"You"re not half Mexican are you?" Jack asked joking about my preference of drinks. I just poked him in the ribs in a playful way before giving in to giggles.
"So come on then, what are you supposed to be? h.e.l.l, not that I"m complaining." I smiled and said tilting my head to one side showing him my red dots.
"Well isn"t it obvious? I"m a Gothic Vampire Victim...durr!" I mocked him adding on the durr and he laughed shaking his head as we walked off but I was sure I could have heard him say the word "d.a.m.n" under his breath.
We found the rest of the gang and RJ came running up to us dressed as an evil fairy. She wore a ripped tutu with a pink net top that didn"t leave much to the imagination. She also had a pair of ripped wings that matched the furry boots, also bright pink.
"Keira...you look fantastic.... who would have thought you were such a s.e.xy b.i.t.c.h!" She said as she hugged me smiling.
"Come on, let"s dance," she said grabbing me away from Jack who looked less than happy about it. We walked into the middle of the dance floor, finding Lanie and her older sister Katie. They were both dressed like Alice in Wonderland only one was good and one was evil. They looked great and both said the same about me. It was the first time in a long while that I had felt this self-confident and it felt good.
We all danced taking breaks here and there, doing shots at the bar followed by more beer. Luckily I was far from a lightweight when it came to alcohol. Spending years working behind a bar you learned to take it and in England the drinking age is eighteen not twenty one, so most people here hadn"t had the extra years that I had. But I knew my limits and never pushed it, not enjoying the feeling that I couldn"t control myself or more importantly my visions.
The battle of the bands was fun, after each small set a band did, the audience would vote by screaming the loudest for their favourite. It finished with the winner doing another set and the band that won was called the Delays. The funny thing was that I had heard about these before, as they were an English band that was mellower than the rest but what they played, the people loved. So of course when one of their most famous songs called "Valentine" started playing I knew all the words and dragged Jack up to dance.
After a night of drinking, the effects of it were starting to make me feel braver and when he moved his body closer to mine, I didn"t shy away from him. So when they played their last song which was a slower one called "No Ending" he put his arms around my waist for a slow dance. My heart started to beat quicker when I found him staring down at me, knowing what was about to come.
"Keira, I really like you, you"re not like anyone I have ever met before," he said as his face got closer to mine and I still hadn"t decided what to do. I wanted to but it felt wrong. Draven popped into my head for the first time, quickly followed by the memory of him kissing his fiancee... so with that image in mind... I let it happen. I let Jack place his lips upon mine and I kissed him back. His hands found my face and mine curled round his back pulling him closer, which he responded to by kissing me harder.
Then something happened. All the lights went out as if every one of them had blown all at once. There was a loud smashing sound coming from up above, like tables being upturned and I shuddered under Jacks arms. He pulled away from me and said, "What the h.e.l.l was that?" But I replied by pulling him back to me for another kiss. To be honest I didn"t care what it was, but considering it had something to with the VIP I found myself just not caring! Then the lights all came back on after a few flickers, the band then started back up. I parted from Jack and saw his happy face smiling back at me. But I couldn"t help the guilt that I felt, the guilt I just couldn"t understand. This made me excuse myself and I went to the ladies before Jack could realise my regret.
As soon as I got in there, I tried to sort myself out. I had to pull myself together. I would be stupid to mess this up. Jack was a really great guy, who liked me and was the easiest guy I had ever spoken to. I had never felt that relaxed around anyone before, so surely that counted for something didn"t it? I stared at myself in the mirror for what seemed like ages. It was only when another girl came in that I woke up out of my trance.
"Hey nice dress!" She said and I smiled back not really taking anything in.
"But there is one thing...and I hope you don"t think I"m being rude...but if I had hair like yours I would never wear it up, it"s too nice to hide!" I thanked the girl before she left, leaving me once again alone with my thoughts. I studied myself in the mirror but the alcohol was doing strange things to me. I was trying to focus on whether or not I was doing the right thing by kissing Jack but in the end I said to h.e.l.l with it! I applied some more lip gloss, pulled my gloves up and did something I never do....I let my hair down. It was now a ma.s.s of golden bouncy curls that fell down my back to my waist. I took one last look in the mirror and walked out, back to where they all were.
People"s eyes followed me as I worked my way through the crowd. I even heard one girl whisper "Man look at that hair, what I wouldn"t give." And I couldn"t help but smile at the compliment. So what was the big deal, I was allowed to feel good for one night...so why did I feel this nagging pain in the back of my mind, like I was doing something wrong?
When I finally made it back to the group there was someone missing...
"Where"s Jack?" I asked RJ, who was flirting with some guy dressed as a zombie bunny.
"Umm...I don"t know...wasn"t he with you?"
"Yeah, but I came back from the ladies and he was gone," I said looking everywhere. RJ whispered something to the bunny and came with me to look. We both started at the bar and I asked Mike if he had seen the guy that I had come in with.
"Yeah I saw him but I think there must have been a problem "cause he was being escorted out by security."
"What!" I shouted, but Mike just held up his hands saying, "Hey, don"t shoot the messenger!"
"Sorry Mike," I said before leaving.
"Maybe he got into a fight or something?" RJ said looking worried.
"I don"t know but I"m going to find out." I had a strange feeling this might have something to do with that kiss!
"How?" She said following me to the front entrance. I didn"t answer her but just kept moving in and out of the people that stood in my way. I didn"t stop until I came to the two men that could tell me what I wanted to know.
"Cameron, Jo, How"s things?...Oh and why did you have my date chucked out?" I said hands on hips. They both looked at each other then looked back at me with guilty eyes.
"Look we only did as we were told, ok."
"No it"s not ok, I want to know why?" I demanded, not backing down as I felt the rage come to my skin.
"Because we were told he was trying to sell drugs, and we did our jobs." Jo said trying to sound firm. Meanwhile RJ was looking at me in awe as it must have looked like watching a Chihuahua go up against a Bull Mastiff!
"What! That"s ridiculous, I was with him all night!"
"How dare you! My brother doesn"t even take drugs, let alone sell them!" RJ screamed at the idea.
They both tried to calm us down and said, "Look, we do as we are told, if you don"t agree then take it up with the big man!" He was of course referring to Draven so they didn"t expect me to say, "Oh, don"t you worry, I b.l.o.o.d.y will!" And with that I turned around and stormed right back inside the club, with RJ on my tail.
"Wait, Keira, think about this, you can"t just go up there and start demanding why. I"m upset as well, but come on." She pleaded but there was no way I was going to let him get away with this! I went to the doors that I knew would be my safest bet of getting through and turned back to RJ.
"It will be fine, he can"t be allowed to get away with this, I don"t give a c.r.a.p who his is! But you had better stay here because this is not going to be pretty."
"h.e.l.l, you don"t have to ask me twice! Anyway I"m going to try his cell and see where he is," she said leaving to go back to where we had left our bags and jackets with Lanie and Drew. I, on the other hand marched straight up to the two ma.s.sive guys by the bottom door and said, "Draven wants to see me," with such confidence that they both looked at each other then back at me, so I continued, "You can go and ask him if you like but I can tell you now, he doesn"t like to be kept waiting."
This was enough to achieve my goal as they parted to let me through the doors. Once inside I took a moment to think about what I was going to do. Was I really going to walk straight up to his table and demand a reason from him as to why he would give an order for Jack to be taken away? YES I was!!! It just didn"t make any sense and there was absolutely no way I believed any of the accusations against Jack were true. No, this had to stop and it would stop tonight!
The liquid courage helped me get through the doors and walk straight over to his table. I barely noticed anything else as I could feel my blood boil I was so angry. I was shaking at the thought. I reached the front of the table standing directly in his view and stood there fuming. Oh and did he know about it. Draven"s face was controlled well but I could see the underlying surprise in his dark terrifying eyes. There was also something more there but it was a look I had never seen before. However, this just added fuel to the fire that was inside my belly. I was burning hot at the very sight of him. I walked straight up to the table but was stopped by the giant Ragnar. Even then my courage didn"t fade, if anything it had the opposite effect. I folded my arms across my chest and looked up at him.
"Excuse me!" I said through my teeth when what I really wanted to say was "Get the h.e.l.l out of my way, you big oaf."
He didn"t move but he did turn his head towards Draven waiting for a command, like a dog to his master! I, on the other hand still hadn"t taken my hateful eyes from Draven"s. I was standing there getting ready for the escort downstairs, thinking how much this would make me snap, and I would not leave without making my full feelings known. I knew how Draven would not like a scene. But what he did next surprised me.
"Let her through." At this his dog backed down letting me pa.s.s. I flicked my hair back as I walked by and I could swear I heard him growl at me. Draven and the rest of the table came into full view and my heart missed a beat at the sight. I tried to control the pounding in my chest but I knew that I couldn"t falter now I had come this far. Draven was wearing all black, which enhanced his terrifying look. The rest of the table were also dressed very grand, as though they were celebrating something of their own. My eyes scanned the table and I realised there was another man present that I had never seen before.
He had long straight hair that looked almost like ice as it was whiter than white. His face was long with a long straight nose to match, that reminded me of a crow"s beak. He looked older than Draven or anyone else on the table for that matter. He also looked very wise, with a knowledgeable grin to his face. He wore an unusual suit that looked half robe with a long hood at the back and a cape that came round to one side, joining his suit jacket which had long sleeves that widened at the hands they covered. He looked as if he could have been a royal or someone very important. He had his own bodyguards who looked equally as terrifying as Draven"s men. They stood behind his chair on their guard as I approached. He must have sensed their unease as he held up one long white hand at them without turning his head. There was something strange about him, I found myself drawn to him but couldn"t understand why.
I got to the edge of the table and all eyes stared at me like the intruder I was. Sophia"s eyes were the only kind ones I found but I couldn"t let this influence my objective.
"You have something to say?" Draven"s voice was the first to slice through the silence. Ok, so now I was here I was going to have to find the words, so I took a deep breath and came out with it in the strongest voice I had.
"Yes, I would very much like to know, why you had my date removed on false accusations." The pale man to the side of me eyed me curiously and had an amused grin.
"Well, I think even I can answer that my dear." The man said in a very hoa.r.s.e voice, sounding more than happy about this new turn of events. I turned to face him and Draven looked furious.
"With a beauty like yours you are more fit for a king than a mere servant boy...wouldn"t you agree Dominic?" He said and I was surprised to find him calling him by his first name, as if making it clear that these two were equals in power.
"Keira is just a waitress who works for me downstairs." Draven said in the coldest manner twisting the arrow he had once again shot into my heart. I couldn"t believe the audacity of this man! This was slowly pushing me over the edge with fury.
"Really, just a waitress, umm...if you say so.... My dear, I am very pleased to meet you, a rare creature you are indeed." He said standing to take my hand in his, lifting it to his lips. I let him freely as the look in Draven"s eyes, filled with hate at the sight, so I happily complied as if this was my little bit of revenge.
"Malphas!" Draven shouted at him and I a.s.sumed this to be his name. Malphas, however, didn"t seem anything but happy about Draven"s reaction. His eyes met mine over the hand that he still held in an icy grip.
"Umm.....I didn"t think so." He said smirking as he finally let go of my hand.
"Keira, I think it"s time for you to be getting home." Draven said, glaring at me as though I was made from dirt.
"Well, that would be a good idea but unfortunately someone unlawfully kicked out my date therefore leaving me stranded and without a ride home....so you see my predicament!" I said folding my arms again showing him my bravery, which was now mixed with fiery pa.s.sion.
"Well I think I have seen enough to satisfy me, My Lord, I will now take my leave, but my dear please allow me to escort you home." Malphas" very deep, hoa.r.s.e voice offered.
"Thank you, that would be very kind," I said looking at Draven who now looked as if he wanted to shake me to death.
"That won"t be necessary. Zagan take Miss Johnson home, NOW!" He ordered to one of the men who sat at his table. He was the one who always wore the hooded jacket and had the scar and tattoos upon his face. He stood at this command but stopped when Malphas" men got closer to me. I didn"t really understand what was going on but Draven"s voice ended it quickly before things got out of hand.
"Malphas, you don"t want to push me!" He said his name with a clear warning behind it and in return Malphas" hand went up again as it had done before.
"But of course." He stood and came closer to me once again saying, "It was a pleasure to meet you my dear Keira." He stepped forward close to my ear and whispered so no one else could hear, "I will be at the front of the building waiting to drive you home...meet me." He then kissed my cheek as if that was what he was planning to do, for everyone watching.
But I jumped back at the sound of Draven"s fist going down on the stone table with such mighty power it not only shook but also cracked under his hammer like hand. His voice boomed out making everyone look on in fear, including me.
"ENOUGH! Keira, go and wait for me on the balcony!" He demanded and his black eyes flicked with the same purple I had seen before, as he stared at Malphas as though he would soon rip his throat out. This was one order that I would not disobey and I left but not before I could just hear Malphas saying, "Fear not Draven, I would not hurt the girl, not after what I have seen with my own eyes...After all she is..." But his voice trailed off and I didn"t hear the rest as I was heading towards the balcony. However, on the way there my mind flipped and I decided that once away from Draven"s evil glare, I was clear to think for myself. h.e.l.l, Draven was my boss and that was it. He had no rights over me whatsoever, so why did I have to go and do what he said when I would just end up getting another ear bashing on the balcony. NO, not this time! I was my own person and I would do as I pleased and if he didn"t like it, then he would just have to sack me or better still, I would quit!
So, with that in mind, I waited until I was out of sight and sneaked down past the guard and shot down the stairs like an Olympic runner. Once I was on the ground floor I ran up to where my jacket was and said a quick bye to the rest of my friends, not waiting for a reply. I bolted for the front doors scared of looking back. My heart raced with panic, knowing I had gone against him and knowing that I would seriously have to pay for it, but with the idea that I didn"t want that to be now, I ran quicker until I was outside.
Once outside, the cold air hit me, making me remember my jacket which I then put on. It didn"t take long for my senses to realise that what I was about to do was an extremely stupid thing and a very dangerous one at that. But before I could back out a black limo came round to the front and the door opened. I took a deep breath, knowing I was making a categorical mistake and entered the car. Malphas looked at me with curiosity as I tried to calm down inside. The car pulled onto the main road, towards the direction I lived although I hadn"t yet said a word.
"I certainly admire your spirit, there aren"t many that would defy Draven, but maybe that adds to the appeal for him." He said as he stroked the smooth white skin on his chin. The limo was very dark inside with only a few small blue LED lights that made his skin bright white.
"I can guarantee that I hold no "appeal" for Mr Draven whatsoever," I said looking out of the window, seeing nothing but the black night.
"I highly doubt that," he said as he flicked a switch making a little bar appear. He poured himself a drink and offered me one which I turned down before asking, "What makes you say that?"
"You really don"t look at yourself in the same way as others of your kind do....do you?" He asked and I didn"t understand what he meant by "My kind".
"All I know is the way Draven treats me, and like he said "I"m just a waitress" " I said trying not to look hurt at the memory, but he just smiled as though what I had said was funny.
"Have I missed something?" I asked looking him in the eye.
"Draven clearly has a hold on you and you in turn a hold on him that much I can be sure on." He swirled the golden liquid around in his brandy gla.s.s before taking a sip.
"You"re wrong, I have no hold on him and you saw for yourself, I"m just an inconvenience."
"On some level you"re right but not the way you think. I saw for my own eyes indeed, a man who is trying to protect something he holds very valuable to him and that my dear ....is you." He said as he motioned his gla.s.s towards me, pointing me out.
"Well I think his soon to be wife would find a problem with that, I"m sure!" I said but his face changed at this news and he laughed at the thought.
"Umm...Interesting. Well I will give him this...he most certainly knows how to put the needs of others before his own...Ha...What a saint!" He said laughing heartily and I really was at a loss to know why.
"Well they were certainly quicker than I thought and I guess that just confirms my conclusion." He said as he pressed another switch above him making the black screen between the driver and us come down.
"You"d better pull over before this gets....out of hand, I have made my point and them theirs." He ordered the driver and he did as he was told, pulling up by the side of the road.
"What"s going on, why are we stopping?" I asked in a panicked voice.
"Don"t fret my dear, but pray tell me, if you truly believe that Draven has no feelings of want for you, then why would he send a car to follow us and be flagging us down to get you away from me?"
I looked round in horror as his statement was confirmed by the headlights behinds us.
Chapter 31- Jack"s past.
I looked around in surprise to find a figure walking to my side of the car ready to open the door. I looked back at Malphas to find him releasing the lock on my door and I jumped at the sound. Why had I been locked in, in the first place?
"Well I bid you farewell and will look forward to our next meeting." And with that my door was open ready for me to exit the limo. But when I got out of the car I heard him say in the scariest voice I have ever heard, one that made my skin crawl at the sound.
"See you soon....Keira." The door then slammed shut and the man standing opposite me made my mouth drop open in shock. The Limo drove away and I suddenly wished I were still inside it. I couldn"t help but state the obvious.
"Vincent Draven!"
"Keira, please get in the car." He said holding his arm out to the huge black Rolls Royce behind me. It looked like a deadly panther and the man that held the door open was just as scary.
"What are you doing here?" I asked annoyed at my current situation and also hoping his brother wasn"t in there waiting for me.
"The car, if you please." So I gave up, feeling that this whole thing was ridiculous, I got in the car. I slid over the cream leather interior to the other side as Vincent got in after me. I sat there like a spoilt child with my arms folded tightly across my chest, digging my nails into my palms I was so angry.
His brother was also incredibly handsome, with tight curls of blonde hair and the most amazing smouldering eyes that you could get lost in. His face was softer but still I wouldn"t want to get on the wrong side of him, which was apparently down the road I was heading.
"So like I said, what are you doing here?"
"I am here on my brother"s orders and he is not happy!" He said without looking at me but my fury doubled.
"I don"t care! He can"t do this. I was perfectly fine where I was!" I said thinking I was close to stamping my feet but glad I didn"t, as it would have looked more funny than serious.
"I doubt that. I do not understand why you continue to make things so difficult?" His calm voice just angered me more.
"Me, make things difficult! I think I could have made it home without all the theatrics."
"You do not know the man who was taking you home like we do, you do not know what he is capable of or who he works for...You were not safe." He said this and a chill went up my spine, making me feel stupid. Why had I got into a car with a complete stranger who could have been a psycho! I lowered my head knowing what he said was right...I had been foolish.
"And I"m safe here with you?"
"Yes, we don"t mean you any harm Keira. My brother is trying to protect you, why can you not see that?"
"Why would he even care?"
"Well that you will have to take up with him, he wants to see you tomorrow," he said and the thought of how that was going to go made me frightened. We pulled into my gravel road and the house came into view. Jack"s car was parked there and he was sat on the porch steps waiting for me. Vincent noticed and simply said, "That boy should not be here, if I were you and didn"t want to anger my brother any more than you already have, then I would get rid of him." He looked serious when he said this but I couldn"t resist the urge to say what I did, as my back was up at the idea of any more demands.
"Well you"re not me! And I have obviously p.i.s.sed Draven off, so what the h.e.l.l does it matter? He"s made it perfectly clear I mean nothing to him so why should I obey him!" I said before getting out of the car. I slammed the door shut but the window rolled down and Vincent said, "Don"t forget Keira, tomorrow...oh and I wouldn"t keep him waiting."