Close-up: Take 1 of the Kanyon and Daylen Series

by K. B. Draper

  A few minutes later, new drink in hand, she turned to watch the crowd and wait for Kanyon. She took in the loud pulse of music and the throng of people crowded into the space, all with their own agendas and all working the room. She wondered how Kanyon could have gotten caught up in this scene. She wasn’t a prude, she liked to dance and have an occasional drink, but she did it all in moderation. She’d never want to live and breathe this scene night after night. And she couldn’t imagine how Kanyon had done it. Kanyon had always taken her career seriously. She had always been professional and never one for crowds or hordes of people, especially ones that swarmed around, always wanting something from her. Like Lexi. She knew somehow that Lexi had lured Kanyon onto the scene and seduced her with drinking and partying. She didn’t know how Lexi had done it because Kanyon had never been a follower, never someone to bow into peer pressure. Not wanting to think about that little question, she took another drink. She tried to distract herself by watching the crowd and absently taking another drink, only to find her glass empty. She turned to the bar, needing to do something to keep her from the thoughts of Lexi and Kanyon. She raised her glass to the bartender who gave her a nod of understanding. Seconds later another drink appeared at her fingertips. She looked down at her watch, one o’clock. Kanyon should be here by now. A fear Kanyon had been caught up in her old ways rattled her. Five minutes then I’ll go find her, she decided.

  A guy squeezed in beside her. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing sitting here all alone?”

  Daylen did an internal eye roll and took another drink before she turned to politely brush him off. “I’m sorry, but I’m waiting on someone–” Her words and smile dropped when she recognized the man.

  The wave of hatred hit her and nearly knocked her off her stool.

  “Hello, Daylen.”

  Daylen fought to get her shields up, but they were slow to react with the alcohol beginning to kick in.

  “Surprised to see me again?”

  “What do you want, Trevor?” Daylen managed.

  “Can’t a guy just come over and say hello to an old friend? What, has it been four, five years?”

  “Hello and good-bye.” Daylen fought to keep her voice calm, not wanting to show him any fear or weakness.

  “Ahh, come on. You still holding on to that little misunderstanding on the balcony?”

  “Misunderstanding? You put drugs in my drink and tried to …” She wouldn’t say it. “If it hadn’t been for–”

  “For your little girlfriend interrupting us? Right.” He trailed his fingertips down her arm. “No telling what would’ve happened. Speaking of your girlfriend, I saw her upstairs a few minutes ago getting really friendly with the chick that replaced her. What’s her name? Lexi, I think? She’s smoking hot. I guess she’s moved on. So, what do you say, want to give us another go?”

  Daylen downed her drink, gathering her strength then stood, trying desperately to keep herself steady against the alcohol and emotions which were quickly overtaking her. “Go to hell, Trevor.”

  “Guess that’s a no?” he yelled. Without turning, Daylen lifted a hand over her head and flipped him the bird. “Anytime, baby! Anytime!”

  Daylen headed upstairs to find Kanyon, fighting the urge to turn the other direction and walk out of the club. She didn’t want to see Trevor’s words confirmed. She didn’t want to see Kanyon with Lexi, but she couldn’t stop herself.

  Kanyon snapped two more photos, but still didn’t think she captured the face of Lydia’s human chair. She tried to turn to get a better angle, but Lexi was still wrapped around her. She started to push her off when a tingle shot up her spine. She stiffened. Something’s wrong. Daylen. She broke away from Lexi’s grasp and moved quickly across the room. She tapped Lydia on the shoulder. “Hey, Lydia. Sluts only or can anyone have a ride?” Kanyon asked, snapping two photos of Lydia’s companion when she turned.

  Lexi watched Kanyon’s odd behavior, wondering how exactly she had been able to ignore her so completely. Kanyon had never been able to … She watched Kanyon take close-ups of the two nobodies in the booth. This is interesting. Apparently, my source is right and Kanyon is doing the P.I. thing with Daylen. Which means, Daylen’s here. She turned just in time to see Daylen making her way up the stairs toward them. She smirked, and let the fun begin. She stepped back into the shadow of a booth, toying with the stone pendant at the end of her necklace, awaiting her prey like a spider on her web.

  “Thanks. These are so going in my album.” Kanyon spun toward the stairs, wanting to find Daylen. She came up short when Lexi stepped out in front of her. “Where are you going, love?” Lexi dropped her pendant to lay her hand on Kanyon’s chest. Kanyon froze as Lexi’s touch sent a familiar rush of desire through her. Lexi took advantage of Kanyon’s stillness, leaning in, and assaulting her mouth with a kiss.

  Then just as quickly as the sensation came, it fell away and reality of what was happening hit Kanyon and she pushed Lexi away. Kanyon took two steps around Lexi to see Daylen watching from the top of the stairs.

  “I’ll be in the car when you’re done here.” Daylen turned and moved back down the stairs.

  “Daylen.” Kanyon started to go after her, but Lexi grabbed Kanyon’s arm and pulled her back.

  “Forget her, sweetheart. You and me, we can make big headlines.”

  “I don’t want big headlines,” Kanyon caught her wrist before Lexi was able to lay another hand on her, “and I definitely don’t want you.” Kanyon took off after Daylen.

  Lexi raised a curious eyebrow. “We’ll just have to see about that,” Lexi threatened as she glared at Kanyon’s retreating back.

  Kanyon bolted out the front doors of the club, darting right and left trying to see Daylen through the camera flashes. She moved in the direction of the car, hearing footsteps pounding the pavement behind her. Kanyon flipped off her heels and ran, sprinting barefoot the last hundred yards to the car, wanting to get herself and Daylen out of there before the pursuing paparazzi caught them. She found Daylen bent over, leaning against the grill of her vehicle.

  “Daylen? Are you okay?” Kanyon asked as she stopped alongside her.

  “Fine. Perfectly fine.” She rose to look at Kanyon, only to find she couldn’t without seeing Lexi kissing her. She straightened and moved around to the door. “I just needed some fresh air. You can stay, get yourself a ride.” She tried to open the car door but it was locked. She patted her hips for the keys, as if her skintight dress had pockets.

  “Daylen, that wasn’t–”

  “Wasn’t any of my business,” Daylen responded flatly. “Can you please unlock the car?”

  Kanyon hit the remote but moved in front of Daylen before she could open the door. “Please listen to me.”

  “Kanyon, you don’t have to explain anything to me. You and I, we’re just working together for a little while. Partners for a short time. Nothing more.”

  “Daylen, I think you know you mean more than–”

  “Hello, ladies,” a deep voice came from behind them.

  Kanyon turned to see the two meatheads from Lydia’s table. “Crap.” She looked skyward then back at the guys. “Listen, this is really not a good time.”

  “Oh, I think it’s a very good time,” Buzzcut #1 said as he punched his fist into his palm.

  “Kanyon, what the hell did you do now?” Daylen asked, swaying a bit as the alcohol and emotions assaulted her.

  Kanyon automatically moved so she was shielding Daylen. “I didn’t do anything. Why do you always assume I did something?” Kanyon acted insulted.

  “Do I really need to explain that right now? Especially after what just happ–” Daylen didn’t finish her sentence, not wanting to relive the moment. “Never mind. Stop stepping in front of me. I don’t need you to protect me.” She tried to push Kanyon to the side, nearly knocking herself over in the process.

  “I wasn’t protecting you. I just couldn’t see and that was not what you think it was.”

 
“Whatever. You’re a good four inches taller than me and it was exactly what I think it was. But I don’t care. Again, none of my business and stop touching me.” Daylen slapped at Kanyon’s hand which was trying to grab her forearm.

  “Can you babes wrap up your little girl fight so we can get down to business?”

  Daylen whirled on him. “Listen, I’m really not in the mood to do this right now. I’m a little drunk and I’m a lot pissed,” Daylen yelled.

  “What are you pissed about if you don’t care about Lexi?” Kanyon asked simply.

  Daylen turned and jabbed a finger at Kanyon. “I don’t care what you do or who you kiss. You and your lips can do whatever they want.”

  Kanyon smirked. “Good to know. So, what exactly are you a lot pissed at?”

  “I’m pissed ... attttt …” She scrambled for a reason. “At all the political ads on television. You can’t go two minutes without seeing one party bashing the other,” Daylen supplied triumphantly.

  “Righttttt.” Kanyon nodded.

  “I’m with her. I hate those commercials,” Buzzcut #2 said, earning him a slap across the chest.

  Buzzcut #1 stepped forward. “Shut up, all of you. I don’t care about anything, but kicking your ass and getting those pictures you took of the boss.”

  “Why don’t you let me handle this? Then we can go home and talk about what didn’t just happen.”

  “I’m not going to let you protect me anymore.” A wave of alcohol sloshed in her stomach and she bent slightly. “Maybe just one last time, but I’m still mad.”

  “Yeah, at political commercials, got it. But it still wasn’t what you think.” Kanyon moved away before Daylen could protest or by the looks of her, vomit on her shoes. She held a “just a moment” finger up to the two men as she walked Daylen around to the passenger side, giving her a hand in then shutting the door, hoping to keep Daylen and her misunderstandings contained until she had time to straighten it all out. She turned to confront the guys who were now looking down at the mid-thigh hem of her dress. She groaned, this is so going to end with a crotch shot.

  Walking toward her, Buzzcut #1 started with the fist to palm action again. “While you still have the use of your limbs, why don’t you go ahead and hand over your phone?”

  “Hum. Yeah, I think not. Do you know what a pain in the ass it is to get a new phone? They take forever. Then you always lose your contacts and I’m only about a year into my two-year contract so, sorry, not happening.”

  Following his partner’s lead, “Well, then we’ll just have to take it from you,” Buzzcut #2 offered.

  Kanyon shrugged. “Orrrr I could just kick your asses?” Not waiting for an answer, she spun sideways, catching the two across their midsections with a spinning back kick, knocking the laughter from their throats. She dropped them with a low swipe of her leg to the backs of their knees. Reason number fifty-eight why I hate dresses, she thought as she stood and took a second to pull her dress back down.

  One of the guys got to his knees then lifted his ass in the air like a defensive linebacker. She was able to dodge enough, just enough, to avoid a full body smack down, but he caught the purse strap slung across her chest. He yanked, causing her to fall backward. He dragged her a few feet before the strap broke. Reason number two hundred and twelve why I hate purses, she thought as she regained her footing. She looked down at herself, bloody knees and bloody elbows and though her dress was dirty, it was still covering her essential parts.

  “Told you I’d get your phone.” Buzzcut #2 held out her purse by the broken strap.

  “A temporary situation.” Kanyon took a step forward before she was grabbed from behind. She immediately threw her head back hard, cracking the guy in the nose. He screamed in pain and dropped her. She landed hard but stood and began to step toward the purse-napper. “We’re going to have to end this quickly because there’s a bunch of people running up behind you.”

  “Yeah, right. Do I look stupid?”

  She tilted her head pretending to assess his face. “Actually, you do look pretty stupid. But that has nothing to do with,” she leaned slightly to look around him, “oh, I’d say the twenty people behind you, watching you steal a poor innocent woman’s purse.” Kanyon took several slow steps toward him.

  “Whatever, bitch.” Still holding her purse out in his hand, he charged her.

  “Look stupid, act stupid.” Kanyon stood her ground until he was a few feet away then pivoted, jumped, and struck her attacker with a spinning heel in the jaw.

  Kanyon looked over the guy’s limp body and rolled him over to his back. “I’m pretty sure that makes you stupid.” She took her purse from his hand. She was going to give the guy an extra kick to the ribs, but when a camera flash lit the sky, she turned and ran for the car as the hoard of paparazzi came running at her.

  She smiled and waved her purse triumphantly as she maneuvered the car through the flood of people now surrounding them, demanding comments.

  Clear of the crowd, Kanyon contemplated calling Roz, but she looked over at Daylen who had passed out and she didn’t want to wake her. She drove in silence to Daylen’s house, thinking of the headlines which were going to top tomorrow’s papers, “Kanyon McKane Attacks Strangers Outside Bar”; “Kanyon in Fight with New Lover Outside Nightclub”; “McKane Nearly Kills Two in Drunken Rage.” She groaned out loud. She didn’t really care what they said, but she did hate that her mother and Roz would wake up and read more career-killing headlines. She sighed. Then Daylen, who tried to push her away every chance she got, would see her face on the front page and try to distance herself again.

  Maybe she should just walk away, take one of the roles Roz found, and give everyone what they wanted. She’d be miserable, but she was at least good at acting. She could fake being happy so her mom, Roz, and Daylen truly would be.

  She pulled up in Daylen’s drive and watched her sleep. Well, the headlines may be partially accurate. “I’ve definitely gone a little crazy,” Kanyon said, softly running the back of her fingers down Daylen’s cheek.

  Daylen stirred at the touch. “Kanyon?” she asked in a sleep and alcohol laden slur.

  “Right here.”

  “I don’t feel so good.”

  Kanyon carried Daylen to her room and laid her in bed. She got some water and aspirin. “Daylen, I need you to sit up and drink this.” She held out the water.

  Daylen pried her eyes open and struggled to sit up. “Kanyon?”

  “Still right here.”

  Drunken thoughts of telling Kanyon she loved her swam through her mind. Tell her about being soul mates. Tell her about the Seeker, Guardian bond. “We need to talk.” With a flash of memory, Lexi’s lips on Kanyon, anger and jealously surged in her and she closed her eyes to regain her balance.

  Kanyon cupped Daylen’s chin. “Not now. Not tonight.” She ran a thumb over Daylen’s bottom lip. “I need you to take some aspirin and drink this.”

  Daylen complied then leaned back, unable to keep her eyes open for another moment.

  Kanyon moved to the end of the bed to remove Daylen’s shoes, dropping them on the floor and then pulled the sheets over an already asleep Daylen. She stood over her for a long moment. Heat and longing to protect pulsed through her body. There was no way she could or would let Daylen push her away. She belonged here with tabloid headlines, disappointed mother and agent, Blood Ring, psychic voodoo, dream-invading-ghost woman, and whatever else came with this surreal world of Daylen’s. She leaned in close, combing Daylen’s hair with her fingers. “I won’t let you push me away. I’ll prove to you that she means nothing and that you–” she brushed a kiss on Daylen’s temple, “mean everything.”

  Chapter 16

  Kanyon watched as Daylen made her way into the office the next morning. “Rough night?” Kanyon teased.

  Daylen moaned. “I feel like crap.” She took off her sunglasses and dropped them on the desk. “Why are you so perky? Why doesn’t your head feel like a jackhammer is going at yo
ur brain?”

  “Ahh, I didn’t have anything to drink.”

  “I saw you. You ordered a–” Daylen’s brain wasn’t able to finish the sentence.

  “An iced tea,” Kanyon provided.

  Daylen turned slitted eyes on Kanyon, which didn’t take much effort since they were barely open already. “You had an iced tea while you ordered me …?”

  “A Pink Tuna.” Kanyon’s lips curved.

  “Right. And very funny, by the way. I feel like I got ran over by a tuna boat.” Daylen dropped into her chair and let her forehead hit the desk. “Don’t even think about going there with that comment.”

  Kanyon sat a cup of coffee and more aspirin in front of her. Daylen lifted her head as the aroma of relief seduced her nasal passages. “Thank you.”

  Kanyon worked quietly until the coffee and aspirin brought Daylen somewhere close to alive.

  Daylen blinked, catching a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. “Ahh, what’s that?” She pointed, finally noticing the fifty-inch monitor hanging on the wall adjacent to the working crime board Kanyon installed already.

  “It’s a monitor.”

  “Thank you. I know that much. Why is it here?”

  “So I can do this.” Kanyon turned to a laptop she also set up on a newly installed desk across from Daylen’s. A stream of photos began scrolling across the screen. Daylen stood and walked over to take a closer look.

  “These are from last night?”

  “Yep.” Kanyon moved to stand next to Daylen. She reached out and touched the screen. “And this is what I think you call the money shot.” Kanyon double tapped her finger on a thumbnail picture. The photo enlarged to show a surprised Lydia straddling the lap of a man.

  “That’s definitely not Senior,” Daylen stated the obvious.

  “Nope, definitely not Senior. But it is Jonathan Defalco, Jr.” Kanyon tapped the corner of the photo, minimizing it, then selected a different thumbnail and an old news article filled the screen.