White Raven

by J. L. Weil

  My mouth dropped open.

  I was seriously impressed with Zane’s brawling skills, although I probably shouldn’t have been. He looked like the type of guy who could do extensive damage with just his fists. “Wow, Rambo. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

  “You have no idea what I’m capable of,” he said ominously.

  Derek, the scrawny one, interrupted what might have turned into another entertaining spat with Zane, bum-rushing toward us. Zane spun, clotheslining Derek in the neck. Sputtering, Derek went down to the ground with a thwack.

  However, he didn’t stay down long. Neither of them did. I blinked, and they were both upright and in Zane’s face. This was bad. Epically bad. How was Zane going to take them both on? He was strong, but two against one. The odds weren’t in his favor, yet it didn’t stop him. Scrambling to get out of the way, I pressed myself against a building, trying to make myself as small as possible. I should have been looking for a rock to slam over one of their heads, but in the heat of the moment, it didn’t occur to me.

  There was something not right about the way they fought. Shadows gathered around Zane, and as I stared into Blake’s eyes, there were flames dancing in his irises. That was of course on top of the web-like veins that circled their eyes. Blake and Derek’s were blue, Zane’s black.

  I was so intent on what was going on around their eyes, I didn’t see the glint of a blade until it was too late. Derek flashed in the corner of my eye, a knife against my Adam’s apple. My blood seemed to suddenly stop flowing. Zane had his fist full of Blake, beating the snot out of him, which left me with ninja Derek and his blade pressed to the base of my neck. I wanted to call out to Zane for help, seeing as the situation had taken a nasty turn.

  Unfortunately, even the slightest move would draw blood. My blood.

  I was pretty partial to every drop, and not breathing was the only way to ensure that blade didn’t nick my pretty skin.

  “I see this shut your trap,” Derek said at my silence.

  My bottom lip trembled. “Knives held at my throat tend to have that effect on me.” I was surprised by how calm my voice sounded when I was quaking inside.

  “Shut up,” he hissed.

  Did he know who he was talking to? My mouth was my only weapon, my greatest weapon. I wasn’t trained in jujitsu. I didn’t possess a black belt, or any formal ass-whooping talents. I had skipped my defense class in gym to go get coffee with Parker.

  Not such a bright idea now.

  Christ, I could really use a maneuver to unman my assassin.

  While I’d been scheming, Zane was still engaged into one-on-one combat with Blake. No matter how many times Zane slammed his fist into Blake’s chiseled face or stomped his boot into his gut, Blake got back up for more.

  He was like a goddamn Terminator, which made me Sarah Conner.

  I had also made the mistake of exhaling. “Ouch, you cut me.” All that fear turned to rage. I couldn’t believe the bastard actually cut me. I might not have had any formal training, but I knew how to knee an asshole in the balls.

  He went down like sack of sprouting potatoes, groaning and calling me a bunch of vile names.

  “Zane!” I yelled. No sooner had his name tumbled from my lips did I find myself face-planting the ground. I hit the cement hard. Derek’s hand snaked around my ankle, and I began to kick out with my other foot.

  Son. Of. A. Bitch. Didn’t see that coming.

  At least I was finally able to gain Zane’s undivided attention as he sent me a pointed glance, shaking his head. “I thought I told you to stay out of trouble.”

  Wincing, I blew the hair out of my face and looked up. “Yeah, well, plans change.” I was going to be picking gravel out of my hands for weeks.

  I didn’t know what he had done with Blake, but he suddenly appeared over me. “Lucky for you, I’m adaptable.” Zane hauled Derek off the pavement, dangling him in the air. The black veins surrounding his eyes began to grow. There was murder reflecting in his eyes.

  For a brief moment in time, I thought Zane was going to kill him. His fists gripped the front of Derek’s shirt as he held him against the brick wall, the tips of his feet centimeters off the ground. Zane was in his face, the knife no longer clutched in Derek’s mitts. “I should rip the ribs from your chest, but if what you say is true, then take back this message. I will personally end anyone who tries to harm her. Is. That. Clear?”

  Derek could only nod.

  “Good. If I see you within a mile of Piper, you won’t be walking away.” He shoved Derek to the side.

  Staggering, Derek limped down the deserted road, and I scanned the area behind me where I had last seen Blake, but his partner in crime was nowhere in sight. Not a comforting thought. I didn’t know how he was able to sneak away without making a peep.

  “Do I get a thank you?” Zane asked, not a bead of sweat breaking over his brow. Even his freaking hair still looked good.

  I stood up feeling aches in places I didn’t know I had. “For what exactly?” I replied, winded.

  “I saved your life.”

  I rubbed my wrists, hoping I had done nothing more than sprained it during my fall. “And that brings on a whole new set of questions. Why did they want to hurt me?”

  “You ungrateful brat,” he grumbled. Obviously, fighting made him surly. “They weren’t looking to just hurt you, Princess.” He invaded my personal bubble, tilting my chin up with the pad of his thumb and index finger. The center of his eyes darkened at the sight of the tiny cut on my neck. “They wanted to kill you.”

  He wanted to shock me, but I’d pretty much come to that horrifying conclusion on my own. “Okay. And this is the part where you tell me why.”

  Utter silence.

  “Say something. You owe me an explanation,” I argued.

  The mask came back on. “I don’t owe you squat.”

  Frowning, I called it like I saw it. “Bullshit. Those guys weren’t normal lunatics.”

  “Oh, so suddenly you’re an expert in crazy?”

  “After meeting you, I feel I could write a thesis on the subject,” I snapped. I scooted to the left, putting distance between us, and my head swam.

  “Hey, you okay?” He reached out, placing a hand under my arm. “Piper?”

  I shook off his hand. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  His shoulders stiffened. “You’re angry at the world and hurt beyond belief, I get that, but I am warning you, Piper. It is a volatile combination you are playing with, and if you keep picking at it, it will only hurt you more.”

  “I don’t need you to tell me how to live my life. You know nothing about me.” Bitterness sharpened my tone.

  His eyes softened. “I know you miss your mom and how much you loved her. I know how unfair you think it is that she was taken from you so suddenly, before her time.”

  He knew too much, making me feel vulnerable, which only pissed me off more. “Get out of my way.”

  “Piper.”

  The sound of my name from his lips broke me. Damn him. I wanted so much to hate him right now, as much as I’d hated the world these last few months. Between the threat on my life and the gazillion questions swimming in my head, I wanted to throw all my aggression, all my fury, and all my pain at Zane.

  He was the only available target at the moment.

  Instead, I let him pull me into his arms, and even more surprising, I buried my face into his neck, letting the tears fall.

  I cried. And cried. Big, ugly, shoulder-shaking sobs, the kind that left you red-faced and emotionally drained. Tears made me angry. Tears were useless. Tears reminded me of a pain so intense I had almost lost my way, given up. I hiccupped, my chest heaving as I gathered my composure.

  He held me through the whole ordeal, doing nothing but soothing me with the strength of his arms. His chin lay on top of my head, my face nuzzled between his shoulder blade and neck. The collar of his shirt was soaked, but he didn’t seem to care. When the tears dried up, the scent of him teased my
wrung-out senses. I tried not to dwell on the fact that I was in his arms or how great it felt. As my breathing evened, I dared not move, thinking I wasn’t ready for him to let me go. Or see the hot mess I’d made of my face.

  Score one for Zane.

  I traced the black crow on his wrist with the tip of my finger. It suited him. Ruthless. Powerful. Brave. Why did douchebag have to be one of his qualities? He had other less than redeeming traits, but remove the douche gene and he was my definition of the perfect guy.

  I fought a yawn. Man, I was losing my night owl-ness.

  Zane unfolded his arms and stretched. “Let’s get you home. I think we’re both wiped out.”

  That we could agree on.

  Chapter 12

  When the first cracks of nightfall came through the window, I stood in a towel, my hair dripping wet as I stared at the closet.

  I groaned.

  Tonight was my date with Zander.

  This night couldn’t end soon enough. Multiple times I started to call Zander to cancel our plans. I had a bellyache. I needed to wash my hair. My grandma was sick. The usually cop-outs, but I couldn’t do it. Every excuse I came up with sounded lame.

  As I stared at my clothing options, horror filled me. I had no idea what to wear. Did he expect me to wear a dress? Even though I was dreading this date, I liked Zander, but definitely not enough to wear a dress.

  I bit my nails, destroying my recently painted shiny purple manicure. Half of my freaking closet was on the bed, the other half on the floor. Seemed stupid to be so indecisive about what to wear. Zander was going to have to be okay with me—skinny jeans, crop top, wedges, and all. I wasn’t going to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.

  At seventeen, I was still trying to figure that out.

  Hair and makeup went as spectacular as wardrobe. I wanted to lighten my usual dark makeup, but no matter what I did, I still ended up looking like I should be going to a rock concert. My eyes were large in the mirror. Wrinkling my nose, the tiny stud winked under the vanity lights.

  I was nervous, but not with first date jitters.

  Going out with Zander felt wrong, misleading.

  I had just finished giving myself a Piper-you-got-this pep talk when a voice blared through the intercom. The mascara wand had come dangerously close to poking my eyeball out. Fabulous. Another sliver and my date would have been taking me to the hospital. That would have been a first date to remember.

  It hit me as I stood up, one last glimpse in the mirror.

  This was my first legit date, and Zander was not the guy I pictured waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me. As my hand slid down the banister, all I saw were flashes of Zane. His eyes. His smirk. His electric touch.

  I was literally two seconds away from running my ass back upstairs.

  Okay. I was being stupid. There was no reason why Zander and I couldn’t go out and have a good time, as friends. I just needed to make sure he understood that I wanted to keep our relationship in the friend zone. How hard could that be? He seemed like a reasonable guy, unlike Zane.

  Zander cleared his throat. “Wow. You look great.”

  I flushed. “Thanks.”

  Seeing Zander in jeans and a polo shirt I relaxed, glad I wasn’t underdressed. He was punctual. And charming. For no reason, I found both qualities annoying. As I left Raven Manor with him, I swore Rose was ready to plan our wedding. Her smile had never been so large, and there was a plan brewing behind those bewitching green eyes.

  “Ready?” His warm smile put me at ease.

  I nodded, looking forward to having a fun evening. And when the date was over, I would, as delicately as I could, let him know that we could be nothing more than friends.

  He took me to the nicest restaurant on the island. His family happened to own it, which meant there was a good chance Zane would be working.

  Ugh.

  On the upside, at least the food was phenomenal.

  The Black Crow was mesmerizing at night. Strands of firefly lights twinkled in the trees, and starlight sparkled off the deep, dark waters, making the ocean glow. There was soft music playing in the background, mingling with the harmony of nature.

  We sat at a quiet table for two on the terrace. As I looked across the table, seeing Zander’s slightly purple eyes flicker in the candlelight, I realized the ambiance was much more romantic than I’d bargained for.

  What happened to not a big deal? This felt like a big deal. This felt like he was trying too hard.

  By the time our drinks arrived with a basket of bread, the tension in my shoulders had shrunk. Carbs and fizzy carbonated drinks had that effect on me. I spent way too much time with my nose behind the menu, pouring over my dinner choices, that I didn’t hear the waitress return.

  Zander laid a gentle hand over mine, and I looked up.

  “Sorry,” I apologized. “Um, can I get the…” Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. I folded my menu and decided to be adventurous. “I’ll have whatever he’s having.”

  Zander lifted his brows in surprise and then ordered the prime rib, a salad with Italian dressing, and garlic mashed potatoes. The waitress scribbled on her little pad of paper before smiling. “You guys make such a cute couple.”

  I popped a hunk of bread into my mouth, hoping I didn’t choke on it. I racked my mind for something to say after the waitress left, anything to break this dead silence. It didn’t even have to be intelligent.

  “Have you made any plans for college?” he asked, buttering a roll.

  I latched onto the question. “Oh, yes. The future. I always thought I would go to art school, but I’m not sure anymore.”

  “You paint?”

  I shook my head. “No, I draw. Anime mostly.”

  He blinked and looked at me like I just switched to speaking geek. “Anime?”

  “Er, it’s Japanese animation.”

  He chewed the bread slowly. “Cartoons…that’s cool.”

  Cartoons? That was offensive. It was so much more than drawing sweet Disney characters, but what did I really expect a guy like Zander to know about drawing? “What about you? Got big plans?” I took a sip of my cherry Pepsi, needing to wet my whistle.

  “Family business.” Zander was a few years older than me. I had assumed he was in college and home for the summer. I guess I assumed wrong.

  Biting off another a piece of bread, I replied, “Right. The club.” My eyes did a quick glance around. “Is that what you want?”

  Zander opened his mouth and then closed it. A moment passed before he shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter what I want. This was what I was brought up to do.”

  What I heard was “life’s not fair,” and it made me want to dig deeper, find out more. “That hardly seems fair. Trust me, I get family obligations, but I think there comes a point where you have to do what makes you happy.”

  “You haven’t met my father,” he said. His tone told me all I needed to know. I’d hit a sore subject that was off limits.

  Idiot. I leaned my elbows on the table. “Sorry. It’s none of my business. I’m not passing judgment.”

  He flashed me a grin. “Why are you apologizing? I like that you feel comfortable enough to say what’s on your mind. You don’t have to tiptoe around my emotions.”

  The food arrived just then, saving me from sticking my other foot in my mouth—thank God.

  Zander kept the conversation going, asking questions about Chicago, my life in the city, and school, the usual getting-to-know-a-person rundown. He asked if I had a boyfriend, and even though I thought of Parker, I still answered no. And when I returned the inquiry, he surprised me.

  “Not anymore.” He did a good job of quickly covering the flare of sadness, but not before I got a glimpse.

  “Oh. I’m sorry. A recent breakup?” I winced, again sticking my nose where it didn’t belong.

  His chair scooted against concrete as he stood up. “Excuse me a minute.”

  I smiled. “Sure. Take your time.”

  Toying with the s
ilver ring on my finger, I pressed back in my seat, admiring the view. There was a grand tree towering just off the patio. The branches swayed with the breeze. For a moment, I swayed too, like a woman coming out of a trance. I shook my head, staring at Zane.

  In that second, I utterly forgot about the guy who had been sitting across from me moments ago. With those magnetic eyes and striking dark hair, I all but drooled.

  He looked stellar in a pair of old, distressed jeans, his thumbs hooked into the front pockets as he stopped in front of me. “Hey.”

  There was no stopping the smile that split my lips and remained. “Hey yourself.”

  Zane’s smirk faltered as he noticed the empty seat. “You enjoying your date?”

  Oh crap. How the hell had I forgotten I was on a date with his brother? What was wrong with me? “Did you want something?”

  “Maybe, but I learned long ago I don’t always get what I want.” His voice was deep and rich.

  Must ignore. Must ignore.

  The last thing I wanted was to let Zane win and ruin a fine evening.

  Fine.

  And that was where the problem lay. My date with Zander was only fine. It wasn’t exceptional or boring, but just okay—unmemorable, really, which wasn’t fair to either Zander or me. Neither of us could push feelings that just weren’t there. I liked Zander. He was nice, sweet, considerate, and a hundred other things Zane was not, but Zander also didn’t make my blood hum or send a string of excitement through my belly. He didn’t render me speechless at first sight. Zane did all that and more.

  Damn Zane Hunter.

  He’d ruined me for all other guys, and we hadn’t even kissed. For all I knew, Zane could be a horrible, slobbery, tongue-down-my-throat kisser. But something told me he would be an extraordinarily, amazing kisser.

  I folded my arms. “Why are you doing this to me?”

  “What is it that I am doing to you, Princess?” he countered.

  It was a game, this back and forth between us. “This.” I waved in the air from him to me. “I can’t figure out if you like me or hate me. It’s driving me crazy.”

  Zane’s expression relaxed into a grin. “I don’t hate you.”