Awaken: Book 1 in The Dark Paradise Chronicles

by Isadora Brown

  “You guys look amazing!” she squealed before leading them to the limo. “And we’re fashionably late, which is a good thing.”

  Andie crawled inside with an excited grin. After she sat down, she turned to get a better look at her friends. Carey looked exquisitely feminine in her A-line gown. It was a soft pink, with thick straps holding up the square-shaped bodice. Underneath her breasts was a thin brown belt composed of circles overlapping with other circles. Unlike Miranda, who donned the smoky-eyed look, Carey sported soft pastel makeup. She didn’t do much with her short hair except add a headband that matched her belt.

  Reese looked nothing short of stunning. She really was a goddess. Her A-line gown was pure white and strapless with glistening silver jewels trimming the heart-shaped neckline and wrapping around her waist. She let her blonde hair fall around her, like a kind of halo. She opted for little makeup and chose to let her tresses remain naturally wavy rather than straighten or curl them.

  Andie was proud of the gown she had chosen. It was emerald, bringing out her eyes even more than the black eyeliner did. The asymmetric strap rested on her left shoulder, leaving her right arm completely bare. The skirt was gently pleated, adding a sweep as the fabric gathered at the floor. Her short strawberry hair was swept into a soft bun, and her eyes were highlighted in gold while her lips were vivid red. She had never felt so beautiful before.

  Once they arrived, the four young women were nothing less than ecstatic. Andie was surprised how many paparazzi were parked in front of the Spirit Museum. Barely anyone came in on Saturdays when she worked and now it was packed. Even more shocking was that they started taking pictures of the four. Andie felt herself blush, and she had to grab onto Carey to steady herself after the brightness of the flashes nearly blinded her.

  Her nervousness faded once they were inside. The four girls immediately hit the dance floor, where Andie was surprised to find that Reese couldn’t dance to save her life, that Miranda knew how to move her body like she was a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, and that Jack was nowhere to be found. Neither was Keirah, for that matter. Andie gnawed her bottom lip. Maybe Keirah wasn’t coming. Maybe their mother had talked her out of it.

  After a good twenty minutes on the floor, Andie offered to go grab water for everyone. She was breathless when she made her request to the bartender, her face flushed from the crowd accumulated on the floor.

  “Put them on my bill,” a voice said from behind her.

  Andie glanced at the guy from the corner of her eye. Nothing special: shorter than Jack but taller than her, black hair, dark blue eyes. She rolled her eyes. “No thanks, big spender,” she said as the bartender grabbed their drinks.

  He leaned toward her from his barstool so he was close enough to touch if she turned an inch to her left. “How about a dance?” he asked.

  Andie rolled her eyes and took a step to her right, trying to put distance between herself and this creep. Guys like him were the reason why she refused to go clubbing. “I don’t think so,” she said. Without warning, the guy stood and latched his fingers around her wrist. Andie’s eyes widened and her heart accelerated. She was losing control of the situation and she needed to get it back, but she couldn’t do anything except try to yank her wrist out of his grasp and say, “Let me go.”

  “Not until you dance with me,” he said, narrowing his eyes at her.

  “Is there a problem here, darling?” a soft-spoken voice asked from beside Andie. He was obviously speaking to her but his jade green eyes were staring pointedly at the man gripping Andie’s wrist. She glanced up at her savior as he slid his arm around her waist and she instantly felt herself relax.

  “Jack Phillip,” he said with recognition. He looked back at Andie. “You’ll be back, sweetheart. Phillip never keeps his girls around for too long.”

  Andie clenched her jaw and pulled her wrist free of his grasp. If it wasn’t for Jack holding onto her, she would have lost her balance. “That’s none of your business,” she snapped, refraining from rubbing her wrist in order to soothe it.

  Andie took a shaky breath as she watched the man walk away. Jack still held onto her, and for that, she was grateful. Just as she was ready to head back to her friends, the water forgotten, Jack dropped his head so she could feel his breath on her throat and asked softly, “Do you want to go for a walk?”

  She wasn’t sure why, but she nodded, and before she knew it, the two exited the museum from the back and stepped out onto the bustling streets of Onyx. Rain was now falling and Andie laughed in surprise, stopping to look up at the cloudy sky. She was well-aware her makeup was running and her new dress was ruined. Instead of running, she grabbed Jack’s hand and led him across the street and down the block until they reached Onyx Park. By the time they arrived, both were incredibly soaked but laughing.

  “I love the rain,” she murmured as she gazed up at the sky once again. She could feel his eyes latch onto her profile and she was glad it was too cold to notice her blush.

  “You’re not like any woman I’ve met,” he told her, his serious tone catching her off-guard. “Anybody else would be running from the rain, not toward it.”

  Andie slowly repositioned her eyes into Jack’s. “That’s because of the company you keep,” she told him as they walked deeper into the park. “You keep fame-seeking, fashion-conscious women on your arm.” She paused, glancing at him quickly. “People think you hired me because you think I’m pretty and want to sleep with me.”

  “Well, they’re wrong,” Jack told her. He stopped walking which caused Andie to follow suit. He looked deep into her eyes before saying softly, “You’re beautiful.”

  Andie tilted her head to the side, a curious smile on her face. She wasn’t exactly sure how to respond due to her lack of experience receiving compliments from billionaire bachelors. Instead of addressing it, she decided to change the subject. “I’m really sorry for what happened at the bar,” she murmured. “Thank you, um, for that.”

  “You don’t really do that a lot, do you?” he asked her with a touch of amusement, placing his hands in his pockets. “Apologize and thank someone.”

  “Actually,” Andie replied, “I’ve never needed somebody to help me with something like that. Usually I just handle things myself.”

  Jack continued to stare at her until Andie started to fidget with discomfort. She knew she looked bad with her hair matted to the back of her neck, makeup on her cheeks, and her now-soaked dress clinging, but did he have to stare so intensely? Without warning, Jack slid off his blazer and placed it around her.

  “I’m not used to acts of chivalry either,” she told him, wrapping the coat tighter around her. It was loose, but provided a considerable amount of warmth and smelled like aftershave and spice. “Your parents raised you right in that area.”

  Jack chuckled. “Was that supposed to be an insult?” he asked.

  She giggled at their inside joke. “I … I think so,” she told him, his eyes twinkling. “You know, when you smile, really smile, your whole face lights up like fireworks.” She paused as she took in his sharp features. “You should do it more often.”

  “I would if I had reason to,” he told her, running his fingers through his drenched tresses, pushing them back from his face.

  Andie frowned at his statement. “I know that money can’t buy happiness,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest, “but you can’t just wait around for it. You shouldn’t rely on other people to make you smile, you should do it yourself.”

  “And what makes you happy?” he asked her, his lips turning up.

  “The rain,” she said, looking up at the sky. “And dancing.”

  “And dancing in the rain?” Jack asked, then offered her his hand.

  “I’ve never tried it with a partner,” she murmured, taking a tentative step toward him after placing her hand in his.

  “You should always try something once,” he replied, his voice low.

  Jack coiled his long fingers around her hand
and gently pulled her to him so she was pressed against his chest and his free arm slid around her waist. Somehow, his hand fit perfectly in the small of her back. She hesitated only a moment before placing her hand on his broad shoulder. Then, along with the beat the soft rain was providing, the two attempted to dance. Andie had taken no formal lessons and apparently Jack had had none as well because not even a minute later, they were stepping on each other’s feet, tripping over each other, and laughing as they did so.

  Andie would never have thought she would ever be dancing with Jack Phillip in the rain wearing an expensive dress and gladiator-style sandals. He actually looked quite attractive, getting splattered by the rain. He seemed genuinely happy in this moment, his jade green eyes brighter than she had ever seen them. When he smiled, he flashed brilliant straight teeth. His laughter was like a yawn, contagious; once he started, Andie couldn’t help but join him.

  Jack had a knack to constantly surprise her and it caused her heart to palpitate. Or maybe that was just his nearness, his breath on her skin.

  “We should probably get somewhere warm,” Jack said, stopping abruptly. “I wouldn’t want my intern to catch a cold or anything.”

  “Right,” she said dryly, rolling her eyes. “Because you’re incapable of surviving without an intern.” She paused, letting Jack lead her out of the park and under a large balcony adjacent to the Spirit Museum that provided enough shelter to prevent them from getting wetter than they already were. Andie looked up at him, her pale green eyes tracing the contours of his face. “So what about you?” she asked. “What makes you happy? Money? Women?” She furrowed her brow and a naughty smirk crawled onto her face. “Men?”

  “Wow,” Jack said in a droll voice. “I’m glad you think I’m that superficial. And, just for the record, it is women.” He stopped, considering her question. “However, in response, I would say that at this moment, right now, the thing that makes me happy is you. Just you.”

  “No wonder you’re so popular with the ladies,” she said after clearing her throat. “You sure know how to deliver the good lines.”

  He knitted his brow together. “They aren’t lines,” he said in a soft, firm voice.

  “Come on, Jack,” Andie said, her impatience getting the better of her. “You don’t have to put up a front with me.” She glanced at the long line of people still trying to get into the museum, despite the rain. “I just don’t get you. Sometimes I think you’re genuine and honest, and other times, I think think..." She didn't know what to think. Those walks to her car could mean more to her than they did to him - and they probably did. "It doesn’t matter. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it would be nice to know who I’m talking to once in a while.” She was about to turn, ready to head back inside, when she was stopped by his fingers gently tugging her to him.

  “This whole thing,” he said. “The women, the parties, it’s not who I really am.”

  “You don’t have to justify yourself to me,” she said. Her eyes softened. “You know, Kant’s Categorical Imperative sounds tempting. If everyone treated everyone as an end rather than a means to an end, the world would be a beautiful place. But that’s not the world we live in. And as much as his three maxims sound great, they focus more on the motive of the action rather than the action itself. Follow every universal law, not because it’s right, but because it’s rational to do so. But we aren’t rational. We don’t judge someone based on their motives, we judge them on their actions. It’s your actions that define you.”

  Jack opened his mouth, about to respond, but before he could, people began to run out of the museum, screaming.

  20

  Keirah

  Keirah started getting ready half an hour before she was supposed to be at the museum. After discussing it with Commissioner Jarrett, they both decided it would be best if she arrived late since the press wanted nothing more than to talk to her about being Noir’s only surviving captive. They wanted to know why Noir allowed her to live.

  After she finished getting dressed, she glanced at her phone and found she had a few minutes before Jarrett showed up. Her eyes found her reflection in the bathroom mirror and she was surprised how pretty she looked. The chiffon gown she had picked out with her mother was midnight blue with a deep diamond cut in the front. Since her breasts were small, she got away with the plunging neckline, and since she had long legs, the slit that teased her left leg just made them look longer. There was a beaded belt around her waist that matched the beaded straps that held the dress up and she wore silver high heels. She braided a portion of her dark hair and wrapped it around her head like a crown while leaving the rest of it down. Her makeup was light but earthy—pink lips and brown eyes.

  A knock on her door interrupted Keirah’s thoughts and she turned just as her mother opened it. Surprise registered on her face, as though Judith had never seen her daughter look this way before. An approving glint in her dark eyes made Keirah’s face break out into a smile.

  “The commissioner’s here,” she stated. “Keirah, I still don’t approve of you going. If something happened to you …”

  “Nothing will happen to me,” Keirah assured her. “I’ll be with Commissioner Jarrett the entire night. Mom, with the way you’ve been treating Andie this month, there’s a good chance you’ll lose her.”

  “I’m not going to pretend that what happened to you wasn’t her fault,” she said in a firm voice.

  Keirah refrained from rolling her eyes. She didn’t want to get into an argument right before the party. Instead, she pulled her mother into a tight hug and the two went out to greet the commissioner. He, too, seemed taken aback by her appearance which made her blush before he smoothed it over with, “You might want to grab a coat. It looks like rain tonight.”

  The pair arrived an hour into the party and entered through the back to avoid the paparazzi. Nobody noticed as they headed to the main hall where the dance floor was already filled and the DJ was playing mainstream club hits. Keirah tried to keep an eye out for Andie but she couldn’t find her, so she allowed Jarrett to lead her around and introduce her to various important people she didn’t pay attention to. After half an hour, she was already bored. She couldn’t find Andie, didn’t like to dance, and couldn’t pretend to be interested in the conversations Jarrett went out of his way to make sure she was a part of.

  When she couldn’t take it anymore, she excused herself to go to the restroom.

  “Do you need—” Jarrett asked, but Keirah cut him off.

  “I don’t need an escort to the bathroom,” she snapped. Guilt instantly spread through her and her eyes softened. Jarrett was only trying to keep her safe. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

  He looked like he was going to say more but finally nodded his head. She beamed in return and turned, but instead of walking to the bathroom, she slipped out of the main room and through the Greek mythology section. Next to the exhibit that housed what was supposed to be the actual lyre that belonged to Apollo’s was a staircase that led to the roof. Andie told her whenever she needed a moment to herself, she always went up to the roof. Nobody would be there; she’d be completely alone for the first time in a month.

  The sky was black, grey, and purple, and already had opened up, so soft droplets of water fell sporadically to the earth. She ignored the cold as she walked over to the balustrade. Onyx did have such a beautiful view at night, the city sparkling against the dark. As she rested her palms on the surface of the balustrade, her eyes caught sight of a couple sneaking off into the night from the party. A soft smile touched her lips and she felt herself slowly start to relax.

  “You’re not thinking about jumping off, are you, my dear?” a familiar voice asked from behind her. “And here I was, ah, attempting to, uh, well, to sweep you off your feet. Seems you would rather, hum … fly. Well-ah, I think I can help you with that.”

  Keirah spun around so quickly she nearly slipped on the wet surface. Noir giggled at this, amusement twinkling in his hazel orbs. As she
straightened, she studied him, so casually standing in front of her. His dark blond hair was pushed from his face, mostly covered by a black fedora. His outfit was straight out of the nineteen twenties; he wore a black blazer and matching black slacks with white pinstripes running up and down the material. A bright red vest covered the majority of the white silk collared shirt, which was tucked into pants held up by black suspenders.

  She was baffled by how utterly attractive he looked, and this time, she didn’t scold herself for it. She knew she was blatantly staring, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him if she tried. While he had looked reasonable in his orange jumpsuit, this ensemble brought things to a whole new level Keirah wasn’t expecting. He could tell that she found him attractive too because he smirked and started to move closer to her, his red Converses lighting up the dark night. His smile was splayed across his face, a look of determination, amusement, and something territorial tainting his scarred features. Instead of being afraid, however, she felt intrigued.

  “Oh,” he murmured when he was a couple of feet from her. “I for-got. You’ve never seen me in my, hum … garb-ah, have you, my love? I can, uh, well, I can tell by the way you are checking me out that you approve. Not that I care, really, but I particularly love the way you’re looking at me … right now.” He moved in closer, fully taking over Keirah’s personal space. She actually had to walk back a couple of steps to keep from making contact with him; her lower back pressed against the balustrade If he wanted to, Noir could push her over right now. Instead, he placed both gloved hands on the surface of the balustrade, locking her between his arms. Tilting his head down so his forehead grazed her, he locked eyes with her, a lazy grin on his face. “You look as ugh-mazing as ever, my own Helen of Troy.”

  “Save your compliments,” Keirah growled, narrowing her eyes. She suddenly remembered why she was in this particular situation. “Don’t tell me you forgot that you stabbed me.”