Chapter2

#Chapter2

Sephora contemplated on staying at her little place for the night and leaving Shadow alone. Something told her he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He protruded that type of aura. He was dangerous and ruthless, but she could tell he was protective and genuine. His eyes read pain even when he laughed.

She wanted to know him personally, but then she reminded herself. She had no time for men after its been so long since her sister’s disappearance. Even though Shadow said he would help her. He was a different kind of man who seemed to keep his word and as stubborn as she was she needed to know what happened to her sister more. Pride wasn’t an option this time.

She refused to admit she did need the help to him, but didn’t want to deny herself that anymore. She fixed her hair in the mirror. The long and thick mane she possessed on top of her head was becoming a hassle now she wanted to style it. This event didn’t sound fancy, but she wanted to look the part at least fake the part for Shadow. No one knew who she was in her everyday life, but at night she would become the goddess every man craved for or better yet thirst for.

The hair ended up going into an elegant bun on the top of her head and her dress was plain but still sexy and clung to her physic. She walked out the room to her bedroom bowing to the shrine as she did so. /"I will be back father. I found someone who will help me find Clarissa. I’m so sorry I let you both down./" She bowed again and walked out the house.

Shadow fixed his suit jacket with no tie. Even if the place was underground he knew the rules. Only the big ballers of Las Vegas would be invited inside and he had to play the part. He glanced over at the dress for Sephora. The time was panning down as he waited.

He scoffed angry at himself for believing she would come with him and for being disappointed she wouldn’t be there. He cursed as he knew what was happening to him. Savion had told him of the exact events leading up to him and Armarria. The undeniable attraction. The chemistry. The lightning bolt.

He cursed again. If he fell in love his brother would never allow him to live his days in peace. He would tease him and call him cute or loving. Things that made Shadow sick. He wasn’t cute. He was rough with the scars to prove it. He stared at the cuts and bullet wounds on his sides and his stomach.

He had definitely seen better days. He rubbed the bullet wound from Laura in remembrance of the pain love causes. It wasn’t for him and it never would be. As soon as he began to trust someone they always betray him. Always.

Even if it was only a handful full of people. He placed nothing passed Sephora either. He would help her find her sister and take her back with him. That was the plan. No feelings had to be involved in this.

He was stronger than that. Or so he told himself. He hoped he was stronger than that. He then heard water pooling in from outside the hotel. His emotions all of a sudden became swirling with desire and excitement.

It was her emotions he was feeling. Unhurried he waited for her to reach his room. As she pooled from under the door cracked she solidified once she was inside. Shadow held his sword to her throat. She gasped as she didn’t see him move from the mirror.

/"You are late./"

She fixed her boobs in her dress.

/"Hey to you too./" She replied.

He lowered his sword back into the sheath. /"You look nice./" He complimented, glancing back at her. /"I had the tailor buy you a dress, but it is fine what you have on will do./"

Sephora became offended. /"What’s wrong with my dress?/" Shadow poured him a glass of wine, while sitting in the chair.

/"This is a high baller type of fight. Your dress is fine just not expensive enough./"

She wanted to slap the smug look of his face. She then looked down at the dress. The dress was beautiful with diamonds and sparkling lace. She cleared her throat.

/"I can’t wear this it looks hella expensive./" She replied, touching the material.

Shadow laughed softly. /"It is. That was kind of the point./" He sipped his wine. /"Whether or not you want to…/"

/"I want to./" She said quickly lifting her head up to meet his gaze.

He looked at his watch. /"You have less than fifteen minutes before its time to go./" She hurried and ran to the bathroom. She awed at the Jacuzzi tub and walk in shower. Pictures of her and Shadow shot through her mind.

Her back against the walk in shower as Shadow pushed into her, sensually and seductively. Her body became feverish and hot just thinking about it. She quickly dismissed the thought and began to undress. She held the dress up to her to see how it would fit. It was a bit to snug but it worked for her small body frame.

The material felt like a cloud over her body. She had never had anything so expensive in her life. The feeling was a bit overwhelming. Not only the dress but the fact this stranger bought it for her. Nobody just buys a stranger a dress so expensive.

It made her not want to trust him. She sighed. She wanted to trust him. Something deep inside of her told her she could, but then she didn’t trust that. There was a breeze in the bathroom suddenly becoming colder.

She turned her head to see no one. The hair on the back of her neck began to stand up as she felt someone breathing down her back. /"Shadow?/" She whispered his name thinking it to be him. He walked up to the door.

/"You ok?/" He was outside the bathroom.

She turned around again paranoid. /"Yeah I’m fine I just wanted you to open the door to tell me how this dress looks./" He opened the door to see her posing for him. A smile lit on his face.

/"You look gorgeous, but if I may?/" He walked over to her and released her bun, allowing her hair to cascade down her back. /"You should keep your hair down. It is very beautiful./"

Sephora blushed, looking away from his mesmerizing gaze.

/"We should leave./" He held out his arm to escort her to the car. With every ounce of her being she tried not to like Shadow. From the way he smelled to his suit was incredibly sexy. His bad boy persona increased her interest in him more than anything else. If they were to be together…she winced at the thought.

But if they were she knew Shadow could handle her antics because she could be a handful. Her father had told her so many times. The man that would love her would be incredibly vigilant and strong with an extreme amount of patience. She laughed softly to herself at the thought.

/"Something amuse you?/"

Did she laugh out loud? She thought it was in her head. /"I’m just thinking about my father that’s all./" Shadow asked no further questions as she dismissed the conversation. /"How did you find out about this underground fighting place? I’ve lived in Las Vega for a long time and never heard of it./" She asked while they were inside the car.

/"I found it a couple months ago while searching for information on Armarria./" She winced.

/"Why I thought she was with your brother?/" he glanced over at her.

/"She is. She also appeared out of nowhere one day my twin brought her home with him. She had no past and we cannot afford to be reckless./" He still spoke in the present tense warning Sephora of his intention.

/"You seem like you don’t like her much./"

Shadow shook his head. /"It is rather complex./"

She tilted her head in curiosity. /"Try me./" He kept his head turned towards the road, but his eyes occasionally looked over at her as he explained.

/"I did not trust her. My brother has never liked a woman before not even once had I seen him look at one in that way until she came along. She was bad news to me because my brother was starting to become careless. Our family comes first above all else. I thought him weak so we fight a lot more now. Over a woman./"

Sephora took everything he said in, analyzing and observing. /"It sounds like you are afraid of losing your brother. Like one day him and Armarria will run away and he will forget about you. I get it me and my sister are really close and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. We were raised together even though we aren’t blood related. I think you should give Armarria a chance./"

Shadow thought for a moment. /"I have accepted their relationship more. She has proven she really loves Savion. I wish him the best./"

/"And what about you?/"

/"I loved once or what I thought was love. It will not happen again./"

Sephora for some reason felt heartbroken by his words. She lost all her hope she didn’t want to have. /"Yeah love who needs it./" She countered her disappointment with agreeance. Shadow glanced back to her as she kept the same look on her face, but yet disappointed on the inside. He could feel it which annoyed him.

/"Love just is not possible for me. People do not love their shadows. I am hidden meant to be in the background never seen. Love would just../" She threw her hands up.

/"Whoa. No need to explain yourself to me. I get it. You don’t want to love someone again because one woman hurt you. No that’s perfectly cool. I don’t have time for love anyways. Once I find my sister we are leaving this place for good./"

They rode in silence for a moment. Shadow’s face was grim as he stared dead ahead at the dusty road. Her disappointment resonated through him and caused him to want to explain himself to her to help her feel better, but it didn’t help. She was already determined to get away from him. That much he knew without the connection.

He wouldn’t stop her after his task was done. He would take her to Armarria and Savion allow them to talk to her about joining their side and leave her alone forever. The plan sounded great in Shadow’s mind, but he knew better. The connection was growing stronger every second they spent together. He wouldn’t be able to leave her alone.

The denial was strong, but he knew himself better than that. He would’ve given his life for Laura’s life had she not betrayed him. Shadow knew he was loyal to a fault and damn stubborn as a mule. The only people he only cared for were his family. The love he had for his parents had vanished with their death.

It broke him and Savion in different ways. His way was just to be a recluse and never trust anyone again. Savion’s way was to open up and heal. Even though Savion was arguably the most dangerous.

/"We have arrived./" He finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence.