When he was gone, Annalise felt colder than before. She scrambled into her car and locked the doors behind her. Once she started the engine, she voiced her destination to the onboard computer as heat from the vents warmed her chilled fingers.
Jamen was acting strangely. Then again, since the arrival of her new partner, her mind was in constant turmoil. Devlin seemed so focused on his work but still wanted to be with her. Why? She was hot-headed, outspoken, and easily jumped to conclusions. Annalise had been told those things by her father repeatedly over the years. She accepted her flaws as they made up the tiny building blocks of who she was as a person. They gave her strength in the darkest hour and, sometimes, trouble with her superiors at the Academy.
As the car auto-drove onto the main road that spanned between the districts, she looked out the window at the sight of Silver. Steel office buildings and leisure complexes were scattered at the heart of this district. Some people in her father’s circles called it the ‘District of Trade’ because most of the businesses here made millions of credits a day. Her train of thought brought her back to Montgomery Institute and the way Roland behaved during the interview. Were his nerves related to the guilt of killing Gale in cold blood? Then, why was he so panicked? Purebloods who committed premeditated homicide were better liars. By the time they killed their victim, they had ten excuses and a possible way out of the situation.
Her wrist comms beeped with an incoming call, and she checked the screen. She answered, “What is it, Mum?”
“Annalise, I need you to come to our apartment right away. Your father, he—” Her mother stifled a sob. “He collapsed again. I don’t know what to do… It’s the second time already.”
“Oh God, call an on-call physician of the Tower. If no one shows up soon, call for an ambulance. I’ll be right there!” Annalise envisioned her heartbroken mother dabbing at her swollen eyes with a silk handkerchief.
Another sob came through the speaker. “Okay. Okay…I’ll call. Please hurry.”
Annalise deactivated the auto-drive function of her car and changed it to manual. In that moment, she didn’t care how many speed limits she had to break to get home. Her family needed her.
One phrase slithered between her racing thoughts, Devlin didn’t lie.
4
Undeniable Attraction
She burst through the front door to her parents’ apartment. Her eyes searched for her mother, finding her talking to the Tower’s physician. She strode to them, trying to catch a bit of the conversation they were deeply involved in.
“…stress, Mrs Storm. He needs a lot of rest,” the doctor said sternly.
Her mother pursed her lips. “He won’t stay in bed. I know that much.”
“Mum, what’s going on?” Annalise asked. “How’s father’s condition?”
Regina hugged her close and buried her face in Annalise’s shoulder. “Oh, it’s terrible. The doctor said something about a heart problem.”
The grey-haired doctor inclined his head in greeting. His deep-set wrinkles spoke of years of stress and experience from his job. “Mr Storm suffers from hypotension. Since it is the second time he’s collapsed, the problem may force him to go into shock. I believe the best course of action would be to undergo treatment at a private clinic and take it easy for the next couple of weeks.”
“That’s not up for debate,” William Storm barked as he staggered into the living room from his bedroom.
Regina peeled away from Annalise and rushed to his side, supporting his waist with her shaking hands. “You should get back in bed. It’s not good for you to be walking around.”
“Will, get some rest,” Annalise snapped. “You’re not well.”
“How will the party run itself without me? What if the modded gain more ground—”
Annalise shot her father a glare. “Are you so against the modded that you would endanger your health over these stupid century-old prejudices?”
“These prejudices shape the world as we know it, Annalise,” William hissed and glanced at the doctor who seemed to be edging closer to the door. “You may leave. I hope I don’t need to tell you to keep your mouth shut about my condition.”
“Of course not, sir. I will not speak a word,” the doctor replied, bowing his head. He hurried for the door. Once he opened it, Devlin stood on the other side with evident concern on his face.
Striding up to her father, Devlin said, “I got a call from your wife. How are you feeling?”
“As well as I can be,” William replied, appearing to relax in the presence of her partner.
“I’m pleased your condition is better than your wife has described, but, please, take the time to rest, at least, for tonight,” Devlin offered, motioning to the bedroom.
William grumbled and nodded. “I’ll get more sleep now and will see you tomorrow for breakfast.”
Her father waved to Annalise and pulled his wife along with him. He paused in front of the bedroom door. “Lock up when you’re leaving, Annalise.”
Still in shock at how easily Devlin persuaded her father to give in, Annalise gave a robotic nod. What kind of sway did this man have over my father? She discarded the idea of it being his charm. Will never gave in to anyone or listened to a single person’s opinion.
She took in Devlin’s tired eyes, but it didn’t discourage her from questioning him. “What do you have on my father?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, appearing genuinely confused.
“He never backs down from his point of view. Why would someone like him listen to you?”
Devlin smiled and tucked a stray lock of her raven hair behind her ear. “Are you curious about me?”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it!” She shook her head, undoing his attempt to keep her hair away from her face. Standing on her tiptoes, she almost reached his face, and her expression darkened. “If you are blackmailing my family, or anything of the sort, I will make you pay.”
Taken aback, he caught her jaw in the prison of his fingers, and she stumbled into his chest. “Dearest Annalise, I wouldn’t dream of doing something so terrible to my future father-in-law. I believe his reaction should be what drives your opinion of me. Did you notice any fear or animosity towards me?”
She thought back to her father’s behaviour. He seemed more than happy to welcome this man into his home. Even before today, he eagerly tried to please Devlin. She frowned. “No. He acts like he wants your approval.”
“A strange thing to want from your daughter’s fiancé, don’t you think?”
Annalise met his unwavering gaze. “You’re not my fiancé, Devlin. I’ve never agreed to this.”
“My apologies, I have been used to the idea of being your future husband since I was a child. It is hard for me to think otherwise.”
Her heart squeezed at the sincerity and pain she witnessed in his blue eyes. Would she act differently if her parents cared to inform her that she would marry someone like him instead of telling her what to do? Although, when would be the right time to break news like that to someone? She finished her studies over two months ago and was trying to build a career. Relying on her father and Devlin for everything would undermine the independence she craved.
“Let’s talk somewhere else,” she said, scanning the living room. Taking his hand, she led him out to the balcony where the black sky was sprinkled with stars. A silver moon reached out with her light to the darkest corners of the city. From her parents’ balcony, she could see almost all of Divinity—from the brightly-lit mansions of the rich in Golden to the red-brick factories in Green.
She let go of him and did her best to muster the courage she needed. “I can’t marry you, Devlin. I don’t think I can go through an arranged marriage like my parents have done in the past.” He said nothing, and she continued, “Don’t you think so, too? Wouldn’t you want to look for someone you’re meant to be with? Someone more suitable than me.”
Devlin rested his elbows on the railing and looked out into the
dying lights of the city as people started settling into their beds. “You may not understand this yet, Annalise, but I am a simple man. Once I have set my sights on someone, I will pursue them to the end or until I am certain there is no way for me to be with them.”
“But we can’t—” she began, and he cut her off by pressing his lips to hers.
She froze, unable to think or do anything while he nudged her lips apart. A strange longing travelled from the places where he touched her into her system. Her breath caught in her throat, and heat spread to every corner of her body—reactions much different to what she felt when she was with Mavel. With Devlin, her body reacted by itself as if she knew him inside and out. As if he was meant to be hers. Whereas with Mavel, her heart soared and bled for another touch, another caress.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she pushed him away. “I’m sorry. I can’t…”
Devlin used his thumb to tenderly brush the wetness off her cheek. His finger lingered on her skin a little longer than it should have. “I will wait for your heart to turn away from your beast. Until then, I cannot promise you I’ll abandon my advances.”
As he was about to leave the balcony, she caught his sleeve. “The eyes, why did you ask Roland about them during the interview?”
He took hold of her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. “Because in cases of possession, the eyes of the modded roll back into their head. I guess you don’t know this, but there is a system in place in Divinity to determine if the suspect has witnessed a true possession. In movies, the eyes will appear red or demonic in nature like Roland had described. Originally, my gut told me he was making things up, and I was right. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“You tricked him?” She extracted her hand from him, slapping it to her side. His touch lingered on her skin, but she wouldn’t let him see the effect he had on her. Not when she was trying to get out of this arranged marriage.
“It is a simple interrogation technique. If you stay by my side, I am willing to teach you everything I know.” He winked. “With a few extras, of course.”
She blushed and pushed him out of the balcony. “Go. I’m sure you’re tired from work.”
Devlin’s chuckle made her chest feel tight. She touched it, willing her heart to stop its excited pitter-patter. There was only enough room for one man, even though they couldn’t be together.
Annalise woke up the next morning to the loud beeping of her wrist comms. She squinted at the time on her display and groaned. It was 7 a.m. After checking the name of the caller, a slow smile spread on her face. “Monique? You’re back from your holiday?”
Her friend’s excited voice spilt out of the speaker. “I am, girlfriend. I’m back from the Wallard. Are you free tonight? I’ve got some news I want to share with you.”
“I’ll try to make time. There’s a new case I’ve been assigned to yesterday.” She climbed out of bed and started pulling out an outfit for work from her wardrobe. “Can’t you tell me the news over the phone?”
Monique groaned. “If you spend any more time alone, I think you’ll go crazy or turn into a cavewoman. My suggestion is that you take your beast along, and we go party the night away, get a few drinks, he’ll be the—”
“Mavel isn’t my servant anymore,” Annalise said, breaking through her friend’s tirade.
“What? Why? Did he die on duty or something ‘cause you two were as thick as thieves?”
Annalise contemplated her response with a heavy heart. “He quit.”
“Wow…just…wow. I seem to be incapable of adding anything to that. Shit,” Monique mumbled. “Are you okay? Want me to come over for a shot of caffeine before you go to work?”
“Aren’t you going to the DPD, too?” Annalise asked, curious as to why her friend who got into the Narcotics Department was skipping work.
“I don’t officially start till tomorrow. My parents pulled a few strings to give me a good long holiday after the Academy was over. So, to celebrate my news and mourn the dismissal of your hot beast, we should get some alcohol in us. Oh, and is that a no to a morning get-together?”
“I’m sorry. I have to check on my father. He wasn’t feeling well yesterday.”
Monique went quiet for a second. “Are we still talking about the Iron Storm, the man who hasn’t taken a single sick day off since he got into the City Hall thirty years ago?”
“I know. It’s rather surprising, right?” Annalise said with a laugh.
“Yeah… I hope your old man is alright. Keep me updated, and I’ll call you again tonight to confirm the meeting time and place. Love you!” Monique chimed.
Annalise dropped the call and her mood seemed to lighten. Since her friend had left for her holiday to the mountainside resort south of Divinity, Annalise had no one left to confide in. Mavel was hiding his own secrets and the tension between them was pushed to a new level. At least, with Monique back, she could take a stroll outside of her shell. After all, she was the only pureblood Annalise ever trusted with the inner turmoil in her heart.
Having changed into her grey jeans and a knitted green sweater that brushed her thighs, she went to visit her parents. As she was about to ring the doorbell, her finger paused above the button. She recalled that Devlin would be having breakfast with her father. Did she have the courage to face him after the conversation they had yesterday on the balcony? Grumbling under her breath, she mashed the button. If she started avoiding him now, it would be too obvious that he had gotten to her.
Her mother opened the door and ushered her inside.
As Annalise had expected, Devlin was already having a cup of freshly brewed coffee. She knew he was enjoying it by the gorgeous smile he had on his face. Her eyes narrowed on her partner as she made a beeline for the dining table, stopping next to her father. “How are you feeling?”
William smirked. “It is nice to know you care about your father’s health.”
“Can we not start a fight first thing in the morning?” Annalise asked, pushing her hands into her pockets.
Her mother pointed to the chair next to Devlin. “Take a seat. Sylvia is about to bring out the food.”
“No need. I’ll grab something in the DPD cafeteria on the way to the office.”
Regina scowled at her. “Stop acting shy and eat with us. We are all family here.”
Annalise’s cheeks heated under her makeup with the anger she tried to keep under wraps. Her parents were behaving as if the marriage to Devlin was a done deal without a spare thought for what she wanted. They would have packed her bags and sent her off to some overpriced wedding getaway if she dropped her guard.
“Sit, Annalise. I want to hear about your work,” her father said.
She slumped into a chair and rested her elbows on the table, knowing full well it was atrocious manners.
William shot her a glare from under his bushy brows.
She ignored his silent aggravation and accepted the plate of food from the pureblood housekeeper her family hired a decade ago. Sylvia was a small, round woman with a rosy complexion and understanding grey eyes. Working as a housekeeper for the Storm family paid well, especially since her father was against hiring anyone modded. The last time Annalise talked to her, Sylvia was preparing to send her youngest son to a private school in Silver.
“Annalise is new to this business,” Devlin said, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “As her new partner, I’m going to keep her out of trouble for you, sir.”
Was he implying she was incompetent in her work? Sure, she wasn’t the great Devlin Madoc of whom half of the DPD knew, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t pull her weight on this case. She lost her cool as such thoughts continued to swirl in her mind. Her hand gripped the fork, and she slammed the cutlery down. “I have an announcement to make. I’m moving to Silver.”
5
Red Dust
Her family’s and Devlin’s horrified faces would have been priceless if it wasn’t for the fact she had declared she would be leaving the safest residen
ce in Divinity to move into a district full of middle-class office workers.
William was the first to regain his composure. “Is this your poor attempt at a joke?”
Annalise’s defiance spoke before her brain had the chance to assess the full impact of her decision. “No. I’m currently looking for a place.”
Another charming smile spread across Devlin’s lips. “I live in Silver. I could help you find a place.”
Her eyes narrowed at his overly pleasant demeanour. He couldn’t possibly be living in Silver. It didn’t make sense. Wasn’t he someone her father tried to sign her over to? Would William Storm even consider a man who resided in Silver? All these questions hurt her head. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat and gave her mother an apologetic smile. “I’ve got to get ready for work. I’ll check in at another time.”
Faster than lightning, she ran out of their apartment to get as far away from them as possible. Her father’s health would improve as well if she wasn’t in sight. Although she wasn’t a doctor, their arguments couldn’t be beneficial to his health, anyway.
Reaching her door, she let the scanner accept her wrist comms before her mother caught her wrist.
“What brought this on? Are you seriously planning on something so ludicrous as moving to Silver?” Regina asked, measuring Annalise’s reaction with her hawk-like stare.
“I already said I am, didn’t I?”
Her mother relinquished her hold. “You and your father have a tendency to say things you don’t mean to the people you care about. I will ask this one last time, are you certain this is what you want?”
The worry and fear reflected in Regina’s honest eyes had Annalise questioning her split-second decision. She couldn’t stand living so close to her parents, even though they solely tried to see each other on celebrations and if her father needed her to attend some kind of function at the City Hall. Thankfully, she was financially independent of him. Yet, spending her grandmother’s inheritance willy-nilly would force her to rely on her salary at the DPD, which was barely enough for a place in Silver.
Case: 1: A Dystopian Mystery (Annalise Storm Chronicles Book 2) Page 3
