Deceived (Burned Book 2) Page 19

  We'd taken too many risks and we were about to pay the consequences.

  I caught the name on the byline. It was that jerk reporter from the gala, the one I'd embarrassed. It looked like the asshole had been following me around, waiting to pounce on a juicy story like this. He got the last laugh, that's for sure.

  I swallowed as my dread multiplied, souring my stomach. Alejandro stood slowly, carefully from his place on my couch. Each footstep was deliberate as he walked across the room toward me. His careful control belied his fury.

  "You dare flaunt your relationship with this human?" he yelled in my face, spittle hitting me on the cheek. Surprised, I stumbled backwards but caught my footing. His eyes flashed with triumph. He was the cat and I was falling right into his clutches.

  "You knew?" The words escaped before I had time to think of an acceptable denial.

  Cruel laughter slipped from his lips. "I know everything, you stupid bitch. You think you are above all the other members of the House because you share special privileges?" He snorted, amused at my naïveté. "Nothing you do escapes my notice."

  My heart raced as I ran a trembling hand through my hair. My thoughts spun in a thousand different directions as I examined my actions since Daniel died. Dread bottomed out in my stomach. Did he know I'd met with Kyra?

  I stilled, my focus sharpened. No, he couldn't know. I'd be dead already if he even suspected. There was no way around that one. It was an unforgivable sin.

  Alejandro's eyes flashed, a shadow moved behind them. That more than anything had my pulse racing. He moved fast, wrapping his fingers around my neck in a bruising grip. He squeezed with enough pressure to make breathing difficult, but not impossible, a stark reminder of who was in control. Anger seethed from his every pore. It came off him in waves.

  "I could crush your windpipe without any effort whatsoever," he snarled, shaking me for emphasis. "You may reap the benefits of certain privileges in my House, but you have a tenuous place in the grand scheme of things. You'd do well not to forget that, human."

  Panting with the effort to stay conscious, my heart fluttered like a trapped bird. I clawed at his hand, my desperate movements ineffectual at easing the pressure on my neck.

  "I do not wish to harm you, so do not make me." He opened his hand and I toppled to the ground. I sucked in lungfuls of air like a gaping fish floundering on land. My hands flew to my neck, a worthless protective gesture. I didn't hold a chance against him if he came after me again. We both knew it.

  "I'm sorry," I rasped, my strained voice sounded as if I'd smoked for twenty years.

  His eyes narrowed as he snapped, "You know how much I despise simpering, my dear."

  I rose to my feet, unsteady but standing and lifted my chin. I stared back into his furious eyes, feigning a confidence I didn't feel. "I apologize for embarrassing you."

  "Not sorry for having sex with this human, I see, but sorry for embarrassing me?"

  I nodded sharply, my back ramrod straight.

  "Good." His cruel smile twisted.

  I refused to give into the relief I felt. I crossed my arms, as much to solidify the appearance of strength, as to hide the trembling in my hands.

  His eyes almost glowed; the shifting of the gold and brown was inhuman. "I've known about your human since after the gala. It was obvious something was going on. I should kill him just for being so stupid and obvious."

  "No!" The word exploded in the silence. Oh God, this couldn't be happening. My chest ached, pain shot through me. "He is a friend. It was a mistake to allow it to go further than that but please, don't kill him."

  "You beg for him to live. That tells me you have feelings where he is concerned."

  Thoughts racing, I played the one card I held in my hand. The only one that might spare Zak's life. "I don't love him." It was the easiest lie I'd ever told. "I love you, just you." I refused to back down. My fierce gaze never wavered from his. The only thing he respected was strength and confidence, I could fake that better than anyone.

  I forced myself to shove my fear, my frantic worry away. I flew through various rationale in my mind, approaching this situation as if it were one of my cases. I made my next argument seamlessly. "I don't say anything about the women you see, the others you have sex with. Not a word in all these years."

  "You know they don't mean anything," he countered, waving his hand in a dismissing gesture.

  "This means nothing. He's just a friend that I allowed to get too close."

  I waited a heartbeat, two. It didn't take much for my eyes to film with tears as I hit him with the next punch.

  "You killed my best friend, Alejandro." I made myself hold his gaze. My jaw tensed as I forced the next lie through my teeth. "I may understand your logic in killing Daniel, but it hurts. I'm still human." I drew in a shuttering breath. "Zak is a friend." I couldn't hide the thickening of my voice as I pleaded. "Don't kill any more of my friends. Please."

  His eyes narrowed as he weighed my argument, calculating my sincerity with my logic.

  My heart continued to race even as I held my breath.

  "I don't care what you do with him, but you will not disrespect me."

  I stayed standing, locking my knees even though they wanted to give out in relief.

  "You are mine. Mine." His low words were hissed through clenched teeth. "Make no mistake, if there is another mention about this in the media he will be disposed of." His eyes darkened, the irises shifting to a stormy taupe. "I don't ask much from you, Arabella, just two things: loyalty and obedience."

  I raged inside with impotent fury; my jaw clenched tight as I fought to keep the words inside. I knew releasing them would only mean my death.

  His hard eyes softened, although no one else would have noticed the minute change. "Daniel knew the rules. He made his choice." He drew in a deep breath, sadness flashed in his eyes. The moment so fleeting I could have imagined it. "We can't allow anything, anything to come before the House. But I do feel for the pain that this has caused you."

  Shock held me rigid. This was as close to an apology as I'd ever receive, ever hoped for. I didn't know how to feel about it. My anger and sadness over Daniel's loss warred with the relief that Zak escaped the same fate. For now it seemed.

  "This whole thing leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I am disappointed in you." He brushed past me, his anger still swirling around him in a cloud. "I have your mess to clean up and a PR nightmare to deal with." He yanked open the door, turning back to throw his final barb. "I will call you when I want to see you again." The implied and you'd better jump when I do hung in the air. The controlled click of the door screamed his displeasure louder than the slam I knew he wanted.

  I wobbled on my heels and sank to the floor, resting my head on the tile. The tears that had threatened earlier fell unchecked, dripping onto the hard floor.

  Hopelessness weighed heavily on my heart. I couldn't continue to risk Zak's life, even though I'd found a happiness in his arms I'd never expected. That I didn't know was even possible.

  One I didn't know how I'd live without. But I'd have to, or else I'd risk losing him forever.

  And I knew without a doubt I'd never survive causing his death.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  My insides quaked. Worried thoughts chased one another around and around inside my head. Nightmares kept me from sleeping, allowing me only a few hours of reprieve. A few hours I was grateful for.

  Days and nights stretched before me, an empty wasteland. Vast. Void of any real comfort. Any meaning.

  I paused on the courthouse steps, mesmerized with the flickering flame of a lighter as a clerk grabbed a quick smoke. Was Kyra having any luck? Were they plotting my escape even as I stood there, maudlin and brooding? Were they planning our revenge?

  Or was I abandoned? Left to flounder in a gilded cage of my own making, judged unworthy of rescue. I couldn't blame them. I'd sacrificed so much of myself for meaningless baubles, for a love that didn't exist. I had been blind to
my own reality.

  Shoulders tense, I hurled myself through the courthouse doors. The weight of the world heavy on my back. I was tired, tired of this fake existence, of the hidden agendas and manipulations. So tired of it all.

  "You're a million miles away."

  My heart leapt and restarted. He breathed life back into my hollow shell.

  "Zak." My lip trembled. I had to hold it together.

  "I saw the papers." His brows drew low, concern infused his voice. The warmth of his hand on my back branded me through my shirt. "Are you okay?"

  I was his. I closed my eyes, savoring the feeling of belonging without being owned. What Alejandro demanded, I gave to Zak without reservations.

  I had to end this, for his own safety. For mine.

  I stepped away from his heat. His hand fell away. My back chilled with the absence of his touch.

  "Now is not a good time." I dragged the words from my soul. Jagged and sharp, the edges cut my throat as they were released.

  "Can you meet me later then? I feel like you're avoiding me."

  I was, but I'd never admit it.

  The courthouse was abuzz with two high profile cases in one day. One a prominent murder that had the media in a tizzy. My faux pas was barely a blip on the radar once a former NFL star was discovered covering up the death of a prostitute, one that was pregnant with his child. Alejandro's PR firm had worked their magic and put their own spin on what the pictures showed and poof, my transgression was almost forgotten in light of the more interesting drama.

  The other case was mine and Alejandro was going to take the stand. As if that wasn't stressful in itself, the vampire was giving me the cold shoulder. He spoke to me only when necessary, sending terse messages through his secretary.

  I was both relieved and worried.

  I searched the congested courthouse hall. It was bustling with suits running this way and that; crowds of rats that scurried from one client, one almighty dollar, to another. We were spared the briefest of glances as people rushed about. While no one seemed to be watching us here, I knew there were eyes following me, waiting for my next slip.

  "It's a really bad time." My skin buzzed with the need to touch his.

  "I'm sorry, Ari." He dragged his fingers through his hair, leaving furrows in their wake.

  "I know." I had to leave, before I gave into temptation and ran my hand along his jaw. The freshly shaved skin would be smooth and silky under my fingers. "I'll catch up to you later, when all this has blown over."

  I turned to walk away, but was stopped when he grabbed my hand. The contact sent a thrill through me.

  "Are you okay?"

  I jerked my head in a perfunctory nod, fearful of what words would be released if I opened my mouth.

  "Be careful, Ari." The anguish in his eyes mirrored mine.

  I backed away, each step taking me further from him, from my sanctuary. Our arms pulled taut, neither of us wanting to let go.

  A body crashed into me, ripping my hand from his. The overwhelming scent of flowers in full bloom invaded my senses. The familiar Shalini perfume turned my blood to ice. It was one of the first gifts Alejandro had given me.

  "Sorry." The growing rune trailing along her cheek wasn't necessary, Sarah's self-satisfied smirk shouted her lie. "I lost my footing in this crowd."

  Sarah enjoyed throwing her progressing relationship with Alejandro in my face. She wasn't blatant about it, nothing too obvious. She never told me outright that they were doing the nasty behind my back. It was there in the sly smile, the triumphant glances she threw my way, the not-so-subtle innuendos. She wielded barbs like a sword and enjoyed their impact.

  "Zak." Her calculating smile caused my stomach to turn. "Funny seeing you here."

  "Not really, I'm on the stand in," he checked his watch, "five minutes. I'd better go." He cleared his throat. "Take care ladies."

  Each footstep away from me bruised my heart anew. I forced myself to turn from him, to focus on the tactless words that flew from Sarah's mouth.

  "A clandestine meeting in the courthouse, how risqué of you."

  "We both work here," I snapped. My breaking point was within reach. "I just ran into him."

  "Sure." An arrogant smirk lifted her lips. "I believe that one."

  Shit. She was going to make up some bullshit lie to tell Alejandro and there was nothing I could do.

  "Looks like you're falling off your pedestal Miss high-and-mighty."

  I clenched my hand on my briefcase, the smooth leather straining under my grip. My jaw tightened, trapping the words I wanted to fling at her behind pinched lips. My resolve cemented in place, I stiffened my spine and spun, stalking through the crowd to the courtroom at the end of the hall.

  I forced my attention to the case. With Martha prosecuting I'd need all my wits about me. She was like a dog with a meaty bone when it came to Alejandro. I had no choice but to win this one. With the tenuous place I held in Alejandro's life, I'm not sure if I'd survive the loss.

  ***

  I flung open the courtroom doors, my anger giving extra power to my movement. Flashes exploded, the light blinding and painful.

  Great.

  A handful of reporters filmed in the galley, the murmur of their voices adding to the general chaos. Several photographers caught random shots as they milled about.

  Stupid fucking reporters.

  While my transgression was old news, Alejandro being on the stand was not. Add our relationship in the mix and poof, instant media fodder.

  I stalked to the defense table and forced myself to take a deep, centering breath. I closed my eyes, dragging air into my lungs. It smelled of lemon polish and cedar, with the underlying acrid odor of new carpet. My lungs burned as the scent of the combined chemicals seared the delicate tissues. I coughed, the sound lost in the cacophony of the room.

  I ticked through each question, each action I'd be performing. The mask, the calm facade I needed to get through this mess, was firmly in place.

  "Silence in the courtroom." The bailiff's deep voice boomed through the room. Conversations quieted and the galley settled into their seats. Once the courtroom was still he continued, "All rise. The Court of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit is now in session. The Honorable Judge Tepall presiding."

  If I could just play my part, we'd be fine. Judge Tepall was one of ours. Martha was the only hitch. Between her unbending morals and dogged desire to see Alejandro behind bars, she could unravel the thread of control I had weaving through the entire proceedings.

  The banging of the gavel was loud and ominous in the room. I flinched with each beat, the sound echoing through my chest like gunshots. A fine trembling washed over my body. A feeling of doom wrapped around me like a shroud.

  Not here.

  Not now.

  I refused to give into the panic attack that teased the edge of my carefully constructed mask. Court proceeded around me, the familiar actions and script soothing in their blandness. My pounding heart settled, resting into a steady rhythm that allowed my breathing to return to normal.

  By all appearances, nothing had happened. I hadn't almost lost my shit in the middle of court, something I'd never done. Even in the early days of law school I thrived in the courtroom mock-ups. I loved balancing the razor's edge of dramatics and intellect, the stasis between performance and quick wit. It didn't hurt that for the first time in my life my power, my curse, had held some sort of usefulness for me. It gave me an advantage.

  I dove into the rhythm, back on point for each of the prosecution's arguments. Alejandro nodded his approval. His lips turned up with pride. I hated the buzzing excitement that his praise made me feel. Despite all my big talk, my nonchalance, I wanted to feel worthy, feel accepted.

  Martha called him to the stand. The bailiff raised a Bible before him to swear him in. I almost expected it to burst into flames the moment his icy hand rested on its holy surface.

  "Raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are ab
out to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

  I watched this part of every trial with hawkish eyes. It was one of the most important answers. Not the words themselves, because who in their right mind would admit their intention to lie on the stand. No, the answer that was important was the one that cavorted on their skin afterward. Did they intend to lie, could I peel away their false answers and corner them with their words, or did they intend to be honest?

  Even people with honest intentions lied on the stand, but this first lie was like reading a road map that only I was privy to.

  "I do." Copper symbols crawled on his neck. The shimmering shape twisted and reformed as it crept into the collar of his shirt.

  His baritone answer wrapped itself around the courtroom. Alejandro had charisma in spades and I intended to use the public's fascination with him to our advantage.

  I followed the back and forth between the hated enemies, watching for points to pick apart during cross-examination. Their banter didn't endear the prosecutor to the jury, it revealed her dislike for their hero. She'd gotten too comfortable with her position. Her purpose was clear to even the most ignorant juror. It was her weakness.

  The tension in the room rose with each of Alejandro's responses. He was good. The lies danced across his skin in a whirl of madness, to a tempo only they knew. His eyes never flinched, never wavered. No one else could tell that almost every word that fell from his lips was a lie. Martha had made herself look like an attack dog going after a prize show dog. It had not helped her case.

  "Ms. Anthony, do you want to cross-examine Mr. Guerrero?"

  Alejandro Guerrero. I'd looked it up once. His name meant warrior or protector of mankind. It was the definition of ironic.

  "Yes, Your Honor."

  I stood and made my way to the front. I set up the framework for my defense, poking holes in Martha's case with each of Alejandro's careful answers. Pride and relief warred with disappointment. I didn't want to lose, but it hurt to win. I knew Martha was right—he deserved to be put in prison for his actions—but no cell could hold him. Even if there was, his secret, all our secrets, would be revealed. The hidden world that slunk around in the shadows would be exposed. The world wasn't ready for that.