The Forbidden Chapters Part 1: Afterlife Saga

by Stephanie Hudson

  “If you’re about to tell me that having you bleeding in front of me is ‘fine’ or ‘not that bad’ then I will stop you now before you find yourself really in trouble…now put that on your hand and come with me,” he commanded and I found I couldn’t disobey as he handed me the cloth to place over my hand. His voice sounded strained, as if he was fighting with himself on some level. In the end, I took his advice and remained silent as I followed him past the bar. But that was until I saw where we were headed.

  “Umm…I was told not to go through there,” I told him falling behind a step at the sight of the huge doors at the back of the room. Doors I had been specifically warned against. He was just within reach of the doors before he looked back over his shoulder at me.

  “Is that right?” I nodded and finally that harsh frown disappeared and something new appeared in his eyes. A light flash of purple, that must have been a glint of the club’s lights below and this combined with a playful crease appeared at the corners, as he grinned. Then he said something that had my heart rate kicking up a notch at just the thought of what it could mean…

  “Time to break the rules then.”

  Chapter 22

  Draven’s Domain

  Book 1

  NEW

  “Time to break the rules then,” he said and then pushed the doors open for me to follow. I looked back to Karmun who looked shocked, along with others in the VIP. In fact, I think there was only two people that didn’t looked shocked and that was Vincent and Sophia.

  I walked through the doors and was faced by a long wide hallway that looked as if I was stepping right into a castle.

  Who the Hell were these people anyway?

  There was a door at the very end along with others along the way but for some reason it was the one at the end that was drawing me closer. So much so in fact, that it was only when Draven called my name that I realised I had walked further than I should.

  “Keira?”

  “Oh, right, sorry…I just…um yes.” I mumbled in embarrassment and walked into the door that he held open. Into a room that was obviously his office and a very grand one at that. Expensive antique artwork adorned the walls. Solid carved wooden furniture dotted about the room, which included a massive desk that was big enough that two people could have spread out across it…now where did that thought come from I wonder?

  I heard the door close behind us and I jumped, alerted to the fact that the two of us were in an enclosed room alone. I felt the heat invade my cheeks again and decided to look around the room, so that I could give my face time to calm down. At the far end of the room were marble arches that led onto an enclosed veranda and the cool night air certainly helped take the blush from my cheeks.

  “It’s a nice room,” I commented after a long period of silence.

  “Umm.” He made a noise that could have meant many things. He agreed, he didn’t, or he couldn’t give a damn, so I turned around to face him. I never expected to find him leaning casually back against his desk with his hands gripping the edge by his sides. But it wasn’t his position that took me by surprise but more the way he was looking at me…watching me…analysing every move I made.

  “Let’s take a look at that hand, shall we?” he said giving me a slight nod of his head, telling me to go to him. Personally, I was so nervous that I would have preferred to have remained where I was. But seeing that my whole reason for being in there in the first place was this damn cut, then I could see that I didn’t have much choice.

  So, I walked over to him keeping my eyes on the floor until I was about three feet away.

  “Are you always this shy around people, Keira or is it just when you are around me?” Draven asked bluntly making me look up at him. I was stunned by the question, certainly too stunned to answer him anyway.

  “I will take your silence as my answer. Now, give me your hand.” I bit my lip and did as he asked, trying not to shake. He looked down at it, the once white cloth now crimson with my blood. Then he stepped to the side and issued another order nodding to the high desk,

  “Sit down.”

  “Sorry?” I asked confused but he just answered my question with action as he suddenly gripped my waist with both hands and lifted me up and sat me on it.

  “Oh…oh okay,” I muttered making him smirk as he took over and pulled the cloth slowly off my palm.

  “The glass is still in there?” he questioned, not if it was because he could see plainly that it was, but more as to why it was.

  “I was going to pull it out, I was just working myself up to doing it.” I told him sounding like a wimp.

  “Then allow me,” he said and I tensed up, waiting for the pain. He held my hand in his, making sure I wouldn’t yank it back. Then he was just about to pull it out when a knock at the door made me scream.

  “Easy,” he said reassuring me before answering whoever stood the other side of the door, not once taking his eyes off me.

  “Enter.”

  Lauren walked in carrying a green case, a bowl and a bottle of water. She silently placed the items down on the desk next to Draven, then turned to leave when I quickly blurted out,

  “Thank you, Lauren,” before she left. She looked back at me with shock that quickly morphed into a soft smile.

  “You’re very welcome, Keira.” Then she left. Draven’s lips looked to be fighting off a grin and I decided to be brave,

  “What?”

  “People like you.” It wasn’t so much a question but more like an observation.

  “I…uh…I guess so,” I said not knowing how to answer that at first.

  “My sister thinks I scare you,” he said shocking me. I looked up at him and the second our eyes locked he pulled the glass shard out of my palm, making me wince.

  “Oww!” I grumbled making him chuckle.

  “You did that on purpose,” I said feeling cheated and with it forgetting that I was talking to my boss…my very intimidating boss.

  “Baby,” he teased, looking at my hand but then raised his eyes to mine for a second and my breath caught on a hitch. Hearing the way he said this, well then, I just knew it would end up starring in the next months’ worth of fantasies about him. I bit my lip because of it, his gaze followed the action and the teasing look changed to another…want.

  It only lasted a second but it was enough to confuse the hell out of me and ask myself if what I had seen had been right?

  “Now let’s see what the damage is,” he said stepping closer into me and my natural reaction was to open my legs to allow him to do this. Wait, but was that him swallowing hard I just saw or only my imagination kicking in? I think he purposely tried to ignore the action and instead busied himself by opening up the green bag. He then ripped open a few pads of sterile gauze and placed the white squares onto my palm.

  “We need to stop the bleeding. Hold these here and raise your arm above your head,” he said raising my arm up as he spoke.

  “Umm…you seem to know what you’re doing.,” I told him, once again questioning in my mind who this guy really was.

  “Let’s just say it’s a skill I acquired.” I laughed once.

  “Have many clumsy waitresses working for you, do you?” I joked and he gave me a small grin as he continued to get out all the things he would need to ‘fix me up’.

  “Just the one,” he added, this time making me smile.

  “Well don’t say I didn’t warn you” I teased and for a moment I forgot all about how much he intimidated me. I forgot he was my boss. I forgot how insecure he made me feel and even how scared I had been around him.

  “Keep it up,” he told me looking side on and noticing my arm had dropped.

  “Oh, yeah…sorry.” And there it was, my shyness back. Well it was nice whilst it lasted. Once he had everything he needed he turned back to me and started rolling up his sleeves when he nodded to my arm.

  “Do you find it cold in my club, Keira?” he asked and I frowned, not understanding the reason behind the question. Then
I realised where he was looking and to my horror found my long fingerless glove on show, thanks to my wide sleeve that had gathered around my shoulder.

  “I…uh…have bad circulation,” I said, telling him the same excuse I told everyone else. He raised an eyebrow at me, telling me silently that he thought I was full of shit.

  “Well if that is the case, I think taking it off now for a few minutes won’t cause any lasting damage,” he said now confirming with words that he didn’t believe me.

  “I…well, can we not do this with it on? I really like my gloves,” I said trying for a new angle.

  “Even blood-soaked ones?” he tested and I looked to see he was right, they were soaked with blood all the way up past my wrist. I started to look panicked and he could see it.

  “Hey, it’s fine okay. Relax, I just need to get to the palm,” he said in a soothing voice before bringing my hand down again now that the bleeding seemed to have stopped. Then using both hands, one to hold me steady and the other he used to fold back the glove gently, slipping my thumb out of it.

  “Please I…” I started to say as he folded it to my wrist, where I knew my first scar was.

  “Look at me.” I did as I was told and his features softened at the sight of my inner turmoil.

  “Just to here, okay,” he said leaving it exposing only my hand and nothing else. I nodded, swallowing down my stress and taking a deep breath.

  “Now let’s see how bad it is,” he warned pulling the gauze away and I hissed with pain.

  “This looks quite deep, you might need stitches,” he said and I shook my head.

  “No, no, I can’t…” I tried to find a good excuse.

  “What is it?” he asked as I shook my head again before looking up at him and told him the truth.

  “I don’t like hospitals.” He gave me a small smile and said,

  “I don’t think anyone likes hospitals, Keira,” he said missing the point. So, I gripped his arm, gave it a squeeze, and said in a more serious tone,

  “I mean, I really don’t like hospitals.” Then I sadly nodded down at my concealed arm, hoping this time he would get it…he did.

  “Ah, I see. Well in that case, let’s wash it and see what we can do.” I nodded hoping a trip to the ER wasn’t on the cards.

  Then he nodded to the bowl of water. So, I got off the desk, with his help and turned around to face the desk. I was just about to dunk my hand in when he stopped me.

  “Here, allow me.” I sucked in a jagged breath when I felt his arms come from behind me, hugging me to get closer to my hands. Thanks to his size and him being over a foot taller than me, he had no problem getting to my hands. I felt so torn in my senses because as he softly took my hand in his and began to wash it with the other, I felt the pain from the action start to melt into sexual intensity, sending my mind into sensory overload.

  The feel of his hard, muscular body against my back. The soft feel of a pair of large, strong hands gently handling me. The knowledge of him being so close to me, that if I were to turn suddenly I would be in his embrace. I think I was close to panting by the time he had finished and even the sight of a crimson bowl in front of me stained with my blood, wasn’t enough to dispel the hunger that was building. I wanted him like no other and after this I knew it would be too painful going back to the shadows where I had once resigned myself to staying. Looking at him from afar and memorising every detail of him, banking it away for when I was alone, safe to dream.

  “Right lets…um…let’s have a look, shall we?” he said having to clear his throat first and making me wonder if he had felt it too, the heat and the sexual tension between us? He turned me around and for a single moment I could believe it. His eyes gave me the slightest hint that what he was feeling mirrored my own thoughts and then in a single breath that window of opportunity was closed. Shut down as he lifted me back onto the desk and set himself back to the task of caring for me.

  “Well, I think you’re in luck.”

  “Um?” I asked thinking there was nothing lucky about not being kissed when I wanted it more than my next breath.

  “Your hand,” he reminded me softly as if he knew what I had been thinking.

  “Really?” I asked hopeful.

  “We could just put some butterfly stitches on this and it should heal nicely.” I released a happy sigh and he smirked at me. Then he looked down at the first aid kit and I followed him.

  “I don’t suppose you have any in there handy for bleeding damsels in distress, do you?” I asked in a teasing tone.

  “No, I am afraid not, my lady,” he said teasing me back making me giggle.

  “I just have to make a call. I will be back in a little while. Please make yourself comfortable,” he added, once more helping me down. After this he walked to the door but stopped before walking through it. He looked back at me and said,

  “Oh, and Keira, just for the record…” he paused for a second and strangely smiled to himself before continuing,

  “You’re my first bleeding damsel in distress.” Then he winked at me and left. I sucked in a surprised breath and found myself mentally pinching myself to make sure I hadn’t slipped into a Draven fantasy induced coma.

  “Oh Jesus, Kazzy, you’re in real trouble now,” I said to myself deflating onto one of the sofas there. It looked like a velvet Chesterfield and I sank into it with a sigh.

  “What am I gonna do now?” I asked myself, looking down at my hand, knowing that forever more this scar was going to remind me of Draven. The painful thought was that it was most likely going to be the only thing I would be left with once he left this place and me behind with it. Hell, that thought was more painful that the cut itself.

  I let my head fall back against the sofa and then turned to look back at the desk where we had shared our moment…our one single moment that I knew he had felt too. But then I frowned and sat up as something on the desk caught my eye.

  “That’s weird,” I said to no one, then got to my feet to check I was seeing it right. I walked over to the desk and picked up the antique receiver, hoping it was just there for show. I placed it to my ear and heard the dial tone as clear as day. I placed it back down slowly now asking myself one question…why did he need to leave the room to make a call if there was a phone right there on his desk?

  “Do you need to make a call?” The sound of Draven’s voice startled me and I dropped the receiver. It clattered to the desk with a thud and I jumped again. He calmly walked over to me, reached around me, and placed it back without taking his eyes off me.

  “I told you I was clumsy,” I blurted out again.

  “That you did,” he agreed and then nodded back to the phone, no doubt wanting an answer to his question.

  “Uh, no, no, that’s alright…I’m good.” I told him awkwardly not wanting him to know that I had just been checking it, secretly questioning his reason for leaving the room. He raised an eyebrow at me telling me without words that he knew what I had been up to. I knew this when he pulled a mobile phone from his pocket and placed it down on the table. Of course, he had probably needed it to get a contact from his phone and I knew this when it rang.

  “You have what I need?” he said answering it in a cool manner that spoke volumes of who was in charge.

  “I do my L…”

  “Good,” he snapped quickly interrupting them mid flow. There was definitely something he was hiding as he had done the same thing with Lauren when she too had been about to call him something.

  “Bring it to me,” he demanded before hanging up. Hearing all this and seeing Draven back to his domineering ways I didn’t know what to say. I looked down not wanting to be the next subject of his annoyance but as soon as I did this, his demeaner changed.

  “How is the pain?” he asked me, gently lifting my hand for his examination.

  “It’s…it’s okay,” I muttered quietly.

  “I think after all this you will deserve that drink after all,” he told me, surprising me enough that my gaze
shot to his just to check if he was serious or not.

  “I…um…” I struggled for words and he smiled down at me.

  “Come now Keira, surely you are not going to deny me the honour of buying you a drink, after all, you did shed blood in the line of duty serving me, it is the least I can do, don’t you think?” he said in a teasing tone and in my mind I replied, ‘A kiss would do better’ but thankfully I didn’t say this, even though his expression changed as though he had heard me.

  “I would like that…thank you,” I said shyly after first composing myself from the shock I felt. He wanted to buy me a drink! Holy shit, I felt like jumping off the desk and freaking out the only way a girl or gay diva knew how to do…silly dancing and foot stomping screeching Halleluiah!

  “Come in,” Draven commanded and I gave him a confused look before the door opened and in strolled Sophia.

  “Oh dear, Keira!” she said running over to me and Draven took a step back to allow her to get to me without pushing him out the way.

  “It’s fine, just a silly accident, that’s all,” I told her making Draven frown.

  “It looks deep,” she said looking back to her brother and he nodded giving her a look I couldn’t place. She gave him a slight ‘no’ in return and I watched on, frowning in confusion.

  “Well lucky for you I brought some pain killers,” she said holding up a little bottle that didn’t look like any pills you would have bought from a pharmacy, not in the last fifty years at least I could imagine. It was a small brown glass bottle, with a tiny cork sticking out the top and she popped the lid and knocked a few into her hand. They were tiny and didn’t look like any aspirin I had ever seen.

  “Uh…that’s okay, really the pain isn’t that bad,” I told her, not really trusting the sight of those pills. Sophia made a strange face and then looked to her brother, not doubt wanting him to intervene. He took the bottle from her and grabbed the rest of the water from the table, one I had been sure had been empty not long ago.