Sacrifice: Book 3 of The Dark Paradise Trilogy Read online

  It took everything in Reese not to stomp her foot. What was it about Ollo that made her feel like such a woman and a child at the same time?

  “How am I supposed to actually learn if you keep me in here like I’m some kind of caged animal, Ollo?” She took a step forward, and then another. “You’re the one who woke me. You’re the one who awakened my powers. You’re the one who trained me, who took me camping so I could experience the elements, who made me train with Daphne.” He flinched at the sound of her name and she couldn’t help but feel vindicated in her frustration, no matter how temporarily. “And now, when the moment of truth is here, the war has begun, my sole purpose for being in Onyx in the first place, you’re going to prevent me from doing what I’m supposed to be doing. You’re going to try and shield me from my fate?”

  “Might I make a suggestion?”

  Reese crossed her arms over her chest when she heard the familiar Scottish accent. She should have known Henry–as he was known on Earth; Charon to spiritual entities–was lingering about. Ever since the war started, he had been around more, whether it was at the apartment or watching her train. Technically, he was supposed to remain neutral; his only task in the spirit world consisted of ferrying souls to their proper resting place. Somehow, Henry had taken the simple job and made it work to his advantage, to the point where he was one of the most powerful and feared players on the game board. It didn’t matter that he was no more than five feet seven, wore skinny ties to high school, and had a slight build. Everyone knew better than to even look at him the wrong way. Nobody messed with Henry, not the angels, and not the demons.

  “I don’t think we could stop you even if we wanted to,” Reese replied with more attitude than she anticipated.

  “You won’t want to, dearie,” he said as he emerged from the shadows and joined Ollo at the bottom of the staircase. “My suggestion will actually benefit you.”

  This caused Reese to pause. “Oh?” she asked, clearly interested.

  “No, oh.” Ollo turned his murky eyes over to the ferry. “No, oh. Henry.” His tone held a warning.

  No one warned Henry.

  But for some reason, Henry let Ollo get away with it. Being a god certainly had its perks.

  “Despite your intentions, Reese is right.” The way he said her name still sent shivers down her spine. “She needs to be out there. She needs to start doing what she was awakened to do. However,” he turned his brown eyes on Reese, serious “I do agree that you should not go at it alone. You don’t have the experience, and if you were to die, you would be a waste.” Now, he looked between the two, a small smirk starting to form on his thin lips due to the effect the anticipation was having on him. “My suggestion is she go out and do what needs to be done with a partner.”

  Ollo raised his brow, skeptical. “And who might that be?” he asked.

  Henry’s smirk only deepened. “Black Wing.”

  3

  Keirah knew exactly where Jack Phillip lived, and was able to maneuver around his state-of-the-art security system thanks to her time with Noir. She walked up to the dimly lit walkway and once she reached the front doors, knocked proudly on the surface. She paused for a moment, wondering if they would even hear her, before deciding to ring the doorbell, twice for good measure.

  If she hadn’t come here with a purpose, she might have taken a step back to admire the two-story modern mansion. Every other window on the second story had its own balcony, and she could make out at least three chimneys on the roof in the black night, which meant multiple fireplaces. However, her eyes remained fixed on the dark brown doors in front of her, neither fascinated or impressed that she was standing on what had once been referred to by the Onyx media as Phillip’s infamous bachelor pad, waiting for them to open.

  Surprisingly enough, it didn’t take long for her knocks to be answered, but even more shocking was the fact that Andie herself answered the door. Not a butler. And she was wearing a silk forest green robe trimmed with cream-colored lace that reached mid-thigh, tied together loosely with a matching belt. Her strawberry blonde hair was in complete disarray and her feet were bare. When she registered just who was on the other side of the door, her eyes narrowed and her mouth dropped open.

  Keirah smirked. “Did I come at a bad time, dear sister?” she asked.

  It was obvious what Andie had been doing before Keirah made her unexpected appearance, and considering all that Keirah had been up to for the past eight months, it shouldn’t have come as any surprise. However, it still caught Keirah off-guard that it wasn’t only she who had changed. Though the sisters were only separated by sixteen months, Keirah always viewed Andie as her baby sister. It was somewhat disconcerting to see Andie appear so… adult.

  “Who is it, And?” a voice asked, and Keirah shifted her eyes away from her sister and into the actual house until they rested on a very shirtless Jack Phillip walking down his grand staircase. Even Keirah had to admit that the man before her was a specimen, with short, chestnut brown hair that usually fell in his face but currently sporting a military style cut, and jade green eyes. hHe was the epitome of attractive and alluring all rolled into one. It definitely didn’t help that he had broad shoulders and muscles the size of boulders. He was generally hairless on his chest up until his bellybutton, where a slender patch of hair trailed from his bellybutton down to his blue and white striped pajama bottoms.

  Well, now.

  She didn’t think it was appropriate for her to stare so openly at her sister’s boyfriend. She knew she wouldn’t want Andie ogling Noir.

  As such, she cleared her throat and turned her attention back to her sister. Andie’s pale green eyes now resembled emeralds, and Keirah knew that if looks could kill, she would probably be dead. What Keirah didn’t understand was where this animosity was coming from. Surely Andie didn’t know what she had really been up to in the past months… did she?

  “How dare you show up here?” Andie all but spat. “How dare you show your face here when I want absolutely nothing to do with you? Do you really think I’m stupid? You’re my sister, Key. I don’t care how slutty you dress yourself, I can recognize you.”

  Well, that answered Keirah’s question.

  So Andie knew she was Bombshell. Huh. She would just have to change tactics, then.

  Before Andie could say anymore–and Keirah was positive Andie wanted to say more, judging by the way her mouth was open and her nose was scrunched–Jack put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. From there, Keirah witnessed what she considered nothing short of a miracle: Andie tensed, pressed her lips together, then relaxed.

  Jack Phillip had calmed her sister down.

  “I’m sure Keirah has a reasonable explanation for why she’s here,” Jack said in his usual, soft-spoken voice. He turned those jade green eyes towards Keirah, and for a moment, she was struck. Not because they were captivating, even though they were, but because there was this niggling feeling in the back of her mind that she had seen them before. Not in the magazines or newspapers, but in real life. She physically shook her head to rid herself of the thought. That was impossible; she had never met Jack Phillip before. “Why don’t you come inside? We can make you some coffee or tea, though I’m sure Andie’s going to make herself some hot chocolate, if you’d prefer that.”

  “Tea is fine,” Keirah said, not bothering to hide the wariness in her tone. She hadn’t expected Jack Phillip to be so… warm and welcoming.

  She followed the couple into the brightly lit mansion–the utility bill must be astronomical, though it wasn’t like it mattered–and down a spacious tiled hallway. There were no pictures on the plain, white walls, and Keirah idly wondered if that might change with Andie now in Jack’s life. They emerged into a dining room and kitchen, separated by a marble bar with high wooden stools, much like Keirah’s own home. Judging by the newspapers and magazines that littered the surface and the thin layers of dust that covered the ivory dining table, the couple ate primarily at the bar,whe
n they weren’t eating out, of course.

  “Before we get into what you want, I want to know what’s been going on with you these past months, Key,” Andie said. She used Keirah’s nickname again; that had to be a good sign. “And I want the truth. You disappeared, Keirah.” She took a seat on the stool placed on the opposite side of the bar so she could look directly at her sister. “And I have a feeling a lot of it was your choosing.”

  Keirah opened her mouth to refute the claim, but stopped short. Andie would know she was lying, and to be honest, she didn’t want to hold her story in any longer.

  Jack stood next to Andie’s side rather than sit down, looking at Keirah with an unwavering gaze,not judgmental, but unflinching. His hands rested loosely in his pockets.

  Keirah told them everything. She didn’t leave anything out. By the time she was finished, she was out of breath but much lighter than when she had first walked in the manor.

  Neither Andie nor Jack said anything for the longest time. Keirah wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The longer she waited, the more her nervousness started to take hold of her. Her fingers twitched. If Noir had been here, he would have snapped at her with his golden eyes rather than using words for revealing her weakness.

  An unreadable look passed between the couple before they simultaneously turned back to look at Keirah. The room was too bright, too quiet.

  “So why are you here?” Andie asked. Keirah could tell she was having a difficult time maintaining her patience.

  “I need to get him back, And,” Keirah said in a soft voice. “I need him back.”

  “What?” Andie’s tone was flat. Jack put another hand on her shoulder but she ignored him this time. “You come to see me for the first time in months, track me down in the middle of the night, don’t even introduce yourself properly to my boyfriend, and you somehow think I’d be able to or even want to help you find a criminal who terrorized the citizens of Onyx for fun because you think you’re in love with him?”

  “I am in love with him,” Keirah said through gritted teeth. She was getting tired of everyone questioning her feelings for the man. “And I know you could help me if you wanted to, Andie. Look where you live now. The resources he has” – she gestured at Phillip, but the pause caused Andie to react faster than Keirah could continue.

  “Get out, Keirah.” Andie was on her feet now, thrusting her index finger back down the hallway. “I said it to Mom, I’ll say it to you. Get out of my life, Keirah. And don’t come back.”

  Keirah looked between both Andie and Jack, but neither spoke. She wasn’t going to apologize and she wasn’t going to beg. If Andie wouldn’t help her get Noir, she would have to try something different.

  “I’ll see myself out,” Keirah said in a low voice, and she did.

  4

  Andie felt her deep slumber decrease until her mind consciously pulled her into a light doze. She was now aware of her surroundings; the feel of Jack’s strong arm coiled tightly around her waist caused a very faint smile to touch her full lips. Last night was… eventful, to say the least. She still couldn’t believe Keirah had the audacity to come here, asking for help finding her criminal lover. The only reason she would even consider finding Noir was so he could be locked up and Keirah would be forced to confront the fact that she didn’t love this guy; she only thought she did. Deep down, Andie knew there was no point. Her sister couldn’t–wouldn’t–see the truth.

  Not only that, when Jack had to leave, slipping on his disguise and heading off into the night, Andie knew she would toss and turn. Whenever he left, she never did sleep that well. But when he returned, he woke her and they made love once again. It would seem that neither could get enough of the other, and they expressed their feelings on a physical level. Logic had not entered into their mind yet; they both knew they had work in a manner of a few hours, but it didn’t matter. They hadn’t been this way with each other for a while, and they didn’t want to let valuable time slip through their fingers.

  Andie let out a content sigh through her nose as her lips curled up into a deeper, more prominent smile. She could feel Jack’s rough fingertips caress patterns into her side, and knew that he was just as awake as she was. Things like that helped her forget her troubles, at least for a little while. She turned around in his grasp in order to face him, and her small, upturned nose brushed his chin. His grip on her tightened, pulling her even closer to him and tucking her head underneath his chin. Andie’s hands slid up his bare chest, loving the feel of his skin molding with hers.

  “How was last night?” she murmured, as she slipped an arm around his torso, pressing against him. Though she didn’t say it, he knew she was asking about his night outside the manor, as Black Wing.

  “…usual,” he mumbled back, sleepiness evident in his low, soft-spoken voice.

  “Did you get hurt?” she asked, her eyes opening, trying to see any new wounds on his body she should be wary of.

  “No,” he said, inhaling the sweet, soft scent of her hair, and burying himself deeper into her locks. “I mean, I’m sore,” he continued, and here, Andie detected a smirk in his voice, “but I don’t think that had anything to do with Onyx City.”

  Though Andie was quite familiar with what Jack meant, she still blushed, hiding her eyes underneath her long eyelashes and pressing her cheek against Jack’s chest, despite the fact that she was as close to him as she could possibly get. “We can’t let that portion of time slip away from us again,” Andie murmured against his skin, the vibrations of her voice causing Jack to break out into goose bumps.

  “Promise,” he said, nuzzling against her. “Even if we’re really busy with work or other stuff, we should be with each other… two, three times a week.”

  “At least,” Andie added. “Even if it’s quick.”

  Jack chuckled, a genuine smile slipping onto his face. Andie wished she could see it; ever since the stress of losing a portion of his capital, Jack wasn’t exactly offering up smiles as easily as he once was. “Even if it’s quick,” he promised.

  “You know what I think?” she asked, finally deciding to tilt her head back so her eyes could look over his beautiful facial features. When their eyes met, Jack pushed his brow up and an amused smile broke out onto his lips, humoring her. “I think you should call in sick today, and I’ll call in sick today, and we just stay in bed, sleeping and bringing back up our quota.”

  This time, Jack laughed full-on, holding tighter onto Andie’s frame. Andie bit her lip, a brilliant smile eclipsing her features. She absolutely adored making Jack laugh out loud, let alone smile, and her eyes captured every facial expression hoping to memorize it. She knew the days before them would get long and tumulus; Jack was incredibly stressed right now, and because of her intimate knowledge of him, she wanted something simply blissful to look back on.

  “Oh, how I wish I could,” he murmured, breathing her essence in deeply. He squeezed her, hoping to convey his sincerity. “But I have an important meeting with my investors just after lunch.” He paused. “Does this have anything to do with your sister’s unexpected visit?”

  Instantly, her guard was up. “No,” she snapped, without malice. “Keirah’s going to do whatever she wants. Why would she listen to me?”

  “And” – he began but she cut him off.

  “Good luck,” Andie said, wanting to change the subject. She knew Jack didn’t exactly believe in it, but whenever she knew he had important meetings, she would always say it. “What do you think is going to happen?”

  He let her. “Well, I called the meeting to inform them of an interested investor,” Jack said lightly, his fingertips brushing her bare sides in nonsensical patterns once again. “So I think it’ll be a good meeting. In fact,” he continued, looking down into her green eyes and interlocking his fingers around her, resting his hands against the small of her back, “I have dinner plans with her tonight.”

  “Her?” Andie asked, pushing her brows together. However, her smile revealed h
er delightedness. “Finally. All the investors you do have are all old guys.”

  “Old, rich guys,” Jack pointed out, his jade green eyes sparkling in amusement. “I think she would really like you, actually. I was hoping that you would come to dinner with us.”

  “Hmm,” Andie said thoughtfully. She wanted to make sure she had no late business meetings, no dinner plans with friends, or anything else. She made a note to call Reese and Carey after her time with Jack. She didn’t realize she needed girl-time until that moment. “Yeah, absolutely,” she said finally, after realizing she was completely free tonight. In fact, now that she had made plans with Jack, she was really looking forward to it. The last time she and Jack had last gone on a date was a few weeks ago. Since then, they’ve both been ridiculously busy. “Who is she, exactly?”

  “I’m not sure,” Jack answered. “She said she worked for Barnes & Barreys, which is a firm I’ve been familiar with since college. My father had dealings with them in the past, but since his death, there was a mutual, friendly separation. Anyways, she said that there was a renewed interest in Phillip Enterprises and wanted to schedule a dinner meeting to talk schematics and whatnot.”

  “Sounds super exciting!” Andie teased.

  “Hey!” Jack said, pinching her side, causing Andie to squeal. She was quite ticklish. Jack’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped a fraction, his lips making an ‘o’ as though he just realized how ticklish Andie was. Andie, however, could see through his little act. The man knew her for more than several months now; of course he knew she was ticklish. Like, duh.

  “Don’t you even think about it, buddy,” Andie warned, immediately recognizing that dark glimmer residing in his velvet orbs. She had thrust her finger at him and touched the tip of his nose in warning.

  “I don’t think you’re in a position to be making threats, Andrea,” Jack said with his easy, almost arrogant smirk on his face. His fingers tightened their grip on Andie’s side, and he cocked a brow, daring her to push him to begin an onslaught of tickles. However, before Jack realized what was happening, Andie pushed her lips on a very sensitive place on the column of Jack’s throat. The man was temporarily surprised, and as a result, his grip all but released her. Andie grinned in triumph and quickly moved out of the way, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and bending down to grab the white shirt she had worn the previous evening.