Marked for Vengeance (Book One: The Alyx Rayer Chronicles)

by Pierce, SJ

  He glanced at the table beside him and picked up a business magazine to flip through. Twenty mind-numbing pages in, she came back around the corner with Frederick by her side, and Isaac shot up from the chair to make his way toward him with an extended hand for a welcoming shake.

  Frederick eyed him with pressed lips, attempting to place where he had seen him, and clutched his hand with a firm grip.

  Because he wasn’t shuttling food around the bistro, Isaac figured he might need a little help. “The Market.”

  “Oh… Isaac, right?” he said as his face reanimated. “What’s up, man?”

  “Not much, not much.”

  After Frederick had displayed some recognition, the receptionist made her way back around the desk to tend to her duties.

  Fredrick tugged on the lapels of his jacket. “So you had a hard time with my cell number, I hear. That’s peculiar.”

  Isaac cleared his throat nervously. “Yeah, man. Sorry about trackin’ you down like this.”

  “No worries. Did I at least win the free lunch, though?”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  As Isaac struggled to broach the subject of why he tracked him down, he regretted not thinking of a way to do it delicately. Alyx worked as his assistant, after all, and he had only met Fredrick two times at the bistro. How did he know he wasn’t a perverted weirdo?

  He stared at the floor between them and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not here for a consultation or anythin’ like that, but I was wonderin’ about the girl that you ate lunch with yesterday.”

  Frederick laughed and lightly bumped him on the shoulder with a closed fist. “Which one, Isaac, the blonde or the brunette?”

  The receptionist stood to her feet again, and her eyes blazed into them from behind her throne. Isaac shifted his weight to his right foot and cut his eyes back up at him. “The brunette, actually.”

  Frederick cast a wary glance at Deborah and back at Isaac. “That would be Alyx.”

  Alyx. I like that. “I was hopin’ that I could find out how to contact her.”

  Frederick coughed, forcing his grin into a straight line. “As much as I like you, man, we aren’t able to give any information on our employees. Sorry.”

  As the rejection sank in, crushing his heart, a blonde girl traipsed around the corner holding a box full of frames and potted plants. She pushed the elevator button with her elbow as she eyed him conspicuously and bit her lips together to keep from smiling. Isaac glanced back at the receptionist, who sneered with crossed arms. He wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if laser beams were to shoot from her eyes any minute now. “Ok, no problem,” he conceded. “Thanks for your time.”

  Frederick smiled apologetically. “No problem. I’m sure I’ll see you again next week at the bistro!”

  “See you then,” he replied and watched in disappointment as Frederick disappeared around the corner, his one opportunity to speak with Alyx vanishing along with him.

  He faced the receptionist who now texted away on her cellphone. “Thanks, ma’am.”

  She didn’t bother breaking her focus and flung a half-hearted wave.

  “Going down?” the blonde girl asked.

  Isaac whirled around and walked to her side. “Yes I am.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  As they waited, she sized him up with a sidelong glance. What’s with these people? he thought.

  The elevator dinged, and he motioned for her to go in first. Once inside, the doors had barely shut before the interrogation began. “You’re looking for Alyx, huh?” she asked as a smirk pulled at her lips.

  Isaac nodded and stared straight ahead. At this point, he was utterly humiliated.

  She looked into the box she held in her arms. “Interesting…” she said with a trailing voice.

  He wasn’t sure what she meant by that and wasn’t about to ask. All he wanted was to leave as quickly as possible.

  “Do you recognize me at all?” she asked and peered back over at him.

  He studied her and shook his head. He couldn’t place her.

  She flashed her perfect, white teeth, their luster almost mesmerizing. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

  “Should I know you?”

  “I had lunch with Alyx that day too,” she replied as her eyes danced with amusement.

  The blonde, he thought as the revelation jogged his memory. Isaac threw his hands in the air. “Oh, of course you did! Yes, I’m so sorry.”

  “It doesn’t surprise me that you didn’t recognize me. You were all into Alyx.”

  Heat flushed his cheeks, and his eyes snapped back to the wall. When he found the nerve to glance over at her again, he could tell she contemplated what to say next by the way she stared at the elevator buttons in front of her, nervously tapping her foot.

  “Well, I don’t want to get into trouble by telling you anything too specific-

  What? Did he hear her correctly? Was she about to tell him what Frederick had refused to? The dial on the elevator ticked down the floor numbers. Three… two…

  Come on!

  “She lives off of Juniper St near the intersection of Fourteenth,” she blurted out.

  Isaac grinned victoriously from ear to ear.

  “If you happen to run into her, then it was meant to be, I suppose.”

  The elevator doors slid open, and she bulldozed him out of the way to be the first one off. He stepped back to avoid being pinned against the door jam with her box, and after she scampered on her way, he trailed slowly after.

  When close to the lobby, she stopped in her tracks and whipped her head to the side. “This conversation never happened,” she asserted and darted off without giving him a chance to respond.

  Isaac watched as the guard helped her with the doors, and he guided his hands back inside his fingerless gloves with the grin permanently carved into his face. Thank you, Blondie.

  Her words revived the hope that Fredrick had squashed just minutes before.

  * * *

  By one o’clock in the afternoon, Alyx’s shoulder still felt moderately sore, but she had regained a lot of her energy by resting. Even though she had improved physically, she was still acutely aware of the weight bearing down on her weary shoulders. The emotions of everything had worn her mind so thin that if she didn’t give it a temporary break, she would inevitably crack. Instead of risking that by mulling over her woes, she allowed her thoughts to escape by watching TV and reading her book throughout the day.

  The book she thumbed through was a guide to the country of Australia, one place she had always wanted to visit. Because of what she was, she had to stay nearby her Marked at all times, and that never allowed for much travel unless they did, which unfortunately, wasn’t the case. So as a consolation, she enjoyed reading about the different places she had never had the privilege of visiting, and today was about the ‘world’s largest island’. Just off of the North coast of this island, laid the world’s largest barrier reef. She sat cross legged on the couch with her cheek rested in her hand and scanned through the photographs of the vibrant sea life that inhabited it.

  She imagined snorkeling amongst the neon striped fish and taking her own pictures of the vivid yellow and lavender corals that decorated the sea floor, with anemones whose finger-like tentacles swayed between them from the soft ripples in the water. One picture showed a fluorescent blue starfish that lay sprawled atop the colorful coral as if to try and mute their brilliance by comparison. She brushed her hand over the glossy pages and longed to be in that quiet, peaceful place, floating amongst the sea life.

  She flipped a few pages ahead and glanced through pictures of the outback. It amazed her how one island could inhabit a barrier reef, a rainforest, and multiple deserts all at once. There was quite a stark comparison between the lush, ocean scenery and the arid desert, but it also had its charms. The primary-colored parrots and bearded dragons brought the dusty landscape to life, but what amused her the most were the Red Kangaroos that hid
their young protectively in their pouch.

  But with the splendor of this island, also came the grave reality that lurked beneath its tempting façade -- its rich wildlife inundated with lethal animals. Among her beloved barrier reef also swam the most venomous jellyfish in the world, the Box Jelly Fish, which could be rivaled by the Blue Ring Octopus, to which there was no known antidote. A sting from either of these creatures would ensure one’s demise. The island also housed other fish, snakes, and spiders that were considered the deadliest in the world. The prospect of a place being so alluring and yet, still so dangerous intrigued her. And with that thought, Alyx slapped the book closed. Most of her desires on Earth hovered around the dangerous, yet alluring. That’s how I got where I am, she surmised.

  Interrupting her moment of reflection, a menacing growl roared from the pit of her stomach. Her insides rolled with hunger. When was the last time I ate? Yesterday at lunch? She hadn’t been to the store since the week before, so her only options at the apartment were a cup of yogurt and some mustard. The pub down the street it is. She wasn’t entirely fond of the place, with its heady aroma of stale cigarettes and fried food that fused with her hair and clothes, but it was the closest restaurant to her apartment.

  She made her way to the bedroom to throw on some decent clothing, and on the way there, grabbed her cell phone to see if anyone had sent a text. Surely Benjamin and Cindra grew impatient with her absence. Her head cocked as she stared at the empty, telling screen. Nobody bothered to send another text, even a chiding one. Their silence portrayed their annoyance more than their words ever could have anyway. She pulled up a new message. Hey, girl, sorry for not responding. I’m having a rough time with this flu. Will be out the rest of the week, call me later. She pressed “Send” and closed her eyes. I wish I could talk to you about everything.

  She went back to her inbox and opened the message from Benjamin he had sent the day before. She pressed “Respond” and bit her lip as she stared dismally at the blank screen, pondering what to type. I guess there’s no good way to put this. I’ll just have to be honest. Her fingers brushed carefully over each key. Sorry about the hiatus. We need to talk, but not over the phone. Let’s get together tonight. Let me know. She shut the phone and held it to her chest. This is the right thing.

  Almost immediately, her phone beeped, and she held her breath. She presumed that either Cindra sent a sarcastic response to her apology, or Benjamin sent an irritated one to her ominous message. With her lips pressed together, she opened the phone.

  Benjamin.

  So you finally decide to respond to me, huh? WTF is going on? I ask you to move in and then you disappear for two days. I would say that yes, we need to talk. I can’t tonight, though, about to go into surgery. I will call in the morning, but please answer this time… unless that’s too much to ask.

  Her stomach sank to her feet; she hadn’t experienced his callous side before. I suppose I deserve that, she thought, tossing the phone onto the bed, and rummaged through her drawers for some clean clothes.

  She slathered on her favorite vanilla-scented body lotion and slipped into a pair of jeans and a sweater as easily as she could to keep from agitating her shoulder. She pulled her hair into a loose pony tail, allowing wispy bangs to frame her face and conceal the tiny scrapes. After dressing, she slipped on her boots, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door.

  When she arrived at the bottom step of the complex stairs, she peered up at the sky. The grey clouds looked close to splitting open for a downpour, but she would continue on to brave the imminent rain. Her stomach had eaten a hole in itself at this point.

  She took a right off of the stairs and made her way toward the pub one block down. Chicken fingers and fries sounded fantastic. As she waited for the signal to cross the street, a shock jolted through her as a wonderfully familiar, but unwelcome Irish voice rang through the air. “Hey! Wait up!”

  Isaac?!

  She wanted to break off in a sprint, but her feet stayed firmly planted. She couldn’t help but wait for him as he ran to her.

  Within half of a second, he appeared in front of her. A gush of wind carried the scent of his soap and fabric softener, which had a sweet, clean smell, like an apple orchard on an early summer morning. “Alyx!” he said hoarsely as he rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

  He knows my NAME!? The shock of seeing him again had officially turned to abject horror.

  After a few heaving gasps, his back straightened, and as soon as their eyes met he threw his hands between them to plead for her not to run away. Her wide eyes and gaping mouth must have accurately depicted her emotions. “Please, don’t freak out! I’m sorry! I just needed to find you,” he said.

  The notion endeared her -- he needed to find her -- but it wouldn’t make up for the fact that this was one more notch on her growing checklist of prohibited encounters. She considered moving her frozen feet again to continue through the crosswalk, but his fervency in finding her spoke for itself; his persistence would continue until she satiated his curiosity. Or extinguished it, rather. This was her one chance to squash his interest in her for good and ensure this never happened again. The mistakes she had made brought her to this point – he already knew her name and where she lived. She didn’t see any harm in at least talking to him. The only thing she could control now was not to let it get any further than a conversation, and that was exactly what she intended to do. But how would she begin to break it to him that his search for her would end with no reward? By the way he searched her face with eager eyes, she knew that he wanted more from her than friendly banter.

  When her horrified expression melted away, he moved in closer, her heart fluttering as the distance between them shortened. To stay focused, she ran through the scenarios in her mind. Should she act offended that he tracked her down? Should she break the tension and say something funny? Maybe I should keep it serious. “So you decided to track me down, huh? I’d like to know how you pulled that off.”

  He released a heavy sigh to shake the rest of his exhaustion from running -- and possibly his nerves from overcoming him in its stead – and removed his glove. “Let’s start this the right way today. Nice to see you again,” he said, extending a paint-stained hand.

  She cautiously extended hers in return and slid her palm over his. The corner of his mouth drew into a crooked smile as he shook it, his eyes searching, hungry. She attempted to remain poised, but every nerve in her hand came alive as their skin met for the first time, and her heart’s fluttering heightened as he pierced it yet again. She never thought it possible, but her desire grew more ferocious than she ever anticipated, the shear size of it practically bursting through its cage.

  She pulled her hand back and crossed her arms for fear of his magnetism overtaking her good sense. Remember, squash his interest, she reminded herself. I can do this. Her sudden retraction caused his smile to droop, and his eyes shifted to the ground between them. She had seen that look before, just two days ago when she didn’t give Benjamin the answer he had hoped for. Disappointing the men in her life was now an unsavory trend.

  She wanted to reach out and snatch his hand again, to ease his pain, but waited in silence for his answer to her original question of how he had found her, and the exchange quickly became awkward. He closed his eyes regretfully and tucked his hair behind his ears.

  She hated to see him struggle with how to continue, and longed to cut the tension and ask him to go get some coffee or to come upstairs to her apartment – if she could only be her normal, friendly self. But that was impossible. She couldn’t risk letting her guard down and digging herself deeper into this ever-growing hole. This time, she knew better than to try and search for a ‘grey area’.

  “I guess I should explain,” he said as he reopened his eyes.

  Alyx remained silent, pursing her lips to keep them from parting and allowing any comforting words to escape.

  “I found Frederick’s business card that he left at the bistro fo
r a free lunch, so I decided to go find him at work and see if he could tell me how to get in touch with you.” He glanced back up at her with his mysterious eyes, and it was all she could do to not melt to the ground.

  She pulled at the bottom of her sweater as she composed herself. “He must have told you how to find me, then.”

  “Not exactly,” he replied. “He wouldn’t tell me anythin’, and don’t worry, I didn’t tell him about the ‘incident’.

  The incident… Shit! He knows it was me. Her worst fears had materialized. Her reluctance to continue running the night before gave her away. No wonder he insisted on tracking her down. If she had only stayed away from the rooftop that night, she would have remained the girl he thought he had recognized at the bistro one afternoon. Now, she embodied mystery, intrigue, worthy of his tracking down. Her anguish held her words hostage this time as her stomach twisted into a rigid knot.

  “After I left, I decided to take a walk and saw you leaving your apartment. I thought it must be you, because they said you weren’t there today.”

  His voice trembled with uncertainty during his explanation, and Alyx speculated that his story involved more than just a ‘chance run-in’ with her that afternoon, but she didn’t see any point in challenging him. It didn’t matter anyhow. This wasn’t his fault… none of it was.

  His nervous energy transferred to her, and she ran her fingers through a lock of her ponytail that had fallen over her left shoulder, focusing on something other than his face that wouldn’t make it harder to speak. “What is it you wanted so badly to tell me again?”

  “I’m sorry for the other night, scarin’ you like that. And I mainly wanted to make sure you’re ok. You looked pretty beaten up.”

  She cut her eyes at him, and his unease had turned into genuine concern. If she had let him, he would have given her a hug right then and there, and she wouldn’t have willpower to fight it all that hard. Or let go. She dropped the piece of hair she held between her fingers and pulled her shoulders back. I need to stay aloof. “I’m perfectly fine. Thanks for checking on me. I was on my way to eat, so if you don’t mind,” she said and pointed across the street.