The trees stood frozen, covered in a delicate white layer and the roads glistened like diamonds against their icy surface. The amazing caramel sky looked warm but Alana knew the deceptive color didn’t reflect the freezing temperatures outside. No one seemed to want to venture out into the cold, but she couldn’t blame them. The winter had been harsh and seemingly endless.
While she liked the winter months, she preferred it when it was warmer. The luscious green trees and the flowers in people’s gardens were a truly colorful array of beauty. Children playing out in the sun with their families had been an amazing thing to watch, and Alana had often wondered what it would be like to have a child of her own. The love that seemed to emanate from their laughter and smiles had warmed her heart, but it had also terrified her. Loving a child was something she could never risk herself doing. Not that she’d ever have the chance to experience anything so wondrous. Harvey had taken her choices the day he’d had his guards take her and she hated him for it. Alana sighed as she relaxed back against the headrest, watching as they drove further into town.
Turning her head, she noticed James glancing at her. She looked away quickly, determined to hide the sadness, she knew he would see across her face. Her emotions were a luxury that had always come at a price and she’d learned to hide them well. All except from Harvey. She had no trouble letting him know the extent to which she loathed him. James, on the other hand, had seemed kind and she really did want to enjoy this evening.
“You okay?” James was concerned. He had seen her turn her head quickly and felt the atmosphere change.
Alana looked across at him and smiled. Hide, always hide, she told herself.
“Yes, fine, looking forward to having a drink, that’s all.”
James smiled, not convinced with her answer, as he turned his attention back to the road. “So, how long have you worked at the Phoenix Corporation?”
“Quite a while. I work in the main office most of the time, on the reception desk. How about you? I’ve not heard from you in a while.” Alana could hear the apprehension in her voice and tried hard to control it.
“Been out on the road. Lots of boring places, security and stuff.” James had to be careful. He couldn’t reveal any details until he’d first approached the point that he no longer worked at the Headquarters.
As James drove into the main part of town, Alana stared in wonder at the array of buildings and shops she’d never known had been so close to where she lived. She’d never ventured out this far and had never really thought about what existed further than the roads surrounding the Headquarters. It all looked so different from the view from her balcony but she’d never really had the nerve to stray too far. She wished now she’d been a little braver but she’d never wanted to get lost. Harvey would have made her pay heavily if she’d not returned. Yet another reason why she loathed the ground he walked on.
The shops that lay both sides of the main road were painted different colors, and many of them had hanging canopies above their glass fronts. Trees were dotted down each side of the street and the roads flashed green, reflecting the overhanging traffic lights. Most of the shops had shut up for the day, but she might come back during the day sometime. It would be fascinating to actually go out and buy something rather than just buying them online.
James pulled up into a vacant parking space just outside the bar.
The lights from the bar’s neon sign flashed a bright red color as Alana gazed at the long smoked-glass windows that ran from the ceiling to floor. The bar’s entrance had two large doors, both with the bar’s name etched onto glass panels, and people mingled outside, greeting each other and smiling as they chatted. Alana felt slightly uneasy. She’d never been in a bar. She turned and glanced at James. Releasing her seatbelt, she opened the passenger door and stepped onto the road.
James had seen the uncertainty on her face and smiled at her. He exited the SUV and walked round to make sure she got out of the car safely without slipping on the icy path. As he locked the car remotely, he walked next to her. Approaching the bar entrance, James opened the door and nodded to her to go first.
Alana hesitated before stepping forward through the doors.
A long, deep oak-paneled bar spread the length to the left hand side and an assortment of oak tables with plush red chairs lay at different positions to right. Several couples sat on tall bar stools, chatting quietly as they drank their beers and at some of the tables, groups of men and women laughed loudly at something one of them had said. The music in the background played a country tune but wasn’t too loud, and the place smelled of beer and furniture polish.
Alana looked round at the walls. Large pictures of guitars were framed and even a full-size guitar hung from the ceiling. It felt quite homely. Alana turned and looked at James.
James raised his hand and pointed at an available table by the front windows and followed as Alana walked over and took off her coat. She laid it on the back of the chair and sat down as James removed his jacket and wrapped it round the chair opposite.
“What would you like to drink?” James watched her reaction closely.
“A white wine please, medium dry if they have it.” Alana liked her drinks crisp. Not that she drank often, but she couldn’t stand anything too sweet.
Alana stared at James’s muscular physique as he turned and walked to the bar. He was immensely toned and she smiled as he leaned across the bar. By the reaction from the females in the bar, they must be commenting on his body. She assumed they didn’t really see too many males his size, but then human males weren’t as big as Mist males. She watched as he turned and smiled at her. Alana smiled back before turning and looking out of the window.
James returned with the drinks and placed them down on the table as he sat down in in his chair.
“Thank you.” Alana lifted the glass to her lips and took a gentle sip of the dry wine.
James watched her as her lips rounded the edge of the glass. She was very gentle in her movements, but her eyes seemed troubled. He wished he had Jenson’s ability to read minds so he could find out what thoughts were running through her head. He picked up his beer from the table and brought it to his lips, watching her closely.
“So, Alana, what do you like to do in your spare time?”
“I like to read a lot.” She had lots of time to spare and had managed to build quite a collection of novels on her e-reader.
“How long have you lived in town?” He couldn’t help but stare into her rich brown eyes. He knew she was nervous and wanted her to feel more relaxed.
Alana hesitated. It felt like she had been there forever but she wouldn’t have described it as living, more a case of existing. “I’ve lived here for quite a long time.”
“What did you do before you worked at the Corporation?” James was curious to know more about her. She was beautiful and he assumed she was single.
“I used to be a nurse, but that was a long time ago.” She’d loved her job in the clinic and had missed it in the beginning, but it now seemed like a distant memory.
“What made you change from nursing to working in an office?”
“My personal circumstances changed…and I found myself working at the Corporation. It wasn’t something I ever saw myself doing but sometimes life takes different courses than what you expect.”
James could hear the sadness in her tone and knew she was being evasive. There was something about the sad look in her eyes that told him that her life had changed, and not for a good reason. He suspected that something bad had happened to her but she wasn’t willing to share it with him, probably not with anyone. Maybe that was why she was single.
Jonah would be there soon and he wasn’t really into small talk. He was driven with his duty protecting The Order and he respected him for it. James hoped he had a little more time to spend alone with Alana but knew time was not something he would have a lot of. If he was going to approach the subject of her help, he needed to do it now.
“
Alana, I need to ask you something.” James placed his beer back on the table. He shifted uneasily in his seat as he looked up at her.
“Okay, what do you want to know?” Alana stared at him. He seemed slightly on edge and she wondered what it was that was making him feel uncomfortable.
“What do you know about your boss, Harvey?”
Alana tensed as a crease formed in her brow. “Why?”
James thought carefully about how to phrase his next question. “He’s not a very nice person. What do know of his business?”
Alana stared at him, her breath coming in small rasps. She felt suspicious of James’s questioning and felt her guard go up against him. Why did he want to know about Harvey? She lifted the glass and took a large gulp of the wine, making her cough as it hit the back of her throat.
“Why do you want to know about Harvey? You work for him, so you probably know him better than I do.” She tried to be as evasive as she could with her answer.
“I don’t work for him anymore.” James continued to stare at her, watching her reaction.
“What happened?” Alana asked. She’d never really known who worked for Harvey outside of the office and had only really taken messages when working on the reception desk.
“Let’s just say that we didn’t agree on his business practices.” James smiled at his interpretation of the situation.
Alana continued to stare at James as she drank smaller sips from her wine. His answer had not told her anything. She knew if he were a Mist then he would have a pretty good idea of the kinds of business practices Harvey was into. She sensed that each of them knew Harvey pretty well, but neither of them was prepared to reveal that to each other.
“As far as I’m aware his security business is doing well. I try not to get involved in anything further.” She didn’t want James to suspect the depth that Harvey controlled her.
“He can be intimidating and doesn’t stop until he’s acquired what he wants.” It was a statement of sorts, accurate without telling her that Harvey had tried to kill the King.
“Tell me about it,” Alana whispered under her breath. Harvey was resilient in his efforts to try and get her to submit to his demands.
“I try not to have many dealings with him.” She avoided Harvey like the plague and would only speak to him if was absolutely necessary.
James could feel the animosity in her tone, which confused him. There was something about her answer that made him think there was more to her and Harvey’s acquaintance that what she was letting on.
James’s cell buzzed and he smiled at Alana as he reached into his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he read the message before turning it off and laying it on the table. Jonah was on his way and would be there in five minutes.
Alana smiled at him. She’d never had the need for a cell of her own. There was no one she would call if she did have one. She’d never been able to contact her parents, and she didn’t have other family she could talk to. She knew how to use a cell, but what was the point in getting one herself? The only people she ever spoke to were the other staff members in the office and Harvey, and that was to tell him to go crawl under the nearest stone that he’d just come from.
“I need to go to the restroom, will you excuse me?” She hadn’t eaten much that day and the wine had gone to head. She stood from the chair, looking around the room.
“It’s down the end of the bar and to the right.” He smiled at her as he pointed toward the far end of the bar. As she walked away, he stared at the sight of her perfectly formed ass in her slim fit jeans. She seemed to glide rather than walk and he noticed how her long, flowing hair descended to her waist. She was quite extraordinary.
Alana entered the small pink-tiled room and walked over to the sinks that lay encased in a wide pine cabinet. Turning on the tap, she ran her hands under the cool, bracing water and doused it across her face. She lifted her head and rested her hands on the edges of the sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She frowned, feeling her heart beating rapidly in her chest.
Her cheeks had blushed from the warm heat in the bar and the alcohol hadn’t helped. It had been a while since she’d had a drink and it was making her feel lightheaded. Even though she was enjoying the wine immensely, she needed to get away from the intenseness of her conversation with James. The evening wasn’t going quite as she’d expected it to.
It had been so long since she’d gone out on anything resembling a date and it felt more like an interrogation than a relaxing night out. She’d debated whether it had been a wise choice to go out with a male, and now wished she’d followed her instincts. The fact that she’d agreed in the first place should have rung alarm bells, but her overriding desire to get away after her confrontation with Harvey had driven her decision. She knew it had been a mistake. The sigh that escaped her chest felt heavy.
It had surprised her to find out that James no longer worked for Harvey though. He seemed to want to know information about Harvey and his business that he thought she might know. James had asked her personal questions that she knew she couldn’t be honest about. He was trying to be sociable, but the danger it would cause for her if she told him the truth could risk everything. She didn’t like to be questioned by anyone and it always made her defensive when people asked her about her past. He seemed to want to know everything about her.
She dabbed more cool water across her heated forehead again, hoping it would calm her nerves. She knew she would have to go out there again, face James, and try to enjoy the evening, but that was easier said than done. He was good-looking enough and if she’d been in any other circumstances, she might have been able to enjoy herself more. As it was, all she wanted to do was leave, but to where? Back to the Headquarters? Not an option she wanted to face either.
She turned and leaned against the sink. What was it that he really wanted? This was supposed to be a quiet drink, a “put a face to voice” kind of drink, but it felt far from it. Was she just being paranoid? Probably. Her whole life had been one paranoid event after another living at the Headquarters. She had no control over her life and it infuriated her how Harvey manipulated her. Even so, James was pushing for information she wasn’t willing to share.
She inhaled deeply. She had no other choice. She would have to go out there, make her excuses and ask him to drive her back to the Headquarters. Stepping forward, she pulled at the handle of the door and walked back into the bar. Staring down at the other end of the bar, she froze instantly. They were not alone. Standing next to James was a tall, muscular male who she instinctively knew was another of their kind. As he turned, Alana’s heart stopped. She recognized his face instantly. Fear flooded through her.
“Oh god!” Alana whispered as she looked into the eyes that had tormented her dreams, every night, for the last fifty years.
Chapter 5
Jonah arrived at the bar to see James sitting alone at the small table by the front windows. He could make out James’s huge frame through the smoked glass but couldn’t see any sign of the female. He’d texted James to say he would be five minutes and had found the roads pretty clear on his journey into town. Now all he had to do was get this meeting over with so he could return to Genesis and get his head down for the night. His sleep had been erratic of late and he already felt exhausted from the party the night before. He really wasn’t in the best of moods for this meeting, but he had agreed to meet with James. He hoped it wouldn’t take too long.
Exiting the SUV, he walked through the bar’s doors and walked over to James. On the table lay a glass of wine he knew the female had been drinking from, and noticed her jacket lying on the back of the chair. He could smell her scent all around him and it made his heart beat rapidly. A spark of recognition flooded his mind, but he couldn’t place the sensation of déjà vu. He knew there was something familiar though.
“Where is the female?” Jonah looked around the bar.
“She’s in the restroom. She’s much prettier than I expected,” James replied.
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Jonah noticed the excited tone in James’s voice and it bothered him. He closed his eyes as he tried to subdue the pleasurable sensation travelling through him. He didn’t want to think of her beauty. After what had happened the last time they’d discussed Alana, the last thing he needed was his body responding.
“Have you spoken to her about helping The Order?” Jonah removed his jacket and tossed it onto the chair in front of him.
“Not yet, but there’s something you need to know.” James could sense Jonah’s anxiety but put it down to being in close proximity to humans. Jonah was always in security mode, especially when away from Genesis.
“What?” Jonah saw the concern on James face.
“She’s Mist. I’m not sure if she knows. I know that Jasmine didn’t at first.” James had considered that she may not know of their existence.
“Have you mentioned anything about it to her?” Jonah felt uneasy. This could jeopardize the whole idea of her helping if she was a loyal employee.
“Not yet, I thought it would be best if I waited until you arrived,” James replied.
“What have you found out about her so far?”
“Only that she used to be a nurse and that she’s worked for the Phoenix Corporation for quite a while. She seemed quite evasive when I asked her about her past.” James had noticed her reaction when he’d asked her why she had changed jobs.
Jonah's Salvation [The Order of the Mist 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 5