ZAVIERWe spoke to the detective for more than twenty minutes giving him everything that was needed to find River, for me it wasike going through this ordeals again, the first time had been when I had to deal with Raini getting kidnapped and this was the second.Like the detective had told Bianca and myself there was definitely an insider there was no sign of anyone breaking into her apartment.Raini was obviously tired and perhaps hitting her second trimester was starting to weigh in on her as she was asleep as we walked down the hallway to her room.She was right there still asleep in her bed. I walked into her bedroom and sat in a chair close to the window near the bed.With the whole feeling complicated Iclosed my eyes and just took a moment formyself, taking in much breath as much as I could whole reflecting back on the entire situation.I haven’t had too many of these moments in the last few days, moments where I had to reflect on everything that was happening, the truth was
RAINIZavier looked at me for a minute, and it was as though he didn't believe what I just said about killing Trinity.For some reason I couldn't get over the fact that the dandelion mystery was back, in a way that looked most frustrating. Zavier had found the dandelion and came back with it, I could tell that the same person had been after me all this while.All concerns that it had been Giselle were far off from my memory since she had faced the same fate when she was found murdered in her home.Keeping all fingers crossed we had to wait just as he had said there was nothing we could do, then wait out all of this till it was over.All this would have been possible if I didn't get the anonymous call.I turned to look at Zavier who was sleeping and walked away to the bathroom to pick, perhaps I could tell what he was going to say if he listened or I wasn't sure if I could trust him enough just yet ."Hello?" I asked, filled with uncertainty."Hello." River voice came back trembling.I
RAINI LAVERNE“Oh-em-gee! It's on! It's on, it's fucking on!” My sister squealed, leaping for the TV remote like a model frog with a bad case of arthritis so that I felt the balls of my eyes grease the moist foams of my frontal lobe.“Goddammit River, turn that shit off,” I gritted through clenched teeth, watching the brown melon of her head bob up and down as she settled on the floor, slapping her back on the tart green foam of the low cushion as the man’s face flashed across the small screen.I allowed myself a few seconds, my hands stilling on the silver knit of spools in my hands as I took in the angular cut of the man’s face, the way he appeared large even while he was seated.Zavier Cross. Oil magnate, richest man in upstate New York, billionaire of the century, and the stuff of every sensible maiden’s wet dreams.Something about the jet-black fade of his wolf-cut hair made my stomach clench in a way that usually had me running for the white porcelain of the toilet.I disliked m
RAINI”You’ve got to be freaking kidding me,” I growled, tip-toeing into the grand lobby of the glass office where the wash of overhead conditioning hit me like a freight train.Five months! That was how long I had been working at Giselle’s Fashion, And I was this close to sticking my head in the sewer pipes!”Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” A woman’s sugary drawl had me tearing my lips from my teeth with trepidation and I turned to find that it was the impeccably dressed manager watching me with hawkish eyes.Giselle Galloway was one of those plastic barbie dollies who based their entire personality around being the stuff of every man’s fantasies. Flaunting her luscious curves in her tight vomit-yellow gown that had some of the socialites swiveling to stare at her.I was itching to tell her off before I caught the look on Trinity Fay’s ruddy face, my best friend from junior high.The buxom redhead shook her head wildly to discourage my antics, her jade-green eyes swimming wit
ZAVIER CROSSThe obese woman’s hand trembled from its lock in my iron grip as I hesitated, before shaking her loose and watching the broad jowls of her face puff and redden in embarrassment as she stumbled away.“M-my apologies Mr. Cross, I didn't realize...Dear God,” The woman wheezed, whipping her head back and forth between me and the lady before she trailed off, spasming as the estate wives rushed to catch her.I turned to see that the curly-haired girl with the razor tongue was watching me curiously, her green eyes meeting mine boldly.“You didn't have to do that,” The girl muttered blithely, much to my surprise as I stifled a derisive snort.Well, riddle me color blind! If I hadn't stepped in when I did, I had no doubt the round woman would have leveled her.I opened my mouth to respond to Raini’s less-than-enthusiastic greeting before a bright-eyed blonde woman cut me off.She was the leggy one I had seen prowling the grounds like a hungry lion looking to devour young, robust c
RAINI LAVERNE“What the fuck was that?” Giselle Galloway thundered as she whirled round to face me the second the billionaire stormed through the revolving glass doors of the fashion house, snapping me out of my reverie.I struggled to catch my breath, feeling the crimson heat creep up my cheeks as I felt the eyes of everyone in the store on me.Had I really won the billionaire’s soul search? The thought made my tongue floor about dryly in my mouth.“My resignation Giselle, effective immediately,” I grumbled, happy to realize I had managed to keep the tremor from showing in my voice as the people gathered around huffed dramatically.I wasn’t sure quitting was the best idea, but I couldn’t have just stood there and done jackshit when the Disney princess just fired my sister right in front of me.We were Lavernes, and my mother had always taught us to stick up for each other!“Raini! What are you-” Trinity Fay gasped, pinching me on my arm before I shrugged her off, a sliver of courage
RAINI LAVERNEI had tripped on the puffy umbrella-looking bodice of the red-jeweled gown when I finally settled in beside the striking man.“Hi,” I brayed, gritting my teeth and blowing off the choppy bangs of the hair my sister had butchered in her effort to make me look less like a grumpy nana and more like Cinderella.It had not worked, and now I was stuck looking like one of the botched science experiments from one of our nightly horror flicks.The dark-haired man only nodded, snatching up the menu with more grace than I could have imagined possible, and the impression of the long, ringed fingers he had curled around the purple plaque curled on the meat of my breasts rose unbidden in my mind.What the hell was wrong with me? Ugh! I shook my head imperceptibly, choosing to focus on the run of Italian words on the plaque instead of the non-too-gentle sway of the boat we were cruising on.I’d never had any foreign cuisine in my life, past the watery mimosas my mother made every now
RAINI LAVERNEI am fucking moving to the house of Zavier Cross, it is absurd how my life went from being remotely boring to moving to a mansion across town where I would probably get decapitated; I am not even joking.I choose to blame River, I still feel like strangling her to death or sucking her life out with a straw while she sleeps, but I think the latter will be more pleasurable to watch, my mum would probably be mortified and murder me afterward but that would be a worthy trade."I still feel this is the worst idea in the history of worst ideas ever," Trinity Fay muttered bitterly as she angrily shoved my clothes into my back, I am reconsidering inviting her to help me pack but how do I kindly tell her to go home without breaking her heart more than it already is."Don't listen to her," River interjected before I could reply to her, she wasn't helping me pack my clothes, just trying out my different shades of lipstick in front of my vanity mirror."She should listen to me becau