Katie's Hellion (Rhyn Trilogy, Book One) (8 page)

"What’s up, Toby?"

"Hi! I didn’t want to go to school today and
stayed home but we’re out of marshmallows and Gabriel doesn’t have
any money so I told him that we could ask you to pick up more
marshmallows because we both really like them."

"You need anything else from the store?"

"Nope. Oh, but you might want to get
some…Gabriel, what does he like?"

She heard a mumbled response.

"Oh, never mind. Kris will send a car for
you."

"Kris? Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"He wants to talk to you."

"Tell him I kinda have a life and don’t
really care what he wants."

There was a moment of silence, then a child’s
gleeful laugh.

"Can I really tell him that?"

"Please do."

"Awesome!"

"Listen, I’ve got work to do. I’ll bring you
marshmallows. Text me if you need anything else."

"Okay! G’bye, Mama!"

"Don’t call me that. We both know better,"
she grumbled.

He laughed again, and she hung up, pressing
the heels of her palms to her eyes. She’d fallen asleep in Kris’s
library after half a bottle of whiskey and awoken in her own bed
with a throbbing headache and dry mouth.

She’d dared to hope again that everything was
a hallucination brought on by too much alcohol, until Toby burst in
chasing a cat she didn’t remember owning. The boy had clambered
across her bed, shrieked happily, and chased the cat under the
bed.

"Katie! Visitor!"

She sighed and sat up straight a second
before the door was pushed open to reveal someone she didn’t know.
He was well dressed, tall, and handsome with eyes too dark and
still for her comfort.

"Ms. Young, I’m David Kingsly, from Kingsly
Enterprises."

Surprised, she rose and shook his hand. His
multimillionaire father's picture was on the wall, and he owned two
dozen restaurants in the Annapolis area, including this one.

"It’s a pleasure, sir. I apologize for the
mess. I wasn’t expecting you. Are you here for the GM?" she
asked.

"No, no. I drop by on occasion to check on my
father’s restaurants," he said with a quick glance around. "The GM
said your team came up with the latest marketing campaign. I wanted
to thank you in person. It's increased profits about seven percent
over last quarter."

"Thanks," she said, smiling. "We have a good
group here."

"A good leader makes a good team the best, as
my father says."

Despite the honor of his visit, she couldn’t
help but feel a trickle of familiar coldness at his still gaze. He
smiled but his eyes did not. He resembled his father in height and
narrow face, though there was warmth in his father’s face she
didn’t see in his. For a moment, she thought she saw tattoos blaze
across his neck and then disappear.

"We’re inviting the GM to our fundraiser
tomorrow night. My father feels it’s important to recognize all
those who support our family’s success. We’d be happy if you
attended our gala."

He reached into his jacket and produced an
embossed invitation in peach and brown.

"I’d be honored," she said, accepting it.
"Thank you, Mr. Kingsly."

"David," he said with another smile that
didn’t reach his eyes. "I look forward to seeing you there."

He rose and left, and she stared after him,
excited. She dialed her sister immediately.

"Sis, I need some help."

"Oh. Another issue?"

"No. I was invited to some Kingsly gala. I
need something to wear."

"
Some
Kingsly gala or the biggest
event of the fall?" her sister asked with a laugh.

"Hey --you mind if I come over after work?
Toby’s…going to a friend’s house for the night, and I’m sick of my
apartment."

"Yeah, sure. You were supposed to come for
brunch tomorrow. I’d planned a spa day tomorrow before the gala. We
can add shopping to that; I know you don’t have anything nice to
wear."

Katie rolled her eyes. A day and a half with
her sister was as much as she could tolerate; faced with the
alternative of returning to her creepy apartment with its creepy
occupants, she’d tough it out.

She survived the day of bitching customers
and employees alike and arrived late in the evening to Hannah's, a
mansion in the outskirts of Annapolis where her sister lived with
her fiancée, Giovanni.

Hannah took one look at her and frowned
fiercely.

"You couldn’t change before showing up?" she
asked, looking past her out at the street.

"It's not like you have neighbors, sis,"
Katie replied impatiently. "Afraid I'll make you look bad in front
of the 'hood?"

"With the money Gio paid for you to go to
Georgetown, you'd think you could get a better job than this!"
Hannah started.

Katie sighed. Hannah stood aside as she
entered the large foyer, lecturing her as they ascended to the
second floor.

"…if you hadn't dropped out, you'd be
graduating in a few months. A FEW MONTHS, Katherine!"

"I know, Hannah."

"You're twenty-two, a single mom, and you've
got a shitty job and frankly, a shitty attitude about your
future."

Katie pushed the door to her designated guest
room and stripped out of the grease-stained, French fry scented
clothing. Hannah continued on the same speech she'd heard every
time they were together.

"You know I'm just concerned," Hannah
finished. "Toby --"

"He'll be fine," Katie bit off. "I came here
for a break, Hannah."

"Gio and I are worried. Everywhere you work,
you're recognized for being the brilliant person I know you are.
Why can't you pick a career or finish school?"

"I don't know, Hannah. I'm not sure what I
want to do with my life."

"Well, do something!"

Katie flung herself on the bed. Despite
Hannah’s criticisms, she would still rather be here than at her
apartment, even knowing Hannah would never believe her story about
Toby and the death dealer.

"I'm assuming you already ate," Hannah said,
nose crinkling. "Take a shower and come down to say hello to Gio.
He's letting me buy your gown for tomorrow, so you might as well be
nice to him."

Katie pushed herself off the bed and
obeyed.

CHAPTER THREE

"Who throws a Halloween gala where no one
dresses up?" Katie grumbled, uncomfortable in her formal dress.
She’d last dressed up for Hannah’s engagement party two years
ago.

"Masquerade, not Halloween."

Katie didn’t reply, gaping at a woman in her
sixties with enough diamonds to reverse world hunger.

"Stop it!" Hannah hissed. "Pretend to fit in.
Don’t embarrass me."

Katie maneuvered her sequined ball mask into
place only to see her sister on the verge of disappearing in the
masses of women in custom gowns and masks. The women’s coatroom was
off one side of the entrance. Katie emerged in time to see her
sister stop beside her fiancé. Katie moved toward them steadily,
self-conscious in the snug teal gown that displayed the curves the
slender women around her didn’t have. The neckline was plunging,
revealing the curves of her full breasts.

Her sister had chosen the gown and
--thankfully --paid for it. It was three months’ salary, though
Hannah had added it to the black AmEx her fiancé paid in full every
month without a second thought.

Just like their four-hour trip to the spa,
the wardrobe Hannah bought Toby, the jewelry they both wore. Within
a four-hour period, Hannah had dropped $50K. For once, Katie was
beyond grateful. She felt almost human again after the drama of her
week. She fully intended to return the gown and tanzanite jewelry
dripping off her ears and neck, but for the night, she enjoyed
feeling like Cinderella.

She trailed Hannah into the massive foyer
with a dangling chandelier, regally arcing stairway, and an army of
wait staff in tuxes circulating alcohol and hors d’oeuvres. Massive
ballrooms flanked either side of the foyer, one whose orchestra
filled the mansion with calming music, and the other devoted to a
buffet unlike any Katie had ever seen. The swirl of gowns of
dancing couples drew her attention to the ballroom with the
orchestra. She walked through the masses, comfortably hidden behind
her mask. No one would know she didn’t belong among the blue bloods
in this crowd. Beyond the main room were two hallways, also packed,
and opened doors along both where men and women circulated.

Katie paused to look around. She’d lost
Hannah in the crowd. Her sister wore maroon, as did many of the
other women in masks around her. She fingered the small teal
evening purse hanging around her wrist, where her cell phone was.
Worst case scenario, she’d call her.

Completely free, she relaxed and accepted a
glass of champagne from one of the wait staff and waded toward the
buffet. She paused in the doorway, realizing she was squeezed too
tightly into her dress to eat anything. Instead she crossed to the
full bar and traded the champagne for a triple shot of whiskey on
the rocks. She sipped, surprised at the smooth flavor. It wasn’t
cheap like the stuff she bought.

"Triple shot of whiskey, no ice."

She shifted as the male form attached to the
voice squeezed into the area behind her. Saluting the bartender
with her glass, she started to move away when a warm hand on her
forearm stopped her. She turned, surprised, and looked up into eyes
the color of her jewelry. Most of his face was hidden behind the
mask, but his silver-white hair was too familiar to be anyone
else’s.

"We have similar taste in alcohol," he said,
and lifted his glass to her.

"Did you follow me here?" she demanded,
refusing his salud.

"I got you invited."

She suddenly felt foolish for believing David
Kingsly. No blue blood like the Kingslys gave a damn about some
small-town assistant GM at a fast food joint! She tossed the
whiskey back and gulped it down, then slapped the glass on the bar
before turning away.

She searched for half an hour before spotting
her sister sitting in one of the airy rooms off the hallway near
the buffet. There were several women sitting and talking while
choosing delicacies from large silver trays. They’d all removed
their masks.

Hannah glanced up with a smile at her
approach and patted the seat beside her. Katie sat, irritated to
see who followed with a confident stride and two glasses of
whiskey, one with ice and the other without. He drew the eye of
every woman in the room and silenced those around her with his
presence.

"Excuse me, ladies. Katie, you forgot your
drink at the bar," Kris said, holding out the iced whiskey to
her.

She didn’t miss Hannah’s stunned look, as if
it were a miracle her homely sister could catch the eye of
anyone!

His move was too deliberate to be other than
planned. He stood far enough away that she had to stand and walk a
step to reach him. When she accepted the glass, he followed with a
quick and confident, "Let’s take a walk around."

If not for Hannah’s surprised silence, she
would’ve refused him. He held out an arm she ignored, instead
marching past him. He caught up to her in the hallway.

"Whatever it is you want, the answer is
no."

She felt his gaze and suspected she’d pissed
him off again with her directness. He placed a hand on the small of
her back and led her through the crowd to the ballroom with the
orchestra and the dancers. He snatched the whiskey from her hand
and placed their glasses on a table.

"I don’t dance," she told him.

"Hush."

He spun her to face him and pulled her
against him with one arm while his other took hers to the side for
a waltz pose.

"Where you been hiding?" he asked
casually.

"None of your damn business!" she snapped,
craning her neck back to look up at him. Even in her heels he
towered a head above her. His eyes flared amber then faded to
tanzanite as he gazed down at her.

"You drop off some sort of demon in my house,
try to convince me I’m either completely crazy or suffering from
amnesia, stalk me to this gala, and expect me to tell you where I
spend every minute of every day?" she demanded at his silence.

She tugged at her captured hand and was
squeezed against him even harder.

"You weren’t supposed to remember anything,"
he replied calmly. "You have a genetic --"

"Don’t want to hear it. Take Toby and the
damn death guy and leave me the hell alone."

"I can’t."

"The hell you can’t."

"You’re in danger."

She studied him.

"Some very bad people know who you are
now."

"So what? You feel guilty for dragging me
into this and are obligated to help me?"

"Guilty, no. Obligated, yes. You're destined
to work alongside us immortals."

His honest answer silenced her. She stepped
out of his embrace, the two of them freezing in the middle of the
dance floor like rocks in a flowing creek.

"Katie, I need to talk to you about something
very serious."

He made no move toward her. At his severe
tone, she took another step back, ready to exit as fast as she
could in the snug dress and high heels.

Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out.
A murmur went through the dancers, several of whom sounded as if
they ran into each other before pausing. The orchestra fell silent,
and somewhere someone --possibly the host --called for the
generators to be turned on. A woman gave a cry, and the sound of
jostling grew closer.

A man walked calmly through the crowd,
strange red tattoos glowing all over his body, similar to the
tattoos she'd seen on David Kingsly's neck when he invited her to
the gala. She didn’t know what he was, but she felt cold
inside.

He was evil.

Kris rested one hand on her shoulder. She
started to pull away.