by A. P. Jensen
“The Battalion torched several floors. There were some fatalities,” Cain explained.
He parked and came around to her door. He dragged her up and threw a coat over her bloody uniform. He zipped up the front and clasped her hand in his as they walked into the elevator. They walked by the atrium and she stared dazedly at the thousands of poinsettias and ornaments as large as cars hanging from the ceiling. There was Christmas music playing and her head spun dizzily. She leaned into Cain as her vision blurred. He wrapped his arm around her and led her to the guest elevators. The next thing she knew, they were in a hotel room and Cain was stripping her in a bathroom.
“Stop,” she said weakly.
“Raven?” He cupped her face with his rough palm. “You need to wash off. You’ll feel better, I promise.”
He turned away from her to turn on the taps of a huge tub. Cain turned back to her and stripped her down to her underwear. She was too numb to register when he shrugged out of his clothes, gathered her in his arms and sank into the tub with her. Gently, he washed the blood from her shaking hands and hair and when he touched the bandage she jerked and tried to get away from him.
“Shh. It’s okay,” he murmured.
She bowed her head as he shampooed her hair and washed away the sweat and blood. She was too weak to do it herself. He drained the tub and filled it again with clean water. He sat behind her and wrapped himself around her as if he knew she needed comfort and touch. He rested his chin on her shoulder, wrapped his arms around her middle and they sat together in the silent bathroom. The shaking eased and she was suddenly exhausted. She hung her head and Cain rose and set her on her feet beside the tub. He wrapped her in a big robe and put a fresh set of pajamas and underwear on the counter before he left.
She dressed and cleaned up the water on the floor because it made her feel better. When she walked into the opulent room, Cain was there.
“We need to talk.”
She nodded and crawled on the bed and slipped under the covers. He sat on the edge of the bed, facing her. She looked at the cut on her arm and then at Cain.
“He drank my blood.”
Cain erupted off the bed. He stepped away from the bed until his back hit the wall as if he was afraid that he couldn’t control his rage that pulsed in the room.
“You know why he did it?” she whispered.
He gave an abrupt nod. She swallowed and hid her arm beneath the covers. Raven told him what happened right after the fire alarm went off. Cain didn’t interrupt and he kept his eyes on her face the whole time. When she talked about Angel slicing her, he disappeared for a moment, melting into the wall. She stopped and he appeared a moment later, head bent. She continued and ended with the phone call to him.
“What am I?” she whispered.
Cain ran his hands over his face and met her gaze. “You’re an Unmemorable.”
CHAPTER NINE
Raven didn’t speak. Cain took a deep breath and blew it out.
“There’s a legend about a group of men that have been cursed with being unmemorable… or forgettable to everyone but each other. I thought it was a myth until I met you.”
“What does that have to do with-?”
“No one can remember you!” he burst out and paced. “I didn’t remember you the first time you cleaned my room and Lo couldn’t remember you even though he met you three times in the same day. You’ve never had any friends or family, your coworkers see you everyday and can’t remember you. Grandpa told me-”
He stopped and ran a hand over a face beaded with sweat. Raven sat up slowly, taking this all in. He was saying it was a power to be forgettable?
“Grandpa told me to take a lock of your hair and keep it with me at all times.”
Cain pulled up his long sleeve and for the first time, she saw a dark braid on his wrist. He always wore long sleeve shirts, so she never noticed… Has Cain taken anything from you? Angel’s words echoed in her mind and she swallowed hard.
“No one can remember an Unmemorable but it seems that grandpa gave the answer without realizing it,” Cain swallowed. “And it seems like Angel’s figured out for himself that he had to take something from you.”
“Why would anyone care that no one can remember me?” Raven said, voice hoarse. “Who gives a shit about a stupid power like that?”
Cain’s eyes were so piercing, the hysterical babbling stuck in her throat.
“If it’s true that there is a line of Unmemorables, all males, who have the same qualities you do, they would make the perfect army. They would be invincible. The Unmemorables would be an army that no one could describe or remember.”
“And you think I’m an Unmemorable?” Raven sputtered.
“With an Unmemorable, he’d have the perfect assassin. If he had an army of them, he could take over the world.”
Raven got up from the bed and stood with her back to him as the Bellagio’s world famous water show played out below her. Water danced in happy arcs and sprays but she saw none of it. So many thoughts whirled through her and she couldn’t focus on anything. Information overload. She shut off her mind, got back into bed and burrowed beneath the covers. She was too tired to deal with this right now.
“Raven?” Cain said uncertainly.
“I can’t,” she whispered and was too exhausted to care that her voice was choked and full of tears.
The lights went out and Cain slipped into bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her. Neither of them said a word. His warmth and strength lulled her into an uneasy sleep. During the night, she swore she felt a tongue run along the cut on her forearm and she jerked. Cain clasped her arm gently but firmly and she relaxed.
Before she was fully awake, Raven remembered everything. She knew exactly where she was and who she was with. Waking up in the arms of a man was a new experience for her. She had her head beneath Cain’s chin and her arms were tucked up against his chest. He had a heavy thigh draped over hers and he was wrapped around her quite nicely. It was a secure, almost possessive hold and after yesterday, she savored it. Her mind inevitably focused on Angel and she tensed.
“You’re thinking so loud you woke me up,” Cain growled above her head.
She tilted her head back. Seeing his eyes all bleary and bloodshot made her feel safe for some reason. He didn’t loosen his hold on her, so she didn’t wriggle away.
“Okay?” he murmured.
She nodded and burrowed back against him. They stayed quiet for a while before he grunted.
“What?”
“Angel underestimated you. He was arrogant enough to give you a knife, not realizing you could take out thirty guys with just that.”
“More like fifteen,” she muttered.
“Same difference. Now he’s going to want you more.”
She buried her face against his skin, wanting to be absorbed by him. Just thinking of Angel made her feel dirty and ill. All her life, she’d been running and now she knew why. Subconsciously, she’d known she was in grave danger.
“By the way, as your husband, I gave my number to the housekeeping department at Decadent. With the fatalities and confusion at the casino right now, everyone got called off this week.”
She heard the bite in his voice and sighed, knowing her time for cuddling was up. She pushed away from him and his arms tightened for a moment before he released her. She rolled away and got out of bed.
“I told you not to go to work.”
“If it wasn’t for that fucking alarm, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“They would’ve found a way, Raven. Will you just quit?”
“We’ll see.”
Cain whipped her around, cupped her chin and leaned in close. “You could’ve died. Your job is putting you in danger.”
She tried to slap his hand away, but it wouldn’t budge. “My job is the only thing I have!”
“You’re an Unmemorable. The Council will take care of you now that you have a power.”
“That’s not a power! Like yo
u said, it’s a curse.”
“You have no idea what you can control.”
“Control a bunch of men that no one can remember? Didn’t you say they’re a legend? What if there really is no merry bunch of Unmemorable men, huh? Did freaking Angel think of that?” Her voice cracked and she stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door before she remembered he could walk through walls.
Her hands shook as she brushed her teeth with her finger. She wasn’t sure what to think of this Unmemorable stuff. Yeah, people didn’t remember her but to have a power where she was completely erased from a person’s memory was more heavy duty than she was prepared to accept. It was easier to think her personality sucked. Who the hell would want a stupid power like that and if it was true, why had it been dumped on her? Was there no justice in the world? It was easier to be mad and annoyed at Cain’s theory than think about Angel and what he thought he could do through her.
She walked out of the bathroom and for the first time, took in the room. It was a one-bedroom suite with lots of light and the illusion of airiness but it was nothing compared to their penthouse at Decadent. She should be lucky she wasn’t sleeping in cars anymore. Once this was all done, she would go back to cleaning Motel 6 and shit. She moved into the living room and saw Cain uncovering trays from room service. She sat across from him at the table and helped herself to the food, but visions of Angel lapping at her blood keep flitting through her mind and she ended up with coffee instead. Cain ate ravenously with one hand tapping on his laptop. When he noticed she wasn’t eating, he cocked his head.
“Spoiled by my cooking?” he asked.
“How can you be so casual about everything?” she demanded.
“What are you talking about?”
“There’s that freaking creep Angel in this city. He drank my blood because he thinks I’m an Unmemorable which I don’t even believe in!”
“You don’t believe you’re an Unmemorable?”
“No! I mean, people have a hard time remembering me because… just because.”
“You gonna eat breakfast?”
“No, I can’t.”
“Okay. Get dressed. We’re going out. I brought a bunch of your clothes from Decadent. They’re in the closet.”
“Where are we going?” She couldn’t stop the note of fear in her voice.
“Don’t worry. I’m not letting you out of my sight. Hurry up.”
Wary of Cain’s mood, she went into the bedroom and pulled out a pair of artistically ripped jeans, shirt and coat. She pulled on her tennis shoes from work since they weren’t covered in blood. Cain checked his guns as she came out of the bedroom. He disappeared through the front door for several seconds before he reappeared.
“Clear,” he said and put his arm around her.
“I’m fine now.”
“Good for you.”
They rode down to the lobby and the press of people made her edgy. She kept expecting to see those wicked blue eyes and beautiful face but Cain didn’t give her time to have a panic attack. He swept her through the crowds and pulled her into a store. She stared around at all weird masks and strange hats and realized they were in the store for Bellagio’s Cirque du Soleil show, O. The store was filled with several dozen people trying on shirts and looking at DVDs. She glanced up at Cain who was interested in the little trinkets near the register. She looked around, scanning faces until Cain turned to her and pulled her up against him. His hands dipped under her coat and shaped her waist.
“What are you doing?” she said, trying to pull away.
“I was worried about you yesterday,” he said and she froze. “I sat in the hotel room for hours, hoping you’d be able to get away from them. I was so fucking pissed. I don’t want that to ever happen again, got it?”
“I’m not too keen on it.”
“Good.”
Cain pressed a kiss to her lips, let go of her and walked out of the store. Raven stared at him, dumbfounded. Okay, so he hugged, kissed and then ditched her? Freaking crazy bastard. She started after him and jumped when the store alarm went off. A security guard materialized beside her with a frown on his face.
“Ma’am, did you forget to pay for something?” he asked.
Raven looked beyond him for Cain and saw him standing behind someone who just hit the jackpot on a slot machine. He was congratulating the old woman who jumped up and down and did a little jig.
“No, I didn’t,” Raven answered the guard.
“You mind if I pat you down?”
She sighed. “No. Go ahead.”
The guard ran the back of his hand over her coat and paused. He dug into her pocket and pulled out a shiny keychain. Cold dread filled her.
“But I didn’t-” Raven began.
“You need to come with me, miss,” the guard said firmly.
Most customers were too engrossed in their purchases to gawk but Raven heard the whispers. She didn’t look back at Cain because she knew she’d been set up, she just wasn’t sure why. The security guard gripped her arm and pulled her over to the register.
“We’re gonna have a chat,” he said firmly.
Despite all she’d been through, having a security guard look at her with that serious expression made her heart flutter. The guard turned to the cashier to hand over the keychain and turned back to Raven. The guard looked straight at Raven and then his eyes went over her head to scan the store and milling customers. His eyes bugged.
“Where’d she go?” the guard bellowed.
Raven jumped and stared as the security guard pushed her to the side and dashed out of the store, wildly looking right and left.
“Did you see where that woman went?” the guard demanded. “She was right here!”
Raven stood stock still, eyes as wide as they could go. She hadn’t moved at all. She listened to the guard describe the woman who stole a keychain as “six feet tall with red hair and green eyes.” Raven was tempted to raise her hand, but she stayed where she was, a foot away from the guard and cashier who shot her suspicious looks at her not even a minute before. Her body was cold and numb. Cain wrapped his arm around her and led her out of the store and back up to their hotel room. He settled Raven on the couch and knelt in front of her. He rubbed her cold hands together and kept his gaze on her glassy eyes.
“He turned away for a moment and forgot me,” Raven said, dazed.
“Yup.”
She focused on him. “You set me up.”
He got up quickly in case she decided to get violent. “To prove my theory.”
“Angel has theories.”
“Don’t compare me to that bastard!” Cain exploded.
“He told everyone to get out before he drank my blood because he wasn’t sure it would work,” she murmured to herself.
“He’s a sick fuck.”
“I’m an Unmemorable.”
“Yes.”
Her eyes flicked up and fastened on the a few stands of hair sticking out from his shirt cuff. Even as she reached out to yank it from his arm, he jerked back.
“I want to see if you’ll forget me if I take away my hair.”
“I can’t take that chance,” he said and held up a hand to stop her. “There are other signs.”
“Like what?”
“Electronics don’t work on Unmemorables. I can’t track you with my phone and legend has it that you can’t take pictures of them.”
“Try it!” she yelled.
She looked up as he aimed his phone at her. Her heart sank when the phone powered down. Cain grabbed his laptop to take her picture with the webcam with the same results.
“It’s like I don’t exist,” she said, sinking back onto the couch.
“I see you. I remember you,” Cain said.
“I never even had a chance to be normal, did I?”
“Raven.”
“So now you and Angel can remember me. One guy on each side knows how to keep track of me.”
“Raven, you’re fine.”
“No, I
’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
She erupted from the couch and in a quick move, knocked him on his ass. She paced the living room while he hid any valuables and potential weapons.
“All my life no one’s noticed me because of this power that I have. I don’t have a family, friends or a man to make me see the light and I never will. Why, do you ask? Well, it’s because I’m a freak! Now I have people stealing my hair and drinking my blood so they can remember me. People have to take things from me to remember me. That’s sick.”
“I didn’t take a lot of hair,” Cain said defensively.
She went nose to nose with him. “You weren’t going to tell me that you stole my hair?”
“No. I thought it was like a good luck charm when my grandpa told me to do it.”
“You didn’t think that was a weird thing for him to say?”
“I did but most of the things he says are weird so…”
“So he says to cut my hair and wrap it around your wrist?”
“Well, he said to keep it on me at all times so I wrapped it around my wrist.”
She sank back onto the couch and buried her face in her hands. She took deep breaths and tried to think clinically but that wasn’t possible- not when this was her life, her curse. Her breath caught when she remembered what Angel said about her father. Did her father know she existed? If there were other Unmemorables, shouldn’t they keep a watch on the babies they fathered to make sure they weren’t forgotten in parks or did these unmemorable men not give a shit either way? Her life sucked. Big time.
“So what happens now?” Raven said, running her hands through her hair.
“Now I let the Council know what your power is.”
She stiffened. “Why do you have to tell them?”
“Because Angel’s involved and we know what you are.”
“What I am?”
“You know what I mean.”
She did know and it scared her. This had to be a sick joke but… She didn’t remember much after forcing her way out of the warehouse and she’d disabled fifteen armed, trained guards. Her survival instinct or power took over and it saved her life. She wasn’t a trained fighter, yet she used knives and guns easily, naturally. She always attributed that to growing up in rough neighborhoods but now…
