Prologue
1251 Words
Dane Thompson stood patiently in the hotel lobby waiting for the rest of their party. He was dying to see Eve again. Eve Cassie was one of the most incredible girls he had ever met, and Dane had met many but something about Eve was intoxicating. He had been taken with her right from the first time he had seen her standing in his uncle’s doorway a few weeks ago. Damien had taken Eve in as a way to win brownie points with Eve’s parents and to further his pursuit of her sister. Though his motives had been selfish Dane was thankful that Damien had done so and he had been introduced to the stunning Miss. Cassie.
Shortly after meeting her Dane had asked Eve to accompany him to his parents’ anniversary party in Las Vegas. She was beautiful and feisty, and he adored her. They had arrived in Vegas the night before and Eve had indulged in far too much alcohol heading off to bed early last night. Dane could not wait to see her.
The doors to the elevator opened up and both Damien and Eve stepped off. She looked unbelievable in her yellow and black gown. Her long raven hair pinned up elegantly. Dane could tell immediately something was wrong as Eve and Damien argued as they entered the lobby. Suddenly Eve kicked Damien in the shin twice and stormed over to them. It made his mother and grandmother laugh to see the tiny woman taking his massive uncle on. Frankly, Dane couldn’t understand what was going on.
Eve joined the rest of the group, and Damien caught up to her and scowled at his mother’s smug expression. Unable to retaliate against her Damien pulled his sister’s hair for her amusement at his expense only to be smacked in the chest and scolded by his mother for being juvenile.
“Now I am afraid that today we have some damage control to do once again thanks to Damien’s excessive drinking.” Dane’s grandmother announced.
Dane’s mother scowled at her careless brother. “Damn it, Damien. This day was supposed to be about David and me, and you had to go mess it up. What did you do now?”
“He unexpectedly got married last night.” Dane’s grandfather quietly informed them making sure the information didn’t get out too soon. “If we are very vigilant we can keep this on the down low for a day or two.”
Dane’s mother gasped at her brother. “You got married on my anniversary?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose.” His uncle snapped.
“I can’t believe you. You went and married Mary on my day to spite me.” His girlfriend Mary Cassie had yet to join them. Dane knew his uncle was impulsive and reckless at times but getting married was something Dane had never expected.
“I did not,” Damien growled. “I married Eve.”
Dane’s breath caught in his chest at his uncle’s statement. Had he just heard what he thought he had? It couldn’t be. Damien would never do that to him. Dane had idolized his uncle all his life. Damien could be a jerk but to steal Eve right out from under him, how could he?
“You married my date?” Dane snapped utterly surprised by the admission.
“Dane…” Damien turned to his angry nephew to try and explain, but Dane did not want to hear his excuses. How could he do this to him?
“No, don’t Dane me, you married my date! Yours wasn’t good enough?” Dane yelled outraged by his uncle’s betrayal. He honestly couldn’t recall ever being this angry before.
His grandmother put her hand on Dane’s shoulder to calm him. “Dane honey this is not the time nor the place. Think of your parents. It is not worth it. We will deal with the matter afterward. Go get in the limo.” She instructed. She was right this day was supposed to be about his parents. To celebrate their love. This was not the time to address his uncle’s betrayal. So, for his parents’ sake, he would deal with this wrong at a later date.
“Fine but I’m not riding with him.” Dane declared and then paused as he was about to leave. The anger within getting the better of him. He was utterly enraged suddenly Dane turned around and throwing his whole body into his swing Dane slugged Damien in the face. Eve screamed with surprise as Damien hit the ground flat on his back. Everybody had been shocked by Dane’s unexpected attack. He wasn’t by nature a violent person; but tonight, in this instance he was making an exception. He stormed off to wait in the limo not once looking back at his traitorous uncle.
***
Nadia Baker ran hard trying to make it to the bus stop before the number 310 to Queens pulled away. She reached it just in time to slam her hand against the back of the bus as it pulled away from the curb. Frustrated and furious that she had missed her ride Nadia looked at her wristwatch and groaned. It was eleven o’clock she was already an hour past curfew, and the next bus wasn’t coming for another hour. Her father was going to kill her when she got home.
She would be grounded until her seventeenth birthday for sure. She should have never let Britney talk her into trying to sneak into that bar downtown. Britney had managed to score some fake ID’s for her sixteenth birthday and wanted to party at the VIP the hottest celebrity night spot in New York City. Everyone had thought it would be a hoot, but Nadia had lost track of time and needed a ride home. Of course, Britney did not want to leave, and neither did any of the others. She had spent all her money and couldn’t afford a cab. So, she was stuck trying to catch a late-night bus.
Maybe the subway, she thought, maybe she could get ahead of the bus and catch it farther down the route. Nadia started walking quickly down the street. A strong pair of hands grabbed Nadia from behind and dragged her into the nearest alley. She was shoved hard face first against a brick wall in the darkness with a huge hard body behind her crushing her against the bricks. She wanted to scream and then she felt a cold, sharp object against her throat. “If you scream, I’ll cut your throat.” A harsh male voice whispered in her ear.
“Please don’t hurt me.” She pleaded, trying hard not to sob, not to give him a reason to make good on his threat. Her pulse was racing. Her heart thumped so hard against her chest she feared it would burst right through her ribcage.
“Aren’t you a pretty one? You and I are going to play Peaches. Take off your pants.”
- Writer
