Sacrifice: Book 3 of The Dark Paradise Trilogy Read online

  Surprisingly enough, the phone number worked. Nobody answered, of course, but she left her name and the number to her disposable cell phone without leaving a detailed message, as he had so politely asked in the recording. If he was as powerful and as knowing as they thought he was, he should have no problem figuring out just who she was and why she was significant.

  While she waited for a response from him, she did her own research on the elusive Henry. As far as she knew, no one knew his full name. He got decent grades–B’s and C’s–and had an average amount of excused absences. Interestingly enough, there were no complaints listed. Not a single one. Keirah knitted her brow at this, and began to tap the end of her pencil against the tabletop. This had to be a sign of his power, where even the staff was afraid of him.

  “Even the most powerful men have their weaknesses,” Keirah murmured to herself. Her voice sounded loud in the empty, dimly lit kitchen. “So what’s yours?”

  She tugged on her bottom lip, running her fingers through her hair. There had to be something.

  If Noir were here, where would he look first? A man’s weakness might be money. But if Henry had as much power as it seemed he did, then he could get as much money or things that he wanted. Bribing him with money really wasn’t going to work.

  If not money, then it had to be a girl.

  Keirah paused and let the thought simmer. It seemed relatively cliché: a powerful, intimidating boy being brought to his knees by a girl. Shouldn’t the boy know better? Then again, most boys thought with either their heart or their dick. She rolled her eyes. Typical boys. Henry was still a boy,unless he, too, was something more, like Lucas Burr said Noir were. He was a boy and boys had needs, Noir certainly did.

  And then it hit her. Noir was a man who scared an entire city with his psychotic mind games and lethal actions. He killed anyone and anything without hesitation, without remorse, with no reason whatsoever other than he could, or that someone lost one of his games. He worked for no one other than himself, and usually killed anyone he recruited to help execute a particular mission once that mission was successfully completed. No one knew who he was or where he came from. No prison, police station, or mental ward could hold him down for more than a few months or until he decided he was ready to come out and play. He lived his life on his terms, and there was nothing anybody could possibly do to change all of that.

  Until she entered his life.

  It hadn’t been planned, of course. She was–still was, in fact–interested in studying criminal psychology. As part of her high school bridge program, she received a coveted internship with world-renowned criminal psychologist, Dr. Rachel Hawkins. He walked into her life after being caught by the Onyx Police Department, with chains attached to his ankles and his signature splattered makeup–a mask, he called it–gone.

  And that was the start of their grand love affair.

  She didn’t know why he hadn’t killed her after using her to escape from an Onyx holding cell; she didn’t know why he took her with him, back to the mansion no one knew about. He kept her around, even after he was safe, even after they had sex, even after he saved her life. She still had no idea what she had done in order to earn a place by his side. She saved his life a few times, she had fallen in love with him, she gave up her entire life–her family, her friends, her education, her internship, her dream career–for him.

  And for whatever reason, he did the same thing for her.

  She was his weakness. He would never admit it, but she was.

  If someone like Noir had a weakness, certainly Henry did. Keirah just had to do some more investigating in order to figure out who that was. If anyone was up for the task, it was her.

  Henry got back to Keirah later that day and agreed to a meeting in three days. Keirah used the last seventy-two hours conducting research, coming up with a plan and putting it into place. She also took pictures. The pictures were what would persuade him if he had any reservations about giving her what she wanted. The pictures were gold.

  They met at Onyx Park. Keirah recognized the park from last Halloween. The building across the street–a museum dedicated to all things spiritual and supernatural–was where she, Andie, and Andie’s friends and colleagues were attending a party before Noir showed up and had taken Keirah away. It had been raining that night, she remembered. She smiled. It had to be a good sign.

  Henry strolled up exactly on time, completely nonchalant about the entire ordeal. His wispy brown hair was picked up by a cool, spring breeze. He was short–no more than five feet seven–and slight, dressed completely in black save for a pair of worn red converses and a red skinny tie. From far away, he looked like a full-fledged adult, but once he got closer, he looked more like the nineteen year old he was supposed to be. He appeared as if he didn’t have a care in the world, and he probably didn’t. She hid a small smirk he wouldn’t notice. Depending on how this played out, that would change.

  “Hello, dear,” he greeted in his soft Scottish brogue once he reached the cement park bench she was sitting at. The tall tree protruding from the ground next to her provided an adequate amount of shade so it wasn’t as hot as it might have been. “Nice weather we’re having today, hmm?”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, Mr. Nathan” –

  “Henry,” he corrected.

  - “but I’d like to cut to the chase, if you don’t mind.”

  Henry smiled and nodded before taking a seat on the bench next to her.

  “I want to know where Noir is and how I can get him back,” Keirah said. Her fingers idly played with the manila folder currently resting on her lap, but she wasn’t nervous. Complete opposite, actually. She felt powerful. This must be how Henry felt every day. “I talked to someone who told me you would be able to provide me with such information.”

  “I can,” Henry agreed, watching children laugh and play on the soccer field just across from them. “But it will cost you.”

  Keirah remained silent, knowing this was how Henry handled his dealings. She raised an eyebrow as a response.

  “Your soul.” His eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.

  Keirah nodded, leaning back in her seat. She pretended to think about it for a moment before turning back to look at Henry. Henry looked content to wait for her answer for as long as it took.

  “That’s not going to work, actually,” she told him.

  “Then, I’m afraid” –

  Henry looked as though he were going to get up and leave, so Keirah took that moment to deposit the folder into his lap.

  “I think you’ll reconsider,” Keirah told him with certainty in her tone. Henry sat down to examine the contents of the folder.

  “Where did you get these?” he asked her in a decidedly darker tone. He cast a look over at her, all her nonchalance gone. Keirah had him. She knew she had him.

  “I took them myself.” She looked over his narrow shoulder and took in the pictures she had taken of Piper. “She’s beautiful, I’ll give you that.”

  “Where is she?” he demanded. His voice was low but she could detect a hint of shakiness in it. He was affected, she knew. He would soon lose his patience. “You know I’ll find out.”

  “I’m sure you will, but will you find out in time?” Keirah asked. “Here’s how this is going to go: you are going to give me the information I want. All of it. Once you do, you can come swing by and pick her up yourself, completely unharmed. If you don’t–”

  “I know how this tends to work, Miss Shepherd.” The shade caused a shadow to mask half of his face, making him more intimidating than his outer appearance might generate.

  “Then you know I’m a woman of my word,” Keirah told him.

  “You will regret this,” Henry said, his black eyes clashing with her dark brown ones.

  “If it gets me Noir, I won’t,” she countered, leaning back against the bench once more.

  She didn’t need to ask him again if he was going to make this deal with her. He was going to give her exactly w
hat she wanted, and she wouldn’t have to sacrifice her soul in order to do it.

  Noir would be back. She would get him back. And soon.

  10

  The next morning, Andie awoke with Jack’s arm around her waist. She sighed in content at how peaceful she was at that moment, and instead of immediately slipping out of his grasp, she merely laid there, reveling in his skin meshing with hers. Even with all the tension she was feeling due to trying to graduate early and Vanessa’s unwanted presence, she felt relaxed and safe in the warmth of Jack’s touch. God, she loved him, loved him, loved him… more than anything, more than she ever imagined she would. She couldn’t imagine losing him, and if anything ever did happen to him… Well, she didn’t want to think about it. Her eyes skimmed over his upper chest, the rest of him being covered by the crisp blankets. She pushed her lips into a frown when she saw a purple bruise just above one of his pectorals, and due to its color, she figured he had gotten it last night.

  To have a guardian angel, a vigilante, as a boyfriend…

  Andie leaned forward and gently swept her lips over the discoloration, a wrinkle overtaking her nose. There were times when she wanted to meet these criminals Jack dealt with each night and have a little conversation with them. She hated seeing his masculine physique tainted, unless, of course, if it was due to her,being consumed in so much passion she couldn’t help herself. A smirk littered her face as she settled back down. It was quite often that she couldn’t help herself. She decided at that moment, she should probably get up lest she lose herself in her fantasies and wake up an exhausted Jack to help bring them to life. She managed to slip herself out of Jack’s tight grasp after a few tries, muffling her giggles as she did so. He could get so worried about her sometimes, it was rather adorable.

  The young woman walked into her closet and pulled on a loose pair of jeans and one of Jack’s old college sweatshirts that he never wore anymore. Andie always looked for any excuses to wear any article of Jack’s clothes simply because they always seemed to smell like him. No matter how upset she was feeling, she could always slip on something of his, inhale his scent, and feel so much better. After throwing her hair into a messy ponytail, she headed to the door. She threw one look over her shoulder, back at her sleeping boyfriend and softly smiled. He looked so… everything; beautiful, peaceful, amazing. The list went on. She sighed before turning around and heading out the door.

  As Andie bounded down the stairs, she could already smell the food Beverly was currently preparing, the scent invading her senses and causing her opinionated stomach to start getting loud. When the Beverly saw Andie come in, she offered her a smile, though it did not quite reach her eyes. The young woman paused in the kitchen doorway, noticing this, and cocked a questioning brow.

  “Good morning,” she said slowly. “Is everything all right?”

  “Of course,” Beverly said, her green eyes immediately heading back into the frying pan to pour some broccoli into the omelet. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “Your face,” Andie told her, heading over to the bar. As usual, every edition of every paper and tabloid that Onyx could provide was sitting on top of the surface of the bar. Jack usually got them to read about the news, if there were any new criminals he should be aware of with the intent of harming the city and its population in some way, while Andie loved catching up on the latest Hollywood gossip. Usually, the couple would find something about themselves and they would always tease each other about it.

  Andie began to flip through the Onyx Register idly, not really paying attention to anything as Beverly got her her usual glass of 2% milk. She smiled her thanks, flipping over to the horoscopes and doing a quick read of what to expect this Saturday. Happiness was almost guaranteed; she would have this whole weekend with Jack, with absolutely no interruptions from that wretched woman.

  Speaking of which, Andie’s green eyes caught sight of her familiar red hair on the cover of a tabloid. She frowned at this, grabbing the periodical. Was Vanessa some sort of supermodel? Was she on the Forbes list? Why would she be on the cover of a tabloid?

  And then she saw it.

  Vanessa was dressed in a very nice, pressed black dress that hugged every curve on her body. A smile touched her lips, her blue eyes actually looking at the paparazzi taking pictures of her as though she had no problem with it. Just beside her was Jack, looking disgruntled and maybe slightly annoyed. Even from the picture, Andie could tell his jaw was clenched and his jade green eyes clearly didn’t have the patience for anything. Andie felt the tightness in her chest loosen a bit, but it didn’t fully relax. This was probably the meeting Jack had told her about; it was just a meeting… But did Vanessa really have to wear that dress? It was rather inappropriate for a business meeting, wasn’t it? Yes, she had a nice body, but could she at least leave a little to the imagination? It wasn’t like Jack hadn’t seen her naked before…

  The thought had crawled into her mind unknowingly, and Andie felt her stomach suddenly clench, ridding itself of the possibility of processing any sort of food. She dropped the tabloid and stood. Even the headline asked, Phillip Cheating Scandal? And, underneath it, Does Andie know? Ugh, she thought she might be sick.

  “It smells really good, Beverly, really, it does,” Andie began, a regretful look on her face, “but I just don’t feel good.” She pushed the barstool back in order to stand up, not willing to dig through the rest of the periodicals to see if similar headlines and pictures were adorned on the cover. “I’m going to go riding, okay? I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

  Beverly offered her a mere smile and one nod. Andie barely noticed as she left the kitchen.

  Jack Phillip was never prone to waking up early, especially not on his weekends. However, even in his sleep, he felt Andie slip from his hold on her, waking him slightly. He dozed for another hour before slipping on some casual clothing and heading down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Beverly gave him a pointed look and Andie was nowhere to be found.

  “Where’s Andie?” he asked in his usual soft-spoken voice as he headed over to the bar. Beverly said nothing, knowing that when Jack’s eyes narrowed in on what Andie had been flipping through not an hour ago, he would know. His jade green eyes did as his aunt expected, and Jack winced, running his hand through his short, cropped hair. “Shit.” He looked up at her with a questioning look.

  “Shit is right, sir,” she said, walking over to him. “May I ask you a question? Just what were you thinking, putting off your plans to interview stable masters to eat lunch at the Ivy with that woman? I know you don’t like the Ivy, Andie knows you don’t like the Ivy, and yet there you are, splattered across every tabloid. People are speculating you’re having an affair.”

  “Well, I’m not,” Jack snapped, his eyes resting on the barely touched glass of milk he knew belonged to Andie. In the months that Jack and Andie had gotten together, Beverly had gotten incredibly defensive of Andie, and usually took the young woman’s side whenever the pair had a quarrel.

  “Tell me,” she continued. “How do you think it would appear to the public if people thought you were cheating on Andie with this vixen? She’s Onyx City’s sweetheart, you know.”

  “Of course I know that.” Jack hated to be reprimanded by his aunt because Beverly was always right.

  “Do you know how many suitable bachelors would be willing to sweep her up?” she asked, knowing she was treading in dangerous territory, but knowing as well that Jack needed to hear this.

  “Don’t you think I know that?” Jack asked, his brow furrowing dangerously, nearly touching his eyes as he stood up, slamming one palm on the table. If it had been anyone else, they might have been intimidated, but not Beverly. “Don’t you think I notice when every man’s eyes are on her wherever I bring her? Don’t you think I know that people are just hoping that we’ll break up so they can have their chance at her?”

  “Do you know how lucky you are to have her?” she asked, arching a brow and looking at Jack expectantly. “B
ecause I don’t think you truly know how lucky you are. You don’t see the pain on her face, in those eyes, because she hides it from you. She trusts you, but that doesn’t mean she’s not hurting. Do have any idea the position she’s in right now? How would you feel if one of her ex-boyfriends was going to invest in her company?”

  “I know, I know,” Jack said, exhausted with this argument. “I know, all right?”

  “You won’t know until you see it with your own eyes, sir,” she corrected, her clear, green eyes sharpened like glaciers. “I know her business needs an investment, but let me tell you this, and I will only tell you this once; tread warily. You are at a fork in the road, and soon, you may have to make a choice. You had better make the right choice, because if you don’t, and you go down the wrong path, Andie may not be as patient and understanding as she is right now.”

  Andie’s favorite horse was a big, brown steed with a black mane and tail and white freckles sprinkled on each hip and the bridge of her nose. The horse had deep brown eyes, and was incredibly smart. After Andie took her out riding on the grounds once, the horse practically memorized the layout so if Andie ever got lost, the horse new exactly where to take her. This was the first horse Andie ever rescued, and she named the mare Rogue. Once Andie entered the stables, she took a moment to feed the four horses she and Jack had rescued from her animal shelter, and gave each of them some attention. When she had finished, she grabbed a saddle and entered Rogue’s stable, throwing it on her back and placing it on quite skillfully. She ran her hand down Rogue’s nose, a sad smile on her face. The horse nudged her master, as though she knew that Andie wasn’t feeling one hundred percent, and hoped to cheer her up.