The Dark Prince(The Dark Light Series #2)(72)

"Hey chick," I say, greeting Morgan with a smile. I wave over at Carlos and the rest of the stylists who look like they've seen a ghost. I don't fault their surprise; I haven't stepped in the salon since Dorian and Aurora got engaged. It doesn't even feel like it's been over six months, but at the time, it felt like an eternity of loneliness and grief.

Morgan narrows her brown eyes. "Everything ok?"

I give her a warm smile and nod. "Yeah, everything is fine. I just wanted to stop by and see you before I went over to see the parents. And I was thinking I would go by the campus and see Jared."

Morgan turns from her station where she is sanitizing a collection of combs and brushes. "Really?"

"Yeah. I gotta make this right before it's too late. Before I lose him for good."

Morgan claps a hand on my shoulder giving it a little squeeze. "I think that's a great idea. Tell him how you feel. Fight for your friendship. I know he has to miss you."

I perk into a half-hearted smile. God, I hope he does.

"Thanks, Morg." I wrap my arms around her and pull her in for a tight hug. "You're my best friend, you know that? And I owe you so much. Thank you for always looking out for me. I hope I can do the same for you … one day."

Morgan slowly wraps her arms around me, taken aback by my bizarre display of affection. I'm not exactly the warm-and-fuzzy type.

"Sure, of course, Gabs." She pulls my body away from hers to gauge my expression. "Are you sure everything is ok?"

I blink my glazed eyes rapidly, dispelling the rush of vulnerable emotion. "Of course. I just want you to know … just in case I never told you."

I smile away the awkwardness and make my way to the other stylists, embracing them as if I'll never see them again and earning quite a few questioning glances. Just minutes ago, I had done the same with my own employees, even getting a bit choked up while hugging Carmen. I couldn't help it. It felt like goodbye and I couldn't let the moment pass without acknowledging it.

I pull out my phone as I exit Luxe, eager to dial Jared and tell him that I want to see him. Need to see him. Something inside me can't let his avoidance go another second.

"Oh shit!" I shriek, running right smack into a hard chest and dropping my phone. I had been so intent on scrolling through my contacts that I hadn't been paying well enough attention to what was right front of me.

"Gabs?" a surprised voice says from above me.

Embarrassed, I flick my gaze up to twin chocolate brown eyes and perfectly styled brown hair. "Xavier?"

"Hey, long time no see!" he says, smiling brightly, causing his eyes to sparkle in the sunlight.

I give him a quick, friendly grin before bending down to scoop up my phone. I cringe after seeing the cracked screen. Shit.

"Are you walking back to Cashmere?"

"Yeah," I reply, still frowning at my destroyed cell phone. I take a deep breath and give him a weak smile.

"Ok, cool, I'll walk with you."

We walk the couple blocks to Cashmere, Xavier catching me up on all the guys' wild trysts. "So Carlos goes home with the man and … OMG, his wife jumps out of the closet with a baseball bat!"

"You're kidding!" I laugh.

"No. I shit you not. What makes it worse, is that I knew him from somewhere. I couldn't put my finger on it until I ran into him again at the mayor's office. He's the chief of police!"

"Oh my God!"

We laugh the entire way to Cashmere, my foul mood at my broken cell phone screen completely forgotten. I'm thankful for the distraction. Xavier's goodhearted nature and easy humor have somewhat restored my faith in humanity. He's probably faced adversity every day of his life because of his sexuality. Yet he is able to laugh and smile through it all. If he can overcome hatred and pain, maybe so can I.

"Well, this is me," I say waving towards the parking lot. I move in to give Xavier a hug when a buzz from my cell phone startles me. Whew! At least it works. After an awkward wave as I try to answer the call without slicing off my finger, I fumble for my keys, making my way to my little Honda. Unfortunately, the caller hangs up before I can answer and I curse under my breath.

"Oh, Gabriella?"

I whip my head around to see that Xavier has followed me to my car and stands only a foot away.

"Yes?" I ask with narrowed eyes.

Xavier gives me another bright, beaming smile that lights his eyes with flecks of gold. "Happy Birthday."

And before I can process the words, let alone respond, staggering, unimaginable pain grips my entire frame before plunging me into the dark, frigid depths of unconsciousness.                       
       
           



       Chapter Twenty Eight




I hurt.

God, I hurt. All over. But the pain in my head is by far the worst. Just the tiniest flutter of my eyelids causes excruciating pain to rip through my skull. It feels like a hatchet has been embedded in my brain, the pressure pushing on the vital bundle of cells that controls all movement. I can't move. I'm not sure if it is out of immense pain or if there really is a hatchet crippling me.

Oh God, am I paralyzed?

No. I can feel pain. Shit, it's all I feel. But my leaden body won't move. Maybe it's out of complete and utter fear. Or maybe I'm being bound by restraints. I urge myself to crack open an eyelid, fighting through the agony with a clenched jaw. I stifle the whimper building in my throat, resorting to biting the inside of my cheek. Great. More pain.

I try to peer through the tiny slit of my lid for any clue of my location. The room is unlit yet a small stream of dim light floods from a high window. From that, I can see that the dank, stuffy room is barren. Cement floors, bare cinderblock walls, all grey and desolate. It's depressingly silent except for the annoying sound of a leaky faucet somewhere. Every drop feels like a stab to the temple. I inwardly groan. If I could cry, tears would be streaming down my face. But it hurts too much. It's all … too much.

I try to swallow but the saliva in my mouth feels too thick. Even my tongue seems swollen. The metallic taste on it makes my stomach roil. If my aching body could withstand the heaving, I would vomit.

"Oh good," a haunting voice says from somewhere out of my line of vision. "You're awake."

I feel my already sluggish blood freeze in my veins, my dry lips parting fractionally in my attempt at a gasp. I know this voice. It's one that I considered friendly and warm. A voice that was always attached with a smile.

Xavier steps into my line of vision, moving silently in the shadows. He grins adoringly, scanning the length of my body with rapt fascination. When his eyes flick to mine, I nearly choke on a labored breath and my sore eyelids pop open widely.

He's Light.

Golden irises twinkle brightly in the dim, drab room as he continues to gaze at me with wonder. He doesn't seem hostile at all. He still looks like the warm, sweet man I always thought he was. And he's Light. He's the embodiment of goodness and healing. I just don't understand.

"Oh, don't look so surprised, sweetheart," he says taking a step towards me. "You are one hard little thing to find. I had to kill all those poor, helpless girls yet you were right under my nose the entire time. Ha! Could you really not sense me?"

Again I try to swallow, my eyes darting around frantically. Even the horrific ache dulls in comparison to the concentrated panic binding my body.

"You can speak, darling. I have many questions for you and I need you to be cooperative. Your compliance will be the determining factor in what happens next."

"What's that?" I choke out in a raspy, broken voice. The vibrations of my voice rip through my throbbing head, causing tears to spring to my eyes.

Xavier smiles again, tilting his head to one side. "Whether or not I kill you quickly or torture you until your human body eventually gives into an agonizing death." He takes another step towards me and looks down at the ground. "But judging by the amount of blood you are losing, your death may be quicker than I originally planned. But I think we are still on schedule."

Blood? I take a deep breath through my nose and let it out through my mouth, tasting the metallic ting in the air. I try to give myself over to my senses and focus on my hearing. The dripping nose magnifies as I concentrate and I inhale again, this time through my mouth. It's not a leaky faucet. It's blood. My blood. And judging by the mere second between drops splattering to the ground, I'm losing a lot of it.

"What do you want from me?" I whisper. I can't even think about the pain it brings. Soon I may not be able to feel pain, or anything else, ever again.

Xavier slowly extends a hand towards me, causing my already weak heartbeat to sputter frantically. "Shhhhh, love," he coos. He strokes my cheek lovingly then cradles my head, raising it up a few inches. I can't even fight against it. I still can't move.

After gazing at me adoringly and causing my tears to spill, he gently eases my head back down on what feels like a concrete slab. When he removes his hand from underneath my head, it's covered in bright, red blood. He rubs his fingers together, working it into his hand like a balm, before wiping it clean with my shirt. Bile rises in my tight throat.

"Isn't it obvious what I want? Isn't it obvious what everybody wants from you?"