Duality: Vol 2, Euphoria (A New Adult Paranormal Romance) (29 page)

The vibe was making its way around the table.  The man I was sending the power into was like a signal hub, blasting rays out all around him.  They hit people sitting at the table with him along with Helen and her pool boy, too.  The talking ceased and the smiles increased.

“Leave the room,” Helen ordered, not looking at me, but at the fat man.

I pulled my hand off his arm, confused, stepping away from the table until my back hit the wall.

“Leave!” she said louder, still not looking at me.  She only had eyes for the fat man for some reason.

I pointed to myself and she nodded once, somehow seeing me without looking at me.  She gestured absently at the bodyguard assistant guy, signaling him to go with me.

“I’ll be out shortly,” she said to her assistant, finally breaking her gaze to look over her shoulder at him.  “Bring her to my office.”

Her assistant hesitated, like he was in a fog, not computing what she’d said.  She reached around and put her hand on the back of his neck, speaking to him in a voice I couldn’t hear.   He snapped out of his trance and went to the door, motioning for me to go ahead of him.

We stepped out of the room and into the empty hallway.

He stood there, staring at me.  He was like a mannequin the way his face had no expression on it at all, his skin so perfectly smooth and unblemished.  I knew girls who’d kill for skin that luminous.  He wasn’t real.  He couldn’t be.

He was feeling the Rainbow vibe way too much.  “Please stop staring at me like that,” I said, backing away a little.  Helen was stupid sending him out here with me; she obviously lacked a full appreciation of the side effects of my display in that meeting room.

“What did you do to me?” he finally said.

I caught glimpses of really white teeth under his dark red lips.  The way he said it made me feel sorry for him.  Maybe he wasn’t a mad murderer-user like the rest of them.  Maybe he was just a stupid pretty-boy who’d gotten mixed up with the wrong kind of people.

“I didn’t do anything,” I said, trying to dissuade him from wanting to get to know me better.  “Aren’t you supposed to bring me somewhere?”

“Yeah, but…”  He took a step towards me, lifting a hand up towards my face.

I stepped back.  “Please don’t touch me.  It’s a mistake to do that.  You’re already in trouble enough as it is.”

He tipped his head to the side, like a confused dog would as it tried to understand its master.  “Trouble?”

“Yes, trouble.  Getting close to me is a problem.  You don’t realize it, but right now you’re under my influence.  I need you to stay back from me so you don’t get hurt.” 
Or so you don’t hurt me
.  He looked pretty lean under his suit.  I had a feeling there were muscles involved.

“You’re an Influencer,” he said in a flat tone.  “Like the others.”

It suddenly struck me that I had an insider standing right in front of me, and he was under my spell.  I repressed the evil smile that wanted to come to the surface.  Grabbing onto the bold thought, I took a step closer to him.  “Why don’t we talk about it on the way to Helen’s office?”

I thought about asking him to take me to the exit, but I was afraid that would be pushing it too much.  Maybe after I found out some intel, I’d give it a shot.  At least then I’d be leaving with ammunition we could use to rescue Jasmine and Malcolm.  The Butts group couldn’t be that far away.  I just needed to get my hands on a cell phone and I’d be able to find a way to track them down.

“Do you have a phone?” I asked as we walked down the hall.

“Not here.  No one is permitted to have a phone or any electronic devices inside the compound.”

“Oh, that’s smart.  They don’t want outsiders to know what goes on in here.”

“No, they don’t.  What happens in here, stays in here.  Just like Vegas.”

“So you said there are other Influencers in here, right?”  I tamped down the surge of fear that threatened to overtake me, and slipped my hand in his, giving him a shot of my happy vibe. 
Please don’t let this backfire!

He squeezed my hand gently and looked down at me, gracing me with the most beautiful smile I think a human is capable of giving.  He really was a stunning-looking man.  Too bad for him I was already in love with someone else.

“Yes, there are other Influencers.  A few.”

“Are they here?” I asked, reaching up and touching his arm with my other hand, pretending like I wanted to be close to him.

He patted my hand with his free one.  “Some are.  Some are out with their handlers.”

“Like I used to be,” I said.

“Yes, like you used to be.  I’m glad you’re here now, with us.”

“Me too.”  I forced a smile.  It probably came out more like a grimace, but he wouldn’t care so I didn’t worry about it.  All he’d see looking at me right now is beauty and perfection, my flaws hidden beneath the hues of the Rainbow fantasy.

“That man that was my handler … do you know him?”

“Yes.  Everyone knows Mr. Livingston.  He’s one of the founders of Greater Good.”

“Greater Good? Is that the name of this company?”

He nodded, smiling again. He stopped and dipped his head towards me.

I stepped away and did a twirl, pretending not to notice he was trying to kiss me.  “I love to dance, don’t you?”

“Yes.  Sometimes.”  He followed behind me.

I made sure to stay a few steps ahead, dancing like a crazed ballerina.  “Do you know anything about my real parents?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, reaching out for me, but missing.

“I mean, Mr. Livingston’s not my real father.  What happened to my real dad?”

“I don’t know.  Don’t you know?”  He looked confused for a second.

“No.  They never told me.  I was just curious.  Mr. Livingston is awesome.”  I almost gagged on that last lie. 
Dirty rotten jerk … lying to me all those years, handling me for these lunatics.

“Yes, he is a visionary.  I’m proud to work for him.”

“I’ll bet you are,” I said, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice.  What an idiot this guy was.  I changed my mind about giving him the benefit of the doubt.  With that face he could probably get away with anything and work anywhere, but instead he was here with these users bent on controlling the world.  How lame can a person get?

“Turn right.  We’re almost at Helen’s office.”  He paused and waited for me to realize he wasn’t right there with me before continuing.  “…Unless you want to go somewhere else.”

I stood dead still in the hallway watching him approach.  He came towards me with slow measured steps, giving me the impression of a jungle cat stalking its prey.  Jerry with the big basketball player hands flashed across my mind, his strong arms pushing me down to the floor, his heavy body getting on top of mine, pressing himself against me…

“No!  That’s okay,” I said, breathless with fear as I moved backwards.  Running would be a mistake; he’d tackle me for sure.  “Could you please tell me about the Influencers?”

“What are you going to do for me, if I tell you what you want to know?” he asked, a sly smile replacing the pretty one from before.

Oh, crap.  His libido is taking control
a
nd he knows I’m fishing for information. 
I warred with myself.  I could take advantage of the situation or keep running away. 
Stay or go?  Stay or go? 
I had the advantage; I knew no matter how Rainbowed out he got, a shot to his nuts would stop him cold, and Rainbows never covered themselves around me, never worried I’d do anything but cooperate.  They always fantasized that I was as in love with them as they felt themselves in love with me.

In the seconds before he was against me, I made the decision.  I only had one shot at figuring this out and getting into a position of power.  I had to take it.

He cornered me in the turn of the hallway, getting so close there were only inches between us.  I could feel his hot breath on my forehead.  It smelled minty, and the cologne on his chest tickled my nose with its sweetness.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Zane.  It’s Zane.”

I almost said,
Inzane, maybe
, but I didn’t.  “I want to know the answer to my question, Zane,” I said, my words coming out very airy.  I was trying to breathe normally but having a hard time with it.  Panic was setting in, and I was battling it with everything I had. 
Please don’t let this turn into rape.  Please don’t let me be raped.

“You want to know about the other Influencers?  Kiss me and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”  He smiled and leaned towards me, closing his eyes in anticipation of our lips meeting.

I pushed on his chest to get him away from me.  “Wait!  I call the shots here, not you.  Tell me the info first and then you get the kiss.”  Sometimes me taking charge bought me a few minutes.  Something about a perfect-looking and
bossy
girl got them really hot and bothered.

His eyes flew open and the smile was back.  “I want more than just a kiss.  This information is top secret.  If I tell you and they find out, they’ll kill me.”

He said it casually, as if his potential murder was just a regular fact of life in his world.  That chilled me more than anything he’d said or done so far. 
What is he?  A robot?
  It was a crazy thought, but the more I considered it, the more real it seemed.  He was so perfect-looking he was almost too handsome.  And now with this jacked-up Rainbow love coming out of every pore, he was becoming decidedly ugly in my eyes. 
Robo-jerk
.

“Fine, Zane.  I’ll trade you all the secrets for the hootchie.  Is that what you want?”

His eyebrows went up.  “If by the hootchie, you mean we can make love, then yes.  That’s the deal.”  He looked back down the hallway and then at me.  “Follow me.”  He took off down the corridor, leaving me behind.

“Where are we going?” I asked, hurrying to catch up.

“To my room.  There are no cameras there.”

I looked up in the corners of the hallway.  “Are we on camera now?”

“No. There are no cameras leading to Helen’s office or inside it, but I can’t make love to you there.  She’ll catch us.  She’ll get very jealous.”

I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad that we weren’t going there.  Being in his room made the odds of my future rape occurring much greater, but it also gave me a possible opportunity to incapacitate him and then get away.  When he stopped and put his hand on the knob of a nondescript door, I decided that it was worth the risk.

“This is my room,” he said, taking me by the hand and pulling me inside.

Chapter Forty-Four: Malcolm

BY THE TIME I LET the guy go he was unconscious.  His face was frozen in a mask of despair so awful it was painful to look at.  My heart actually ached for him; I felt really terrible about doing that to him.  Turning someone into a Miserable in that short of a period of time couldn’t be good for their brain.  Maybe he’d never come back from it.

“Come on.  No time for regrets now,” said Jasmine, feeling around the guy’s body and taking a gun from his hip.  She also pulled out a ring of keys that she shoved in her pocket.  “Follow me, stay close, and if anyone tries to take us, fry their asses.”

“Fry their asses?” I asked, following her to the door.

“Yeah.  Turn them into boo-hooing bitches on the floor like you did to that guy.”  She glanced at him once before putting her hand on the doorknob.  “You ready to find Rae and kick ass if necessary?”

“As ready as I’m ever going to be.”  I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.  We had no idea of there was someone out there waiting for us or even whether people would shoot first and ask questions later.

“Good.  Use hand signals, avoid cameras, and don’t wait for people to attack.  Be on the offense, got it?”

I nodded, praying I wouldn’t see anyone and could just sneak out with zero conflict.  I knew the chances were slim, but that wasn’t going to stop me from hoping otherwise.

“All we have to do is find Rae and get out.  I can drive the truck through that gate no problem.”

“Assuming they left the keys in the car.”

“Yeah.  Whatever.  Failing to do anything is failing by default.  I’d rather try first before I fail, know what I mean?  Now, come on.”  She opened the door and stuck her head out.  Signaling over her shoulder that the coast was clear and we had to move.

Chapter Forty-Five: Rae

HIS ROOM WAS SPARE.  THERE was a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand with a lamp on it.  There were no personal effects, no decorations, no blankets with color or anything.

“This place looks like a prison cell,” I said, before I could think to stop myself.

He stood in front of me and took his jacket off, throwing it down on the bed.  “Looks don’t mean everything.”

I snorted.  Hearing him of all people say that was just a little ridiculous.

“You don’t agree?” he asked, continuing with the strip tease.  The tie was coming off now, and when he undid the top button of his shirt to loosen it, I got a glimpse of his bronzed skin underneath.

When does he find time to tan?  Isn’t he too busy trying to rule the world? 
I nodded.  “Yeah, I agree.  It’s just … it sounds funny coming from you.”

He stopped the undressing momentarily, his tie pulled halfway out of his collar.  “Why from me is it funny?”

“Because you’re so … beautiful, I guess.”  My face burned with heat.  I felt totally stupid standing here telling him he was good-looking, as if he didn’t already know it and hear it on a daily basis probably.

He pulled the tie the rest of the way out.  “So are you,” he said.  “You’re the most lovely girl I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”  The tie dropped to the floor and his hands were at his wrists now, removing cufflinks that he deposited on his dresser top.

“You only think I’m pretty because you’re under my influence.  It’s the only reason we’re in this room right now.”  For some reason it was important to me that he know that.  It was like full disclosure, maybe so I wouldn’t feel so guilty about using my influence over him to get what I wanted.