The Beckoning of Beautiful Things (The Beckoning Series) (32 page)

“In the middle of the night?” Marissa pushed the container away from her. She opened her purse, trying to be discreet, pried open the earrings box and touched one of the diamonds with her fingertip.

Dulzura. Are you okay?

I don’t think so.
She pulled out the glistening diamond and brought it to her ear. “Silly me, I forgot to put my earrings in.”

Where are you?

Jagged sensations of worry and fear ripped through her heart and belly.
Sweet Things. It’s a few blocks from where I work.

Alexander’s eyes formed small slits. He stood up and walked around the table to her side. His hand pushed hers away from her ear and seized the small diamond earring. “No, dear, you didn’t forget.” He retrieved a small package out of his coat pocket. “I had these made for you, too.”

Her eyes narrowed.
Last night…last night you had perfume made for me and earrings designed.
“Oh, I can’t accept more gifts.”

“Of course you can. You’re my fiancé
e.”

Crap. Who does he think I am?
The scent in her nose made it difficult to focus. She blinked rapidly. “No, I’m not. You’ve got me mixed up with someone.”

“How can you say that, darling?” He pried open the tiny box and held it out to her.

Two glittering emeralds rested in the case. “They’re lovely. Thank you.”
Come on, Daniel, come on.

“Put them on.”

“I’m allergic to emeralds.”

“Tell that to the one around your neck.”

“I can’t wear two different kinds of emeralds.”
Lame, lame, lame. You’re reaching, Engles.

He drew out one of the earrings and removed the fastener. “Allow me?”

“I’ll do it. But would you mind giving me my other earring back?”

“I’ll keep it safe.” He dropped it into his pocket.

“Alexander, please.” She felt woozy from the fragrance. “It’s special to me.”

“Because
he
gave it to you?” His face angled into a hate-filled sneer.

“Daniel? Yes. He’s my boyfriend. I told him to meet us here. He’ll be here any second.” Marissa glanced around the room. People were starting to stare and point.

“That wasn’t your brightest move, darling. You know how disturbed I get when he’s around.”

Karl appeared from the kitchen with two plates.

Oh, thank God.
She gestured for him to hurry.

“Oh, look at the time,” Alexander stated, staring at his gold watch. “Our plane is leaving soon.”

“Our plane?” Marissa’s heart thumped in her chest.

The old man grabbed her forearm with surprising strength. He yanked her to her feet. “Let’s go, darling.”

The other dining patrons stopped eating and stared.

“No!” She blinked, trying to regain her focus. The scent overpowered her impulses.

“Let her go,” someone called.

Karl rushed across the room. “Your food is here.”

“Put it on my card,” Alexander stated. “We’ve got somewhere to be.” He guided her through the restaurant, leaving Karl staring at her with a gaping mouth, a plate of food in each hand.

Before being shoved from the dining area, she whirled her head toward Karl and mouthed the word “Help.” She looked over to see the man who had told Alexander to let her go, whipping out his cellphone.
Good, he’s calling the police.

He held it up and took a picture.

A picture? You’re going to put this on Facebook?!

Alexander pushed her through the front door and looked right and left. A black, full-sized luxury sedan town car double parked in the street caught his gaze. He nodded and hastened Marissa to the waiting car. He opened the back door and propelled her inside. Then, he raced around to the other side and leapt inside.

Wow, he’s surprisingly agile for an old man,
Marissa thought. She quickly looked around the small space. The windows were dark, smoky glass, making it impossible for anyone to see in. A lighter glass partition shielded the back seat from the driver. She noted the back of the driver’s head.
Blond curls. Crap. It’s Jason.

As if sensing her regard, he turned, waved
, and smiled at her.

“Go to hell,” she mouthed.

Alexander rapped on the glass, making Jason jerk, face forward and put the vehicle into drive. The car swerved out into traffic, and they were on their way.

Marissa struggled to clear her head.
Damn perfume was probably not perfume at all.
She blinked. Blinked again. Glared at Alexander through blurry eyes. Stared out the window as a black BMW convertible zipped past.
Daniel!

“There, there,” he soothed. “We’ll finally be together.”

“Together, how?”

“As we were meant to be. In wedded bliss.”

“Just who do you…do you…who do you think I am?” Her fuzzy brain struggled to find meaningful words. She pressed a hand to her forehead. Weird images flashed through her brain. She pictured a much younger Daniel and a much younger El Demonio. She saw the sun and sand and an aquamarine sea that stretched into the distance.

“Darling, you’re being silly again. Such a delight you are.” He patted her hand. He glared at the driver and rapped impatiently on the glass again. The car sped up.

Her head fell back on the plush headrest, and she drifted into a blur. She came to a moment later and asked again, “Who…who…?”

“Shhh,” he soothed and took her hand in his. “This will be over soon, darling, and we’ll be together.

His skin felt hot and papery against her hand. She tried to pull her hand away, but his fingers coiled around her with a vice-like grip. Her head throbbed. “I have a really bad headache.” She pressed her fingertips into her forehead and rubbed hard. More images flashed. She stood on a cliff. Daniel stood behind her. El Demonio stood behind him. She looked out over the sparkling sea. She had to make some kind of decision. She blinked, peered through the dark glass and caught sight of a red light. “Stop!” she cried.

The car sped through the intersection
, and a white delivery truck came to a skidding stop, just missing the town car.

“Easy, darling, this will be over soon.”

What’s the decision she had to make? What is it?
The sea beckoned. Younger Daniel whispered into her ear, declaring his undying love for her. Younger El Demonio beseeched her to remain with him. She slapped her cheeks, willing herself to stay alert, to stay awake.
Oh, it’s no use. I may as well jump.
She envisioned running towards the cliff’s edge as fast as she could. She hurtled off the edge and flung into space. That was the last thing she remembered before she fell into darkness.

Marissa came to in a brightly lit room, lying in a four poster bed covered with soft, cream-colored bedding. A fan whirled lazily overhead. Her mouth felt dry like she’d swallowed paste. She stuck out her tongue and willed saliva to flow. The miniscule amount of spit soaked into her cheeks like her mouth was lined with highly absorbent diapers. Her head pounded with a massive headache. She let out a moan.

Jason sat up, startled, as if he’d been dozing. “Hey, baby-doll. Not doing so well, huh?” He wore a green, blue
, and red Hawaiian print shirt and surfer shorts. His bronzed skin looked even tanner than ever.

She wanted to hurl crystal daggers at him
, but just didn’t have the strength. Instead, she focused on waking up. “You son of a bitch,” she managed to say. “You despicable son of a bitch! How long have I been out?”

“A few days.”

Oh, no, what about Sober? Who’s taking care of my dog?
“Are you kidding me? You’ll pay for this.” She clutched her head with her hands, finding a matted jungle of hair.

“Actually, I’m being paid quite well. Alex has given me an apartment and an endless supply of girls. I get an allowance, cray, cray, crazy sex with bitchin’ babes, and food, drink, drugs – you name it. All I have to do is ask.” He stood up, strode to a side stand, retrieved a washcloth
, and dipped it into a basin of water. He wrung it with his hands and placed it on her forehead. “Better?”

“Sort of. Are you being paid to minister to me, too?”

“Yep, top dollar. The boss wants to keep you safe and in good shape. He said he’s waited a long time for this moment.”

“He thinks I’m someone else.”

“Only sometimes, but who cares? The rest of the time he knows who you are. As for me, I’m digging these bennies, big time. You catch my drift, baby-doll, catch my drift?”

“Fuck you, Jason.”

He winced. “Oh, no, doll, the name’s Harmonia through and through. I give the girls sweet, harmonious pleasure. You’d best respect me. I pull a lot of weight around here.” He grabbed his crotch. “And here.” He laughed a crazy, insane laugh.

“Are you high right now?”

“A little.”

“On?”

“That’s on a need to know basis, and you don’t need to know, baby.” He pulled open a drawer and retrieved a prescription bottle. “Here, I’m supposed to give you some of these.”

“Uh, no, I’d rather not.”

“Chill, baby-doll, they’re ibuprofen.”

“In a prescription?”

“Alex is really suspicious of over the counter anything. He insists on getting everything through the pharmacy. He owns it.” He shook a couple tablets into his palm and handed them to her with a glass of water. “Down the hatch.”

“No.”

“Take them. You’ll feel better.”

“No. I don’t trust you.”

“Suit yourself,” he said, tossing them into his gullet. “I’ve got a headache myself.”

“Probably all the drug combos you’ve been doing.”

“Don’t judge. It’s an art. And I’m a master, remember?” He plucked a pager from his waistband.

“A pager? What is this, 1995?” She tried
to sit up, but fell back on the bed.

“It’s what I was given. What do I care? I gotta get in touch with the boss somehow. Not a lot of cellphone towers out here.”

“Where are we?”

“Brazil, baby.” He shuffled back and forth, pretending to dance with someone.

“Brazil? Brazil? What the hell are we doing in Brazil?”

“Living the life. I told you that you were special. The boss dog, he knows it. He’s told me.”

“What did he tell you?”

“That you’re special. You’ve got some super powers.”

“You’re whacked, Jason. Completely whacked.”

“Don’t think so. I told you I’d get to the bottom of things. I don’t have all the pieces
, but I’m on the trail.” The pink, princess-style phone rang, and he lunged for it. “Yes, boss. Yes. She’s awake. Okay, I’ll get her cleaned up. Okay. Alright. Pronto. Roger, copy that.” He gently placed the phone in the cradle. “Man, oh, man, the only thing I hate about this job is that I have to answer the phone on one ring or my wages get docked.”

A snort escaped Marissa’s nose. “Short leash, huh?” She slowly sat up. Someone had dressed her in a silk nightgown the color of a fading sunset. She fingered the flimsy silken fabric.

“Yeah, but the bennies…” Jason leapt to her side. “I’ve got to make you presentable. It’s bath time, baby.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

“You are
not
bathing me, asshole.”

“Like hell I’m not. If I don’t make you look perfect, my wages get dinged.”

“That leash is getting shorter and shorter.”

“Still, the bennies…” He put his arm around her.

“Get away from me. Don’t touch me.” She shoved his arm away. “Right now you’re my least favorite person, and that’s
under
my least favorite person. You’re at the bottom of the barrel. Pond scum. You’re nothing but a slopsucker.”

“Ouch,” he said, putting on his best pout.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed. They were as heavy as clay and prickled like they’d fallen asleep along with the rest of her. “God, my head. It’s like someone is impaling me with a pitchfork.”

“Shoulda taken those pills. My headache’s just about gone.” He pointed across the room. “Your shower’s over there. Clothes in there.” He pointed to a dark wooden wardrobe.

“Get out of here.”

“No can do. I’m in charge here.”

She pointed at the door. “I said get out of here. Give me some privacy.”

“I’ve seen it all before.” Jason gave her a smug smile.

“And you’ll never see it again.”

“Who do you think took care of you while you were out? Who took care of your bodily needs, catheter and all?”

Her face pulled back into a sneer. “Ew, you stuck a catheter up inside of me?”

“How else could you go to the bathroom?”

“I don’t want to hear it.” She jammed her palms against her ears. “Now get the fuck out of my room.” She wanted to scrub herself inside and out.

He put his hands up, palms forward. “Suit yourself, baby-doll. I’ll be right outside the door if you need anything.” He swaggered to the door, exited
, and closed the massive wooden door behind him with a solid snick.

Marissa hobbled to the bathroom, bracing against the wall as she went. The large, simple yet elegant
, bathroom enclosed a huge claw foot bathtub, a large, tiled, open shower with a delicate white and soft yellow conch seashell as the downspout, and a massive counter made from the same dark wood as the wardrobe. A white basin served as the sink. It was fed from a similar seashell spout as the shower.

She ran water in the sink, scooped some of the cool liquid into her hands
, and splashed it on her face. Another scoop went into her mouth. She gargled and spit it out. She propped her hands on the smooth, marble countertop and regarded her reflection. “God, I look like hell.” Her eyes were bloodshot and her complexion pale. She looked like a ghost. “My jewels! Where are my jewels?” A quick examination showed that everything was gone. Everything. “Oh, no! My jewels are gone! That bastard! That fuck-faced bastard!”

A silver
-handled natural bristled brush caught her eye, and she picked it up and began working it through her tangled mane. Brushing her hair had always calmed her. It allowed her to restore order in her world.

She plunked on the toilet and brushed. As she worked the bristles through the tangles, she schemed.
What’s a Light Rebel do in situations like this?
She couldn’t exactly storm out of here. The light wasn’t exactly streaming from her body. Whatever El Jackass had dosed her with probably made even super powers a little fuzzy. She pointed the brush across the room and willed light through her hand. It sputtered, fizzled, and then exploded from her fingertips, catching the brush bristles on fire. She leapt from her porcelain throne, tossed the flaming torch into the sink, and turned the faucet on. “Jeez! No control whatsoever!” She regarded her handiwork in the mirror. “At least my hair is untangled.” Next, she set to showering.

The room
was filled with steam when she emerged from her lengthy shower. Her head started to clear, but still she had no plan. She grabbed one of the plush towels hanging from a silver rod and wrapped it around her.
Teaching me how to have an ether meeting should have been a first step in my training, Tom, wherever you are.

She wandered into the bedroom and opened the wardrobe. Side shelves held lacy panties and bras, hosiery and socks. The clothes she had been wearing were neatly folded and placed on one of the shelves. “Well, at least there’s that,” she huffed, pulling them off the shelf and bringing them to her nose. “And clean.”

Elegant dresses hung from the wooden curtain rod. Silk, rayon, crisply-pressed cotton, satin, and velvet garments flowed from hangers in color coordinated splendor. “Nah, I’d rather wear these.” She tugged on her skirt and shirt over panties and a lacy camisole. It was far too hot for the jacket, and she’d vetoed the bra, too. She unzipped the secret compartment of her coat and pulled out the protection paw. “It might come in handy.” She folded it into a small packet and slid it into her skirt side pocket. “Buddy to the rescue.”

She wandered to one of the windows and stared at her surroundings, contemplating her options. She needed to familiarize herself with the place in order to make a good plan.

Her second story window opened out to a beautifully manicured lawn. The lawn stretched toward what she figured were rows and rows of distant coffee bean plants. Their verdant green provided a vivid contrast to the red soil, snaking in and around the plants.

Tiny dots of workers made their way through the plants. “Make a note, Engles.” Picturing Daniel whipping out his imaginary notepad made her smile.
Daniel. I wish I hadn’t been so stubborn.
The coils of longing reached out for him. They seemed to land somewhere in space, winding around his tendrils of energy like a lover’s knot. Her body surged with strength at the connection.
One. Stay connected with my dangerous lover.
The workers looked like tiny ants as they made their way through the rows.
Two.
Maybe ally with one of them?

A man strode purposefully down the rows of coffee bean plants with a dog trotting next to him. The workers stopped whatever they were doing and stood at attention. The man barreled up to one of the workers. He waved his hands. He made fists and swirled them overhead.

The worker gestured to the plants. He pointed at the soil.

The shouting man threw up both of his hands and the worker disappeared. Marissa blinked and rubbed her eyes. A small puff of smoke slowly drifted into the air above where the worker had stood a minute ago. “Are you kidding me? He just ‘disappeared’ somebody?” Icy fingers of fear shot up her neck and into her scalp. The workers stood at attention until the man, probably El Demonio himself, had exited. They then proceeded to work quicker than before.

Marissa blew out her breath. She patted the protection paw.
Three. Figure out how a dead Chihuahua can be of assistance.
She flexed her fingers. Now that her head had cleared, her light was more accessible. She allowed it to seep from her body, flooding the room with brilliance.
Four. So help me, God, let me find a way to use my newly restored light skills.

The brass door handle creaked and she quickly extinguished her light.

Jason peeked around the corner. “Ready, doll?” His face fell. “Oh, no, you can’t wear those clothes. The boss told me to save them, but to dress you in one of the garments hanging in your wardrobe.”

“Oh, well,” she said sarcastically. “Guess y’all will have to deal with what I’ve got on.”

“Come on, Marissa, roll with the plan. I’ve got a lot at stake here.”

“Sure, Jason. Let’s make this all work out for
you.
” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “You’re working for an evil man, you know.” She pictured El Demonio eliminating the worker and shuddered.

“Alex? No, you’re wrong. He’s got a temper, that’s for sure, but evil?” He shook his head and then strode across the room. He opened the wardrobe and peered inside. “How about this one?” he said, holding up a long silk gown.

“Go to hell.”

“This one?” He held up a short sundress.

“Not happening.”

“Goddamn it, Marissa, you’re going to get me fired. Why can’t you do what I want for a change?”

“Because I don’t care what happens to you. Where are you supposed to take me?”

“Aren’t you hungry? I am.”

“A little.” Her stomach gurgled and growled.

“So change your clothes
, and let’s go down to the dining area. Wait until you see it. It’s way cool.”

“No.”

Jason blew out his breath. “You’re so stubborn. I’ll have to make up some story like you refused to wear what he wanted you to wear.”