Conjuring Darkness (26 page)

A Valentine’s Surprise

Chapter 1

The day started out much like any other for Officer Adam Jennings. Riding with him in the front seat of his cruiser was his best friend and partner Jake Matthews. Being on patrol with Jake was one of his favorite places to be.

The only path that Adam ever saw for himself was that of a policeman. He liked helping people and this was the best way that he knew how. Sure he had to deal with the lowest of the low, but most of the citizens he interacted with were good people who just got off track every once in a while. He took his job seriously, but he still believed people should be given the benefit of the doubt. He firmly believed that most people tried hard to be good and do their best.

Adam was thankful he didn’t live or work in a city with a high crime rate. He wanted the people in his community to feel safe. Whether they were home with their families, out and about running errands, or enjoying an evening on the town, their safety was important to him.

Adam had never been married, or even close to marriage. The only person he had to think about other than himself was his twenty-two year old sister, Jenny. When their parents died ten years earlier in a horrific car accident, Adam stepped up as a big brother to raise Jenny the best way that he could.

It wasn’t always easy. He was fresh out of the police academy and knew nothing about raising a teenage girl, but he did his best and Jenny seemed to turn out alright. He was beyond grateful that she didn’t rebel too much during her teen years. Adam didn’t have the time or patience to deal with a bunch of teenage drama.

Jenny was a lot like Adam, in the respect that she didn’t date a lot. There were the occasional boyfriends of course, but Adam never had to worry about killing them for hurting his sister.

Adam put the thought of any serious relationships on hold while he was raising Jenny. He didn’t think it would be good for her to become attached to someone he was dating, especially if the relationship wasn’t serious enough to lead to marriage. He tried to set a good example for her. The last thing he wanted was for his romantic exploits to make it back to his baby sister. Just the thought of it made him cringe.

Adam was no angel. He dated, but he did so discretely. He would only go out when he knew that Jenny had plans with her friends. He always made sure that whoever he went home with, knew up front that he would only be spending one night with them. Second dates were out of the question, because he
never
wanted anyone to get the wrong idea.

Dating had become easier now that Jenny was in college, but he still didn’t find anyone that piqued his interest enough to want to settle down. Most of the women that he met were shallow, rude, and completely obtuse. The woman he would marry would be kind, compassionate, and witty. She would be independent, yet willing to stand beside him as an equal partner. He wasn’t interested in anyone who was looking for a free ride. Women like that were to be avoided like the plague.

It was a quiet morning, as they traveled along their normal route. Adam and Jake had made a few traffic stops, but that was about it. Adam didn’t mind quiet mornings, it meant the citizens of his sleepy town were safe and staying out of trouble. “I think it’s time for our morning coffee stop,” Jake said, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Sounds good,” Adam replied, as they headed to the local convenience store. Adam noticed the empty parking lot, as they slowly exited the car and closed the doors. He took the lead, as he and Jake entered the store. There was nothing normal about what was happening, as Adam stepped inside.

Before he could react to what he saw, he heard a loud BANG and was knocked backward by an excessive force. He felt a burning in his shoulder, chest, and lungs. He yelled out in pain, as he reached for his shoulder.

He was shocked when he pulled his hand back, it was warm, and wet, and covered with blood. The pain took his breath away and he began fighting for air as he collapsed to the floor. Adam heard two more shots ring out. The only thing he could think of was Jake. He prayed that his partner wasn’t hit.

Adam could hear the sirens in the distance. Jake knelt beside him yelling his name. He tried to focus on what Jake was saying, but the pain was too much. Thoughts of Jenny ran through his mind. He always thought he would have a chance to say goodbye to her. “Look after Jenny,” he mumbled to Jake. The darkness kept pulling him under, as he fought to keep his eyes opened. Soon the darkness offered a beautiful respite from the pain that could no longer be denied.

A Deadly Obsession

Chapter One

Jenny couldn't believe the nerve of that man. “Have lunch on me,” he says—did he really think she was that credulous and destitute? Sure, she'd like to have lunch
on
him. She'd like to throw her lunch
on
him! She should have kicked him in the balls before fleeing from her brother, Adam's hospital room. That’s what she should have done. “How dare he even think he has the right to talk to me, let alone joke with me?

Jake could piss her off quicker than anyone else in the world, and he did it with amazing speed and efficiency. He drove her absolutely insane. The pain probably wouldn't have been so bad, but with unconditional love came the risk of heartbreak. Jenny had it bad for Jake. She always had. It was a problem she wanted desperately to remedy. She needed to find a way to move on and never look back.

For as long as Jenny could remember, Jake had always been there. He was her brother’s best friend and partner on the police force. When they were on patrol, it doubled her anxiety. Not only did she have to worry about Adam getting hurt at work, she had to worry about Jake’s safety as well. After all, Jenny couldn't remember a time when she didn't love Jake.

She recalled her teenage years, some of Adam's friends used to tease her and make fun of her. But not Jake. Never Jake. He always came to her rescue. If she could count on anyone over the years, it was her Jake.

Jenny wondered where things went wrong between them, but deep down she knew. She just didn't understand his reaction to her, or the situation they ended up in. She had no doubt that Jake wanted her just as badly as she wanted him.
So how did we end up like this?

2 months prior

“I can't wait to let my hair down and blow off some steam," Jenny said to her roommates, who were busy primping for their night out.

“Oh God, I know. My brain is fried. I can’t think about anything right now.” Lizzy agreed.

Finals had kicked her ass. Luckily, she only had one semester left and she would graduate from college. She would be on her way with a life and career of her own. She had always dreamed of being a teacher. It was a sweet memory from her childhood that inspired her to follow through with her dream. Before her parents died, she would play dress up and summon her family into her room. They would sit on the floor in front of her small chalkboard as she carefully taught the subjects she had learned in school the previous day. Jenny smiled at the memory. Now she was so close to making that dream a reality, she could taste it.

“Can you believe we are almost done? We have one semester left and that’s it,” Jenny said as she popped a French fry into her mouth.

“Thank God! I know I couldn’t do this for another year. Not that I don’t love you girls, but I’m ready to start my life,” Lizzy replied.

“I know. It feels like we’re stuck in a holding pattern and in between. I just want to move on, find a job, and figure things out from there.”

“You are preaching to the choir. I am so over this whole college experience. Let’s just forget about it for now, finals are done. We have a month off before the new semester starts. Girl, it’s time to unwind,” Lizzy offered before attacking her sandwich.

“Are they just about ready to go? What is taking them so long?” Jenny wondered out loud. She was ready to head out for the night and let go of the exam induced stressed. A girls night out was just the way to do it. Her body was tight and tense, her mind ready to explode from being crammed full of information. She felt like she needed a reset button for her brain to dump all of the course material in one fell swoop.

Jenny was thankful for the amazing group of friends she met over the course of her time in college. The four girls were all in the same teaching program and had all started at the same time. Sharing an apartment was a quick decision made for convenience, but it cemented a bond between them. No longer just classmates, they were practically sisters. The tiny apartment was not far from where she had lived with Adam. Jenny could have stayed with her big brother to save money, but she desperately wanted to be out on her own. It wasn't that she didn't love Adam, she did. And with all of her heart. He was a great big brother, but she just didn't want to live with him anymore. She wanted her own life on her own terms.

Jenny and her three best friends set out on the ultimate adventure when they decided to squeeze into the microscopic two bedroom, one bath apartment. And just like sisters living together, it could be a real challenge to maintain a semblance of patience. Or sanity.

"Would you hurry your skinny ass up in there? The rest of us need to get ready, too!" Zoe shouted to Becca who always took forever to get ready.

The bathroom door suddenly flung open. "Seriously, I've been in here ten minutes. Some of us were not blessed with shiny, soft natural curls, and amazing good looks. Those of us less fortunate have to work hard in order to achieve this quality of beauty," Becca said before slamming the door.

"I think she starts the clock over each time she comes out here to bitch." Lizzy rolled her eyes at the standard roommate drama. Why they ever thought that four twenty-two year old females could peacefully exist in a two bedroom, one bath apartment was beyond her. It wasn't so bad until they all had to be somewhere at the same time, then it was a mad dash for the shower before the hot water ran out. Running out of hot water in the middle of shampooing was not fun, no matter who you are.

One hour and fifty two minutes later, they were finally heading out to enjoy the night. They walked arm in arm a few short blocks to the club, laughing and squealing in delight as their heels clicked in unison against the frozen pavement. Jenny opted to walk because she would never drink and drive, and her best friends respected her wishes. It wasn't just because her brother was a cop, but because her parents had been brutally ripped from her life by a drunk driver. She never understood what caused someone to get liquored up and then get behind the wheel of a car. The damage done was irreparable. She was forced to live with it every day of her life. There wasn’t a day that passed where she didn’t think about her parents and the empty space that remained where they should still be.

Jenny could hear the bass thumping from the music as they descended on the club. Her nose was assaulted with the smell of stale beer, cigarettes, and women who marinated in cheap perfume. A multitude of lights danced over the patrons, spotlighting the public forum of foreplay. These types of clubs always felt like meat markets to her, and she usually avoided them for that very reason. She had zero interest in lame pick-up lines, games, and one night stands. Jenny was there to let off some steam and enjoy the night with her friends, nothing more.

As they worked their way through the throngs of gyrating patrons, Jenny started to lose patience. If one more guy grabbed her ass, she was likely to turn around and deck them. Her first order of business—acquire a drink. She needed to loosen up, shed the finals induced anxiety, and let go for a night.

Her small group worked their way to the bar to kick off their celebration. They quickly ordered their drinks and headed for a table in the corner. It was private and secluded, just the way they liked it. Jenny was glad none of her roommates were on the prowl tonight. It didn't mean they wouldn't date, just that all of the girls had sworn off serious relationships until after college.

They had refused to make a commitment to anyone when their lives were far from settled. To do anything other than that wouldn't be fair to either party. She felt bad for the girls who jumped from one relationship to the next for fear of being alone. Jenny certainly understood their reasoning. After all, she knew all too well about the fear of being left alone in life. Thanks to the memories of her parents, she also knew what real love could be, what it should be. Jenny was a firm believer that it was better to be single than saddled with a bad and unhealthy relationship. She had watched too many friends fall victim to the never ending cycle.

As the night passed, the girls laughed and danced as they fended off unwanted advances with ease. Jenny was happy and the smile on her face could not be denied. She let go and laughed with her friends.

Jenny danced with a freedom that she hadn't felt in a long time. She twisted and turned to the music, shaking her head, hips, and ass. She was laughing with abandon when she felt a hard body slide in behind her. Solid, thick arms held her in a punishing grip. She tried in vain to pry herself from the man that was holding her so tightly, she was sure to bruise.

"Let me go!" she hissed at the creep.

"You think it’s okay to shake that hot little ass and tease every man in here, sweet thing—you better be prepared to follow through."

She shook with anger. What gave this stranger the right to put his hands on her and demand anything? She struggled against him, trying desperately to break free from him, but his grip was impenetrable. He meant business, and it was a business that she wanted none of. She felt a panic snake its ugly head through her body. There were people all around her, but they were caught up in their own alcohol induced haze. They didn't seem to notice what was going on around them as the stranger pulled her away from her friends. She didn't want to go anywhere with the creep.

Zoe saw the look of panic on Jenny's face as she tried to fight off the brute that was dragging her away from the group. "Get your hands off of her, asshole!"

"Stay out of this, bitch!" he roared at Zoe, pushing her away.

Jenny was stunned. She slammed her elbows against him. She kicked at his shins. She had to get away from him, or the situation would turn from bad to worse as soon as he got her alone. Obviously this guy had never learned the meaning of the word “no” and it appeared he wasn’t going to learn anytime soon.

The savage stranger grabbed her by the hair, twisting her face to his and planting a demanding kiss on her lips. He was so much bigger than her, he effortlessly held her in a crushing embrace. His breath reeked of a garlic loaded dinner, booze, and cigarettes. The smell alone made her want to vomit in his mouth. She grabbed at his hair, yanking with all of her might to release the punishing assault on her mouth, but it did no good. The harder she fought, the more excited he became. She clawed at his eyes, trying to gouge them out with her nails. She knew it was extreme, but she had tried everything else and failed. With each second that passed, he dragged her closer to the door. She pressed harder and he finally relented with a scream.

"You fucking whore!" The rage rolled off of him in waves. His hand curled into a fist as Jenny fought harder to break free. She had just started to think she was in serious shit when confusion swept over the scene. The man was torn away from her, his body flung to the ground.

Zoe quickly grabbed Jenny and pulled her away from the scuffle. Jenny was terrified by what had happened. She didn't understand it. One minute she was dancing with her friends, the next minute she was accosted by a feral drunk with brutal force. She knew she did nothing to lead him on. She had never seen the guy before.