Awaken: Book 1 in The Dark Paradise Chronicles

by Isadora Brown

  “What do you want, Gabe?” she asked as she turned around to face him, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “Is that the proper way to talk to your date?” he asked. His lips curled to reveal his canines, a glint in his blue eyes.

  “What are you talking about?” she snapped, narrowing her eyes.

  “Your mother didn’t tell you?” he asked her in an innocent voice that wasn’t natural to him. He took another step toward her and cocked his head to the side. “I told her I wanted to take you to Phillip’s party, but she told me you were already going with your friends. Luckily, I managed to persuade her to have you meet up with me at the party and spend some time together.”

  “My mother does not make my decisions for me,” Reese said. “And in your response, I didn’t hear one mention of the word date.”

  “My father is one of the most important men in the city, Reese,” he said. Not once did he look perturbed or shaken. He had no problem maintaining eye contact with her either. “Second only to Jack Phillip. Even though my father’s older by twenty-five years, the two are close friends. Now, your father works for Phillip, does he not?”

  Reese said nothing but her stomach started to drop. She did not like where this was going.

  “You don’t have to answer,” he continued. “I know he does. See, I know everything that goes on in this city. I knew you’d be shopping for your dress for our date in a couple of weeks.”

  “Did you?” Reese asked, slowly raising a brow. “I have a feeling Henry knows a lot more about what goes on in this city than you do.”

  “Henry?” His tone darkened, his flawless face contorting into something ugly. “How do you know Henry?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “It is my business, actually,” Gabe said. “See, we’re going to meet at Phillip’s party and we’re going to be together. You’re going to dance with me and I’m going to hold your hand.”

  “You will never touch me,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” he said, reaching out to grab her chin with his fingers. “Unless you want me to tell my father that your behavior doesn’t reflect the values of Phillip Enterprises, which would get your father fired, you’ll do whatever I want you to.”

  Reese was about to respond with a punch to Gabe’s nose when someone reached out and grabbed Gabe’s hand. “Now, now, Gabe,” a soft but firm Scottish brogue said. “That’s no way to touch a lady.”

  Immediately, Gabe dropped Reese’s chin and clenched his jaw. Both he and Reese turned to face Henry. Reese had no idea why he was here, why either was here, but she was thankful for Henry’s presence. Somehow she knew Gabe wouldn’t try anything with Henry there.

  “What are you doing here?” Gabe asked, his voice as cold as his eyes. Though he was speaking to Henry, his eyes were locked firmly on Reese, as though he was afraid she was going to disappear right in front of him.

  The question was something Reese wanted to ask both of them. It was just too much of a coincidence that Gabe and Henry were here in a shop that specialized in historical gowns at the same time she and her friends were shopping for dresses they would wear to Jack Phillip’s party. A party Gabe would be attending.

  “I really don’t think that’s any of your concern,” Henry said in his smooth, silky voice. He spoke with his usual nonchalance, as though this was nothing more than small talk. Despite his tone, Reese saw his eyes dilate so instead of a deep, dark brown, they were a pure black. “Now, don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

  Reese glanced back at the dressing room, but saw no sign of Andie or Carey. Maybe that was a good thing.

  “You can’t tell me where I can and cannot be, Charles,” Gabe said, a challenge flashing in his eyes.

  Reese glanced back and forth between the two, wondering what the root cause of tension between them was. If Reese had to guess, Gabe, so flawless and strong, used to having and exerting power, was now being challenged and perhaps topped by Henry, so slight and mysterious. She pulled her brows together, wondering where Henry's authority over Gabe came from and just how far it reached.

  Reese didn’t think it was possible, but Henry’s eyes darkened even further at Gabe’s use of his first name. What was it about his first name that Henry didn’t like? Charles wasn’t even a bad name, especially if he went by Charlie. Chuck, on the other hand …

  Gabe’s eyes narrowed at the look on Henry’s face: it was lined, hard as stone, cold as sleet. She flinched at the sight of it. He looked … evil. As clichéd as the phrase was, she couldn’t think of another way to describe it. He looked older, wiser, darker. She hoped he would never turn such a gaze on her. What surprised her even more than his expression was Gabe’s reaction to it. Her mouth dropped open when she saw Gabe swallow. It was small, subtle, but there was a glimmer of trepidation in his eyes.

  He was scared. Gabe was really and truly scared.

  Gabe looked back at Reese, and while the corner of his lips quirked into a smirk, his eyes were hollow. “I’ll see you on the thirtieth,” he stated, his confidence slowly returning to his features. “Make an effort to look beautiful.” His smirk deepened, so it was genuine, and he walked away, leaving Reese alone with Henry.

  “I really don’t like that guy,” Reese breathed out. She couldn’t suppress the shudder if she tried.

  When she looked up at Henry, she found him staring at her, his brows knit together. His eyes had softened—no longer were they black—and he looked at her as though he was searching for something on her face, an answer to a question she didn’t know to ask. When he finally locked eyes with her, he took a step back, distancing himself.

  “He seems to really like you,” Henry mused, a small, knowing smile on his face.

  Reese couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I don’t know why,” she muttered. Henry said nothing, but narrowed his eyes as though to say, “Really?” Reese blushed and looked away. “I’m not stupid. I know I’m pretty. But besides that, I have no other attributes someone like Gabe would want, especially since I mouth off to him every chance I get. Which, I guess he might be into?” She shook her head. Gabe wasn't her problem.

  “Lucas Burr, Gabe’s father, owns a stable on the outskirts of the city,” Henry said. “A few times a year, he gives his son steeds that need taming. It is a pastime he relishes, even more than wooing members of the opposite sex. Now he finds himself in a predicament where those two things have combined.”

  “Did you just compare me to a horse?” she asked. An amused sparkle touched his irises, but Henry said nothing. “How do you know that?”

  Henry shrugged. “It is as you said,” he explained. “I know everything.”

  Reese pushed her lips together, trying to figure him out. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “I find it hard to believe both you and Gabe both happen to be in the same place as I am.”

  “Smart girl,” he murmured under his breath. He tilted his head to the side so his feathered hair fell into his face. “Let’s just say I’m keeping an eye on my interests.”

  This answered nothing, and in fact, left Reese with more questions. Did he mean that Padua was a store he somehow controlled? Or was he referring to her? If the former, what could an eighteen year old guy want with a dress store? If the latter, what could he possibly want with her, especially since he barely knew her? She rarely saw him in school and never saw him out of it, save for that one time she followed him. If anything, Reese would have assumed Henry was avoiding her up until the point where he intervened with Gabe just now.

  Reese clenched her jaw and turned her attention back to Henry. “If you know everything, tell me how I get Gabe to leave me alone,” she said. “He’s threatening my father’s job.”

  “I can take care of Gabe,” Henry said, a dangerous inflection in his voice. “All you have to do is ask.”

  “For a price, right?” She arched a brow.

  He said nothing, but smirked his response.


  Reese was tempted to take him up on his offer. If Henry dealt with Gabe, she wouldn’t have to worry about him crying to his father, spreading lies about her and her behavior, or trying anything. But something stopped her. Just because Gabe was bad didn’t mean Henry was good. He might have helped her today, but she wasn’t about to trust him anytime soon. She got off easy in their last exchange, and she wasn’t about to risk it again. She had dealt with guys like Gabe back in Beverly Hills and she’d deal with Gabe, too.

  “I don’t think so,” she told him. She took a step toward him and had to tilt her chin upwards to maintain eye contact. “While I appreciate the offer, I know you have something up your sleeve that would somehow screw me over.”

  His grin widened and his eyes shined. “Better me than him,” he argued, his voice decidedly lower.

  Reese ignored the throng of goosebumps that jumped up. “I don’t want to hear you turning around and offering Gabe the same deal, either,” she said in a firm voice. “Because me and him? That’s never going to happen.”

  “No,” he said, nodding his head once. “It’s not.”

  A shiver slid down her back. She felt herself relax, even under his penetrating gaze. Though she didn’t know him well, she could tell by the tone of his voice that he meant it. Perhaps she trusted him more than she gave herself-or him-credit.

  “I would go with the white one,” he said, indicating the dresses hanging up, waiting to be chosen. His eyes never left hers. “It would be as if you’re wearing a cloud.”

  He bowed his head and left.

  Reese’s fingers itched to grab the dress and try it on again, but she forced to watch him until he disappeared.

  19

  Andie

  It was another week before Jack’s Halloween party arrived. Andie’s excitement at the prospect could barely be contained, especially since she was assisting with the planning and knew what to expect. She wanted to keep everything to herself, even though she wanted nothing more than to share her anticipation.

  “It’ll ruin the surprise,” she told Carey and Reese when they pestered her for answers.

  While Keirah was normally reserved in her excitement, Andie knew her sister was looking forward to the party. It would be the first official outing since her attack. She had healed beyond her doctor's expectations, the scar only ached on particularly cold mornings—and though Keirah didn’t like to dance, Andie would insist she try at least one to celebrate. Her mother still blamed Andie for Keirah’s attack and only spoke to her to tell her how much she didn’t approve of Keirah going to this party. However, the woman was making a better effort, at least for Keirah, to be an actual mother, and besides being present at dinner every evening since Keirah’s return, actually took Keirah shopping for the dress she would wear to the party.

  “I don’t think she’s mad that I’m going,” Keirah attempted to explain when Andie asked her sister why their mother was harping on her inviting Keirah but had no problem buying a dress for the party. “I think she’s mad that you gave me the opportunity to go.”

  If Andie hadn’t been so busy, she might have been more upset, but on top of the school work she managed to keep up with and her weekend job at the Spirit Museum, she was busy planning Jack’s party, along with managing his public appearances and keeping his schedule organized. Rarely did she see Jack during work hours, which didn’t bother her as much as she initially believed, thanks to Miranda, but he always showed up to walk her to her car every evening at exactly five o’clock.

  “Noir’s back on the streets,” Jack explained, after Andie asked him why he was being nice to her and his first response of, “I’m nice to all my employees,” didn’t work. “You’re a walking bull’s eye, especially after what he did to your sister.”

  Andie’s lips compressed into a flat line. “I suppose my saying I can handle myself would be naïve,” she murmured more to herself. “Well, better you than the Black Wing. He did nothing to save Keirah. My chances of survival have increased, however minuscule, with you walking me to my car every night.”

  Jack’s lips curled up. “I’ll try to take that as a compliment,” he said.

  No, he definitely wasn’t as bad as she first thought.

  “Hello, Earth to Andie!” Carey said, reaching out to nudge her shoulder. “You okay?”

  “What?” She blinked, feeling her face blush as she remembered she was in Biology. “Yeah. I was just thinking.”

  “About Jack Phillip?” Reese teased, and Andie felt her blush deepen.

  “Oh, shut up,” she said, forcing herself to roll her eyes. “What do you guys want?”

  “Did you see the paper this morning?” Carey asked. “What with the Halloween party being tomorrow, the Onyx Register decided to scare the shit out of all the attendees.”

  “What?” Andie knitted her brow together, her blush vanishing instantly. “How?”

  “They claim Noir has been too quiet,” Carey said. “He’s done nothing since he escaped jail besides …” Carey let her voice trail off, but Andie heard the unspoken words: stabbing your sister. “Jack Phillip’s party would be the perfect opportunity for him to try something.”

  “That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard,” Andie said. “Miranda planned for something like that. She hired tons of extra security, just in case.”

  “I know,” Carey said.

  “We’re just worried about Keirah,” Reese pointed out. “I know she quit her job at the bank because Noir is known for robbing one after he escapes. Do you think she’ll stay home tomorrow night with the threat that Noir might do something at the party?”

  The worry was palpable in Reese’s grey eyes, but Andie adamantly shook her head. “Absolutely not,” she said. “She’s been looking forward to this since the first time I brought it up. Since her internship with Hawkins was terminated and she quit her job, Commissioner Jarrett created a position for her as his assistant so she wouldn’t fail Business. It’s desk work and she’s never alone, but her job at the jail is just as much a threat to Keirah because I’m positive Noir knows it like the back of his hand. It’s the one thing my mom and I have agreed on, actually: that Keirah shouldn’t take the position, but she refused to listen to us. She said Jarrett didn’t have to do this for her, that an F on her transcript would ruin her GPA, and, most importantly, that she wasn’t going to let some sociopath dictate the way she lived her life. Plus, she’s eighteen. She can do what she wants.”

  “If that’s the case, why isn’t she coming over to my place to get ready?” Reese asked. “Isn’t Miranda picking us up in a limo so we could all arrive together?”

  Andie nodded. “My mom and Jarrett managed to talk her into allowing him to escort her to the party, but she’s coming home with us,” she explained and then shrugged her shoulders. “It’s Keirah’s life, you know. I just hope her stubbornness doesn’t get her hurt or worse.”

  The next day, Andie managed to temporarily forget her worry about her sister as she, Carey, and Reese all got ready at Reese’s place. The two story mini-mansion was located in Onyx Court, a gated community where the exterior upkeep was maintained by the city, every house was different, and everything looked perfect. It might have been Andie’s imagination but even the sun seemed to shine brighter here.

  Reese’s house was bigger than Carey’s, but smaller than Jack’s. Her mother kept a variety of rose bushes in front of the house that she liked to take care of herself, and her father liked to build things in his garage, such as the birdhouse that hung from one of the trees in the backyard. Andie was surprised at the fact that the family didn’t have a pool even though the backyard was big enough to house two. Reese explained that when her mother was a child, her best friend drowned in a backyard pool, and since then, refused to even entertain the possibility of getting one.

  “It’s actually perfect though,” Reese said. “I’m trying to talk them into getting us a dog and without a pool, we definitely have the space for it.”

  Reese mentioned tha
t besides Carmen, the housekeeper, the girls had the house to themselves since her mother had her bi-weekly spa appointment, her father was at Pelican Field golfing with Jack Phillip and some of their colleagues, and her brother was at his friend’s house doing a science project.

  The minute Andie stepped into Reese’s room, her mouth dropped open. It was pretty bare for a teenage girl’s room, but it was huge; probably the same size as every bedroom in Andie’s apartment put together, and she didn’t count Reese’s walk-in closet and the attached full bathroom. Surprisingly enough, there was no television in her room, and Reese explained that her parents didn’t believe in it. Apparently their bedroom didn’t have one either. No restrictions seemed to be placed on computers since there was a pale pink laptop on Reese’s beige desk.

  “You guys can hang the dresses here,” Reese said as she slid one of the closet doors open. “I have my straightener and curling iron warming up in the bathroom, my makeup is out …” She paused and looked up as though she were checking off items on a mental list. “I think the only thing that’s left is,” she grabbed a remote and pointed it at portable iPod speakers, “this.”

  Katy Perry filled the room and Andie felt herself grin. Today was going to be so much fun.

  Just as Andie, Reese, and Carey finished getting ready, Miranda was at the door. The brunette looked absolutely stunning in her black velvet A-line gown with a princess- seam bodice. Like the three girls, her dress was also Grecian-inspired. The cap sleeves were attached to the bodice neckline, which was outlined in silver and black rose trim. A metallic cord crisscrossed around her stomach, narrowing her voluptuous figure. Her brown bangs were pinned to the side and she let her curls remain unruly, with half of them pinned up and half rolling and tumbling down her shoulders. On her feet was a pair of gladiator sandals that wrapped up and around her ankles the same way the cord did around her torso.