Awaken: Book 1 of the Dark Paradise Trilogy

by Isadora Brown

  “Sounds lonely,” Reese murmured more to herself than Piper.

  “Dangerous is more like it,” the goalie returned, glancing at Reese from the corner of her eye. “The only reason I haven’t asked him for my dream car is because even I know there’s no way I’d be able to repay him. If you want my advice, I’d tell you to stay away from him.”

  It was sage advice, Reese knew, but she wasn’t going to follow it. There was something pulling her to Henry, something she didn’t understand but wanted, more than anything, to find out.

  10

  Andie was surprised to find her mother up for breakfast the next morning. Normally, the woman would sleep in until 9:30 and then read a book or watch her Spanish soap operas in her room—the only bedroom with a television—coming out only to get food since there was a bathroom attached to her room. In Andie’s mind, her mother had gone the way of Howard Hughes, so when she took her shopping the other weekend, Andie had nearly choked on her tongue. It was nice, she had to admit, but it was hard to enjoy herself when her mom had barely spoken to Keirah, let alone took her shopping after learning she had gotten her own internship with Dr. Hawkins.

  “See?” her mother said, using her fork to point at Andie as she entered the room. “Look at your sister. She eats. She has curves. Men like curves. What boy wants to be with someone who has the same figure he does?”

  “Mom.”

  Both Andie and Keirah spoke at the same time. Andie wasn’t sure how she was able to do it, but her mother had a talent to both insult and compliment not just one person, but multiple people at the same time. In Andie’s case, her mother complimented her curves by saying she ate. With Keirah, it was the opposite.

  “What?” Judith Shepherd asked, her dark eyes looking between her daughters. “It’s the truth.”

  Keirah let out a disgusted snort and stood up, all but stomping out of the room, her jaw popping the entire way.

  “Oh, let her go,” Judith said as soon as Andie stood to go after her. “She always did have her father’s flair for the dramatic.”

  “That’s Andie, actually,” Keirah shouted from her room.

  Andie stepped into the tiny bedroom, her pale green eyes searching Keirah’s face for any hint of anger that might be against Andie. She remained in the doorway as a precaution. “Key—” she began, but Keirah cut her off.

  “Look Andie, I’m not in the mood to hear you defend her,” she snapped, her voice still sharp but her shoulders slumped forward. “To be honest, I have no idea why she’s up at 6:30, and quite frankly, I don’t care. I don’t need her constantly reminding me what a disappointment I am in the looks department, especially when we look exactly the same, even in the chest.”

  “I know—”

  “Do you?” Keirah asked. Her dark eyes narrowed at her sister. “Because I don’t think you do. Do you have any idea what it feels like to be told you’re not a real woman because you don’t have curves? It’s not like I asked for this body, you know. I don’t diet or exercise; I was born this way. I wish I had your breasts and your butt, Andie, but I don’t. Most of the time, I’m happy I have a face most girls would kill for and a nice set of abs, and long legs. But every once in a while, I get so incredibly infuriated when I hear the world tell me what a real woman is. I am a real woman.”

  Andie blinked at her sister’s outburst. Keirah was normally controlled and calm, internalizing her emotions rather than letting them out. There were times when Keirah’s stoic nature pissed Andie off to no end when all she wanted to see was some kind of proof that Keirah cared about something.

  “I’m sorry, Andie,” Keirah said, touching her fingers to her forehead, her eyes closed. “I’m not, I’m not upset with you. It just gets a little hard knowing I’ll never be what she wants even though I look just like her. I envy you, you know. You look just like Dad.”

  “Yeah, but looking like Dad means she has these ridiculous expectations for me,” Andie said, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. “Dad was good at practically everything which means I have to be good at everything. I’ll never forget what she said about my weight after I didn’t make cheer squad freshman year.”

  “You’re not even fat,” Keirah said softly. “And I’m not saying that because I’m your sister.”

  “I know.” She smiled. “You are a real woman.”

  “I know.”

  They shared a look and Andie felt her smile deepen. It was nice to see that despite how different the two were, Keirah still had Andie’s back, and Andie had Keirah’s as well.

  “Guys,” Reese said as she slid into her seat. Her voice was low, a conspiratorial whisper, and Andie had to press her lips together to keep from laughing at Reese’s caution. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Why are we whispering?” Carey asked, looking at Andie for some kind of explanation. “We’re in an empty classroom.”

  Andie just shrugged. “What’s up?” she asked.

  “Do you know anything about Henry Nathan?” Reese’s grey eyes danced between the two friends.

  Andie furrowed her brow, expecting something more climatic. “Henry who?” she asked.

  “The senior. You know, the guy with the feathered hair who always wears black except for his skinny ties and shirts. Apparently everyone hates him, but if they need something, they can go to him and he’ll get it for them but only for something in return?”

  “Oh, that Henry Nathan,” Andie said.

  “He has a really long name,” Carey said. “We have Mythology together and every time Mrs. Barnes calls roll, she says his full name: Charles Henry Aaron Ronald Oral Nathan.”

  “He has five names?” Andie asked in disbelief. “Well, six, including his last name?”

  Carey nodded her head. “And Barnes recites it every day.” She pursed her lips together. “She calls him Charles too, even though everyone knows he goes by Henry. He seems annoyed by it. Not just being addressed as Charles, but the fact that she reads his full name.”

  “I get that,” Andie said. “I hate that Mrs. Fitzpatrick calls me Andrea.”

  “So that’s why you dumped your water on Jack Phillip? He called you Andrea?” Carey quipped, a dry look on her soft features.

  “You dumped water on Jack Phillip?” Reese asked in disbelief.

  “Let’s not go off topic here,” Andie said, feeling her face turn red. “Why do you want to know about Henry, Reese?”

  “I-I don’t know,” Reese replied, and to Andie, the blonde sounded genuine. “It’s crazy, but I swear I know him from somewhere. I just can’t put my finger on it …” She let her voice trail off before shaking her head, causing her pigtails to move side to side.

  “Don’t let him hear you say that,” Carey said.

  “Why?” Andie asked.

  “Henry knows everything,” she explained. “Not only that, but he remembers everything. In all likelihood, you don’t know him because if you did, he’d mention it and try and manipulate you into making one of those deals of his that’s impossible to repay.”

  “Wait, what do you mean?” Reese asked, looking between the two.

  “It’s how Henry is,” Andie said, her eyes rolling dismissively. “He makes deals with people who can’t refuse, and when they can’t pay him, he doubles the interest or something. He’s definitely a bastard, but people shouldn’t make deals with him in the first place. They should know better.”

  “Has Henry ever gone back on a deal?” Reese asked.

  “I heard that Gabe made a deal with him, but nobody knows what it is,” Carey said, leaning forward to ensure they wouldn’t be overheard. “But Henry didn’t follow through in some way. Rumor has it that Gabe is pissed off but won’t do anything about it because he’s afraid of Henry.”

  “That’s another thing I don’t get,” Reese said, a furrow in her brow. “Why are people afraid of Henry? I get that he’s powerful, but I’m pretty sure Gabe could take him.”

  “You’d be surprised,” Carey said. “Henry has con
nections with everyone. I’m sure he could get someone killed if he wanted.”

  “Yeah, he was at Jack Phillip’s party the other night.”

  “What?” Andie yelped. She ignored the dirty look Mr. Frampton shot her, her pale green eyes focused solely on Reese. “Henry was at Jack’s party?”

  Carey smirked, her dimples just adding to her smugness. “Oh, so he’s Jack now?” she asked.

  Andie rolled her eyes. “Oh please,” she muttered. “He’s still an arrogant jerk, but he’s not as bad as I thought he’d be. Plus, he’s definitely not my type.”

  “Oh, so tall, muscled, broad shouldered billionaires aren’t your cup of tea?” Carey asked.

  “Have you seen the type of girls he dates?” Andie asked, pushing her brows up.

  “Hey, they could be smart,” Reese pointed out. “All anyone expects me to be is a Victoria’s Secret model even though I have a 4.0 GPA.”

  “Yeah, but they’re not smart like you are, Reese, and I’ll tell you why,” Andie said. “If you’ve been in Onyx for one week, you know who Jack Phillip is and you know what he’s about. The way I know these women are complete boneheads is the fact that once he and whatever girl he’s seeing at the time break up, she gets all prissy about it, like she didn’t see this coming. Of course she did. It’s what happens to every girl he’s ever been with.”

  “Maybe they think they’re special,” Reese suggested. “Jack Phillip falling in love isn’t impossible, you know.”

  “No, but it’s highly unlikely.”

  “So if Jack Phillip came up to you and asked you out—”

  Andie snorted derisively at Carey’s question. “It will never happen,” she said. “The girls he dates and I have nothing in common, and you know what? That’s totally fine because, like I said, he’s not my type.”

  “Who’s your type?” Reese asked.

  “She’s holding out for John Cusack,” Carey said.

  “Ooh, good choice.”

  “Why thank you,” Andie said. “Not only is he so attractive it should be illegal, but he’s smart and cares about current events. I’ve been rewatching episodes of The Daily Show just in case I happen to run into him and we get into a heated political discussion.”

  “And by heated, do you mean sexy?” Carey raised one eyebrow.

  “I certainly hope not,” Mr. Frampton said, his tone dry as he stared at the conversing girls. “I thought I might have to hold a boombox over my head and play a Peter Gabriel song to get your attention.”

  The quip went over many of his students’ heads, but Andie got the reference. She decided that once she got home after her internship, she’d rewatch Say Anything for the thirty thousandth time.

  “How’re you doing, Andie?” Miranda asked as she walked into her office. Andie was already there, answering the phone and taking messages. Miranda placed a cup of coffee from Starbucks on Andie’s desk.

  “Great,” Andie replied. She noticed the coffee and gave her boss a look. “Miranda, you do not have to do this. I’m the one who’s supposed to be helping you, remember?”

  Miranda waved her off. “No biggie,” she said as she took her seat.

  Andie smiled, taking a sip of the hot liquid. She had no idea how Jack managed to luck out and score Miranda as his assistant. There were rumors that Jack hired assistants he ended up sleeping with, some of which would turn around and sue him for sexual harassment when he would indicate that he wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship. Apparently the Board got together and told Jack he had one last chance to hire an assistant he wasn’t allowed to sleep with unless he wanted to be personally fined for it. Miranda had been here ever since.

  At first, Andie had been slightly put off by Jack fobbing her off to Miranda for training when the description of the internship specifically stated that she’d be working side-by-side with Jack himself. However, fifteen minutes with Miranda and she had completely forgotten about Jack, especially since she didn’t work with him at all her first day. Miranda showed her the ropes, explained what Andie’s job would be: answering the phone, making and confirming appointments, filing papers, typing memos and reports, and any other little job that needed to be done. Throughout the busy work, if Miranda wasn’t doing anything important, the two would gossip about celebrities, reality television, and of course, the latest on Noir and Onyx’s own vigilante hero—a wannabe Batman in Andie’s opinion—Black Wing. Rumor was he had real angel wings that were seven feet long and completely black. Andie didn’t believe it for a second.

  Jack Phillip had surprised her that first day offering to walk her to her car once work was over.

  “You’re not allowed to sleep with me,” Andie told him firmly.

  Miranda nearly choked on her coffee while Jack started to cough.

  “I’m sorry?” he asked as the two proceeded to head to the elevator.

  “I’m just letting you know that I know,” she said. “I like it here. I like Miranda and I need the money. In fact, I’m kind of starting to like you and I don’t want one night of sex to ruin that.”

  Jack and Andie stepped into the elevator. He tried to hide an amused smile as he pressed the button to the lobby. “So would you rather I didn’t walk you to your car?” he questioned, sliding his hands in his pockets.

  “No, I—” She paused, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. “I don’t mind. But no funny business.”

  She noticed his smile break free onto his face.

  Even now, as she sat at her desk, Andie wondered if he’d be here at five o’clock so he could do it again. Not that she needed him to do it by any means. Just because Onyx wasn’t the safest city and it got dark earlier didn’t mean she needed protecting. She was a tough girl and could use her purse as a weapon. Although, if she said she wasn’t touched or he wasn’t being nice, she’d be lying. But she still wouldn’t sleep with him.

  Not that he’d ask or anything.

  “Andie?”

  Andie blinked, all thoughts of Jack Phillip disappearing. She craned her neck so she could look back at Miranda.

  “We get to go on a field trip tomorrow!” she said as she hung up the phone. “You know how Jack throws his annual Halloween party, right? Well, I’ve found a potential venue and you get to come with me to check it out.”

  Andie’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Where?” she asked.

  Miranda grinned. “The Spirit Museum.”

  11

  Keirah was glad she had her internship. She was learning to provide a safe outlet for criminals to discuss their feelings, crimes, and motives, and she felt that being in the same room as Noir, while frightening, was just as therapeutic for her as it might be for him. In an odd way, he made her feel special, beautiful even. He still refused to acknowledge Dr. Hawkins’s presence and wanted to know more about Keirah as a person. It was the most male interaction she received since sophomore year when she dated Dale Hemit. They had only gone out for a few months and it wasn’t serious, but he had been her first and only boyfriend. It was nice to be noticed as a woman, despite what her mother said about her lack of figure.

  Instead of heading home right away, she drove to the Quack Attack Diner and bought herself a bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries and a vanilla shake. Keirah would never admit it out loud, but her mother had gotten to her. After dinner and the subsequent stomachache, Keirah drove through the city with the windows rolled down and Taylor Swift blasting until she was ready for a shower and bed.

  When she returned home, Judith was in her room. Andie looked up from her reality trash television to say hello but that was it. By the time Keirah had showered and changed into pajamas right out of the dryer, she was ready to slip between the covers of her bed and sleep the night away.

  It was just after midnight when her cell phone started ringing. As she answered the unfamiliar number, she forced herself to greet her caller with a sleep-ladden, “Hello?”

  “Miss Shepherd?” a tired, strained voice asked on the other line. “
This is Commissioner Jarrett. I’m sorry for the late hour, but I need to ask you a couple of questions. I understand you’ve been running sessions with Noir at his behest. During them, did he say anything threatening to you? Anything that might cause you fear?”

  Keirah paused, her mind working overtime to try and remember everything they had talked about. “Well, he said he was becoming obsessed with me,” she replied, rubbing her left eye with the back of her hand, “but I wasn’t exactly frightened or anything. He was handcuffed when he said it, and he’s currently in police custody.” She paused, her brows pushed together in worry. “Right?” she added softly, hopefully.

  A sigh on the other line caused the young woman’s heart to drop. Immediately, she was awake enough to spring up from her bed and was about to check the locks on the front door when the commissioner finally responded. “Yes, he’s still here. However, he managed to escape from his isolated holding cell.” He paused and Keirah could tell something was amiss. Commissioner Jarrett wouldn’t call her if Noir was still in the building because there wasn’t anything she could do. “Currently, he has one of our officers as a hostage, a pen pressed to the officer’s neck.”

  “Why does that have anything to do with me?” Keirah asked, finally losing patience. She was tired and had to wake up early tomorrow morning.

  “Apparently, all he wants is to sleep,” Commissioner Jarrett said. “I asked if he wanted more pillows, blankets, anything, but all he kept saying was your name.” Keirah could make out the sorrow in his voice, but she was still confused. “Miss Shepherd, he wants you to help him sleep.”