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 heating my spine.
There was a tense moment of silence in the lot as people exchanged whispers before I saw the tight muscles of the faux boss's face stiffen as she moved the botox into a grimaced sneer.
“You think I give a fuck what you do? Security!” Giselle guffawed, barking harsh laughs as she waved the barrel-chested men over, and I felt a chill run through my spine as she strode up to me, snatching my name tag from my chest as she had Rivers with a tight-lipped smile.
“You are an insufferable, miserable gold-digging wench Raini, and you would always be! Ha! No wonder you've got balls of steel now huh? Managed to snag the billionaire -” She spat caustically, baring lipstick-stained teeth at me so that I reared back, careful to keep my neck well away from wringing distance before my sister butted in.
“Enough Giselle! I won't let you talk to my sister like that! Come on Rai, we're outta here!” River growled sternly, snatching up my hand and marching me toward the exit as the ring of Giselle’s shrill voice followed us like shit stuck on the bum.
“Two peas in a fucking pod aren't you? Mark my words Raini Laverne, I will RUIN you!” She bellowed as I turned to catch one last glimpse of the pinched kiwi fruit of her face squeezed together in fury before we burst into the road and I inhaled a large breath.
“Thanks, Rai, you didn't have to,” River sighed after a stretch of silence as we trotted down the garbage-strewn lot toward our cozy little shack at the end of the street.
I shook my head at her, waving the complaints away and avoiding her eyes as she began to grin, poking me gingerly in my ribs.
“Sooo-”
“So nothing River, don't even think about it!” I chided more forcefully than I had meant to, forcing a pout from the ruddy-faced girl.
I hadn’t forgiven her yet for registering me in the contest and to think that I won when i hadn’t even expected to join at all!
Something swept past the ends of my consciousness, sending a cold trail of goosebumps to break open on my skin as the image of the man in the store rose unbidden in my mind.
Why did he have to be so goddamned beautiful? With high-structured cheekbones that could have rivaled that of a Greek god, and those sensuous lips! The way his dust-grey eyes raked over me like he wanted nothing more than to bend me over the counter and take me then and there.
“Saints Raini, get your mind out of the gutters!” I scolded in my head, more disturbed to find that I would have absolutely not minded being bent over.
There was just something about his mysterious air that screamed Run For The Freaking Hills but somehow made people do the exact opposite. I couldn't put my finger on it, and I didn't like that.
“We're home mother!” River yelled beside me as I snapped out of my musings to find that we had somehow managed to trot past my mother, into the house.
I listened with interested grunts as River told the Armenian woman everything that had managed to happen in the space of a day and they gathered around me.
”Raini,” My mother whispered, affecting that airy tone of hers that forked painfully at my otherwise concrete heartstrings as the callused palm of her hand warmed my shoulder.
I fought the urge to shake her off, knowing already that she would be on River’s side.
“Don’t Ma, I'm not going to sell myself to a stranger just because he’s got change to spare,” I cursed bitterly, unable to sort out my feelings fast enough.
“For fuck’s sake Rai! He's a freaking billionaire! And it's not like we're SELLING you off to some drug slave factory goddammit, have some fucking spine!” River spat caustic ally and I whirled to face her pinched face, feeling my fingers ball to fists beside me.
“Care to run that by me again Nanny McPhee?” I ground through clenched teeth, taking a step toward her and watching with satisfaction as she stumbled backward and my mother stepped in between us, playing with her hands.
“A-a package came for you today Raini, an opal-encrusted box with your name on it,” She whispered, batting her eyes playfully as I pursed my lips, craning my neck around her bodice until I saw the present and my breath hooked in my chest.
”What is this?” I whispered, managing to get a gasp through the lump that had grown in my throat as my eyes bulged in their sockets.
”Why don't you see for yourself?” My mother breathed, and i could have sworn I’d seen the mist of tears glistening in her eyes as i moved toward the small arch of the dinning hall, my heart knocking loudly against the cage of my ribs.
The large, table-sized box lying half-open on the small wood of our dinner table held the most beautiful gown I had seen in my life.
“For Mrs. Raini Cross,” I breathed, tracing the shiny note on top with my fingers and wrinkling my nose in embarrassment as River hollered loudly in my ear, the sharp pin of her jaw digging into my shoulder as she read the note with me.
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
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
IRENEIt was still hard to take in and at the moment, my mind was racing at the moment.It was clearly on the wall, I couldn't miss it, not after how long I had stayed there with them. At that moment my mind was In a total mess.I stood right there with my head against his shoulder crying, perhaps if I had come in here a bit quicker I would have been able to save my sister.What I couldn't understand was why they had taken her."What did River say when she called?" He asked.I sniffed.With a shaky breath, I began to tell him about how she had called and why she had left in the first place.I explained why I didn't call him before leaving and everything from how I had felt angry when I got here and found nothing but the house in total mess.There was a lot to talk about and he listened to every bit of it. All I wanted to do was get rid of everything in my chest and get everything out in the open. I didn't hold anything back from him as I felt weak …Too weak." Why did they take her?"
IRENEI drove out of the car park as quickly as I could all that filled my mind while driving past the oak trees that surrounded the thick wood shrouding Zavier's home was the safety for my sister, the thought was heavy on my mind as the more I thought about it, the harder it was for me to comprehend.At the back of my mind was the question asking why she had spoken in such a haste, there was a sound of silence before ending the call and despite trying to get her it was certainly difficult to.I thought about calling Zavier but opted against it in my mind as I continued with my trip…The speed I was driving at was so much that it took the thought of the twins I was carrying to make us reduce the speed.As I drove out of the gates and as I did,II spent the next few hours trying to purge Zavier out of my mind, so I replaced it with other thoughts.Or at least my thought was replaced by the thought of my sister River.I purposely looked at my phone again,keeping her call on redial w
ZAVIER.“Stupid move today, man.” Bianca said to me as she sat on my office couch while looking at my face.She was looking at me,in a manner that seemed so complicated."Where did you say she went to again?" I asked since she was the only one that had been with her all this while.I flicked a glance toward her since she had been the only one with her when she had gone out.We were having a good conversation about how my time with Raini had gone.I rubbed a hand across my smile. “I just assumed that she would want to talk to me after what she did."“You assumed wrong,” she said dryly. “She is a woman, she doesn't care about all of this.""You all are complicated." I said, rolling my eyes.Bianca looked at me laughing "With all the shit you’ve done, and the fact that you lied it would be hard for her to trust you again."I sank a little further into the couch.“Everything I do is premeditated. I think about it —You don't expect that I will not tell her about all of this" I said look
RAINITwo quiet knocks sounded on the door, and I walked toward the door to get it opened.From the conversation I had with Bianca it was obvious I had to talk with him. I had been thinking about going to his room but didn't really have the confidence just before the knock came in.When I saw it was Zavier standing on the other side, I stood straighter at the doorway looking into his eyes.With his hair combed back, in a casual shirt and Jean, his countenance appeared welcoming and breathtaking at the same time.His eyes held my stare as I looked at him, in a way it looked as though it was filledwith cold resonance—perhaps he was still angry about what I had said earlier."Are you busy?" He asked."Yeah, not doing anything now." .Every synapses in my body raced as I stood back and watched him as he walked in.My eyes widened on him. As he walked Into the room making way to the window,he stood right there and looked out of the window.Shutting the door, I sighed deeply as I walke