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- Herausgeber: Nyx House Press
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
Sacrifice. Vengeance. Murder.
Tora Hayden is forced to believe in the paranormal when she's brutally attacked by a savage fiend intent on annihilating her family line.
To beat the murderous beast at its own game, Tora receives assistance from an unlikely source--her deceased great-grandmother--along with a psychotic businessman and a gorgeous manwhore.
Unfortunately, the assistance comes at a terrible price that has far reaching consequences, namely Tora having to choose between giving up her mind, body, and soul to a devious daemon or allowing those close to her to die.
How far will she go to keep herself and those she cares about alive?
If you enjoy steamy and suspenseful dark urban fantasy, you’ll love Blood Promise by Tonya Kerrigan.
Blood Promise features a strong heroine who enjoys giving out her version of snark therapy, supernatural beings, a little bit of horror, claws, swords, and a war.
Buy Blood Promise now and discover why no one should ever make a deal with a daemon.
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016
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Blood Promise
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Tonya Kerrigan
Copyright©2016by Tonya Kerrigan.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, please contact Nyx House Press.
The story, all names, characters, places, buildings, products, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious or are used fictitiously. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
Book Cover by Getcovers
2nd Edition 2024
ISBN: 979-8-218-49432-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2024917328
Nyx House Press
23600 Mercantile Road Suite C-100 Postbox TR004195
Beachwood, OH 44122
Nyx House Press: [email protected]
NOAIANALYSIS:No part of this work may be fed into ChatGPT or other AI technologies for analysis, annotating, editing, proofreading, beta reading, or training without the express permission from the author and/or publisher.
NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author's and the publisher's exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.
Contents
Thereareacouple songs on the Blood Promise playlist that are mentioned in the book. The rest are songs that I listened to while writing and made me think of the character or the scene.
This playlist features classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and other genres that I, and the characters, enjoy.
Have fun listening while you read the book!
You’ll find the links to the full playlist on Spotify at:
https://linktr.ee/tonyakerrigan
E.T. – Katy Perry
Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash
Big Balls – AC/DC
Welcome To The Jungle – Guns ‘N Roses
Kiss – Prince
Dirty Mind – Boy Epic
Blue Jeans – Lana del Rey
Pretty Fool – Beasts With No Name
Rock You Like A Hurricane – Scorpions
High Enough – K. Flay
Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
Devil Devil – MILCK
I Found – Amber Run
Where Your Secrets Hide – KLERGY, Katie Garfield
Endgame – Katie Garfield
How Villains Are Made – Madalen Duke
Unstoppable – Sia
ToTaylor,Matthew,Brianna, Savanna; my little adventurer, Atreyu; my Big Boy Lil' Finn; and my Big Little Girl Freya: I create this legacy for you.
Cowardsmaydiemany times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. -Julius Caesar
Undertherisingsun in Grant Park, I bent down into a calf stretch, reminding me once again I’d forgotten to put underwear on. I’d gotten to bed just a few hours earlier after spending a night out with Mia at a new club, Z’s, only to wake up after falling from my bed onto the floor, terror seizing my breath while blood rushed through my ears and my heart galloped out of my chest.
It’d taken a few heart-stopping minutes to realize it’d only been a nightmare. I couldn’t remember much other than the primal fear of being chased by a beast with a desire to rip out my throat as I screamed for my life, and then relief at being saved by a man in black. It’d left me unsettled enough I couldn’t go back to sleep, so here I was. At six in the morning. Apparently trying to run off my dream.
I stretched my other leg, again reminding me of my wanton state. Maybe it’ll make my run more exciting.
With Buckingham Fountain as my starting point, I jogged at a slow pace with the skyscrapers of Chicago a backdrop behind the trees. Already the heat rose up from the ground, though it wasn’t muggy, not yet. As I rounded up to the fountain, a figure emerged from the grove of trees and waved me over. My eyes flicked to him, but I ran on.
“Tora!” a deep voice yelled.
Breath heavy, my muscles tightened at the sudden stop. I looked back at the man in the shadow of the trees. I didn’t recognize him, but something about him seemed vaguely familiar.
“Don’t worry. I won’t bite. I simply want to talk to you.”
“Yeah, right.” I snorted. “Isn’t that what the boogeyman says before he murders little children?”
“As I said, I won’t hurt you.”
He was at least six feet tall. His dark hair waved past his shoulders, and he wore a suit. Who the hell went out to the park at six in the morning wearing a damn suit? Jeez, wasn’t he roasting in that?
He motioned me over again, but before I could come up with another wiseass retort, he retreated into the trees.
Raking a hand through my hair, I glanced back at the fountain. I could simply turn away and leave, but then I wouldn’t know who he was, what he wanted with me, or more importantly, how he knew my name and followed me here.
Isn’t this just craptastic. If I wanted information, I’d have to go to him. I looked back at the safety of the fountain again.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I put one foot in front of the other. My muscles coiled as I took another hesitant step forward. My heart thrummed against my chest, and I tried willing it to slow down.
As soon as I entered the grove, he stepped back and disappeared. Shit. I was probably about to get myself killed by a murderer with a penchant for well-tailored suits.
He stood a ways ahead in the dark of the trees. I could only see his silhouette.
My gut did a somersault and my mouth went dry. Should I stay or should I go? Now the damn song was in my head. “Who are you?”
He didn’t answer.
“What do you want?”
He hadn’t answered my first question, so it was unlikely he’d answer the second.
Gazing at me, he stood very still.
I hadn’t seen anyone else on my run. If I screamed until my lungs collapsed, chances were good no one would hear. Should I stay or should I go?
My curiosity won out and I decided to stay. Yeah, I’d probably just signed my death sentence, but from here he looked kinda hot, and not because he was overdressed for the weather. Plus there was a niggling thought in the back of my mind telling me I knew him, somehow.
Keeping my gaze steady on him with every sense on high alert, I trudged deeper into the trees. Butterflies flew in the pit of my stomach as my feet dragged with each step. Why did he seem so familiar? The closer I got, I could make out more of his features—piercing eyes that seemed to burn through me and a face sculpted by angels on a very good day of high cheekbones, a strong jawline, straight nose, and full sensuous lips I was sure could make a woman scream.
His lips turned up into a slow, seductive smile.
That’s when it struck me. That smile. Holy shit! He was the hero in my dream!
My eyes roamed over him. No friggin’ way. I didn’t even know the guy and I’d dreamt of him? Had I met him last night? My mind raced, trying to remember. I didn’t recall anyone slipping anything illegal into my drink, and as far as I knew I hadn’t smoked, snorted, or shot up anything. At least, I didn’t think I had. Then why did I dream about him?
My stomach dropped all the way down to my feet while a weird giddiness started in my solar plexus and rose to my throat. I had to tamp down a giggle. “You’re real.” I moved my bangs out of my eyes. “How are you real?” I bit my bottom lip at how stupid that sounded. Of course, he was real, or I was majorly hallucinating, which brought me back to the question of whether or not I’d had anything illegal the night before. If so, then it must’ve been some amazingly good shit. “I mean, do I know you?”
He gave a low chuckle. “Why wouldn’t I be real? And no, while you may not know me, I certainly know you, Tora.” He gave that slow smile again.
A sensation of heat rolled in my chest, all the way up to my forehead where sweat broke out.
He looked inhumanly beautiful, like a fallen angel with an air of dangerousness about him. He had the most amazing, deep, seductive voice I’d ever heard. It settled over me like a blanket. Just hearing his voice made me—
Wait… did he say he knew me? He didn’t just know my name. I stepped back a number of paces to put space between us. “Who are you?”
“Ryk Xander.”
Just some business tycoon. No wonder why he seemed familiar. I relaxed a smidge. Though I’d never met him, I’d heard the name… which didn’t explain how he knew me or why I’d dreamt of him in the first place. I tensed up again. “How do you know me?”
“I’ve been watching over you since the day you were born.”
My scalp and spine tingled while goosebumps raised on my arms, and I hugged myself. “Since I was born? In other words, you’ve been stalking me. That’s the worst pick-up line in the history of man.”
With a laugh, he shook his head. “No. I’ve never stalked you, nor am I trying to hit on you. I’ve only wanted to keep you safe.”
Keep me safe. He’d saved me in my dream. Placing a hand on my hip, I flipped my hair back. “How do I know you’re telling me the truth and aren’t some whacked out guy?”
He rubbed his chin and his brow furrowed. “Do you remember when you were fourteen; you’d run away from your foster family, again, late at night?” He tilted his head and regarded me. “You ran into an alley, which, by the way, why did you run into a dark alley in the middle of the night?”
“I remember that, though I don’t know why I did that. I think I was trying to hide.” I shrugged. “I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“What else do you remember from that night?” Voice soft, he nudged my memory.
That was something I'd forgotten about. I hadn’t necessarily locked the memory away. If anything, I’d thought about it often afterward simply because it’d been so strange. “This guy… he came out of nowhere and slammed me against the side of a building. I was sure he was going to rape and kill me.” Nausea swamped me, and I swallowed hard. I wrapped my arms around my middle as I re-lived the events from long ago. “But he didn’t.”
My attacker’s face swam up into the forefront of my mind. I couldn’t perfectly recall his features, but his eyes I distinctly remembered. Though it’d been dark, I saw the moment his menacing leer shifted into absolute shock and terror as his own nightmare unfolded before him. “He acted like he was having a seizure. At first, he couldn’t breathe but then started screaming and ran like hell was after him.” My gaze sharpened on Ryk. “How did you know about that?”
“I was there.”
I stared at him, unable to comprehend what he said. “But I never saw you. How could you have been there?”
He blew out a breath. “I guess it’s about time someone knew one of my secrets, but to explain how…” He shook his head. “Part of it is that I can move faster than the human eye can see. To explain it further might frighten you.”
He had to be crazy. I felt sorry for him. The beautiful man before me had a raging case of psychosis.
“I’m not crazy or psychotic, Tora. How could I have known what happened if I hadn’t been there? Yet, you didn’t see me.”
What he suggested was impossible. To believe it meant there was something mentally wrong with me. “It was dark. And I was scared up to my eyeballs. Obviously, I didn’t notice you.”
“How right you are. You didn’t notice me.”
He wasn't making any sense, and while I wanted to understand, I wasn't sure if I could; to accept the alternative meant he wasn’t human. That wasn't something I could wrap my mind around, not yet anyway.
“You said you’ve been watching over me to keep me safe. You knew about the incident when I was fourteen. Do you know about other times—other things that’ve happened to me?”
His eyes bore into mine. His jaw clenched right before he gave a slight nod.
“You do know.” Memories I’d thought were locked away started to escape. My heart beat faster; my skin became clammy, and my breath came out in little pants. Craptastic didn’t even cover it—more like fuck—a panic attack was coming on.
“Tora, stop. You’re stronger than the past. Don’t let it have power over you.” He touched my hand, bringing me back to the present. “Come back.”
Clenching and unclenching my fists, I took deep breaths and counted to ten. Don’t lose it. Get under control. “Then I’d say you pretty much failed.” I lifted my chin and gave him an icy glare. “Why didn’t you ever save me from the childhood I’d had?”
He lowered his head without breaking eye contact, looking at me with such an intense gaze it made me squirm. “I know you’ve had many trials, Tora. Trust me when I say I wish I could’ve whisked you away from them. But if I had, you wouldn’t be the person you are today.”
“What the hell does that even mean?” His words only incensed me more. “You mean to tell me I was supposed to be abandoned, mentally and physically abused by people I should’ve been able to trust, almost…” I spun around and paced away. The memories wouldn’t go back into their lockbox. More and more kept coming. Heart pounding, stomach heaving, I wanted to hurl.
Turning back to him with my fists clenched, my body vibrated with rage; my chest shuddered with each hard breath. “I was almost raped numerous times. I was fucking ten, fucking ten years old the first time someone tried to touch me, and you’re going to stand there and tell me it was supposed to happen?” Tears burned, and I wiped them away. I was not going to cry in front of this stranger.
“No. It wasn’t supposed to happen, and I made sure certain things didn’t happen. But I couldn’t protect you from everything, and for that, I’m truly sorry.” For a fleeting second, a look of regret entered his eyes, and his jaw clenched. “Every time you were hurt, I made sure you were put into a different home. Unfortunately, it wasn’t up to me which homes you went to. I know a few of them were good, but most of them were not.”
Did he mean I had to suffer to make a better therapist? What was the saying?—Therapists and counselors were screwed up people too. If only he’d saved me from the heartache I’d lived, I was sure my life would’ve been better.
“Because you’ve been through so much, you feel others’ pain,” he continued. “You are compassionate almost to a fault, and you have the ability to help others better because of it.”
His pause allowed time for his words to sink in. Pain as a teacher?
He started to raise his hand like he wanted to reach for me, but then let his arm drop. “Your experiences will also make you a better leader as well. And I did help you when you’d needed it most, but I had to keep my presence largely unknown.”
Shaking my head, I mumbled, “That’s insane.” None of this made any sense at all, but hearing him say he helped mollified me a little, though I still kept clenching my fists with my nails biting into my palms. “Why have you been watching over me? Are you some long-lost cousin of mine or something?”
“No long-lost cousin. More of a family friend, you could say.”
“Mm-hmm.” There was no way my mother sent him to watch over me, and I doubted my father knew him. “Who?”
He clasped his hands behind his back. “Your great-grandmother, Viktora.”
My breath came out in a rush, and a huge weight pressed down on my chest as if being crushed. My great-grandmother died many, many years ago, like about seventy. There was no way in hell the man standing before me was over seventy years old. He looked to be in his early thirties at most. “You knew my great-grandmother?”
“I did, yes.”
Licking my lips, I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “But you couldn’t have. She died years ago.” It was impossible he’d known her. But if he’s not human. Would he chase after me if I tried to run?
“Don’t be afraid of me, Tora. Please. There’s a lot I want to explain, and if you want to run away after I’ve had my say and never see me again,” he spread his hands out in front of him, “then that’s your choice and I won’t stop you.” He took a cautious step toward me.
Instinctively, I took a step back.
He stopped and raised his hands, palms out. “Please, Tora. Hear me out.”
Run, you stupid bitch, run! It took everything I had to stay put. “I’m still here, aren’t I?” I couldn’t keep the waver out of my voice.
He nodded and let his arms fall slowly at his sides. “I was with Viktora when she died. I didn’t let her die alone. She asked me to watch over her family, and that’s what I’ve done since. I made a promise to her to guard you.”
“Me?” I squeaked. “But… that makes absolutely no sense at all. How could you make a promise to look after me when I hadn’t been born yet? Not even conceived?”
“Not you personally. As you said, you hadn’t yet been conceived. More like her descendants, which you are one.”
I studied his face. He had to be lying. There was no other explanation. Unless… nope. I couldn’t think of anything and shook my head. “There is no way you could be old enough to have known my great-grandmother.” I defiantly crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin.
Relaxing his stance, he gave a half-smile. “How do you know that?” He held out his hand to me. “Walk with me, and I’ll answer more of your questions.”
I flicked my gaze down at his outstretched hand and then looked into his eyes. There was amusement in them, and he smiled. If he was truthful, then he wasn’t out to hurt me. If he was lying, then I was already dead. In his own words, he was faster than the human eye could see. If he wanted to kill me there’d be no way for me to escape, so what did I have to lose?
I took a step forward, brought my other foot even with the first, and stopped. Inhaling a deep breath, I took another step forward. Slowly, I closed the distance between us and clasped his outstretched hand. “All right.”
His palm was warm, his grip gentle, and his smile genuine. “Walk with me.” We strolled out of the grove and along the edge of the courtyard. Neither of us spoke for a minute.
I appreciated him trying to put me at ease, but still my heart pounded against my chest. I slanted a look at his profile. “What was up with you hiding out in the trees?”
He gave a crooked smile so boyish, it made my heart melt. “I like my privacy. Luckily, it’s fairly deserted this early. I didn’t want anyone to overhear our conversation.”
Looking down at the ground and then our entwined fingers, I mulled over his answer. For someone who liked his privacy, he certainly stood out. “Why didn’t you let me know about you before?”
“It wasn’t time. Now it is. Besides, I didn’t want to frighten you by showing up at your doorstep.”
No. Instead you got in my head.
My pulse raced, though not so much from fear. I was still a little afraid of him, but now it was more of an arousing fear. I was so screwed up. “What are you? My guardian angel?” I joked.
He laughed long and low at that. His laugh was amazing and made me want to hear it again. I couldn’t help but smile in return.
“No. No angel indeed.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “I’m definitely not that.”
My mind drifted to him being a fallen angel. “Okay, that clearly amused you. Then, my guardian?”
“That’s better.” He nodded once. “Yes, I suppose you could call me your guardian.”
“But not an angel.”
“No. The damned can’t be angels,” he said, voice soft.
Hmm. I filed that tidbit away. There were only two species I knew of who were so-called damned. “Why did my great-grandmother want you to keep an eye on me?”
He stopped walking and turned to me. “I promise I will tell you in due time. But first, there’s more you need to learn about yourself: who you are, where you come from—your history.”
“You already know everything, and I really don’t mind if you tell me.” I put on my most pleading expression. “In fact, I wish you would.”
He slowly shook his head. “You wouldn’t believe it.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he brought his hand up, effectively stopping me from saying more.
“I wish I could tell you everything. But trust me when I say you wouldn’t even consider it.” He dropped his arm and lowered his gaze, giving me that intense look again.
Now that we were in the sun, I could see his eyes were a deep sapphire blue ringed by long, thick, black lashes. Mmm, bedroom eyes. I quickly blinked that thought away. Hopefully, he couldn’t read minds, though I had an inkling he could.
“There are certain things you need to discover on your own, so you’ll have no choice but to believe. If I told you outright, you’d probably run, leaving me in the dust.” He reached up and gently stroked my cheek with the tips of his fingers. “I don’t want you to run.” His voice was barely a whisper.
Tingles ran through my body at his touch, and I inhaled sharply.
“If you find out your history on your own, you’ll not only accept it, but you’ll understand it and make it yours.” His fingertips slid down along my cheek to the side of my neck before they dropped away completely. “I’ll be there along the way to help, but I won’t freely give out information you’re not ready to hear.”
I pulled back. Granted, I was still on the fence about his humanness and state of mind, but he could at least tell me. “If what you’re saying is true, then you’re the one person who should know I make my own decisions. I’ve been taking care of myself since I was ten. It’s up to me to decide whether or not I’m ready. Not you or anyone else.”
Pressure built in my chest, and a flash of heat went through my body. “You gave me the tidbit about Viktora, told me you knew about the incident when I was fourteen, admitted you’ve got some superhuman skills, yet think I can’t handle some jaw-dropping information about myself?” My nostrils flared as I glared at him. “I’d call that being an asshole.”
He sighed but didn’t rise to my anger. “You need to understand the sacrifices that were made rather than wallow in self-pity. That won’t happen if I simply give you the details.” He took my hand and gave a gentle squeeze. “I want you to become what you’re meant to be and rise to your fullest potential.”
Rise to my fullest potential? The pressure in my chest started to wane, but I wasn’t ready to let go of my ire just yet. “What, is this like a journey to self-discovery?”
He grinned at my snide remark. “Exactly. That’s exactly what this is. Of course, once you discover your family’s history, you’ll still have the option to walk away if you so desire.” He stepped close to me, so close I could feel the heat of his body radiate to me. He slowly raised his hand, but then made a fist, dropped his hand, and stepped back.
I narrowed my eyes. What the hell was that about?
“You need to be careful, Tora. There are those who don’t want you to discover who you are. The more you find out, the more danger will lie ahead. I’ll try to be there for you and to keep you safe, but not even I can be everywhere at once.” Nodding, he smiled and started to turn away.
“Ryk!” I called.
He pivoted back and tilted his head.
“How can I get a hold of you if I need to?” Not that I believed him yet, but at least I’d get his number.
Smiling, he held out his hand. “Your phone?”
I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and handed it to him.
He tapped a few buttons. “There, I’m number one.” Giving me a quick grin, he turned away into the trees and then seemed to just… disappear?
I checked my contacts and found him. I stood there for a minute longer, taking everything in but still unsure as to what to make of the situation. He was old enough to have known my great-grandmother. How?
He’d known about the incident when I was fourteen. He said he wasn’t an angel but my guardian. What in the world was he? Holy hell, this was too much information for my brain to process.
“Oh, crap.” I noticed the hour and realized I’d spent way too much time here. I had half an hour before class began, and I’d barely have time to get home to grab my books. I glanced down at my red tank-top, jean cut-offs, and sneakers. Oh yeah… and no underwear.
My run had turned out to be exciting after all. Snickering, I headed for home. Since I didn’t have time to change, I wondered what would be in store for me at school.
Maybe I should go braless too.
Yawninghugely,Irubbed my hand over my eyes and tried to pay attention. Mr. Snyder droned on and on about the Norns in Norse lore and the Fates of Greek mythology.
Somnolence threatened to overtake me. I sat up straighter and eyeballed the doodles in my notebook, proof my mind was not in the same place as my body. Glancing at the clock, I groaned. Only forty minutes had passed. I still had another fifty minutes to go. I’d just copy off Mia’s notes after school. Turning to her, I scowled. How did she manage to look so fresh and perky? Clearly, she hadn’t been woken up by strange dreams.
In fact, she’d gone all out and beautified herself. Her light-brown hair with honey highlights was perfectly coiffed with gentle curls. Her large, soulful brown eyes were made up in colors of blue, her cheeks rouged, and her lips pouty and pink.
I cast my gaze down and scrutinized myself. I hadn’t even had time to run a brush through my hair, which currently hung limply at my waist. I probably reeked too, considering I’d built up a sweat during my run. Maybe Ryk liked stinky girls seeing as he’d held my hand, or maybe he had no sense of smell. I felt grungy next to Miss Perfect beside me.
Letting out a gust of air, I tried to pay attention to Mr. Snyder as his lecture switched to the Norse gods and the Valkyrie. The subject material was interesting though I couldn’t concentrate. Instead, my mind kept drifting to my dream from the morning along with meeting my guardian of all things. I still wasn’t sure if I believed him. Seriously, how could he have known my great-grandma, Viktora? If she died almost seventy years before, and he looked to be in his early thirties, then he’d have to be at least a hundred years old.
Maybe he was psychic or psychotic or—a psychotic psychic. Yeah, I’d go with that for now, because to think of the alternative was simply too crazy to comprehend.
“Ouch!” I yelped at the sharp smack on the back of my head and glared at Mia. Her gaze traveled from mine to the class. Blinking a few times to clear my vision, I squinted at the sea of faces staring back at me. This can’t be good. How embarrassing.
Mr. Snyder leaned back against his desk, crossed his arms over his chest, and smirked.
I knew I was in trouble. He had a reputation for being an ass. In fact, I’d witnessed his assholishness myself with other students.
“Why don’t you tell us where your mind wandered to, Ms. Hayden?”
“Uh, um.” I licked my lips and my gaze drifted about the class. Bringing my attention back to Mr. Snyder, I swallowed hard. What to say? Let’s see… Today, I discovered I have a humanoid guardian who claims to be faster than the eye can see?
Clearing my throat, I prepared to make more of an ass of myself. “I… um… was so engrossed in your lecture I guess I sort of zoned out.” Jesus. Not even I’d believe that.
“Really.” He drew out the word and raised a brow.
I heard some snickers but looked fixedly at him. “Y-yes.” Heat rose from my chest to my forehead.
“And what do you recall my lecture being, Ms. Hayden?”
My mind raced as I tried to remember what his lecture was about, seeing as how I’d been zoned out for most of it. “Well…” I squirmed in my seat as he stared me down. “You were talking about the Norse gods.”
His gaze narrowed. “And who was the last god I mentioned?”
Christ! I wanted to slam my head on the desk and knock myself out. I recalled seeing a picture of a god while flipping through the book the day before. What was his name? “Odin?”
He continued to regard me with a narrowed stare for a few seconds before addressing the class. “Don’t forget your analyses of three different gods from the three different pantheons are due Wednesday.” He looked pointedly at me. “Let’s see how well you paid attention, Ms. Hayden. Class dismissed.”
I quickly hopped up and jostled my way out while Mia trailed behind. “I can’t believe I’d spaced out.”
Mia snorted. “Spaced out?” She glanced down at me from the corner of her eye. Even though she was rather short herself, she’d lord it over me that she was two inches taller. “What happened between you taking me home last night and this morning?”
“Nothing much, really.”
“Mm-hmm. You came to school looking like you’d just rolled out of bed, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Honestly, Tora. Did you even comb your hair?”
I ran my fingers through my tangled, snarled hair. “Maybe not.”
“If I didn’t know you any better, I’d say you were high.”
“It’s complicated.” God, complicated didn’t even cover it. “Extremely complicated. Hallu-cated, basically.”
“A complicated hallucination? What did you do?”
“If you’re thinking I’d purposefully doped myself up, you’re wrong.” I dropped my bag on the floor and plopped down in one of the overstuffed chairs in the hallway sitting area and leaned my head back, trying to figure out how much to tell her.
Mia sat in the chair beside me, a worried look on her face.
I picked at the frayed edges of my shorts. “I had a weird dream this morning. I remembered being saved by a guy, but I couldn’t go back to sleep afterward, so I went to the park for a run.”
“What did the guy look like? Was he hot?”
I shot her a look. “What does that have to do with anything?”
She leaned back in her chair. “You dream about a hot guy saving you. You need a man, Tora.”
I glared at her. “No. I don’t. Besides, the dream is only part of it.”
She raised her eyebrows and leaned toward me.
“He was at the park. I mean, actually there.”
“You were hallucinating?”
“No!” I threw my hands up. “He was there. I talked to him.” I rubbed my forehead to will away the coming headache. “I don’t understand it. I’ve never met him before; pretty sure I’ve never even seen him. But why would I dream about him and then meet him?” I stared at the ceiling. “Maybe he was a hallucination after all. I don’t know.”
Mia scrunched up her face. “I think you should see a shrink.”
“Yeah, right.” I put my feet up on the coffee table. I’d spent countless grudging hours in therapy while growing up. Talk about irony… my major was psych. “I don’t need to see a shrink.”
I pulled my phone out to check the time and noticed two missed calls. “I need to get going.”
We walked in companionable silence to the train more locally known as the 'L' at Fifty-Ninth Street, a couple of blocks off the University of Chicago campus.
“Are you still going to Unforgettable today?” she asked.
“Yes. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” The upcoming pampering session lifted my mood.
“You’re so lucky. I wish I could indulge myself for a day. This wedding planning stuff is stressing me out. Don’t get me wrong—I love it. It’s just…” She stopped walking and grabbed my arm. “I’ve only got a month until I’m a married woman.” She slowly shook her head back and forth, her eyes wide and sparkling, yet her voice strained. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?”
“What do you mean?”
“About getting married. Am I doing the right thing?” She bit her lower lip and looked uncertain.
I stared back at her. “You’re seriously asking me if you’re doing the right thing? You do realize how anti-man I am?” Getting serious with anyone was the absolute last thing I wanted, especially after Aiden’s cheating ways.
Mia giggled. “You sound like Dr. Seuss. Anti-man, I’m anti-man, anti-man I am.”
I laughed along with her. “Okay, okay. Look. Can you see yourself with him fifty years from now, still stupid in love even though you’re both saggy and old?”
Her gaze took on a dreamy quality. “Yeah.” She smiled a little and then her focus sharpened back on me. “I can see it. We’ll both be old, wrinkled, and gray. He’ll be balding and have this potbelly and my boobs will be hanging down to my waist, but I’ll still be stupid in love with him. Thanks.”
“Mia!”
She twirled around and I looked past her shoulder. Her fiancé, Gabe, stood next to a shiny red Nissan Cube parked along the street. The sunlight reflected off his watch creating blinding rays as he fervently waved to get her attention.
She waved back, turned toward me, and started walking backward away from me in his direction. “Go and relax. Get your mind off Aiden, the cheating bastard. I’ll see ya at work tonight.” With a huge grin, she pivoted around and ran to Gabe. When she reached him, she jumped into his waiting arms with enough force to knock him back against the car.
And then she attempted to suck his brains out through his mouth. At least, that’s how it looked.
Shaking my head at their PDA, I quickly made my way through the crowd to the train, making it to the platform with barely a minute to spare.
After boarding the empty train and dropping my bag on a seat, I leaned back and closed my eyes. Luckily it would take less than fifteen minutes to get home since I lived on Marquette Road, which was about a thirteen-minute walk from the Sixty-Ninth Street Station.
My thoughts strayed to Ryk. On a whim, I pulled out my phone and looked up Ryk Xander. A picture of him popped up for R. Xander Industries. “Huh,” I breathed and stared at his picture. He’s literally a living, breathing, nonhuman, male… thing, species, whatever. The main point was he was real and not some awesome, amazing figment of my imagination. My thoughts stayed on our conversation for the rest of the train ride, my walk home, and as I trudged up the narrow stairs to the second floor of my apartment building. Little puffs of dust sprang up with each step as I made my way through the dimly lit halls toward my place. All thoughts of Ryk flew out of my mind when I passed Aiden’s door.
What an asshat.
I strode to my apartment and unlocked the door, ambled in, and dropped everything on the floor by my faded brown couch.
Frankie, my twenty-pound pudge of a brown tabby, leapt up on the couch and meowed loudly.
I scratched him behind the ears and instantly felt my body relax. I’d adopted him and Leo, an orange Maine Coon, from a shelter, vowing to take better care of them than anyone had for me. Being passed around from foster home to foster home, where I’d had to protect myself from sexual advances and endure physical and emotional abuse, was not an ideal way to grow up. I was considered a problem child and labeled with all sorts of disorders—conduct disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, attention-deficit disorder—and at no time did the therapists and social workers look at the reasons behind those disorders. After all, they told me living with a foster family was so much better than living on the street. In my perspective at the time, living on the streets would’ve been a hell of a lot better.
I didn’t want to dwell on my past and what I conceded to be the system’s shortcomings. Since I’d graduated from high school and taken control of my life, things were better now. For the most part, I was happy.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I checked my messages. Summer’s throaty voice drifted into my ear. “Hey, sexy. Just calling to remind you of your pampering session today, though I doubt you’ll forget. I can’t wait for you to see the new nail colors. I think you’ll love the Like A Virgin.” Her laugh echoed in my head. “See you then.”
My mood instantly shifted at the thought of seeing her. Summer and I met back when I’d started college, when I was a young, wide-eyed, eighteen-year-old freshman three years before, and we’d become fast friends. She owned Unforgettable, a hip and trendy salon and day spa, and lived with her lover, Aveya. They were bi, which I guessed kept things interesting between them.
The next message was a hang-up. Probably the asshat. Just to be sure, I checked my recent calls. Sure enough, a missed call from him.
Strolling to the bathroom, I pulled my shirt off and dropped it and stripped out of the rest of my clothes along the way, leaving a trail as I went. The only thing I kept on was my necklace; that I never took off.
After showering, I ransacked my closet and settled on a flowing, soft-ivory tank with a ruffled neckline and see-through top layer, which I matched with tan-colored khakis. I was meeting Summer at Unforgettable for a haircut, mani and pedi, all at no charge to me for some indulgent girl-time after my breakup with Aiden the week before. We’d been together seriously as a couple for six months but had been friends for about a year. He’d betrayed me by having a drunken, one-night stand with some woman he’d picked up at a bar.
After dressing, I carefully lined my hazel, almond-shaped eyes with black liquid liner and pulled my long, auburn hair back into a ponytail. I assumed my Asian cast came from my mother, but since I never knew her, I didn’t know for sure. Lastly, I slipped on some three-inch spiked heels. I’d considered the six-inch ankle breakers, but since I had a ways to walk, that probably wasn’t the best idea.
Grabbing my purse and keys, I strutted out the door, hoping I wouldn’t run into Aiden. He lived three doors down, which was a real pain. For some reason, he thought he could still keep tabs on me. Plainly, he knew nothing about The Breakup Rules.
“Speak of the devil.” Of course. The second I stepped out of my apartment, Aiden’s door opened, and he popped out of his.
He froze in his doorway for a second, his hand still on the knob, and then his gaze narrowed. “Where’re you goin’?”
Perturbed, I shut my door a bit harder than I’d intended to. “Out.”
He sneered and shut his door. “Out? Dressed like that?”
I had to look up since I didn’t even reach his chin. His white-blonde hair and pale skin gave him an almost ethereal look, though he was anything but. His whiskey-colored eyes darkened with desire and roamed over me. My breathing increased and my body heat rose. Dammit, why was I still attracted to him?
He shook his head as if to clear his mind, leaned his slim yet muscular frame back against his door, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. His lip curled up. “Who are you meeting?”
I slowly let out a breath and thought of my happy place on the beach in Bali. At first, it’d been great having my boyfriend live in the same apartment complex and only three doors down. In hindsight, I never would’ve dated him if kicking him out of my place meant I still had to see him every day.
“I’m going to meet my three Spanish lovers.” I ticked their names off on my fingers. “Alejandro, Luis, and Julian.”
“Since when did you turn into such a slut?”
My mind blanked while I tried to process his words. What the fuck? He believed I’d do three guys at the same time? And here, I thought he was one of the few people who really knew me.
His face reddened, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. That was uncalled for. I told you I was sorry. How many times do I have to say it? I didn’t do it to break us up.”
“Oh, really?” My fingers flexed, and my chest itched from the rising heat while I imagined his head exploding. “A night of carnal bliss with someone other than your girlfriend was merely an accident?” I snorted out a breath. “If you weren’t fucking the barmaid to break us up, then may I ask why?” I tried to keep my voice mild, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d pissed me off.
“I was fucking drunk!” he exploded, his hands gesturing wildly. “I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Fuck, I probably thought I was doing you!”
My blood boiled through my veins, making me sweat. My heart pounded in my head, and heat escaped from my ears. “Ooooh, nice. Reeeaaal nice.” Steamed, I shook my head. Unfortunately, I had to walk toward him in order to get past him.
“Damn, Tora. Isn’t it about time you got over it? It was only one time!” he shouted.
“What the hell does that mean? You only did her one time, or it was only one night? You know what? I don’t want to know.”
“Only one time,” he whispered.
I strode past him, pulse pounding, teeth grinding, and muscles quivering. Seeing red, I stopped, came back, stood in front of him, and gave him the stink eye as he glowered down at me. The control I’d worked so hard to keep snapped. My leg seemed to come up of its own accord, and I kicked him square in the balls.
His eyes teared up. His mouth made a wide O, and he doubled over. “Bitch, that hurts!” he managed to gasp out. “What the fuck was that for?”
“Yeah, that’s the point, and why? Well, genius, for that comment you made. And if I want to fuck three guys at the same time, I will. Oh yeah, and fuck you.” I turned on my heel and stomped away. I didn’t know where that reaction had come from, but it felt good to kick him where it hurt and see him in pain. Serves him right. “Well, would you look at that?” I ran a hand down my shirt. “I didn’t even muss up my outfit.”
As I made my way through the hall and down the stairs, I took deep breaths and counted to ten… over and over again. Once outside, I briskly paced to the 'L.' I’d contemplated moving, but where would I go? I loved my five-hundred-square-foot apartment in South Chicago. It was cheap, only five-hundred-seventy-five dollars a month plus utilities which was way better than the three-thousand-dollars-a-pop-condos downtown.
The 'L' was exactly on time, as usual. I quickly boarded and then hesitated. The car was completely crowded. My choices were to either sit next to a woman who was loudly bawling or stand next to a dude looking fixedly at me, decked out in leather, chains, studs all over his face, and covered in tattoos. He stroked his crotch and licked his lips. Needless to say, I sat next to the woman.
She carried on a loud conversation with someone on her phone. I tried not to listen but couldn’t help it, not with how animated she was. Her eyes were red and swollen from bawling so hard, and she could hardly breathe from the exhaustion she’d put into her conversation. To top it off, she was snotting and wiped her nose on her bare arm, leaving a snot trail that gave me the dry heaves.
“Please, Vinny. Don’t leave,” she begged. “I’ll die if you go.” She carried on, bawling and snotting some more. After a couple minutes, her entire demeanor changed. Her eyes turned to ice, and her tears miraculously dried up. “You fucked around on me? With my best friend?” Her voice got very quiet and lethal. “I’m going to kill you both. I’m going to slit your throats, slice off your dick, and feed you to the dogs,” she said calmly into the phone.
Holy shit. She was like Jekyll and Hyde. Secretly, I wondered if Vinny hadn’t told her he’d cheated just to get rid of her. Maybe I should’ve stood next to Masturbating Guy rather than sitting beside Murdering Bitch.
She slammed her phone shut and turned in my direction, her gaze wild and her mouth in a snarl. “Men, I hate them.” She then wiped her nose, again, this time with the other arm.
How disgusting. I could all but see the germs gleefully jumping from her arms to me. Unfortunately, there was no place else to sit or stand, and I seriously contemplated spending some quality time in a decontamination chamber.
She finally lumbered off at her stop, and the rest of the train ride was blessedly uneventful. Another two stops and it would be my turn to disembark at the Clark/Division Station.
Still edgy from meeting Ryk, my run-in with Aiden, and then having to endure sitting next to Murdering Bitch, I got off the train and trekked north on Michigan toward Unforgettable.
An elderly man tramped toward me wearing a dirty, wrinkled, white, ripped-up shirt. His pants looked about two sizes too big and were cinched at the waist with some rope. He struggled to carry an easel, an art canvas, and a container of chalk. The container fell out of his hand and slammed against the sidewalk. Some of the pieces spilled out, and a blue one rolled to the edge of the sidewalk and plopped down onto the street. He hastily dropped the rest of his things, crouched down and tried to edge his way onto the street to get his chalk.
I strode over to see if I could help before he got himself smeared on the road. Kneeling down to his level, I stretched out my hand in case I needed to pull him back. “Sir, can I help you?”
He peered at me over his shoulder, eyes narrowed, mouth in a thin line. With a scowl, he glanced at my outstretched hand. Right then a taxi went streaming by and ran over his chalk, crushing it to smithereens. His mouth dropped open with an intake of shocked breath as he took in the scene before him. His shattered chalk made a long smear line at the edge of the road. Glowering, he turned back to me, lifted his fist in the air and shook it while yelling, “Damn woman! If you hadn’t bothered me, I coulda grabbed my chalk before that taxi ran over it.”
I quickly stood and stepped back. Man, this old douche was crazy.
He huffed as he picked up his belongings, mumbling loudly, “People. I hate them. Need to mind their own goddamn business and leave everyone else the fuck alone.”
Yes, I loved Chicago.
Grinning, I turned onto Pearson and strolled past Hershey’s toward the salon. For some strange reason, that grumpy old man had put me in a good mood though I didn’t know why. Did the why matter? No, I decided, it didn’t.
I passed Hershey’s and was almost to Unforgettable when I felt it, an itch between my shoulder blades causing a tingle down my spine.
Someone was keeping tabs on me.
Iturnedmyheadto the left and casually tucked my hair behind my ear. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw him.
Ryk stood a ways back at the corner edge of Hershey’s.
So, he is stalking me. Once I got to the salon, I sauntered to the gleaming glass French doors and took hold of the brass handle. Making eye contact with him, I blew him a kiss.
His lips quirked up.
“See ya later, alligator,” I whispered.
His smile widened, and he whipped out his phone.
As I pulled the door open, a tinkling chime signaled my entrance. A couple steps in, my phone beeped a text. When I looked at the display, my heart stopped; it was from Ryk. Swallowing hard, I opened the text.
In a while, crocodile, it read.
Holy shit. Not only did he have a sense of humor, but either he was exceptional at lip reading, or he had bat ears. Bat ears, I bet.
I strode past the counter to the styling floor and settled in an empty chair.
Summer lifted her gaze from the guy she was giving a haircut to and grinned. “Hey, Tora. You’re just in time. I’m finishing up here. Look who I’ve got in my chair.” She whirled the chair around.
Kaige took me in with his hazel-green eyes. He, Summer, and Aveya were friends, though I’d hazard a guess that they were more than friends… part of the bi thing Summer and Aveya had going on.
Kaige and I had gotten to know each other over the past year. He’d tried getting me to go out with him, but I’d always refused. I had no interest in dating someone who had a different girl hanging off his arm every time I saw him.
He’d once asked me why he should stop at one girlfriend when he could have two, three, four or more, all at the same time.
My response? Clearly, he was a manwhore if that’s what he did.
“Hey Kaige, what’s up?”
He gave me a quick, wicked grin. His wavy, dark-brown hair was slicked back away from his sculpted face, and his eyes sparkled with mischief. “Interesting choice of words; you can imagine what’s been up, Tora.”
I smiled smugly at him. “Are you still working on that life goal of yours to bed every woman in Chicago, or possibly the world?” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “Maybe I should rephrase. What have you been doing lately?”
He laughed, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “This and that.”
I couldn’t help the snort. “Such a typical male response.”
“How was class today?” Summer asked between snips.
“My professor’s an ass.”
“Oh?” She held the scissors and comb aloft. “What happened?”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I huffed out a breath. “I’ll admit it was my fault. I wasn’t exactly paying attention… you know… daydreaming and all that. He called me out on it.”
“But yet, he’s the ass,” Kaige said.
I glared at him. “Yes. Everyone was staring at me. You know how much I hate that.”
Summer combed a section of Kaige’s hair, pulled it up and snipped the ends. “Daydreaming, you said?”
“I met Ryk Xander while on a run this morning.”
Summer froze for an instant and quickly recovered, while Kaige straightened up. My scalp prickled, and my stomach quivered. I wondered what they knew.
“Ryk Xander?” Kaige asked, his mouth slack and eyes wide. “The billionaire mogul, Ryk Xander?”
“Um, well, I guess.” I slouched down in my seat. “Is there another Ryk?”
Kaige snorted. “Yeah, right. Another Ryk.”
“It was pretty weird, really. He starred in my dream this morning and then showed up at Grant Park.”
Summer’s gaze lifted to mine, but she uncharacteristically didn’t say a word. How odd. She purposefully ignored the topic. I’d get something out of her later. Maybe she didn’t want to talk in front of Kaige.
Kaige’s eyes narrowed, and his lips flattened. “Hmm.”
“What?” I asked after a minute. “Would you stop staring?”
“Did you talk to him?”
“Seeing as how he’d introduced himself, yes.”
“All done.” Summer set her scissors and comb on the cutting station and pulled the cape off him with a flourish. “Voilà,” she sang. “Look at this hunk.” She stood behind him, leaned over his shoulder, and rubbed her hand down his chest. “Isn’t he gorgeous? Am I good, or what?”
Gazing at him, I had to agree he was definitely gorgeous.
In one fluid move, he stood, shook his head, and raked his fingers through his hair. He wore old, torn, faded jeans that looked soft to the touch and sexy as hell, leather biker boots, and a black, tight t-shirt, showing off his muscled biceps but, unfortunately, hiding his pecs and abs. Gauging by the biceps, I’d bet he was ripped.
Summer sauntered around from behind him and handed him his sunglasses.
It was then I noticed what she had on.
She was what I considered drop-dead gorgeous. She was tall, curvaceous, and had what looked like a waterfall of white silver cascading to her mid-back. Her eyes were deep green, her skin a light honey. Her outfit screamed, “Look at me!” It consisted of black leather pants, black leather knee-high boots that laced up the front, and a murderous red bustier in which her impressive breasts spilled out.
If only I could wear something like that. Heck, I’d be happy just to have the boobs.
Kaige slid his sunglasses on the top of his head and stalked to me with a devilish grin.
As he stood in front of me, my gaze trailed up his chest to his full lips and finally his sparkling eyes. I had to crane my neck up to see him; he was so tall. Though I’d never date him, that didn’t mean I couldn’t be titillated with his physique, male hotness, and the sex pheromones he exuded. Damn.
“Feel like going out for brunch?”
“What?” I couldn’t think, not when those hazel eyes captivated mine. From this close, I could see gold flecks in them. No wonder why it looked like they sparkled; they literally did.
“How about brunch, nothing more. Just two friends going out to eat.”
“I’d rather not, Kaige. I’ve got a date with Summer.”
His brow rose. “Can I watch?”
I snorted and shook my head. “Not that kind of date. But sure, have a seat if watching Summer cut my hair is a turn on for you.”
“Nah. I’ve got more exciting things to do; maybe next time. See you around, Tora.”
Summer led him to the front of the salon to check him out while I took a seat at the shampoo station. As they murmured to each other, Summer looked back at me a few times while Kaige looked in my direction, giving the impression their conversation was about me… and Ryk, possibly?
Summer came back, picked up a black cape and fluttered it about me, buttoning it at the nape of my neck. She turned the water on and let it heat up.
I laid my head in the bowl and closed my eyes, but not before seeing the grim set of her mouth. Something was up.
After the shampoo and rinse, she led me to her chair. “Your hair is so long, Tora. It’s so thick and luxurious. Half my clients would kill for locks like this. Do you only want a trim today?”
“I don’t know. I’m thinking about layers.”
“Ooh, layers would be good. They’d bring out the natural waves even more.” She pumped up the chair, pulled my hair up, sectioned off a part a couple inches above the nape of my neck, and clipped the rest on the top of my head.
I could hear the snick, snick of the scissors.
She let down a section, combed it and cut. “I know you don’t think too highly of Kaige, but he’s genuinely a pretty decent guy.”
“I know he’s a decent guy, but I can’t date someone who pimps out his dick on a nightly basis.”
She laughed, her emerald eyes twinkling. “Who knows? Maybe you’d be the one to make him settle down.”
“Ugh. Please don’t talk to me about settling down. I’m sooo not ready for that.”
She was done with the trim and started layering. Long chunks of hair fell as she cut, making me a bit nervous, but I trusted her.
“You’ve been so uptight ever since the breakup with Aiden. I think part of the problem is you guys live in the same building, so it makes it harder. You need to loosen up. Have a fling.” She was quiet for a while as she added more layers. “You know there’s never going to be anything serious between you and Kaige. It makes things easier when there are no expectations.” She turned my chair toward the mirror so I could see my reflection. “Ta-Da! You look marvelous, dahling,” she said in an exaggerated accent.
I gawked at the image looking back at me. “Wow. This is awesome.” The length was the same, but now it framed my face in soft waves.
Summer fluffed my now-luxurious locks with her hands. “I’ll dry it and it’ll look even better.” She poured a little mousse into her palm, spread it throughout my hair, and then dried it using a diffuser. When she was done, I ran my fingers through it.
Summer put her hands on her hips. “Stop that, Tora. Unless you want me to lay you on the floor and do you right here, stop messing with your hair.”
I straightened up in surprise. “Sorry. I’m not trying to turn you on. You know I don’t do girls.” I dropped my hands onto my lap.
