Kieran struggled to control his emotions. He wanted nothing more than to press his lips to hers and have his way with her, but the confused look in her eyes forced him to stop. He pulled free of her embrace, his dark eyes probing hers for answers. “I’m sorry. This is all wrong,” he said, backing away from her.
Halen stared at him, her green eyes filled with unshed tears. “I’m sorry…I never meant…” she whispered, her shoulders trembling.
“If the rumors are true — the Legacy forbids it.”
Halen’s mind raced. She knew this boy played an important role in her past life, but how could he possibly know about the Legacy? More importantly, why did she guard his image deep with her heart when she couldn’t remember anything else about his past life?
She rolled over on her side, gazing thoughtfully at his stunning features. Kieran’s eyes met hers, his expression undeniably sweet and tender. If she chose to be completely honest with him would he help her?
“Care to tell me what you’re doing in my room?” He smiled and she lowered her eyes.
Halen’s mind raced, attempting to conjure up a believable story. Pasting on a fake smile, she allowed the lie to flow freely from her lips. She wasn’t prepared to tell him the truth. At least not yet.
“It’s like this. I come from a really small town. I’d tell you the name, but I’m sure you’ve never heard of it…most people haven’t,” she rambled. “Anyway, I’ve never been more than ten miles from home, much less stayed in a fancy motel — I wanted to know how the other half lives. So, I slipped in the back way. I heard voices, and of course, I panicked. Your door happened to be unlocked, so I came inside to wait until the coast was clear. I guess I fell asleep.”
Kieran’s eyes sparkled as he listened to her ridiculous explanation. “And you just happened to find my beer, decided to get drunk, and accidentally fell asleep in my bed. Is that how your little story goes? If so, I ain’t buying it. Not for one hot minute.”
“Gah, there’s no need to get your boxers in a wad.”
“Of course not. Why would I?” Kieran said flippantly. “Why did you allow me to kiss you a few minutes ago if you do not have ulterior motives?”
Halen shrugged, trying to appear unconcerned. “Personally, I blame it on the alcohol. I’m not a booze hound. Not my style.”
Walking over to the window, Kieran stared up at the night sky. Dark, threatening storm clouds covered the moon and stars. If she left now she would surely get caught in the upcoming storms.
“This has been a real trip,” Halen said. “But I gotta get out of here. Mr. Nickelson will be expecting me.”
Kieran furrowed his brow. “You shouldn’t be out at night alone. I’ll go with you. Where are you staying?”
“No! You can’t go with me!” she snapped. “I mean, it will get pretty messy if he finds us together. Please, just let me go alone. I promise I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.”
“Fine. But be careful out there. This isn’t the safest part of town.”
Halen flashed him a smile. “You betcha.”
Kieran pulled her to her feet. “I’m sorry about what happened earlier tonight. If I made you feel uncomfortable, I’m sorry.”
For a moment Halen considered telling him to truth. He seemed to genuinely care about her well-being. She had to question if he would be sweet and understanding if he knew that she belonged to Armando Rayne?
She was pretty positive that he and Armando’s late-night guest were one in the same. He definitely insinuated that he knew about the Legacy, but that didn’t guarantee that he would be able to wrap his mind around the ugly truth of the situation. It was a risk she wasn’t willing to take.
Not quite ready to leave him, she took a step back, looking into his eyes. “Don’t worry…I wanted it to happen…all of it.”
Halen turned, abruptly running from the room, her actions taking him by surprise. Down the back stairs she ran, hot salty tears blurring her vision. Reaching the final step she stopped, surrendering to the pain. Quickly, she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. She didn’t have a clue what to do next. With no money or credit cards her options were pretty limited.
Following her instincts, Halen rushed back up the steps two at a time and knocked on the door. “Hey,” she said breathlessly, shuffling her feet from side to side. “I…I…like, can I borrow a few dollars? I wouldn’t ask, but I left my money in my other jeans…you know how it goes.”
Kieran smiled, genuinely surprised to see her again so soon. “Uh sure, no problem. How much do you need?”
Halen brushed her curls out of her face before sticking her hands in her pockets. “I don’t know…like fifty bucks, if you have it. If not, it’s cool. No worries.”
“No problem.” He walked over to where his hoodie was draped over the back of the chair, reached inside the inner pocket and removed a few bills. “Here’s sixty.”
“Awesome. Thank you so much.” Halen raised up on her toes and kissed him gently on the cheek. “I’ll get it back to you as soon as I can,” she said with a smile. Before he had a chance to respond, she turned and ran, retracing her steps down the dimly lit hallway. She felt his eyes burning a hole in her back as she disappeared out of sight.
Griping the money tightly in her fist, she bolted out of the motel’s rear entrance. A warm breeze caressed her face as she raced through the alley. Rounding the corner, she found herself standing nose to nose with Percy Nickelson.
An evil grin spread across his face as his dirt-encrusted hand snaked out to capture her by the wrist. “Well, well, what do we have here? I’ve been searching all over town for you.” When he noticed the money. he yanked the crumbled bills from her hand. “How did you get your greedy little paws on this money?”
“I…I…stole it…from some old dude at the motel bar.”
“You’d best not be lying to me, gal.”
“I’m telling you the truth. Geez, you really need to take a chill pill.”
“Let’s go,” Percy said. “I’m taking you back.” Halen resisted, trying with all her might to break free of his grasp. “Please don’t make me go back there. I’m begging you!”
“Oh, you’re going back all right, and I’ll be staying with you until Mr. Rayne comes for you.” He increased the pressure on her arm, forcing Halen to fall into step next to him.
Halen glanced toward the balcony devastated to see a stunned Kieran taking her heated exchange with Percy. She flashed him a timid smile, wondering if she would ever see him again. There was always a small chance their paths would cross. He was friends wit Mr. Rayne, after all. A huge part of her prayed that day would never come — she couldn’t bear the thought of him seeing her in the role of servant to Armando Rayne.
Halen smiled to herself. She’d finally kissed the boy of her dreams! Is this what true love feels like? She wondered. I think I’ve loved him from the first moment I laid eyes on him. I wonder if he feels the same way about me? How could he? He thinks I’m nothing more than white trash, she thought. It was time to let it go and get him out of her mind once and for all.
Kieran recognized the fear in Halen’s eyes and he prayed Nickelson wouldn’t be too hard on her. He wondered what excuse she’d give him for being out so late. He remained on the balcony watching as Halen disappeared from his line of vision. He walked into the bathroom and removed a beer from the cooler. He took a long swallow, savoring the cold amber liquid as it slid down the back of his parched throat. He had a sick feeling this girl would not be easy to forget.
Nine
Halen awoke to the sound of the office door being opened. A wiry man entered the room carrying a rusted metal tray containing two plastic bowls filled with cold congealed oatmeal and rubbery scrambled eggs. Bolting upright, she eyed him with suspicion.
The man’s eyes bore through her as he handed her one of the bowls. “You idiotic little princess,” he fumed. “Do you even comprehend the trouble you’ve caused…for us all? No, of course you don’t. When
Lucien discovers what I’ve done — handing you over to Armando Rayne — just pray death comes quickly. You’d better hope he allows us the gift of death, unlike the others.” He took a deep breath and handed Bijoux the other bowl before abruptly leaving the room.
Halen’s appetite quickly vanished and she sat her meager meal aside.
Bijoux frowned, watching her friend closely. “You really should try to eat something. I know it’s not the most appetizing thing you’ve ever seen, but I have a feeling you’re gonna need your strength, girl.”
Halen knew her friend was right, but the sight of the cold mush did absolutely nothing to whet her appetite. “This crap is beyond disgusting and you know it.”
“True dat, but it’s better than going hungry.”
Halen laid back on the lumpy mattress. She closed her eyes, willing Kieran’s image to materialize. She couldn’t deny the guy possessed a major cuteness factor. She sighed, remembering the feel of his full, kissable lips, his deep brown eyes and long shaggy hair. Would she ever get a chance to feel his lips pressed gently against hers just one more time? Then, remembering her vow to erase him from her memory, she quickly cast all thoughts of him aside.
She sat up, allowing her eyes to focus on the bowl of cold food sitting on the floor. Bijoux was right — she needed to keep up her strength. She couldn’t afford to get sick. Not now. When the time was right she planned to run away and find her way back home. She would need every ounce of strength and courage she could muster to get away from Armando Rayne.
Picking up the bowl, Halen devoured her breakfast with new found determination. She could feel Bijoux’s eyes on her, but she chose to finish eating before meeting her friend’s disapproving stare.
“You’re pissed at me, aren’t you?”
Bijoux shrugged her shoulders. “No, not really. You did what you needed to do. What I don’t understand is why you can’t or won’t fill me in on what happened to you last night. Why are you insisting on keeping it on the low?”
Halen felt telling Bijoux about her time with Kieran. She wanted to keep the memory of their brief encounter all to herself. Her feelings for Kieran were too new, too special to share with anyone…even her best friend.
“Bijoux, I can’t talk about it…not yet. Please try to understand where I’m coming from.”
Bijoux exhaled. Halen was right — she was beyond pissed off. But she didn’t want to say or do anything to jeopardize her new friendship with Halen. “No problem. It’s cool I won’t keep bugging you about it.”
Percy returned, informing them it was time to leave. Not wanting to keep Mr. Rayne waiting, he quickly ushered the girls outside. Halen moaned as the morning sun temporarily blinded her. Shading her eyes with her hands, she spotted two waiting for them, thick leather whips resting across their arms.
Armando walked over to where Halen stood talking to Bijoux, causing her to fall silent. “You girls get in. We have a long drive ahead of us and I do not intend to waste one more minute of my valuable time on the two of you.”
“How far is it to your house anyway?” Halen clamped her hand over her mouth, forgetting that she was forbidden to speak without his permission.
“Look here, I do not care who you claim to be,” Armando said, outraged by her blatant disobedience. “Never speak to me unless you are spoken to first. Is that clear?”
“Yes,” she managed to reply through gritted teeth.
“Since your duties will take place in my personal residence and not out in the compound, you may address me as Master.”
Halen bit back a sarcastic remark. “Yes…Master.”
Armando folded his arms across his chest and stared into her bottle-green eyes, which met his without wavering. “I’m going to give you some much needed advice. The face that you are the so called Chosen One in Lucien’s eyes no longer means a damn thing in the grand scheme of things. You see, in order for me to overthrow Lucien and take my rightful place as the next ruler, I need to gather more followers. To accomplish this I must increase my legion of Breeders. This is where you and your little friend over there come into play. Not to mention that I find your smart mouth irritating as will the rest of my family.”
Halen lowered her gaze she he wouldn’t recognize the resentment in her eyes. “Yes, Master.”
“Excellent! Learn your place and we shall get along splendidly.”
“Howdy there, Mr. Rayne,” Percy said, joining the group. “I hope these young ladies work out for you.”
“I’m quite sure they will be satisfactory,” Armando called back, annoyed with the nasty little man’s constant interruptions. “As long as you keep your mouth shut things will be fine. I would hate to imagine what Lucien would do if he discovered your betrayal — turning his Chosen One over to his rival. Why, I shudder to think of the outcome.”
“You ain’t got to tell me twice. I ain’t no fool. I’m heading home to lay low.” Percy focused his attention on Halen and Bijoux. “You two do as you’re told. It might not seem like it now, but I did you a huge favor.”
Bijoux rolled her eyes and tugged on Halen’s hand. “Let’s move it. We don’t want to piss off Mr. Rayne anymore than we already have.”
One of the boys placed his leather whip on the seat next to him and climbed down to offer his assistance. Halen studied his features as he lifted Bijoux into the truck. His jet-black hair was parted on the side and fell across his shoulders in thick, uneven layers. His whole demeanor exuded strength, but his body appeared lanky and frail. At least he dressed like a normal teen in ripped jeans and a Black Veil Brides tee-shirt. She had to admit, he was extremely cute with his dark purple fingernail polish and thick black eyeliner.
He turned to face Halen, lifting her up with one hand. He smiled, revealing perfect white teeth. “Hey, my name is Maxx. What’s yours?”
“I’m Halen, and this is my friend, Bijoux.”
“I’m his brother, Jaxx,” the driver said, turning in his seat.
Bijoux winked at the brothers. “Oh, twins! Double the trouble, double the fun.” She glanced over her shoulder to check on Armando’s whereabouts. “What kind of person is Mr. Rayne to work for?”
“He can be difficult to get along with. He has big plans for his family’s future,” Maxx said. “His son, Mitchell, is the devil walking. True evil flows through that guys veins. He has a thing for young, pretty girls. The younger, the better. People say he loves them to death…if you get my meaning.”
Halen shuddered. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind. How long until we reach Mr. Rayne’s house?”
“It will take is at least a day to reach the compound.”
“An entire day. Are you freaking kidding me?” She never dreamed Armando’s compound would be so far away. She wanted to question Maxx further, by the rising sound of Armando’s voice changed her mind.
“Maxx, stop bothering those girls. It is time for us to leave this place.”
**
The desk clerk remained outside, watching the group drive away. He turned, preparing to return inside when he noticed someone walking in his direction. “How’s it?” the young man said.
“Can’t complain.”
“I’m looking for a guy named Percy. He still around by any chance?”
“Afraid not,” the clerk said. “he left a couple of hours ago.”
“Hmm. Did he mention where he was headed?”
“Sure did. He was headed home.”
“Is home Magnolia Grove by any chance?” Kieran said.
“Not likely,” the man said with a laugh. “Nope. He was headed off to his own place.”
“I see. Did he happen to have his sister, or maybe his girlfriend with him?” Kieran asked.
“Percy ain’t got no sister, and he sure as heck ain’t got no girl.”
Kieran paced back and forth, seething with anger. The girl had stood there and lied to his face. And for what? A few measly dollars? He ran his fingers through his hair in a useless attempt to control his growing frust
ration. “Okay,” he said through gritted teeth. “Was Percy traveling alone?”
“Yep. As far as I know.”
“Thanks for you time.” Disappointed, Kieran headed back to the motel. Why did she lie to him? Damn her! He woke up this morning determined to see Halen one more time, having made the rash decision to confront Percy about spending time alone with her.
Now, as he walked through the crowded Atlanta streets, he was livid. She’d managed to make him look like a complete fool. Hell, she’d even found a way to con him out of his hard-earned money. Granted, losing the money was no biggie — there was plenty more where that came from, but knowing Halen lied to get her greedy little hands on it made his blood boil.
His anger gradually subsided, allowing him to stop focusing on Halen’s lies, and start focusing on her as a person. He wondered what kind of relationship she really had with Percy Nickelson. Obviously, she wasn’t his sister as she first claimed. So why did she feel the overwhelming need to leave with him? Could she still be hanging out in the city somewhere, or did she use his money to make a clean break and get out of town?
The pretty little liar, he fumed. He knew it would be better if their paths never crossed again in this life time.He had little to no patience for deceit and resolved to chalk it up to yet another learning experience.
**
Armando, along with his weary group of travelers spent their first night together half way between Atlanta and the Blue Willow Compound. Armando wasted no time in securing a room for himself, forcing the others to sleep in the adjoining campground. The idea of offering Bijoux and Halen a bed for the night never crossed his mind. He considered the girls his property, which made then undeserving of even the slightest show of common courtesy.
Entangled Souls Page 5
