A beat passed, both Bash and Jax were locked in a heated stare down.

Then, Jax looked away. He sighed. “Fine.” He gripped my shoulders as he turned me to face him. “Listen you’re leaving with Nate. Do the fuck as he says, do you hear me, Princess? This is not the time to run off at the mouth.”

“What’s going on?”

I was scared. I went from having one of the best orgasms of my life to shit going sideways in the blink of an eye. Worse, the sons of bitches weren’t telling me anything.

Jax shook my shoulders. Yes, shook my ass like a ragdoll. “No time for questions—”

A blood curdling scream filled the air.

“Shit.” Bash shoved me toward Nate. “Move!”

“Wait, Alana. Nate, where’s Alana?”

“She’s fine.” The big man hauled me off my feet.

The world tilted as he threw me over his shoulder and broke into a sprint. I looked up, back to where we’d left Bash and Jax.

“Oh my God, Jax!”

Too late.

In a blur of motion Jax and Bash jumped off the roof.

They moved so fast, my brain glitched.  Why would they leap off the fucking building? I didn’t even have time to question it. I was bouncing off Nate’s shoulder as he raced down the stairs. Seconds later he burst out the emergency exit into the staff parking lot.

Regina was parked in front of the door, under the glow of a pot light. Nate all but folded me into a ball and shoved me into the back of the Range next to Alana and slammed the door behind me.

The Range cleared the parking lot before I had time to sit up straight.

“Oh my God, Mistress.” Alana snatched my seatbelt, strapping me in like a toddler before retaking her own seat. “Are you okay?”

Am I okay? How do I answer that, when I was confused and scared for reasons I couldn’t begin to explain. I nodded, yes. Jumping out of my fucking skin as something heavy hit us.

I don’t know which side.

The Range skidded to a stop. Seconds later a body went flying off the roof. My mouth dropped open, watching as the person landed. Not in a heap of broken bones but stuck the landing in a crouch.

He popped up. Stretched, cracking his knuckles and rolling his neck to work the kinks out.

Regina put the Range in reverse and stepped on the gas, putting distance between us and the man.

“Oh, my goodness,” Alana said with childlike exuberance as she reached into her clutch and pulled out a toy-sized gun.

“I know I asked this already, but can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?”

“Your father has enemies,” Nate said, flexing his right forearm.

His veins bulged, dark traceries mapping his skin. Tendrils of black smoke, crackling with red light, swirled around him. When he turned his gaze on me, his eyes were pitch-black orbs.

I shrank back, caught between the urge to run and piss myself.

“Stay calm,” his black gaze pinned me to the spot. “Reggie will get us out of here in no time.”

In real life, I mean real fucking life, I watched the tattooed gun vanish off his skin and rematerialize in his hand like it was an extension of him.

My mouth was already hanging open, so it didn’t have more to drop. Clearly, I was seeing things. “How…?”

“I don’t how,” he answered, mistaking my half-spoken question for something other than the impossibility I’d just witnessed. “But it’s safe to say they’ve learned of his weakness.”

“Me?” I barely register the question falling from my lips, I’m too damned stunned.

“Yep,” he deadpanned, pointing the massive gun out the window at the man standing in the middle of the street.

“Don’t worry Mistress, we won’t let anything happen to you.” I turned to my lover, grinning up at me with the tiny gun in her hand; her bright blue eyes glazed with that familiar sleepy haze.

My own eyes widened with horror, who were these people?

A loud clap snapped my attention forward. I jumped, ducking low as Nate fired a second, then a third ball of white-fire in rapid succession at his target.

Have you ever seen anyone dodge a bullet? I had. Witnessed it with my two damn eyes.

Nate pulled his arm back into the vehicle and closed the window. The gun vanished from his hand, melting back into the image inked on his skin.

“Let’s see you dodge this, motherfucker.” He punched a button on the dash, and the surrounding darkness turned to daylight.

The man shrieked, face twisting into a gruesome mask. Red eyes glared back at us, flashing jagged teeth as he withered and twisted into unnatural angles. His pale skin bubbled and blistered, splitting open and oozing blood.

What I was seeing didn’t make sense. The man was not a man, but a creature with fangs. His nails had elongated into talons, and he clawed at himself, sloshing off the burnt flesh. The light, the pain it caused was driving him mad.

He dropped to all fours and scrambled away like a crab, fleeing into the dark. The ungodly sound coming from him was ear-splitting.

I clapped my hands over my ears, praying for it to stop.

“Go.” Nate told Regina.

“Go! Go!” Alana screamed gazed fixed on something beyond the back window.

I turned and screamed couting six of the red-eyed creatures bearing down on us at unimaginable speed. “Oh my God they’re more.”

Regina slammed her foot on the gas and didn’t stop again until we were parked at the front entrance to the mansion.  I didn’t move. Shit happened and my mind was still reeling, trying to make sense of it.

The double doors burst open.

“Where is she?” Olida breezed out of the house, her hair in big curlers and housecoat flying behind her as she rushed toward me. “Was she hurt?”

“No,” Nate answered.

“Well thank fuck.” This came from Ash who I hadn’t noticed had followed his sister out the door.  “Let’s get her inside. We’ll need to wipe her.”

Wipe me? I looked down, horrified I might’ve pissed myself. Nothing. Relief washed over me. I still didn’t know what they meant, and I had a feeling if I asked, I’d just get more tight-lipped evasion.

My gripped tightened on Alana’s hand. She squeezed me, her gaze searching my face was glazed over and as bizarre as it felt in the moment, I couldn’t help the feeling someone or something other than Alana was staring back at me.

“I’ll do it.” Olida said.

Ash paused. “Are you sure?”

Olida cut him a look over her shoulder, that said ‘don’t fuck with me.’

In response he rolled his eyes, as if the whole interaction was a bore and a waste of his time. He turned on his heel and walked toward the door.

“You and Alana had fun tonight.” Olida grinned at me.

A strange feeling came over me, and I became hyperfocus on her voice and words. “Yeah.” I nodded, grinning like a ninny with not a worry in the world.

“My pretty girl.” She gushed. “I bet all the boys wanted your number.”

For a second I paused, slow to remember. Then I laughed, recalling the boys she spoke of, asking for my number. I couldn’t picture their faces, but I could hear their voices clearly. And the more she continued to speak the more I saw the night unfolding just as she described.

Yeah, we had a blast I agreed.

“You’re tired.” Olida said.

Tired. Hmm, I can’t say I was before she said it, but the moment the words left her mouth I couldn’t keep my eyes open to save my life. Nate hoisted me up in his arms and carried me into the house. 

The last thing I remembered was Alana tucking me into bed.

I dreamt…no, I had a nightmare of redeyes chasing me down a dark alley.

If only I knew how close to home those red eyes where or how much of a premonition that damned nightmare would be.

****

Before we go any further, let me end the suspense. At this point in the story, I had no memory of the attack or of the man Nate lit up with our headlights and burnt to a crisp.  As far as I knew, Alana and I had a blast at Jack of Spades. We danced, ate, and she drank a whole lot of virgin cocktails while Nate watched over us.

Yes, I remember sneaking off to see Jax and finding him with Bash. I woke up the next morning thinking fondly of our threesome and proud I’d gotten Alana back home on time.

         My sweet, bright-eyed companion gave no signs of distress. No hint the events we both gushed over at breakfast was half-truths, most of them fabricated by Olida when she wiped my mind and replaced the truth.

         Not to worry, I do regain those memories and a lot more from my childhood mum had a hand in taking.

         Oh, come now, I’m not going to tell you just yet. Where’s the fun in that? I have to leave you with a little suspense.

         Papa Knight cut his business trip short and flew back home the same morning. Of course I didn’t know any this. I was just happy to see him later in the day when he popped in to see me.

         He found me lounging in the pool on a floatie while enjoying a mug of milkshake. Someone in the kitchen was kind enough to make it for me. Since my arrival I’ve never had to ask for food. It just appeared and was some of the most delicious shit I’ve tasted.

If you’ve not had a cheesecake shake, please go and get you one.

There I was all by my lonesome. Alana had been called into a meeting by Maude regarding staff business. Or so I gathered as she rushed to explain in her haste to leave, promising she’d be back in a few hours.

Jazmine Sullivan’s ‘need you bad’ was pouring out of the hidden speakers at a low volume. The waterfalls at the other end of the pool, veiling the grotto behind, trickled gently into the deeper end. I ate and hummed along with Jasmine, toes skimming the cool crystal-clear water. My mind was on Jax. I’d called him a few times and not to my surprise my calls went straight to voicemail. Understandable. He worked nights and I most likely wouldn’t hear from him until the sun dropped out of the sky.

Not soon after my thoughts wander to the other man staring in my recent fantasies. I had no number for Bash and with every passing hour since waking, I fought the urge to go in search of him. We had some unfinished business he and I.

A pair of lovebirds bathed and frolicked in the fountain in the middle of the garden, beside a tiered birdfeed stand. I imagined, both were put in place for anyone who enjoyed birdwatching. Other lovebirds flitted nearby, along with a handful of budgies, two golden macaws, and a territorial pair of bluejays calling the garden home. The fuckers were noisy, but pleasant all the same, especially with the breath of cool breeze whispering through the trees.

Different scents drifted in the air. Depending on where I turned my head, I might catch the enticing fragrance of cherry blossoms and citrus from the mandarin trees, or jasmine and night-blooming cereus trained to climb the marble columns.

         “There she is.”

The sound of his soft voice washed over me. My lips curled into a big grin. I flipped back the floppy brim of my oversized sunhat to peer up at him. “Big Papa, you’re back.”

He smiled down at me from a resting bench beneath the shade of a flowering cherry blossom tree. Our suite–his, mine and Aunty Olida’s–overlooked the peristyle garden, its marble colonnade enclosing our little slice of paradise.

“I am.” He nodded, watching me. He had a way of staring at me as if he was waiting for something to happen. It didn’t make me uncomfortable; the waiting was always wrapped in the soft warmth of his adoration, the bright note of pride that shone back at me. “Would you care to join me on a night out?”

“Hell yeah!” I exclaimed wading toward the shallow end of the beach-style pool. “Where to?”

“It is a dinner engagement,” he replied as he rose to his feet and walked the shadowed length of the colonnade to meet me. “Hosted by a friend.”

Placing a hand on my hat to keep it in place, I tilted my head back and flashed a beaming smile up at him. “Just us or do I have the pleasure of enduring your pleasant daughter and wife’s cheery dispositions for the evening?”

I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but my Papa is one good-looking man. Mum never had a chance, especially when he unleashed one of his rare smiles.

He pinched my chin. “It is a family affair.”

“Hm.” I shrugged, hardly put off.

Camile and Calista were at best entertainment; they would never be the reason why I’d have a bad mood. Aldis on the other hand, well he I didn’t my very best to avoid. He’d been out of town since he nutted all over my floor. I prayed he stayed gone.

“Tonight, you’ll meet the other families.”

“More aunts and uncles to meet, cousins?”

“No, none related. Think of us as a part of a collective. The heads of each family are captains of industries, and from time to time we get together.”

“Oh, okay. Is there anything I need to know; I wouldn’t want to ruffle any feathers.”

“Not to worry, just be your charming self.”

I nodded, chewing on my bottom lip. The night, despite his down play of it, seemed important and the last thing I wanted was to embarrass him.

More than anything, I realized right then, I wanted to fit in. I wanted him to be proud of me, to see me not as an unpolished, vulgar hothead, but as a young woman with poise and all the social graces befitting my new station in life.

“I’ll send someone to see to you while Alana’s indisposed.”

“Damn, that’s a long ass meeting.” The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Damn. I ducked my head out of shame.

“Necessary.” Papa Knight added.  He dipped his head and pecked my cheek. “Go on, I’ll see you in a few.”

Excited about the night ahead, I literally skipped away. The only dinner engagement I ever attended was the Christmas dinners hosted by my mother’s church sisters. The host of the last one, an elderly woman, spent the whole night side-eyeing me because I dared to wear a jumper that showed off my cleavage.

If only she knew my ass was on fire from the paddling Jax meted out an hour earlier.

Heh, fuck all that. I was eager to be seen out, on my daddy’s arm, at one of his fancy shindigs. And just between us, it gave me a sense of belonging. He wasn’t hiding me like a dirty secret.

Much to Camile’s chagrin. I heard her barking threats moments later, threatening to boycott the night if he didn’t leave his ‘shame’ at home. 

“Suit yourself,” was his reply.

No arguments, nothing but that one quiet response and then silence.