Ascending Darkness (Shattering the Darkness) (13 page)

“And don’t worry about the pay, Mya. I’ll pay you anyway
,” I tell her, patting on her shoulder reassuringly, before dropping my hand slowly and taking a step back.

“I appreciate that so much, Harper, but the tips are where I really make the money.” She sniffles as she pulls away
from Nick and stands on her own.

“Don’t worry about it. Just go home with Nick
,” I answer her in a ‘no-argument’ tone.

“Thank you so much, Harper
,” she says with wide and thankful eyes.

“Of course, Mya,”
I say just as Nikko walks in.

“What’s going on?” he asks
concern evident on his face, rushing over to us. “Mya are you okay?”

“I’ll fill you in later,” I tell him quietly as Mya nods to Nikko.

“Okay…” Nikko says slowly and places his arm around Mya’s shoulders and guides her to the bar stool. “Let’s get you something to drink,” he offers.

I have a knot in my stomach for poor Mya and I know I have to do something for her. All of my employees are amazing and I can’t stand the thought of something awful happening to
any them.

*****

That evening I fill Nikko in on what happened to Mya while we are making dinner at my place. Kara, Rich, Brynn, Avery and Breccan are all coming over for dinner tonight and I wanted to let him know my plan before everyone arrives. I still have a knot in my stomach over what happened which really worries me. It is like this feeling of impending doom. I can’t put my finger on it, but I have this feeling that things are only going to get worse.

To whom? I really don’t know.

I don’t know if this is concern for myself or for Mya or if old insecurities and paranoia are just rearing their ugly head for me again. I shake the thoughts out of my head as I continue the conversation with Nikko.

“I think we should get her a safer apartment,” I inform him as I lay the lasagna noodles in the pan. “The area she lives in isn’t great and I hate the idea of some junky or just anyone ransacking her apartment
or something like that. I can let you handle that and then Brynn, Avery and I could take her shopping and get her clothes and help her furnish it.”

“I think that’s a good idea
,” Nikko nods his head as he lifts the spoon up to his mouth to taste the sauce, making sure it has the right mixture of spices. “Do you think she’ll let us? She’s pretty stubborn and independent.”

“She will. I know how to get through to her. Just leave that to me
,” I smile at him, knowingly.

“You seem good, baby girl.” Nikko sets down the spoon and turns toward me
, smiling. “How are you feeling…? Did you and Breccan talk…? Did you tell him anything…?”

I wash my hands and after wiping them on the towel I lean against the counter, bracing my hands on the edge of it behind me and
after I take a deep breath I finally look up at him.

“Well… I told him my previous profession…” I inform Nikko with a grave look on my face.

“And…?” he prompts, gesturing with his hands for me to go on.

“And he didn’t bolt
,” I say nonchalantly as I shrug. “I also told him about how… I got into that life.” I pull in my lower lip and drag my teeth across it. I can feel my eyes convey my sadness.

Nikko walks over to me, wraps me up in his arms and rests his chin on my head.

“I’m so glad you opened up to him, baby girl.” He lets out a long sigh. “I wish I could truly tell you how much it means to me. The joy that I feel.”

“I know… God, Nikko… It was so fucking scary… so hard.” I tremble in his arms.

“And now…? What do you feel now?” he whispers quietly to me, his chin still resting on my head.

“Relief,” I answer simply.

“I’m proud of you, Harper,” Nikko tells me as he pulls away to look me in my eyes. “So fucking proud. You deserve him. You deserve happiness.” He lifts his eyebrows and nods his head in emphasis.

“I don’t know about deserve… but I’m definitely not going to fight it anymore.” I shrug my shoulders slowly
, resided to that fact.

“That’s a start, I suppose,” I think he mumbles as the elevator for the private entrance dings and the buzzer to the front door sound at the same time.

“I’ll get the door. It’s probably Breccan coming in the elevator,” I tell him.

“Then I’ll get the door”
he laughs as he leans down and kisses my forehead, then goes to get the door just as Breccan emerges from out of the hallway.

Just like that, those feelings of impending doom flitter away. Maybe it was just doubts about my own happiness; knowing that something awful happened to someone I care about brought up my own fears of ever being truly happy.

I feel my face and body relax as I look at him. As if I am finally able to breathe
, now that he is here with me again.

His hair is loose around his face and he’s dressed in a
gray suit with a crisp white shirt and that emerald green tie. His eyes flash with hunger as he takes me in. I am wearing a white pencil skirt with a tight black tank overlaid with loose-fitting light blue chiffon material. And as always, since the moment he gave it to me, I am wearing my dove necklace. 

“Dove,” he greets me with his deep voice as he strides slowly and purposely towards me
with hunger consuming his eyes.

“Brecc,” I answer
, teasingly with a raised eyebrow and a hint of a smile.

He reaches me, wraps his arms aro
und my waist, and lifts me up to place his mouth on mine with a gentle and tender kiss. His tongue barely curls into my mouth teasing mine for a moment before he sets me back down.

“I missed you,” he whispers as he stares into my eyes. His hand travels up and he fingers the necklace he gave me that lays against
the nape of my neck. 

My clit is throbbing full force and my nipples harden. Nikko and Kara come around the corner just as I am about to jump his bones, unfortunately reminding me that
we have company.

“Hey, Kara,” I greet her as I turn to face the couple.

“Hello, Harper. Breccan. How are you two this evening?” She asks.

“We are doing very well,” Breccan answers as he
enfolds his arms around my shoulders, drawing me closer to him.

“That’s fantastic
,” Kara replies smiling widely at us.

The door buzzes again and Nikko turns to let in the rest of our friends. Kara walks further into the kitchen and Breccan makes his way to the liquor cabinet.

“What can I help with?” she asks as she washes her hands.

“You can help me put the sauce and cheese in here with the noodles,” I gesture to the pan that I already started to lay the noodles in.

“Sounds great.”

“Hey, bitch!” I hear Brynn yell and turn to see her standing in the kitchen, Avery by her side and Rich heading towards Breccan.

And thus the evening truly starts
, I think to myself as I smile at my friends...

*****

Once dinner is done and we are all seated at the table, I decide to tell everyone my plan for Mya. I vaguely notice Breccan give Nikko a meaningful glance while I am telling everyone what happened, but I don’t think much of it. Everyone confirms being on board with helping Mya and I decide to put the plan into action immediately by telling Nikko, Breccan and Rich to start scouting for properties. Kara, Avery, Brynn and I make plans to take Mya out on Saturday for some shopping.

After we are done eating Brynn, Kara and I are cleaning up in the kitchen when they decide to bombard me with questions.

“So did you tell him everything?” Brynn asks.

“Are you guys good?” Kara adds.

I smile at Brynn and then give Kara a once over, still smiling. I am a private person and I just don’t know her well enough to tell her everything. I have grown incredibly close to her, but my past is disgusting and torrid and complicated so I can’t tell her all the details.

“We are good,” I answer Kara, then look to Brynn, “I told him a lot. Well, the big thing anyway.”

“And he’s still here,” Brynn states matter-of-factly, while pursing her lips to the side in a show of attitude. “I knew he wouldn’t be scared away.”

“He’s not… but there is still a lot to be said. He still has a lot of questions and I don’t know if he can handle those details…” I trail off and my eyes wonder to where the guys are all sitting in the living room.

They seem to be listening to Nikko tell a story. An obviously hilarious story if their laughter is anything to go by. My eyes stop at Breccan’s profile and I am once again mesmerized by the perfection of his beauty.

His mouth is curled up in a small smile at something Nikko is saying and I can’t wait to have those lips back on me. He pulled his hair back before dinner displaying his flawless bone structure. He took his jacket and tie off earlier and opened a couple buttons of his collar, making my fingers itch to undo the rest of them and explore his perfect body that I already know so well.

“Harper?” I jerk my head back to look at Kara as she brings me back from my daydream.

“Yeah?” I answer after double blinking to focus on the here and now.

“I know that I don’t know the details of your past, and I’m not going to ask. I know you will tell me when you’re ready,” her voice is gentle and quiet. Her eyes are kind and open. “But that boy loves you.” My heart skips a beat when she says that. Just the way it does when he tells me. “It’s as clear to me as anything possibly could be. I know that something horrible happened to you and I can say that no matter what you tell Breccan, he is not going anywhere.”

Doubt surges through me and I try to quash it as quickly as I can. I slightly turn up my lips without really smiling and nod my head in acquiescence.

“Well, I’m gonna get the boys another drink.” Kara walks off to get drink orders from the guys then heads to the liquor cabinet.

Brynn pours more wine in our glasses and hands mine to me.

“She is right,” she says quietly to me as we both take a drink. My eyes come back to hers and I slowly nod.

“He said it,” I tell her.

“Said what?”

“I love you.”

Brynn freezes everything but her eyelashes that just continue to blink around her wide eyes.

“And you said?” she asks after swallowing hard, then takes another drink of her wine.

“That I couldn’t say it.” I look into her eyes and I know the shame I feel is evident in mine.

“Did it seem to bother him that you couldn’t say it?”

“No…” I shake my head slowly and take a sip of my wine. “It was like he could tell that I did though. Like he knew that I do.”

“He probably does. He’s rather perceptive. Especially for a guy. It’s a little creepy
,” she laughs.

“I know…” My thoughts turn dirty thinking of just how perceptive he can be.

“Oh, Christ.” I focus on Brynn to see her rolling her eyes at me. I simply smile and shrug in response.

“So. What happened with you and Rich? How did that all go down? I’ve been meaning to ask you forever… but, well… you know.” I look at her apologetically for being too wrapped up in my own drama to be a good friend.

“Well, it started that evening that you had the game night. When we all first met.” I nod encouraging her to go on. “So he looks me up and somehow gets my cell number. Which reminds me, did you give it to him?” I smile and shake my head ‘no’. I’m sure Rich had the same guy looking Brynn up that Breccan had look me up. “Anyway, so he simply calls me up and asks me out. Well, I’m no fucking fool so I, of course, say yes.” She pauses to take another sip of her wine. “I never expected it to become an actual relationship. I thought I’d just have a great fling with a sexy man who, thank God, is amazing in the sack.” She pauses and stares at him across the room meaningfully, giving me goosebumps with the look in her eyes. She focuses back on me before continuing, “I think I’m honest to God falling for him, Harper. Swear to Christ.”

By this point I’m smiling so big that I probably look like a few screws are missing.

“I’m so happy for you,” I tell her.

And I truly am. I feel so full of happiness to have Breccan in my life. Such joy that Brynn has Rich and things seem to be going well for both of us. I can’t believe how paranoid I was about everything. Clearly I overreacted.

But…

We have yet to be seen in public together again. Though I’m sure it will happen soon.

“Thank you, Harper. And I’m glad we sprung that party on you the other night,” she smiles and wags her eyebrows at me.

“Yes. I am happy for that, too.” I smile back.

“Dove, why don’t you two come join the rest of us?” Breccan calls to me from the other room.

I smile to Brynn after looking at my Adonis. We refill our glasses and make our way to the living room.

*****