Balance (The Balance Series Book 1)

by Janelle Stalder

  Whether he was good for her not, he knew that wasn’t going to stop him from having a taste of her. As far as he knew, their fates were sealed, the second they had met it would seem.

  Pulling into the darkened parking lot, he saw Cillian’s pick-up already there. He never understood why the younger demon insisted on driving such a beat up looking hunk of metal.

  As he walked down the halls to the interrogation room, he could already hear the squeals of pain. Cillian Black was a lesser demon than he, but Caleb had the utmost respect for the young man. Not that he was a child, but he was a good hundred years or so younger than him. In Caleb’s mind, the demon was still a baby.

  He walked in to see the black expanse of his wings, hiding whoever sat before him. Cillian was a spawn of two demons, and therefore couldn’t blend in with humans the way they could. While his facial features were reminiscent of a human’s, aside from the black eyes, there was no way to hide the large, bat-like wings that protruded from his back.

  His bare skin showed beneath the single bulb, since the boy couldn’t wear a shirt with those massive appendages. Caleb cleared his throat to announce his arrival, even though he was sure the other demon had already sensed him.

  The two inky wings retracted, tucking in against his back as Cillian turned to face him.

  “Caleb,” he greeted in his hoarse voice.

  Caleb nodded in return, his eyes moving past the other demon to the person sitting in the singular chair. He started, not expecting this. Now he understood why Cain had been his father’s first choice. The second-in-command demon, one of his father’s favourites, took special pleasure in torturing any species associated with the Soldiers.

  Wide, fearful eyes met his. Unlike the Soldiers themselves, the warriors amongst what the humans dubbed angels, this was a simple Scout. They were the ones that completed earthly tasks for heaven’s habitants, since the white winged creatures weren’t fond of coming down to mix with mortals.

  Caleb swallowed his distaste for what were essentially his distant cousins. The small Scout shook as Caleb walked toward him. He was well-known in all circles, not just the demonic. It was likely this man already knew who stood before him. Caleb knew his eyes alone revealed his identity.

  “Meet Zachary,” Cillian said from behind him. “He has yet to inform me just what he was doing here, but we’re still getting to know each other, aren’t we Zach?”

  The Scout shook his head emphatically, his eyes never leaving Caleb’s. Suddenly Vivian’s face filled his mind, making him hesitate.

  What would she think of him if she could see him now?

  The thought made the sickening feeling growing in his gut worsen.

  Stepping back, he nodded to Cillian to continue. For now, he would simply observe. If Cillian needed him to step in then he would. He’d have no choice. Caleb knew the other demon could handle a mere Scout just fine on his own though.

  It had nothing to do with a mortal girl now sound asleep in her bed, he assured himself.

  The next morning came with a vengeance. It felt as though my brain was going to ooze out my ears, or explode. I welcomed the thought. Maybe then I’d have some peace. I felt horrible, and worse, I was really confused about exactly what had happened towards the end of the night.

  Had Caleb Banks really been here?

  I looked over the side of my bed at the floor, moaning as the simple movement wracked my already sensitive brain, and saw my shoes exactly where I remembered him putting them. How strange. I was certain it must have been a dream.

  It was hard to believe he had gotten past my parents, twice. What kind of person knows how to sneak that well? I tried to lie really still in my bed, hoping that if I just didn’t move my headache would go away.

  My clock said nine-thirty. I figured I could sleep for another hour. It was rare for me to sleep in, so my parents would most likely let me be lazy for once. I drifted back to sleep and slept just as soundly as I had all night. I never wanted to wake up.

  At eleven I opened my eyes again and still had a headache. Right then and there I decided to never drink again. It just wasn’t worth it. Finally managing to find the strength to get up, I went into the bathroom to take a Tylenol. A nice long hot shower would also help.

  After I was clean, and somewhat recovered, I went downstairs and faced my parents. I wonder if they’re going to ask about the strange boy that was in our house last night, I thought walking down the stairs. Each one had its own unique squeak, impossible not to hear from any room in the house.

  “Good morning, Vi Vi,” Dad said from his favourite chair in the family room. “Sleep well?”

  “Yes, thank you,” I answered, heading to the kitchen to grab a late breakfast.

  “Good morning, Vivian,” Mom said from the stove. “How was your night out with the girls?”

  “Fine, thanks. We had a lot of fun” I replied.

  “We didn’t even hear you come in, what time were you home?” she asked, looking over at me.

  “Oh, not too late. I think it was around one. I tried to be really quiet when I came in, I didn’t want to wake you.”

  She nodded and went back to cooking whatever she had going on the stove. I was relieved that neither of them seemed to be at all suspicious. Didn’t understand it, but was thankful regardless. After eating I went back to my room to lie down again. For some reason my body did not want to admit it was daytime right now.

  By late evening, there was no denying the excitement building in the pit of my stomach over the thought of returning to work Monday. And not just to hear about Lily and Ashley’s night, but to see Caleb again.

  Was that completely lame of me? Things wouldn’t be as weird between us now. Or would he go right back to being his strange self? My brain tried to convince itself that I didn’t care either way, but I couldn’t fool myself. I wanted things to be different and I knew it.

  Monday morning at the office was insane. A pedophile named Barrie Twait had been picked up and charged with eleven counts of pedophilia and child abuse. It was one of the worst cases of its kind that our town had ever seen, and it looked like Banks and Sons was going to represent him. The man made me sick.

  None of us had seen the Banks boys all morning, and had barely had time to talk about Saturday night. We were planning on filling each other in at lunch, and just focused on getting all the work done as fast as we could.

  Margaret came by midmorning and handed me paperwork for the big meeting that afternoon for all executive personnel. I headed to the largest boardroom alone, thankful to get away from my desk for a few minutes.

  As I set the chairs up and placed a folder at each spot, someone tapped on the boardroom door. Turning, I saw Caleb leaning against the doorway. I tried to slow my heart, afraid my cheeks would bloom red at the sight of him. Try to play it casual, Vivian.

  “Hey,” I said with a smile. That seemed casual enough, right?

  “Hey,” he replied, his eyes slowly running down the length of me.

  It was useless, my face was aflame and there was nothing I could do to hide it now.

  “How did you feel Sunday?” he asked, pushing off the doorframe and walking towards me. My heart started to race even faster as he held my gaze, trapped in the depths of blue that seemed endless. The way his body moved seemed inhuman, as though he prowled instead of simply walked. He was a predator, and right now, there was no denying I was his prey.

  This was definitely different. Wasn’t this exactly what I had wanted?

  “Oh I felt like shit,” I said, laughing slightly. Did my voice just squeak? Oh my God, I was freaking out slightly. “I think I’ve given up on the whole drinking thing,” I managed to add.

  He stopped only a few feet away from me, still holding my eyes. I was suddenly very aware that we were alone in here.

  “How did you feel?” I rushed out. My voice sounded weak to my own ears. He smiled, (ugh, why did he have to smile?), shrugging his shoulders.

  “I didn’t really d
rink, so I was perfectly fine.” His smile disappeared just as quickly as it had formed. His eyes raked over me slowly again, immediately intensifying the blush in my face that I had been desperately trying to keep down. “You’re looking fully recovered today,” he said.

  Was that a compliment?

  My mouth opened and shut without replying. What was I supposed to say now? His expression was unreadable, and for some reason I felt completely out of my league. He inched a little closer, holding me in a trance. My breath lodged in my chest as his scent surrounded me.

  Man, he smelled good. My eyes fluttered shut as I in haled.

  “Oh, hey, Caleb.”

  My eyes flew open, the little bubble that had surrounded us popping as Stacey and the other two entered the room. We both turned towards her in surprise.

  “Stacey,” he said, nodding at her.

  Without another word, he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the boardroom. I didn’t know what was going on, but right before we walked out I had a chance to look at Stacey’s face, and all I saw there was pure rage. It made me want to laugh, but I was too confused about where we were going to really react, and too aware of the feel of Caleb’s hand around mine to think of anything else. His palm was rough against mine, his hold strong and bold. I looked down at them, aware of how small mine was compared to his.

  Caleb abruptly turned into the large copier room and shut the door behind us pushing me against the back of it.

  I found myself pinned between him and the door, his arms on either side of me, his face only inches away from mine. I held my breath. Caleb leaned in closer, tilting his head to one side and looked me right in the eyes with a piercing stare that was made even more effective by the raw hunger simmering there.

  “May I?” was all he said in a whisper.

  I think I managed to sputter out a weak yes, but I couldn’t be sure. Before I knew it his mouth was on mine, and all sane thought had vanished. Our lips fit perfectly together, and I suddenly felt a new type of hunger within myself.

  All I wanted was Caleb.

  Sensing my response his kissing became even more aggressive than before. My hands locked together in his hair, pulling him closer just as he dragged me against him. The hard muscles of his chest were just as unforgiving as the wooden door that had been against my back. His hands gripped me as I sucked at his lower lip, giving it a slight nip that produced a deep growl from within his chest.

  My excitement only increased at the sound. Our heads tilted, deepening the kiss further, until I felt as though he could reach into me and touch my soul. We were completely intertwined together. I wished we would never let go.

  When we broke apart, our breaths mingled as our chests heaved against one another’s. His eyes held an intense pleasure, as I’m sure mine did. I didn’t know what to say, but I didn’t let go of him just yet. He leaned in again and kissed me a little more gently this time, but with the same amount of passion.

  Sadly, he pulled away again, one of his rare smiles breaking out across his face, robbing me of my breath once more.

  “Oh, God,” I whispered. I didn’t know what else to say, but that seemed to accurately express the way I felt.

  He laughed then, a sound that would likely stay with me for as long as I lived. Even if Caleb Banks and I became nothing more than a quick fling, I was sure this moment would never leave my memory. When I was old and grey, I would still think back on the day Caleb Banks kissed me senseless in the copier room, and then laughed as though it were perfectly natural for him to do so.

  “God has nothing to do with this, trust me,” He said, sweeping a piece of hair from my face and kissing me one more time, quickly on the lips. “I need to catch up with my father for this meeting.”

  I nodded, reluctantly untangling my hands from around his neck.

  “I’ll come find you after,” he said.

  I couldn’t really speak so I just nodded again. He kissed my forehead and left the room. Not quite trusting my legs yet, I stood in there for a good five minutes before heading back to my desk.

  “What the hell just happened?” I whispered to myself as I sat back down in my chair. My eyes were unseeing as I stared blankly at the papers waiting on my desk to be worked on. How was I supposed to concentrate after something like that? I had never been kissed with so much passion in my entire life. Corey and I had shared many kisses when we’d dated, but nothing that could compare to what had just happened between Caleb and I.

  Ashley’s head popped up from behind the wall separating our cubicles. “I don’t know, what the hell just happened?” She said, matching my whisper.

  Before I could get out a word, not that any sprang to mind just yet, we heard someone coming toward us in a hurry. We turned at the same time to see Lily practically running over to our desks, her face set in a determined expression as though she were fighting to keep control.

  “What the hell just happened?” she asked, crowding into my cubicle.

  “What? What the hell just happened? What the hell am I missing?” Ashley said, standing now. They both crammed into my cubicle, cornering me.

  “I just went to see if you needed help in the boardroom, and found Stacey and the other loupies practically foaming at the mouth about something. Didn’t take them long to start assaulting me with questions about you and Caleb, because apparently they were under the impression they interrupted something between the two of you, and then Caleb pulled you out of the room in quite a hurry!”

  The words came out in such a rush I could barely keep up with her. Lily’s eyes were wide with anticipation.

  “Speak,” she commanded when I just sat there, blinking up at her, silent.

  “What the heck is a loupie?” I asked.

  “A lawyer groupie,” Lily said quickly, waving her hands at me. “That’s not important right now. Spill, girl.”

  “Wow, this is better than an episode of Gossip Girl,” Ashley said leaning towards me.

  I cringed at the thought of how pissed off Stacey probably was. This meant that everyone would hear about it before the end of the day, and I would become the topic of gossip in the office. This was exactly what I had wanted to avoid. Damn.

  The two sets of eyes in front of my chair were burning into me with anticipation for a response. I knew I had to tell them, but I was still so dazed by the experience I almost needed some time myself to figure out what happened.

  “Let’s just calm down,” I said trying to buy some time.

  “Screw that! You said nothing had happened between you two at the club, but clearly you were lying, so start talking.” Lily edged closer, pushing me back against my desk. I felt as though they were seconds away from shining a light in my eyes and cuffing me to the chair until I talked. There didn’t seem to be any way out of this.

  “Ok, ok, calm down,” I began. “Nothing did happen at the club, I wasn’t lying to you about that. He drove me home and that was it.” They waited for me to continue. “Ah, well then today,” I continued hesitantly, “he came into the boardroom like Stacey said, and took me to the copier room.”

  Their bodies stiffened in anticipation. A huge smile spread across Ashley’s face, while Lily’s mouth hung open. I felt like a spectacle. It also felt as though we were a trio of frat boys who liked to kiss and tell. There was no backing out now though.

  “Then he kissed me,” I said quickly, bringing the conversation to an end.

  “Wow,” they both said in unison.

  I nodded in agreement. Wow didn’t even cover it.

  “Well, I must say, things have gotten a lot more exciting here since you arrived, Vi,” said Ashley laughing. “The Banks boys finally hook up with girls, I get Liam, and Stacey officially wants to kill us even more than before. We have a full on war on our hands. It’s excellent.”

  Lily and I laughed in agreement.

  “Since you told us about your little experience we will fill you in on our night, so let’s go to lunch,” Lily said going back to her
cubicle. We all grabbed our stuff and headed over to the cafeteria. I couldn’t wait to hear about their nights on Saturday, but at the same time I wasn’t sure how well I would listen since my thoughts were in complete disarray. Ashley was right. Things had definitely gotten more exciting since I’d started working here.

  His breath quickened as he walked into the infamous Banks building. It was only a matter of time before he would be able to do this again, without having people constantly around him. He noticed the old man in the front foyer stiffen as he walked in, and knew what he would probably be thinking.

  He knew what everyone thought when they saw him. He was a monster. He didn’t care though. He might be a monster, but he had a bigger monster on his side now, and that guaranteed his freedom. Then all these people could toss and turn at night wondering what he was doing with his freedom. He would laugh then, because his nights would be peaceful.

  They walked into the main room and his breathing stopped altogether. He could see her long raven hair from across the room, and felt her large green eyes burn into him when she turned to look.

  This one was special, he thought.

  The fun he could have with those eyes, and those lips. His mind began to race over millions of scenarios in those few seconds that he met her gaze, but soon it was interrupted. He snapped back to reality and focused on what was being said around him.

  She would be in his head from now on, he knew. He would see her again, he promised himself that.

  The big meeting that had taken place in the boardroom finished around two, but I didn’t see Caleb come out with the rest of them. Dermot exited a while later and smiled at the three of us as he walked by our desks to his office. I still felt like such an idiot whenever I saw him. I could only imagine what he thought of me.

  At around four-thirty we heard some commotion near the entrance and turned to see three men walking towards Dermot, who was waiting not too far from where we sat. The two outside men were police officers, but my eyes went right over them as I stared at the man they were escorting.