by Anna Edwards
Table of Contents
www.AuthorAnnaEdwards.com
www.CharityHendry.com
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
EPILOUGE
DEAR READER
PREVIEW OF THE TOUCH OF SNOW
ABOUT ANNA EDWARDS
CONNECT WITH ANNA EDWARDS
AnnaEdwardsWriter
CONTROLLING
DARKNESS
A CONTROL SERIES NOVEL
Anna Edwards
Copyright © 2017 by Anna Edwards
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
www.AuthorAnnaEdwards.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Warning: This book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. This book is for sale to adults only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase.
Disclaimer: Please do not try any sexual practice, without the guidance of an experienced practitioner. Neither the publisher nor the author will be responsible for any loss, harm, injury or death resulting from the use of the information contained in this book.
Cover Design by www.CharityHendry.com
Logo Design by Charity Hendry
Editing by Dayna Hart, Hart to Heart Edits
Formatting by Charity Hendry
Controlling Darkness/ Anna Edwards -- 1st ed.
ISBN 978-1546472292
Dedication
To my dear friend, John. You’ve always been such a help and guiding light in my life. From school work, to university and into adulthood. I cannot thank you enough for your proof reading and ideas that you send me based on my writing. They have furthered my writing to no end. I know that you are having a scary time at the moment but you have always proved to be a stubborn bastard (your words not mine); so I know that you will beat this. Much love to you. x
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
EPILOUGE
DEAR READER
PREVIEW OF THE TOUCH OF SNOW
ABOUT ANNA EDWARDS
CONNECT WITH ANNA EDWARDS
CHAPTER ONE
Sonia
"Mummy? Mummy, wake up." The little girl crawled closer to the still body on the floor. "Mummy?" Minutes turned to hours. Nothing changed. Her mummy didn't wake up. Sirens filled her head, and a policeman rushed in.
"Come on, little one. Shall we go find a teddy for you to cuddle?"
"Why won't mummy wake up?"
"She is very tired. The doctors will come and look after her." His anguished face looked to the cold figure on the floor.
"Oh. I will get my toy cat; it is called Mr Whiskers." The little girl took his hand, and as he led her from the kitchen, she called back over her shoulder. "Have a good sleep mummy."
...............
Sonia sat up on the bed, sweat drenching the tangled mess of sheets. No, not again.
Why tonight? Tomorrow was the first day of her new job. She'd trained so hard for it. Sonia tried to straighten the sheets and padded into the kitchen to make hot chocolate. Too many memories stirred after that dream.
Why? Why did her stupid subconscious have to remind her now?
“Mummy” echoed through her head.
She had only been seven when she found her mother, twisted and bleeding on the kitchen floor; dead, though she hadn’t realised it at the time. Her life changed dramatically that day, it derailed, and she was finally getting it back on track. 'Come on Sonia. You’re stronger than this. Don't let him win!
Her hands stopped shaking, and she picked up the hot chocolate and drifted back into the bedroom, and the next thing she knew, her alarm clock was shrilling out to wake her with a jolt.
It hadn't taken Sonia long to dress in a smart suit, grab a breakfast of croissants and a skinny Americano, and travel the short distance across London from her one-bedroom flat in Hackney to the Central London offices of North Enterprises. The massive, shimmering structure loomed up skywards in front of her. Okay. She could do this. She had been through a rigorous training regime and had been selected from candidates she thought far superior. But the man-mountain who told her she had the job seemed to empathise with her past work. She had originally trained for the police but had quickly become jaded with all the bureaucracy. After that, she moved into a branch of the Metropolitan Police’s Protection Command for a year, and then transferred to guarding private clientele. She had travelled to lots of places, protected an assortment of people, and enjoyed every minute of it. This was most definitely the career for her.
Sonia was escorted up to the top floor of the building and into the expansive office of Mr James North. Behind him stood the man who had interviewed her, Mr Carter. Mr North stood and held his hand out to her.
"Miss Anderson, a pleasure to meet you. Please take a seat. Matthew has told you of the job specifications?"
Sonia sat on the offered seat, her legs to the side and hands folded neatly in her lap. She so wanted to make the right impression to her new boss at this first meeting.
"He has, Mr North. I am to ensure Miss Jones’ safety at all times, but at present, I am to stay back and not allow her to know that she has a bodyguard. Mr Carter will accompany her when you don’t need him, and I will report back to him for all instructions. Under no circumstances am I to acknowledge you. I will maintain this cover unless I feel it necessary to break it to protect Miss Jones from eithe
r physical or emotional harm."
"Superb!" Mr North looked up at his bodyguard. "I have a meeting, but after that, I will be taking Amy shopping. Matthew, provide Sonia with everything she needs. Please give her the keys to the Lexus." Matthew nodded at Mr North as the latter left the room. He hadn't spoken the entire time she had been in the office.
She had learnt about him during the training phase. He was often silent; it gave him an allure of mystery and power. Sonia had first met him when he had just finished a workout. He was wearing only a pair of shorts, he was toned and muscular in all the right places, and even his shorts looked as if they could barely contain his statuesque thighs. His hair had been messed by the towel he had been drying himself with. Sonia must have looked like one of those cartoon characters whose long tongue rolled out and along the floor when they saw something that sexy. Matthew had given her a pleasant smile and gone into business mode.
"Miss Anderson, I hope you’re not prone to daydreaming when on duty."
Matthew's voice broke through her reflections. She bit her tongue and looked guiltily down at the ground.
"Sorry Mr Carter, just a little nervous after meeting Mr North. He is overawing."
Matthew laughed, "Give him a week, and you’ll see he is a pussy cat. Miss Jones has the measure of him already."
"Is that why he isn't telling her she has a bodyguard?"
"The relationship between Miss Jones and Mr North is still in the early stages. Mr North understands that he needs protection to ensure his safety, but Miss Jones is independent and somewhat naive. They tend to clash a little as they sort out their differing opinions. I am sure you’ll see that this afternoon."
"I think I understand. Miss Jones thinks a bodyguard will take her independence away, but Mr North knows she’ll be a target because of her association with him and his wealth?"
"Not just that. Miss Jones has an unpredictable uncle. Mr North has just shown Miss Jones several things about him she was unaware off. We aren’t sure if Mr Jones will try to talk to his niece again. This isn’t to happen for any reason. He is a very dangerous man. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, of course. Do you have a photo of him?"
Matthew strode towards a safe, punched in a combination, and pulled some papers out. He also retrieved a gun. He brought them back to the desk and handed Sonia a picture.
"This is Stephen Jones. No criminal convictions but he is suspected of murder, grievous bodily harm, human trafficking, and pimping. He is a nasty piece of work, and recently ordered his own girlfriend have their child beaten from her stomach and joined in himself ‘just for fun’."
No wonder Mr North wanted Miss Jones protected from him. "I will make sure he gets nowhere near her."
"Thank you. This is for you as well." He handed her the gun. "You’re aware of how to use it?"
"Yes, Sir."
"It is for emergencies only. Here, if you’re caught with it, this will give you a reason." He handed her a piece of paper.
"MI5?"
"I used to work for them. Still have contacts."
Sonia hadn't used a gun much in the past for her work, but she had trained with them and had spent a lot of time on the shooting ranges and hostage simulations perfecting her technique. It was a powerful emotion when she was able to hit her targets with one hundred percent accuracy.
"I better show you your car, and then I need to go and collect Miss Jones. I don’t think she is looking forward to this shopping trip, but most of her clothes have been ruined, and she needs lots of clothes for the upcoming trip to India. Not that she knows about that yet."
"India?"
"Yes, which reminds me. I will need your passport so that I can sort out the visa for you to come as well. Can you make sure you bring it tomorrow, please?"
"Of course, Mr Carter."
"Mr Carter is my father, Sonia, please call me Matthew."
"Matthew it is, then," Sonia smiled, this job was going to be complex, but she was already relishing the excitement of it. The last man she had protected had been an eighty-year-old ex-banker. He was still in his heyday when local London mobster's wanted to see him destroyed for financing the wrong gang. It had been a pretty boring job, she spent most of her time walking him around in his wheelchair and trying to avoid his wandering hands. No, this job was going to be vastly different. She was certain of that. It was going to be a breath of fresh air and one that got her away from all the fears that she was trying to suppress from her past.
After what seemed like hours of driving around London, they pulled up at the shop on Oxford Street, and Miss Jones actually agreed to get out of the car. They had been to Bond Street and Regent Street, but each time the car pulled away. Mr North and Miss Jones got out of the car and headed into Topshop, the former with a heavy frown on his face. Sonia followed Matthew to park the vehicles. Within minutes they re-joined their already bored-looking boss. Amy had a couple of items in her hand, and James was showing her other things, but every time she looked at the price tag and said no. Sonia was impressed. Sonia had seen plenty of gold diggers. Eventually, however, Miss Jones caved under her boyfriend's pressure, and Matthew stood with his arms piled high with clothing. Sonia tried not to laugh at him as he looked over and rolled his eyes. She ducked behind a mannequin and dug through the pile of jeans as if she were looking for her size.
When Amy went into the changing rooms, Sonia went into the next cubicle. After about an hour and lots of arguments later, they all went back to Knightsbridge and Sonia followed in the Lexus. It was a nice car, and she was beginning to love driving it. It was going to be difficult leaving it to get the tube home.
Sonia went into the car park and waited for Matthew. Eventually, he strolled down into the garage, one hand in the pocket of his tailored suit, and a glass of water with ice and lemon in the other.
"Here, this is for you. You need to make sure you’ve a bottle of something with you in future. Rookie mistake getting dehydrated on the job, especially in the summer. It slows the reflexes. I should have asked you this morning if you had anything."
Sonia took the glass and drank it down quickly. "Thank you. I normally always bring water. What do you need me to do now?"
"You can take off for the night. He has to cook Miss Jones dinner as punishment for making her spend too much money. So they won't be leaving the house again." The bodyguard laughed as his spoke. His voice was gravelly and reverberated around Sonia's body causing nearly every hair to stand on end. No man had done that to her in a while, in fact, no man had ever done that to her. Men only caused trouble and destroyed lives. She had had no need for one, both for companionship or physically. Her hand and a friendly rabbit were just as good. And for companionship her four-year-old tabby cat, called Mr Whiskers was perfect. Matthew was standing in front of her awaiting an answer. She had drifted off again in thought.
"Sorry. I am not normally so spacey. I was nervous and didn't sleep too well last night."
"No worries, I get it. This probably isn't like any assignment that you’ve had before. Mr North is slightly intense, but once you get to know him, and he is able to tell Miss Jones about you, I am sure it will be easier."
"Thanks."
"Look I am going to head to the gym. I generally use Mr North's, but I am also a member of one down the road. Do you want to come with me? I can sign you in as a guest."
"Is that okay? Doesn't Mr North need you to protect him here?"
"He has a way of contacting me if he needs me. I am not at his beck and call. That would drive me insane. Inside the house, he is perfectly safe."
"Ok, I would like that. My gym is a bit dodgy but all I can afford. I suspect a Knightsbridge one is the height of luxury by comparison."
Matthew laughed again. "I wouldn’t bet on that!"
CHAPTER TWO
Matthew
Matthew hunched over his knee and pulled the twenty-five-kilo weight into a bicep curl. His workout had been somewhat disjointed as he found himself watching S
onia pound out mile after mile on the runner. He couldn’t fault her cardio strength. That would definitely come in handy. Matthew was getting too old for that shit. Which reminded him, he needed to collect a present from Harrods James had ordered for Amy.
He returned the weight back to its holder and strode to the front of Sonia's machine. Matthew wrapped a sweaty towel around his shoulders after stripping off his sleeveless vest. He couldn’t help but chuckle when Sonia's run began to stutter, and she pressed a button to slow her pace down.
Sonia's run slowed to a stop “Everything okay?”
“Yes, I just remembered I need to collect something for Mr North. You fancy driving me home? And you can take the Lexus home for the night; it will save you having to use the Tube. We can get something to eat, as well, if you don't have any other plans. I can fill you in a bit about the next few weeks."
"Sure, sounds good to me."
"I’ll go grab a quick shower. See you out front in ten minutes."
"Give me fifteen. I will need to tame this wild hair without a hairbrush."
"I have probably got a spare in my bag; I will send it to you."
Sonia looked at him in confusion but also with a little dejection behind her eyes. “Won’t your girlfriend mind me using her hairbrush?"
"No girlfriend, so that will not be a problem. Mr North likes me to be prepared, so you’ll be surprised at what I keep on me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Since Amy became a client, I have some weird stuff in there. The day after she moved in with Mr North, I gave her this questionnaire regarding details of items such as her favourite brand of lipstick, perfume, toothpaste and hairspray. She was a little shocked when she got to the question of sanitary products, but my job is to make sure she is never caught short of anything."
"That actually is being prepared. There have been numerous occasions where I have been caught short without a tampon." Sonia blushed at the direction of their conversation, Matthew liked the way even the tip of her nose went pink. "I will have to make a copy of the bag so I can be ready should she need anything as well."