

~Part One~

A Serial Novella

By

Alexia Purdy

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The Fall of Sky

(Part One)

Copyright © 2013, 2014 Alexia Purdy

All rights reserved

Published by

Lyrical Lit. Publishing

Cover Design by Melancholy Muse Designs

Photography Dreamstime.com

www.alexiapurdybooks.com

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author's imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

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I always screw things up.

Not once, not twice, but multiple times...every time. Especially with love.

This time around, his name is Jonas, and I think I've met my match.

Traveling across the country, sisters Liv and Audrey Westing dream of rock stardom. When they attract the eyes of two power Cartel brothers with the right music connections, nothing can get in their way. But the brothers have secrets—secrets to die for...

Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

THIS IS PART ONE OF FOUR.

ALL PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!

Chapter One

Liv

FUCKING SPLINTERS! I HATED them, and now, they stuck into my flesh as I sprung over an old, rotting wooden fence and landed hard on the balls of my feet, sending pins and needles shooting up my legs. I didn't have time to pull the slivers out. I had to keep going or he would catch up, and that would be the end of the line for me. It would all be over. All the crap that I'd been working toward for half a year would be for nothing—nothing but ashes in the wind. If I didn't lose my pursuer, I would be in a heap of trouble, more than I already had in my hot little hands.

Which brought me to the reason I was running away from the damn bastard in the first place; it wasn't that he didn't deserve the wreck of the wrath I'd left behind me. If anyone deserved to get their digs torched to the ground, it was Ruben. No one would ever make me, Liv Westing, do their bidding ever again. Never. And no one would ever hurt me or my sister Audrey ever again— that, I promised myself with every living atom of my being.

I spotted our rusted, ancient station wagon down the street as I emerged from behind an old one story stucco, two bedroom shack which matched the entire block in its tired crumbling state. The poor construction was evident throughout the neighborhood and left it looking like the epitome of ghetto America, forgotten and left to the rats, human and rodent alike. I could feel eyeballs peeking from behind the dirt stained windows and stares from people sitting in their dollar store plastic lawn chairs with their paint-spotted jeans as they pointed toward me racing down the cracked asphalt of the decaying urban street. They didn't concern me one bit. All of them were what I swore I would never become. For this, I ran. I would run from this kind of life, trapped in a rotting suburbia, until I collapsed, if I had to.

My muscles burned, and my chest felt like it was swelling up into an asthmatic fit, but I kept on. The station wagon was getting closer and closer, and I prayed Audrey had the engine already running. Relieved to spot the vapor puffing from the tailpipe, dirtying the air behind the car, I huffed in a deeper breath and booked it. Audrey was waiting and would slam the gas to get the hell out of Dodge, if needed. Thank God. I waved her down madly, gripping the wrapped canvas bag I had tucked under my left arm. I couldn't glance behind me. I just couldn't let myself realize the dread I could feel crawling inside if I saw Ruben closing in on me, right on my heels. Nope, couldn't turn around now.

"Open the door!" I hollered toward Audrey, hoping she could hear me over the obnoxious humming of the engine of our vehicle. It may have been old, and it may have been worn out like an old shoe and sputter coughed like the best of the old clunkers, but it had been our home many times over and held our entire world within its belly. Now, it would be our rescuer once more, our knight in shiny armor of metal and rust.

Audrey leaned over and opened the door, giving it a good heave to send the heavy door swinging outward just in time for me to lunge inside, grip the door with my free hand, and yank it with all my strength to pull it shut.

"Go, go, go!"

The screech of tires and the smell of rubber permeated the air as the station wagon lurched forward, the belts screaming in protest but catching enough to send us on our way. My heart was racing, but I finally let myself chance a peek behind us. I could now actually hope that we had, maybe, just maybe, gotten away by the skin of our teeth.

Ruben was hollering, cursing and throwing the bat he had in his hand toward the car. He was too far behind us to catch up, and it hit with a gentle thump on the street before it went rolling away into the muck lined gutter. He was furious, his face an unhealthy scarlet, while he was drenched with sweat dripping down his light blue button up shirt from the chase he'd given.

Not bad for an out of shape swindler. The sweat stains down the front and on the sides of the blue material made me smirk at him as he slowed down, his hands on his knees as he desperately tried to catch his breath, retching out his lunch instead. His slight potbelly was in the way, the one too many Philly-steak sandwiches he loved so much were doing a number on him right now. I laughed and turned back to the road, giggling to myself as his yells faded and his robust figure disappeared in the kicked up dust cloud swirling around behind us.

"Yeah!" I couldn't contain my glee. Damn bastard could eat our dust.

"Did you get it?" Audrey's voice brought me back to the car, shushing my laugh as I watched her face, steady and still. Her hazel eyes focused on the street as she slowed just enough to make the turn onto the highway. The sunset made her eyes glow, like embers flickering against the sun's last rays. Her face hid the concern that had probably eaten at her while she had waited for me as I conned Ruben out of his money stash. It was now smoothing over with relief, though caution still etched itself across her pretty, youthful face, making her look even younger than she was.

"Yep, got the whole darn thing. Ruben's shitting bricks now!" I let out my breath, sucking in a deep slow one, still trying to catch my breath from the sprint for my life I had just done.

She nodded. "Good."

I was the younger one. At nineteen, I'd lived my life recklessly, yet Audrey, at twenty, was decades more mature than I was. She was the well versed one, the one that was always praised by teachers and got the good grades. Me−I was the letdown, the one that never got it right. I was okay with that though. I loved her with every fiber of my being, and I looked up to her, hoping one day my wild streak would fade down and I'd become more like her. She was the good girl. I was the bad one. We balanced each other like a yin and yang. That was the way I liked it. I had hoped it was enough for her too, at least for now.

"Oh, I accidentally set his place on fire too," I mumbled.

"You what?" Audrey chanced a wide-eyed glance toward me before shifting her shocked face back to the road. The wagon bounced on its worn-down shocks as we jumped over the incline onto the highway, headed toward San Diego. Arizona's arid desert had shriveled us up, and it was high time we headed to the humidity of the west coast beaches.

"Hey, I ran into his stupid candle set up. He had them all lit up. You know how much he just loves his potpourri and incense. The place smelled like some apple pie convention. Any man who likes candles that much has got to have something wrong with him," I snickered. Pulling the worn canvas bag onto my lap from the floor where I had dropped it. I yanked at the strings that held the opening shut. Reaching in, I plucked out one of the many thick rolls of bills, squealing from excitement. I'd hit the jackpot. Discovering the safe Ruben kept haphazardly hidden in his apartment was unsecured, he'd made it too easy to rob him blind. The lock was broken from a previous robbery, and he'd neglected to get it fixed but still kept on using the darn thing. Not too smart there, if you ask me. His loss.

"How much do you think was in there?" Audrey asked. Her knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel. I was sure she was having a small heart attack even now, being so used to my crazy antics. It wasn't until we hit the city limits of Flagstaff that she even began to relax. However, the tension in her jaw was still there, making her grind her teeth back and forth, a habit I repeatedly reminded her not to do.

"I don't know...looks like mostly hundreds and twenties. I think there has to be at least ten...maybe fifteen thousand here." I smiled, stuffing the bills back into the bag and tucking it under my seat. I slipped down into the soft, worn half-leather, half-weaved canvas seat, which felt more like home to me than any other place had for a long time. It sighed under my weight as I brought my legs up onto the dashboard.

"That's a chunk of cash you managed to snatch." Audrey didn't look my way, but I knew that secretly, she was happy it was a good wad of money. We needed it, badly. Life as a singing duo didn't always pay the bills on time.

The dusty windows let the last bit of the day's light through, sending the colors turning into orange and red. The part desert, part forest around us was sparse and filled the horizon with a vastness of endless canyon road and desert land. I loved it with every fiber of my being. Travelling was an acquired taste, and we'd done our fair share and then some of that lately.

I wouldn't trade any minute of this away for anything else.
Chapter Two

Audrey

I COULDN'T SLEEP, but what else was new? Liv drove the second half of the night. We didn't want to stop, not until we reached the coast, just in case that idiot Ruben was in pursuit. Still, I couldn't ease my nerves. They were strung up tight, and I shifted in my seat restlessly. Why my sister had bothered with that sleazebag was beyond me. He gave me the creeps. The way he raked his eyes up and down her body like he was undressing her every time we stopped by his bar was disgusting. Even now, a shudder ran through me as the chill of his malice made my blood run cold.

The old soft leather of the seat sighed under my weight, creaking as I turned to stare out into the inky vastness of night. The restless energy lingering in my bones made me want to jump out of my seat. Times like these I wished I was more like Liv. She could relax anywhere. She had fallen asleep without difficulty earlier, slumped in the seat, oblivious to all.

I envied her in some ways. Yet she frustrated me to no end.

"Mmm," Liv let out a howling yawn as she stretched. "Audrey, hey, you awake?"

"What?"

"I'm dead tired, can't drive anymore. I'm pulling into that motel up ahead." She waved toward the dulled lights glowing in the distance. The motel was one of dozens we'd seen along the road. This one seemed to be in no better shape than the previous ones. Its exterior was fortified with peeling paint and weeds crawling up the sides of the masonry. It made me wonder how well-kept the inside was. The faint street lamps made it look more foreboding than comforting. I gulped as I stared at it, my skin crawling at the thought of sleeping there for the night, but from the looks of my dead-tired sister, and my own overwhelming fatigue aching in my bones, we were done driving.

"Okay, just park in the back after we check in. We don't want the car to be seen from the road."

"I know." Liv rolled her eyes, smacking her gum endlessly as she maneuvered the car into the drive near the office. Putting it into park, she leaned back and glanced at me as I unraveled several twenties from one of the bundles of money. "Guess Ruben wasn't all that bad for me, huh? This was the least he could've given us." She winked and opened her door, spitting the wad of gum onto the gritty ground.

"I wouldn't really say he gave us anything." I stuffed the bag back under the seat and jumped out of the wagon, grabbing my well-worn purse. It was my favorite. The patchwork pattern was frayed, and the muted colors even more faded, but I still loved it and would adore it until it fell apart.

The office looked empty, save for the old radio playing its static-filled techno music in the corner behind the desk. I glanced around, studying the old wallpaper that used to have small yellow daisies on it, but had long ago faded and rubbed away to almost nothing. The counter was clean but nicked in so many places I wondered how old this building was.

When no one approached us, I hit the lone bell that sat atop the counter, letting its smooth ring resonate across the room, hoping someone would show up soon. I needed to lie down in a bad way or I'd fall over any minute now.

"Hello?" Nothing but space and static responded. I made my way around the counter to peek into the back office door that stood partly cracked, exposing a small room with a couch and TV. I slipped in through the gap to get a better view of the back. A pair of cowboy boots perched on a stool was connected to a pair of jean clad legs. The man wore a plain white T-shirt and laid slumped back with his baseball hat covering part of his face. His thin frame and the lack of facial hair on his smooth jawline told me he was definitely not legal. His soft breathing told me he was out for the count.

"Get back here, Audrey!" Liv hissed at me. "You're going to get us kicked out before we even get a room. I'm beat and I don't want to find another motel or sleep in the car." I could almost feel her arms waving frantically behind me, but I refused to budge. I shushed her while pushing the door open a bit more, taking in the small tidy space before me. Besides the sleeping man, the place was void of anything personal—just the worn leather armchair he snoozed in and the stool he had kicked his boots up on. The TV hummed softly on an old sitcom I vaguely remembered.

My eyes met with his golden brown tanned skin, telling of time well spent in the sun. Maybe he was the owner's son and did odd jobs around the motel to pay his keep. His blonde hair hung out in wisps under the cap, messy but clean. The guy was bony, but not a total skeleton either. I wondered if he was the only one on tonight. He seemed far too young to be the boss here.

"Hello?" I knocked on the door, but the sleeping attendant didn't rouse. Sighing, I pondered if I wanted to shake him awake or kick him. Both seemed like good options, especially since I was exhausted and felt like I was about to fall over any second now. Bending over him, I snatched his cap off his head and dropped it onto his lap. His long bangs fanned over his face but failed to elicit any response, so I sat it back on top of his messy hair. He was dead to the world, obviously not expecting any business this late into the early hours of morning.

Stepping back, I kicked the chair from under his feet, sending his legs slamming into the floor.

"Hey!" He stumbled up, wide eyed, hair wild as his baseball cap flopped to the floor. He looked like a drowned cat, which I would have laughed at but crossed my arms at him instead.

"We need a room."

He frowned, groaning as he reached down to pick up his fallen cap, brushing the wild mess of hair from his youthful face. "Yeah, okay. Sure. One night only, right?" He cleared his throat and pushed past me to the counter, still straightening his rumpled shirt.

"Yes."

"Two beds?" He glanced up through his eyelashes toward my sister, his eyes lingering over her face and sliding down over her chest for a moment too long. Liv shifted in her shoes, pretending to be interested in the old Thomas Kinkade prints framed on the walls.

"Yes." I slammed the money onto the counter, loud enough to make him jump. He avoided my glare and started typing madly into the computer, which sat idling. His two finger typing was getting annoying, taking too long, and was keeping us from some rest. I wanted to shove him aside and type in our info ourselves, but I remained planted, determined not to let my impatience get the best of me, or my temper. A five year old could type faster than him. I resorted to drumming my fingers on the worn, chipping veneer of the counter.

He printed out our receipt, flicking his eyes at my fingers as they tapped away. His annoyance seemed to evaporate, more amused now than anything now. "Where are you ladies headed?" He slapped the paper in front of me and dropped a pen for me to sign.

"None of your concern," I muttered, scratching my signature onto the carbon copy paper and sliding it back to him.

"Hey, let's not be harsh now."

Liv leaned on the counter and batted her eyelashes at him, making me roll my eyes at her. There she goes, flirting with scum again. "Of course not. How 'bout you forget we were even here for a little bonus?" Gum smacking, she sweet-talked the poor kid. "What do you say there, boss?" I jerked my gaze back to her, surprised and ready to drag her out of there the moment he handed me our room key.

"Uh, yeah, sure. What kind of um...bonus?"

I hope she isn't thinking about... My eyes shifted to the attendant, his lovesick, gooey eyed face oblivious to me now.

Liv giggled, blowing a bubble that grew in proportion as she slowly exhaled into it, at the same time twirling her wavy hair in her slender, black nail polished fingers. The gum snapped, and she tongued it back into her little mouth, staring at the clerk the entire time. I was going to be sick.

"Liv." I motioned her out of the office as he clumsily placed the key in front of her. He was smiling widely, turning a brilliant shade of red as he stuttered to speak.

"Oh, you know..." Liv slapped a hundred dollar bill in front of him, bringing it up to wave it in his face as she continued, "the kind that makes you forget you ever even saw or heard about us." She smiled, the brilliance of it diminishing the bruised colored circles under her eyes. Her fatigue was apparent to me, but definitely not to the drooling young man who was all enthralled with her. "What do you say?" She gave him another lash-batting wink.

"Uh−yeah, okay." He took the bill from her and smiled, still entranced with Liv's beauty. I had to admit, she had a way with the opposite sex. She held them entranced with some spell she casted, turning them into spineless, sputtering idiots at any attention from her. She knew how to work it, and she used it well to get whatever she wanted. Only I seemed to notice the emptiness it caused her. Like the Band-Aids wrapped around her slender fingers, hiding the scabs from the splinters she had picked out of her hands, she hid the resonating hollow that was her heart. It wasn't her fault. In fact, I blamed myself every day for it. I owed it to her to never let anyone hurt her ever again.

We slipped out of the office without any further probing from the creep and jumped back into the station wagon, easing it around the back of the motel building to an inconspicuous spot behind a row of pitifully starved trees. There was even an emptied, cracked plaster pool here, sitting unused and filthy. Despite that, I didn't care anymore. If the place had a mat on the floor, I was ready to take it and crash.

I pulled my bag from the back seat before turning to stare at the run down state of this motel. It was painted a baby blue that required frequent touch ups, which didn't seem to have been kept up. I let a breath out, scratched my head, and proceeded to the room, which luckily wasn't too far from where we had parked. Liv followed behind, her own bag and the money pack in tow. Sliding the key card into the lock, it flashed green, and I shoved the heavy door open.

To my surprise, the interior was clean and simple. Smooth sheets lay on the beds, and an ample amount of pillows were strewn across the heads of the beds. I shut the door behind us, making sure to latch the lock, and breathed a sigh of relief as I leaned against the wood. Only then could I relax the tension that endlessly sat in my shoulders. Liv had already dived onto the bed nearest the window, pulling three of the pillows under her head and chest, hugging them fiercely.

"Heaven!"

I grinned—I had to agree with her for once. I stepped over to the second bed and dropped my bag to my feet. Pulling off my sneakers, I slid back onto the cool crisp sheets, which smelled like bleach and detergent with a faint floral scent mixed in. How about that—a clean motel that looked like crap outside? Go figure.

I was out before I could turn off any of the lights, but not before I'd heard Liv's soft, even breaths from her side of the room.

Chapter Three

Liv

THE TANGLES OF my hair caught in my fingers as I ran them through the wet tresses. I dug through my bag for a brush, shoving all the little trinkets aside as I sifted through to find it. Finally grabbing the handle, I tugged the bristles through the mess. My long black hair was layered and hung with soft curls framing my face. If I didn't get it untangled before it dried, it would turn into a fuzz ball afro in just minutes.

I managed to get all the knots out without cursing enough to wake Audrey. She hadn't even changed out of her clothes either before crashing. I smiled, glad I had my sister with me on this crazy road of life. I wasn't sure if I'd be okay without her. She grounded me in a way I was sure no one else could. I pulled my hair back into a loose bun and slipped my shoes on. I wanted to sneak out to grab my guitar from the wagon; my fingers itched to play the strings. Strumming the music was like a soothing medication to my soul. I ached for it, and it had been way too long since I had gotten to really just sit and tinker with it.

I pulled the guitar out of the trunk and quietly slipped back into the hotel room. I knew if I played softly, Audrey would continue to sleep for a bit. She fought sleep like a toddler, but man, once she was out, she was like death to the world. Sitting on my tossed up bed, I softly tuned the strings first, a habit I had done since learning how to play at the age of ten. Finishing with that, I softly strummed a set of chords, relishing the soft twang of the strings as the pick clicked over the metal coils. The sound resonated across the wood hollow of the guitar and filled the room with a soft melancholy.

Stretching my callused fingers to form the chords, I started to play one of my favorite Extreme songs, More Than Words. I loved its soft tempo and thumped out the percussion softly on the face of my guitar. Letting the melody fill me, it helped me to relax as the morning wore on. I fused it into the soft lullaby of an Anna Nalick song called Wreck of the Day, tapping my foot softly to the rhythm and losing myself in its soft reverence. I loved it and knew that if it was all up to me, playing music would be all I would do.

A slow tumble of a feeling crept up my side as I realized I was being watched. The window drapes were opened, letting in the soft sunlight of the morning, but just outside on the edge of the walkway, a man stood gazing in the direction of the window. He didn't seem to be staring at me, though he was definitely listening to the music. I stopped, wondering if he could see me through the grimy glass pane. As I jumped up to pull the drapes shut, he jerked his head up toward me.

I gasped. His eyes were the clearest blue I had ever seen, like colorless ice. He had a backpack strapped to his back and looked like he was leaving, freshly shaven and his dark brown hair slightly damp from a shower. He didn't leave as I approached and grabbed the drapes. In fact, he didn't so much as look right at me. His eyes were unfocused, and he didn't seem one bit offended by my glare. I noticed the cane he had in his grip as he reached for a pair of sunglasses dangling from his shirt pocket, donning them over his unusual eyes. With that, he continued forward, down the walk.

I was left baffled. Was he blind? He must have been. Why else would he have a cane like that? I wondered briefly what he was doing here, out in the middle of nowhere. He didn't look like any blind man I had ever imagined. For some reason, I only imagined an old man with white hair and a hunched over gait when I thought of someone who was blind, not a breathtaking man who was probably no more than thirty.

I sighed as I watched him disappear around the corner toward the office. With that, I pulled the window drapes closed and turned to see Audrey, stirring from the spot she had not moved from all night long.

"What time is it?"

"I think it's around eight."

She yawned, stretching and popping her bones as she flexed and reached up toward the sky. I chuckled at this little ritual she always did before getting out of bed. Rubbing her puffy eyes, she then slid her hands over her hair and shoved back the convoluted mess of hair that flitted into her face. "I'm gonna jump in the shower. Then, I want to head out. We can't stay too long," she muttered.

I nodded my response, though I doubted she saw it. She was already busy pulling out clothes and toiletries from her bag. Shuffling to the bathroom, she clicked the door shut. I could hear her dropping her bottles of stuff and cursing as one smashed her toes. Chuckling, I put my guitar back in its case, dropping the pick back in the little storage compartment the case had for little things. Clicking the latches shut, I ran my hand along the smooth exterior. The guitar was my one prized possession−having saved from my summer job to get it. Now, I could buy several of them with the money I had lifted from Ruben, though I wasn't sure it would have meant as much to me then.

Ruben.

I shuddered at the thought of him. He was a disgusting con man I'd met by chance of walking into his bar one day. He made a living off selling illicit drugs out of the bar he owned in Phoenix. He was a husky, burly, and greasy man who loved to ogle women. I only tolerated his company because he had a soft spot for me, giving me an endless slew of gifts, free drinks, and a job at the bar, in addition to side work cleaning his apartment. He was a little bit of a mogul and was a bit loaded with cash. Still, I would never let him touch me like he wanted to with a ten foot pole. Yesterday, when we executed our plan to relieve him of chump change and get out of the city, I had let him lure me to his apartment above the bar under the guise that I was finally giving it up to him. Boy, did he have it wrong; he had used his restroom and had come out only to find that I had swiped his secret stash of drug money. I regretted nothing. He was sloppy and had paid for it. I was glad he didn't have a huge gang to chase us down; otherwise, I would have never deceived him.

Now, the road was ours. Heading to the coastline of San Diego, where the weather was fair and the ocean called us back to it, I couldn't wait. I stuffed the last of my items back into my bag and waited for Audrey to finish up in the bathroom. Despite what she thought, I was the early bird, not her. She liked to be the responsible one, but I knew she had her faults just as I had mine. I liked it that way though. It made me respect her even more.

As she exited the bathroom with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, she was swiftly drying off her bottles of shampoo and conditioner. She was a stickler for soft hair, unlike my unruly tresses. I admired her smooth, light brown hair, so unlike my crazy waves. She was so together, while I pretty much looked like a whirlwind came through here every day, but it was okay. It didn't bother me, and she didn't care. As long as we were cool with each other's quirks, we rarely had any issues getting along.

"Ready?"

"Yep." I smiled and stood up, pulling the door open. The cool morning air hit me, waking up my senses as I breathed in the ozone flavored breeze. I hopped on over to our car and popped the trunk open, stowing away my guitar and overnight bag and letting her toss hers in before slamming it shut. Jumping into the passenger seat, since it was Audrey's turn to drive, I waited as she calmly joined me in the cab of the wagon. Cranking the engine, she tapped on the gauges. "We'll have to get gas at the next station. Remind me."

"Okie dokie." I slouched in my chair, bringing a foot up onto the dashboard to tie my sneaker. She shoved it into reverse and eased the vehicle back, swinging it around to drive around the building to the office, where we had to drop off our key cards. Pulling up to the drive, she handed me her key card, and I hopped out to head into the office to turn them in.

Entering the small lobby, I stopped in my shoes and stared at the blind man I had seen outside our window. He sat on one of the waiting room chairs, leaning on his cane with his duffle pack between his jean-clad legs. He was already facing my direction, and I could feel his eyes scanning my way as I walked to the counter. I glanced around, not finding the blond haired attendant. I dinged the lone bell, hoping the twang would bring him out of hiding.

"He stepped out for a few. Said he'd be back soon," the stranger's calm voice echoed behind me. I turned and studied his face, not afraid that he could see me staring.

"Thanks."

He gave a slight nod, not moving from his spot. "You're welcome, Miss." His face was still. As a matter of fact, he was so still, no wonder I had missed him on the way in. It made me think on why he was sitting there waiting.

"Are you getting a room?" I questioned. I was pretty sure that he had a room if he was wandering around the motel earlier. Otherwise, it was somewhat freaky.

"No, I'm waiting for my ride." He smiled then, showing a set of pearly white teeth and deep smile lines that made him look charming. "But they aren't answering their phone, and I'm afraid they've quite forgotten about me." I couldn't help but stare; he was mystifying. I hoped he couldn't tell that I was looking at him for longer than what was appropriate. It would be mortifying, but I couldn't help it. I waved at him to see if he would react. Satisfied that he didn't, I turned back toward the counter and contemplated dropping the room cards on the counter and leaving.

"Did he say when he was coming back?"

"No, sorry, I didn't ask." I turned back to the blind man, letting my eyes drag down his face, across his body, and down his jeans. He wore them slightly loose but snug enough to define the muscles of his legs. His sneakers were clean and a dark grey. Even his hair was neatly trimmed, though not too short, hanging over his face a bit but not in an unruly way. It was darn sexy, if you asked me.

"I can feel you staring."

"Oh. Sorry." My face flushed scarlet, and I ripped my eyes away from him to land on the old faded wallpaper lining the walls behind the desk. It used to have little yellow bouquets of flowers on it. Now they were worn down so much, only an occasional bouquet would be visible. It must have been pretty at one point, but now it made the place look dated. "You think you can tell him I dropped the room keys on the counter here?"

He gave me a curt nod, grinning still. "I sure can."

"Thanks."

"Anytime, Miss."

I spun and headed toward the exit, but as my fingers grasped the handle to the door, I turned back to Blind Man once more. He remained glued to his spot, but reached up to his watch and pressed one side of it. "Eight fifty-two A.M." The robotic voice sounded off, not too loud but loud enough for me to hear in this quiet room. He frowned, sighing as he shifted in his seat.

I knew I was going to regret this. I just knew it.

"Hey, um...Do you need a lift somewhere? We got room. Where are you headed?" Shoot, can't take it back now. I gulped, glancing out the glass door to see my sister muttering words with her mouth as she was most definitely cursing the radio's poor reception. I turned back to the handsome stranger and waited for him to respond.

"You sure about that?" He cocked his head to the side as though he was thinking hard on my words.

I fidgeted in my spot and sighed. "Yes, of course. So what do you think?"

A moment slid past until a warm smile grew across his face. "Thank you. I think it sounds wonderful. I'm headed to San Diego." He stood up, switching the cane to his right hand as he grabbed the bag with the other. "Much obliged."

"Great! That's where we're going." I opened the door and held it for him. He smiled wider and gave me a quick nod as he walked outside. "I'm Liv Westing, by the way. That's my sister, Audrey." I bit at my lip, hoping Audrey wasn't going to lose her bloody mind when she heard my offer to the stranger.

"Nice to meet you, Liv. I'm Saul Halifax."

Chapter Four

Audrey

I DON'T KNOW what goes through Liv's head sometimes. Giving a complete stranger a ride out in the middle of Timbuktu was not my idea of a wise decision. If Saul hadn't been blind, I would've put my foot down, but he was nice so far−he'd nodded his greeting to me with the warmest of smiles, disarming my torrent of protesting in one instant. Regardless, I kept one eye on him in the rear view mirror as I sped along the highway, still anxious to get farther and farther from Ruben.

"So what's your story?" I asked, glancing at Liv and back to his reflection. He had sunglasses over those translucent blue orbs that seemed to be almost colorless. He smiled to me as though he could see my stare in the mirror. I shifted my eyes back to the road, my face flushing slightly. He was not bad looking, His locks rippled in the breeze, looking ever so soft and aching to be curled around my fingers. I'd at least give him that.

"Well, I work as a voice actor. It pays well, and it's perfect for someone like me." He gave a slight grin back through the rear view mirror. I gulped, feeling guilty that I had asked him about his profession. Obviously, it wouldn't be a traditional job, or would it? He could've said he was disabled for all I knew. I found it interesting that he was considered an actor. How cool was that?

"Really? Do you do any of the movie trailer announcements?" Liv spun around and waited greedily for his answer, her long black hair whipping around her head like a halo. I rolled my eyes, knowing our guest couldn't see me do so. Still, what if he was pretending to be blind? Maybe he was rolling his eyes behind those dark, dark sunglasses at us too.

He chuckled at Liv's enthusiasm, but shook his head. "No, I'm not that good yet, but that would be a dream come true to get that kind of gig." He turned his face toward the wind, which was rolling in from the open windows. The warm air was cooling down as the ocean air approached, sending shivers down my arms, but he looked like he very much enjoyed it.

"What were you doing in that motel in the middle of nowhere?" Liv picked at the peeling leather of the seat. Its worn, cracking appearance was fading with time and the abuse of the elements.

"My mother died. I went to her funeral in Flagstaff." Liv gasped, and I swatted her for asking.

"No, it's okay. We weren't close. Just paying my respects." He gave a reassuring smile again, white teeth flashing, enveloped by luscious pink lips.

"I'm sorry." Liv slid back in her seat, facing forward once more. I gritted my teeth. My face was flushing with embarrassment, enough for both of us.

"Ignore her. She sometimes says the wrong thing," I hissed, blowing out a breath as I exited the freeway, heading toward Newport. I had been here several times in my life, and the beach called to me like magic, the scent of the sea exhilarating, even before it was visible.

"No worries."

I glanced back toward him, and then to Liv, who was already digging through her purse for some gum. I wished I could move on so quickly; it would be better that way, to live in the moment instead of letting the memory of unwanted things traumatize the future. I always knew she would be happier in life than me, always. A short memory was cause for a happy, long life.

"So where do you want to be dropped off? We're headed to Newport Beach. Got some contacts there that want us to play at their bar." I gripped the steering wheel, noticing how my hands always got wild with flitting movement when I talked. He couldn't see them, so why do it? Biting my lip, I waited for his answer.

"Oh wow, you guys play? What kind of music?" He leaned forward, having forgotten my question the moment I had mentioned playing.

"Oh, you know—guitar, banjo, anything with bells, strings, or whistles." I couldn't help it; my fingers waved in the air, my wrist flicking about on its own accord, acting as though I was shaking a tambourine. Blushing red again, I dropped it into my lap and clenched the steering wheel even tighter with my other. "We sing too. A duet at times, but Liv does a lot of the solo voice work. I'm pretty much just backup."

Saul leaned forward, his eyebrows hovering above the frames. "Wow! That's amazing! I do some percussion, lots of looping drum beats, digital rhythms and stuff. You know, noise." His voice came in louder now, obviously hitting a point of interest for him. "Maybe I can help you guys out sometime. I love to play. Actually, you'd be doing me a favor." His enthusiasm was contagious. I was jumping in my seat from hearing his offer.

"Really? Wow, that's really awesome of you!" I flicked my eyes to him, wondering if he was too good to be true. "You sure? That would help us loads! We have some equipment in the trunk. Maybe you can fiddle with it, make it work for you. It hates me, but Liv uses it sometimes. She's just starting out on it, though, a newbie. We do a ton of just acoustic tunes, easiest to do."

"Hell yeah, that would be awesome." Saul leaned back, inhaling deeply, seemingly enjoying the salty ocean air too. His face lit up behind the shades, making my insides warm up, tingling from just looking at the man. He was eye candy if I ever saw any. "I can't wait."

Chapter Five

Liv

I SLAMMED MY glass on the bar, nonchalantly waving the bartender over for another.

"Another cranberry and vodka?" I nodded. He smirked, pulling my glass off the counter to mix it. I was buzzing already, but it was the only way I could kill the jitters running through me prior to the show. It ran up my arms and down my chest like little flurries of butterflies high on meth. Unbearable, I had to squelch it somehow, or I'd never gain the courage to play on stage again.

The crowd was thick tonight. Bodies filled the floor and crowded up to the stage as the band playing before us finished their last set. The smoke was hanging above my head like a storm cloud and made me choke on the fumes. I grabbed my drink from the bartender as he slipped it onto the counter and dropped some crushed dollar bills to pay for it before I stumbled away toward the side of the stage. The incessant droning of the electric guitar player's sorry excuse for rock and roll made me want to cut the strings and smash his instrument into the ground until it splintered into a thousand tiny shards. I was feeling bold tonight, and that could be bad or good.

"Liv, I need you to get the equipment set up for Saul first. I'll get your acoustic plugged in." Audrey stopped, narrowing her eyes at me before she gritted her teeth. "You aren't drinking again, are you? Really? We're about to go on!" She huffed, shaking her head, and turned away so I wouldn't see her rage amplify across her face. I knew she was disappointed; she didn't have to turn away from me to let me know that. I was pretty in tune with my sister's feelings about how I dealt with my insecurities. She didn't understand. She never would, but that didn't stop her from trying, no matter how many times I had told her to just let it go.

That was the difference between me and her. Some things were better left unsaid and left alone.

"Don't worry so much. Your hair will go grey before you're even thirty!" I caught a slight slur in my words and cleared my throat. It was my turn to shift away, grabbing the electronic equipment and the tangle of cords, and readying to run over this God awful band once their song was over. It was starting to grate on my nerves, the way he screeched his guitar every two seconds. I was pretty sure he didn't know how to play a decent chord if his life depended on it.

Lifting the digital usb midi pad and tucking one of the smaller keyboards under my arm, I began plugging in the necessary cords and untangling the mess. Finally, the screeching music ended, and I pulled the loops around my shoulder, letting the band step down off the stage, before taking the stairs two at a time to the table awaiting the equipment. It was easy work to set up. I'd done it so many times, I could do it asleep or blindfolded. Saul made his way to the stairs, carrying a small digital percussion pad set and a few more loops of cords around his arms.

Watching him take the steps, slowly but still fast enough, no one would've noticed he was blind, except for the cane he carried along with all the stuff in his arms. With dexterous fingers, he swept the cane in front of him and made his way toward me.

"Don't trip. The snakes are all over the floor," I told him, hoping he knew what I was talking about. I took the equipment from him before he could run into the table, which made him pause before throwing me a tiny nod and smile. It was brilliant and made me suck in my breath. "The table's in front of you. There's a chair behind it to get your stuff set up," I added, darting my eyes away.

"Thanks. It reminds me of the sound studios I work in, but quite a bit louder." His fingers graced the edges of the table and followed it discretely around. It was impressive, the way he moved so gracefully, never running into anything or tripping. It was as if he could sense the surroundings, like they were an extension of him. Must be the years of practice, I quietly thought. I wouldn't mind those fingers gracing my skin the way they caressed the edges of the table. I moved my eyes away from his yummy backside, feeling guilty for eyeing a man who couldn't even see me do it.

Audrey ran up the steps, leaning both our guitars against our chairs. Hers was a tall stool, stolen from the bar down below. I'm sure they didn't mind it. She cradled her microphone and looped the excess cord near the table before plugging it in. Only one of the guitars was plugged in for an acoustic sound at its best. I took the instrument from her, and she arranged her variety of bells, tambourines, and jingles on the end of the table Saul occupied.

Soon, the crowd quieted enough for Audrey to announce us. The Fall of Sky was the name of our duo, now trio. Though unofficial, it would do for now. I began strumming my guitar and waited for Saul to start the looping percussion as I picked at the strings, sending a haunting melody into the room.

As the drums resonated, the music left my fingers, pouring out from my soul and into the chords as the pick clicked through the strings. The vibrating twang filled me up like a warm, soothing concoction, even in my half drunken state. I was oblivious to the crowd now−they didn't exist when I was playing. In the background, I heard Audrey's voice sounding out, softly at first, and then into the sway of the lyrics we'd both written and sung a thousand times before.

"Nothing like the rain

That amplifies the fear

And nothing like this endless pain

That wants to pull me near

Like a poison to my soul

A drizzle of your touch

A fiery death in my veins

Try not to taste too much

But, for you, I might let this guard down

For you, I might take a step around

And it might be a mistake...

Might be the last step I take

Maybe the fall is worth the pain..."

The melody continued in her soft, hypnotic voice. As the chorus sounded, I had joined her with my own voice, harmonizing and echoing in the room. The bar had stilled. Most were nodding their heads to the beats, which Saul was expertly looping and tapping out. I was definitely impressed, catching myself smiling through the words toward him. He sure could keep the rhythm, for a blind man. I swung my view back toward the crowd beyond the glaring stage lights. Some women were grinding against their lovers; some were in the dark crevices of the room, deeply buried within their kisses and feeling up on each other. It was definitely a sexual song, and the room had gotten the gist of it.

It made the room temperature rise as we continued on−a sure sign that it had been well accepted. I hungrily scanned the room as I strummed the guitar, looking for someone to quench my own thirst. Normally, Audrey would sway me from grabbing the first good looking guy I saw and keep me out of trouble when I was intoxicated. Not tonight. I wouldn't let her. Tonight, I had a fire building up inside me, and it needed something to burn, someone to devour with every fiber of my being. I was on the hunt, and this was going to be fun.

Chapter Six

Audrey

THE MORNING SUN spiked its light through the well-worn curtains, peeking through the thicker, black-out set which laid an inch open, no matter how much one tried to keep the ends together. Unfortunately, the beam of sun sat gingerly across my eyelids, and I felt the burn of my retinas jerk me awake.

Sleep dusted across my eyes, and I rubbed it away as I sat up, wondering suddenly what time it was. Flicking them toward the red numbers on the nightstand alarm clock, cheap motel standard issued, I groaned and plopped back onto the pillow, grabbing the second one on the other side of the bed and smothering myself with it.

Wait a minute. Where's Liv?

Throwing the soft, bleach scented pillow off, I sat back up again and studied the empty, not slept-in, other side of the bed I occupied. Turning back toward the inside of the room, I studied the lump sprawled across the second queen bed. Saul was softly snoring, and I spied the smooth olive skin peeking from under the sheet, which barely covered him. He looked like he might be sleeping in the nude, making me swallow as I averted my eyes.

Great Jehoshaphat! I hope he's wearing boxers under there.

Shaking the adrenaline shock off, I yanked the blanket off and went to lean against the warm windowsill. The motel parking lot sat half abandoned, people already having rushed to whatever business they were up to and leaving only a handful of cars spread across the lot, our old station wagon included. It looked neglected, dusty with a film of nasty stuck to it, making it obvious it hadn't been washed in months. If the state of the car was any kind of indication of the state of our lives, I was going to have to start praying again, with retro prayers to make up for the months I'd been way out of touch, and especially with Liv being the way she is.

After scanning the parking lot, I saw no sign of her. Frowning, I gave the curtains a good pull, sending a small amount of dust into the air. Flipping my suitcase open, I pulled out an outfit and headed for the bathroom, grumbling about Liv the entire time. Saul shifted in his sleep but didn't awaken, letting me know to tone it down a bit.

Still. Where the hell was she? I was going to kill her when she hopped back over here. She was always doing crap like this, disappearing for days without any kind of warning or letting me know where she was. It worried the bejesus out of me, but I knew sooner or later, she'd come waltzing right back into the motel room, flop onto the bed and sigh happily, as though nothing had occurred and she was living the good life.

The blast of hot water was soothing and cleared the fogginess of the early morning out of my head. I didn't deserve this. It was ridiculous how much she took my concern of her for granted. A soft growl vibrated in my throat at the thought of it, and I slammed the water off. Finishing up in the bathroom and all dressed for the day, I walked back into the room to find Saul awaiting his turn in the shower.

"Hi, Audrey." His smile made me slow down the hard yanking I was doing on my hair. It was a mess, and the lack of conditioner made me want to cut it all off. I had to remember to do some shopping today before rehearsal and the show.

"Hey, Saul. You haven't heard from Liv, have you?"

He shook his head, already feeling his way toward the bathroom. Most motel rooms were all the same, so he had no difficulty getting there without his walking stick. "No, sorry. I didn't hear her leave. She didn't tell you where she would run off to?"

"No."

"I hope she's okay. She seems pretty adept to finding her way around. I'm sure she'll show up soon." He paused at the door and waited for me to answer, maybe feeling guilty that he wasn't as concerned about her whereabouts as I was.

"You're probably right," I muttered, letting him off the hook.

"Up for some breakfast when I'm done? I'll be fast."

I nodded at first before realizing he can't see me. "Yeah, sounds good."

"Good! Just a few minutes. Be right out." His faded blue eyes twinkled with his cheeks folding up into another bright smile, which forced my mood to inch just a bit higher.

With that, he disappeared into the steamy room I'd left behind. Finished pulling the sopping messes of hair into a ponytail, I scampered over to my suitcase, stuffed away my dirty clothes, and re-zipped the case. I was tired of feeling like a mother hen to Liv. It was definitely time to rethink our relationship.

The bag of money peeked out from under my side of the bed, and I bent down to retrieve it. Checking the insides for the wads of bills, I sighed. We'll pay dearly for every last penny of this money. I felt it in my soul, a dread that stuck to me like a shroud of cobwebs. I pulled loose a couple of twenties, stuffed the bag into my own oversized purse, and waited for Saul. Maybe breakfast would keep me from killing my sister. She'd better not walk in before I'd eaten. It would be the last thing she did—I'd make sure of it.

Sitting in a worn, fake leather booth at the local Denny's, I shifted in my seat until the waitress sashayed her way to our table, smacking her gum as she asked for our orders. Her hair was an artificial red, one that no one naturally possessed. The array of curls were held up by a handkerchief tied and pinned to the mass. She wore heavy makeup, and her red lipstick stuck to her two front teeth in small smudges. Long chains dangled from her thin neck, making me rub my own at the thought of the weight they must own. I was a minimalist. Even Liv, with her gobs of makeup and jewelry, kept it tasteful. I wasn't even sure if this one's long, acrylic nails were within the Health Department's code.

I was relieved that she was just the waitress and not the cook, to say the least. "She must be a fright to look at." Saul's voice echoed in my ears, bringing me back to the table as I flushed for getting caught staring at her. Wait, how would he know that?"

"How can you tell?"

"The way you paused while you were talking to me, right before she arrived. It sounds like a shocker to me."

His skill in observing the noises around him made me stop tapping my nervous foot on the floor. I wondered briefly if it would be harder to hide things from a deaf person. Doubted it.

"Yeah, she's just over the top with her enhancement routine and jewelry. Hope her dangles don't drop into my oatmeal."

Saul let out a laugh but cleared his throat as the waitress returned with our coffees and cream. I poured five packets of sugar into mine and half the cream. Saul just lifted an eyebrow at the sound of my additives as I stirred.

"What?"

"You seem pretty wound up already. All that sugar might not be a good idea."

"Oh, clamp it. Sugar calms me down. If there's a time I am fraying my nerves, it's now. Liv is going to get her comeuppance when she comes back for putting me through this shit over and over again. I'm sick of it, so don't you start now, too." I took a deep swig of caffeine and nearly burned my lips. The food better be good today. No, it better be stellar with what I'd seen so far.

Chapter Seven

Liv

I WAS GOING to kill him. I watched as the swirling water tinged with red and pink spun down the drain. Spitting out more blood, I peeked into the mirror and assessed my teeth. They were thankfully intact; my only injury being a very swollen lip with a nice gash on it and a cut inside my mouth where my teeth had slit it open. I frowned. The blackening eye wasn't a good look for me either.

Who was I going to kill? Jonas Esperanza, one of Ruben's henchmen. I'd been stupid enough to fall for one of his old tricks of paying off some good looking tramp man in a cowboy get up to pretend to like me, dance with me, and then proceed to get me as intoxicated as possible before slipping me a fucking roofie in the last shot so I would be less likely to notice. Well, I'd taken a sip of it when I saw the fizz at the bottom of the cup, but it was a tad bit too late. I'd drunk enough to fog up my mental capacity, slur up my words, and leave me at Jonas' mercy. He'd stepped in after Mr. Cowboy had waltzed me out of the club and handed me right into the jaws of the tiger.

What a gentlemen.

I'd fought with all I'd had, but Jonas had managed to stuff me into his car beside him while his thousand pound driver Javier drove us around town.

"I'm a generous man."

The world outside was swimming, and I pressed my eyelids together, attempting to focus as I let the world speed by. Not only that, but I had to concentrate to keep his words from blurring in my ears.

"But Ruben, now he's not so willing to part with his money as I'd be, even for a beautiful woman such as yourself." His voice was electric, like standing too close to a buzzing fly trap. "Of course, if it'd been me you'd taken money from like that, you'd never have slipped through my fingers so easily."

I scratched at the door, the handle missing and only his side of the car had a working one. I pondered how I'd get myself out of this predicament. I was sure Audrey had assumed I'd still be dancing til dawn or at least had spent the night with some small town cowboy in desperate need of a lay. Hell, I was game for that, but this...this was definitely a precarious predicament I had walked right into. Great.

"Liv, Liv, Liv. Do you know I paid him off for you? Did you know how many times I graced his shitty bar just to get a glance at your pretty face? He didn't deserve to have such beauty working for him. He was a fool." I caught the flick of a cigarette lighter and wrinkled my nose at the pungent scent of cigarettes. I hated smoke, even when I spent a lot of nights dancing away in smoke filled bars lacking ventilation. It smelled horrible, and I immediately started to cough.

"Now now, Bonita. Sorry about the smoke. I'll open the window for you. I only smoke when I have a lot of thinking to do." The squeak of the window lowering made me want to push him aside and dive out of it, but he only opened it a couple of inches. "The question is..." His thick Latino accent caused his voice to purr as he continued to suck on the cancer stick. "What do I do with you now? I'm not one to like lacking money either, and I was hoping you'd have some sort of payment plan I could consider. What do you say, Liv?"

I spat on his shiny, expensive Louis Vuitton shoes and dark beige slacks. By the looks of his well-bred threads, he wasn't too happy about me messing up his sleek outfit. I couldn't care less if it was Armani or Versace; I wanted the hell out of this metal coffin on wheels.

"Fuck you, Jonas."

"I wouldn't mind. I've had many whores."

"You wish."

Sparks flew across my vision, and I landed partly on the floor of his Lincoln Town Car. I paused as my vision slowly returned and glared up at him before hoisting myself back up onto the leather seat. Iron tinged taste and warmth spilled onto my tongue, and I licked the blood off my lips. It stung and dripped down onto my blouse. Instead of wiping it off, I continued to drill my stare into him, narrowing my eyes, even if my left one was now throbbing with an awful pain.

"Now, I have a proposition. I've been watching how you and your sister do your thing on the stage. I want you to record a demo for me, and I can get it to my cousin, who partly owns a recording studio. If he likes it, I get forty percent of the proceeds you and your sister make off your album. If he hates it, well, you can just run around the state doing dive bar shows, and I take fifty percent of the pennies you make. What do you say? Deal?

The car hit a massive bump in the road and shook us about, making my head jolt with a worse, stabbing ache, and my hands flew up, pressing my skull between them. I needed to get out of here—one way or the other.

"Until the debt's paid?"

Jonas' cocky smirk made me want to wipe it off his face with a cheese grater, while I crushed his skull in with a mallet. "With some interest, of course. I like investments."

I swallowed the dry, cottony lump in my throat and reached up to touch the warmth oozing from my mouth and drying on my chin.

"Here. I apologize for that, but I must have you understand how serious I am." He handed me a pure white handkerchief, embroidered with two initials: J.E. I did a fine job of staining that sucker down to the cross threads.

"Fine."

His face brightened, and he snapped his fingers twice, signaling to his massive driver of the change of plans. "Now, where can I drop you off at?"

"The Motel 6 on Railways Ave."

"You heard the lady, Marco. Turn the car around." He turned back toward me, eyeing me as I slowly wiped the mess of blood from my face. "And don't think you can change your mind. I'll be watching you, even when you think I'm not."

"Sending your little rats to chase me?"

He laughed, a haughty dry kind of chuckle, while his face screwed up into a cruel smile. "Something like that, Preciosa. Don't forget what I said. I'll be collecting in a couple weeks."

The car pulled up in front of the motel, and I spotted Audrey leaving with Saul. Might as well let them go; it would give me some time to fix my face. It was already early morning, and my fatigue was hitting me hard. I paused as Jonas got out of his side and waited for me to slip out, offering his hand out to me. I dodged it, and he curled his fingers into his palm, an angry look gracing his features before he managed to compose himself once more.

Turning toward the motel, his words dug into me. "I will be back, so don't forget me."

I kept walking away and ended up running around the corner until I watched the black car leave. My heart was racing, and I felt the prickle of tears behind my eyes begging to be let out. I'd stood there for what felt like hours before I dared to peek around the corner and hit the ice machine. Grabbing one of the plastic bags from the dispenser next to it, I filled it with ice and pressed it to my left eye. The cooling sensation felt good against the throb and heat of his blow. I was pretty sure his fingers were imprinted onto my skin.

Now my blood boiled in my veins as I stared at my face in the mirror, purpled and reddened from his one hit. I vowed I'd make him pay. I slammed the water off and slid to the floor of the bathroom, leaning my head against my knees and hugging my legs tight to my chest.

I'd never thought Ruben would've given up on finding us so easily and offer the bounty to someone like Jonas. Ruben was so much easier to dodge. But, Jonas? He was the devil himself. Every time he had entered Ruben's bar to chat it up with him, I had felt the air go cold by a dozen degrees. One icy stare from him could send my hair standing on end. He was a demon disguised as flesh and blood, a Latino stud at that—a dangerous man, but I had known better then. It was a damn shame he was on my tail now.

Wiping the spill of tears away, I let the minutes tick by as I leaned on the edge of the tub, still feeling the after effects of the roofie. Closing my eyes, I hoped I could imagine a way out of this infernal mess.

Chapter Eight

Audrey

"WHAT THE HELL, Liv!" I yanked her off the edge of the tub. The water was running, the spray still warm and steamy while she lay sprawled, slouching at the bottom, clothes and all. She moaned and slapped at me with her skinny fingers as I sat her up, wiping the tangled snakes of hair from her face. "Liv, wake up! LIV!"

Reaching over, I turned the water to cold and blasted her with it. Her eyes widened as she jolted to the far side of the tub, desperately trying to get away from the frigid water. "Fuck!"

My breath let out, a wave of relief relaxing me momentarily as I sunk to the floor and pushed on her forehead, her droopy eyes rolling to find mine, one of them nearly swollen shut and purpling. I didn't want to ask. I already knew some abusive boyfriend or a one night stand had gotten to her, but she didn't really reek of alcohol at all, so I wondered why she was so out of it.

"Liv, what'd you do?"

She huffed, slapping my arm away again as she reached over to turn off the shower. I dropped a towel onto her lap, and she began to rub the beads of water away aggressively. "Me? I didn't do anything. Why do you always assume it's my fault every time?" She glared at me with her one good brown eye. It shimmered under the dim bathroom light. I realized she really meant what she said.

"Who did this?" I asked. She sighed once more and got to her feet, cursing under her breath as she swayed a bit. "Did you take something, Liv?"

"What if I did? My face is killing me..."

"What'd you take?" I waited impatiently and even helped her step over the ledge of the tub. Her clothes clung to her tooth pick frame, sopping wet, and sent her body into a shivering mess. I pulled the towel around her and motioned her to start stripping.

"Everything okay?" We both looked up to find Saul standing silently at the doorway. I felt Liv shrug under my hands sitting on her shoulders, and she unzipped her pants disregarding the intrusion. I turned back to her and threw her a stinging glare.

"What? He can't see anything. Not like he has some X-men vision." She kicked off her sopping wet pants and smacked them against Saul's leg. "Oops, sorry 'bout that..." Wavering, she grabbed the wall to steady herself. "Oh...one too many Dilaudids, I think..."

"What? What the hell? Where did you get those? Is that all you took, Liv? Liv...I swear I'm going to smother you..."

"Yeah, geez, okay, okay. I got a few more in my bag. Got 'em from the stash piles in Ruben's safe. He was loaded...I only took one, maybe two... hell if I know. If not for that damn roofie, I'd be fine..."

"Say that again?"

"A roo-fee," she enunciated, slurring her words as she tossed the last of the dripping clothes down and wrapped the towel tighter around her body before shoving her curly locks away from her face. They hung partly wet and already drying in spirals of deep obsidian.

"Who gave you that, and what happened to your face?" My impatience was leaking into my voice, my nose flaring at her.

"Jonas Esperanza."

I wrinkled my face at the name, knowing full well who she was talking about. "Ruben's sidekick..." I answered, my voice fading as I slumped, a pocket of dire fear growing inside my guts.

She nodded and dug through her crumpled clothes in the duffle bag at the foot of the bed. Saul was relaxing on his bed, playing soft classical music on his iPod through a small boost speaker. I was sure he could still hear our discussion, but it didn't really bother me, and he didn't appear to be eavesdropping.

"What does he have to do in all this? He doesn't work for Ruben, not directly at least." I was afraid to hear her answer. Jonas was not one to mess with, at least from the extreme rumors surrounding his reputation. He was highly connected to the Mexican Cartel and did frequent shipments across the border, both ways. Trafficking women was one of them, so I'd heard. What would happen now with his demon eyes set upon us?

"He said he'd paid Ruben the amount we took from him, so now we owe Jonas. He kept blabbing on about some cousin and a music company that he partly owned and wanted us to record a demo for him. If the company liked it, they'd produce our album and he'd get forty percent of our profits. If they didn't, we could just perform our little ho-dum, dive bar shows and pay him off slowly—fifty percent of each show until our debt is paid, with interest, might I add."

My blood was boiling. I could feel my face flushing from the coronary I was about to have. "What? You told him no, right?"

"Pffft!" She plopped onto the bed, wet towel and all, with her dry clothes still clutched tightly to her chest. Yawning, she continued her rant, half her words coming out incoherently. "Duh...of course I did. Why the fuck do you think I got my face all screwed up? He didn't like that answer though, so guess who our new boss is? Latin Stalker...what fun!" She gave a tiny, morose laugh and yanked the bed covers over her tiny body. "Sorry, Sissy. I tried..." Her words faded as her soft snores filled the empty space around us, hovering along with the rhythmic flow of piano music ebbing from the speaker on Saul's nightstand.

I felt his gaze on me before I sank down onto the edge of his bed. Liv was lying diagonally across our entire bed.

"Hey," his voice calmly pulled at my thoughts, and I waited for him to continue. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out."

"You shouldn't get involved, you know. This is our problem."

He shrugged as my eyes met his icy-blue, blind ones. "Maybe I need a little excitement too. Don't be selfish now. Share the wealth." He winked before settling back to his music. His joke brought out a weak laugh from my throat, but I wanted to break down and cry more than anything else. He patted the other side of his bed, and after a moment of hesitation, I slipped down next to him. Exhaustion filled me up all of sudden, even after a good night's sleep. Saul moved over to one side of the bed as I leaned back onto one of his pillows. It smelled like him, manly musk with a sweet aftershave scent.

It was divine.

We'd been running so fast, so far, for all our lives, just to end up tripping precariously over our own feet, ending up in a whole pile of shit—knee deep, thick, and sinking fast in every which way. We were like the colors flapping in the wind, steadfast, proud—even while beaten by the breeze and dressed in frayed corners.

Chapter Nine

Liv

"HEY, WAKE UP, lazy bones!" I kicked the bed with Audrey and Saul sprawled across it. I hoped they weren't getting it on while I was knocked out on the next bed over. That's just wrong.

Stuffing the rest of my clothes and things back into my pack, I ran my hand through the soppy wet mess of my hair. It was about time to check out and no one was moving.

My sister groaned and sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Time to check out. Let's go."

"Shoot! Okay, I didn't really unpack, so it's cool. I'm ready." She stretched and started tossing her stuff into her own pack, simultaneously running a brush through her long, honey brown locks. "Where we headed today?"

"I guess we go ahead with our plan to hit the rest of the coast bars. It's not like we can hide from Jonas anyway. He's got his dogs sniffing our arses, so let's just get to it before he has a chance to waltz back in here and grace us with his lovely charm again."

Audrey nodded, about to reach over to shake Saul up, but he was already stirring. He sat up and pulled on a shirt before reaching down to pull on his socks and shoes. That man was delish, like a refined wine. Even his blind eyes took nothing away from his chiseled looks. I smiled and turned away before I embarrassed Audrey by eyeing them both too long. She deserved a nice specimen of a man like that. I'd never be able to hold one like him. I always picked the wrong ones to hang with and pushed the right ones as far as I possibly could. Let's just say, I didn't want to settle down, now or ever, not after all the crap Audrey and I had to go through in our childhoods. I'd never put a kid through that. Family was my sister, and that was all I wanted. If she chose to have kids, that was up to her. I'd be there for her and the kids, but no man was going to anchor me down with kids ever.

"Give me your pack. I'll stuff it in the trunk." I took the bag Audrey handed me and headed out the door. Pausing to peek around me, I couldn't shake the feeling that Jonas did have his little bitches sniffing around, watching our every move. Sighing, I clicked the trunk open and tossed our stuff into the back, including my guitar. Somehow, after last night, my little safety net felt incredibly absent. I was naïve to think Ruben wouldn't send someone like Jonas after us. We'd kept all our plans secret, never telling anyone in his vicinity where we were planning to go. Jonas was an entirely different kind of monster, and we were truly at his mercy—a fact I hated with every fiber of my body.

How do I fix this? How do I twist it to our advantage? Reaching up, I touched the tender bruise that had blossomed around my eye. The swelling had come down, but it had left me feeling weak and shattered. Jonas was such a dangerous man. What could I do to quell his thirst for control over us? How could I swipe the reins of power from him willingly enough that he wouldn't notice the loss of it? I slipped my sunglasses on, large bug-eyed ones which movie stars tended to favor because they covered so much of one's face. Underneath the shades, I felt a bit better- less vulnerable, less broken. It was a partial mask to hide the fragility I always tried so hard to squash about myself.

I'd pondered on this, especially since Audrey volunteered to drive down the coast. I could take a moment and think it over, finding the solution to this puzzle. I would, too. One thing I had acquired from years of taking care of just me and Audrey was I knew how to survive and figure out stuff no one else would even think about as a problem. She always told me I could've gone to Harvard, for I was a damned genius, but that wasn't the road for me. I wasn't the kind of girl who could sit in an institution and accept things as they told me they were. I'd lose my damn mind there, surrounded by mindless robots operating in the system they were told they had to maneuver to become the 'it' people of America. I'd rather do it the hard way, like actually get the street smarts to make it. I didn't need corporate America to save me. I'd save myself.

"What is tossing about in that head of yours, Sis?" Audrey's voice broke through my cloud, and I shifted to face her. My feet were kicked up on the dashboard, so I slipped them down to stretch them out.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"You never just think, so cough it up."

I laughed, shaking my head at Audrey. "If I tell you what I'm thinking, you'll institutionalize me immediately."

"I wouldn't doubt that." Audrey huffed, pointing at a McD's for late breakfast. I shuddered at the thought of the greasy food, but she loved the stuff, so I agreed.

"Look, about Jonas, I'm sorry we got caught up in this crap, so I'm going to fix it."

Audrey threw me an unconvinced glare before she pulled into the parking spot. "Like what, Liv? I don't like the sound of that whatsoever."

I groaned and pushed some loose strands of my hair behind my ears. "Look, Jonas isn't a reasonable man. He's used to getting everything he wants. What if I give him that? We give him the music he wants. He gets to be with me the way that he wants. I can manipulate a man in lust, or even love, get him to comply to my whims...our wants. He'll be so wrapped around my finger he won't even know he's leaving us to our own devices. Then, when he gets tired of me, he moves on and we're free again."

"What?" Audrey ripped off her shades and grabbed my arm, her fingertips digging into the flesh uncomfortably. "Hell no. What are you thinking? You're insane. No, you're worse than that, delusional." She slammed her hand against the steering wheel a couple of times before she stopped and leaned back, letting out a long, defeated sigh. "You're kidding, right? Please say you're pulling my leg, you psycho."

"No, I'm not. I just texted him, letting him know I'd like to get to know him better."

"What the hell, Liv! You really have some suicidal issues, don't you?"

"He'll leave you alone. He'll let us do our music the way we want—hell, maybe even get us a contract. I'll just...get a bonus, I guess."

"You'll just be his sex slave. No! Absolutely not!"

"It's done, Audrey. It's the only way he'll eventually leave us be."

"No. Are you not right in the head? What the fuck? Hell, even I know that already, but still, what the hell!" Audrey scrambled out of the car, barely letting Saul scramble out before she slammed the door, shaking the entire station wagon. "You're mental. I suggest you get something to eat because your brain is devouring itself for lack of food and too many drugs. Get the hell out of the car, Liv." Her voice was filled with bitterness.

I obliged, but not without throwing her a deadening glare for yelling at me in public. It was always humiliating, and she was the queen of humiliation when she wanted to straighten me out. I hated it.

"Whatever! You're already killing yourself by eating that junk food, so who's suicidal now?" I laughed and strutted behind her, head tall even with only Saul as the audience, no matter how immature I sounded. Maybe she was having this epic fit to impress him. He looked pretty calm and followed along quietly. Now why can't Audrey be more like that? I liked him more and more as time went on.

Inside, Audrey had already ordered, even for me. I groaned and sat down in a booth. I knew my plan was foolproof. As if to reassure me, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I yanked it out, a text from Jonas flashing across the screen, and a smile spread across my face as I read it.

I'd love to meet up. When and where? Wear a dress.

Yep, falling right into the palm of my hand.

"I agree with Audrey. What you're doing is a very bad idea." Saul slipped in next to me, his shades covering up the icy blue eyes underneath. His face was still and calm, like nothing ever flustered him. His dark hair was neat and unruly all at the same time. How a man like him had lived life so effortlessly was beyond me.

"It's what will get us through this intact."

"He's a dangerous man."

"You don't know him. I can read people really well. He's mush under that hard exterior, like putty I plan to mold to fit me."

"You don't know him. You may think you do, but you're playing right into his hands. He'll make you pay for it, and you'll regret it. There will be consequences."

"You don't know me, so don't underestimate what I can do."

"You're right, I don't know you. I do know men like Jonas, and they are unforgiving and don't know how to love anyone, even someone as amazing as you. Don't do this. Audrey wouldn't be able to lose you if something terrible happened." Even through all that, his face remained stoic and his voice steady. Maybe I didn't like him as much as I thought I did.

"I got this, Saul. Nothing will happen. I got this."

"I hope so, seeing that you're not budging one bit. Be careful."

"Careful is my middle name."

"I'm pretty sure it is."

Chapter Ten

Audrey

SAUL'S FINGERS WORKED their way across the digital pads, caressing the buttons as they moved. I couldn't help but stare. He was always in control, always calm and in check with each decision as his hands obeyed. I couldn't look away. He popped on repetitive drum beats and nodded his head to the rhythm, and watching him was mesmerizing. It was late afternoon, and the bar was all but empty. Soon it would be crawling with hooligans filling their stomachs with cheap alcohol and dancing until their feet blistered.

I wouldn't mind sitting here all night watching him work his magic on the bundle of electronics splayed in front of him. Saul was so different from anyone I'd ever met—a gentle soul, strong yet couldn't hurt a fly. Maybe he could. I didn't know him well enough to judge that yet. Deep inside though, my intuition told me he was a good person. I prayed I wasn't wrong. So many ways a person can be wrong, and I'd been ever so mistaken already many times.

"Audrey?" Saul tilted his head up in my direction, as if he knew I was there watching him with studious eyes. How did he do that? It made me question if he was really blind. The blankness behind those pupils confirmed it somewhat. His eyes didn't widen as they found me. They didn't crinkle with recognition. How desolate it must be to live in darkness at all hours, without the relief which light can bring. What was it like? Was it lonely there?

I'd shivered at his voice saying my name, like liquid silk off his tongue. It was as mesmerizing as the rest of him.

"Yeah? Right here." I stepped up onto the stage to get closer and waited for him to say what he wanted to. How does he make me hang on each syllable so easily?

"Can you do some voice samples for me? I want to integrate them into the songs tonight. It'll make it sound like you have a chorus of backups singing for you."

Raising an eyebrow, I was impressed. "Really? That's fantastic. Okay! What do you want me to do?"

"Start with our second song set, 'Candy Case'." He pressed a couple buttons, and the basic drum beat sounded off, repeating without further buttons pushed. Nice.

"Don't touch... you might break it,

Don't say....you could fake it.

I only want the lies before you go,

No goodbyes....put on a show.

'Cause and effect

Drop your sugar now

Find it on my lips

You might like what you see..."

The music ebbed off as we ended. Looking at Saul's face, I noticed he had an odd satisfaction swimming across his features. The echoes of the music were loud in the mostly empty room.

"Was that okay?" His voice was low and faraway to me. I was still lost in my post song haze.

I nodded, amazed at how different the music sounded with his mixed beats and keyboard notes hypnotically filling the space in between the words. "It was perfect."

"Like you." He cleared his throat and shifted. "Your voice, too, I mean. It was flawless."

We stared at each other for moments. They ticked by, hovering about us like fireflies fluttering in my ears, making my face flush. "Thanks," was all I could manage after what felt like the longest awkward silence I'd ever experienced. Sweat pooled in my shirt as the air turned heated.

"You're welcome." His glassy blue irises appeared to be scanning my face, but the slight cataracts in his pupils made me remember they didn't work. It had me wishing he could see me, see my face, my skin, the spill of scarlet across my cheeks. Could he know how he affected me? Could he feel the rolling waves of warmth seeping from my skin with him close? I wanted him to, more than anything else. I needed him to.

Standing up, I hopped off the stool and raced down the steps of the stage and down into the dance pit where the air seemed to clear up somewhat, making it easier to breathe. I had to get myself together somehow, before I fell apart. I hadn't let anyone affect me so much since Arron, my ex. He'd been from a different life, another time—one which was best not dwelled upon for too long.

As I made my way to the bathroom to slam the faucet on and splash my face with the icy cold water, I closed my eyes. It wasn't Arron's face I saw now behind my lids anymore. It'd been a long time since I'd felt the anxiety of my heart beating in my chest for that man. He'd been the last to kiss my lips, the last to set my skin on fire with one soft caress...the last to break my heart.

Now, here was this Saul guy, who sent my skin into shivers without so much as a touch. His voice could ripple a lake with its rich, intense tones, yet was calmer than a meadow before the rain.

It wasn't him I was running from. I knew that much.

No. But who was I running from, really?

I glanced at my reflection in the grungy mirror, my pink face surrounding my deep hazel eyes that shined like liquid gems in the harsh incandescent lights. Long brown hair ran down the sides, framing my high cheekbones. I was pretty, but I wouldn't compare myself to Audrey Hepburn. This girl wasn't that confident.

I was running from any stir of feelings whipping up inside me like a flooding river ready to crush the levies holding it back. To let anyone in would be my downfall. It would be the end of me as I knew it. That's what I was scared of. I'd continue to flee from any kind of relationship as fast as my feet and reluctance could carry me.

"Audrey?"

Ripping a paper towel off the ream sitting on the counter instead of in its broken holder just above it, I dabbed my soaked face. Hearing my sister's voice snapped me sober, and I glanced at my reflection. I hated looking like a drowned rat, which was how I appeared right now. Swiping back the snakes of hair sticking to my cheeks, I finally turned toward my sister's voice. "Yeah, what's up?"

"I saw you run in here. You sick?"

"No."

Liv eyed me up and down, searching with her accusatory eyes before she shrugged and headed to the sink, dropping her little bag of cosmetics on the counter. "I need to put my pretty girl face on. Can't be looking like I beat the next door neighbor down to a pulp, can I?" She dabbed some concealer around her purpled eye, studying the healing yellowing bruise under the skin and frowning. "Remind me that I owe Jonas a nice black eye."

"You think he'd let you give him one?" I huffed.

Liv snickered and sighed. "I'll disguise it as an accident." She winked before reaching for the foundation. Watching Liv transform for the show tonight made me feel underdone. She motioned toward the bag as if reading my mind. "Knock yourself out. You could use some stuff on that blotchy skin."

"Hey!"

"Just saying."

"Thanks. Love you too." I snatched the concealer and smeared it on the still red spots across my under eyes. Unfortunately, she was very right. "That jerk better not come near you again. I'll make him regret it."

"Well, you better restrain yourself because he's here."

I dropped the cap of the foundation bottle and stared at her through the mirror, my mouth hanging wide open. "What? Here? Tonight? I told you not to call him."

"It's done, so you might as well cooperate with this, Sis."

"You're not my keeper. You always say that I'm not yours either."

Liv pressed her lips together, the lipstick outlining her pouty lips in a striking way. "I know, but if you mess this up, we're dead. Want to be dead?" Her one drawn eye brow lifted at me, mocking my years with every little pencil mark.

"Dammit, Liv." I finished lining my eyes and stuffed the makeup back into the bag. "You're always so difficult. Nothing is ever easy street with you."

Liv blew me a kiss, buying a death glare from me. "Show time, Sis."

"Fine. You owe me."

"Big time. Tab it for me."

Shaking my head, I started for the door when Liv pulled at my arm. "Wait! Here. I got you something." With that, she pulled out a glittery silver and purple scarf from her jacket and hung it around my neck, wrapping it around once before dangling the two ends down my chest. "There. Rock-chic defined." Then she twirled around and disappeared out the door.

I reached up and touched the soft material. It was so light; I barely felt it on my skin. I peered at my reflection in the dingy mirror across from me. Water spots surrounded my image as I reveled in how it'd transformed me. She was right. A bit of makeup and the right accessory made all the difference. I looked like Liv, when she didn't have her hair dyed a few shades darker. We could be twins with the makeup and styles on.

Somehow, the kinship between us calmed me. She was wild hearted, but I couldn't stay angry with her near me. I forced a smile, and the girl in the reflection looked beautiful even. Keeping the wattage on, I pushed the bathroom door open and found Saul with my eyes, waiting on stage for us. He looked charming there, without any effort. My determination wavered, realizing again that he couldn't see me with my face done up and my gorgeous scarf. Shrugging it off, I determined it was okay because he'd already said my voice was perfect. If he could understand my music, he had a major plus on his side for that.

Maybe it would be good to have someone really see me, without their eyes, for once.

Chapter Eleven

Liv

IT WASN'T HARD to find Jonas in the crowd. The bar was bustling with loud patrons and smoking hot scantily clad women with torn stockings and heavy makeup. The smoky air disguised the age of most of them, blurring their faces in the myriad of flashing lights. It kept most of the bar dimmed, setting the mood as the room filled with electric energy.

Jonas was the only one dressed in casual dress pants and a button down shirt with a metallic blue striped tie. Not one hair out of place, his sleek look reminded me of the Hispanic bad boy singers I often drooled over in music videos. He could pass for one of them without effort. One leg crossed the other, his Armani shoes reflected the rainbow flashes of strobes that flickered with the beat of the house mix music. His bodyguards sat around him like bored puffed up drones, waiting to pounce on any one who dared step one inch too close to their king.

It was rather comical to me, like watching some Spanish television novella with overly good looking actors playing the villains. This was real life, though, and I had to play my part down to every little scene. Jonas was my opposite and looked every bit ready to play the game.

Show time.

Straightening and lifting my chin up as I strolled past the groping patrons with their jealous girlfriends who shot daggers in my direction, I made my way toward this man. Before I closed the distance between us, one drunken woman lost her footing and tripped, landing almost in his lap. His guards were already grabbing at their pistols, yanking them from their shoved positions into their pants, but Jonas waved them down with one lift of a finger. I watched him as he helped the obviously intoxicated woman up, offering her a charming smile while wrapping his fingers around her skin, kissing her hand, and causing her to flush red from the attention. She stumbled away, rejoining her concerned girlfriends who promptly dragged her ass away from the deadly looking bunch. Their hushed, urgent whispers fluttered past with their reprimands at her as they pressed their bodies to the complete opposite side of the room.

Chickens.

I knew just how right they were to run away from this particular bunch; the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, warning me of such things. I ignored it, pasting on the brightest and most flashy smile I could muster as I waltzed to stand before this kingpin.

"Hello, Jonas."

His soft dark-brown eyes twinkled under the assault of the club lights, but I could still see the furious desire in them as he took in my outfit. The skin tight black skirt, torn up leggings, and buttoned up vest which was splayed open to show the swell of my breasts with a few well-placed opened buttons was distracting to say the least. I knew he wouldn't be able to rip his eyes away from me all night in this. It was the start of my fail proof plan, one I was betting my freedom on, and that of my sister's.

"Hello, Liv." His Spanish accent elongated the 'o' and made my name sound sensually charged as his dark chocolate eyes devoured my entirety. I switched the smile a notch brighter and hoped he'd offer me a chair. From the combined pressure of all eyes on me from his entourage bearing down on me, I was sure I was going to cave when Jonas waved his hand in the air again, turning to glare at one of his partners. "Emilio, offer your seat up to the lady. Don't be rude."

His right hand man, literally, was as good looking as Jonas, but in a different way. He lacked the chiseled bone structure but traded that for a more rounded face with a straight nose and piercing tiger brown eyes. He was also Latino, like Jonas, with light mocha skin and dark black hair. A twitch along his smooth, freshly shaved jaw betrayed his irritation as he narrowed his eyes just enough for me to see them digging into me as I stood beside his chair.

He stood up with a swift motion, pausing to take a long, hard and invasive look at me before he shifted behind the chair and gave me a slow mocking bow. His movements were as smooth as a tiger's.

Emilio. I hadn't seen him with Jonas before, and it made me wonder where he had come up with this particular hound to service his very predatory needs. The guy's eyes chilled me to the bone as I approached the chair he'd previously occupied. I turned slowly but kept my eye on him until the very last second as I slid into the chair next to Jonas.

"Don't mind Emilio. His manners have become rusty being stuck in the hacienda back home with nothing but chickens and lazy ranch hands to torment all day." Jonas huffed a snort out, and the others joined in, laughing like it was the silliest thing ever—everyone, except Emilio. I did my best to keep my warm smile from freezing onto my face and chuckled along with the rest of them, trying to look alive. Emilio's icy glare dug into my shoulder blades, but I didn't give him the satisfaction of turning around to meet his deadened eyes again.

"I hope you enjoy the show tonight." Why did I feel so nervous? My fingers grasped the edge of my skirt while my palms soaked the fabric. Jonas was handsome, but I knew he was not what he appeared to be. At least Emilio wore his insanity on his sleeve. Jonas hid it efficiently, looking as relaxed as a fed lion on the savannah prairie. I knew better though. He could turn on you like a cat starved for days and rip a person to shreds.

My throat was dry, and I waved a waitress down as Jonas responded to my comment.

"I'm truly looking forward to it. I've spent many hours watching you before at Ruben's bar, but his penchant for heavy metal rock n' roll never really let me hear your real music. From what I hear about it, it's absolutely enchanting." The lights made his liquid black eyes flash a multitude of colors as he watched me. He didn't move, but continued to lean on the table, his fingers holding his head tilted to the side as he studied me.

"What can I get you?" The waitress shifted in place, unconsciously nervous from the static energy these guys emitted by the butt load. She flicked her eyes around to check them out, but let them focus on mine. I could tell she was afraid to let her gaze wander to the wrong person.

"I'd like a Bailey's and a water." I flashed my toothy smile, trying to reassure her with it as she nodded and rushed away, back into the swallow of people grinding to the house music. I had barely heard her repeat my order before she left since the place was so loud and crowded.

"This tempo makes me tired. When are you on, Preciosa?" Jonas' fingers reached out to pluck my hands out of my lap and bring them up to the table, running his fingertips over my palms. It sent small sparks shooting up my arms, and my breath stilled as I watched him closely and fought to not pull away.

"Not long now, probably five minutes." The waitress returned and placed a napkin on the table, followed by my drink and a glass of water.

"Anything else?" She waited patiently to be paid before Jonas shook his head and pressed a fifty dollar bill into her hands, dismissing her. She grinned, still flighty with her feet bouncing as she nodded and left the weight of stares from the group and went back into the safety of the bar.

Boy, did I wish I could escape like her too, but I was stuck. No turning back now.

I grabbed my drink and slammed it down, feeling the burn of the heavy alcohol fire up my esophagus, where I promptly chased it with a cool drink of icy water. Coughing from the burn, I cleared my throat and turned back toward Jonas.

"I have to go set up. I'll see you after the show?"

He nodded, his lips giving me a smooth smile as his eyes bore into my own. He was intense; I had to give him that.

"Of course."

I took that as my cue to get up and walk away toward the stage. The more steps I took, the easier it became to breathe, as if the presence of his little mafia had stolen the oxygen from the surrounding atoms. Peeking back for a second, I found not only Jonas' gaze lingering on me, but Emilio's as well. Where Jonas' eyes shined with desire, Emilio's were coldly sharp like obsidian blades.

What was his deal?

Whatever it was that pushed down on me while I was with them, I was relieved to get to this momentary quiet in the ever approaching storm, pummeling down my way faster than even I could ever hope to outrun.

Chapter Twelve

Audrey

The set had gone as smoothly as any had. Dressed to the nines with Liv's help and with the perfect music, it made for a flawless evening. Though I had watched Liv interact with Jonas without a hitch across the room, I couldn't help but feel a thread of uneasiness wrap its little tendrils tightly around my chest as I struggled to fight off the anxiety building in me. Only the music had calmed my uncertainty, that and Saul's constant reassurances.

"She's an adult. How long before you let her go?" He'd leaned into my ear and whispered loud enough for me to hear over the loud club music thumping in the background. I didn't need him to tell me such an obvious observation, but he didn't know Liv like I did. Yes, she was grown up. No, we weren't nine anymore, when tragedy struck and left the remains of embedded scars forever tattooed across our souls, but that was beside the point. Liv could tread into the fire so easily, without a second glance behind, burning her very soul at the same time. It wasn't until afterwards, when her ship had sank and her heart lay in tatters of a thousand shredded ribbons across the floor, did she come running back, begging me to pick up each and every little shard.

"There is no letting go, not when you're in this deep," I whispered back. I turned and almost bumped noses with Saul. His faded blue eyes looked through me, but I could feel his soul bearing the weight of concern onto me. Funny, his eyes may not be the windows to his spirit, but their ghostly shadows still amplified the soul within. "She's like that. She jumps in full throttle and goes until she crashes and burns. It's not that she can't handle it. It's not that she can't live another day after it all goes down. It's that she takes me down with her. She drags me in, no matter how hard I try and fight it with every little morsel of my being. Somehow I get dragged into it. Somehow it ends up on my shoulders. Yes, I'm tired of it, and no, I shouldn't let her grip onto me so hard I can't shove her off, but that's the way we are. She's my sister. I have to protect her."

"Do you really know what you're protecting her from, or are you doing it for reasons that don't exist anymore?"

Why did he have to push so hard? If I wanted psychoanalysis of why I did things, it sure as hell wouldn't be with some stranger I barely knew. I pressed my lips together and turned away, slamming the amp chord into Liv's acoustic guitar. I lowered it to its stand on the stage and jumped up to thread the amp's power cord toward the plugs against the wall. Saul stopped being so philosophical, and I moved back to the busy work that kept me sane−setting up the instruments for the show. We would be up in less than five, and I was the kind of girl that liked to have everything perfect.

"Liv!" I spotted her heading toward the stage. Jonas' hungry eyes followed her the whole way there too. My temper seethed, but I swallowed it back and handed her some guitar picks. "Cutting it close, aren't you?"

"Oh, untwist your granny panties, Sis. I was just warming him up."

She turned to search the crowd, landing on Jonas and his somber bunch. She waved to the man, and he gave her curt nod, a grin warming his face. He was the only one not frowning in the bunch, and their cool, stony glares turned my blood cold.

"They look like they're at a funeral."

"His friends don't really have any kind of personality."

I glanced again at his comrades and shuddered. "The guy next to Jonas, who's he?" I fixed my eyes on the one glaring at Liv. He seriously gave me the creeps. His features were similar to Jonas' but more rounded and youthful. Where time had carved out their leader's features, it had not touched this one yet. Only the hardened soul underneath gave away the death and destruction he could wield. Seriously wacked.

"Oh, that's Emilio. I think he's Jonas' younger brother, but I don't remember if he's the youngest or second youngest." She shrugged. "He's got a big family." Liv waved it off like it was no big deal. She leaned over her guitar after she'd dragged some slack for the cord over to the stool she would use during the performance. She quickly tuned it by ear and strummed the strings softly, unheard beyond the stage due to the overbearing thrum of house music.

"You sure know a lot about him for just deciding to go out with him. His brother looks like he's forgotten how to party."

She chuckled. "He probably has. I really do my research, Sis. Just haven't gotten to him yet."

"Why the fuck does he give me the heebie geebies, Liv? I thought Jonas was scary, but that one has him beat hands down. I don't like this." I felt my anxiety blossoming in my stomach like an over indulged meal.

"Relax. It's show time, Sis."

So that's how she left me hanging, mumbling curses at her reluctance to give me the Intel here. I turned and found my own stool, and then pulled the tambourines from the table behind me. I would squeeze the info out of her later when we had a moment to ourselves—later, when the hungry vultures in the crowd weren't drooling at us like pieces of bloody meat. Yes, that would be better. That would be when there'd be only us to talk to each other amongst the stars in the middle of darkness.

Chapter Thirteen

Liv

"I WANT TO apologize for our less than tasteful meeting the last time we spoke." Jonas sat perfectly poised, his legs crossed and relaxed in his fancy suit, and his hair slicked back as he eyed me next to him. I was trying to relax in the soft but new leather seats of his Lincoln Town car. Marco, his driver and husky bodyguard, steered the car around the congested streets of Los Angeles, where our current gig was, past the darkened streets of ghettos and run down shacks lining the cracked roads of Balboa Park. I gulped as I watched the scenery outside the window past Jonas' face. This was the first time I would be with him in private and not a restaurant or club.

What in the pit of hell we were doing here was beyond me, but I suspected he had safe houses all down the coast of California, and that this was partly a routine check up on his territory. It made me cringe. The endless spotting of opposing gang snitches who lingered on corners and eyed the shiny black car as it sped on by, as if it belonged there and wasn't out of place whatsoever amongst the junked cars. Oh, but it did stick out surrounded by ill-repaired stucco houses and endless blocks of tightly fitted apartments, where kids ran out into the streets looking dirty and neglected, and where laundry hung constantly on the threads of clotheslines. They were used to watching this shiny black metal transport escort their definition of Death through the neighborhood.

That was the only way to survive—gain the respect of those beneath you through violence and a firm grip of the city with terror.

Terribly fun, right?

"Does it still hurt?" Jonas reached toward my cheek, and I fought to not pull away. I forced a tiny smile on my face as he slipped his finger down my cheek, studying it intently with his dark eyes.

"No. It's almost all faded and gone."

He frowned and leaned back, staring quietly out the window as the dusk folded into the night and the vampires began their descent into activity of the city life after hours.

"I assure you, I'm not in the habit of hitting women." Apologizing? Wasn't that out of character for him? I speculated what was running through his synapses when he said nothing more.

"Just men, then?" I gave a chuckle, feeling anxious as I shifted in the leather. It sighed and complained at my movements.

He turned back, and his shiny black eyes twinkled under the tinted sunroof, which let the streetlamp's illumination flash by at intervals, showing me his features more clearly at those moments. He was terribly good looking, but I knew the tainted, dark soul living under such a perfect exterior. I was determined to not let it sway me whatsoever. This was a job, nothing more, and I needed every bit of my wits to stay intact. To stay alive...

"I don't operate that way. Most that are faced with me are in their last moments on this earth. I try to avoid such scenarios. Sometimes it's a gruesome job, but it must be done."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. Whether or not I should question him about his career choice and the specifications of it was up in the air, but the little voice in the back of my head warned me to not ask.

"Dangerous line of work, huh?"

He smiled, his chin leaning on his hand and his eyes completely focused on me. His grin caused the fine lines around his eyes to deepen, chiseling out the life experience across his face. Stubble lined his jaw, and sparkly diamond and platinum rings glinted against his fingers in the streetlamps, like tiny stars stickered onto his skin.

"You could say that."

"Where are we going?"

"To my residence."

I sucked in a sharp breath, but regretted it immediately. He might think I was having reservations about this precarious arrangement. Okay, so I was, but luckily, he moved forward in his chair at the same time to speak to Marco in a hurried whisper so he hadn't noticed.

"I wasn't sure what to wear, since I didn't have any idea on where we were headed." I waved a hand over my skin tight black jeans and a loose sparkly silver and black blouse. "I hope it's enough." A dragon pendant choker strapped to my neck and matching earrings completed the outfit. I'd done my hair up in larger rollers, and the resulting curls highlighted the curves of my cheekbones. I'd gone all out and prayed that it was enough.

I was pretty sure that the girls Jonas Esperanza had been used to having around were gorgeous, and I had nothing on the lengths they took to look the part of a Cartel associate.

He sat back and took me in, letting his eyes slide down each part of me with a slow, thorough survey of my outfit and body. It made me blush, my face suddenly heated, and sweat began to dampen my blouse just as fast. This scrutiny had turned my mouth into a barren desert, and I fought the urge to cross my arms over my breasts and turn away from him- that or jump out the car at the next stoplight.

Not an option.

Instead, I gave him a wicked smile, as if I was drinking in his glimpses like a sweet anticipation of what could possibly come. If we were heading to his house, he very well could be expecting it.

"You're perfect." His words came out subtle, as if it was a shared secret for only my ears. It made my heart quicken and did nothing to disperse the redness I was surely bearing across my face. Luckily, it was dark and quite unnoticeable in the darkness of the car.

"Thank you."

The car pulled around one more corner where it approached a gated wall. Beyond the wall, I could see nothing. It wasn't see through, and the only thing I could make out was a series of palm trees swaying in the soft breeze above the cusp of the walls. Marco pulled down his window and waved to the guards at the gate. They weren't armed, but I was pretty sure they had some guns stashed in the tiny post.

They waved us on, and the gate began its smooth slide open. Once the car cleared the heavy wrought iron, it scooted in and the gate's large doors immediately closed swiftly behind it. After that, it wound around a long driveway made of smooth cobblestone, through more bushes and greenery, which hid the wide, one story hacienda beyond. It wasn't extravagant, as I was expecting, but it wasn't small either. It looked humble, lived in, and warm. I didn't know why I liked it immediately, but it was so different from the massive mansion of the Hollywood hills I'd driven past. It was an oasis in the middle of a middle class neighborhood, but appeared to be miles from civilization.

It didn't quite fit Jonas, somehow. I didn't know how or why it felt that way. I hoped I was going to be wrong, but I liked the house and the grounds.

The car came to a stop, and Marco bounced his way out of the driver's seat. His bulk made him huff as he pushed himself out, and straightened his suit and tie, before opening the car door and letting us out. Standing next to Marco, I felt incredibly short and fragile, as if he could crush me with his massive sausage fingers and broad shoulders. Even Jonas looked scrawny next to his bodyguard. I could definitely see why he'd picked him.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Jonas waved his arm out proudly, grinning so wide, I could see his shiny white teeth behind his smooth pink lips.

"It's really gorgeous." I didn't even have to make that a lie; it was completely true.

"It's a home." He reached over, cupping my back as he urged me forward. I let him, breathing in to relax as we passed the threshold of his house.

It was classic California Spanish style with curved archways down the halls and a wide open living area connecting to a kitchen with a massive stove, dual fridges, and a stand up freezer. The large island was tiled in blue and white styled squares and lined with red earthen styled bricks on the edges. Tall stools surrounded the counter, but there was also a formal dining room to one side, in another room where the large oak table stood with ten chairs lined neatly on the table's sides. A rich lace runner lay across the top and was held down by a wrought iron candelabra with cream colored candles and matching single holders on either side of it.

The living room held two sofas, both dark green in color with a variety of colored pillows and a couple of fleece blankets. Ottomans and footstools littered the fronts of the couches, and a large wood coffee table, which appeared to be a slice of an actual tree, with a glossy finish sat in the middle of the sitting area with a variety of novels and architecture books strewed across it.

The whole place smelled amazing, like walking into a Ma & Pa restaurant where homemade tortillas were being kneaded and flattened to slap onto the griddles. My stomach lurched, and I hoped Jonas hadn't heard its rumbling as I stood, mouth opened and gawking at his home.

It was so normal and lived in, definitely not as immaculate as I would've pinned Jonas to have chosen. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised to walk into a modern monochromatic theme with nothing but a sea of white and black with perfectly symmetrical furniture and not a spill of color throughout it. This was completely the opposite of that.

"I hope you find it adequate."

I nodded, still speechless.

"Great. Caridad has our meal ready. She's my housekeeper and cook, but I mainly just love her cooking. It reminds me of my mother's." He waved at the tiny, chubby lady pouring soup into two bowls. She smiled and bowed her head toward him as she continued to put strips of tortillas into the soup and garnished it with cilantro.

"Would you like it served now?"

"Yes, Caridad. This time we'll eat outside. It's a beautiful evening."

"Si, Senor." She turned back to another pot where she stirred the contents and proceed to pull out two cloth napkins and utensils.

"Let's go outside, Liv." Jonas slipped his fingers through mine and gave me a gentle tug. It was enough to yank me out of my fascination with the entire set up he had going on here.

Jonas took me through a large courtyard, which was the entire middle of the house. Along each side ran a covered walkway leading into doors which led to either rooms or the inside hall of the house. A large fountain sat along one wall where a table with four chairs sat surrounded by a lush garden of vines and flowers and a small vegetable garden off to the right. The splashing water made it serene, and I peered up to see the expanse of night sky in the open courtyard. The smell of fresh earth and cut grass lingered in my nostrils, and my heels sank into the dirt until I hopped back onto the flagstone path Jonas had led me to.

It was out of a fairy tale, and I had no words to offer on how beautiful I thought it was.

"Here we go." Jonas pulled out one of the cushioned metal chairs of the patio set and let me sit down before he pulled out one for himself and sank into it.

"This is really nice," I managed to croak out, but I was still staring up at the sky, seeing an occasional star or two. We were still inside the city, where the lights obscured the stars with their overbearing glow. I missed the night sky, where all the stars were visible and lit up the darkness like twinkling Christmas lights. Even in darkness, they shone brightly and never made me feel afraid. Of course, those were days Audrey and I would pull off the road to sleep in our banged up station wagon. We'd put the pillows on the pull down door and laid our sleeping bags underneath us so the hard metal of the car bed wouldn't dig into our bones too much.

We'd had competitions on how many constellations we could name. When we first started this ritual, we could name the most popular ones, but only those. After studying a library book on astronomy, Audrey had been able to name several more than I could, but we'd compared the look of the stars to those in the pictures of the book under a flashlight and spent the night eating s'mores from a tiny fire we'd stoked as we chatted the night away.

I missed those carefree days.

"I hope you like Tortilla soup."

I nodded, my stomach flipping again at the mention of food. I'd barely eaten lunch earlier because my nerves were frayed to oblivion, knowing tonight was our first date.

"Good. Also, we'll be having potato tacos with cabbage and Cotija cheese with a tomato lemon sauce. Do you like those?" I nodded, knowing what he was talking about. I'd had those tacos on a trip to Mexico once, and had eaten enough to stuff a cow. My mouth watered at the thought.

"Excellent."

At that moment, Caridad waltzed in and placed a piping hot bowl down with spoon and limes to one side. I watched her as she placed another before Jonas. Dark red napkins to keep spills from our clothes came with the set up, and I felt like we were at a restaurant under the stars and not at his home. The food smelled absolutely divine.

It tasted even better.

Don't get used to it, I told myself. The warning was shoved to the back of my mind, however, as the night wore on and Jonas peeled layer after layer off his hardened exterior.

This wasn't going the way I wanted it to, or was it?

Chapter Fourteen

Audrey

THE MOTEL ROOM walls were pressing down on me, and I rubbed at my temples to stifle the pain throbbing like an endless drum. I hated the fact that Liv was out all night with Jonas. It was near morning, and she still hadn't graced us with her presence. Damn her. I was going to kill her when she waltzed her little skinny ass back in here if it was the last thing I ever did.

"Audrey?" Saul's voice parted the silence of the darkness, and I rolled over to see what he wanted.

"Yeah?"

"Can't sleep, can you." He didn't ask, just stated the fact that I'd been tossing and turning for hours.

"I'm sorry if I'm keeping you awake. I can get up and go hit the diner if you want to rest."

He sat up, rubbing his face. The cracking pops of his neck as he stretched made me think of firecrackers popping in the distance. Fourth of July was around the corner.

"I'll go with you."

"No, really, you don't have to. I'm just going to go grab a snack and read while I'm there."

"I could use a snack too." He yawned and was already climbing out of bed. I sighed and dangled my legs over the edge of the bed. Since Liv wasn't there, I had the whole second bed to myself and didn't have to share with Saul. It was nice to spread out on the mattress, but not feeling his soft breaths and warmth radiating off him when I had slept in the same bed made me suddenly feel so alone.

Why was that?

"That's what we're about, sleeping and eating." I stuffed the pillow behind my neck and stared at the popcorn ceiling. Maybe I shouldn't worry over Liv. Maybe I should just let her go. She's always gotten herself out of messes—sometimes with my help yes, but...this time, she'd gone too far. Aligning herself with Jonas this way had left me feeling like I'd lost her, for real this time. If I kept holding on, I'd be pulled into the undertow and drowned like a sinking rock.

I let out a breath, hoping the stone weighing heavily in my heart would disintegrate with every little breath.

"Nothing like facing the future with a full stomach." Saul was standing by the bed and held out his hand for me to take. I smiled. He had a way, this man. He could make the monsters lie down and quiet their endless attacks on my mind with easy words. Just like that.

"Okay, but I'm sick of Denny's."

"Fair enough." He laughed as I slipped my fingers into his warm ones. His firm grip lifted me up out of bed, and I stood there, almost chest to chest with him, both of us in just our sleepwear. Mine consisted of a thin camisole and panties while he wore pajama bottoms and was shirtless.

Oy vey...

"I'll just...um...Let me get changed."

"Okay." His voice sound gruff, as if he was holding back things he wanted to say. Instead, he let me go, his hand falling back to his side. How I longed for his hands to touch me again, in more places than just my fingers.

Turning, my heart was frantically thumping like a panicked squirrel attempting to jump a tree. I was happy to have the excuse of finding some clothes and dashed for the bathroom as fast as I could. Pushing the door closed behind me, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding. How much longer could I tolerate Saul's presence without caving in and throwing myself into his arms? It's not like it would've been a bad thing; he was dreamy in every sense of the word, and I wouldn't mind having a taste of his soft, plump lips. It's just...It was just...

Just what?

"Ugh!" I huffed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a maroon button up shirt, tying the ends into a knot and looping my belt through. Brushing my hair into a messy ponytail, I stared at myself in the mirror. I was make-up less, but my face was still radiant and rosy in the early morning light streaming in the frosted ventilation window above the shower. Maybe I should give into things, in more ways than one.

"Yeah, just let go, Audrey." I winked at the girl staring back at me and smiled.

Finishing up, I headed out to find Saul all dressed and patiently waiting for his turn in the bathroom.

"You sure do well being surrounded by girls."

He laughed as he brushed his teeth, and I sat at the small table near the bathroom, just watching his movements. Funny how such small things made me feel happy, secure.

"I had stepsisters. Hogged the bathroom all the time." He wiped his mouth and grinned, running some gel through his hair to comb the flyaways down.

"Ah, no wonder."

"Yeah, I'm super-fast at getting ready because of it."

"Sounds like they were freaks."

He laughed again and held his hand out, the cane dangled from his other hand. "Shall we?"

"You bet."

The morning sun obliterated my vision, and I scrambled to dig my sunglasses out of my purse. That was one problem Saul didn't have, but he donned his sunglasses too. He wore them indoors too while we played and anywhere we were besides at the motel. His eyes weren't drastically different, but they did call for attention.

If he let me, I'd love to stare into them for hours.

The diner wasn't busy, so we promptly were seated and ordered our food. I tapped on the table with my spoon, awaiting some coffee. There was no way to avoid thinking about Liv, but I tried. Oh, how I did. Why was it that, lately, she occupied most of my thoughts? How had I let her overtake my life in such an overbearing way? It had snuck up on me, and after all this time, I had fallen into the dreaded mother hen position, no matter how hard I fought it.

"How long have you been out on your own, you and Liv?" Saul accepted his coffee as the waitress dropped off our drinks and wiped down the empty tables in her section.

"It's been a long time." I closed my eyes, thinking back, rewinding the years like a movie playing in reverse across my mind. "We left when Liv was three months shy of sixteen and I had just turned seventeen...so, three years?"

"That's a long time." Saul leaned forward, his sunglasses still on so I couldn't tell what his expression was under the dark plastic

"Yeah."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why did you leave?" His question didn't agitate me, or make me shift uncomfortably in my spot like I usually did when someone asked about our pasts. His tone was more like a calm inside the constant storm whipping about us, and it drew me in, like a warm, safe place.

"Well, my mother had us when she was really young. She was seventeen when I was born and eighteen when Liv came along. Her name was Rose, by the way. Our father stuck around long enough for us to get in school before he left one night, no note, no reason on why he was gone. I remember because my mother had taken us to the park that day, where we fed the geese and rode a really cool kiddie train around the small pond. She took us there a lot when our dad was working and we got stir crazy back home."

The memory of my mother's long caramel brown waves, which would shine in the sun, and her long dresses that would float as the breeze ruffled them up filled up my head. She had never looked frazzled; always calm, always happy. That's how I remembered her. Facing out toward the water, clutching her arms around her like she was cold, even though the day was warm and brilliant. Her face never came to me when I thought of her. It only came when I stared at the faded photographs she left behind, which were all I had left of her now. In my mind, it was always a profile of her that came to me, nothing of her full on face. It made me wish I could remember her features more clearly, but time had a way of blurring such things out.

"After he left, she struggled to keep food on the table and the rent paid. Moved us to a tiny studio room for a while, that was a converted garage of one of her friends, until we got back on our feet."

"Must have been rough."

I nodded, but the memory of us three rolling into each other in the one queen size bed in that shack made me smile. "It was, but it was fine with us. She kept things so normal, calm, we really didn't mind. We three were so close, thick as thieves, nothing brought us down. She found ways to make it fun, even when there was no money."

"She sounds like a wonderful woman."

"Yes, she really was. Unfortunately, she always fell in love with the wrong man. When we were twelve and thirteen, she shacked up with a guy who eventually became our stepfather. With her, he was okay, but he'd lose his temper over silly things, like leaving a dish in the sink, or food not being ready right when he got home from a long day at the construction site. He was moody, volatile, but my mother had a way of calming his rage. I know she loved him, but as time went on, he wore her out."

"What happened?"

"Well, after one particular nasty fight, me and Liv had walked in from school and caught the gist of the fight. It was really bad. He hit her, and she stormed out, crying and hysterical. Liv was spooked, so I rushed her to our neighbors' two houses down, where we played with a girl there, and hid in her house until nightfall. When we came back, Mom was still gone and our Stepdad was drunk and passed out on the couch."

"Where'd she go?"

My hands were shaking. I hadn't told anyone this story in a long time. I don't even think my ex heard the whole story. Some things were meant to be shoved into the deep crevices of one's mind, like an odd, hidden closet, where everything you had to keep buried and didn't want to display ended up in boxes of memories, stuffed away with the door glued shut, never to be opened again. This was that....repressed. The resurfacing of emotions made me tremble.

"The police came by later that night, when Liv and I snuck back in and took our baths and slipped into bed. I got up to the sound of the doorbell, Liv was still asleep, and I tiptoed down the hall to hear what was going on. My stepdad, his name was Brian, he was still drunk but coherent enough to answer the door. That's when..." I gulped, my mouth turning dry as I saw the scene flash across my vision, as if it had just happened. "The policeman told him that our mother was dead. Her car had busted a tire on the highway, and it had sent her car slamming into the opposite lanes of traffic, head on into a large truck. She'd died on impact."

"That must have been devastating for you both."

I sipped on my coffee. The steamy heat from it made the tremors fade. Right on time, our food arrived, the story interrupted as we shoveled the food into our mouths.

"What made you run away?"

Washing down the hash browns with some water, I sat back and wiped my mouth with a napkin. These tiny mundane things are what kept me going when the past wanted to swallow me up in its constantly awaiting despair.

"Well, the next three years were hard. We avoided our stepfather as much as we could. He ignored us to the point of pure neglect. As long as dinner was ready when he arrived home, he'd drink himself to sleep after that, and then we were free to do what we liked. He barely left us money to buy the food to eat, and somehow, he paid the bills on his days off before heading to the bars with his pals to drink the day away."

"Wow, he took it hard, I take it."

"Yeah, he didn't seem to care anymore after she died. She was the anchor for all of us."

"Something happened...didn't it?"

The napkin had been twisted into a tight rope, and I unraveled it, only to twist and knot it up again. "Yes."

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me anymore about it." Saul had finished his breakfast and leaned back. He pulled off his sunglasses and let his eyes drift to my general direction. He then leaned forward, brought his hands to slip under mine, and threaded his fingers through mine. They were warm, strong, and my heart melted right into them with no resistance at all.

"It's alright." I breathed in, deep into my chest, feeling my diaphragm expand and relax. "Well, we were getting older, taller, developing. He started looking at us differently, his eyes lingering just a bit too long for comfort. I noticed it a long time before we left, and it always had me on edge. I just never believed he'd do something to us. I only wanted to wait to turn eighteen and get the hell out of there with my sister."

"I see."

"One day...I had to babysit for a friend of a neighbor's. My neighbor I babysat for always let me bring Liv along, so we did homework together and watched her kids too. But this woman, she was suspicious of us and said I couldn't bring her, so I told her to lay low or hang at her friend's house until I got off. Well, her friend had left for the weekend, so that was out of the question, so she said she'd lay low in our room and stay out of Brian's way.

"So when I got off around eight that night and got home, the house was eerily quiet. I assumed he had passed out in his bed until I heard a loud thump down the hall in our room. Sure enough, my panic rose as I rushed toward the back of the house and found my sister under Brian, where she was trying desperately to claw at him and push him off. He was grabbing her boobs, her ass, everything, and her pants were ripped down the side, her underwear too."

Saul listened, never reacting with horror or judgment. It was so easy to talk to him.

"I grabbed her jewelry box, it was hard wood, and smashed it on his head. I hit him again and again until he slumped over her, and I had to help her shove him off. She was a wreck, her makeup in streaks, her clothes torn up. I checked her out and asked her how far he got. She just trembled and shook, holding onto her shoulders to cover up her naked chest. With her help, we dragged him out and into his room, and then barred his door. I got her to change and asked her again how far he'd gone. Once he was out of sight, she'd been able to tell me he'd almost raped her, but she fought him so hard, and he was so drunk, he'd been too uncoordinated to complete the deed.

"After that, I grabbed duffle bags and told her to shove everything she loved into it—clothes, pictures, trinkets, everything. I stuffed my own bag, filled another with toiletries, toilet paper, wipes, everything I had bought with my own money. Once we had that stuff, we grabbed blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, and all the food left in the house, including utensils, knives, and a can opener. I even grabbed the camping stove, some pots, bottles of water, and a tent. All our mom's stuff we grabbed too—pictures, albums, jewelry, her clothes. Everything. We stuffed my station wagon I had just bought with my money from doing odd jobs and babysitting. One family I'd babysat for gave me a really good deal on it since they upgraded to a nice minivan, and the thing was huge.

"Once we were sure we had everything we needed or wanted, we walked out, locked the door behind us, and got in the car. We never looked back."

"That must've been so hard for two young girls, not even of age." He reached up, rubbing his chin as he absorbed my story. Somehow, I wasn't feeling fear or pain or even rage anymore, but calm and resolve.

"Yeah. We were afraid he'd send the police after us, but I don't think he even cared that we were gone. We spent weeks camping out in the desert, throwing sleeping bags onto the back compartment of the station wagon when the weather was nice and we could count the stars shining in the wide, black sky. We'd spend colder days in the malls and libraries until they closed, and we parked in hidden areas where we could crank the heater on and listen to old tunes on the radio or CD player. Sometimes, I'd get a job babysitting kids in the campsites while parents went on hikes by themselves or wanted to hit a nearby town for souvenirs. They'd buy us lunch and give us some money to keep on, pay for gas, and move on. It was hard. My meager savings didn't last forever."

"How did you make it so long on your own?"

"Well, we found a group of travelers who moved around so often and stayed off the grid that we found our calling. We'd camp around fires in our tents with them, and ended up staying in one lady's RV who travelled alone and took us under her wing for over a year, until she moved in with her daughter because she got too sick and couldn't travel anymore. Her name was Rachel, and she saved us from starvation one day when we were camping out and had to steal from other campers just to eat. She caught me lifting some bananas from her table. I'd tried to run, but she called out to me to come back, to eat. I turned around and watched as she motioned me over and told me to get my sister. I guess we weren't as unnoticeable as I thought."

"I'm glad you guys found someone who cared. Nothing like being all alone in the world."

I nodded. "Yeah," I said sadly. "Ready to head out?"

He grinned, his warm fingers leaving mine, where I almost groaned at the loss of their comfort. Instead of getting out of the booth, he extended his arm behind me and rubbed soft circular patterns on my tense shoulders and back.

"Just a minute and we can go."

Each small caress set me on fire as I watched him. His eyes were on me, but lost to the blindness they imprisoned him with. I didn't need his eyes though. It was his touch that created an unbearable desire which demanded payment with skin and sweat.

"Okay."

The moments ticked by, and my breathes deepened as his face edged closer to mine until his warmth penetrated my cool skin, heating it up to a temperature until it was stifling.

"Let's go."

Chapter Fifteen

Liv

I GATHERED UP my things and sat on the empty bed in Jonas' bedroom. The morning was utterly silent but for the occasional birds chirping in the trees outside the double French doors leading into the inside courtyard of the house. Jonas was gone. He'd woken up at first light and kissed my forehead, telling me that he had some business to take care of and Marco would be there to drive me home when I was ready. Caridad would have breakfast ready.

Just like that, he was gone, as if he didn't exist, but I knew better. He very much lingered here, even if just in spirit and memory. His enigmatic kisses left trails across my skin, and I shivered at the very thought of them. Yes, he was a good lover, but it was still just an act for me. His suave fingers knew what to do to make my body hum and send shockwaves down into my middle until he had me so ready, so willing; he did what he wanted expertly to my body. How real was it for Jonas? His pleasure felt authentic, and I hoped I'd satisfied him enough. I had to be careful so he couldn't see right through my farce and catch on to my devious act.

How far was I willing to go?

Running my brush through the tangles of hair, I stared at myself in the mirror. Makeup free, I looked so young. My skin was fresh but puffy from sleeping. My brown eyes shined in the morning sunlight, like stars were embedded within them. The bruising was long gone, and it hadn't left a mark, but I could still feel a tiny ache on that side of my face when I pressed on the area. I didn't look nineteen. I looked sixteen—young, naïve, and unmarred by the world.

But I was far from unblemished. Hardened by the world my sister and I had endured alone since I was fifteen, my youth betrayed the old soul hovering behind my shiny eyes. If there was a way out of this mess I was in, dating a man I didn't love or could ever love, I was sure I had lost the ability to see the way out clearly. Maybe Audrey was right...I hadn't thought this through enough, and now as I grasped the edges of the mirrored dresser and really saw the way things were, I felt sick to my stomach.

I slapped the smooth wood and let out a breath, exasperated. I didn't want to live in fear and loathing. I hated the myriad of emotions fighting for full control inside me, and I hoped I could just disappear back into my old life and forget Jonas.

Grabbing my stuff and heading out the door, I walked across the courtyard in haste, holding my heels in my hand as I hopped across the stones barefoot.

"Sleeping Beauty has awoken."

I froze, turning slowly toward the same table I'd sat at the night before for dinner with Jonas. Instead of the man I'd slept with last night, I laid eyes on his younger brother, Emilio.

"I−I was just heading out."

He motioned toward the other chair and flicked his eyes toward Caridad, who stood by silently. Her whole demeanor looked more relaxed this morning, and she smiled warmly at me as she pulled the chair out. I stood there for a moment, like a deer in headlights, unsure of what to do or say.

Caridad took my hand and slipped my bag into her hand to hang on the chair while leading me to sit in it. My mind had been made up for me, especially when she placed a heaping plate of chilaquiles with egg mixed in, rice, beans, and a pink tinged liquid in front of me. My mouth was sticky and dry, so I naturally went for the drink right away. The alluring smell of the food was making it water. Before I dived into a long swallow of refreshing drink, I stopped to sniff the glass of juice—watermelon juice to be exact.

"It's freshly made." Emilio had already downed a glass, and Caridad was refilling it without being told. She gave me a warm nod and retreated to the kitchen.

I was stunned. No words made it out of my mouth after sipping the delicious drink. I kept my gaze lowered to the stark white tablecloth to avoid Emilio's eyes. His studious dark eyes made me squirm in my own skin, like he knew far too much about me for his own good. I hoped he didn't know. I liked to keep my innermost darkest secrets where they were, in the pit of my soul.

"Jonas has left on an extended business trip to Mexico City. He'll be gone for two weeks." Emilio shoved another bite of chilaquiles into his mouth and studied my face as he chewed. Somehow, that hard, cold as steel exterior he'd presented in the bar the night of our performance was gone. Without his brother and the entourage of killers with him, he appeared younger, less threatening.

I placed the empty glass on the table and licked my lips, meeting his gaze. "What do you mean, two weeks? He didn't mention it to me..."

"He often doesn't mention things until he's already leaving. You'll get used to it." He winked and piled some rice and beans, all mixed together, onto his spoon. He was an appalling eater, very unlike his prim and proper brother.

"Do you live here too?" I asked, loading my fork with a bite of the divine smelling breakfast. It had some sort of peppers in it, the aroma already tickling my nose and making my eyes sting. Still, it tasted amazing, and I immediately started to shove more in, feeling hungrier than I thought I was.

"Yes, I live here with Jonas. It's big enough to avoid each other for the most part and still be available to his beck and call." His tone was flat, and I thought I spotted a hint of contempt lingering in his words. Could he be on a whole different level than his brother? Maybe his fierce exterior had truly been a farce at the bar. Maybe he was more than met the eye. It appeared so, and it tipped my curiosity.

"I didn't know he shared this house, but it's pretty big. I guess that's a good idea." I shifted in my chair, feeling a bit uncomfortable when Caridad showed up to refill my drink—right on time too, for my mouth was burning up from the hot peppers in the mix. "Thank you. What's in these chilaquiles anyway? My mouth is on fire!"

"Jalapenos, onions, and tomato, Miss," Caridad answered before retreating to the kitchen. I watched her walk away with a sordid desperation to have another with me as I sat here with a jaguar. That's what Emilio reminded me of. He was sleek, sharp, and muscular, ready to pounce on his prey in a split second without messing up a hair.

"You live with your sister, right? I don't see how much different that would be from me living with my big brother."

I nodded, clinging to the cool glass of juice. "Probably not too different. Audrey and I...we've always lived together. We've been together on the road for years. You have to get used to the company if you don't want to go insane, even if it's family." I chuckled. Thinking of Audrey always made me shake my head. We were always at odds, but I would never want to live anywhere she wasn't. We were two peas in one pod; we needed each other.

"Sometimes it's still hard to get used to." He let his fork clang as he dropped it onto his plate, and Caridad promptly hurried out from whatever task she was doing to scoop it up and replace it with coffee. "I don't see how you don't want to kill each other." He sipped the steaming liquid, black and unsweetened. "Jonas is not quite as easy to live with as it seems your sister would be." I lifted an eyebrow as I watched him take another sip of the hot fluid, and I cringed. I wondered how he could stand it that way. I could feel the burn on my tongue just watching him. He was also too curious about my living situation.

Caridad placed a hot steamy coffee in front of me too, but with creamer and sugar. God bless her! I stirred the stuff in frantically, blowing to cool off the scorch.

"Well," I offered. I can't stand silence. Silence is hell. The quiet exposes too much it shouldn't know. "I can't say we're always best of pals, Audrey and me. We disagree a lot. She's the responsible one. I try to stay out of trouble, but I'm just not a conformist. I like to live as though the end were tomorrow. I hate steady jobs, enclosed spaces, and like to be free, you know?" I sighed, stirring more sugar and cream into my hot coffee. It was still too hot to sip, so I just blew on the surface and let it drop from the spoon. It was so warm this morning, I wasn't sure I was in the mood for a hot drink. It didn't seem to bother Emilio, who was on his second straight up cup of sludge. I shuddered at the bitterness it must taste like without the extras.

"You're lucky. I'm sure Jonas would love to shoot me most days, but he sees it as a waste of a bullet. I can never do what I want. He says it's family responsibility to keep things running smoothly." He chuckled and let his head drop back, the warmth of the morning sun heating up his skin. "The guy can go where he wants, whenever he wants, but me? I'm stuck here, doing the dirty work for him." The sound of the waterfall filled the silent space, which I was eternally grateful for. Never had I thought I'd be having breakfast with Jonas' brother. He'd rarely visited in Phoenix when Jonas showed up there, but I had seen him on occasion in Ruben's bar. He'd always given off the air of chilliness, cold and rigid. It was nothing like the lax demeanor he now openly let me see. Why?

Here...here he was open and cool as a cucumber in his own environment. I hated to say that as the minutes ticked by and he shoved more food into his mouth without messing his clothes or spilling it on his chin, I sort of, kind of liked him.

"You live here more than he does, don't you?" I gulped, hoping I hadn't stepped over the line, but with the way Caridad treated him and how much more relaxed they both were when Jonas was gone, I figured just as much.

Emilio focused his tiger eyes on me, the color of shiny brown and gold beads reflecting the sun; not quite pure brown, but a more marbleized brown with swirls of yellow. His irises didn't look real and were opalescent, but they were real, as real as my plain brown ones. The soft shimmer of light made him look so young, handsome even, and showed a healthy glow that was muted under the dark bar lights at night. His rounded cheeks and the sharp curves of his jaw were alluring, but in a striking sort of way. It sucked me in so much so that I didn't even notice I'd been staring at him.

"You notice everything, don't you, Liv?"

My name sounded foreign on his lips, seductive even. It had me shivering under the morning heat, but not from cold. I'd never really looked at the younger brother of the infamous Hermanos de Sangre cartel. It was hypnotic being under his gaze and felt utterly dangerous. If only I knew who this person really was, maybe I'd run right then and there, until I never saw him again.

"I better get going." I slid my spoon onto the saucer of my barely touched coffee and stood up.

Emilio stood up too, and I noticed he was also barefoot. I don't know why, but seeing his bare feet with a peek of leg hair from under his jeans made me pause. People don't often show you their feet. It was personal, almost intimate in a way, to see him without socks and shoes on.

"I'll drive you."

"Oh no, that's alright. Jonas said Marco would take me anywhere I needed to go."

"Marco hasn't returned from the airport yet." Emilio observed me, taking in my outfit from the evening before and my makeup free face. It made me feel suddenly very underdone and exposed, without my mask of foundation and coverage. Whatever he saw, I couldn't deny the hunger that lingered in those marbleized brown eyes. It was enough for me to flick my eyes to the ground and silently struggle with the knot forming in my throat as I swallowed. Jonas didn't do that to me.

"Um. Okay then. I'd appreciate a ride."

Emilio slipped on his socks, which had sat on shoes, hidden this entire time underneath his chair. Then, he stood up and reached out to slip his hand through mine, to my utter shock. Forced to follow along, I let him lead me through the house and out the front, where he opened the door to a modest SUV and let me in before closing the door. I watched him circle around to the other side while I touched my skin where his fingers had been. The heat from his firm grip still lingered on mine, and the thrill it caused still shot up my arm and into my belly.

I'd underestimated the power of this man in more ways than one, and I was in big trouble.

Chapter Sixteen

Audrey

I HEARD THE slam of a car door and fought the urge to sit up in bed and run out to stalk my sister. I knew where she'd gone, and whom with. It was whom with that I didn't agree to. My sister was playing with fire, and I didn't want to see her get burned.

When the door outside shut again, I knew it wasn't her. Saul sat up and turned his blind eyes toward me, lifting an eyebrow. "Was that Liv?"

"No." I sighed and closed my eyes. I had to think of something else, anything but Liv. She drove me mad with worry, and I knew what a mother felt like already. Why I'd ever want to have kids to feel this way over and over again was beyond me. How anyone could was something of a mystery to me. I stared out the sheer fabric of the curtains and watched the traffic speed by down the hallway. I suddenly felt a surge of hatred for this motel room, sending my heart fluttering in a dizzying rush.

I was tired of places like this, so temporary, so fleeting. I wanted to settle down, find a nice place to say longer than a few days or weeks and stay put—just stay. I was tired of just for a while. I wanted a forever kind of place.

"What are you thinking about so hard about over there?" Saul leaned on his arm, the sheet partially covering his stomach but exposing his muscular chest. For a blind man, he sure took care of himself. It was a sight I never got tired of; hardened chest and rippled stomach. His skin was smooth, and he let the hair grow down his midsection like a road to somewhere sweet.

"Oh, nothing..." I pulled my eyes from his body. My body was betraying me like sex addict. I liked how he made me feel. I just didn't do anything about it. I wasn't sure what was worse—wanting something you could have and not acting upon it, or wanting something you couldn't have. Why I was frozen in my spot and hadn't hit that, blew my mind. Every opportunity I got with Saul, I would turn away like a scared school girl. Why did I do this to myself?

"You've got more than nothing hanging in that brain of yours." Saul rubbed his face and ran his fingers through his hair. His unruly brown hair stuck up in all directions, some falling in his eyes. I wanted to jump over to his bed and push the strand away before I devoured his lips.

"Just thinking about life. Why do things have to be so complicated?" I nodded toward the bathroom, but he couldn't see my motions, so I continued. "Liv's doing this crazy act with Jonas, and I don't like it one bit. I know I have to let it play out, but I don't have to like it."

Saul stood up and headed toward my side of the room. Feeling for the bed, he made his way toward me and sat so close, I could feel his body heat radiating off him in hot, swift waves. This alone sped my heart to a frantic pace, and I found myself holding my breath.

"You don't, and I'm impressed on how you've handled your sister your entire life. A lot of people would've left their unruly siblings in the foster care system. Not you. You're strong and persistent, with an enormous capacity for giving." He reached up slowly, as to not poke me in the eye I guess, and found my face. His large hands felt warm and soft as he touched my cheek and made his way to brush my hair behind my ear.

I had to let out a soft, strained breath. He had my insides turning to mush.

"Thank you. No one has ever told me that."

"Sometimes it's good to hear we're doing a good thing in life. So many people walk past each other without noticing the amazing beings they are just passing by."

I smiled, flicking my eyes from one side of his face to the other. His eyes sucked me in, and I wanted to fall so badly. If only I could make the first move...but I couldn't. I was frozen.

But I didn't have to make the decision this time. Saul cupped my chin with both hands and drew me forward, letting our noses touch for a brief moment before his lips met mine. His kiss was soft, tender, and somehow asking for more. I sucked in a breath and waited, not knowing if I should run or let this happen. Saul answered my questions with another kiss, harder this time, hungrier, and demanding for more.

Kissing him back with an equal ache, I let my arms reach for him and wrapped them around his neck as he pulled me closer. Our tongues touched, our lips opening to let each other devour the other. My soul relaxed, feeling the need no longer to hold the barriers up around my heart as Saul continued to kiss me, taking my fears away with one swift touch.

When the moment passed and I pulled away slightly to look into his eyes, I saw what I wanted to see and smiled.

"I've wanted to do that for a while now," Saul whispered into my ear, sending even more shocks down my spine.

"Me too." I sighed, letting my fingers toy with his dark hair.

His smile lit my world, and I suddenly didn't feel so alone in this fierce world. His fire was heating me up inside like a fury that demanded love with every ounce of my body.

"Too bad Liv is coming home soon."

I nodded. "Yeah. Bad timing."

"Come on." He stood up and held his hand out for me. I took it tentatively and gave him a quizzing look. "Get dressed. I need to show you something."

He pulled me to my feet, and I pressed into his chest, savoring the feeling of his hardened muscles under my breasts. His touch alone did crazy things to me. I could imagine what the rest of him could do if we had more alone time together. Of all the times for Liv to show up, I hoped she didn't right then. I gave my head a tiny shake and smiled at the irony of it all.

"What are you going to show me?"

"A place I loved when I could see."

The Fall of Sky Part 2

Coming October 31st...

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to my readers. You rock my world! Thank you for everything!

I want to thank Kendra Gaither, Michael K. Rose, Ella James, J.A. Huss and J.T. Lewis. Your insight gives me the drive to keep on in this chaotic world! Thank you for being amazing!

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About the Author

Alexia Purdy

Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she's always lost in her head. She is best known for her award-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.

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More from Alexia Purdy:

The ArcKnight Chronicles:

ArcKnight

Enmity

Sovereign

Reign of Blood Series

Resonant

Reign of Blood

Disarming

Elijah (The Miel Chronicles):

A Reign of Blood Companion Story

Amplified

A Dark Faerie Tale Series

The Withering Palace

Evangeline

Ever Shade

Ever Fire

Ever Winter

The Cursed

Ever Wrath

Without Armor

History of Fire

Ever Dead

Legends of Fire

Other Stories

The Fall of Sky

Wicked Grove

Papercut Doll

Short Stories

Never Say Such Things

Spinning Scars

Poetic Collections

Whispers of Dreams

Five Fathoms

Anthologies

Soul Games

Faery Worlds

Faery Realms

Faery Tales

Lacing Shadows

Destiny's Dark Fantasy

Once Upon a Curse

The Shapeshifter Chronicles

