Pierce, my lawyer, shows up about half an hour after they leave. He’s holding a box of pizza and some beer. Clearly, he wants me to be comfortable while we go over all of this.
Damien has also left so that he can prep the execs for my glorious return, or entrance, since I never have been a part of Whitmore Industries. Apparently, there has to be some sort of vote and legal issues to sort out. They’ll be worried about stock and company stability and other things that I really give no fucks about.
I just need to get inside so that I can see for myself just what it was that my father had done. I need to get to the bottom of the weapon situation, and to do that, I need as much clearance as possible. I had originally told Damien that I wanted no part of this shit. I should have known that I’d have no choice but to come back home.
Pierce pulls out a chair for me like a perfect gentleman and puts a paper plate in front of me. I open the pizza box and am assaulted by the delicious aroma of baked dough, cheese, and pepperonis. Classic. I haven’t had pizza since I’ve been back and my mouth waters instantly. I inhale the hint of garlic butter sauce on the crust and sigh in content. After I consume two pieces, I crack open a beer and get ready to begin.
“So, do you think we can pull this off?” I ask in between gulps.
“I’m going to Olivia Pope the hell out of this, don’t worry,” he assures me, however I’m lost on the reference.
“Huh?”
“Scandal. Kerry Washington, the show?” he leads me as if I’m supposed to know.
“I know who she is, but I’ve never seen the show. There wasn’t much television watching where I was, remember.”
“You have got to catch it. You’re missing out. Anyway, she handles situations for very important people. Scandals, murders, elections, you name it. I’m going to do that for you.”
“Good, because this is either going to be brilliant or the dumbest thing anyone has ever tried to do.”
He laughs as he bites into his pizza, pausing for a second to savor the wonderful taste. “Look, you are allied with people that have a lot of pull. If they are willing to use their power to help you, trust in them that this will work. It’s all about who you know. They can make this happen. You’d be surprised at all the shady deals that go down every day.”
“Hmm, I’m sure they do, but forgive me if I’m not too optimistic about this. Too much could go wrong. Did they really call me Killer Rayne?” I frown.
“Well, you know how the news likes to give nicknames. You’ll be fine. By the end of the week, America will be falling all over you. They’ll want to make your story into a movie and I’m going to make sure you can sell it.”
“I don’t want the publicity. I want to be left alone so I can do what I’ve been fighting so hard for. Namen wants me to be in the spotlight, I can’t allow that to happen,” I say rubbing my face in frustration.
“Can you act?”
“What?”
“Can you act? Because, I’m going to need you to sell this with an Oscar winning performance. Can you do that for me?” Pierce asks seriously, all business.
“I may have picked up on a few things from some friends,” I say thoughtfully.
My father often personally installed security systems for his famous friends and I became friends with their kids because he took me with him a lot when he traveled. The movie stars loved to give me pointers and have me play act with them as we pretended to go off into other worlds. Those were fun times.
“Good. Now don’t doubt me. Remember, I can persuade people around me and that’ll get the fire started. If you can shed a few tears, poke your lip out, and look non-threatening, the story will do the rest. You have people spinning the story for you as we speak. I am great at my job Ms. Whitmore.”
He straightens himself in the chair and pushes his power on me. Instantly, I feel calmer, more sure. Damn, this may work.
“Now, let’s get this story straight. Julio Escobar tried to blackmail your father because of his past as a drug dealer to run drug shipments for him through Whitmore Industries. He also wanted access to weapons that only your father’s company could provide especially since many guns are now outlawed. Your father pretended to agree but was secretly working with the U.S. Marshalls to apprehend him at the drop site. Julio found out about the plan and retaliated by having your family killed. He missed you and before the second hit to take you out could take place, the Marshalls picked you up. How does that sound so far?” he asks.
“So far, it sounds semi plausible. With my dad’s past and all that, people just may believe it. Continue.”
“Well, you were placed in witness protection and sent to an undisclosed location of course. However, even your girlfriend thought that you had died and after so long apart, you just couldn’t deal with her not knowing. You tracked her down and when one of Julio’s informants on the force caught wind that you were back in town to see her, he worked up some false documents and had you arrested. They were supposed to have someone on the inside take you out to finish the job. They were going to make it look like a suicide. All of this happened before the Feds could come resolve the situation.”
“Well, as long as you fill in the small holes, I think that with Julio actually being arrested and glamoured into believing our story, it will actually work. Which one of the officers will you have go down too?”
“Does it even matter? The whole force should go down. They’re trying to find the cop with the most questionable record. It shouldn’t take long,” he assures me.
“Okay. Now, teach me what to say.”
◊◊◊
After three hours of prep, I’m interview ready. Bring on the tough questions; I’ll face them like a champ. After we finished, Damien sent me off to sleep at Tamara’s house under a four man guard. I was too tired to complain. Right before I’m about to doze off, the new phone that Damien had given me in place of the one that I lost after the accident, begins to ring.
“It’s done,” Selene’s feminine voice says coolly.
“Good to know. Are you guys okay?” I whisper, more from my exhaustion than anything else.
“Yes. We ended up having to kill about four of his men to get to him, but Zara was able to feed the story into his mind before they picked him up for arrest. He was spilling it all before they even got him in cuffs. I almost felt bad for the poor bastard,” she responds.
“Yeah, probably before you remembered how he sells kids for a living.”
“Oh, I gave him a firm kick in the nuts, not once, but twice,” she laughs.
“I wish I could have been there to see it. I’m sure that’s not all you did,” I reply. I know her well enough.
“We’re just going to keep that between me and Zara, okay.”
“Fine, hold out on me then.” I pause. “How is it being around her for an extended amount of time?” I ask, knowing that Zara is probably within hearing distance.
Selene is silent for a couple seconds before she says, “I want to dislike her, but I really can’t. At the end of the day, she will never escape her nature; that is my belief. I grew up untrusting of vampires and I can’t say that I really trust the one that has a bond to the woman I love. Yet, for some reason that is still beyond me, she wants to be by your side, helping you become who I knew from the very beginning you are.”
With a heavy sigh, she continues. “Rayne, I wish that you were stronger when it came to fighting the power that draws me to her. I wish that you never found her attractive in the first place. You cheated. I didn’t tell you the whole truth about my family. And, we are in too much of a mess right now to fix us the way we need.”
“Selene,”
“I’m not done. I said that I’d forgive you, but I won’t soon forget. Merda, I love you so fucking much it’s insane. I’m so angry with you, with this entire situation that somewhere in the back of my mind, I wish that I would have just told you to walk away the night that I met you.”
Her words sting. I couldn’t imagine not k
nowing Selene, not feeling this love.
“But, the rest of me knows that I’d be missing out on a love that is worth risking everything for, even my sanity. For you, I will accept Zara and all that comes with her. That includes your bond and this attraction to her and her power. We live by different sets of rules and I know there are some things like this that you weren’t really prepared for. How can I fault you for that?”
I wait a few seconds, just listening to her breathe. Her voice is so soft and fragile that I know she was holding back tears as she spoke. I feel like the worst person in the world for causing her even an ounce of pain. I love Selene and all she is: her loyalty, passion, love, strength, and heart. That is what should have shown through when I kissed Zara. I should have remembered that she can’t compare to what Selene and I mean to each other, no matter how much of it was out of my control. I should have remembered that before I refused to hear anything but her brother being one of Namen’s men.
Selene deserves it all. She deserves the best of me and the benefit of knowing that I won’t be looking for anything or anyone else. I love her. Period.
Still, I need to know if there is anything else that she’s hiding because I can’t continue wondering if there are any more secrets, any more half-truths. I tell her as much.
“Selene. I wish you could really gaze into my heart because you’d see how much of it beats for you. I’ve loved you from the beginning and I’m not ashamed to say how much you’ve got me. But baby, I also have to know if there’s anything else that you feel that you should tell me. Especially where your family is concerned, I can’t have you keeping secrets. We’ve come too far to hold back. If you don’t feel that you can trust me with those things, how can you say that you truly love me?”
“I don’t think that’s fair. It was a judgment call that I made because I promised my brother that I would keep him safe. I’ve loved him much longer than I’ve known you and plenty of what I’ve done in my life has been to protect him. I refuse to feel bad about that. I will say that I am sorry if you felt that it was about you and me, but it wasn’t. I love Santi as much as you loved Jazzy. We are twins. We are bonded in ways that you will never understand,” Selene tries to explain.
“I get that. And now, I will help you get answers. You know that they may not be the answers that you want.”
“I know. There is nothing else to tell. Meu pai is a cruel, power-hungry man. He made his living by causing other’s pain, including his own children. Minha mãe never once fought on our behalf. She’s always been too afraid of him to even talk back. They were set up to be married the same way pai tried to set me up with Sergio. You know everything else about my childhood and problems already.”
I get it, I really do. When you have a family like that, you are not easily trusting.
“So, your dad had a lot of influence and money like mine, but his traditions and your culture shaped him into a certain kind of person.”
“No. He’s the type that would be a bad man no matter where he was born. It’s inside of him. He makes no apologies for anything he does. He just doesn’t care. He regards his values above all else. My father is a narcissist.”
Everyone has good and bad qualities about themselves. “What traits do you share with him Selene?”
She laughs at my question. “Well, sometimes I feel that my values hold more weight than others. And I don’t necessarily believe that we should be in the business of apologizing to people for things that we do. I honestly have never thought I was like either one of my parents. I don’t really know if that’s true because mãe never took the time to know me at all. I think that she hates that I look so much like the both of them. She hates my existence because it reminds her that she is stuck with my father forever.”
I adjust the phone on my other ear as I turn to get comfortable on the memory foam mattress. Eyes closed, I continue the conversation, smiling at how normal I feel at this moment even though what she’s saying is serious.
“Would you ever go back? I want to come with you to meet them.”
“I have unfinished business there that I’ve ran from for so long. Now, it seems that I may not have a choice.”
She pauses in thought. “That place, Rayne, has so many terrible memories for me. I wasn’t allowed to have too many friends and the ones that I had were spoiled, bratty children from families like mine. They didn’t want to be my friend because they knew that I’d take my place ahead of them. It was only me and Santos. When I told him that I was attracted to girls, he knew what that would mean to my family. He was afraid for me.”
“I can’t ever imagine what you had to go through, just to be who you are. I don’t understand why that is so hard for people to get? It makes me so angry,” I tell her, clenching my fists.
Her father had allowed someone to do the unspeakable to her, yet she survived. Selene is so brave.
“Rayne, men and women are murdered by their families because of who they are every day. Sometimes people just can’t accept differences. They see it as a direct attack on them. I don’t get it either, but it’s what we’re fighting for now in a way. That is what we should focus on. Not my past because it can’t be changed. Humans don’t want to know us awakeneds. They will destroy themselves trying to destroy us.”
“I know. I’m going to deal with these weapons soon. I’m going to take my place in the company. I just wanted to forget about all that for a second,” I admit.
“I get that. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day, so get some sleep. We’ll be there when you wake.”
“Okay. Selene…”
“I know, Rayne. I love you too.”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Bye.”
It doesn’t take long after that for the world of dreams to claim me.
Chapter Twenty One
They let me sleep until noon. When I wake, my body is really sore and stiff. I yawn and untangle myself from the thick comforter before getting out of bed to stretch. Twenty minutes later, I head to the bathroom that is adjacent to the room I’m in.
The bathroom is pleasantly large with a double headed shower. The tiles are a nice earthy tone. There’s a bowl of potpourri on the sink that lends the room a subtle lavender smell. It’s calming and as I brush my teeth with the new toothbrush laid out for me, I look at my nearly healed black eye that’s an ugly yellowish green color and frown.
Damn vampires.
I give my face a good scrub, remembering that the damn detective put his greasy ass hands all over my face. I do not do well with acne. It’s horrifying. Once I turn on the water and get it the right temperature, there’s a knock at the door.
I turn to open it, but Selene slips in before I reach the nob.
“Hey,” I say as I wrap one arm around her in a side hug. She kisses my cheek and smiles.
“Don’t say it. I know I look terrible. I’ve been telling you to get sleep and yet I’ve gotten none.”
“Well,” I start as I look at the dark lines under her eyes and the uncharacteristic state of her hair. “I think we’ve all seen better days. Somehow, you still manage to look attractive.”
She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Together, we stand in silence just watching each other. I almost feel like a stranger to her, afraid to reach out and touch her skin. Then, she touches my hand as if reading my mind.
“Can I shower with you?” Selene asks shyly.
“Of course. There’s plenty of room,” I say.
We both smile and undress. Selene makes it to the shower first, sliding the glass door open and stepping inside. I follow close behind her, closing the door gently. The hot water stings my back and then numbs it. It feels amazing and I nearly want to fall back asleep.
Selene wets her hair and face before wiping the water from her eyes. She gazes at me with those green depths and says, “I really miss you Rayne.”
“I miss you too, Selene. I really do.”
“We need to do something about this eye before the pres
s conference,” she tells me, gently touching my face. “I have the drink ready for you in the fridge. It should help ease some of your aches. I wanted to do your makeup, but Tamara offered to do it so that I can rest. Zara and I picked you up a business suit and heels.”
“Thank you,” I say honestly. “I haven’t even thought about what I’m going to wear. I just want this done with.”
“It will be soon. I’m going to be right there with you okay,” she assures me as she turns me so that she can wash my back.
I turn back around slowly and pull her in for a gentle kiss. The soap smells like an ocean breeze as it slides against our naked bodies. For a second, we both deepen the kiss, unspoken need coursing through both of us. Yet, we both know now is not the time. I want her so badly that it hurts, but I still force myself to pull away.
We finish washing each other’s bodies in silence.
◊◊◊
Pierce grabs my shoulders firmly and turns me squarely toward him. His black solid tie lies perfectly against his chest. I turn on my game face as he speaks.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
“I don’t have any choice but to be,” I respond dryly.
“Well, just make sure that you put on an Oscar-worthy performance. The world is watching and I can’t persuade them. My reach will only extend to those in the room.”
“I’ll play my part, don’t worry. Was the statement by the Marshalls released yet?” I ask. They were supposed to release a statement about ten minutes before I go up for my press conference stating that all charges against me should be dropped due to the federal involvement in the case and the apprehension and confession of Julio Escobar.
I can hear the reporters speculating in the next room. Their voices sound like a group of hens clucking. It instantly annoys me. Suddenly, I feel Zara’s energy sooth me in my mind, taking the edge off. I sigh gratefully. Pierce motions to me that it’s time.
As soon as we step to the stage, clicks of cameras go off creating a lightning storm of pictures that will adorn the headlines. I walk up to the microphone solemnly. Reporters stand up holding recording devices and some notepads. I take in the entire room until I see that both Selene and Zara are standing in the back dressed as security.
Killer Rayne Page 12