Soar (The Empire Chronicles #1) Read online

  I searched around for a weapon. Anything I could use to protect myself. Who knew who was on the other side? I had a choice. I could sit tight and wait for whoever it was to either go away or break down the door. Or, I could answer it. The thought of someone breaking down the door while I huddled in the corner is what made the decision. I was going to meet whoever it was head on—even if it was while I was holding a lamp.

  I mustered the most confident voice possible. “Whoever you are, Toby isn’t home.”

  “Could you open the door?” a male voice asked. The voice was deep and kind of sexy. I wondered if the owner of the voice matched it. Not to mention, I hoped the owner of the voice wasn’t insane.

  “Who are you?”

  He sighed, like my even asking the question was ridiculous. “I’m here on business. I need to talk to Toby.”

  “He’s not here.”

  “I’m not going away until you open the door.”

  “People know I’m here. If you kill me, you won’t get away with it.”

  He laughed. “I’m not going to kill you.”

  “How do I know that?”

  “Because I gave my name to the doorman, I’ve been caught on no less than six surveillance cameras on the way up here, and I don’t generally go around killing people. Especially not girls.”

  “Why are you less likely to kill girls?”

  “Because I like them. A lot.”

  I slowly opened the door and my jaw dropped. Standing there was a shirtless guy with a body that couldn’t be real. Hard. Muscular. Perfect. That’s the way I’d describe his chest. He had abs that would make underwear models jealous. My eyes zeroed in on a few beads of sweat making a descent down his chest. When they reached his stomach, I forced my eyes up to his face.

  He grinned. “So you’re why Toby isn’t getting the job done.”

  “What?” I asked, forcing my eyes to stop looking at his chiseled abs.

  “You’d distract me too.” He didn’t bother to hide his appraisal.

  I looked down and crossed my arms. I met his eyes again and was met by an expression of humor and want that nearly melted me.

  “I’m just staying here.” I felt the need to explain myself. If not for my sake or dignity, for Toby’s. I promised myself it wasn’t because I wanted this sexy guy to know I was single.

  “Staying here, huh?” He smiled. “Well, you can stay at my place anytime.”

  “Do you live around here?” His wider grin made me regret the words. “I’m just wondering. Not because I want to stay with you.”

  “I’m from New Orleans, but I have a place here too—at least I’m borrowing it.”

  “Oh. Well, Toby isn’t here.”

  “You already said that.” He stepped into the apartment. “Know where he is?”

  “No. I don’t.” I took a few steps back.

  He matched my movements, ending up just as close to me as he was before. “No kiss goodbye this morning?”

  “That would have been hard since I was in the guest room.” I put a hand on my hip. Sexy or not, I wasn’t going to let this guy get to me.

  “Guest room? Likely.”

  I could feel my blood boiling. How was he getting under my skin so easily? “It’s true. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get my stuff and go home.”

  “Are you going to wear that?” He gestured to my outfit, and that’s when I remembered what I was sleeping in.

  I willed myself not to blush, but I could practically feel the blood rushing to my face.

  “I’m guessing those are the guest pajamas, huh?”

  “I just borrowed them… Wait, why am I bothering to explain myself to you?”

  “I don’t know, you tell me.” He took another step toward me.

  “I know the kind of guy you are.”

  “You do? Please, tell me. I can’t wait to hear this assessment.”

  “You’re arrogant, pig headed, and you think a girl’s just going to fall to her knees if you take your shirt off…” To my credit, I was still standing. “Speaking of which, why is your shirt off?”

  He smirked. “Why do you think it’s off? Since apparently you’re the expert on guys like me. I’m going to ignore the fall to their knees comment. You look cute when you blush, but it might push you over the edge.”

  “I’m sure there’s a reason for it.” I crossed my arms, wishing I were in my own clothes and wishing he hadn’t made me think about falling to my knees around him. That just made me wonder if his lower half was as impressive as his top.

  “There is. Maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime.” As if he could read my thoughts, he adjusted the waist of his jeans.

  “Not likely. Is there a reason you’re still here even though I told you Toby’s out?”

  “Yes. He wasn’t in his office either. I need to find him.”

  “I won’t be able to help you there.”

  “But you might be able to help me in other ways?” He smirked again, and I had a feeling those kind of lines had worked for him before.

  “Could you just leave?”

  “I suppose I could. Is that what you want?”

  I nodded.

  “Maybe I’ll see you around again. I think I missed your name though.”

  “You didn’t miss it. I never told you.”

  “Oh, I see. I’m Jared.” He held out his hand like he wanted to shake. I resisted the urge to take it, to find out what his touch felt like.

  “If you’re going to be that way.” He flashed me another smile before walking out the door. “See you around, sleep over girl.”

  I stepped back and closed the door behind him, a mix of relief yet surprise that he’d left so easily. I thought I would have to kick him out.

  I walked back into the guest room and threw on my clothes from the night before. I wanted to try a shower that actually had hot water, but knowing my luck, Jared would be back. Jared. I liked the way the name felt rolling off my tongue.

  I grabbed my purse and started to walk out, but then I realized I’d be leaving the door unlocked. I sighed before picking up my phone and calling Toby.

  He answered immediately. “Casey? You’re up?”

  “Hey. Yeah…you had a visitor.”

  “A visitor? Who? Are you okay?” His voice bordered on panic.

  “His name was Jared. He said he had business to discuss with you or something.”

  “Jared? Jared Florence.” Toby groaned. “He didn’t bother you, did he?”

  “Define bother.”

  “I’ll take that as a no then. You’d know if he did. I’m on my way home. Give me two minutes.” He hung up.

  I took a seat on his huge sectional and looked out at the city. Growing up in the suburbs, I always dreamed of living in New York City, but the reality of it wasn’t as great as I imagined. I was starting to wonder if it was worth it. My experience would have been different if I’d lived in a place like Toby’s rather than a closet.

  I got up and walked into the kitchen, figuring that as long as I was waiting around, I might as well make coffee. He’d evidently made it for me and left a note.

  I poured two cups, assuming Toby would want one.

  I heard the door open. “Hey.”

  “Good morning,” I called from the kitchen.

  Toby sat down at the island. He was dressed in a suit again. “I’m sorry about Jared. I should have made sure he knew not to come by.”

  “Were you at church?” I handed him his cup of coffee.

  “Church?”

  “You’re pretty dressed up for a Sunday morning.”

  “Oh, I had a meeting.”

  “A meeting this early on a Sunday?”

  “Yeah…thanks for the coffee.” He lifted up his cup.

  “All I did was pour it, you’re the one who made it. And was the meeting about anything interesting, at least?” I fished for information. Between the morning meeting, the shirtless guy at the door, and all his talk about Eric, his mysteriousness was becoming mo
re frustrating.

  He opened his mouth, and then closed it. Like he was weighing the pros and cons of telling me something. “The meeting was actually with your boss.”

  “My boss?”

  “Yeah. With Marv. Eric was there too.”

  “What?” I set down my coffee hard enough to spill a little bit of it. “Tell me everything, right now.”

  “I can’t tell you everything.”

  “You met with my boss without my permission.”

  “Your permission? Do you think the meeting was about you?”

  “Of course, I do. What else would it be?” I seethed. He had completely overstepped his bounds.

  “I already told you I do business with them…it had nothing to do with you—at first.”

  “At first?” I leaned on the counter.

  “I did have a few choice words with Eric…”

  “What was the first part of the meeting about?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “You can’t or you won’t?”

  “A little of both.” He pulled out the stool next to him. It was the same one I’d sat on the night before. “But if you sit down, I can tell you about the parts that involve you.”

  I sat, not because he told me to, but because I already wanted to. “Start talking.”

  “Eric claims he was trying to protect you too.”

  “Protect me?”

  “Has anything strange happened to you lately?”

  “Strange?”

  “Yes. Anything out of the ordinary?”

  Like almost being mauled by a giant wolf. “No.”

  “Come on, Casey. Be honest with me.” His eyes implored me to share.

  “Yes,” I reluctantly admitted. It was harder to do than you’d think. It meant admitting I was either losing my mind or a witness to something terrifying.

  “Then you probably already know that there are some crazy things happening around here.”

  “Do you know what happened to me?” I strongly suspected what his answer would be.

  “Yes.”

  I took a chance that he was being honest and that we were on the same page. “And was there actually a wolf?”

  “Yes, but it wasn’t a random wolf acting alone.”

  I wanted to tell him about the guy with wings, but then he’d just think I was crazy. That part couldn’t have been real. “How could a wolf act with someone else? Like someone trained him and sent him after me?”

  He looked away. “I can’t say much else. It’s just that you’re being targeted, and I don’t know why.”

  “Targeted?”

  “Eric doesn’t think that the wolf was trying to hurt you.”

  “Not hurt me? Why else would it have cornered me and then lunged for me.”

  “Eric didn’t get outside in time, but he says it wasn’t the first time he’s sensed the wolf. He’d seen wolves around weeks before the attacks started.”

  “The attacks? The ones in the parks?” The news reports were becoming more and more frequent, but they never seemed to have any new information to share.

  “And out in Jersey.”

  “Putting aside the fact that giant wolves are attacking people, why has a wolf been hanging around the coffee shop? And why didn’t it want to kill me? The others were killed.”

  “It wants you for something…I guess. And it’s not just wolves behind the attacks. It’s also bears.”

  “Bears? There are bears roaming the streets of New York now?” I gave him a skeptical look. If I hadn’t seen the wolf with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed a word of it.

  “Yes, but the bottom line is you’re being targeted. I don’t know by who exactly or why, but you are.”

  “And Eric wants to protect me? I thought he was trying to sleep with me.” I finally sat back. “My mistake.”

  “He does want to sleep with you, hence the push to protect you. Or so he says.”

  “Is that why you’re helping me?”

  He paled. “Not the only reason.”

  Did he actually say that?

  “Don’t look so surprised. Like I said, it’s not the only reason. I care about you, and I’m not going to let you get hurt. That’s all that matters.”

  I processed the new information. So far, Toby hadn’t done anything to make me doubt him, but giant wolves and bears attacking the city were hard to believe. I needed time to think, and I wasn’t going to get that at his place. “I think I’m going to head home.”

  “That anxious to get out of here, huh?” There was a lightness to his voice that let me know he understood.

  “Not that I don’t want to stay and hang out, but I’m ready for a shower.”

  “You didn’t like the one in your room?”

  “After having a strange guy nearly knock down your door, taking a shower was out of the question.”

  “You can take one now.” He gestured to the guest room door.

  “My clean clothes are at home anyway.”

  “Okay, either way. I’m not going to fight you on it considering you’re not showering with me so I get no benefit from it.”

  I laughed. “You always do that.”

  “Do what?” He sipped his coffee, picking up a paper I hadn’t even noticed him bring in.

  “Throw in random sexual comments when I’m not expecting them.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His sheepish grin was kind of cute.

  “You just implied you wanted to take a shower with me.”

  He shrugged. “Sometimes they just come out.”

  “Yeah, for me too. I did make the spoon comment.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, but I took that one step further.”

  “I totally opened myself up for it.”

  “That you did.” He set down the paper. “What did you think of Jared?”

  Hot. I kept that thought to myself. “Pushy and arrogant.”

  “Yeah, doesn’t surprise me. I’m sorry you had to deal with him.”

  “It wasn’t a big deal.” Hopefully, he’d never know about me wielding a lamp.

  “Next time that happens, call me and don’t open the door.”

  “Next time? That implies I’ll be waking up here again.”

  “You will be. Preferably it won’t be in my guest room though.” He winked. “I guess I just did it again.”

  “You can be really weird.” He was different from most of the guys I knew. He had confidence, but it came across almost geeky.

  “Can I?”

  “Yeah…but in a cute way.”

  “Does that mean you’ll go out with me again?”

  “Yes, but this time can I pick the restaurant?”

  “Definitely…but I have a better idea.”

  “Oh yeah?” I asked with interest. Was he thinking about a place like that Sprite café again?

  “Let’s cook here. You spent more time checking out my kitchen than you do checking me out.”

  “That might be too tempting of an offer to turn down. When were you thinking?”

  “Tomorrow night? I figure we can take one night off in between.”

  “All right. Is it safe to assume someone’s going to be watching my apartment?” I knew I was in danger, but I wasn’t going to let that get in the way of living my life. If having Toby set up security could help, I was okay with it.

  “Yes. But they won’t be watching you. I can assure you of that.”

  “I’d hope not…otherwise I might as well stay here.”

  “That offer’s always on the table.”

  “I’ll take my chances at home.”

  “All right. Let me finish this coffee and then I’ll walk you home.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I should be fine in broad daylight.”

  He smiled. “I don’t have to, but I want to. Sometimes it’s nice to get what you want.”

  ***

  “What are you staring at?” I caught Eric watching me for at least the third time Sunday afternoon. I wan
ted him to go back to his general policy of ignoring me unless he wanted to annoy me.

  “I’m just looking in the same general direction of where you happen to be.”

  “Do you have to do that?”

  “I don’t have to, but I like to.”

  “Fantastic.”

  He got off his stool and strode toward me. I should have just ignored him. “Have a nice time with Toby?”

  “It was fine.” What was I supposed to say? He told me I’m in danger and you’re either fantasizing about me in bed or worried that I’ll be mauled by a wolf or bear. I shivered just thinking about either image. Not the good kind of shiver.

  “I didn’t even know you guys were friends.”

  “It turns out we have some mutual friends.”

  “You’re into him.” Eric’s words weren’t a question.

  “Yeah.”

  He smiled slightly. “He’s not who you think he is. Just remember that.”

  “Are you who I think you are?”

  “No, but you’re already afraid of me. You should have that feeling about Toby too.”

  “But I don’t.” I set aside the worn paperback of Northanger Abbey I was reading to kill the time. Late afternoons were quiet at work. We’d barely had any customers.

  “That only makes him more dangerous.”

  “He’s not going to hurt me.” I felt that in every grain of my body. I knew he wasn’t a saint, but he wasn’t out to hurt me.

  “Probably not. That’s true.”

  “You admit that but still think I should be careful?”

  “You should always be careful with the unknown, especially those that make you feel safe.”

  “Just tell me what the hell is going on. Who are you guys?” I crossed my legs, leaning forward slightly on my stool.

  “Who do you think we are?”

  “Honestly?”

  “Yeah. Give me your best guess. If you get it right on the first try, I’ll tell you.”

  I accepted the challenge. “Organized crime. Maybe not the Mafia but something like it.”

  “What gave you that idea?”

  “The suits, mysterious hours, wild animals available to attack people.”

  “Wild animals available to attack? What kind of crime boss shows are you watching?”

  “You told me you’d tell me if I was right.”