Tell Me No Lies: The Black Orchid, Book 1 (32 page)

A frown crossed his face, but then he laughed. “My mother cheated on my father. When a boy’s mother is a whore, it screws him up. Everyone knows that. Psych 101.”

His mouth twisted. “After all my father’s sacrifices, the torment, the humiliation…she left him for another man, she left us both really. Of course, he couldn’t return to the church after his
defilement
. His love for her destroyed him. But that doesn’t have to happen to you, bro. Forget the girl and join me in my efforts to cleanse the world.”

He was serious, as serious as a heart attack. If he wasn’t talking about the woman I loved, I would’ve laughed. He sounded like a villain in a movie, inviting me to join him on the dark side. However, the severe expression on his face sent chills down my spine.

“Together we would be unstoppable.”

My head suddenly began to swim and when I looked at Luke, I saw two of him. “I’m already…unstoppable.” The words came out slowly and my tongue felt heavy in my mouth.

He patted me on my shoulder. “I know, bro. That’s why I slipped something in your drink.”

I blinked several times, trying to shake the cobwebs from my head.

Luke’s face hovered before me. “I took this job to save your life. I’ll tell The Falcon I killed you. I’ll even send him proof of death. Proof of somebody’s death, but don’t worry, it won’t be yours. He’s in prison for the rest of his life. He’ll never know the difference.”

Losing control of my body, I started to slump in my seat and he grabbed me by the arm, lifted me to my feet. “Come on. You can sleep this off in my office.”

Feet heavy as bags of cement, I allowed him to lead me back to the office. A deep sleep was about to overtake me. It swept over me like heavy waves of ocean water, and I was struggling to keep my head up.

“What about Rain?” I managed to finally say.

He sat me in his chair, propped my legs on his desk. “There we go, nice and comfy.”

“Rain,” I slurred, barely able to keep my head up or my eyes closed.

“Right. Her.” He looked lost in thought for a moment and then he nodded. “I’m going to kill her. You can thank me later, bro.”

Blackness descended like lights suddenly being switched off, then there was a sensation of nothingness, like floating in an abyss without a body. And then I lost consciousness.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I walked around the empty restaurant, turning off lights and jiggling doors.
I just slipped my best friend a roofie.

I didn’t want to do it. But it had to be done. Kael was one of the good guys and I couldn’t just sit on the sidelines and let him wash out.

I knew from the moment he set eyes on that girl that she’d be trouble for him. Women were only good for one thing and the sooner Kael figured that out, the better.

I’d done everything possible to help him. From warning him two years earlier in Jamaica, when I’d first taken the assignment as Il Morte. I knew that Rain would have to be taken out if she became more to him than a one-night stand.

But Kael didn’t listen. Kael was hardheaded and now he’d learn. And when the lesson was over, like most challenges, he’d be stronger for it.

When I’d first heard there was a price on my best friend’s head, I knew I had to be the one to take it, otherwise some other mercenary—one with no scruples—would actually terminate Kael, while I would just pretend.

I’d dragged the assignment out as long as I could. Any longer and my reputation as an efficient killer-for-hire would suffer. I was hoping The Falcon would lose his taste for vengeance and end the contract, or maybe he’d die in prison but that had not happened.

So the only thing I could think of was to fake Kael’s death. Rain’s death, however would be very real. And once she was out of the way…I knew my friend, he’d never fall in love again. All he would have was his job and the pursuit of justice.

My overall goal was to make Il Morte a group of assassins who worked together to rid the planet of evil. Il Morte would not stand for one individual, it would be an organization of like-minded people who abhorred evil and believed outright extermination was the way to go.

Not diplomacy, not wars killing thousands of soldiers and Marines, just simple and efficient killing of the powers that be. That was my goal in life, my passion, my purpose. Not cooking and certainly not following the screwed-up dictates of The Group.

It all began with Rain’s death. I couldn’t wait to get started.

And Kael? He would be fine. I’d given him enough Rophenol to incapacitate him for a good eighteen hours and then he’d wake up feeling groggy with a headache. If I was lucky, he wouldn’t remember a thing, just that he’d had one drink too many.

I walked down Hargett Street, now crawling with college kids and late-night clubgoers. With Kael temporarily out of the way, I planned on slipping into her house on North Bloodworth Street and quietly snapping her neck then pushing her down the stairs for a nice uncomplicated cause of death.

Sitting in my white Panamera, I consulted my iPad, clicked on the map and zeroed in on Rain Howard’s location. My breath caught in my throat and something delicious slithered around my stomach. It was late, and I was surprised to see her tracker on the move.

“
Realmente, bella
?”
Really?

Turning the ignition, I wondered if she’d received my delivery before she’d set off on her adventure. I allowed the Porsche to purr for a moment, wondering how this could be. But then, one should never look a gift horse in the mouth.

I shifted the car in reverse and maneuvered out of the tight street parking.
I shall see you soon, bella.

* * * * *

The place was weird. Almost as weird as the flowers I’d received. Who sent black flowers anonymously? I had to admit, they were beautiful in a morose, creepy way.

They couldn’t be from Kael. He’d been sending flowers every few days, and they always included a line of verse and his name.

Most likely they were from Asa. Even though he was good-looking, there was something off about him. He was too insistent, almost obsessive in his persistence to get to know me. It was charming in a stalker-fan kind of way, if you liked that kind of thing. I didn’t.

Black flowers from him seemed about right.

I looked around for the second time, wondering if I was in the right place. It was a large, dirty building nestled near the corners of West Cabarrus and Dawson streets. The parking lot was packed with an even mixture of luxury cars and sensible sedans. It was a Saturday night and the freaks were out.

I stood in the slow-moving line while a bouncer selected who got in and who did not. As I made my way to the front, the bouncer gave me the once-over.

“You, darling, you get in for free.”

There was some indignant sputtering behind me, but I didn’t care. Saved me the one-hundred-dollar membership fee I’d been prepared to pay.

I smiled my thanks to the bouncer and pushed the heavy metal door open. A wave of sweet-smelling smoke hit me first. Something fruity, like cherries or blackberries. I stood still, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, while a lazy techno beat slithered over a sensuous bass line. And then I saw…

Naked couples making love on strategically placed beds circled by small audiences. Some were cheering, while others urged the couples on.

I almost stopped walking then, almost pivoted on my four-inch heels and walked quickly back to my car. But I stopped myself. Kael had been lying about everything. He’d probably lied about his ex. Probably been cheating on me the entire time, no matter how sincere he seemed.

Yeah, I deserved one night of stupid fun, a night of uninhibited mind-numbing pleasure, and then I’d wake up with a hangover and return to being Rain Howard, Entrepreneur.

I kept walking and passed a cage of dancing girls. A pretty blonde stuck her arm through the cage and tried to grab my arm.

“Join us!” she pleaded. “You’re so pretty.”

Shaking my head, I scurried past and then came to a full stop at a platform stage where a thin redhead, bound with rope and a gag in her mouth, was bent over a table.

A man stood behind her naked save for a black leather mask that completely covered his face, giving him a dark sinister appearance. There was a small table beside him with an open black case on it. It looked like a tool chest almost.

Except these weren’t your normal tools. I rose on my toes and peered over the man’s shoulder in front of me. There were whips, paddles…oh, my.

I accidentally touched the man’s back, and he immediately turned to look at me with a leer on his face. I stumbled backwards and bumped a couple behind me.

The husband looked at me. “Her, honey?”

The older woman scowled in annoyance. “No. Too young.” She grabbed her husband’s arm and pushed past me.

“Sorry, sugar,” the husband said with a leer. “Could’ve been fun.”

I wondered, not for the first time, if I knew what I was doing. I’d borrowed one of Charlotte’s dresses, one she’d bought to celebrate losing twenty pounds after almost killing herself on a juice fast—she’d only worn it once before beginning to eat without exercising and quickly returned to her normal size.

And now, I needed to find someone to make me forget myself and my troubles, if only for one night.

There was so much going on. Too much going on. How would I ever find the right person? Did I even know what I wanted? I’d never done anything like this before. Never even had a one-night stand. But I was sure that a night of mindless rough sex with a stranger would make me feel better. If this didn’t obliterate Kael from my mind, nothing would.

And I really, really couldn’t deal with this much longer. I planned on getting wasted—totally freshman–year-in-college wasted.

I saw a sign for the bar and followed the arrows to a small room, less busy and quieter except for the hum of chatter. I pushed my way to the front and waved at the bartender.

Bony and freckled, she wore a white tank top and low-riding jeans that revealed sharp hipbones. She smiled at me. “You’re a new one ain’t ya, sweetie?”

Nodding, I read the menu on the blackboard behind her. “I’ll take a glass of your house red.”

She gave me a knowing look. “Could’ve guessed you were the red wine type.” She moved around, found a bottle and glass then set them before me.

“So, what ya lookin’ for?” She eyed me slyly. “Maybe I can help.”

“Oh.” I accepted the glass of wine and took a cautious sip. I was surprised by the quality, expecting it to be cheap or watered down.

“Got a lot of richies here, so we carry the good stuff.”

I took another sip and slid onto a barstool. “To answer your question, I’m not sure how to articulate what I’m looking for. This is all very new to me.”

“You got that wide-eyed-sheep-among-wolves look.” Laughing, she held up a hand. “Let me guess. You had a boyfriend who taught you to like it rough. Now he’s gone and you want to recapture that feeling he gave you.”

My mouth dropped open and I stared at her. She understood perfectly.

“You got the fever, girlie.” She arched an eyebrow. “Hard to go back to vanilla sex once you had a taste.”

Great.

This place was like a weird circus. Wasn’t sure that I would be returning for another…taste. I finished my wine and looked around the room. “You know what? I think I’ve made a mistake.”

I glanced over at my shoulder at a balding man making googoo eyes at me and shuddered. I couldn’t imagine getting naked and having sex with a perfect stranger, no matter how many lies Kael told me. Not even after downing a complete bottle of wine.

Kael.
Damn you for doing this to us.

“I shouldn’t have come here.”

She snorted. “Then you should probably leave, sugar. Quick, fast and in a hurry.”

She was right. It was time for me to go. If I couldn’t have this with Kael, I didn’t want it at all. I paid for my drink and left the bar.

I stepped into the main room, surprised to see that the occupants had increased to the point that it was almost impossible to make your way through without shoving.

There was a loud whoop. “Come and get it, boys!” Then a voluptuous brunette was stripping in the middle of the room. Men ran straight for her as she opened her arms wide.

The crowd jostled me as I slowly made my way to the door, with hands sometimes groping my body parts and pulling at my clothes.

One man grabbed my arm and jerked me close. “You want it rough, sweetie?”

I screamed and pulled away, running and pushing through the crowd until I found a sparsely populated area on the edge of the club.

Feeling a little panicky, I gazed at the exit. It seemed so far away.

I was such an idiot. Why had I come here?

Chapter Thirty

Bella.

She stood at the edge of the crowd, pressed against a wall, her fear palpable. Exotic. Exquisite.

I couldn’t believe someone hadn’t already stripped the tiny, black dress she wore off her body, slung her over his shoulder, found a nice quiet corner to hide in and fucked her senseless.

Rain’s hair was pulled back into a taut ponytail, perched high on her head with a long dark braid falling to her mid-back. Thick black kohl lined her eyes like an ancient Egyptian. And her lips were a glossy, shiny, bright
fuck me
red.

I could see why Kael had fixated on her. There was something innocent and fragile about her that my friend probably wanted to both protect and destroy. And in between the dichotomy of those emotions developed his obsession for her.

But I had no such compulsions, no complications to obscure my real emotions. If she were a beautiful flower, I only wanted to pluck the petals of her beauty, break her stems and crush the leaves until there was only a smear of color, a stain of green and the hint of a pretty fragrance left. Women were bitches.
All of them.

I blinked once. I blinked again. At first I thought I must be seeing things, but no, it was Charlotte’s boyfriend. Gian-Carlo was standing a few feet away from me, staring at me with just a hint of a smile on his lips.

What was he doing here? For a moment I was embarrassed, ashamed to be found here, looking like
this
. Would he tell Charlotte? Would he think less of me?

And then I realized he was here too. Why was he here in this crazy place, if not for…unless he was into…

And then he was standing before me, his hazel eyes more intense than I’d ever seen them.

“
Bella
, what are you doing here?”

Relief flooded my body. Thank heavens, a friendly face.

“Rain,” he repeated the word sotto vocce. “I am Gian-Carlo. The one dating Charlotte. It is nice to be finally, formally introduced.” He held out his hand, a quizzical look on his handsome face. “Are you lost?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Why are you here?”

“You could say, I was looking for you.”

Goose bumps appeared on my arms, and I rubbed them, suddenly feeling cold, despite the warmth of the room. “What do you mean?”

He stared at me for a moment and then laughed. “Not you specifically, but someone like you. Sweet, lovely, curious perhaps?”

Heat crawled over my face and I averted my eyes. “I thought I was curious, but I’m not. You caught me just as I was making my way to the door.”

“You seemed to be having a bit of trouble.” He glanced at the gyrating crowd. “I would imagine, the later it gets, the more alcohol and club drugs that are taken, the rowdier it would get.”

“You’ve been here before?”

He smiled at me. “Ah, no. Never. A first time for me as well. But I did my research.” He shrugged. “The Internet.”

“How’s Charlotte?”
Does she know you’re here?

He smiled indulgently. “You guys aren’t talking, correct?”

I nodded and he shrugged. “I’m afraid we’ve broken up. I’m just here trying to repair my broken heart.” He glanced around the room, one swaying mass of hedonism. “But I’m afraid I’ve made a mistake. I don’t believe this type of place is for me.”

He sighed. “I thought I might find an uninhibited girl to enjoy for the night, someone to help me forget my sorrows.” He gazed at me. “I’m afraid your Charlotte has broken my heart.”

Join the club.
I touched his arm lightly. “Not my Charlotte. And I totally understand, Gian-Carlo.” Leave it to Charlotte to blow it with the best guy she’d met in a long time.

“Let’s get out of here. Perhaps a bite to eat?”

Grateful for the assistance, I nodded and grabbed his arm. With ease, he strong-armed his way through the crowd until we were in the parking lot

He smiled down at me. “I imagine you’ve had a few drinks tonight? Liquid courage and all that?”

My face warmed with embarrassment and I nodded.

“It is okay,
bella
. It could not have been easy for a girl like you to come here alone. It was good I arrived when I did. I’ll drive. You can pick up your car tomorrow.”

Sounded great to me. After three or four glasses of wine, the last thing I wanted to do was drive. Gian-Carlo could take me home and I’d call for a taxi in the morning.

Twenty minutes later, he’d located an Italian bistro in North Hills with outdoor seating. Still open and serving their late night menu. We sat outside, the only ones there at the moment.

Soon, a wooden tray with focaccia bread, olives, rosemary-coated Manchego, shaved prosciutto with chunks of fresh cantaloupe and a bowl of mixed roasted nuts sat between us.

I nibbled on the bread, part of me wondering if I should bolt, while the other more reckless part of me wanted to know more about Gian-Carlo and The Crow.

“Was that really your first time there? If you hadn’t found me, would you really have just turned around and left?”

He nodded, his eyes wide with amusement. “Some place,
sí
? I’ve never seen such debauchery.” He leaned toward me, eyes glistening in the candlelight. “I almost turned around and left when I first entered. But when I saw you I thought I must have been seeing things.”

My cheeks burned. “I’ve never been there before, really. It was a spontaneous, ill-conceived thing.” I reached for my water.

He popped a few almonds in his mouth then sucked the salt off his fingers. “What do you want to forget,
bella
? What pain are you trying to erase? Is it the boyfriend Charlotte told me about?”

“Yes. I ended things with him a few days ago. I had to, it was just too much. Everything, his lies and then when the truth came out…” I shook my head, not wanting to remember. “That was the point of this,” I gestured wildly at my exposed cleavage. “I wanted to forget him. Utterly and completely.”

“Then we should not discuss him now. Let’s just enjoy our meal and wine.” He raised his glass and smiled. “To friends.”

I reluctantly raised my glass and touched his lightly.

* * * * *

I looked out the window, wondering where we were going. My house was in the opposite direction. We were headed North on Capital Boulevard, leaving Raleigh behind. Soon we were in the middle of the country, with just trees and a few gas stations to lighten the dark sky. “This is not the way to my house.”

He stared straight ahead. “I have a stop to make first. It will be fine. You will see.”

We turned into a storage facility. It was empty and dark, guarded by a large electronic gate. Gian-Carlo waved at the guard who gave me a knowing look.

The guard chuckled. “Have some fun for me, buddy.” And then let us pass.

That didn’t sound good. The muscles around my heart painfully constricted and my throat went dry.

He drove down one road, up another and down again, until we were deep in the storage complex. He finally stopped in front of a large red door and grinned at me.

“Don’t worry. It’s climate controlled.”

All sorts of bells and whistles were sounding in my head. The temperature was the least of my worries. I didn’t want to be here.

He climbed out of the car and opened the door for me. Ever the gentleman. I carefully stepped out, pulling my short hem down as I did.

“Come,
bella
. I will only be a minute.”

When I didn’t move, he grabbed me by my arm, tightly this time and marched me toward the red door.

Once inside, I looked around, surprised to see the inside of the storage facility appeared to be half-CrossFit gym, half gynecologist office. The space was sterile looking and industrial with metals bars, platforms, tables and furniture that could only be described as functional.

He pressed a button and Amy Winehouse’s voice drifted through the space. He closed his eyes and swayed to the slow beat for a moment and then looked at me. “Voice like velvet,
sí
?”

Finding it hard to swallow or breathe, I wrapped my arms tightly around my chest and hoped that Gian-Carlo would remain the gentleman he’d always been.

He walked around dimming some lights and raising others. He loosened his tie, unbuttoned and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, as if he were about to get his hands dirty.

“Maybe I should wait in the car?” I asked nervously.

He stopped and turned to look at me in surprise, as if her were. “You can take off your clothes. Leave your bra, panties and heels on.”

He stood over a black case, a key frozen in his hand. The case was similar to the tool chest I’d seen the man in the black mask use at The Crow.

“Why would I do that?” I paused, confused about what was really happening. I did not want to take off my clothes. “Gian-Carlo?”

He placed the key into the case, turned it and then opened it before turning around again, this time with annoyance on his face. “Yes, Rain?”

“I want to leave.” My voice shook. “May I leave?”

Smiling, he glanced at the open case, his fingers lightly brushing over what lay inside.

“You came to The Crow for a reason, did you not?” I moved my head slightly. “You were curious,
sí
?” He picked up something, a long white feather and walked closer to me.

“And then you got into my car willingly, correct?”

“Yes, but you said you would take me home. I’d been drinking… I thought it was the right thing to do.”

He stood inches away from me, waving the feather in my face. And then he brushed it slightly over my forehead, down my cheek, across my lips.

“You’re angry with someone.”

I nodded slowly. I was mad at Kael. I was also upset with Charlotte.

He caressed my cheek. “Let’s get a little revenge, shall we?”

I didn’t speak.

“Undress for me,
bella
. Show me that beautiful body of yours.”

I shook my head.

He gazed at me for a moment. “Why not?”

Was he mad? I wasn’t taking my clothes off for him. He was my ex-best friend’s boyfriend. We were in the middle of a large storage facility. There were a myriad of reasons why not.

He looked at me and frowned. “
Bella
, you should do as I say. Surely Kael taught you some obedience. I know how he likes his girls, same as me.” His eyes hardened. “Docile as fuck.”

And then he smiled courteously. “Pardon my language.” He moved around the room, opening containers. “Perhaps you need some encouragement?” He held up a circular black band with an attached box. “Shock collar?”

I gasped and took a step backwards. He was mad.

He laughed and picked up another object. Held it up for me to see. “How about this?”

I stopped breathing. Dear lord, he had a gun.

He let it dangle on his finger and then he twirled it around like a cowboy. “It would be a shame to mar your flawless skin with a bullet hole or two, but if you won’t comply…”

I did as I was told, slowly peeling the dress off to reveal a demi-cup bra of sheer black lace with a matching bikini bottom. The material pooled at my feet and I stepped out of it.

He approached me with the gun still in his hand and waved it toward me. “Just in case.”

“So beautiful,” he breathed, his eyes full of reverence. He picked up the feather again and trailed it over my clavicle, swirled it around my breasts and played with it across my stomach.

“You could enjoy this. No one has to know.” He leaned in, kissed me on my cheek and then whispered into my ear, “It will be our little secret.”

I glanced down at the gun held loosely in his left hand.

He grabbed my hand. “Come,
bella
.”

Even with the weapon in his hand, I thought about resisting, but something strange glinted in his eyes and I thought better of the idea. Fear flowed through my every cell as he led me to a wooden platform with a metal structure resting at the center.

He pulled out rope from his case and began wrapping it around my wrists. Before he could tie the first rope to a metal bar, I called out his name.

Sighing, he gave me a put-upon face. “
Sí
, Rain.”

It was possible this was all some sort of weird mix-up. Maybe my being at that club, dressed as I was, had given him the wrong message. I’d gone with him willingly, had not actually said that I did not want to do this. I looked at him, feeling hopeful.

“I need to know, before you tie me up, can I leave if I want to?” My eyes were begging, no pleading for him to say what I needed to hear. “Because I’d like to, leave that is.”

He only shook his head and tied my arm tightly to the bar. “No,
bella
. You will leave when I tell you you may leave.”

He returned to his case, found a black leather strap with tassels and advanced toward me. I was tied up, my hands above my head. My feet barely touched the ground. I was on the tips of my toes straining to take the pressure off my arms.

He gently nuzzled his nose against my cheek, inhaling deeply. “You smell so dolce,
bella
.” His teeth grazed my ear and then I felt his tongue slide across my neck.

Then a sharp pain on my backside. Squealing, I strained away from him.

He waved the leather strap at me. “Before the night is through, you will learn to love it.”

Lips trembling, I tried to stop the tears welling in my eyes.

I shook my head and he smacked my thigh with the strap.

“Yes, cry for me,
bella
. I want you to be afraid.” He grabbed my ponytail, jerked it back and gazed into my eyes. “You are not enjoying yourself.” He smacked me across the front of my thighs with the strap. “I want you to enjoy this.”

He moved away, returning to his case. He selected a large wooden paddle with holes in it. “Perhaps, this will encourage you to enjoy my efforts more.”

“No, please.” I couldn’t take my eyes off the paddle. It looked painful, more so than the strap.

“You didn’t mind when Kael did this to you, did you?”

“He never strung me up like—” My mouth fell open. “Charlotte might have told you his name, but you don’t know him, do you?”