The man Mike had brought as his replacement was now standing at the threshold of the door looking around the animal shelter like one would love at something they found unpleasant.
Cassie recognized him instantly. It was him, it was Lucas the same man she had met in the bar over a year ago.
She doubted he would be able to remember her but she remembered him quite well. She couldn't forget that hard rugged feature and those eyes of his that had captivated her that night permanently etching themselves into her memory.
The same man who had walked out on her after they had slept together, the same man who had made her feel like a cheap prostitute after she had woken up to an empty bed. That same man was now her bodyguard.
Life must be playing some sort of cruel joke on her. It couldn't be him, it just couldn't be.
Lucas hadn't looked at her yet, his eyes were still roving across the interior of the animal shelter and deep down she was relieved that he hadn't looked at her yet even though she knew he would barely recognize her.
A part of her was also worried that he was going to look at her and he would remember what they had shared a year ago in that club but that thought was fleeting because Cassie had undergone a lot of changes in the span of a year that most people would never have the grit to go through.
Lucas finally looked at her and she braced herself without looking away she kept on staring, staring at those eyes that had once held her captive.
But now she hated those eyes.
Lucas kept his gaze on her for a fraction of a second before he looked away again.
Cassie didn't know why but that singular act alone came as a slap to her.
.
Of course, he wouldn't remember who she was because of the plastic surgery she had undergone but the fact that he had looked at her as one would look at an ugly antique in an antique shop was pissing her off.
Cassie wanted a change. At that moment she decided that working with Lucas was going to be hell. She couldn't see herself living in peace with him.
The both of them were going to be at each other's neck like a bunch of lions who were fighting for territory space.
Crossing the counter Cassie marched over to Mike and grabbed him by the arm leading him outside as Lucas moved aside to let the both of them pass.
Mike didn't say anything. He just followed her without uttering a word.
When she had taken him far enough that someone couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation she turned to face him.
"Let me guess, you don't like my replacement" Mike said at once.
"Took the words right out of my mouth Mike."
"I don't see anything to dislike about the guy though. He's a bit quiet and acts reserved but he's one of the best they could offer and your grandfather specifically told me to pick the best."
"I'm not talking about all that, sure he may look like someone who eats metal for breakfast but I don't just like him" Cassie countered.
"Are you sure Princess because that wasn't what passed through your face when you saw him. What I saw reflecting on your face back there was recognition."
Cassie had to hand it to Mike. Since she knew him his perception and observation skills were almost top-notch.
He could detect things easily; things normal people would miss or forget.
But she wasn't going to allow him to take the credit on this one.
"What do you mean recognition, what are you trying to say that I know the man from somewhere?"
"I didn't say that."
"But that's what you are implying."
Mike shook his head slowly.
"Finding another replacement would take weeks and would require me to file a report on my part about what you don't like about him. If you can give me six things you dislike about him right here right now I'll go file that report and send him on his way this instant ."
Cassie opened her mouth to talk but it failed her. She realized asides from the fact that Lucas had left her long again she had no other reason to hate him. It wasn't like she could start telling Mike what Lucas had done to her a year ago."
After some seconds if silence as her Brian tried to come up with a reason to give him and coming up short Mike wore a snug look on his face.
"That's what I thought too."
Cassie sighed, "Allright, fine you have a point but I know that the both of us aren't going to be compatible."
"And what makes you say this?" Mike asked, folding his arms.
"I don't know, intuition I guess."
"You can't begin to judge someone until you fully know them. Why don't you give him a chance and if after one week you don't still fancy the idea of him being your bodyguard and have valuable reasons to back it up, I'll personally come and whisk him away.
Cassie grimaced. She had no choice but to agree to Mike's decision, if she still went ahead to disagree he would start to suspect that something was definitely wrong.
The last thing she wanted was a curious Mike on her tail.
"Alright fine," she agreed after a moment's thought. I'll go with what you say."
Mike breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed at his face.
"That's much better for a moment here I thought you were going to go all stubborn on me."
Cassie's lips were in a thin line as she looked away from Mike and over at the shelter door which was a few feet away from them.
Her mind flashed back to Lucas's bug frame as he stood in the doorway a few minutes ago.
"Let's go back inside," she said, motioning her head towards the door.
She wasn't too particularly keen on living with Luke in her house. The more she thought about it the more it seemed like an impossible venture.
She was going to try her best not to get into his way and she damn well hoped that he wouldn't get under her skin.
When they got back to the cool interior of the shelter Bella was nowhere to be seen. Lucas was moving around the place taking time to look at each of the animals that were in their cages.
His expression at that moment was hard to read and Cassie didn't like that. For her anyone who was good at hiding what they felt at a given moment had a lot of secrets.
He especially lingered in the dog section and as Cassie watched his big frame fill up every space that he walked into and she gulped.
Her mind was starting to head to funny places and she called herself back.
"I'll be going to get my things from the car, Gimme five minutes" Mike whispered in her ear from behind her, and when she turned around to protest he was already halfway out the door a sly look on his face.
She knew the game Mike was playing at. He wanted to get her alone with Lucas.
Once he was gone Cassie had never felt as uncomfortable in her life as she stood there watching Lucas watch a pup Rottweiler.
She decided she had better initiate conversation. If she and Lucas were going to share space then she had better warm up to him quickly or it was going to get disastrous.
"You like dogs?"
He didn't look up from the cage; neither did he turn around to acknowledge that someone had just spoken.
"Yeah" he grunted.
Cassie felt like she had been slapped. Again.
Asshole.
She was starting to see the idea of talking to Lucas as a hopeless venture. He was giving her the attention span one would give something they found mildly interesting
Cassie headed back to the counter and began fiddling with the drawers behind the desk in an attempt to make it seem like she was doing something.
Lucas was behind her and for some strange reason, she could feel his burning gaze on her back.
Mike suddenly appeared at the doorway carrying a duffel back and motioned to Lucas who started approaching him, his boots making heavy thudding noises.
Mike whispered something to Lucas whose face seemed to be forever set in a permanent scowl.
But that didn't make him ugly. It only seemed to make him handsome in a dangerous way.
Cassie shook her head ashamed of her thoughts.
Lucas nodded and stepped outside and Cassie finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"You look flustered."
"Shut up Mike."
"He asked to see what the security of your house looks like so he knows what he's dealing with."
'That's a strange request to ask for" Cassie frowned.
"That's the way they work," Mike shrugged. "Just humor me on this one."
Ten minutes later after Bella had finally showed up and Cassie had given her instructions on what to do at the animal shelter for the rest of the day she let Mike drive her home..
Cassie was worried that she had left something embarrassing lingering in the corners of her house. Sometimes when she was rushing to attend lectures or open the animal shelter early she was a nervous wreck and her house wasn't exactly in the best of conditions most of these times.
She was sure it wasn't going to be like that today anyways. It was the weekend, she made sure everything was in its proper place but sometimes one could never tell there could be something one omitted in a hurry.
The car was silent. Mike was driving her Audi which had been gifted to her by her grandfather on her twentieth birthday. She was in the passenger seat close to Mike while Lucas sat in the backseat his eyes looking out the window and the whizzing air ruffled his hair.
Cassie occasionally stole glances at him through the rearview mirror and twice Mike had caught her. She could tell by the smug look on his face.
Asides from the sift music that was playing from the car's speaker it was otherwise quiet.
It wouldn't be this quiet if it was just her and Mike. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to her grandfather's idea to find another replacement after Mike.
Lucas was going to change a lot of things. She knew that much and she wasn't sure she was ready for any of these changes.
When Mike pulled into the driveway of her house she immediately felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach.
"Home sweet home" Mike whispered under his breath.
In a way, Cassie was relieved that Mike was with her, at least. She didn't want to be left alone with Lucas.
They got out of the car and Cassie opened the door of her house which was an average sized semidetached bungalow that was located on a quiet suburban street.
She fiddled with the keys in her hands and as she tried to open the door she realized that her hands were shaking.
That was strange.
"Let me help you with that," Mike said gently, taking the keys from her hands and opening the door easily.
She stepped inside quickly, her face turning pink.
Great, she couldn't even open her own damn door anymore.
Cassie was relieved to find she hadn't left any clothes or any other embarrassing apparel in her moderately sized living room.
"You can go ahead now and have a look at the house," Mike told Lucas who nodded and walked past them.
"So how do you see him?"
Cassie wanted to say idiotic, arrogant, and would probably be prone to fit of temper tantrums but she bit back her tongue.
"It's still too early to decide anything now," she said eager to change the subject.
She didn't want to discuss anything about Lucas lest she somewhat said something she wasn't supposed to say..
Mike chucked. "I'd definitely like to see how this dynamic between the two of you would turn out."
"Shut up."
Lucas returned with a scowl on his face.
"Your home's security is poor. The windows can easily be accessed from the outside and some of the doors need deadbolts."
Cassie felt rage course through her but for the sake of Mike who had gone to great lengths to get her a replacement, she calmed herself.
"My house is perfectly fine…"
"Unless you want a burglar coming into your house and catering your stuff away, then by all means go ahead and counter what I say."
Rage snarled in her head and before she could open her mouth to speak Mike beat her to it.
"That's alright, I'll speak to her grandfather and we can get started on some of the renovation you want."
Cassie bit her lips to the extent that she could even taste the coppery tang of blood.
This was going to be harder than she thought.
"My name is Lucas Brooks and I'm your bodyguard. Ill officially be replacing Mike in his duties and I hope together we would make a pleasant team.
She wanted to smack his hand away and tell him straight in his face that she didn't think his words were going to come true but she could feel Mikes burning gaze on her back.
"I'm Cassie Vasquez, pleased to meet you, and yes I do hope that we can work well together" she said instead barely believing the words that left her lips.