I sat down next to him and squeezed my hands together. I felt like a child that had done something wrong. "Ok."
"Were you dreaming about Kaden?"
"Yes." Even if I wanted to I couldn't deny it, not after he heard me calling Kaden's name. What other alternative would there have been.
"How long have you been having dreams about him?"
"What? I don't know." This wasn't happening, it couldn't be happening. I was embarrassed and felt ashamed.
"You said yesterday to him that you recognized him. When did the dreams start? Was it before you met him at my house?"
This situation couldn't get much more uncomfortable. "Yes, I have seen him in my dreams for some time now. Why do you ask? Do you think I am having premonitions now?" I stopped breathing altogether, it pained me to tell this man I was dreaming about his brother. I hoped he didn't ask for the details, I wasn't prepared to share them.
"That is not what I think, of course it could be a possibility. The thing is... Remember how I told you that everyone in my family has their own special gifts, well Kaden can't astral project. He can however dream walk."
"Huh?" I wasn't sure if I was hearing him right.
"When did you first dream about him?"
"Right after I was taken. I actually thought I saw him at the coffee shop that day, the day that I and just-"
Graven jumped up from the bed. "He better not have done what I think he did!" He pushed his loose hair back away from his face and paced the floor. His steps were heavy enough that I was sure the front desk would be calling with a noise complaint.
"Graven?" I sat on the edge of the bed not really knowing what to do or what to think. I was starting to get scared. Scared of what Kaden might have done, and scared of what was going through Graven's mind.
He came over to the edge of the bed and knelt down in front of me. He placed his hands on each of my knees.
"I'm sorry if I seem angry. Kaden has done a lot of really screwed up stuff, things that I have struggled to forgive him for. I really don't know how I will forgive him if he is to blame for your suffering."
"How would he be to blame for my suffering?" I wanted to reach out and touch Graven. I wanted to push back the hair that was starting to fall forward into his face. I needed to see the look in his eyes. But I was afraid to connect with him.
"You said that you saw him at the cafe, the same place that you last recall being before you were abducted, and he has been in your dreams since then. I am guessing he is the one that took you. He has a way of being able to get into someone's mind. Most of the time he is able to extract information and control people through their dreams."
I put my hands over my mouth, the mouth that I allowed Kaden to kiss. For me, it was a dream, a fantasy and a coping mechanism. For him it was real.
"Graven, I...I didn't know. I let him in. I told him things, private things. I thought..." I buried my face in the plans of my hands. I felt so betrayed, so exposed and embarrassed.
"You couldn't have known. It's not your fault." He reached up and caressed the side of my head.
"I will make sure that he pays for his indiscretion and reckless abandonment for anyone but himself. It makes sense why he was so concerned about where you were and how he knew how to find us at Patience's house." Graven was gritting his teeth in-between sentences. "I will find out what his game is and what he is looking to gain."
"Please just don't hurt him."
Graven looked up at me his face was stone cold.
"Please, I don't know what he has done, but he is your brother."
"I don't want him in your head. If he comes back, you tell him he is not welcome. I will tell him myself when I see him, you can be sure of that."
I spread my legs and dropped down off the edge of the bed straddling his lap. I held his head in my hands. I searched his eyes for a sign that I could distract him from his anger. I was so worried about his anger that I failed to acknowledge my own.
"I think you were the one to tell me that sometimes we have to take a path in life that can be full of pain and do things that we are not proud of. I have suffered and know unthinkable pain from what happened to me while I was held captive. The thing is that, had I not been there trying to escape and find a way out, I never would have followed Ziona into that meeting. That may have been our one and only chance to cross paths in this lifetime. That was our moment, it is when our roads met and became one.
"For that I have to accept my past and hold my head up. Unless of course I am with you then I can rest my head on your shoulder."
He said nothing. He just grabbed my face and kissed me. There was nothing sweet about it, it was hard and full of dominance. I felt the intensity of what was raging inside of him. I knew his love, if he never said it to me it wouldn't matter.
Chapter Twenty-Three
MARITZA ROLLED IN JUST AFTER we had finished showering and joined us for a quick breakfast. She gave us a list of last minute things that she needed to have done before the soft opening party and went to bed for a few hours.
I was trying not to think about Kaden because I didn't want to deal with those emotions, and if I really let myself dive into that pool I may have started to drown.
I also had the task of trying to keep Graven from searching the hotel for his brother. Although in my heart I knew he wouldn't be close enough for either of us to confront him.
"Hey, I don't know how long that list is that Maritza gave you, but do you think maybe we could stop somewhere so I can get my hair cut? I would love to have my hair done for tonight." My hair along with the rest of my body looked like it had been through a war.
"Of course, that sounds like a great idea. I could use one too. I have a better idea, let's just spend the day getting pampered. We can do it all. I will call down to the spa and make the arrangements. I know Maritza has a girl that comes here to do her hair and make-up."
"I have never had a spa treatment, but I think I am long overdue for some pampering."
"You sure are." Graven came over and kissed me before he picked up the phone.
I could finally say that it had been a good day. No one tried to kidnap me, and no one I knew was in immediate danger of being killed. Graven and I had several treatments including a couple's massage.
It was a day of relaxation. I did my best to allow my thoughts and worries to fade away. I gave myself permission to enjoy the day and knew that whatever problems that I needed to face would still be there tomorrow, unfortunately.
After we finished an early dinner, Maritza's girl showed up to do our hair and make-up. She walked in with a large rolling suitcase type thing packed full of hair stuff and make-up.
She had straight black hair the hung lower in the front than the back with flame red streaks. She had a beautiful heart shaped face and high arched brows. The thick black eyeliner that streaked up at the corners like wings worked well on her. I imagined I would look way over done with that kind of makeup on, but she knew how to work it.
When she took off her long sleeved shirt she exposed two full sleeves of tattoos. She was a woman who wasn't afraid to express herself.
Maritza and I chit chatted about things I would need to know about. More specifically what I might have to do at the club. We took turns getting our hair and makeup done. I was excited about surprising Maritza with my outfit.
I got dressed in the room that was supposed to be mine. Kelly, the girl at the clothing store helped me pick out a perfect dress. It was a satiny type of material and had a silver shimmer that moved with my curves. She suggested that I wear it without a bra. It covered my chest and came up to wrap around my neck.
The dress was very narrow in the front, the lines cut up around my armpits exposing the sides of my breasts. I loved how sexy it was without the usual cleavage, and the back of the dress covered my scars. I wasn't keen on showing off the mark on my chest, especially not on a night where the club would be full of supernatural people.
I assumed it would be hot
enough inside the club that I opted to not wear stockings. The dress was short, but I think it was long enough that I wouldn't expose myself if I happened to bend over the wrong way. I decided to go with a simple, black velvet, platform stiletto. All in all it was a simple, sexy outfit that was edgy enough for a club, but sophisticated enough that I could wear it with a blazer for a fancy dinner party, not that I had ever been to one.
I walked into the shared bathroom and Maritza almost jumped out of her skin. "Oh my gosh! Perfect, you look amazing!" She walked over to me and grabbed my hand to spin me around. "Graven is going to pass out when he sees you."
"You are looking super hot!" the cosmetologist added. "You are going to turn some heads tonight."
"I don't want to draw too much attention to myself, do you think it's too much? I got a pants outfit too."
"No, it's perfect," Maritza said. "I better get dressed too. We need to get there early and make sure that everyone knows what he or she are supposed to do."
"Ok, I am going to go let Graven know that we will be ready to go in a few minutes," I told her. Maritza went to get dressed and our beautician packed up her things.
I walked out into the living area. I saw Graven on the house phone. His back was turned to me, his hair was shorter, and it was down. I had only seen him in the shower with his hair down and it was pushed back and wet. With his fresh haircut it hit just below his shoulders. I expected him to have on one of his signature tee shirts, instead he wore a white tailored shirt and black slacks.
I didn't want to interrupt his call so I just walked over to him and slipped my hands around him. My fingertips expected to find the buttons of his shirt; instead they grazed over the ripples of muscles that were stacked on his abdomen.
I was much closer to his height with the extra 6 inches I wore on my feet. I nuzzled into his dark hair and inhaled his sweet musky scent. "Hi," I barley whispered into his hair.
"Ok, thank you." He hung up the phone and started to turn around. I didn't let my grip on him go.
"Hello, holy hell-o!" He put his hands on my hips and pulled back away from me. His eyes devoured every inch of me from head to toe. A noise bellowed from deep in his throat; a sound that I heard his brother make in one of my dreams. It must have been a gargoyle thing.
He normally was impeccably clean-shaven. This was the first time I had seen him with a five o'clock shadow. He looked dashing in a bad boy kind of way.
"You look stunning." He pulled me in closer so that our hips pressed together. "We better get out of here before my greedy appetite for you grows uncontrollable."
Graven squeezed my hips and I thought of how good it felt when he had my hips in his astral hands. I knew I wasn't ready emotionally to give him every last bit of me, but I wanted every last bit of what he had to offer.
"All good things come to those who wait, and knowing what you are waiting for only makes it that much better. I look forward to satisfying what you hunger for." I closed my eyes, because I knew I wouldn't be able to withstand the intensity of looking him in the eyes at that moment. I pressed my mouth against his perfectly pouty lips and slid my tongue past his teeth and slowly swirled it around. I took his tongue into my mouth and sucked it before finishing the kiss. I was surprised how soft his face still was even with the growth of facial hair.
"You're killing me, in the best way possible! I think that Maritza might be on her own tomorrow night. I think I need to take you home so we can have our privacy," Graven suggested.
I rubbed my hands up and down his chest and pulled at his oversized silver belt buckle and pulled his hips closer. "We better button you up or your guests might think you are on the menu tonight."
He watched me as I leisurely buttoned his shirt. "I could get used to being taken care of like this," he hummed.
I smiled up at him and gave him a small peck on the lips. "I could get used to taking care of you."
"Maritza!" He called out to her. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I'm coming now."
Chapter Twenty-Four
WE GOT TO THE CLUB about an hour before the party was to start. I was a little bit apprehensive about the guest list consisting of people and creatures that I had no previous knowledge of. I expressed my concern to Graven, but he said that Maritza had someone coming to put an enchantment spell on the club to prevent the use of most supernatural abilities.
I knew that he wouldn't block everything; he had a security team that depended on their abilities along with a very special resident DJ. Not to mention he wouldn't hinder his own ability to shift. I wondered what effects it would have on my abilities. I was still nervous, what if the lady didn't show, or it didn't work?
The club was gorgeous. All the lighting was in full effect. The white draped fabric was illuminated like giant fluffy clouds on the ceiling. The design team managed to really pull everything together. Maritza got all of the dancers lined up on the dance floor. Frankie lowered the cage like structures from the ceiling for them to climb into.
"Remember you won't be able to get down until the end of the night, so make sure you all have made your final trips to the restrooms." She poked around to see if anyone needed a last minute release. "Ok so then let's get everyone in and up, we have a few minutes before the doors open."
Maritza was amazing to watch. She had her clipboard in her hands and made sure that everyone was prepared. I don't know how she did it all, but she ran the entire show. And she did it with a graceful elegance.
A tall woman walked into the center of the club as the dancers were being lifted. She had a presence that was way too familiar. Her blond hair hugged at the sides of her cheeks. She wore shiny black boots that came up about two inches above her knees.
Graven hurried over to me. "Can you do me a favor and go check on Tobias? Make sure he doesn't need anything before we get the night started. People will be here in a few minutes."
I gave a hard look at the woman. "I see some people have already started to arrive."
"That's the problem, I'll meet you up there in a few." He kissed me on the cheek and walked over to the blond.
I did as he asked, I was looking forward to seeing Tobias again, but I had a knot in my stomach since that woman walked onto the dance floor.
When I got to the top of the stairs, I walked through the empty VIP area. The door to the DJ booth was open. I was glad, because I wasn't sure if I should knock or just let myself in.
"Hey, Tobias."
"Hi, Kasha, nice to see you again. You ready to shake it tonight?"
"Shake what?" I asked absently as I watched Graven speaking with the woman in the all too familiar black boots.
"On the dance floor? Are you ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I zoned out for a minute. Graven wanted me to see if you need anything."
"No, I'm all set," he told me.
"I am looking forward to listening to your music, I'm not sure if I will find the time to dance though."
He continued to talk to me about music and dancing. I had my mind somewhere else. I decided I couldn't wait for Graven to come tell me what was going on. That woman reminded me way too much of Ziona. I astral projected down and stood just behind Graven.
He knew I was there; he tried to suddenly shoo me off with his hand behind his back. I wasn't going anywhere. I watched her from both my physical body and my astral body.
"Graven, I don't need to tell you that I am not happy with what is going on. Someone interfered with the Basset brother's assassination attempt on the story keeper. Apparently only her husband was killed, along with George and Michael. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"
"No, why would I?"
"Because this particular story keeper happened to be friends with your pretend girlfriend's grandmother. It is all very coincidental," the woman said as I watched her hair lengthen and turn the darkest color black. Her face rounded out and her lip puffed up shining a bright red color. It was then that I noticed the slight glow of red rad
iating around her. How did I not see it when she first walked in? Ziona.
Ziona looked up at the DJ booth knowing that I had just walked up there. She winked, waved and blew me a kiss. I wanted to lunge at her as I stood in astral form and rip her throat out for what she had done to me, and what she had allowed that monster Anton to do to me.
"Tell Kasha time is running out. I have her mother and she will face greater suffering in my underground place of torture than she did. I will send proof or invite you to come and see that I have her for myself." Her vindictive smile was as cold as ice.
"Maybe you and I can share a drink later," she said as she leaned in close enough to his face to kiss him. She ran one of her bright red fingernails over his mouth. "I can show you how a real woman can satisfy the animal inside of you."
"I think I will pass, Zee. I am not interested in whatever cheap knock-off crap you are selling. I prefer the real thing." He took a step back. "I will relay your message, and I suggest that you not come at me with threats. I have let a lot slide for a long time. This will be the last." Graven started to walk away and turned back to her. "Thanks for coming to show your support for the new club. I'm sorry that you can't stay."
Her mouth almost hit the floor. She tossed her black hair as she turned and disappeared into the shadows of the entryway.
"Are you crazy, I told you to go upstairs," he said to me. "I'm coming up there now, please get back to your body."
I realized that Tobias was still talking to me about the music. He was telling me where dance music came from. He explained how the guys that used to play Motown music developed the four on the floor beat. It was the start of disco. What he was saying was fascinating, but my concern for my mother was taking all the pleasure out of listening to him.
"Good evening, Tobias." Graven popped his head in the room. "Maritza is opening up the doors now and I need to steal away my date from you." His smile was fantastic, but I knew it was covering his true feelings.
Betrayed: Breaking the Darkness Series Book Two Page 24