled sadly at him. Finally, he began to sob again, and she set her coffee down. Moving forward, she pulled him into a tight hug, allowing him to finish his crying. After several minutes, he began to quiet down, but didn't move away. He clutched onto her like a lifeline, both arms locked around her waist.
"Jerome?"
Her brother's voice startled the two out of their embrace, and the redhead pulled back, wiping his eyes as Jim walked into the room, eyes narrowed.
"I'll need to take your statement. Cassandra, could you…" He nodded at the door with his head, and she took the hint. Smiling one last time at the boy in front of her, she stood and walked out the door towards her brother's desk.
What a shit storm of a day…she thought sadly, running a hand through her hair. If I saw my mother like that, I'd be a mess.
She pulled out her phone to send Jerome a text to meet her by her car, since she knew he'd see it when he was done and got his phone back. But as she began to type at the keys, something gave her pause.
Pressing the up arrow, she scrolled through the last few messages between she and Jerome before the show began, and throughout the day. He told Jim he'd left for the library that morning, and he'd told her about four hours before the show that he'd been helping with the setup. That meant he would have had to be back at the circus around three o'clock.
But there isn't any service within the circus tent, so why was he able to text me? She thought, remembering she hadn't been able to converse with him during the show. He would have had to be somewhere within cellphone range, and that definitely wasn't his trailer.
"Hey."
The familiar voice made her jump, and she turned, shutting her cellphone. Jerome was standing behind her, hands in his pockets.
"Hey," she responded, folding her arms, "are you and Jim done for now?"
"Yeah, he said he'll kept me updated on everything he finds." Jerome told her sadly, but for some reason, Cas could only stare at him.
Why did he lie?
"Ok, um," she licked her lips, seeing her brother speaking to Essen, Harvey, Lee, and Ed within Essen's office, "Why don't I call you later and we can watch a movie or something? Y'know, spend some time away from the investigation."
His face lit up, and he nodded. "Yeah, that would be great."
"Great," she smiled at him, "um, I need to talk to my brother, but I should be out of here within an hour or two, does that sound ok?"
He nodded, and the two hugged one last time before he left. Cas held her breath as he walked away, waving to him with a smile as he walked out the front doors. But as soon as he was gone, the expression dropped, and she immediately started walking towards Essen's office.
As Jim walked out, she started, "Jim-"
"Hang on one second, Cassie, I need to address the circus as a whole to make sure no one leaves town." He cut her off, walking towards the group. Cas sighed, walking towards the stairs as Jim addressed them. Her eyes roamed over the strangely dressed group, watching for any guilty or nervous expressions. But they all just looked upset about being there.
Why would he lie to me?
"You ok, Cass?"
The blonde turned to see Lee watching her carefully, eyebrows down in concern for the younger girl. Blinking, Cassie nodded, banishing the thoughts in her head.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just, um…" She bit her lip and looked behind her, as if to make sure Jerome was gone, before turning back to her brother's girlfriend. "I think there might be something about this investigation that Jerome isn't telling us."
Surprise quickly morphed into suspicion on the doctor's face, and she shifted closer. "What do you mean?"
Cassie told her the details that had been bothering her about Jerome's story, and Jim came walking up right as she finished. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped dead when he saw his girlfriend and sister's faces.
"What's the matter?"
"Excuse me."
The trio looked over to see an older man with a fedora and dark sunglasses walking towards them, holding a cane in one hand and clutching the hand of a small boy in the other. Cassie realized with a start that he was blind.
"Am I speaking with Detective James Gordon?"
The man turned, pointing a finger in Lee and Cassie's direction. "Then this must be Dr. Thompkins, the medical examiner. And Cassandra Gordon, your sister."
Lee and Cassie both exchanged raised eyebrows before turning back to face the man. "I'm sorry," Lee started, voice low with suspicion, "how did you know who we were?"
"My name is Paul Cicero, I'm a psychic with the sideshow. Lila Valeska was an old friend of mine."
Cas didn't miss the way her older brother rolled his eyes at the word 'psychic'. Between the two, he was easily the most close-minded to things like magic, ghosts, the works. Cassie herself wasn't much above a skeptic, but she sometimes found herself wanting to believe the were real. Who's to say they weren't?
"A psychic," Jim repeated with a note of doubt shadowing his tone, "I see. How can we help you, Mr. Cicero?"
"I sense that you don't think that Owen or Alphonse are guilty."
"You must be psychic."
Cassie rolled her eyes at Jim's sarcastic response while the old man continued. "In which case, perhaps you'd like to hear the message Lila sent from the other side."
"Thanks, Mr. Cicero, but I don't think we're ready to consult 'the other side' just yet." Jim dismissed, and Mr. Cicero shrugged.
"As you wish. I'm merely a messenger."
But as he took the young boy's hand, beginning to turn around, Cassie stood from her spot on the desk.
"Wait."
This man felt familiar; she couldn't tell what it was. But she knew she couldn't let him walk away without asking him to clarify. What if he genuinely gave them some good intel, even if it wasn't in a normal way?
"What did Lila tell you?"
Jim turned to her with wide eyes, but she ignored him as Mr. Cicero turned back to her. "Thank you, Cassandra. Lila told me that 'the servant of the devil lies in the garden of the iron sisters'."
Ok, so maybe my instinct was a bust. Cassie thought, a little disappointed as Jim sighed and Lee narrowed her eyes in confusion before speaking.
"The iron sisters? What does that mean?"
"I don't know."
"We'll get right on it." Jim said shortly, obviously eager to dismiss the man and be done with the whole psychic thing. But Mr. Cicero barely reacted.
"I don't think sarcasm is your forte, James." He deadpanned. "Make of the message what you will. Good day to the three of you."
And with that, he took the young boys hand and began using both him and his cane to walk away and down the stairs.
Cassie watched him leave, cocking her head, mind whirring as Lee and Jim began to argue about Jim's treatment of the psychic. But she could barely focus on what they were saying.
"How did he know I was the one who was speaking?" She suddenly asked, interjecting into a pause in her brother's conversation. Both adults turned to her, looking confused.
"What?"
"He knew Lee and I were here, probably because of our perfume. Lee wears rose, I wear vanilla and lavender. But there's no way he would have been able to discern my voice, he's never met us before today, and we're both female. How did he know I was the one speaking?"
"He's a fraud, Cassie." Jim tried to reassure his sister, but she shook her head.
"No, J, that's not what I mean." She bit her lip. "He seems so familiar, but I can't put my finger on it."
"You know him?"
"Actually, I've never met him a day in my life. I'm positive."
"Well, Jim, Cassie was just telling me something before you came up." Lee interjected. Cassie took a deep breath before diving into her suspicions about Jerome lying.
She was hesitant; the blonde didn't want to outright call Jerome a liar just because his story wasn't adding up, and she definitely didn't want to accuse the boy of murdering his mother.
But Jim's face told her exactly what he was thinking. There was a long pause after she spoke, and he finally stood.
"Ok, Cas. I know you like this boy, but there's a murder investigation going on. Please swear to me that you won't be alone with him until we can find the killer."
Cassie was unable to stop her protest. "Oh, Jim, come on-"
"Cassandra." Jim stepped closer, and his use of her full name stopped her dead in her tracks. He put a hand on her shoulder. "You're my sister. My baby sister, and the only family I have left. I know you're an adult, and you can make your own decisions, but I'm begging you: Please stay away from Jerome."
The two blonde's stood staring each other down, blue eyes into blue as they tried to force the other to give in.
Finally, though, Cassie looked down, nodding reluctantly. "Ok. Fine."
Jim's face dropped in relief, and he pulled his sister into a hug. "Thank you, Cas. I'm going over to Lee's; text me when you're home so I know you're safe, ok?"
She nodded, bidding the two good-bye and watching them leave. But once they were out the door, Cassie removed her hand from her jacket pocket. Her middle and pointer finger crossed.
"Sorry, J," she whispered, pulling out her phone and flipping it open, "but I like to find my own answers."
Raising the phone to her ear, it only rang twice before it was picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Jerome. You still wanna do that movie?"
Jerome's trailer was small, but homey. Cassie tried to force her muscles to stay relaxed as they sat on the little couch/bed, watching a fuzzy TV that was portraying One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Time was slowly ticking by, and Jerome seemed to be inching closer. Cassie had to physically stop herself from moving as he put an arm over her shoulder, sliding inconspicuously closer. She continued to play dumb, keeping her eyes on the screen. Jerome shifted, then turned to her.
"Good movie, right?" He asked, looking the picture of ease. It only furthered her paranoia.
Why is he suddenly so ok?
She smiled back, trying to avoid looking him the eye. "Yeah, it's great. Um, a classic."
Jerome nodded, but his eyes were no longer on hers. They moved to her lips, and then he was leaning in.
Cas wanted to jump up and push him away right then, but she knew she couldn't. She was in over her head, and she was possibly about to catch someone who was responsible for a crime. Giving herself away was too dangerous.
So, she stayed completely still and let him press his lips to hers.
Cassie had kissed about three guys in her life, the first one at around fourteen. Even she had to admit, despite her fear, Jerome was a pretty great kisser. She did her best to stay still and do what was necessary to make him believe; sighing and shifting when needed.
But then his kissing to more aggressive, more demanding. Leaning into her, he forced his tongue into her mouth, his lips beginning to move frantically as he lowered her back against the couch, and she felt herself start to panic.
No, no, no, too far!
Feeling her stiffen underneath him, Jerome suddenly stopped and pulled away. "What's wrong?" He asked softly. But despite the volume of his voice, Cas didn't miss the dark look in his eyes, as well as the annoyance that flashed across them, only lasting seconds.
It brought chills to her skin.
"I'm sorry, I just, um, can I use your bathroom first?"
Jerome hesitated, and she sat up a little. "I just need to get ready." She whispered, breath fanning over his face, and pulled him in for another deep kiss. He seemed to melt as she did, and when she pulled away again, his eyes stayed closed for a few seconds before opening them and nodding.
"Yeah, let me step out and give you some privacy."
Cas cheered mentally as he did, getting up and heading for the bathroom at the other end of the trailer. But as soon as he was gone, the door swinging shut behind him, she immediately let the door of the bathroom fall shut and turned back to the small bunks on either side of her.
One was obviously Jerome's; it had been slept in recently and his sweatshirt was laying on it. Crouching down, she felt along under the mattress, but found nothing. Looking over her shoulder, she continued to quietly open drawers and pull back blankets. What she was looking for, she couldn't be sure.
But then she found it.
As she closed a drawer, she felt it stop. It didn't close all the way, pressed up against something. Whatever it was, it was soft. There was some give as she tried to close it, but it seemed to slowly slide back out.
Jumping to her feet, her fingers began to tremble as she felt along the side of the bunk pressed against the trailer, nearly jolting in the air when her fingers brushed up against fabric. Getting a better grip, she pulled it free and unfolded it in front of her face.
And barley concealed her gasp.
It was a shirt; it was Jerome's shirt he'd worn it to their last little outing to get coffee. And it was soaked in blood.
The blood was dried and crusted, but Cassie had seen enough gore and washed enough blood out of her own uniforms while still on the ambulance to know the look of it. And this was a lot. No way could a person survive losing this much in a single event. She felt her stomach drop.
Jim was right.
Cas realized with a start that she needed to call her brother immediately, and she stood, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she turned around.
And nearly screamed.
Jerome stood behind her, head tilted dangerously to the side, eyes narrowed at her. She stood frozen as his eyes flickered to the bloody shirt in her hand, then back to her face. Gone was the sad horror and its place was a dark expression that made her stomach turn and the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. He finally sighed.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?"
Uh-oh, cliffhanger! See you next time!
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Just kidding lmao here you go
Cassie was backed into a corner; literally. The only way out of the trailer was past Jerome and to the front door. She stood, muscles coiled tightly and ready to scream.
Jerome sighed, and shook his head. "I was really hoping you wouldn't find that, Cassie. That makes this pretty complicated."
"Jim knows I'm here." She told him, fighting to keep her voice steady. "He knows I'm here, so if you kill me, you won't be able to get away with it."
Jerome barked out a laugh, and the sound nearly made her laugh. It wasn't like his regular laugh. It was louder, higher pitched, and it made her heart race and drop at the same time. It died to a fit of giggles as he shook his head.
"Oh, Cassie! You really are hilarious. And drop-dead gorgeous to boot. I'll even admit that your brains are hot. Though, I'm afraid they've worked against you in this case. You figured it out awfully fast."
The demeaning tone of his voice made her jaw clench. "Don't flatter yourself. A ten-year-old could start to draw conclusions from how much you lied to the cops."
"Yeah, you're good at throwing wrenches into peoples plans, Cassie." Jerome told her, nodding as he fixed her with a dark look. "But I'm afraid I can't let you ruin this one."
He stepped towards her, and she matched it with a step back, her fingers curling into fists. "I already told you," she threatened lowly, "Jim knows I'm here."
"I'm not gonna kill you, Cassie. No, no, never." He shook his head. "But I'm afraid I can't let you leave, now. And that's ok. As long as I'm out of here before morning, your brother won't figure it out until we're long gone."
She felt the blood drain from her face as she caught onto his words. "No." She took another step back, her heart plummeting when she felt her shoulder blades brush against the wood of the bathroom door. "I'll never go with you. Not willingly."
Jerome rolled his eyes. "Well, it's a good thing you won't be conscious, huh sweet cheeks?"
And then he lunged for her.
Cassie, to her credit, was faster than he anticipated. He reached for her face but she caught his hand halfway and twisted it to the side as hard as she could. He shouted in anger and his other hand came up, clamping around her throat.
She gagged, fighting against the hold on her neck, then throwing her knee forward with all her might. Jerome's eyes bulged as he released her, doubling over and clutching his balls as he cursed. Shoving him to the side, Cassie scrambled for the door, unwittingly hurting her elbow and shoulder in the small space. She didn't seem to notice as her phone slipped from her jacket pocket.
But then a fist wrapped around her curls, yanking her back. She opened her mouth to cry out in pain and fear, but another hand clamped over it, silencing her. She felt Jerome's breath pant over her ear and the side of her face as he spoke.
"As hot as it is to have you up against me and out of breath, I'm afraid I've got places to be, doll. So, I need to cut this one short."
She saw a rag out of the corner of her eye and felt panic crank her instincts all the way up. She stomped down hard on his foot, but all he did was yelp and fight her harder, pushing her hands down as he brought the rag closer. It soon became a contest of strength, and for all her skills in hand-to-hand, Cassie was better built for speed and agility. She pressed the rag away from her face, but eventually, Jerome managed to muscle it down until it was pressed against her nose and mouth.
She held her breath for as long as she could, but that only lasted so long. Eventually, she was forced to breathe in. The sharp smell hit her hard, choking her, but she couldn't find any fresh air. She nearly gagged, but all she could focus on was trying to keep her eyes open. The world was getting darker, and her limbs were getting heavier.
"Shhhhh, just go to sleep, Cassie." Jerome whispered, and she felt fingers drag through her hair as the darkness crept further into her vision. "I'll be back soon."
She didn't even have the energy to ask where he was going before it went completely black.