A bright smile lit up Reese’s face as she exited the car, even in the rain. Reese barely noticed it. Her heart accelerated at the thought of investigating the elusive Charles Henry Aaron Ronald Oral Nathan. As she walked through the automatic doors of the building, she wondered what he was doing here. Maybe he was meeting someone. A girl? Did he even have a girlfriend? Before Reese could comprehend the thought, someone snatched her wrist and pulled her around, out of sight of any passersby, until her back hit a wall.
Her grey eyes clashed with dark ones that flickered gold like embers of a raging fire. He was so close to her, the scent radiated from him, attacking her senses. His long nose, which curved to the left—she wasn’t sure if it had been broken or if it was natural—brushed the tip of her nose. Every inch of her was paralyzed. She didn’t dare breathe, especially not with the look of fury etched onto his face.
“Why, may I ask,” he hissed in his lilting, accented voice, “are you following me, dear?”
13
Andie
When Andie woke up the next morning, she sprung out of her bed and dashed into her sister’s room. Keirah wasn’t there. Her heart started pounding against her chest like it wanted to escape and look for Keirah as well.
She wasn’t there. Keirah wasn’t there.
Andie grabbed her cell phone and called Keirah’s, but it went straight to voicemail. Three more times yielded the same result. Trying to breathe steadily, Andie headed into the living room. Her fingers shook as she plopped on the couch before rubbing her hands on her thighs. She wished the television was in the living room so she could check on the news. However, from where she sat, she could hear her mother had left it on in her room from the night before. Andie wondered if her mother could hear the news or if she was sleeping right through it. Andie stood, hoping to hear the report without waking her mother. She leaned against the open door frame, deciding it would be best if she didn't risk walking in. She could see her mother's still frame under the covers, the room shrouded in shadows and darkness. The steady rise and fall of the charcoal comforter the only indicator that Judith was breathing.
“If you’re just joining us, Noir, Onyx’s most prolific serial killer, mass murderer, and sociopath, has escaped from county lockup. No word on just how it happened or where he’s headed, but we expect Commissioner Jarrett and District Attorney Burr to address the media at nine o’clock this morning to comment.”
Did this have to do with Dr. Hawkins’ emergency last night? Was Keirah in danger?
“What about Keirah?” Andie muttered to herself. Her fingers started picking at her pajama pants and her right leg bounced up and down. “What about Keirah?”
Andie wasn’t too familiar with her sister’s internship with Dr. Hawkins. All she knew was that Keirah was learning tricks of the trade that would benefit her as a criminal psychologist. Keirah didn’t say much about her time there or what her job was—whether that was because she wasn’t allowed to say anything, or if, like usual, she chose to keep things to herself, Andie didn’t know. But even Keirah couldn’t keep the fact that Noir was now a client at Hawkins’ practice a secret. She told Andie, but said nothing to her mother. Andie did the same.
Maybe she should have. If she had, Keirah wouldn’t be missing now, possibly hurt or worse. What could Dr. Hawkins possibly want with her anyway? And why wasn’t she back by now, like she said she would be? There was no way it was a coincidence that she got called in to help her boss—a psychologist who happened to treat Noir—with something so important it couldn’t wait until the next day, and Noir’s escape. There was just no way.
“…citizens, besides being outraged by the security breach, wonder if the Black Wing will capture him once again. The Black Wing, of course, is Onyx’s own vigilante crime fighter, notorious for saving the lives of thousands of citizens as well as being responsible for the capture of various criminals, none more infamous than Noir.”
Andie rolled her eyes at the mention of the Black Wing. A masked vigilante who supposedly flew around Onyx looking for crimes to stop and criminals throw into jail with a pair of black angel wings, a toned, muscled chest, and leather pants was not someone she trusted to save this city despite his surprising track record.
First of all, his outfit was ridiculous. How was he supposed to be protected from various weapons or the weather? Carey—who had the biggest crush on him—had pointed out that if he wore a shirt, he wouldn’t have full use of his wings. When Andie suggested that the wings weren’t real, Carey insisted they were, resulting in an argument until Andie got exhausted and changed the subject.
Secondly, who was this guy? Why did he dress up as an angel when he could dress up as Batman (hot) or Iron Man (practical)? Was it some kind of symbolism? If so, why were his wings black, not white? Why wasn’t he spewing Bible verses and giving free Bibles away on college campuses? And why did he feel the need to aid the police in exacting justice but in an illegal way?
He was just too … she didn’t know what. While it appeared Onyx was safer thanks to him, she didn’t trust the guy, especially not with finding her sister. He didn't drive a super-fancy car or have any high-tech gadgets like Batman or Iron Man. He had his wings that seemed to get him from place to place, tight pants, and his bare hand. And some strange mask that hid his face.
After another few minutes of watching the news, Andie was forced to get ready for school. If she stayed home, her mother would know something was up. However, she would keep her cell phone on vibrate just in case Keirah decided to call her, even if it meant Saturday school. And if she didn’t hear from Keirah by the time she got off of work at five, she would go to her mother. Hopefully Keirah, or even Commissioner Jarrett, would contact her and tell her Keirah was okay.
Keirah had to be okay.
Andie dressed and headed to school, skipping breakfast. She wasn’t hungry. She couldn’t eat. She got to school half an hour early and hoped beyond hoped that Carey or Reese would show up soon in order to distract her from her traitorous thoughts. When she took her seat, she placed her cell phone on her desk after both calling Keirah again and checking for any messages or texts, and waited. And waited.
Ten minutes later, Carey walked in, followed by Reese soon after.
“Good morning, guys!” Reese said, perky and cheerful as usual. Normally, Andie admired how bubbly her friend was, but right now, it aggravated her to no end. “So I have a huge question. Who are Black Wing and Noir, and what is their deal? My parents kind of explained them to me, but I still don’t get it.”
Andie glanced out the window while Carey explained. Her pale green eyes kept going to her phone, but nothing happened. It was like waiting for a cute guy to call; the more she stared at her phone, the more likely it wouldn’t ring. It was only when Carey began discussing Noir’s many crimes that Andie started listening again.
“To be honest, Noir is like an enigma,” Carey said. “No one can figure him out, which is probably why he was seeing Dr. Hawkins. Like, one time he robbed a bank, put the money in a bunch of sacks in the middle of the lobby, and set the sacks on fire. He’s killed women and children, but he’s never raped anybody that we know of. Money and sex don’t seem to hold any sway over him, and he has no conscience. He’s fascinating. Scary, but fascinating. My mom wanted to keep me home from school today, actually, but I told her he’s never targeted schools before and it’s not likely he would, especially right after escaping from the loony bin.”
“How did he escape anyway?” Reese asked, wrinkling her brow. “He was in a mental ward surrounded by cops, wasn’t he?”
“Noir is like a magician and an enigma,” Carey clarified. “It doesn’t matter what situation he’s in, he always manages to get out. The only person who has successfully caught him is the Black Wing. As to how he escaped this morning? Nobody knows, but they were talking about it on the radio. One of the theories is that he used a hostage to help him escape.”
“A hostage?” Andie asked, picking her head up. “Did the
y mention who the hostage was?”
“It’s all speculation,” Carey said. “He might have gotten out another way. Think about it. If he did use a hostage, the police would have found a body by now. You know Noir doesn’t leave witnesses unless it benefits him in some way, and I highly doubt a hostage, once he has escaped, is of any use to him.”
Andie pressed her lips together and her eyes drifted to the phone. She wasn’t reassured. She wasn’t reassured in the slightest.
By the time Andie headed to Phillip Enterprises, she still hadn’t heard from Keirah and it was drizzling outside. She had probably sent her sister a dozen text messages and fifteen voicemails and still hadn’t gotten a response. The longer she didn’t hear from Keirah, the more she looked at her phone. She also started mentally drafting what she would say to her mother once five o’clock came. Should she tell her in person or call her? Should she call Commissioner Jarrett again? She had already left him three messages, but because of Noir’s shocking escape, he had yet to return her calls.
When she reached the building, she ignored Denise and her passive-aggressive scathing looks, and stepped into the elevator, pressing the button to close the door over and over again. She felt tears start to accumulate in her eyes as she continued to jab at the button. Why wouldn’t the damn doors close and why was she crying? Andie never cried. She hadn’t cried when her father left. She hadn’t cried when he married a woman with her own children. She hadn’t cried when she didn’t make the cheerleading squad, when she broke up with her ass of a boyfriend who pushed her into a wall after eight months of dating, when she got her first and only C in her Honors English class sophomore year. Now, standing in an elevator that would take her to her dream internship that she received directly from the owner himself, she found herself crying.
But none of that mattered. Her sister was out there, possibly dead, possibly with Noir, and Andie had no way of helping. She didn’t know how to fix the problem because she didn’t know what the problem was.
If anything, this was all her fault. Why hadn’t she stopped her sister from leaving last night? Why hadn’t she insisted she come along or make Keirah promise to call her when everything was finished? Why hadn’t she done more? Andie and Keirah had their differences, but they were still sisters. And thanks to her mother’s unexpected reclusion, Keirah was the only family Andie could count on.
“Andie?”
The soft-spoken inquiry caused Andie to snap her eyes up and then immediately look away.
Jack Phillip.
Of course.
The one time she broke down, it would be in front of him. She took a step back in order to allow him into the elevator, making sure there was enough space between them so he wouldn’t touch her. It was only when he was fully inside and she was trying to discreetly wipe away her tears that the doors to the elevator finally closed.
Before Andie could even comprehend what he was doing, Jack’s long reach pushed the emergency stop button and the elevator jolted to a halt. She looked up at him, her red eyes clearly confused. He was wearing a casual suit—this one blue and grey—and judging by the way it clung to his figure, she assumed it was custom-made. He must have gotten back from lunch with some model at some posh restaurant with paparazzi ready to snap photos of him with his new arm candy for the front page of their website or tabloid. What they really should be writing about was the fact that her sister was not only missing but it might have something to do with Noir’s escape.
“Are you all right?” His brow pushed up so his forehead was wrinkled, and he looked and sounded like he genuinely cared. It was probably the only reason she didn’t snap a retort in reply to his question.
“I,” she began. Her voice cracked and she had to close her mouth and swallow in hopes of smoothing it out. “I’m not having a great day.”
She expected some witty comment about her attitude but none came. Instead, he asked in a gentle voice, “Does this have anything to do with Noir?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she snapped. She hadn’t meant to sound so harsh and her face softened as much as it could. “But yes.”
Jack nodded, but didn’t say anything. He continued to stare at her, studying her with the same look of sympathy on his chiseled features. She hated that look on his face. He should not be the one feeling sorry for her. She absolutely detested when anyone did because she was happy with who she was and the life she was living. It was hard at times, but it was fulfilling. She bit her lip and her mind told her to calm down, that he hadn’t meant to offend her. That as crazy as it sounded, he really did seem concerned about her welfare.
It was his fault, really. For some inexplicable reason, Jack’s worry about her caused the dams she had so quickly erected to keep the tears at bay to break apart, and the tears fell fast down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop them if she tried.
Andie placed a hand on her forehead, hoping to shield him from seeing her; she knew men had no idea how to handle a crying woman and she wasn’t exactly exquisite on the rare occasions she did cry. Add that to the fact that she was crying in front of Jack Phillip, a man she didn’t particularly like, a man she thought was more concerned with the latest up-and-coming fill in the blank, making money, and getting his face in the papers. She was so fired.
Except, instead of awkwardly patting her on the shoulder and telling her that her behavior was unprofessional and as such, she’d have to be let go, he pulled her into his arms, one wrapped securely around her back, the other cupping the back of her head so her face was buried in his chest. His chin rested on top of her head, holding her even closer to him so she could smell him—a scent composed of some expensive cologne and the night sky.
“But your suit,” she mumbled. Andie could already feel the pool of tears accumulating on the soft material.
“I’ll buy a new one,” he replied.
This caused Andie to start laughing. Truth be told, it wasn’t that funny, and Andie had a feeling Jack wasn’t kidding. But it made her laugh, which made her forget about crying. She pulled away and started to wipe her eyes again. His lips quirked up as he released her, his hands resuming their appropriate positions in his pockets.
“What will you tell them?” she asked after a moment, nodding at the mess on his shirt.
He looked down. “This?” he said. “Just that I broke it off with whatever girl I’m seeing and comforted her when she inevitably started to cry.”
“The sad thing is they’d all believe it.” Andie placed the tip of her thumb nail between her teeth but didn’t bite down. “Thank you. For that.”
“Any time,” Jack replied. “Are you a little bit better?”
Andie nodded her head, dropping her hand and looking away. She didn’t know why, but she suddenly wanted to tell him everything, like he really could help her figure out what to do. And if the worst had come to pass, he would shelter her in his arms and make her feel as though it would be all right, that nothing could hurt her as long as he held her. This felt like a sucker punch to her gut since this was Jack Phillip and she was definitely not attracted to Jack Phillip. She took a step away from him for safety purposes as he pressed the emergency button so the elevator would start moving again.
“Andie, if you need to talk to me about anything, I’m always here,” he told her after locking eyes with her. Those jade green eyes seemed sincere but she couldn’t—wouldn’t—believe him. What could he possibly know about responsibility? About not knowing where her family's next meal came from, not knowing if she and Keirah could collectively come up with the rent each month? How could someone like him possibly understand her?
“Thanks,” she murmured.
Andie only had time to drape her blazer on the back of her chair before Miranda practically dragged her across the city to the Spirit Museum, where Jack’s Halloween party would be held. Thankfully for her, Miranda talked without expecting her to respond in any way. So while the town car drove and Miranda gossiped, Andie leaned her head back against the he
ad rest, her right hand in her pocket clutching her phone so she wouldn’t miss it if it vibrated. When they pulled into the two story parking garage attached to the smaller lot just behind the museum itself, Andie flattened her now wrinkled slacks before getting out of the car.
“So basically,” Miranda said as they headed to the building, “we’re going to rent out the museum from five on Halloween until one in the morning. Since the lobby is so huge, we’re going to use that as the main floor with food, drinks, music, and dancing. But we talked to the Director of Affairs and managed to get him to agree that even though the focus of the party will be in the lobby, the other rooms will be left open just in case a couple wants to rendezvous, if you know what I mean. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’d willingly make out in the Middle Ages room, you know? Too much guilt, and I’m not even Catholic! Although, I am Jewish …”
Andie forced a smile, but it was hard to talk about a party when she still had no idea where Keirah was. Before the two walked through the museum doors, Andie’s phone began to vibrate. She didn’t explain or ask for permission to answer, even though she probably should have, considering Miranda didn’t know a thing about what Andie was going through. She nearly dropped her phone in her eagerness to answer.
“Hello?”
“May I please speak to Miss Andrea Shepherd?” asked an unfamiliar voice.
“This is she.”
“Hello, this is Commissioner Jarrett,” he introduced himself. He sounded sweet but exhausted. Andie held her breath, waiting. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to return your calls until now, though I am surprised your mother hasn’t called you.”
Andie felt the blood drain from her face. She must have looked pretty bad because Miranda’s big brown eyes were looking at her with concern.
“Why would she need to call me?” Andie asked.
“It’s your sister, Miss Shepherd,” the commissioner said. “Just after eight o’clock this morning, she was stabbed by Noir before he escaped.”
Awaken: Book 1 in The Dark Paradise Chronicles Page 10