Sacrifice: Book 3 of The Dark Paradise Trilogy Read online

  Instead of going after her, Jack watched as Andie slid on the shirt, masking her beautifully long back. She stood after a moment, and Jack’s eyes flicked down to her legs. She wasn’t necessarily tall, but given her stature, her legs were rather long. They weren’t scrawny, like most of the models he had dated had, but healthy. God, he loved her legs.

  Andie turned then, buttoning up the shirt, her messy strawberry blonde hair spilling around her. Jack’s gaze raised up and up, passed the curves of her body, passed the ample view of the swell of her breasts to rest on her slender collarbone, up to her graceful neck, and then finally upon her heart-shaped face. Her freckles were always more prominent in the summer, and they made her appearance more youthful. Her full lips were obviously worn from the previous night’s excursions, and though her eyes looked tired, there was still that sparkle that had enchanted him upon their first meeting together.

  “You’re beautiful,” he told her simply.

  Andie glanced over at him, and a light blush decorated the top of her cheeks. He loved seeing her blush, but even more so, he loved being the one to make her blush. His eyes managed to pry away from her to glance over at the alarm clock as Andie turned around to glance out their window. 8:24. Upon seeing this, he pushed himself off the bed and walked around so he could wrap his arms around her, resting his cheek against her neck. Though she was now adorned in his shirt, she could still feel the warmth of his chest press against her back, and though she tried not to, she realized she was becoming flustered.

  “You know, I think nobody would mind if we showed up late to work,” he murmured against Andie’s throat before softly kissing a trail down until he reached the base of her neck.

  A knowing smile arrived onto her face as she felt her body lean into his touch on its own accord. “I think you’re right,” she said softly in reply, and allowed Jack to lead her back to the bed.

  5

  When Reese hung up her cell phone, she felt a tugging feeling pull at the inside of her stomach. She set the phone down on the surface of the small dining table – probably bought at WalMart – and took a rather ungraceful seat in the chair.

  She should have told Andie about her and Jack. She should have told Andie about the meeting she scheduled with him tomorrow afternoon. Henry had arranged it after both she and Ollo agreed that teaming up with Black Wing–Jack Phillip, himself–might be the best compromise they both were willing to make.

  Well, Reese was all for it. Ollo, on the other hand, was adamantly against it, but even he had to agree that he couldn’t continue to hold her back from the person she was supposed to become. Her brow furrowed the more she thought about it; why was he so against her fighting in this war? Did he not think she was capable of doing what it was that she needed to do in order to protect Onyx? Did he think she was not ready yet? What more did he need from her in order for Reese to prove herself? He was her trainer,if he didn’t have faith in her, how could she expect regular citizens to?

  Tugging at her lip, Reese wondered why she let it bother her so much. She knew the sacrifices she made in order to be the savior. Noir saving Keirah by taking a bullet for her might have been the official catalyst that ended the war, but it was her family’s death that pushed her to realize she could be more than what everyone expected her to be. She could be more than a sorority girl who modeled for Victoria’s Secret.

  And Ollo had been right there by her side, encouraging her to be greater. Now that she was ready–and she knew she was ready–he hesitated, pulling her back, keeping her locked away and hidden like some princess that needed protecting. He was sending her mixed messages and she hated it.

  She didn’t want to be that girl, but she really did care what Ollo thought about her. She was in love with the guy, after all. It hurt her to think that he didn’t believe in her when she needed his faith.

  “I would be okay without his faith,” she murmured in a low voice so only she would hear.

  Not that it mattered; Ollo and Henry left together to make certain preparations for tomorrow night went smoothly. Reese wanted to come too, but they were both insistent that she stop training and to get lots of rest. She would need it, apparently. Instead of arguing–which was exactly what she wanted to do–she bit the inside of her lip and nodded her head once, watching them leave. When she had been certain they were gone, she put a to-go order in at the bar and then headed upstairs to shower, change, and maybe watch some trash television. Andie had called her after the shower but before the television.

  Reese needed to go get her dinner.

  She hated eating alone. She couldn’t explain why, but now that her family was gone, the mere act of eating a meal reminded her just how alone she really was. The feeling left her raw, empty, and hollow.

  At first, she picked at her food, but a voice that sounded suspiciously like Ollo’s reminded her that she needed the sustenance. So she forced herself to eat the green beans, the mashed potatoes, and the meatloaf lathered with gravy. When she was finished, she threw the Styrofoam plate in the trash–she would have to remind Ollo to take it out soon–and brushed her teeth. Then she changed into her pajamas and fell asleep to the sound of the silence.

  She dreamt of her brother. He looked exactly as she had remembered him: curly brown hair, blue eyes, freckles, good bone structure. When he saw her, his eyes weren’t guarded, nor were they filled with disgust. They reminded her of the way they used to look at her, before he thought Ollo was her boyfriend and didn’t approve, before he wanted nothing to do with her when she chose to be with Ollo.

  “You’re being stupid, you know,” he told her in his usual know-it-all, deep voice. “We’re fine. But you don’t need Ollo’s faith to be the greatest savior you can be. You don’t need anyone but yourself. And if you ever forget that, just remember that even though I’m gone, you still have me. And Mom. And Dad. We know you’re going to be great, Reese. Don’t worry about anyone else. Just worry about you. Have faith in yourself. Because we do.”

  She woke up with tears in her eyes but warmth in her heart.

  Reese’s meeting with Jack was the next day at 1:30pm at the Dowager’s Café. Ollo insisted that he tag along, which really didn’t surprise her, so the two left the apartment and drove fifteen minutes south to the high-end café. Ollo had Reese take her Mercedes rather than taking his pickup truck because it was much more suited for the neighborhood, and the god got uncomfortable if there was a chance he would unnecessarily stand out. Reese didn’t mind; driving gave her something to focus on rather than last night’s bittersweet dream of her brother or the guilt gnawing away at her insides for still not telling Andie about her meeting with Jack. For her to do that, she would have to explain just who she was, and at this point, she didn’t think she was ready for that. Would Andie even believe it, or would she think Reese was crazy? She didn’t want to risk it, not when Andie was one of the only friends she had left.

  “You’re awfully quiet, darl,” Ollo murmured from the passenger seat. He wasn’t wearing his seatbelt – some weird quirk he had about being strapped into a moving vehicle. “Are you certain you still want to go through with this?”

  “Absolutely.” She sounded more confident than she felt.

  Reese pulled into the back parking lot, and the two made their way into the Dowager’s Café. It was a large café filled with a lunch crowd that consisted of stay-at-home wives dressed in pressed pastel colors and businessmen looking to close potential deals. Everything was lightly-colored, lots of whites and tans that went well with the spring season. It was a place Reese’s mother frequented a lot during her lunch breaks from the district attorney’s office, but Reese hadn’t had the chance to experience it with her.

  She glanced up at Ollo to get her mind off the thought, and found that while he had made sure to dress for the occasion, he wasn’t entirely comfortable in a place like this. He was wearing a simple white collared long-sleeved shirt rolled up to the elbows and brown slacks–she ironed them for him herself–and he ha
d even brushed his hair and placed it in a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. Reese could see many of the women notice Ollo standing with her as they waited to be seated, and without thinking about what she was doing, reached out a squeezed his hand. It was to reassure him, she told herself, but she did not let go of him until they were led to a small, circular table next to a window with a view of the back garden.

  It certainly was nice to be in Jack Phillip’s circle.

  It didn’t surprise Reese when Jack Phillip strolled through the door fifteen minutes late, completely nonchalant as though he was right on time. He was dressed much like Ollo was, with his buzzed chestnut brown hair slicked back from his face, but he exuded so much confidence, wealth, and power, his presence was easily detected. He didn’t stop his stride in order to be seated. Instead, he seemed to know exactly where he was going and didn’t hesitate. Everyone, including the wait staff, stopped what they were doing in order to watch Onyx’s resident bachelor, but he didn’t even notice them.

  Even Reese was transfixed by the sight of him, and she had to shake herself out of her stupor before he finally reached their table. She had lived in Beverly Hills, for chrissake. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had rented the house next door while Angie directed a movie, and Reese had never stared gap-mouthed like some ugly fish. She seriously needed to get herself together.

  The only person in the whole café who hadn’t been in awe of him was Ollo, who was currently giving Reese a Not you too look and shaking his head. Reese frowned and looked down at her shiny, empty plate.

  “Good afternoon,” Jack said, breaking her eye contact with the porcelain. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Reese sprung up so quickly she nearly spilled her small, round glass of ice water. What had gotten into her lately? She was never this clumsy.

  “Thank you so much for meeting with me, Mr. Phillip,” Reese said, shaking his offered hand. It was cool and rough.

  “Call me Jack.” He took his seat facing the garden while Reese and Ollo resumed their seats across from each other. He grinned at Ollo. “Good to see you again, Ollo.”

  “You too, Jack.” There was genuine warmth in Ollo’s tone, and Reese realized the two of them must have known each other for a long time.

  “It’s wonderful to finally meet you, Reese,” Jack said to her before he poured himself some coffee. “Andie speaks so highly of you.”

  “Oh.” Reese felt herself blush. “Well, she’s amazing, so thank you.”

  Jack nodded in agreement. “Yes, she is,” he murmured. He drowned the black liquid in half and half before stirring it and taking a long sip. Once he placed the cup back on its saucer, he fixed his jade green eyes on Reese. “I’m sure you’re aware we can’t speak freely, but when Henry called and explained the dilemma you’re in, I wanted to do everything in my power to assist you because you are so crucial to this war.”

  Reese wasn’t sure how to respond so she pressed her lips together.

  “I want to help,” he continued in his soft-spoken voice. “You know who I am and I know who you are, and I think it would be beneficial if we merge our interests in order to gain knowledge and experience from each other.”

  A waitress interrupted them to take their order. Ollo was the only one to order an actual meal.

  Once she was gone, Jack turned to Ollo. “What do you think of this?” he asked.

  Before Ollo could respond, Reese jumped in. “He’s completely against it,” she said. “But how am I supposed to-” she paused, making sure she picked her words carefully, “to be who I’m destined to be if I don’t get out there?”

  Jack gave her a cryptic smile. “You make a good point,” he said. “I’m sure Ollo is just being protective.”

  He was silent for a moment, stirring his coffee. After another sip, he laced his fingers together and leaned towards Reese.

  “Like I said, I’m all for this.” His soft-spoken voice dropped an octave, and his eyes were so serious, it was hard for Reese to look away. “However, I need you to do something for me. I need you to tell Andie about our partnership. She knows who I am but not what that means. It’s my job to tell her. But you need to tell her who you are. I don’t want to hide anything from her, even if it’ll protect her.”

  Reese didn’t even notice as the waitress placed the food on the table. She pressed her lips together and nodded, knowing he was right.

  “Good,” he said. He downed the rest of his coffee and stood. “We’ll start tonight?” He didn’t wait for her to respond before dropping cash on the table and heading out of the café, leaving Reese as gap-mouthed as she had been when he first walked in.

  “You’ll catch flies if you keep your mouth open, darl,” Ollo said in his flat tone, between bites of his club sandwich. “You know I still don’t approve of this whole thing, right?”

  Reese furrowed her brow. “What is your problem, Ollo?” she said in a frustrated whisper. She knew people were trying to overhear their conversation so they could figure out how she and Ollo were affiliated with Jack Phillip. “You know this is the right thing. You know I need to do this.”

  Ollo all but dropped his half-eaten sandwich. His blue-brown eyes flashed with anger, which was unusual for Ollo and caused Reese to shift her weight. “I could give a fuck if it’s the right thing to do, darl,” he said in a low, rumbly voice. It reminded her of thunder. “You are all I know, darl. I don’t even want to think about the prospect of losing you.”

  Reese stared at him, completely lost for words. He went back to his food. She picked at her parfait. Both sat in a tense silence for the rest of the meal.

  6

  Keirah already had a plan formulated in her mind by the time she left Jack’s mansion and returned to her own home. She couldn’t put it into action until the next day, but the delay gave her time to prepare and perfect it.

  The next day, she went to the law offices of Lucas Burr–not as Bombshell or in any one of her disguises, but as herself–with a briefcase filled with cash, only a small dent in her collection at home. She was wearing a professional outfit–black pencil skirt and a matching blazer–with her dark brown hair pulled into a bun. She also chose to wear a pair of glasses she didn’t really need, but she thought it completed the outfit and made her look older than her eighteen years.

  If Jack wouldn’t help her, she would have to go with the second most powerful man in Onyx, Lucas Burr. Not only was he Onyx’s District Attorney, but he was trying to get Black Wing to turn himself over to the police by trying to pass the Vigilante Registration Act. If Noir had taught her anything, it was to always question someone’s motives. There had to be a reason why Burr wanted Black Wing so badly, something deeper than the legal reasons he was giving the public. He knew more than what he was revealing, which meant that maybe he knew more about Noir and where he had disappeared to. It was more than a shot in the dark, but she had to at least try.

  As she stepped into the steel elevator, she offered a polite smile to the smartly dressed older woman who also joined her inside, and pressed the button for the top floor – thirty-six. The ride was longer than she expected but at least the woman got off on the sixteenth floor so when she confronted Burr’s secretary, she wouldn’t have an audience.

  From her extensive research last night, she knew Burr didn’t come into his office on Mondays. However, the office itself was still open and his secretary was still present, taking calls and scheduling clients. This was exactly what Keirah wanted. She didn’t need to talk to Burr just yet, but she would get information.

  When she got to the thirty-sixth floor, she headed to the first door on the left and was relieved to see it completely empty save for a pretty brunette typing furiously on a Macbook. She didn’t even look up when Keirah walked in.

  “Mr. Burr isn’t in today,” she said in a firm, baby doll voice. “Feel free to call the office and I’ll schedule a meeting with him as soon as his schedule clears up.”

  Keirah had to hide a smirk. She knew when she was bein
g blown off. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not here to see him,” she said, stopping only when she reached the smooth, tan desk. She lifted the black leather briefcase and placed it flat on the surface of the desk, disregarding the paperwork and the nameplate set upon it.

  “Um, excuse me?” the secretary–Beth, apparently–asked, but Keirah interrupted her.

  “This is a briefcase filled with one hundred thousand dollars.” Right to the point,another thing Noir taught her. There was no time for idle chitchat; if she wanted to get attention and make a point, she only had a certain amount of time to say what she had to say before she was ignored. “All I want is Burr’s cell phone number.”

  Beth raised her big blue eyes to meet Keirah’s brown ones. She furrowed her brow, clearly skeptical. “Why would you want Burr’s cell phone number?” she asked.

  Another person who didn’t take Keirah seriously. That was fine. She would use it to her advantage.

  “That’s really none of your business, Beth,” Keirah stated, making sure her voice was no-nonsense without being condescending. She wanted Beth to want to give her the number, but she couldn’t be a push-over, either. “You and I both know there are other ways for me to get the number. I could flirt with his son, Gabriel, after one of his soccer games and I’m sure I’d have it in an instant. I could call the vigilante hotline and give out information regarding Black Wing in exchange for the number. Instead, I’m here offering you a ton of money in cash in exchange for one cell phone number.”