Dark Matter (34 page)

I could feel Roger’s heart racing
against my legs. His moist breath warmed my thighs through the
light fabric of my gown. His hands moved down my calves and he
pulled my shoes off in unison, flinging them sideways.

He sat back on his haunches staring at
me. His eyes held a deep sadness that nearly made me gasp. “Is
there even a small part of you that wants me?” he asked
softly.

I shut my eyes tight, shaking my head
gravely. I couldn’t speak.

“
Well then. This is bound to
be awkward.”

“
Awkward?” I said
indignantly.

He stood and walked to the china
cabinet, pulling out two shot glasses and an old fashioned
decanter. He swirled the amber liquid around, looking at me
pointedly. So he meant to get me drunk.

Chapter
Twenty-Three

He filled the glasses and handed me
one, sitting beside me. Back went his head along with the shot. He
eyed my still full glass, “Aren’t you going to drink
it?”

I weighed the option and decided I
would rather face this sober. “No.”

“
This is difficult enough
without your help.”

I thrust the glass at him. “I don’t
want it.”

He took it from me, gulped it down and
flung the empty glass against the wall. It shattered on impact. He
smiled at me, all teeth, and disappeared around the
corner.

He was gone for a while, so I tested
the front door until I realized it opened with a key on both sides.
The windows didn’t budge either. I peered out hoping to see Lacey
creeping through the garden. Where were they?

Soft music began to play in the
background. I flopped back onto the couch moments before he came
back…without his shirt.

The minute he started toward me, I
panicked. Flinging myself over back of the sofa, I raced toward the
rear of the cottage. I would break a window if I had to. Lacey
could find me in the jungle.

The place wasn’t all that big. A small
hallway led to two doors. I chose number two, pushing it out of my
way. With trembling fingers, I locked it in a flash, stepping
back.

I whirled around intent on finding an
escape route. The room was aglow with candlelight. Of course I had
to be in the bedroom. I was trying to pry the window open when
Roger crashed through the door.

I grabbed the first thing that came in
contact with my skin. I flung the pillow at him before I reached
for one of the bronze candlesticks.

His fingers clamped around mine in a
crushing grip and the candlestick clattered to the floor. He pulled
me away from the nightstand, his chest heaving, rage lining his
features. “What was that supposed to accomplish?”

“
I need to get out of here!”
I wailed.

His voice was low when he spoke. “Where
would you go? If you haven’t noticed yet, we are on an island.” I
was yanked up against him. “You are such an exasperating woman. I
was only going to dance with you.”

I clenched my jaw and stared at him.
“It doesn’t matter what you do to soften this, Roger. It will still
remain what it is.”

His brown eyes glowed with rage. He
turned me toward the bed, but didn’t let me claim any distance. His
cheek brushed mine softly as he swept my hair out of the way.
“You’re so eager to get this over with? Fine with me.” He shoved my
shoulders and I went flailing forward. I tried to right myself on
the edge of the bed, but he spun me around to face him again. I
didn’t have a single moment to think before his lips covered mine
in a scalding kiss.

I barely registered his hands moving
over me. “Stop!” I screeched.

“
What’s the matter?” he said
in mock astonishment. “I thought you wanted to get it over
with?”

I pushed at his shoulders. “You made
your point. Get off me already.”

Instead he pulled me closer, pinning my
legs against the bed. “I think you were right. We’ll just end up
back here anyway.” He brushed my hair out of my face. “You needn’t
worry. I will be gentle with you.”

Something about his condescending
attitude hit me the wrong way. I ran my hands up his chest to his
shoulders to distract him. He gave me a questioning glance, but I
smiled as warmly as I could manage. I readied myself, trying to
remember what Travis had told me to do. I rolled onto my toes for
better access. He stepped back just a little bit, but it was
enough. I leaned into his ear and licked his earlobe. He
gasped.

“
I wish I could say the same
thing,” I breathed.

“
What is that supposed to
mea—” My knee found it’s mark. “Oooff.” Roger groaned, reaching for
me as I sped by him. His fingers brushed my elbow, but he wasn’t
able to pin me down.

I raced for the rear door, fumbling
with the lock. I flung the door open and ran into the jungle barely
noticing the dried sticks and rocks digging into my bare feet. I
could hear Roger crashing through the bramble behind me. I sped up,
my heart racing so fast I gasped for air that would never be
enough.

I glanced over my shoulder. I had
gained some ground.

Roger’s face was contorted into a
horrible mask of not anger, but what appeared to be worry. “Rayla,
stop! You don’t understand.”

Like I was going to give him another
opportunity to assault me. If he caught me, that would be it. I
sprinted forward not caring if my lungs exploded. At least it would
take me away from this hell.

Why was this happening again? I had
loved Brody Smith with as much heart as a sixteen year old is
capable of. He had been so kind to me in the beginning of our
relationship. He brought me a rose nearly every day at school and
wrote the sweetest poems. He would read them to me when we were
alone. We grew more physical with every encounter away from
home.

When I told him I wanted to wait, he
tried to talk me into doing more. When that failed he flew at me in
a rage. I hadn’t been able to understand what had changed in him. I
had only narrowly escaped him.

That was only because I had managed to
grasp the wrench under the seat and bash him in the head. I should
have listened to Aunt Grace when she told me I could do better. She
warned me to never be alone with him, but I thought her a foolish
old woman that didn’t know a thing about what it meant to be
me.

I came crashing out of the jungle into
a clearing. A waterfall spilled into a crystal blue pool in front
of me. I didn’t even think about it. I dove into the pool, my skin
prickling against the shock of the frigid water. My lungs protested
as I required more of them than I had ever asked before. I kicked
forward with all the strength I had left.

Firm hands grabbed my ankles, pulling
me down into the murky depths. My first instinct was to scream, but
I kept myself from doing it out of sheer will. His arms clamped
around me like iron shackles. I kicked at him as we surfaced,
refusing to give up my freedom.

“
Rayla!” he said.
“Stop!”

In his dreams. I would fight him to the
end. He would have to kill me before I would give up. I kicked away
from him only to be pulled taut against him again. I sunk below the
water, gasping in a lungful of air before I went under. He pulled
me up as I choked and gagged.

His demands came again with something
else that didn’t make any sense. I was still trying to process what
he had said over the adrenaline racing through my veins when he
moved behind me and tugged me to the side of the pool. He hoisted
me onto a ledge, not even winded in the slightest. I was panting as
if I had just finished the Iditarod.

My name came again, but there was a
soft nudge for me to calm down behind it. What, now he knew how to
compel me just like the lords?

“
What did you do?” he asked,
but the question was directed behind us.

I gazed down at the hands that held me
captive. They looked wrong.

Then Roger began to laugh. The sound
was too far away. “I was just having a bit of fun, man. Stop
looking at me like that. I didn’t hurt her.”

I twisted my head. Fear and shock vied
for control to claim me.

“
Is that true, Rayla. Say
the word, and I will squash this bug.”

“
We had a deal,” Roger said,
indignation suffusing his words.

My mind slowly caught up to reality. I
shuddered, realizing who held me in his arms.

Heath pulled me to my feet, twisting me
around to face him. He barely glanced at Roger. His eyes roamed
over me, but the only thing in them was concern. “Aye we did, but
that was predicated on you following my directions to the letter.
She has the beginnings of bruises everywhere. I should kill you for
touching her.”

I shook my head, unable to calm the
hysteria bubbling up in me. Laughter exploded from my chest merely
because I refused to cry.

Heath pulled me into a hug, running his
hand over my hair. “I am sorry, Rayla. Forgive me for being foolish
enough to trust this human. It will not happen again.”

Despite my unease, I was relieved he
was here. It didn’t matter that he had spurned me. I’d technically
done the same thing if I was being fair. The only thing that
mattered to me now was that he had agreed to help me rescue Zach
and Luke, and I intended to keep him to that promise.

I raised my head, stepping away from
him, straightening my torn dress. “Let me get this straight. You
and Roger are working together?”

He hung his head slightly. “I needed an
insider to get you away from the compound. He assured me he would
bring you directly here after you two were wed.”

My mouth fell open. “You knew what they
were doing and didn’t stop them!”

He seemed confused for a moment. “Don’t
tell me he actually—” His face went red while his eyes burned hate
for Roger. His palm lit up instantaneously.

Roger backed away slowly, muttering how
he should have never trusted a fae to keep his word. “I already
told you I didn’t hurt her.”

I stepped between the two of them,
intent on getting some answers for a change. “How is it that you
still have your power?”

Suddenly distracted, Heath lowered his
hand. “We are too far away for the germ to affect me. Only half the
island is corrupted.”

“
What germ?”

Heath looked at the sky, shaking his
head before he turned to Roger. “Unbelievable. You didn’t tell her
anything.”

Roger moved to a rock near where we
were standing. He sat and picked at his nails then pushed a bird of
paradise out of his face. “I had to make it look convincing. If she
had known I was acting, it would have ruined
everything.”

I glowered at him. He was actually
saying that his rape attempt had been an act? “It felt plenty real
to me, you sadistic bastard.”

A smile tugged on the edges of his
lips. “Tsk-tsk, two swear words in one afternoon, what has gotten
into you, Rayla?”

“
That’s none of your
business.”

He shrugged. “I may have gotten a
little too into it, but Lambert expects a lot from me.”

I glared at him. “How would he know the
difference? You could have just lied to him instead of me.” I
couldn’t keep the hurt from my voice.

Roger stood up, coming closer. I inched
away from him, but Heath grabbed my arm before I could fall into
the pool again.

Roger took a small object out of his
pocket, holding it toward me. “It’s rightfully yours.”

“
What is this?” I
hissed.

“
Evidence of our…excursion
in the cottage.”

Bile rose in my throat. It was just
sickening to think about the man I used to admire. He wanted proof?
For all I knew he had insisted on seeing the sheets tomorrow. I
straightened my shoulders, willing myself stronger than I felt. I
took the memory card from Roger, tried to snap it in half, but when
that failed I tossed it over my shoulder. It barely made a plop
before it sunk beneath the water. “So what now?”

Heath chuckled, waggling his eyebrows
at me, his brown eyes alight with mischief. “Now we wage war
against that ungrateful whore running this charade.”

That sounded good. “Tell me
more.”

I wasn’t so sure Roger’s plan would
work, but it was likely the only way we were going to be able to
get everyone off this horrible island alive. I was supposed to
return to the compound with him in a few hours. He would say that I
was being difficult and he needed a more secure location to keep me
in line. Then he would take me underground. The hope was that no
one would see through our diversion.

With the Order members focused on the
drama between me and Roger, they would be less likely to notice the
fae creeping in to attack.

Heath would gather his forces that were
supposedly waiting on the other side of the mountain. I wanted more
than anything to go with Heath instead of Roger, but he said they
would send a search party after me if he came back without
me.