Dark Siren (8 page)

“I’m good at what I do. My work is selling. I have another exhibit in two weeks. And having a degree would mean I could teach this to others if my paintings stopped selling.” He shook his head. “But you? An archaeologist? I’ve never seen you pick up a shovel. Do you even know what one looks like?”

“That was mean.” She sighed, tired of the argument. “Why are you pushing this?”

“It’s time for you to stop being a child, Kal. I need you to grow up so we can be together.”

And just like that the temperature in the car increased threefold. “You’re a child. You’re a child,” she mocked his voice. “That’s all you ever say to me.” She slammed her hand against the dashboard. “I grew up knowing my parents thought I was a freak. I watched my mother and father argue because she didn’t think I was really their daughter. She was screaming about how much I had changed and that she didn’t love me anymore. They both died that same night.”

She stopped in a shaky, breathless pause. She never spoke of her biological family. The sudden outburst had apparently stunned Cal into silence.

“Every day I deal with that pain. But you don’t see it. You don’t see me because you can’t see past your own pain. I’m sorry my suffering hasn’t put me on the same level as you. I’m
seventeen
. I
am
a child.

“You think you’re so mature because you have your own apartment and a fancy car. But you only live on your own because your dad wouldn’t stop using you for a punching bag. You freed yourself from him, so what? That doesn’t make you special. At least you had a
choice
.”

Whipping the car around in a sharp u-turn, Cal hit the brakes. The car lurched to a violent stop. Cold and hard like flint, his face was drained of all emotion. He reached out to touch her, but she turned away.

“Kalista,” he whispered so low it was almost to himself. “I’ve tried to be close to you. But those we love the most…hurt us the most.”

Grabbing her chin roughly, he forced her to look at him. With one hand holding her tightly, he leaned over and took her mouth in his. She sat rigid, refusing to kiss him back and wanting badly to slap him. After a while, he stopped and met her eyes with a sad smile. A distinct click came from behind. Cold air rushed in through the opened passenger door. “Get out of my car.”

“Gladly,” she said through clenched teeth.

She only had one foot outside when he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back. For several long and tense seconds, Cal simply glared at her. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him so hurt or so angry. He revved the engine as if to speed off with her hanging halfway out of the car. Then his whole body jerked and he released her arm. The engine returned to a normal idle.

Even in the darkness, Kali saw his face blanch. “That’s the biggest freaking dog I’ve ever seen.”

Chapter 10

Kali stared at her ex-boyfriend. Her anger boiled hot and she wondered what would happen to her if she drained enough spark to put him in a coma. But Cal’s face had gone sheet white and that piqued her curiosity. Dragging her glare away from him, she looked ahead at the street. It was empty. “Yeah, he’s huge.”

“It--it disappeared.”

Making a disgusted sound, she scrambled out the car before he could grab her again. “Have a nice life, Cal.”

Rage served as an efficient internal furnace, but it was a two mile walk back to her home on a frigid night. The fall wind showed no mercy. It ripped through the thin material of her dress and made her shiver. She wrapped her arms about her, rubbing them to generate extra warmth. A few concerned neighbors stopped to offer a ride, but she waved them on. Kali was in no mood for prying questions or polite sympathy.

It was dark by the time she arrived home. Her feet hurt, the rest of her body was numb, and she was starving. Kali entered the house as quietly as possible. Rubbing her jaw absently, she went into the kitchen to retrieve the cordless phone. A rolodex of dial and dine establishments was kept on the kitchen counter for her and Rozzy to use as easy reference. Turning the cards was difficult because of the tremor in her hands. When Kali stopped on the Fat Italian, her stomach growled in agreement.

The Fat Italian was famous for their hot from the oven pies with garden fresh ingredients and homemade secret sauce. It was impossible to find better pizza within a hundred mile radius. They were Kali’s favorite. And they delivered.

On autopilot, she dialed the number and placed an order for a large mushroom and black olive pizza with extra bell peppers. They promised her pie would be there in twenty-five minutes. But that was a long wait for someone starving to death. Kali hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She needed to distract herself until the pizza arrived. Mindless cable programming was just the ticket. She took the heels off but went down to the basement without changing clothes. A pair of Rozzy’s fuzzy socks was under the sofa cushions, and the remote was nestled cozily beneath them. Each time Rozzy touched the thing, it found a new hiding place.

Kali left the television on the first decent channel and put the socks on her frozen feet. It wasn’t long before she was totally absorbed in a simple tale of star-crossed lovers fighting against all odds to be together. Hunger forgotten, she sat on the edge of the couch with her eyes and ears glued to the screen. Then the doorbell rang, and Kali’s stomach responded with an excited flip. She hopped off the sofa and ran upstairs. Sliding across the floor in purple-socked feet, she barely managed to stop before body slamming into the wall. As she cracked open the front door, her mouth dropped.

Outside was the most gorgeous pizza delivery guy she had ever seen. His eyes were an unworldly shade of green, like ancient chrysoprase in its rawest form. They peered right through her, appearing to glow from within. He was dressed simply. A black t-shirt and dark denim jeans ended in a pair of worn but comfortable looking boots. She suspected he spent a lot of time on trails or in the woods.

Discreetly nudging off the fuzzy socks, she opened the door wide. It was his turn to stare breathlessly. Kali was glad she hadn’t changed. “Don’t I know you?” She tapered her voice to make it sound less accusing, “You were at the theater last night.”

He nodded slowly. “Do you remember what happened?”

Kali shook her head. “Only bits and pieces. There was a man…” she stopped mid-sentence and shoved back the blur of jumbled memories trying to rush forward. She refused to relive those terrifying moments. Kali swallowed. “Thank you for helping me…and for bringing me home last night.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.”

“No.” She lowered eyes and then lifted them again shyly. “You were great.”

The stranger responded to her praise with a slow smile. Kali would have recognized that smile anywhere.

He held the pizza box up higher. “May I come in?”

She glanced over her shoulder and turned back to him. “S-sure,” she stammered and barely remembered to step back so he could enter the house.

Kali couldn’t stop watching him. She gave herself a mental slap. Of course, the stranger was really so very hot, but she had always been cool and collected when it came to boys. She was mesmerized and didn’t understand why. Maybe it was because this was a man. And there was something enthralling in the way he carried himself. Glamour and the most tedious grooming couldn’t hold a candle to the confident air that surrounded him. He was a different kind of predator, one she wanted to hunt.

Kali’s pulse fluttered erratically. She didn’t move as he took a few steps into the living room.

He turned to her expectantly. “Would you like this in the kitchen?” He gestured with the box.

“Uh, yeah, let me get that.” She took the pizza from him and found her voice again. “So I know two things about you. You’re a fan of scary movies and you deliver pizza for a living.”

He chuckled softly. “No.”

Not much of a talker.
She lifted an eyebrow. “No to one or both?”

“Both. The delivery boy had just arrived when I got here. So I grabbed the pizza for you. I paid him of course and tipped. As for the films…” He scanned the room, taking in every detail and design. Even looking at the family photographs, he didn’t bat an eye at the obvious fact that her family was African-American but Kali was clearly not. His piercing appraisal settled onto her again. “I’ve seen and experienced things far more frightening than any contrivance of the human mind.”

Unable to bear another second under his unflinching gaze, Kali escaped into the kitchen with the pizza, setting it down on the counter.
Get it together, Kali. He’s only another guy.
With a deep, motivating breath she spun to return to the living room and almost jumped over the counter. He had moved without making a sound and stood only inches behind her.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He was eerily still. His peculiar eyes watched her as if they saw everything.

Kali slid her gaze away. “You didn’t,” she said but her heart disagreed. It was trying to pound out of her chest. His heat was affecting her. Brain getting foggy again, Kali saw his eyes flash. And for a split second, the stranger seemed to be fighting against something very primal restrained under a fragile veil of calm. Then his features relaxed and she thought she had imagined it.

“How’d you get this bruise?” His fingers brushed her jaw lightly. Her skin tingled in the aftermath of his touch.

Kali was confused. She had no idea what he was talking about. Then her mind snapped back to the fight with Cal. She remembered why her feet and face were hurting. Kali hadn’t looked in a mirror, but evidently the ex-boyfriend had left a mark. It made her furious. She angled her face away from the stranger. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s something. You’re upset.” He sounded worried, maybe even a little angry.

She was mad at Cal. Hated the fact that now she would have to lie even more to explain things. But Kali didn’t want his or anyone else’s pity. The subject needed to be dropped. “Leave it,” she said. The words came out hotter than she meant them to.

He took a step back, taking his warmth with him. “Okay,” he relented quietly.

Kali regretted it immediately. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean--”

But he held up a hand, stopping her apology. “It’s nothing.”

Frowning at the echo of her own words, she folded both arms across her chest. Then he smiled and her irritation disappeared as quickly as it had flared.

“Bad choice of words, I guess. Really, it’s okay.”

Trying to remember some of the manners Greg and Lisa had taught her, she gestured toward the box. “Would you like some pizza?”

He shook his head. “I’m not much of a vegetarian.”

She opened her mouth in surprise, wondering how he knew what kind of pie she had ordered, but Greg’s voice called her name anxiously from the other room ahead of his urgent footsteps. He entered the kitchen from the back. “I just came from the garage and saw the darnedest thing. My car isn’t there. Why is that?”

Chapter 11

The question lit a matchstick of panic. Kali hadn’t realized Greg’s car was missing. If the stranger had brought her home, then of course Greg’s car would still be at the theater. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? She couldn’t admit to Greg that his baby was gone. He would ground her. Forever.

Kali floundered. “I…uh…”

From behind, the stranger discreetly pressed something cold and metallic into her hand. His fingers were warm, lingering against her skin for an extra moment. Not understanding at first, relief flooded through Kali when she recognized the embossed emblem of Greg’s keychain. But then the panic returned full force. Greg’s car was a hot mess.

“It’s…at the car wash. Driving at night…you hit a lot of bugs. So——so, I took it…” Kali’s mouth had gone dry. Greg’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. She spun around to the stranger, letting her eyes plead for help.

He winked. Then his expression changed to one of mock confusion. “That BMW out front? It looks amazing. Even the windows are spotless. Your guys at the wash got you all fixed up…and delivered.”

Greg looked doubtful. “There’s a car wash in this town that delivers?”

Kali gulped. “Yes?”

“Are you asking me?”

The stranger nudged her. Kali nodded decisively. “Yes. Your car looks great.” She tried to shrug casually. “I had it serviced because I know you like to keep your baby clean.”

“Thanks, honey. How thoughtful of you.” Major concern aside, Greg turned his attention to the strange man standing in his kitchen and frowned. “Who is this?”

“Him?” Kali stalled. She didn’t know his name.
Why don’t I know his name?
“He’s uh--”

Again the stranger came to her rescue. Holding a hand out, which Greg readily accepted, he introduced himself, “I’m Rhane, sir. I brought the pizza in.”

At the mention of pizza, Greg walked over to the box and lifted the lid to peer inside. He scowled at the all veggie toppings. “You look a little old to be delivering pizzas. Are you working your way through college?”