Fallen: A Paranormal Romance Novel (Shadows Of Regia Book 1)

by Tenaya Jayne

  “I don’t think I could if I tried.”

  She sat back down on the couch and stared at him.

  “You want to hurt me, don’t you? You want revenge?”

  “Yes.” She breathed.

  “I see.”

  “I’m going to reject you, Maddox. I can’t see any other way.”

  “My gosh…” He put his head in his hands. “You’re serious.”

  “Completely.”

  He opened his mouth, closed it, and shook his head. “Why haven’t you done it then?” His tone turned harder.

  “I’m not finished hurting you. I haven’t even started.”

  “So we’re enemies then?”

  “Unequivocally.”

  He smiled, catching her off guard, and causing her disquiet.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  His smile grew. “Was I?”

  She got her feet. “See? This is why I hate you. You’re terrible.”

  “Are you leaving then? Is your pain manageable?”

  She hesitated. He stood and reached for her before she could think, taking her forearms in his hands. The pain was shoved back. She caught her lip between her teeth and fought to not moan. The only defense she had was to close her eyes and not look at him.

  “You can hurt me, but I won’t hurt you. I’ve done enough of that already. I’m sorry about Selena. I did treat her badly. I wish I could take it back… But you don’t know me. You don’t know my family…I believe in us, Erin. I have hope.”

  Her eyes snapped open. “I didn’t think you a fool, but you are. Why would you say that?”

  “I trust destiny doesn’t make mistakes. So you go ahead and strike at me. I deserve it. I won’t dodge my guilt, and I won’t retaliate.”

  “What about Melina?”

  “It’s not quite as it appears…like a few other things you’re so sure of. There.” He released her and stepped back. “Same time tomorrow?”

  “Fine.” She glared.

  “I have something for you.”

  “I’m not interested in gifts from the likes of you.”

  “Sure. You’ve made yourself clear how you feel. And it’s not so much a gift as…a necessity I think. Hold on.”

  She sighed and held still as he walked into the other room. He was back in a second, holding a small box and a watch.

  “This is for you,” he wrapped the watch around her wrist. She was so taken with it she didn’t even think to object. The band felt like a second skin and snaked around her wrist like a flowering vine. The surface of the face trembled and the words Hello, Erin swirled in the middle. She touched it, scrolled through it.

  “I’ve never seen tech like this.”

  “It hasn’t hit the market yet. I had Tesla make it for you today. It’s connected to mine, in case you actually need me some time. And you can’t delete or block me, so forget those thoughts. I can see you were already plotting.”

  “Okay. I’ll keep it. Now I can at least respond with venom when you drunk dial me, like earlier.”

  “I wasn’t drunk. Not from lack of trying. Getting burned repeatedly has a sobering effect.”

  He handed her the box. “Don’t open it until you’re home. It’s a portal. It will connect your room to mine. Wait!” he grabbed her hand as she was about to throw the box. “You can close it on your end. I won’t be able to come through it unless you open it on your side. Even then, I won’t unless you ask me. My side will always be open to you.”

  “This is pointless.”

  “Oh? I thought it would make things more convenient for you. I can go where I want when I want. This way you don’t have to come on foot for our next appointment, since you’ve made it clear you don’t want me at your house…Just take it with you. You can think about it.”

  “I’ll take it, but it will be a cold day in hell when I open it.”

  He shrugged. “It’s yours. You decide what to do with it.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I meant everything I said. I’m going to hurt you. It’s not a game.”

  “Oh no? Sounds like a game. And just because I said I won’t hurt you, doesn’t mean I won’t be making moves to achieve what I want. And here’s my first move.”

  “What, the watch?”

  “No,” he wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her closer. “If I was the person you’ve accused me of being, I would take you right now.”

  Her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t…I’d fight.”

  “You think so?” He moved in, his voice dropping. “I have the connection on my side. You’re already lit up for me. You can’t hide it, Erin. I feel it. Your body will tell me the truth, even when your mouth lies. If I was that person, I’d kiss you. I’d put my hands on you. You might fight, but I’d take you under in seconds, and you’d surrender. You’d fight me to give you more, like you did the first time.”

  She trembled, trying to hold herself strong. He was right. “You’ve made it all about you. Your choice. Your power. You can’t ever have me like that.”

  “No. I won’t ever have you like that. It’s not that I can’t.” He let go and stepped back from her.

  She headed to the door and stopped. “Bad move, Maddox.”

  “Go home.” His voice was cold and he turned his back on her.

  She closed the door behind her, but she didn’t leave immediately. Fury slid molten under her skin. Was she in over her head with him? She faced the house again.

  “I hate you!” she shouted at the door.

  “Yeah, yeah,” he called back from the other side. “You’re mine.”

  Oh! She wanted to kick things. She marched home, burning in more than one way. She would make him pay for that tomorrow.

  Maddox tried to analyze his time with Erin. As much as she’d driven spikes into his soul, she had let him know the truth. He had her reasons for hating him. That gave him a direction. But he didn’t have much time. She was going to end it after she’d abused him. Panic licked around his heart at the thought of her rejecting him. He couldn’t stop her, but he wasn’t going to lay down and play dead. Maybe he’d done the wrong thing just then, but it was too late to take back.

  He sighed and flopped onto his bed. If she was as good as her word, he was in for a few rough days.

  His watch buzzed. Kendrick was calling. Not messaging but actually calling. He never did that. Maddox answered.

  “Yeah?”

  “The hell, man? You go out without me, and I have to see it in the media?”

  “Sorry. Melina wouldn’t let me contact you. I told you she hates you.”

  “I need to use that hate to tap into other things. But it looks like you lied about you and her.”

  He shook his head. Kendrick was pissed at him. He didn’t know how much more negativity he could take tonight. “I didn’t lie. It was just about optics. I’m trying to give myself alibies…Anyway, the only thing you’re going to get if you pursue Mel is broken bones.”

  “Maybe you’re full of shit and want her as your fall back.”

  “Mel would never be anyone’s fall back. Anyway, I’ve got someone.”

  Kendrick was quiet for a second. “Someone new?”

  Maddox hesitated. He wasn’t going to tell Kendrick Erin was his mate, but maybe he should give him the heads up on her, that she might be around and was off limits.

  “Yeah. Mystery Girl.”

  “You’re lying!” Kendrick laughed.

  “Okay. Believe what you want.”

  “You said you didn’t want her.”

  “Are you nuts? You’ve seen her.”

  “Yeah. That’s why I was confused when you said you were passing.”

  “I was just in a bad mood.”

  Kendrick laughed again. “You are my king. How in the hell did you swing that? She has a totally not happening vibe about her.”

  “Yeah, she does.” Maddox smiled. “She’s a bit of work, I can tell you. The challenge is a nice change. We’re exclusive though. Keep your distance.”<
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  “Sure. Until you’re done.”

  “I’m not going to be done with her anytime soon.” Or ever.

  “Sounds serious.”

  “Um hm.”

  “Have you hit that yet? You have to tell me.”

  Maddox frowned, suddenly disgusted by his friend, and he realized this was exactly the way they always talked.

  “She’s a game changer, Kendrick.”

  He groaned. “Oh, man. Don’t do this to me. You can’t mellow out. Your reputation has reached epic levels.”

  “Maybe it’s time for you to step out of my shadow. I’ll pass the mantle to you…Look, I’m going to go.”

  “Is she there now?”

  “Goodnight.” Maddox hung up.

  He closed his eyes, but he was restless as hell. Sleep was going to evade him tonight. He let everything go and tried to just focus on Erin and what she was feeling. He sighed. She was still pissed. Their conversation replayed in his mind, and he found himself smiling unintentionally, particularly when he thought about her saying she hated that he made her want him. She’d admitted she was attracted to him. He hadn’t expected that. He thought maybe she didn’t like the way he looked and that was part of her initial violent reaction to their connection.

  He realized he hadn’t really told her anything like that yet. How gorgeous she was to him. That would change the next time she let him talk. He’d tell her everything he thought about her beauty. She would probably accuse him of using his charm on her to get his way. He’d have to think his way around that. What could he say to convince her how he really felt?

  It couldn’t wait. He would start now. She would fuss; that was fine. He’d wait till he had her alone to really tell her, but he could message her with small things now.

  Just one thing, he decided, and he wouldn’t respond to any caustic replies.

  He thought about the usual things guys say. Things he’d said countless times to warm a girl up. None of that was going to be a part of this.

  The rain… and your perfect skin… under my hands.

  That was all. He sent it.

  Erin sat on the floor in her room, trying to distract herself from her time with Maddox by looking over the overdue household bills. He unsettled her. She didn’t have a handle on him at all. The way he acted, the things he said, it surprised her. She would never have thought he’d ask for her to tell him off, and then if there was more. It didn’t matter, she reminded herself. She would be ending it soon. She shouldn’t try to think her way clear. She would get her revenge for Selena and move on with her life.

  Her new watch pinged. She read his message her eyebrows pulling down. What? She read it again. Nine words. A fragment of a sentence and he had her right back there in the rain. She considered what type of nasty reply she should send and found she didn’t have the heart at that moment. She could think of nothing to say. Yet she had to say something. He was going to use that memory on her over and over because it was his ace….

  Inspiration struck. Torture could take different forms. Oh, yeah. Two could play that game. Careful, Erin, this game is dangerous.

  A storm…and your hunter’s eyes…all over me.

  She sent it, a dark smile on her lips. Take that, player. I can take you back there, too. To something you will never have again.

  Her watch pinged.

  Touché…Goodnight, Erin.

  Running scared? She messaged back.

  Hell, yes. Enjoying it though.

  She hesitated then typed. Goodnight, Maddox.

  A second after she sent it, she wished she hadn’t. What the hell was that? Looked like flirting. Ugh. Her watch pinged again.

  I was being sincere.

  She pursed her lips and decided to leave it. No more contact tonight.

  Twelve

  Redge looked at the dead girl. It wasn’t right. The whole thing was staged. He glanced at Kindel.

  “Should we get Forest back?” Kindel asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “This is going to escalate.”

  “Yeah,” Redge sighed. “I think this is just the beginning.”

  “We need to keep this quiet. Do you think Maddox is the ultimate target? Or just who they want to take the fall?”

  “Too soon to know. The whole damn thing is sloppy, but it’s almost as if…”

  “Sloppy on purpose?” Kindel added.

  “Yeah…This framing isn’t about evidence. There is none. The perp is seeking the court of public opinion to destroy Maddox. They want this in the media. You want to go talk to him, or should I?”

  “Let’s keep this in the family. Tesla should do it. I need to get started working that dust, and then I need to go under…start catching the threads of this web so we can find the spider before any more girls die. If they want this seen and we don’t show it…”

  “We need a detail on Maddox, but he doesn’t need to know it’s there.”

  “Agreed.”

  Maddox woke in agony. Every inch of him, inside and out, felt bludgeoned. He lifted his hands and watched them shake for a second. Gosh, what was she doing to him? He didn’t know it could be this bad. His stomach twisted with nausea, and cold sweat chilled him to the bone. He’d said he would take it. He’d said he wouldn’t strike back. He had no idea what he was saying when he said that.

  I’m sorry, Erin. He tried to send remorse to her, hoping she could feel it. Hoping she would acknowledge it.

  She threw her hatred at him like a javelin. She weaponized her pain and stabbed him with it over and over. But it wasn’t just her pain of losing Selena. She shredded him with her contempt.

  He wanted to call her. Beg her to stop. Plead with her to ease up, even just a little. But his pride held him still. He wouldn’t let her see how disarmed he was. She needed to do this to him. He’d take it in silence. He tried to mediate through it, wishing he had his father’s discipline in the Kata.

  Excruciation crashed over him. She was going to break him much faster than he’d anticipated. He rubbed his eyes, his vision clouding, his thoughts skittering in all directions. Someone touched him. He blinked, looking up into Tesla’s face.

  She put both of her hands on his chest, power sliding into him.

  “Don’t,” he breathed. “It’s All right. Don’t try to shield me.”

  She sniffed, looking annoyed. The sensation from her hands shifted, filling him with a numbness.

  “No,” he argued again. “I have to own this.”

  She removed her hands and crossed her arms. “I don’t think her hating you is funny anymore.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “Hmm…what’s wrong with her? Doesn’t she know that hurting you only hurts her in return? And what’s wrong with you? Why haven’t you been able to convince her she’s overjoyed to be with you? Where are all your smooth skills you’ve worked so hard to perfect?”

  “My skill is exactly why she hates me. I can’t work her.”

  “The hell you can’t. Pull your head out of your ass.”

  He took a deep breath and sat up, the room only spun a little. “Mind your own business.”

  “I love you.”

  “It’s nice someone does. I really did bring this on myself. Don’t worry about it, Tes.”

  She huffed and left the room. In a second, she was back with a glass of water. It shook in his hand as he tried to drink. He sighed as the cool liquid slid down his throat, easing the nausea.

  “What did you do to me?” he asked.

  “Not much. I just numbed your heart a little. Is it some better?”

  “Yeah. Some.”

  “Good, cause I have bad news.”

  He groaned. “I can’t take it.”

  “No choice, Maddie.”

  “I’m serious, Tesla. I can’t take anything else right now.”

  “There’s another dead girl with your name carved into her skin.”