Empire

Chapter Sixty Seven - Cassandra*

 Cassandra ~

The next morning, I answered a few emails and put out some work fires before breakfast, then spent the entire afternoon lounging by the pool with Xavier, Cruz, and Raf. During my time at the house, they usually hung out with me in shifts, but not today - today I had all three of them to myself.

It quickly dawned on me that Xavier and I would be leaving to go back to L.A. for the second half of our thirty day contract which seemed to be flying by, a little too quickly if I was being honest.

I sat in Xavier's lap, sharing some snacks with him at one of the patio tables. Raf sat next to us, peeling an apple for me and handing me slices while we watched Cruz play target practice with some throwing knives.

Cruz was surprisingly accurate with the knives as he threw them against the wood of a cabana-like structure by the pool. He made several bets with Raf, Xavier and myself, wanting to be challenged - everything was a game to Cruz. He did all sorts of trick shots and tests of accuracy until he seemed to get bored of the tasks we had assigned him, boasting that they were too easy.

"You trust me Xay?" Cruz asked as he chunked another knife at the wood.

"Mmhmm. With my life." Xavier muttered, keeping his attention on me as he ran his hands up and down my legs.

"What about with hers?" Cruz drawled with a devilish grin.

I dropped my chin and playfully narrowed my eyes at him, knowing Xavier would never agree to him throwing knives near me. Xavier was too protective for all that. The question caught Xavier's attention and he looked down at me in his lap for a second or two before answering.

"Of course I do." He said with a grin that was nearly as playful as Cruz's

"What?"

There was no way that over protective Xavier was about to allow his brother to throw knives at me and I sat up in disbelief, trying to figure out if he was joking or not.

"You might, but she doesn't." Cruz said, more of a dare than a statement. "What's wrong little love? Scared?"

Cruz's teasing was something I was used to, but never could back down from. I rose to my aching feet, tenderly limping toward the post he'd been throwing at, standing beside it with an arrogant smile.

"You realize they'll kill you if you hit me." I sassed, lifting my chin at Cruz who was eating up my confidence like a starved animal.

"I'll use one of these on myself if I hit you."

Xavier was amused by the display, but Raf was stoic and silent, watching me intently with a serious expression.

Tossing a knife from one hand to the other, Cruz evened out his weight and took the knife between his fingers. The side of his mouth curled into a sly grin just before he threw the knife in my direction. I didn't even see it, but I heard the impact in the wood, two or three inches to my right.

"Didn't even flinch." Xavier praised as Raf let out a breath he'd been holding.

"Alright enough of the games." Raf grumbled.

I wasn't sure if he was necessarily opposed to games in general or just that game in particular.

"I can't believe you let him do that." I settled back down on Xaviers lap, wrapping my hands around his neck.

"Cruz doesn't miss. You were perfectly safe." Xavier crooned against my neck before placing several kisses beneath my ear.

I sometimes forgot that Cruz was just as lethal as Xavier and Raf. All three part of a family that was baptized in violence and raised to fight and defend the Gambino family.