out that door without your bodyguard.”
Paul words went in one ear and out the other. “I"ll be fine.” She shoved her
tunes in the pocket of her baggy jeans and plugged her ears with the buds. “They
won"t even recognize me.” She slid on her designer shades and pulled the brim of
her hat low over her face. “I stroll the streets of New York like this all the time and
nobody even checks for me.”
“What!” Paul whirled his glare at Sota. “You let her roam the streets of New
York alone?”
“Let her?” Johnny laughed. “Jesus Paul, I know she"s like a daughter to you,
but this is ridiculous man. What is she, like twenty? You"ve got some issues.”
“There"s nothing wrong with me wanting to keep her safe.”
As they bickered back and forth, Rayne made her way toward the exit,
hoping to slip out unnoticed. A large hand caught her arm before she could step
out of the room.
“Baby girl, this is a dark time. You shouldn"t be wandering off alone.”
“Dark time?” she sneered, jerking away from him. “You"re telling me? I"m
living in this dark time. Have you heard anything I"ve told you these past couple of
months? I"m sick!” Heat started at the pit of her stomach and crept up to her head.
For a second she felt like she would pass out.
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He stared at her like she"d suddenly grown another head then stood in front
of her, blocking the view of the arguing pair. “Calm down, Rayne,” he whispered.
“You shouldn"t get this angry around them.”
“Around them? What are you talking „bout? How about I lock you down
twenty-four seven and always have somebody watching you, and let"s see how
pissed off you get.”
“No, you don"t understand. You"re not yourself right now.” He stepped
closer to her a place a calming hand on her shoulder. “Please try to calm down.”
She skipped back closer to the door. “You calm down, dammit! I watched
my childhood friend die last night, in my head.” Blinking back her tears, she jabbed
at her temple.
He winced.
“Yeah, now you know my visions are not about butterflies and rainbows, Mr.
Everything"s-gonna-be-alright. You know she"s not going to call me! Why did you even
tell me that lie?”
“Rayne…”
“I can"t take this mess nomore! I"m tired of pretending everything"s okay!”
“Baby girl, please…”
“All I wanna do is take a goddamn walk without you on my ass for a change!
Lemme step out so I can clear my head. It"s not like I"m asking for a lot.”
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He stared at her for a moment in silence then nodded. “Okay.” His long
fingers curled securely around her upper arm, he led her out of the room and
through the building. “Twenty minutes is all I can give you. If anyone or anything
looks suspicious, you call me, then start making your way back to the studio. I will
hang out on the side of the building so it looks like I"m walking with you. I don"t
want Paul to have a damn heart attack.”
Pouting her bottom lip, she slunk her shoulders and leaned against him. His
massive arms encircled her and his head rested on top of hers. Surprisingly, his
embrace soothed the angry heat lapping at her sanity.
She heard his breath hitch to speak, but he let out an audible sigh instead.
“I don"t mean to take this out on you, Sota. I just feel so damn misplaced and
broken inside. Sometimes I don"t know which way is up. My friend is gone and
deep inside, I feel like it"s my fau—”
“Go ahead and take your walk. When you get back, I"ll get Narri on the
phone. She needs to talk to you about something.”
Rayne drew back to look up into his eyes. “„Bout what?”
He patted the top of her head and nodded toward the studio. “Get going,
before Paul comes out looking for you.”
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She pushed up on her toes, gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and slid out
the door. A gust of cool wind carrying the scent of spicy food brushed her face and
caressed her flesh through the thin shirt.
Thank God for the breeze and a moment of solitude.
Linkin Park was her soundtrack as her Timberlands scuffed along the
concrete. As always, when she was incognito, people walked by her without giving
her a second glance. This was one thing that Narri taught her before she stepped
into this life of fame; how to blend in when you didn"t want to be noticed.
The phone in her pocket twittered violently. She contemplated ignoring it,
but something made her answer. “Yep.”
“Sharayna darling, how are you doing?”
She conjured a one-sided smile at Narri"s voice. “Whaddup Mama Piers, I"m
doing, like always,” she drawled.
“You"re still taking those pills, aren"t you? I wish you wouldn"t do that.
Those things are no good for you.”
“Oh God, here we go again,” she groaned. “Listen ma, I would love to stand
here and have this convo with you, but I"m going through some stuff right now
and, anyways, I"ll drop that on you later. Sota said you have something to talk to
me about?”
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“Yes, but not over the phone. My brother informed me that you two will be
heading to Orlando tomorrow morning. I"ll meet you at your villa after your dance
drill.”
There was urgency in Narri"s voice that didn"t sit right with her. It actually
made her kind of nervous.
Rayne took a deep breath and reluctantly muttered, “Uhm, I think I have a
photo shoot and radio interview scheduled after drill. You think we can we meet
another time—”
“No, nothing comes before this,” Narri shrieked. “Cancel them!”
She yanked the phone from her ear and gave it an awkward stare. Suddenly
her attention was drawn to a commotion at a nearby bistro. People scrambled
from the tables, avoiding the sizzling liquid that boiled up to shatter glasses and
ceramic cups.
“What"s that about?” Rayne took a step closer to the restaurant to get a
better look. “Whoa ma, you won"t believe what I just saw.”
“Oh dear.” Narri"s voice was muffled like she"d covered her mouth. “I am so
sorry, Sharayna. I shouldn"t have yelled. I apologize. I just—we must have this talk.
We cannot delay another day.” Her voice lowered to a sweet whisper.
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“Naw, it"s cool…” she murmured, distracted by the shocked people at the
bistro. “I don"t know what"s going on in this restaurant, but everybody"s drinks
started to boil all of sudden.”
“Where are you?”
“Walking the strip.”
There was a brief pause before she spoke again. “With Sota?”
Rayne felt the storm coming before she even opened her mouth. “No. Big
papi"s back at the studio.”
“Sharayna,” Narri said sternly. “I want you to turn around and go back to the
studio, right now. You cannot be alone. When you and I have that talk tomorrow,
you will understand.”
Combined with the other scents wafting through the breeze, a familiar
aroma entered her senses. Her nostrils flared, her lids lowered half-mast. She
stopped, took in a deep whiff of air and moa
ned on exhale. Yes, it was there; the
same alluring scent she caught after the concert.
“God, what is that? Oooh ma, I"ll holla at you later. Something just came up.”
Before Narri could get into one of her rant sessions, Rayne disconnected.
Her heart began to thump erratically. A static charge started at her head
then worked its way down to her toes. In waves, it rolled back up her body and
left the center of her back pulsating.
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Bewildered, she dropped her eyes to the ground and reached back to brush
her fingers over the dragon tattoo she had slapped on her back years ago in Hong
Kong.
Why was it throbbing?
In the thick of her confusion, time shifted in slow motion, and then
everything went mute. No longer could she hear the sounds of cars whizzing by, or
the chatter of the people walking along the strip. She could only hear the rapid
heartbeat knocking against her chest.
A presence, she felt a presence that made her insides churn. She"d felt this
presence before, in her mind. Could it be him? Demetri? Had he actually found her?
Nervously, she clutched the end of her shirt and scanned the area for just a glimpse
of him. No one stood out. No one even looked her way.
Was he teasing her, or was her mind truly playing tricks on her? Damn!
Along the side of the street, a cab pulled up next to her. The driver, a middle
aged man with a cropped haircut and broad smile, stepped out of the car, trotted
around it and opened the back door for her. Compelled, she found herself sliding
into the vehicle without a question asked.
It was a quiet ten minute ride to the beach. Still smiling, the driver helped
her out then waved for her to follow him. The rubber soles of her Tims dug into
the sand as they trudged along the deserted beach.
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Off in the horizon, the pale pink tint from the moon beamed over the small
waves in the ocean and the light grains of sand. They sparkled under her appraisal
like a trillion tiny diamonds in the spotlight.
The driver led her to a small gazebo with sheer red curtains covering the
openings. Through the transparent fabric, a chaise lounge sat in the center of it. On
the side was a tall bucket filled with ice, chilling a large bottle of wine. Long metal
torches set on either side of the shelter added to the glow already cast from the orb
above.
She turned to question the driver to find him nowhere in sight.
A sudden breeze blew ripples over the water and pushed the curtain back,
as if to welcome her into the cozy enclosure. Swallowing hard, she moved forward.
“Do you like it?” A deep croon brushed the side of her neck.
Startled, she whirled around and tumbled back. Before she could hit the
ground, a pair of hands caught her. She was drawn against a hard body. Her breath
came out in shorts spurts as his arms circled her waist.
“Oh God,” was all she could whimper.
Deathly afraid to look up in his face, she clutched the lapels of his jacket and
squeezed her eyes shut. Panic picked at her nerves then she realized she was
holding her breath.
Breathe Rayne, breathe.
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This was no dream, nor vision. It was actually happening. The alluring scent
of him swirled around her. He smelled so good she almost passed the hell out.
His fingers slipped beneath her chin and tilted her face up to his. “At your
request, I am here for you.”
She opened her eyes and her next breath got caught in her throat.
Jet black, wavy hair draped his broad shoulders, and framed his porcelain
face. Accented by a fan of thick black lashes, bright and exotic eyes, shimmering
like the ocean beneath a full moon, were fixed on her.
Never in her life had she seen a man so incredibly beautiful. Just looking at
him made every muscle in her body tingle.
“Demetri?” she whispered, giving into the shudders ripping up and down
her spine.
His sexy lips curved up in a smirk, enhancing his beauty as he slowly
removed her shades. “Hello, Angel.”
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Chapter Six
Dark Lover
“Come, my love.” Demetri nodded toward the gazebo. “Allow me to make
you comfortable.”
Without taking his eyes from her, he back stepped to the enclosure in fluid
movements, pulling her with him. His touch was utter bliss. Although totally
taken by him, the black cloud surrounding his form was not lost to her.
A graceful wave of his hand drew the curtains back. He turned her and very
gently guided her down on the plush padding of the lounge bed.
Through the breezy drapes, she watched him round the shelter. He dipped
his head and smiled bashfully, as if her unwavering gaze had made him shy. Didn"t
he know she couldn"t look away even if she wanted to?
The man carried an air of nobility. Clad in a fitted black jacket, a pair of
black pants with sharp creases down the front, a lightly patterned grey vest,
highlighted with a silver tie and a matching button down shirt. Diamond cufflinks
and a set of spit-shined boots completed the whole ensemble.
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The jacket slid from over his broad shoulders. The definition of his strong
physique flexed beneath his shirt and vest. He loosened his tie and the buckles on
his boots then lowered himself onto the seat next to her. The curly ends of his
mane pooled behind him as he swung his legs onto the stretch of the padding.
“It"s a beautiful night, isn"t it?” He bent his leg and twisted to the side to
look at her. “I think you may be the cause of that.”
Coming from him, it was the sexiest thing anyone had ever said to her.
Desire engulfed her as those sterling turquoise eyes peered deeply into hers.
“I thought you"d enjoyed this better than a stroll on the noisy street. Would
you like a glass of wine, or something to eat?” A platter of luscious fingers foods
appeared on the palm of his hand when he turned it up. “If this will not do, I can
take you to a wonderful restaurant where we"ll have privacy. How about Olivia"s,
in Paris? It"s 3:30 a.m. there, but I"m sure my sister-n-law would be delighted to
open the restaurant just for you. I can have you there in a flash if you"d like.”
Daunted, her jaw went slack and her mouth fell open.
His expression turned somber. “Have I overwhelmed you?”
Rayne sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded. Granted, she
was extremely attracted to him, but at the same time, he scared the shit out of her.
It"d been different when they were in some fantasy world within her mind. But
now that he was sitting less than six inches from her without the darkness
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shading him, she saw what her gut had told her the moment he appeared out of
thin air.
He wasn"t human.
“I apologize. I only want to make you as comfortable as possible.”
“No, it"s not—how…?” She choked on the words and shook her head. “How
the hell did you do that?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“What are you?”
He jerked back and slanted his head in curiosity. “You don"t know?”
Hugging herself, she inched back away
from him, and nearly toppled off the
edge of the bed. “I know you"re not human. I don"t know how, but I know.”
“Oh, I see.” His eyes softened. “Interesting. The dark truth has been hidden
from you, yes?”
“What dark truth?”
There was a long moment when all he did was stare at her. The mystery in
his eyes had her stirring uncontrollably. He took her hand and placed it on his
cheek. His skin simmered beneath her touch. An involuntary sigh slipped from her
lips.
“It will not be disclosed from my lips. I want you to feel it,” he whispered.
With the slightest tug, he pulled her closer to him. A tremor traveled through her
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arm then rippled down her entire body. “Don"t be afraid. Close your eyes and feel
my true nature.”
As her lids drifted close, darkness crept into her mind. A pair of soft lips
pressed to her forehead then ran down the center of her face to her mouth. The
tender kiss sent fierce shivers to her core.
Behind her eyelids, there was the flash of a blade and in the midst of the
darkness, Demetri stood over a huge grotesque creature, wielding a long sword.
His eyes were red and something shiny gleamed from beneath his lips. He was
crazy beautiful and horrific at the same time—a bizarre combination.
With effortless agility, he flipped his wrist and the head of creature
skittered across the ground, leaving a trail of black liquid in its path.
“You offer your throat to me so freely,” he gasped.
Her eyes popped open. His body shook violently. Widened in terror, his
eyes beamed like flashlights and sharp fangs glistened between his lips. That"s
when she realized her position. Her head was tilted and she tugged at the collar of
her shirt to expose her vulnerable neck.
“Oh my God!” She sprang to her feet and scrambled along the small
enclosure, trying to part the curtains that all of a sudden didn"t have an opening.
“Let me outta here!” She dropped to her knees in an attempt to crawl under the
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sheer barrier, but the hem of the ghostly fabric, which apparently had a mind of its
own, embedded itself deep into the sand.
Black Rayne Silent Screams Page 9