“Well, now,” he whispered to himself, a short smile moving across his face as he turned to see the still sleeping Serena turn softly between the sheets.
15
L ight poured into the bedroom where Serena lay sleeping. The sheets felt dreamy next to her bare skin as she opened her eyes to find herself alone in Rion’s oversized bed.
She sat up quickly, the fine sheet cascading from her full chest. There was no one else in the room or apartment that she could see. The clock told her that it was still early.
She slipped from the sheets and wandered all through the magnificent apartment but found no one. Then moving into the kitchen, a hand-written note lay on the stone counter in a masculine handwriting that looked like near perfect cursive calligraphy:
Angel,
Duty calls. I had to leave early for London, but couldn’t bear to wake you; you were sleeping so beautifully. I had the concierge clean your clothes and bring you something for breakfast. Feel free to stay or take my car back to campus. I’ll call you later today.
~Love, Rion
Interesting, she wondered. Why did he not want to wake with her? Jetting off to London without telling her? It was a little mysterious, once again. She both frowned and smiled at the note.
Serena found all of her clothes cleaned, neatly wrapped, and pressed. She took a quick shower in the open stall, dried her hair, and dressed in the fresh, nicely scented clothes. She noticed that even her boots had been cleaned and polished.
On the serving counter was a chilled dish of fresh sliced strawberries, Greek strawberry yogurt, and some sweet sliced breakfast breads. Serena kidded herself that she could definitely get used to this, but she knew better. She was far too independent and frugal to pay someone else to slice her strawberries and arrange them into little chilled silver serving dishes. Was this typical for Rion or just a treat for her as his guest? Still, it was a sweet touch that Rion had left such a tasteful breakfast for her.
As she ate, Serena looked around the large, elegantly appointed apartment. So this was Rion’s world. Opulence. Excess. Money. She didn’t know if or how she would ever fit into such a lifestyle as his. Her family had always been on the lower side of middle-class, often the very poor side. But Rion’s life seemed on the opposite extreme. Each came from very different worlds.
Although beautiful, the extravagance of the apartment seemed empty without Rion, almost as if she were intruding in a place she didn’t belong. The thought unsettled her. She felt at home wherever Rion was. She had to remind herself that this was Rion’s home and she should feel welcome here. Still, somehow it just wasn’t the same with him gone.
Now the weekend, there was no need to rush to a class. She had time to get back to the dorm and hopefully avoid the typical razzing the girls would always level when one of them came in late, or not at all. But staying at Rion’s place for two nights, just the two of them, she was really going to get the ‘the treatment’. As the good Dominion-girl, she was never late getting in––let alone showing up driving her boyfriend’s fabulous car.
Just own it, girl, she said to no one else in the room, you are so toast when you get back.
Serena picked up a key fob from the table next to the elevator and headed down to the parking garage.
Rion’s car wasn’t at all typical. It looked something like a stout American muscle car, but it had no name plates and no logos. She was pretty sure it was custom. Maybe this was what Rion meant when he said he liked to ‘rebuild’ things. She had only ridden in it a couple of times. It was nice inside, like a luxury car. Whatever it had been before being ‘rebuilt’ it still smelled new. The engine was quiet but sounded and felt very beefy when she started it. She pulled the car out and got a friendly wave from the security guard as she passed by.
The short drive back to campus was filled with Serena’s thoughts about Rion. She couldn’t help but think about what they had shared. She was elated that their stay together had turned into something much more intimate. Wow, Serena’s thoughts continued replaying the night before in her mind. This is so not you, she reminded herself. Serena was supposed to be one of the “good girls”, at least that was the façade she had grown well adept at presenting.
The truth was, Alexis was the first person she had ever made love to. Even when the two of them had moved away to college, they still kept in-touch, having the occasional midnight rendezvous whenever Serena was in Austin.
But then she had met Jake. In many ways, Jake was a lot like Rion. Confident. Arrogant. Sweet. And Jake’s family also had money. There was a lot to like about Jake, but it hadn’t taken Jake long to find out about Alex. Jake had asked her to follow him back to Israel when his exchange student visa was up. It was Jake’s way of saying he wanted her all to himself. In the end, it was Jake who refused to budge and Serena who’d cut it off. She had broken his heart; she knew she had. But Israel wasn’t her home; Texas was now.
She found it ironic that Jake also hadn’t gone all the way with her. He had made love to her, sort of like Rion had, but he had been really careful about not wanting to get her pregnant. They’d just never gone all the way.
She mulled that over in her mind. Yes, in the heat of the moment she had wanted Rion to go all the way with her––desperately. But for some reason she couldn’t yet understand, he didn’t. He had protected her, even from herself in the heat of their passion. The man had some deeply solid character. Serena smiled and warmly bristled at the thought of him hovering over her and the incredible feelings he had exploded within her.
It was a little after nine when Serena finally pulled into the melting snow and slush-covered parking lot of the dorm. She parked, chirped the security lock and made her way into the building. With any luck, everyone would still be asleep and she’d be able to get through most of the day with as little razzing as possible.
No luck.
With the power back on, Celeste was parked in the hallway sitting on the floor studying. Serena said nothing and started to unlock her door.
“Umm, hmmm.” she heard Celeste start. Serena opened her door and motioned for Celeste to come in. Celeste entered quickly with Serena closing the door.
“That must have been some date,” Celeste offered. The Puerto Rican New Yorker could mock more voices and accents than Serena could count. She could be terribly crass but also very cultured when she wanted.
“It wasn’t a date, Cel. We got snowed in, just like the rest of y’all,” she offered.
“Sure you did. The roads weren’t that bad,” she drawled, leaning against the back of the door, her arms folded as if she were the interrogation warden. “You could have come home. I grew up driving in worse snow than this in the city.”
Serena smirked. “Try North Dakota.”
“See. Stranded my ass.”
“We had power and the campus was out. What did you expect me to do?”
“Hole up with hunky Rion and make-out. So what did you two do for two whole days—hmmm?”
“Honestly, we sat around and read books.”
“Sure you did.” Celeste wasn’t buying it.
“Well, we did make out a few times.”
“Sure. In his room I suppose.”
“No, we never made out in his room.”
“What?”
“Mostly the hot tub.”
“AW MY GAWD! Serena! He has a hot tub? I am so going to kill you. Seriously?!”
Serena nodded, pulling her bikini from her purse and putting it away.
Celeste overacted like she was having heart palpitations. “So did he behave himself or did you two just go in for the kill?”
“Celeste—please.”
“Don’t give me the church girl routine. I know better. Little Miss Innocent you’re not. If you were any more glowing I’d need shades.”
Serena frowned. Was she really looking like she had just been made love to? “Alright. Things—got a little steamy. The truth is, he shut me down,” she admitted. “Surprised?”
“He just didn’t want to go there.”
“You mean go all the way,” Celeste corrected.
“I’m still a virgin, Cel.”
“Yea, well technically, I’m still one too.”
“Get out.”
“Girl. You don’t know me half as well as you think you do.”
Serena flashed her an approving smile.
“I’m glad to hear that Rion behaved himself. I was sort of worried about you two.”
“He was the perfect gentleman.”
“Perfect, huh?”
Serena nodded while still pulling things from her bag.
“So what’s his apartment like? Tell me he’s not a slob.”
“No, Cele, he’s not at all a slob. Far from it. His company rents the penthouse of the Pierson Tower.”
“HUH? You are so not telling me the truth!”
Serena nodded. “I’ve been staying in the penthouse of the Pierson for the past two nights.”
“Oh. No. Way!” Celeste’s heart palpitations started up again.
“Yes. Way. Rion was just—Oh? What’s this?” Serena pulled a palm-sized box from the bottom of her purse, finely gift wrapped in black and gold ribbon.
Both young women just stared at it for long moments.
“Your Rion likes to surprise you.”
Serena held the box in her hand, almost afraid of what might be inside.
“Are you going to open it?” Celeste asked.
Serena set down her purse and carefully undid the ribbon and wrapping papers. A black unmarked fine box with a lid held another black velvet jewelry box. Celeste moved beside Serena as she lifted the lid to reveal a pair of beautiful dangling diamond earrings. The eyes of both women drew wide.
“Serena!” Celeste breathed. “This guy, Rion, I think he really likes you.”
The earrings were long and dangled a dazzling array of fine-cut larger stones dripping with nicely designed strands of smaller ones set in gold.
“Celeste. I can’t take these.”
“Sure you can.”
“I think these cost more than my car.”
“Girl, where I’m from, those cost more than someone’s house.”
“Even more reason to give them back.”
“You are not giving those back to him. Are you serious?”
“Celeste!”
“Serena. Guys don’t give a girl something like this everyday. There’s a reason Rion hid these from you until you got home.”
She nodded.
“He knew you wouldn’t take them. I think it’s Rion’s way of telling you how much he really likes you.”
“I feel like I’m being bought.”
“Not only am I going to kill you, now I’m going to punch you.”
“We don’t give things like this in my family.”
“Yea, YOUR family. What about his? You’re only thinking of yourself here. Knock it off.”
“Celeste! I can’t.”
“Serena. If these cost ten dollars, would you take them?”
She nodded.
“Of course you would. It would just be a little gift of his affection. Your Rion obviously has money. Buckets of it. These probably didn’t even cost him ten dollars compared to what he’s worth. You are not costing him anything, Serena. It’s just a token of how much he likes you.”
“These are not just a token gesture, Cele. Not in my world.”
“Fuck your world, gurl.” Celeste glared at her. “Serena, this guy shows up, sweeps you off your feet; he’s fucking Prince Charming; he’s loaded and all you can worry about,” Celeste’s head began doing the New York-Egyptian thing, “is what your little world is going to think?! Girlfriend, you are in for one rude awakening.”
16
R ion had a grand view of the London Eye, Westminster, and Big Ben from their offices on the Thames. He could tell that Serena had returned to her college life, but he was now mired British politics with Francesca taking the lead in sorting out yet another wave of government break-ins orchestrated by someone calling themselves ‘Anonymous’ when clearly they weren’t.
He found himself thinking far too much about their brief few days together instead of focusing on what needed to get done with the British Parliament. He all but marveled at the near avalanche of paperwork just a handful of government types could generate just for them to “legally” run forensics on the latest intrusion. The nonsense made him wish he was back in San Antonio, hovelled the dimly-lit lab working on Reflex engine designs instead of signing-off on the endless contract addenda Francesca generated for him—addenda he seldom bothered to even read.
Rion’s gaze remained fixed out the windows as Francesca entered without knocking. She ignored him, walking to his desk to set some thin files on it, then sat in her highly refined manner in the overstuffed office chair in front of his desk. “Did you two have a good time over the weekend?”
Rion swung around to talk to her, “It was an amazing time, Francesca.” He took a breath. “I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“This is what I wanted to hear. I believe I like her, Rion. I would like meet her––that is, when you get around to introducing her to the rest of us. You keep putting us off; when is she going to meet her family—her Ra family?”
Rion groaned. “Yea, that’s a good question. I haven’t even thought about that yet.”
“Well, you should. All of us would like to meet her. Perhaps Sevrin should have a party? Then all of us would have the chance to be introduced.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that just yet.”
“Why not?” Her tone was only slightly annoyed.
“Well—she doesn’t know anything about us yet.”
Francesca studied Rion carefully. “I do believe this is the first time I’ve ever seen you like this. Tell me, what are you afraid of?”
“Nothing.”
“Really.”
“What’s to be afraid of? She’s talented, tall, beautiful, witty, and intelligent.”
“And all of these attributes are problems how?”
“They’re not,” he insisted.
“They appear to be, you just listed them in reverse order of their importance to you.”
“I did?”
“Listen to me, Rion,” she began losing much of her typical pedantic tone, “there is a lot riding on your finding the right person, we all know that. It is okay to be cautious. What is not okay is you trying to avoid destiny. That always leads to disaster.”
“I’m not trying to avoid my destiny at all.”
“I was not talking about yours. I meant hers.”
“You want me to awaken her.”
“It is her destiny.”
“It’s not just hers.” He frowned.
“You would prefer someone else awaken her?”
“No!” Rion answered quickly. He then sighed. “No.”
“You want her, but you do not want her?”
“I want her, Francesca, but, if I awaken her—no one realizes the kind of responsibility that puts on her; the kind of power she’ll have.
“What if we are not really meant to be together and I, you know, make a mistake? I seem to be really good at that lately,” he scowled.
“You are referring to the Council you disbanded. We were all taken by surprise by the old gods, Rion. You cannot be afraid of mistakes. All of us make them, even me on rare occasion.” She smiled demurely and giving Rion a chuckle. “You just have to recover from them in the best way you know how. Serena; she is not a mistake. Even if she is not the one for you, I have never seen you so taken by anyone.”
Rion nodded thoughtfully in agreement.
“So bring her to the lake house. Introduce all of us to her. I want to meet her. She is like Jerrod was; bright. If Serena truly is one of these Invicti, she will need to be awakened, and soon. Despite your personal r
elationship.”
“No, I know. I’ve already been thinking about it.”
Francesca got up from the chair, her Italian accented business tone returning, “I need those papers back by this afternoon.”
Rion forced a smile as she left. He thought he had heard Francesca say something on her way out, but his thoughts were totally focused on someone else.
* * * * *
“Jesus, Brian. It’s not even six yet.” The senator answered his cell phone, still half asleep for this early in the morning.
“Mark, I hope you’re sitting down,” the former federal judge turned Washington lobbyist and powerbroker offered.
“I’m still in bed, where you should be right now.”
“I don’t have time for sleep. The Vice President’s dead, Mark.”
Brian sat up quickly. “WHAT!?”
“Apparently there’s a leak somewhere.”
“Holy Jesus.” Mark watched his wife stir softly under the covers next to himself.
“They got to him last night. Looks like his own Secret Service detail may have had something to do with it. None of them are talking, not even off the record.”
“Then they’re on to us.”
“I think that’s a good bet, Mark.”
“Who’s the leak?”
“Probably our own empath. Bitch. Everyone else was clean as far as we know.”
“Ahh, God.” Mark sighed, shaking his head.
“You cannot trusts these gods, Mark. They’re bad news. Every time we get involved with them our plans go to hell.”
“That’s my fault, Brian. I thought she could be trusted. She claimed to be Dominion. Obviously, she wasn’t.”
Interra (Awakened Series Book 5) Page 15