Surrounded by Darkness

by Rachel Dylan

  “You’re such a gracious host.” And she meant it. She’d had this picture of him as some crazy-eyed creep, but he was about as far from that as she could imagine. He was enchanting.

  When her eyes met Stacey’s, she smiled. Stacey walked over to the two of them.

  “Layton, I see you’ve met my guest.”

  He beamed. “Yes, and what a lovely guest she is. I’m going to attend to some other things, but I know the two of you will fare plenty good without me.” Layton turned to her. “It was truly a pleasure to meet you.”

  She felt her cheeks redden as she accepted his kiss on her cheek. “Thank you,” she said.

  He left the two of them alone, and she looked back toward Stacey.

  “Wow,” Stacey said.

  “What?”

  “There were some serious sparks between the two of you.”

  Eliza huffed. “I’m sure he acts that way with all the ladies. He’s way out of my league, and I know it.”

  Stacey raised an eyebrow. “I think you’re selling yourself short. You’re really pretty and there’s something unique about you. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think Layton would be interested.”

  “Like I said, way out of my league.” She threw her arms out wide. “I mean, look at this place! It’s a freaking mansion. I’ve seen nice homes before, but this is on a different level.”

  “As amazing as this place is, Layton doesn’t actually measure people by their material standing. He looks inside to what someone’s potential is. And judging by the looks of it, he’s taken a liking to you.”

  Eliza’s heartbeat thumped loudly. She hadn’t had a guy hit on her in long time, and it seemed implausible that Layton could actually be interested. “You really think that?”

  “I do, but don’t stress about it. Tonight is a party, so let’s party.” Stacey grabbed onto her hand and took a step back. “And you look stunning.”

  “Really? This was one of two black cocktail dresses I own. I’ve had it for ten years.”

  Stacey nodded. “Yes. You look gorgeous.”

  Over the next hour, Eliza met many people from all walks of life—she had been surprised at the range of personalities and professions. She was learning quickly that maybe she’d been too quick to judge.

  “What do you think?” Stacey asked.

  “It wasn’t anything like I had expected.”

  Stacey laughed. “That’s what a lot of people say. They think we’re vampires drinking blood or something, but I can tell you that hasn’t ever been my experience.”

  Eliza couldn’t help herself. “What has been your experience?”

  Stacey blew out a breath. “I won’t lie. It was rocky at the beginning. There was a bit of a battle over where I would end up, but I didn’t let any of that faze me. After I got over the initial shock, I made the decision myself. It was a decision of freedom, of independence. I don’t need man-made rules supposedly from God to tell me how to live my life. I’m in charge.”

  “But does that line up? Haven’t you still given your life up to be able to get your power?”

  “Technically, yes, but that act doesn’t have the same implication as someone who has dedicated their life to God. The whole point of our belief system here is to have the type of freedom and autonomy that you wouldn’t have if you abided by the beliefs of those who were believers.”

  Eliza pushed further. “But what about someone like me? I’m definitely not a churchgoer. I consider myself a practicing witch.”

  Stacey bit her bottom lip. “I don’t want to offend you, Eliza, but I told you that I’d be straight with you.”

  “Please do. I like having the truth spoken to me.” She didn’t want things sugar coated.

  “I believe you. I think that you believe you’re a witch, but you’re just at the tip of the iceberg.”

  “And why do you say that?”

  Stacey’s eyes locked onto hers. “Because you’re embracing ideologies that are limited. You’ve cracked the window instead of opening it all the way.”

  “I’d say it was pretty open the other night.”

  Stacey nodded. “Yes, because I was there. You don’t have to give up your way of doing things. Just be open to enhancements. I can help you with that.”

  Eliza pondered what Stacey was saying. The problem was she didn’t know how to put it into practice. “I’ll admit I’m a bit confused.” And scared, but she didn’t want to say that.

  Stacey wrapped her arm around Eliza’s shoulder. “I say enough of this for now. Let’s have some drinks, eat some of the amazing food, and worry about these details later. There are still a lot of other people I’d love to introduce you to.”

  “All right. Show me the way.”

  Stacey threw back another glass of fancy champagne. Layton didn’t skimp on the quality of the alcohol, and for that, she was forever grateful.

  Eliza was turning out to be quite the handful. She’d been assigned as her babysitter for the night, so Stacey had to buck up and handle it.

  It had only taken a few minutes with Layton before Eliza had melted. She’d expected her to hang a bit firmer to her whole Wiccan-lifestyle mantra, but after seeing those puppy dog eyes, Stacey figured she would be able to execute on this assignment ASAP.

  All she needed was for Layton to give Eliza a bit of one-on-one time, and she was confident Eliza could be part of team Optimism.

  She chuckled about it because Eliza had given off such a strong vibe that she was set in her ways and wouldn’t be swayed. All it took was a visit from the spiritual realm and a smile and kiss from Layton and she’d folded.

  Stacey would never be that easily swayed. Ever. She wanted power. Control. And she never wanted to cede that to someone else—especially a man. That had been one of the reasons she’d been intrigued by Nina Marie. The sad end of that story was enough to depress Stacey though. Now Nina Marie was nothing and no one. She’d heard that Nina Marie had dedicated her life to God, but she found that so hard to believe. The woman who had offered to teach her witchcraft had been amazingly strong and fiercely independent. Stacey had truly believed Nina Marie was as strong as, if not stronger than, Layton.

  Word on the street now was Nina Marie was living in exile. That could never happen to Stacey. If it meant ultimately fighting Layton, then so be it. She’d be more powerful than Nina Marie ever was and ready for battle. Stacey was intent on growing her magical repertoire. She needed to be ready. She would stick close to Eliza to see if she could gain any knowledge from her. Stacey could use every tool in her magical arsenal to get where she wanted to be.

  Eliza walked back up to her after mingling. “Stacey, I must say, I had no idea it would be like this.”

  “See, I told you we weren’t a bad group.”

  Eliza placed her hand on Stacey’s arm. “But what exactly do you believe? What do you do here? I feel like I’m missing something.”

  That was a very tricky question and one that Stacey knew she needed to be diplomatic in answering. “We’re a diverse group with a variety of beliefs, but at the core, we fully embrace New Age ideologies.”

  Eliza nodded. “I get that, but what does that actually look like? Because I consider myself also embracing New Age ideologies.”

  “It means we’re not beholden to any other human. It goes beyond that for Optimism though. Our loyalty is to Lucifer.” Stacey figured there wouldn’t be any better opportunity to lay it on the line.

  “And by that you mean what Christians consider the devil?”

  “Not just Christians. We obviously believe in Lucifer too. He has many names. I’m not sure how well-versed you are on the biblical nature of this whole thing. I grew up in Windy Ridge Community Church and know the whole story, but if you didn’t grow up in a church, then maybe you’ll need some additional information to make sure you have all the pieces to the puzzle.”

  “You’re definitely coming from a different place than me. I’ve been to church for weddings or special occasions, but t
hat’s it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. My parents were pretty agnostic, in general. Not much talk about any religion in my house.”

  The enormity of that statement hit Stacey. Eliza had zero idea what she was dealing with here, and that could end up being highly dangerous. “Then I think we should talk more, but now isn’t the time.”

  “Even if I never deal with Optimism again?”

  “Absolutely. You think you can live this Wiccan lifestyle in a bubble, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is much more out there you’re blind to, but it is impacting your entire life.”

  Eliza’s face paled as she digested Stacey’s words. “That sounds ominous.”

  “I’m not trying to worry you. I want you to understand the full picture here. I think you got a taste of things the other night, but it’s so much bigger.” Stacey patted her shoulder. “C’mon. Let’s enjoy the rest of the party, and we can handle the heavy stuff tomorrow.” Once Stacey got through with Eliza, she felt certain she’d be able to bring her over to their side. Now the issue was whether Eliza would be able to convince others in her coven to also turn.

  Chapter Ten

  Olivia sat in her office at the clinic a bit dismayed that her eleven o’clock had been a no-show. Unfortunately, in this type of work, that was bound to happen. It broke her heart to think about the circumstances these women were living in. She could only do her part in helping but wished she could help even more.

  The good news was that her pregnant client Hope had settled in with Beth from the church and was doing great. They’d also been granted the protective order by the court, so Olivia felt that was their first real victory and they could build upon it.

  When the bell Olivia had placed on the door jingled, she thought for a moment that maybe her no-show was really late. Jess wasn’t working today so it was just Olivia.

  “Be right there,” she called out. The last thing she wanted was for the woman to get cold feet. She left her office and rushed into the waiting room.

  Her stomach dropped. This was not one of clients. “Layton, what are you doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.” He took a step closer to her.

  “I’m being serious. What do you want?” Her patience was waning.

  His big, sparkling blue eyes focused in on her. For a moment they stood, staring each other down. On the outside, this man had it all going for him. He was incredibly handsome, impeccably dressed, highly intelligent, and a smooth talker. But underneath that exterior was a monster. A man who had truly sold his soul to the devil and had never looked back.

  “I’m here because when you told me about this clinic of yours, you never told me that it was going to be in my backyard. I can’t help but think you have something up your sleeve here.”

  She shook her head. “I actually can’t take credit for that. I had nothing to do with getting the lease and office space. I didn’t realize it was located here given how the addresses were numbered and named. I was just as surprised when I drove here the first time.”

  Layton quirked an eyebrow. “Really? I find that hard to believe.”

  “It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not. It’s the truth. Not everyone operates with hidden agendas.” She paused. “And what’s it to you, anyway?”

  He moved yet another step closer. “Because I don’t want you using this clinic as a ruse for something else.”

  “And why would you think I would do that?” She stood her ground, refusing to give him any ground.

  “Because I’ve heard that you already sent one of your clients to live with someone from the church.” The accusatory tone came through loud and clear.

  She sucked in a breath. How had he found that out? That wasn’t good. She needed to make sure Hope was protected. “Layton, don’t you dare mess with that woman. She is completely innocent and has nothing to do with you.”

  He smiled revealing his pearly whites. “Do you really think I’d waste my time? I have bigger issues, but I don’t want you sniffing around my building and trying to get people to visit here.”

  She couldn’t help herself. “Are you saying that your members are victims of domestic violence and would need my services?” She was letting her anger get the best of her.

  He crossed his arms. “That’s beneath you, Olivia.”

  “You tried to kill Nina Marie. I know exactly what kind of man you are, Layton. I’m not fooled for one second.” She clenched her fists tightly by her sides as the memory of what happened to Nina Marie came flooding back to her.

  “You believe in the justice system, right? I was found not guilty by a jury of my peers.”

  “Because you rigged the system.” Her voice rose with each word.

  “My, my, Olivia. Something has gotten into you.” Layton smirked. “This side of you is unexpected. Where’s the loving and understanding do-gooder that I’m used to?”

  Layton was right about one thing. She was going too far off the deep end and needed to rein it back in. Getting upset at Layton and lashing out wasn’t going to help anyone. Where was all the frustration and anger coming from? Then it hit her.

  She looked around and didn’t see anything visible to her eyes, but she knew as she stood there that Layton had brought his demonic friends with him.

  Layton laughed. “I can’t believe it took you so long to figure out that I wasn’t alone. You’re really off your game. Maybe it has something to do with your boyfriend’s lawsuit.”

  Her head snapped back to attention. “Leave Grant alone.”

  “Or what?”

  She fought the urge to lunge at him. That wasn’t her. Lord, I need your help right now. Protect me from evil.

  A shriek sounded in her ear, but she still saw nothing. After a moment, though, she realized she was now alone with Layton. “Not as big and bad without your backup, huh?” she asked.

  “Olivia, I could crush you like a fly if I wanted to.”

  She straightened up. “We both know you’re lying. If you could’ve, then you would’ve already done it.”

  Layton cocked his head to the side “Spiritually, you may be right. But physically, I could kill you. No question about it.”

  “What’s your point? I answer to a higher power, the only one true God, and He decides if I live or die. Not you.”

  Layton took a big step back. “Now, who’s the one calling in reinforcements?”

  Olivia looked around and didn’t see anything, but she could feel the presence of God’s protection solidly surrounding her. “Layton, you should go.”

  “You’ve been warned.” He walked to the door and turned. “If you start messing with my members, there will be consequences.”

  As he shut the door, she let out a breath. “Thank you, Lord.” She was never fighting alone. She could take Layton’s shots, but what he said about Grant really bothered her. What was Layton’s role in that?

  When Grant heard a knock on his door, he got up from the kitchen table and went to answer it. He saw it was Olivia on the other side.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Come on in.” He stepped aside so she could enter. “What’s wrong?” He immediately worried something bad had happened.

  “I think Layton is involved in your lawsuit.”

  Ah. Yeah. “Well, funny you say that because the plaintiff brought on another lawyer—a big-time guy from a Chicago litigation boutique—an attorney who has no business being on this case. And it turns out he knows Layton.”

  “You’re sure?” Olivia asked.

  “He told me as much, but I don’t know that we can blame this entire thing on Layton. I think the lawsuit was brought without his intervention. I’m guessing he found out about it and decided to try to turn the screws and make my life more miserable than it already is.”

  Olivia took his hand. “Grant, your life is not miserable.”

  He dropped her hand. It was too painful to f
eel her touch right now. “Olivia, you have no idea what is happening in my head.” He was conflicted because in a way he wanted her to know the despair he was facing, but on the other hand, he wanted to protect her from that. “You don’t understand.”

  “I’m trying, Grant, but you have to meet me half way.”

  “Don’t you see I don’t want to?”

  She recoiled from him.

  “I didn’t mean it like that. Everything I’m doing, I’m doing to protect you from this. From me. From all of it.”

  Olivia closed the distance between them. “I do not need protection from you, Grant. I never could.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Just look at how much pain I’m causing even now. I appreciate you giving me the heads up about Layton, but I haven’t changed my mind about where we stand.”

  “So that’s it? We break up and pretend like we never happened?”

  He needed to do this for her sake. “I’ll always remember what we had, but I become more convinced by the day that I’m not the man for you.”

  Olivia lifted her chin. “I refuse to believe that. Maybe you need help I can’t provide you to face down these issues, but I want you to get that help. Don’t shut me out and think that’s going to solve everything.”

  “I know it won’t solve everything, but at least it gets you out of my web.”

  “You’re talking crazy. You have no web. You’re not a bad man, Grant. You’re a good guy. A guy who needs the people who love and care about him in his life.”

  “Sounds more like Pastor Dan talk again,” he couldn’t help but say.

  “You’re trying to get me to go away by pushing my buttons, but after everything I’ve faced down in my life, I am not going to give up on you. I love you too much, and I’m not going to give up on us. If you believe you need time, then I’ll give you space, but know this, Grant Baxter. I’m not just going to leave and forget about you. Our story is far from over.”

  He loved her so much it hurt, but that was why he had to stay strong. “At least we can agree on me needing some time to work on my issues.” He breathed in deeply. “And you should know they basically asked for the full two million at mediation. The insurance company wants to take the deal and have me pay the remainder.”