Forbidden Innocence: Tales of the Forbidden (11 page)

* * * *

“Shit,” Blaine sighed, watching Shyla walk out. He also tossed his 90

napkin on the table and pushed away.

“Good one,” Kera snapped.

Samara held her hand up. “I’ll take care of this.”

“No, I’ll handle it,” he said. He followed her out. “Shyla.”

“I want to go home,” she said.

He caught up with her in the long hallway, stopping her by taking hold of her arm. “I’m sorry. Thinking about the hell you went through in there pisses me off.”

“I’m starting to think everything pisses you off.”

Blaine smiled. “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you swear.”

She shook her head and lowered it. “Blaine I don’t know what you want from me.”

“Who said I wanted anything from you?”

“I can see it in your eyes.” She looked up. “You’re sad and angry and I feel like part of it is because of me.”

“It’s not.”

“But the sex thing.”

He put a finger to her lips. “Sex isn’t everything in a relationship. I can wait until you’re ready. Besides,” a twinkle came back into his eyes.

“The way you woke me this morning is very nice and you can do that all you want.” Once more her face heated up. Blaine leaned down, kissing her. “Come back to dinner. Berdina has something special fixed for you.”

Shyla returned to the dining room. Her mouth watered at the sight of Filet Mignon and a huge baked potato with melting butter and sour cream. A large freshly baked roll and a tossed salad completed the feast.

They ate, talked about the upcoming party and Kera and Samara talked about the dresses. Shyla even got dragged into the dress conversation which pleased Blaine. When dessert came out, Crème Brule, Shyla told him she couldn’t eat another bite.

Dinner ended and they all left and headed to the sitting room. Drinks were served and more talk about the party, hairdos and what everyone was wearing. Around midnight Blaine called it a night. Shyla finally began to loosen up and that was with the help of a few drinks.

Randal and Linda waited for them at the front door. Linda went right up and helped Shyla, who without a doubt was drunk.

“Something wrong, Randal?” Blaine asked.

“Mr. Alistair is waiting for you in your study, sir,” Randal said.

“Shit,” Blaine sighed. “Linda, make sure she gets to bed please. Had a few too many to drink.”

91

“Yes, sir,” Linda said.

Blaine went in a different direction as Shyla. She took the stairs and he went down a hallway to the study he rarely used. Opening the door he found Darius.

“Missed you at dinner,” Blaine said, closing the door and pulling out a cigar. “Berdina asked about you.”

“That’s because she knows my feelings about Makayla. I’ll put a large sum of money down she wants me to stay the hell away from her new granddaughter.” Darius appeared a bit tipsy and decidedly pissed.

“Just like everyone else does. I’m the worst of the worst.”

Blaine blew out a cloud of smoke, watching his friend closely.

“What’s up, Darius? You’re a bit more hostile that I’ve seen before.”

“Joann Simoncic. Name ring a bell?”

Blaine felt his gut drop. He should’ve known when he asked Darius to look into Owen, that she might show up as well. His shoulders also dropped and he turned away from Darius, drawing on the cigar hard.

“Yeah, I sort of thought you might,” Darius went on. “Why the fuck did you never tell any of us.”

Taking a deep breath, letting it out between his lips, he took the cigar out. “It happened a long time ago.”

“Do the others know?”

“No one knows. I buried it.”

“Not that good if I found out about her. Shit, Blaine.” Blaine glanced over his shoulder. Darius ran a hand through his hair. “This explains so much, you have no idea. But what I want to know is why the fuck you took the responsibility for it all?”

Yeah, why did he take the blame back then? Because he felt responsible for her, even now.

For years he put it all behind him, even what she looked like. But now, with Darius discovering it, it all flooded over him like a tidal wave.

He saw her face, the sparkle in her blue eyes, could hear her laughter and see her dancing around, dress flying out around her. He also saw the devastation in those eyes. The hurt, the pain, humiliation and it crushed him.

“What happened?” Darius demanded. “I want to hear the truth, not the story you have given everyone else.”

Yeah, what happened? The biggest and hardest question he ever had to answer then and now.

“Joann was my fiancée,” Blaine said, unable to stop the story from finally spilling out. He heard Darius exhale „shit". “She also happened to 92

be the headmaster’s daughter. She lived at the school, went to the classes, and just about everyone chased after her. In fact, Owen and I competed to get her. We both wanted her, but she chose me, not him, and it royally pissed him off.”

Blaine went over to the table that held the liquor. He poured himself a large glass of brandy, drank half down before filling his glass up once more and taking a seat on the leather sofa facing the fireplace.

“My father sent me there, Darius, because he caught me in bed with his mistress. Hell I was banging the shit out of her when he walked in and I refused to stop until I finished,” he snickered. “Just to piss him off.”

“What happened, Blaine?” Darius demanded. “Everyone I talked to about Owen said you two were thick as shit back then. Joann came into the picture and it all hit the fan.”

“We were,” Blaine nodded, “And it did. Big time.”

“Then go on.”

Blaine took another deep breath before taking another big drink. “He loves blondes, Darius, only I didn’t know how much he wanted her. Shit, I think he was even in love with her, as much as he could love someone, that is. But once we announced our engagement, something in him changed. He began to make rude remarks about how she would smile, like I gave it to her really good the night before. Always asked me how was she in bed, that kind of shit. Then he would poke at me in front of others, calling me a pussy for getting married or why did I have to marry the first girl I saw. I should just fuck her out of my system and be done with it. One night he poked, I lost it and blurted that she was saving herself until we got married. I hadn’t slept with her yet and respected her for it.”

“And that sparked it,” Darius sighed.

“Yeah, it did.” Blaine rubbed his face. The weight of the secret he carried on his shoulders felt lighter.

“So what happened?”

“We were to go out. I was waiting for her because she had a late class. She didn’t show, so I went to her dorm to find out what happened.

Thought maybe she forgot and was studying.” He chuckled lightly. “She was always in the books. But that night she didn’t study. She didn’t even leave her room.” Blaine couldn’t stop the tears forming in his eyes. He hadn’t cried in years about this, mostly because he blocked it out. “Owen raped her.” One tear fell when he meet Darius in the eye. “He tore her up so bad, man,” he said low. “Did everything to her, and I mean 93

everything. She was such a mess when I took her to the hospital. And the shock was even worse.” He sniffed back. “She shut down for a week, wouldn’t tell anyone who did it, not even her father.”

“But you knew.”

Blaine nodded. “I knew. I could tell the next morning by the way he acted and looked at me. Owen had a way of bragging to me with his eyes when he got something he wanted or had been working to get. Man I wanted to kill him.”

“When did she tell you?”

“Months later.” Blaine took a deep breath wiped the tears away and took a large drink. “By then she found out she was pregnant.”

“Damn,” Darius sighed.

“Her religious beliefs forbade her getting an abortion, and because it wasn’t mine she broke off the engagement. I don’t know if she told Owen or not. I still loved her then and was willing to help her anyway I could. I sent her away to have the baby, paid for it all.”

“And your father thought you were shipping off your own mistake.”

Blaine nodded. “I wasn’t going to let anyone else ruin her. Owen did enough.”

“But she died, right?”

“I told Owen she died with a bad infection from getting an abortion.”

“He believed you?”

“She wasn’t there, so why not.”

“That’s not the end of the story though, is it?”

Blaine shook his head. “No.” another deep breath and he turned away from Darius. “She had the baby, but by then she was already gone.

I was told she just gave up on life, and the labour was hard. She had it and then two days later died. I took the baby to her father, told him what happened and paid to relocate him and the child. Haven’t heard from him since.”

“So, that’s what ended the friendship,” Darius mumbled. “Oldest thing in the book. A woman.”

“I broke my friendship with Owen. Made it very clear to him, in front of his friends, that I didn’t want a damn thing to do with him ever again. He ruined my life and Joann’s, so he could go get fucked for all I cared. Pissed him off mostly because I did it in front of his friend.”

“How long after did Shyla come into the picture?”

“Few years later.” Blaine rubbed his face. “Owen slept with her mother to try to get close to her. He put on a front like he was reasonable 94

and shit and I called him out on it. Even told her mother the game he was playing. I found him one day with her on his lap and I just sort of snapped. I yanked her off, told him if he even thought about touching her again I’d kill him. He wasn’t going to destroy another’s life like he did Joann. And I kept her away from him, made sure the new school master knew that he liked young girls and wasn’t opposed to forcing them either. Our friendship turned into hatred when his father was forced to come and remove him. Others came forward then with claims of sexual abuse and molestation.”

“Well, he’s out to destroy you now,” Darius sighed, sitting down next to Blaine. “His hatred for you now runs so deep—I mean he’s looking into you with a fine tooth and nail. He’s trying to blacklist your name to bankers so you can’t do any more deals. There’s a few who aren’t buying into his shit however, which is a plus for you. He’s also got you flagged, which means that any deal you try to make right now will hit him first, so he can steal it right out from under you. Oh, and this is even better. He’s trying to get your marriage dissolved, which isn’t working too well either. He’s out to get you, man, and I have no clue what he’s looking for.”

“He’s looking for the one who got away.” Blaine rested his head back on the sofa, closing his eyes. “Shyla.”

“Is it Shyla or Joann?”

Blaine cast Darius a glance, but said nothing. It was a question he couldn’t answer.

“I think we need to find out for sure if he believes what you told him about Joann and the baby. To me, it sounds like the only reason why he would be back now and trying to bring you down. Maybe he knows her child didn’t die with her.”

“No one knows about the baby.”

“Are you sure?”

They sat there for a while, saying nothing. Blaine finished his drink placed the cup between his legs on the floor and stared at the fireplace.

“I’m not sure about anything anymore.”

“You going to tell Shyla?” Darius asked.

“No.”

“What about the others?”

“Nope.”

“Blaine—”

“No one needs to know about this, Darius. I made a promise to Joann on her deathbed, and another to her father. No one will ever know 95

about the baby.”

“Shyla does.” Darius stood back up. “She needs to understand you and this Owen better and know what she’s up against.”

“I’ll think about it.” Blaine watched him walk away. When Darius got to the door he spoke again. “You’re going to the party, right?”

This time it was Radius’s shoulders that slumped. “I can’t do it, man.

You know that.”

“If you don’t, then Dane is going to ask questions. Berdina already is.”

“Fine.” Darius turned around and the look he had on his face, Blaine didn’t like. “I’ll go, but only if you talk to Shyla and let her know everything I’ve found.”

Blaine groaned, “You’re a prick, you know that.”

“Yep, I sure do.” Darius smiled. “Call me and let me know. After all, the party is in just two days. Night.”

Darius left and Blaine once more groaned. He shook his head, stood up and put the glass on the table before heading up for bed himself, he stood by the window, lit a cigar and smoked it, thinking about Joann. A girl he would’ve married to save if he could. It was the one secret that he held close, and one would ever know about.

96

Berdina Knight went all out for the big twenty-first birthday party for Makayla Tabor. Her whole house was lit up like it was Christmas time and all Shyla could do was stand outside, holding the fur wrap tightly around her body, staring up at the house she visited just two nights ago.

People were going inside, limos were being parked. Women were decked out in gowns of all colours and styles, and men wore their finest suits. She shivered at the sight before her, knowing without a doubt that she wasn’t going to fit in, once she walked through those doors.

“You do know that in order to enjoy a party you have to go inside.”

Kera came up to her with a friendly smile.

Shyla smiled back, but it didn’t last long, “I can’t seem to go in there.”

“Been there, done that,” Kera nodded. “Where’s Blaine.”

“At the limo arguing with Darius.”

“Darius came?”

Shyla nodded. “But he won’t get out of the car, so Blaine is trying to get him to go inside.”

“And you’re just out here waiting on him.” Shyla glanced at Kera and it seemed it was Kara’s turn to nod. “Been there and done that, honey.” Shyla went back to staring at the house, wishing she was any other place. “Do you mind if I ask you something personal?”

Shyla gave Kera her full attention. “Sure.”

“Well, I sort of get this impression that you and Blaine haven’t really, um, you know, messed around much. Am I right?” Shula’s face heated up and Kera nodded. “Thought so. Mind if I ask why?”

“It’s hard to explain.” Now she felt embarrassed and ashamed.

“Let me tell you what I see. First off, Blaine really does like you. I 97

see it in his eyes. Now I haven’t known him as long as Devon and Dane, but I do know from what Devon has told me that he has never seen Blaine act the way he acts with you. So that’s in your favour.”

“What if I don’t like sex?”

Kera cocked her head to the side. “I think we all feel that way at first, but come on. You two spent the whole night in the Compound. By the time you guys left, you should be very well acquainted with each other.”

“It only happened once in there.”

Kara’s mouth dropped open. “Are you shitting me?” Shyla shook her head. “Wow! Well, um, then what if say you take the lead.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have found out the hard way that the only way in hell for you to get over something you’re scared of is to take charge of it.” Shyla frowned and Kera rolled her eyes. “What I mean is, you take charge of the sex, until you get use to him. When he’s in bed, crawl up on top of him and just do it. Besides,” Kara’s eyes sparkled and she put on a big smile. “You being on top is very nice. Trust me.”

Kera hugged herself with the wrap she wore around her gown. Shyla looked around, taking in what she told her, and frowned. “You mean, you want me to do it all?”

“Oh, you won’t be doing it all, just taking the lead. Once he gets the idea that you want to do something, he’ll take over for you.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Kera shrugged.

“Do you really enjoy it?”

Kera put her arm around Shula’s shoulders. “Honey, the first night together with Devon I hated him and it with a passion. Now, I enjoy it immensely. Trust me when I say, start it up, climb on top of him and I promise you that the night will end in all smiles.” Kera took a step back, eyed Shyla up and down and kept on smiling. “Hell, I say wear this fur wrap only and shock the shit right out of him. Blaine needs a good shock.”

“I’m not staying for dinner a male voice exploded.”

Shyla and Kera both turned at the same time. Blaine was walking behind Darius, and pushing him forward.

“Definitely nail him tonight,” Kera whispered in her ear. “Before he becomes a dick to be around again.”

“I bet you will,” Blaine grumped, shoving Darius hard once more.

Darius stumbled right up to Shyla and Kera. “How the hell do you 98

live with him?” he asked Shyla.

“Come on,” Kera said, wrapping her arm around Shyla and grabbing hold of Darius. “Before Berdina has a cow.”

The party happened to be something right out of a fairy tale for Shyla. Ladies danced and walked around in so many different colour gowns it blew her mind away. All she could do was stand there as Blaine took the fur wrap and handed it a man who was taking coats and such.

“You ready?” he asked, low in her ear.

“No.”

He smiled. “Come on. You’ll have fun. And you,” he slapped Darius on the back of the head, “Behave yourself and go say hello to Berdina.

Like Kera said, she’s about to have a cow.”

Blaine walked her around, grabbed two glasses of wine from a tray and introduced her to people she couldn’t remember for the life of her.

She drank, ate some of the food on silver trays and watched everything.

After talking with Kera, Shyla also thought she saw what they saw in Blaine. He did seem a bit tense, not relaxed like he happened to be the day they left the Compound.
Could having sex really do that to him?

Make him relax and happy?
She also thought about the how. How could she approach him and take the lead like Kera suggested. For the moment, Shyla felt very stupid and didn’t know what to do.

“I’ve been looking for you.” Samara slid up to Shula’s side, hooked her arm into hers and took a deep breath right before taking a drink from her wine glass. “How’s things going?”

“This is so much,” Shyla said, looking around the room.

“You should see the big charity ball they have. The whole damn town I swear shows up for that one.”

“Where’s Makayla?” Blaine asked.

“Waiting to make her grand entrance,” Samara sighed. “I swear Berdina has spoiled her to a point that I can’t even control.”

“What’s she going to do if someone here wants to have her summoned to the Compound?” he asked.

Shyla saw the dark look Darius gave Blaine before taking another drink from a tray and turning away from them.

“Then I have to say I pity the poor bastard,” Samara went on. “He’ll have Dane and Berdina to go through.”

“You don’t mind then?” Blaine’s one eyebrow shot up.

“All I have to say is good luck to him, if he’s here.” Samara smiled.

“He’s going to need it when it comes to my sister.”

“Then you didn’t mind being summoned?” Shyla asked. She had to 99

know.

“Not really, if you look at my home life back then. Now, Kera, on the other hand—well it’s a whole different story.”

“What you mean?”

Samara frowned and smiled at the same time. “You didn’t tell her the story?” She shot towards Blaine.

Blaine shrugged. “Didn’t think it was that important.”

“Kara’s father sold her to the Compound. Now granted, she didn’t stay as long as you did there, but she did spend I think a couple of years.

She also kept trying to run away, which sort of sealed her fate one day.

She ran right into Devon.”

“And then he went to work with a plan to have her,” Blaine added in a dry voice.

“I think it’s kind of romantic,” Samara said with a slight pout and wink towards Shyla.

“You think everything is romantic.” Blaine rolled his eyes.

“Anyway,” Samara pulled Shyla away from Blaine. They strolled around the room, leaving him where he stood. “They had a very rocky start. She fought him all the way and in every way. Now it also didn’t help things that Beth White kept popping her nose into Kara’s life.”

“Why does she hate her so much?” Shyla asked.

“You mean Kera hating Beth?” Shyla nodded. “Oh, well, I guess Beth use to be one of Devon"s old lovers. Beth’s a bit bitter about the break up and then for Devon to marry someone like Kera.”

“His lover!”

“Honey they all had lovers before us,” Samara stated. “Here, try one of these rolls. They are so great. Wish that woman would give me the recipe.”

Shyla took the food, but didn’t eat it. “You couldn’t tell they didn’t get along now.”

“Nope.” Samara shook her head and wiped her mouth with the small napkin. “They had some kind of truths.”

“So Kera hates the Compound then.” It was a statement as Shyla glanced over at the couple they were talking about.

“Pretty much.”

“But you don’t.”

“I do, and I don’t.” Samara took a deep breath. “I mean, the rules suck and all, but it also gave me a new life with Dane.”

“So if someone did what Dane did to you, to Makayla, you’d be alright with it?”

100

“Maybe. Might have to do with who the guy ends up being.”

Shyla looked around at all the people crowded into the house.

Samara finished her drink, placed it on a tray and picked up another.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Ask me anything.”

Taking a big breath, along with getting some courage to ask what was on her mind, Shyla turned to Samara. “Have you ever taken charge, you know, with the, um, sex thing.”

“Definitely,” she laughed. “Dane loves it and so do I. Why you ask?”

She lowered her eyes, unable to face Samara in the eye. “Kera mentioned I should do that.”

“Have you still not messed around with Blaine, even after we talked?”

Shyla shrugged, “I touched him some.”

“And?”

“And nothing.”

Once more Shyla got dragged off away from the other people.

“Honey, what in the world are you so afraid of? I mean, he’s not going to hurt you, you have to know that right?”

“He’s so big,” she whispered. “I feel so small around him.”

Samara licked her lips and looked around. It seemed that she was thinking about something. “Okay, I know what you need to do, and you have got to do this. It’s the only way to get over this fear you have. Drink some wine, it’ll help you relax. When you get home and get ready for bed, wait in the bathroom for him to get into the bed first.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re going to come out in nothing but that gorgeous fur wrap of yours, and I mean nothing. Don’t have one strip of clothing on under it. Simply crawl up on the bed and right on top of him.”

Shyla stared at Samara like she lost her mind. Eyes wide open, mouth even open, she couldn’t process what the woman just told her.

“You want me to what?”

“You heard me,” she chuckled. “Just crawl up on top of him, begin kissing, and I promise you he’ll do the rest.”

“How is that me taking charge then?” Shyla frowned. “Kera told me to take charge.”

“Oh, you’ll still be in charge. See, with you on top, you control the tempo of the movement. He’ll just help guide you. And trust me when I say, this will not only break the ice between you two, but you’ll love it. I 101

think being on top is one of my favourite positions.”

“You mean there’s more?”

“I thought you saw a bunch of movies that showed you there were.”

Shyla shrugged. “Most of the positions I saw were the girl was on bottom. I will admit however that I tended to close my eyes during the movies. Nothing about them told me that the girls liked it.”

“Well then you definitely, without a doubt, have a lot to learn. Give Blaine the chance and you’ll learn it all.”

“There you are,” Dane said as he rushed up to them. “Gram told me that Makayla is ready to come down.”

“Finally.” Samara took Shula’s hand and followed Dane to the large staircase. Other guests were also waiting.

Blaine snuck up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist.

Shyla jumped and smiled up at him, her mind going over what Samara told her and what Kera had said the night before.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Berdina Knight announced. “I would like you all to welcome my granddaughter on her special twenty-first birthday party. Makayla Tabor!”

Everyone in the room began clapping their hands as Makayla Tabor came around a corner on the top floor.

“She’s breath-taking,” Shyla breathed out.

“So are you,” Blaine said low in her ear.

Makayla came down the stairs in a white and pale pink gown. The pink happened to be small roses in the gown that gave it a very sweet, innocent look. The top of the gown hugged her body like a second skin with short straps that went off the shoulders and around the upper arms.

From the hip down, it flowed easy as she walked.

“Isn’t she lovely?” Shyla turned to a smiling Berdina.

“You have clearly spoiled her rotten,” Blaine said.

Berdina pulled away from them and up to Makayla. Shyla watched her say something to the girl then pull her away, introducing her to the people around. From the corner of her eye, Shyla saw a dark forbidding expression on Radius’s face.

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked Blaine.

Blaine turned his head in the direction of Darius, who happened to be downing another glass of wine. “You don’t want to know. Come on.”