Soar (The Empire Chronicles #1) (23 page)

“There will be.” A look of surprise crossed his face, like he couldn’t believe he was saying it.

“I take it your answer is usually no.”

“Usually, but not today. I have to have you again.”

“You will.”

“But not now?” He kissed one of my breasts.

“Not now.” I was too full of emotion and too sore to contemplate it.

“Want me to get your clothes?”

“We left them outside, didn’t we?”

“Yeah…we didn’t exactly need them again last night.” He grinned.

“It’s not like I can go home in my pajamas. Do you happen to have something for me to wear?”

“I have a better idea.”

“What’s that?”

“Let me make you something to eat, hang out here, and I’ll fly you home when it gets dark.”

“Can we sleep a little longer?”

“Absolutely.” He adjusted us so my head was leaning on his chest. “I’m pretty comfortable.”

“Me too.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven
Toby

Things would work out. They needed to. Casey hadn’t given me much of a reason for why she suddenly pulled back, but I had my suspicions. His name was Jared.

I’d heard he was back in New York, but thankfully he hadn’t showed up in my office. I hoped he wasn’t back just for her. I could make myself swallow the thought of her wanting a fling with Jared, but the thought of them developing a relationship longer than that hurt like hell. I refused to accept it.

Luckily, the attacks had died down, but it felt more like the calm before the storm than any real resolution. Both Murphy and Bryant had disappeared without a trace.

I’d opened myself up to Casey just to have the door slammed in my face. I probably should have moved on, but I couldn’t. Everything reminded me of her, even coffee. I refused to make it easy on her. I’d give her space because she seemed to want it, but I wasn’t giving up. I showed up at Coffee Heaven every day.

“You want your usual?” She smiled at me, but it wasn’t the kind of smile I was looking for. She was back to pretending I was just one of her customers.

“No. I’ll have something different today.”

“Oh?”

“A double espresso.”

“Coming right up.” She turned around, and I felt a sense of loss. I missed looking at her face.

She set the espresso down on the counter. “Are you doing all right?”

“Yeah. Missing you though.”

A sad expression crossed her face. “It’s not me you’re missing.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I picked up my cup.

“Never mind.” She moved on to help another customer.

I was still thinking about our conversation when I sat mindlessly flipping through the channels on the TV later that night. The only logical explanation was that she thought I was still into Allie. How could she possibly believe that after the time we’d spent together? We might not have had sex, but there was something special about the night we spent in New Orleans. I only wished she’d felt it too.

My phone rang, and I picked up half expecting it to be her. I missed her voice. “Hello?”

“It’s Cody. Someone dropped off something for you. Should I bring it up?”

“What is it?”

“Just some manila envelope with your name on it.” Cody was never very forthcoming with details.

“And who brought it?”

“The bear who works with Casey. I think his name is Eric.”

“Send it up.” I hung up and headed to the door. It wouldn’t take Cody long.

I heard him before he knocked so I opened the door. Cody handed over the envelope before turning and stepping back into the elevator.

I sat down on the sofa and tore open the flap. Inside, I found two sheets of off-white paper. The first one was a handwritten note addressed to me.

Toby-

I thought it was time you learned the truth. I can’t protect her on my own, and I thought this might help shed some light.

-Eric

Unsure of what to expect on the next sheet, I glanced at it.

The red text on the top had my attention immediately: Confidential-Paternity Results

“Paternity results?” What the hell did this have to do with anything?

The name on the next line didn’t surprise me, but it still made my chest clench. Casey Morgan Bates.

I scanned over several paragraphs about authorizations and where the test was administered before I finally looked at the bottom of the paper. Robert Laurent. The name froze me in place. Her father was Robert Laurent? Shit. Casey was Levi’s sister?

Chapter Twenty-Eight
Casey

Jared didn’t fly me home until after ten o’clock. Neither of us were in a particularly big rush to say goodnight, but a phone call from Levi snapped us back to reality. Jared had work to do, and I needed sleep.

An hour later, I stood under the lukewarm spray of my shower, thinking back on an entirely different shower experience from the night before. Usually I kept my showers short, because even the mildly warm water would turn cold, but getting out of the shower meant moving on from the single most incredible twenty-four hours of my life.

When the water neared the icy level, I stopped fighting the inevitable. I shut it off and reached out for a towel.

I thought I heard a noise outside the door. “Jared?” I called, hoping he’d finished his work and had come by to visit. The thought of anyone else being in my apartment sent shivers through my body.

No one answered. I pulled on my clothes, glad I’d brought them into the bathroom with me. I was used to living with a male roommate.

I opened the door carefully. “Hello?”

Once again, no answer. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Something was off.

I tiptoed down the hall to my room.

“Hello, Casey.” Two strong arms grabbed me from behind.

My heart dropped as soon as I heard Murphy’s voice.

After a moment, I regained the capacity for speech. “What are you doing here?”

“Tonight seemed like a good night to give you a little lesson.” He put a cloth over my mouth, never letting go of my arms. I struggled, but it did nothing. I was so tired of feeling weak around these paranormal creatures. He easily bound my arms together.

Murphy pulled me from my apartment and dragged me down the stairs. I tried to scream, but for the second time in a month, a gag prevented me from getting a sound out. I hoped someone would randomly come out of their apartment, but no one did. Moments later, Murphy shoved me into the backseat of an unmarked car.

The drive seemed endless, but it was probably only ten minutes. As soon as the car stopped, Murphy pulled me out and dragged me to a service entrance of the Empire State Building. If I had use of my hands, I would have pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. The nightmarish experience needed to end.

He inserted a key in the elevator and we shot up to the 102
^nd
floor. From there, he dragged me up another two sets of stairs before opening a door to the outside. We were on the roof.

He untied my hands and ungagged me. “Have a nice trip?”

“What are we doing here?” I wanted to scream and fight, but staying calm seemed like the best plan. I had to find a way to get past him and back to the stairs.

“You’ll see.”

“That’s not good enough. You kidnap me and drag me to the Empire State Building in the middle of the night, and you tell me I’ll see?”

He laughed. “You’re always asking questions, Casey. How about you find your own answers for once?”

“I wish I could find them. Maybe if you told me where Vera was, I’d get some.”

“All in good time.”

“Come on. Why are we here? Do you want to kill me?” We were on the roof of the tallest building in the city.

“If I wanted you dead, it would have happened a long time ago. I want the opposite.”

“You’re not making any sense.” Wind burned my face. All I wanted to do was go home and crawl back into my bed…or Jared’s.

“I am. If you’d only think about it.” He stepped closer to me, making me move away from the wall.

“I am thinking. I think you’re a jerk and a bully. I think it’s time to leave me the hell alone.”

He laughed again. “I’m not your enemy. I’m trying to be your friend here. What I do for you tonight will be the greatest gift you’ve ever received.”

“I don’t want anything from you but my sister.”

“It’s time for you to find out who you really are.” Murphy had me cornered. If I stepped back any further, I’d be a pancake on the street below.

“Who I really am? I know who I am.”

“Do you? Do you know who your parents are?”

“Yes. Tami and Chris Bates.”

He laughed. It was a laugh laced with anger and it chilled me. “Chris isn’t your father.”

“Uh, yes he is.”

“No he’s not.”

I shook my head. None of this made sense.

“It’s true. Vera is only your half-sister, by the way.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“She misses you.”

“I’m not going to believe a word you say.” I couldn’t, it was too much to take in. “Chris is my father.”

“Deluding yourself isn’t going to change the fact that your father is a much more powerful man.”

“I don’t believe you.” I started to shake.

“You met your half-brother recently. He’s a real piece of work.”

“I don’t have a half-brother. Just like Vera isn’t my half-sister.”

“Yes, you do. He doesn’t know about you yet.”

“Who is it?” I didn’t really believe a word he was saying, but part of me was afraid that there could be some truth in it.

“I’ll give you one clue.”

“What’s that?”

“He’s the king.”

“Levi? You’re telling me Levi and I are related?”

“Uh huh. Think about that, sweetheart.”

“No. Just stop messing with me!” My body shook again. I wanted to lunge at him, but that would only lead to me getting hurt.

“Are you getting angry, Casey? Do you feel out of control?”

I shook my head.

“I told you it was time to find out who you really are.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Take off your sweater.”

“No way.”

“Take off your sweater.”

“No!”

He closed the distance between us, ripping off my sweater and leaving me in just a tank top.

“What, my sister isn’t enough for you? Now you’re going after me?”

“I don’t want you for that, Casey. Vera’s more than enough for me. Sorry to disappoint you.”

“What do you want from me?” I struggled to maintain my balance.

“I already told you what I want right now.”

“For me to figure out who I am?” I wrapped my arms around myself tighter.

“Exactly.” He stepped toward me once more. “I really hope you figure it out fast.” A grin crossed his lips. “Have a nice time. Let me know how it is for you.”

“What?”

“Do you know how high up we are?”

“No.”

“We’re at nearly fifteen hundred feet and you have less than ten seconds to figure it out.” He pushed me.

I lost my footing and had no time to react. My body was launched off the building. The world flew by as I fell freely through the air. I should have been scared, I should have been crying, but instead my body got warm. I felt a sensation I’d never felt before, and a searing pain spread throughout my entire body.

Suddenly, I wasn’t falling anymore. I leveled out, and my heart returned to its normal speed. I glanced back, wondering who had caught me, but I only saw black wings. The truth set in. No one caught me, I’d caught myself. The wings were mine.

The wings moved without me consciously thinking about them. I headed away from the city street, up above the buildings and higher. I laughed. I laughed harder than I ever had before. All these years, I’d had the potential for this? To escape everything? To leave the ground behind? After constantly falling, it was time to soar.

If you missed the beginning of the Pteron story, be sure to check out
Flight
, Book 1 of the Crescent Chronicles
!

Keep reading for a preview of
Shaken Not Stirred
, a New Adult Romantic Comedy by Alyssa Rose Ivy releasing in January 2014. For more information about Alyssa Rose Ivy’s books, please visit her online at:

www.AlyssaRoseIvy.com

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Shaken Not Stirred

Alyssa Rose Ivy

Sex on the Beach is overrated. I don’t mean the carnal act, although I’ve heard the same thing about that, sand in the wrong places and everything, but I’m talking about the drink. With so many other drinks out there, why does everyone order it? It’s the name of course. If you want to create a popular drink, put “sex” in the name. Bottom line: sex sells.

“A Sex on the Beach. Wait, make that two.”

I glanced up at my latest customer. He ran a hand through his short brown hair. Wearing a pink polo shirt with the collar popped, he was trying to pull off thirty, but my guess was he was nearing forty. Without looking, I knew he was wearing flip-flops with his khakis. Guys like him always did. They left their suits at home, and tried to act younger and cooler than they were. They usually spent their time hitting on younger girls, who were looking for rich older guys to break the monotony of college boys. I’d dated my share of those boys and understood the boredom, but these losers weren’t any better.

“Sure.” I turned my back to him, pulling down the glasses and going through the motions that were all too familiar. When I first took the job bartending at Surfside Bar & Grille in Corolla, North Carolina, I thought it would be a good summer escape. It was almost Labor Day, and I wasn’t going anywhere. The Outer Banks served my purposes just fine. What was the point of picking up and leaving?

“Here you go.” I set the two pinkish-orange drinks down in front of the suit and waited for him to slip me a credit card. My guess was an American Express.