Alright, I forgot this the first time and I apologize. It is in here now
before any real damage was done however ( This is the notorious DISCLAIMER
and the just as infamous SPOILER. To sum up, I don't own anything. I am
borrowing the entire Night World concept and characters from the head of
the almighty Lisa Jane Smith. Piper, Adrian, and any other characters you
can't seem to remember from her books are mine. Now for the spoiler:
basically, if you haven't read all of the Night World books, you won't
understand a few of the events that are strewn about this fic. Of course
it is your choice to read this or not, so…PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK AND
ENJOY.
Chapter Two
**Flashback to two years ago**
It's only one night, what's the worst that could happen? Piper bit her lower lip and sighed.
"Come on, Piper! I just have to wear my new leather miniskirt! It's adorable! I'll let you borrow some of my clothes. I know you can't turn down my Gucci skirt." Charity Sanders' sing-song voice whined through the other end of Piper's cordless phone. Charity had been Piper's best friend since second grade. Their birthdays were only a month apart. Charity's birthday had been last week and now they were both finally eighteen.
"Alright, you've convinced me. I'll go with you to that club of yours."
"YES! It's so cool! Better than the last one I took you to."
"You mean dragged me to!" Piper grinned and flopped down on her yellow comforter. Charity was the most boy-crazy person Piper knew. Every weekend it was a new dive or café to explore. If the guys passed Charity's inspections, she snagged one and then went back the following week to repeat the process.
"Well, it's about time you got back into the dating pool! You broke up with Josh three weeks ago, Girl. It's time to go out there in a slinky outfit and dive back in." Charity was one of those people who you could tell was smiling without even having to look at her face. This was one of those times.
"Well, I don't know. I'm not so eager to hook up with anybody just yet." Piper stared across the room at her vanity mirror covered with pictures that had holes in them where Josh's face used to be.
"Forget that! When have you ever known what's best for you? That's my job, Babe! So get your ass over here at eight tonight."
"Piper, dinner's ready!" Piper's step-mom, Joyce, yelled up the stairs.
"Hey, I have to go. Joyce concocted another potion that she wants to pass as food."
"I'm not letting you hang up until you agree that you're coming."
"Fine, see you at eight."
"Goodbye, Dear Friend."
"Bye, Psycho!" Piper laughed and punched the talk button. She padded down the white-carpeted stairs and into the kitchen.
"There you are! I almost thought you'd slipped out of the house and I hadn't noticed." Joyce smiled at Piper and patted a stray piece of graying brown hair behind her ear.
"Why'd we have to wait for her anyway?" Piper's half-brother, Mike, stuck his tongue out at his older sister.
"You're nine. You wouldn't understand the priorities in an eighteen-year- old girl's life." Joyce ruffled his dark hair and sat down at one end of the table. "Your father's working late tonight, but he called to say that he'll take you to the diamond tomorrow night."
"He promised! I have to practice my batting, Mom!" Mike looked close to tears. He'd learned right away that the quickest way to get what you want is to scream for it.
"Don't you worry, Mikey. You'll be the best batter on your team this year. Why don't you and I go to a movie tonight instead?" Joyce patted his shoulder and turned to look at Piper, who had just finished rolling her eyes.
"Would you like to come with us, Piper? It'd be a family outing." Joyce was trying so hard to win Piper's acceptance that it was written all over her face.
"Actually I'm going over to Charity's to stay the night. I should be home tomorrow afternoon, though." She reached for the bowl full of fruit salad.
"I told you that I don't think that girl's a good influence on you." Joyce stated grimly.
"She's a slut." Mike put-in happily.
"Michael, I don't want you using that kind of language. Charity is known as a bit promiscuous, Piper." Joyce reached for the pitcher of lemonade on Charity's left while Mike stuck out his tongue.
"Birds of a feather flock together." Mike sang out joyfully.
"Michael!" Joyce frowned at him, but didn't bother to refute his point.
"You always said I should involve myself with a variety of people. Charity's the diversity in my life." Piper gave Joyce one of her tight- lipped smiles and set down her fork. "Besides, I've known her a hell of a lot longer than you."
"Piper Elizabeth, that profanity will not be tolerated in my house!" Joyce rose up out of her chair and clutched the tablecloth until her knuckles turned white.
"It's my dad's house, not yours. I'm out of here." Piper stalked out of the kitchen and grabbed her black purse from the hall. She didn't grab a jacket because the weather had been very nice for New York City this time of year.
"Just wait until your father hears this! I can't believe that after all I've done you still treat me like a monster!" Joyce's shrieking could be heard as Piper ran down the steps of their brownstone.
The sidewalk was full of the usual citizens of The Big Apple. Piper's mother had always hated how crowded it was here. Everybody getting nowhere really fast, she'd used to say. Except that Piper's mother was dead and her daughter was currently on her way to spend the weekend with a notorious tramp. A rebellious current was flowing through her veins as she turned a corner. Maybe she would hook up with a random guy tonight and get herself impregnated. Joyce would have heart palpitations, Piper thought with a smirk. Of course she'd never do any such thing, but it was nice to think that she had the chance. She pulled her cell out and dialed up the town whore to tell her she was coming over two hours early.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I told you this place was bitchin'." Charity yelled over the earth- thumping music. The club was full of sweaty bodies and deafening noise.
"What's this place called again?" Piper shouted back as some guy in a leather suit grinned at her from across the dance floor.
Charity hiked her skirt up a little more and leaned back on her elbows to show off her cleavage. "The Black Iris. All of the guys here are to die for. Look at that one behind the bar for example. He's delicious." She licked her lips to demonstrate and gave him a flirty smile.
"You girls ordering anything?" The sandy-haired guy of Charity's affections asked.
"Depends what you'll serve me, sweetheart." Charity flipped her hair, and Piper recognized the signal that she was open for business. In about two minutes this guy would be serving her free alcohol and think she was a junior at NYU. Piper had seen it happen countless times.
"I'm going to go dance." Piper had to poke Charity hard in the ribs and repeat herself before her best friend acknowledged that she was leaving. She had no idea what song was playing – some primal beat with lots of bass. Anything was good enough for her. She'd always had smooth body movements that allowed her to look graceful and confident even when she fell down the stairs.
As she moved down into the strobe lights and smoke, a strange feeling came over her senses. She swayed to the music and thought, Charity was right—just about every person in this club could be an Abercrombie & Fitch model. They were all so fluid and beautiful. There were some occasional average-looking people, but they were surrounded by the beautiful ones.
That's nonsense. I just need a drink. The thought came to her clearly and distinctly. A drink would calm her nerves. She was just jittery about being single again. Piper stopped dancing in place and went over to the bar. Charity had wandered off to another side of the club to sit on the lap of some college guy. Piper found an empty bar stool and sat down.
"What do you want, Sweetheart?" A brunette girl who looked to be about twenty-three asked in a Brooklyn accent. She was about five foot eight and seemed to have the whole bartender look down.
"A water with lime, please." Piper gave her order and watched the girl behind the counter turn to get a glass.
"Oh, come now. Nobody goes to a club like this and drinks water. I'll have a scotch on the rocks, please." The voice was soft and intoxicating to Piper's senses. She glanced to her right where a young man had sat down without her noticing. He was fairly tall and broad-shouldered with curly, black hair and eyes. He had fairly tan skin and almost seemed to be of South American descent.
"You should at least try one of the house specialties." He flashed Piper a devilish grin and smeared on the charm.
"No thank you." She felt a tugging of some sort inside of her. This man made her breath speed up and her palms sweat. It was as if she were nervous just sitting next to him. An excited rush seemed to hum through her limbs and she felt the urge to flirt back.
"You may order anything you like—my treat."
"What's your name?" Piper asked, smiling at this handsome stranger.
"Adrian Redfern. Who might you be?"
"Piper. Since you seem to be such an expert on this matter, Adrian, why don't you order for me?" She crossed her long legs in his direction and let her hair tumble over her shoulder. After all, you don't spend ten years of your life with the town slut and not learn a thing or two. Not that Piper had a reputation as notorious as Charity's was. Piper was the extremely friendly and outgoing girl who just broke up with the pitcher of the baseball team. She wasn't really one for casual sex.
"In that case, might I suggest some dirty shots?" Adrian's eyebrows rose and he grinned wickedly.
Piper smiled back but wrinkled her nose. "I don't think so."
"Not a big drinker, I like that. You're a girl who likes to be in control of her own actions and words. Not really one for authority figures either. I love a girl with spirit." Adrian picked up his glass of scotch and downed the rest of it in one swallow.
Piper's smile slipped a little and she wondered about this guy. He was in black slacks and a black button-up shirt. Except that the first three buttons were undone. A feeling of tranquility washed over Piper then and she smiled back at Adrian.
Adrian set down his glass with a sigh and then turned to Piper with a fake expression of pondering. Suddenly he grinned with inspiration and turned to the bartending redhead. "I've got it. Two Bloody Mary's please."
The redhead gave Adrian a sly smile and went to fetch the drinks. Piper wasn't really paying attention to anything but the stranger next to her or she would have noticed the slight exchange. In this light, Adrian seemed almost god-like. He had black fathomless eyes and a well-built body. Raw sexual magnetism seemed to emanate from his body. Piper was starting to feel a thrum of excitement on her skin.
"Here you go, two Bloody Mary's." The redhead smirked and set down the glasses.
"Oh, I didn't want one. I don't care much for mixed drinks myself. These are both for you." Adrian pushed his glass over in front of Piper.
"Both of them? What makes you think I want this much to drink?" Piper looked at the glass doubtfully.
"Once you've tasted a Bloody Mary you simply have to have more. Believe me, one drink won't be enough." Adrian coaxed softly – and it wasn't.
Two Bloody Mary's and a shot of tequila later, Piper was dizzy enough that Adrian was supporting her on his lap.
The physical contact made her head spin even more.
"You smell really good." Piper leaned in to sniff his shirt just to demonstrate.
Adrian gave a small smile and then pulled out his wallet. He laid down a ten for the drinks and then stood up from the bar. Piper almost slipped onto the floor with a crash, but he held her by one arm almost effortlessly.
"Where are we going?" She asked with a slight slur. Although not completely drunk, she still didn't have a clear thought process right then.
"I'm calling for my driver." Adrian flipped out his cell phone and pushed a few buttons.
He must have been muttering into it, but Piper was too busy scanning the crowd for Charity. Where was that girl?
"Come on, Piper. It's time to go." Adrian steered her through the crowd of people and out the side door of the club.
"Wait, I have to find Charity. She's my ride home." Piper turned loosely in his hand, so he tightened his grip. "Hey, that hurts." She quit trying to look for Charity and rubbed her sore arm instead.
The night air was cool and breezy. Piper looked up at the stars and sighed. Well, she was sure the stars were there. The bright lights of the City That Never Sleeps tend to hinder such things. Just then a black limo pulled up in the front of the club.
"Get in, Piper." Adrian said sternly. Later, Piper would spend hours wondering why she simply obeyed and didn't even put up a fight. When she finally did ask Adrian about it, he'd said he'd been using a substantial amount of mind control on her at the time.
Piper climbed into the backseat right before Adrian did. Once the vehicle was in motion, Piper's head began to get even fuzzier.
"Where are we going, Adrian?" She asked sleepily.
"I'm taking you home, Piper; to your new home."
"I liked my old home." She frowned over this revelation and his face blurred at the edges.
"You'll like mine better." The last thing Piper saw was Adrian's unearthly face giving a self-satisfied grin as she slumped to the floor of the limo.
Chapter Two
**Flashback to two years ago**
It's only one night, what's the worst that could happen? Piper bit her lower lip and sighed.
"Come on, Piper! I just have to wear my new leather miniskirt! It's adorable! I'll let you borrow some of my clothes. I know you can't turn down my Gucci skirt." Charity Sanders' sing-song voice whined through the other end of Piper's cordless phone. Charity had been Piper's best friend since second grade. Their birthdays were only a month apart. Charity's birthday had been last week and now they were both finally eighteen.
"Alright, you've convinced me. I'll go with you to that club of yours."
"YES! It's so cool! Better than the last one I took you to."
"You mean dragged me to!" Piper grinned and flopped down on her yellow comforter. Charity was the most boy-crazy person Piper knew. Every weekend it was a new dive or café to explore. If the guys passed Charity's inspections, she snagged one and then went back the following week to repeat the process.
"Well, it's about time you got back into the dating pool! You broke up with Josh three weeks ago, Girl. It's time to go out there in a slinky outfit and dive back in." Charity was one of those people who you could tell was smiling without even having to look at her face. This was one of those times.
"Well, I don't know. I'm not so eager to hook up with anybody just yet." Piper stared across the room at her vanity mirror covered with pictures that had holes in them where Josh's face used to be.
"Forget that! When have you ever known what's best for you? That's my job, Babe! So get your ass over here at eight tonight."
"Piper, dinner's ready!" Piper's step-mom, Joyce, yelled up the stairs.
"Hey, I have to go. Joyce concocted another potion that she wants to pass as food."
"I'm not letting you hang up until you agree that you're coming."
"Fine, see you at eight."
"Goodbye, Dear Friend."
"Bye, Psycho!" Piper laughed and punched the talk button. She padded down the white-carpeted stairs and into the kitchen.
"There you are! I almost thought you'd slipped out of the house and I hadn't noticed." Joyce smiled at Piper and patted a stray piece of graying brown hair behind her ear.
"Why'd we have to wait for her anyway?" Piper's half-brother, Mike, stuck his tongue out at his older sister.
"You're nine. You wouldn't understand the priorities in an eighteen-year- old girl's life." Joyce ruffled his dark hair and sat down at one end of the table. "Your father's working late tonight, but he called to say that he'll take you to the diamond tomorrow night."
"He promised! I have to practice my batting, Mom!" Mike looked close to tears. He'd learned right away that the quickest way to get what you want is to scream for it.
"Don't you worry, Mikey. You'll be the best batter on your team this year. Why don't you and I go to a movie tonight instead?" Joyce patted his shoulder and turned to look at Piper, who had just finished rolling her eyes.
"Would you like to come with us, Piper? It'd be a family outing." Joyce was trying so hard to win Piper's acceptance that it was written all over her face.
"Actually I'm going over to Charity's to stay the night. I should be home tomorrow afternoon, though." She reached for the bowl full of fruit salad.
"I told you that I don't think that girl's a good influence on you." Joyce stated grimly.
"She's a slut." Mike put-in happily.
"Michael, I don't want you using that kind of language. Charity is known as a bit promiscuous, Piper." Joyce reached for the pitcher of lemonade on Charity's left while Mike stuck out his tongue.
"Birds of a feather flock together." Mike sang out joyfully.
"Michael!" Joyce frowned at him, but didn't bother to refute his point.
"You always said I should involve myself with a variety of people. Charity's the diversity in my life." Piper gave Joyce one of her tight- lipped smiles and set down her fork. "Besides, I've known her a hell of a lot longer than you."
"Piper Elizabeth, that profanity will not be tolerated in my house!" Joyce rose up out of her chair and clutched the tablecloth until her knuckles turned white.
"It's my dad's house, not yours. I'm out of here." Piper stalked out of the kitchen and grabbed her black purse from the hall. She didn't grab a jacket because the weather had been very nice for New York City this time of year.
"Just wait until your father hears this! I can't believe that after all I've done you still treat me like a monster!" Joyce's shrieking could be heard as Piper ran down the steps of their brownstone.
The sidewalk was full of the usual citizens of The Big Apple. Piper's mother had always hated how crowded it was here. Everybody getting nowhere really fast, she'd used to say. Except that Piper's mother was dead and her daughter was currently on her way to spend the weekend with a notorious tramp. A rebellious current was flowing through her veins as she turned a corner. Maybe she would hook up with a random guy tonight and get herself impregnated. Joyce would have heart palpitations, Piper thought with a smirk. Of course she'd never do any such thing, but it was nice to think that she had the chance. She pulled her cell out and dialed up the town whore to tell her she was coming over two hours early.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I told you this place was bitchin'." Charity yelled over the earth- thumping music. The club was full of sweaty bodies and deafening noise.
"What's this place called again?" Piper shouted back as some guy in a leather suit grinned at her from across the dance floor.
Charity hiked her skirt up a little more and leaned back on her elbows to show off her cleavage. "The Black Iris. All of the guys here are to die for. Look at that one behind the bar for example. He's delicious." She licked her lips to demonstrate and gave him a flirty smile.
"You girls ordering anything?" The sandy-haired guy of Charity's affections asked.
"Depends what you'll serve me, sweetheart." Charity flipped her hair, and Piper recognized the signal that she was open for business. In about two minutes this guy would be serving her free alcohol and think she was a junior at NYU. Piper had seen it happen countless times.
"I'm going to go dance." Piper had to poke Charity hard in the ribs and repeat herself before her best friend acknowledged that she was leaving. She had no idea what song was playing – some primal beat with lots of bass. Anything was good enough for her. She'd always had smooth body movements that allowed her to look graceful and confident even when she fell down the stairs.
As she moved down into the strobe lights and smoke, a strange feeling came over her senses. She swayed to the music and thought, Charity was right—just about every person in this club could be an Abercrombie & Fitch model. They were all so fluid and beautiful. There were some occasional average-looking people, but they were surrounded by the beautiful ones.
That's nonsense. I just need a drink. The thought came to her clearly and distinctly. A drink would calm her nerves. She was just jittery about being single again. Piper stopped dancing in place and went over to the bar. Charity had wandered off to another side of the club to sit on the lap of some college guy. Piper found an empty bar stool and sat down.
"What do you want, Sweetheart?" A brunette girl who looked to be about twenty-three asked in a Brooklyn accent. She was about five foot eight and seemed to have the whole bartender look down.
"A water with lime, please." Piper gave her order and watched the girl behind the counter turn to get a glass.
"Oh, come now. Nobody goes to a club like this and drinks water. I'll have a scotch on the rocks, please." The voice was soft and intoxicating to Piper's senses. She glanced to her right where a young man had sat down without her noticing. He was fairly tall and broad-shouldered with curly, black hair and eyes. He had fairly tan skin and almost seemed to be of South American descent.
"You should at least try one of the house specialties." He flashed Piper a devilish grin and smeared on the charm.
"No thank you." She felt a tugging of some sort inside of her. This man made her breath speed up and her palms sweat. It was as if she were nervous just sitting next to him. An excited rush seemed to hum through her limbs and she felt the urge to flirt back.
"You may order anything you like—my treat."
"What's your name?" Piper asked, smiling at this handsome stranger.
"Adrian Redfern. Who might you be?"
"Piper. Since you seem to be such an expert on this matter, Adrian, why don't you order for me?" She crossed her long legs in his direction and let her hair tumble over her shoulder. After all, you don't spend ten years of your life with the town slut and not learn a thing or two. Not that Piper had a reputation as notorious as Charity's was. Piper was the extremely friendly and outgoing girl who just broke up with the pitcher of the baseball team. She wasn't really one for casual sex.
"In that case, might I suggest some dirty shots?" Adrian's eyebrows rose and he grinned wickedly.
Piper smiled back but wrinkled her nose. "I don't think so."
"Not a big drinker, I like that. You're a girl who likes to be in control of her own actions and words. Not really one for authority figures either. I love a girl with spirit." Adrian picked up his glass of scotch and downed the rest of it in one swallow.
Piper's smile slipped a little and she wondered about this guy. He was in black slacks and a black button-up shirt. Except that the first three buttons were undone. A feeling of tranquility washed over Piper then and she smiled back at Adrian.
Adrian set down his glass with a sigh and then turned to Piper with a fake expression of pondering. Suddenly he grinned with inspiration and turned to the bartending redhead. "I've got it. Two Bloody Mary's please."
The redhead gave Adrian a sly smile and went to fetch the drinks. Piper wasn't really paying attention to anything but the stranger next to her or she would have noticed the slight exchange. In this light, Adrian seemed almost god-like. He had black fathomless eyes and a well-built body. Raw sexual magnetism seemed to emanate from his body. Piper was starting to feel a thrum of excitement on her skin.
"Here you go, two Bloody Mary's." The redhead smirked and set down the glasses.
"Oh, I didn't want one. I don't care much for mixed drinks myself. These are both for you." Adrian pushed his glass over in front of Piper.
"Both of them? What makes you think I want this much to drink?" Piper looked at the glass doubtfully.
"Once you've tasted a Bloody Mary you simply have to have more. Believe me, one drink won't be enough." Adrian coaxed softly – and it wasn't.
Two Bloody Mary's and a shot of tequila later, Piper was dizzy enough that Adrian was supporting her on his lap.
The physical contact made her head spin even more.
"You smell really good." Piper leaned in to sniff his shirt just to demonstrate.
Adrian gave a small smile and then pulled out his wallet. He laid down a ten for the drinks and then stood up from the bar. Piper almost slipped onto the floor with a crash, but he held her by one arm almost effortlessly.
"Where are we going?" She asked with a slight slur. Although not completely drunk, she still didn't have a clear thought process right then.
"I'm calling for my driver." Adrian flipped out his cell phone and pushed a few buttons.
He must have been muttering into it, but Piper was too busy scanning the crowd for Charity. Where was that girl?
"Come on, Piper. It's time to go." Adrian steered her through the crowd of people and out the side door of the club.
"Wait, I have to find Charity. She's my ride home." Piper turned loosely in his hand, so he tightened his grip. "Hey, that hurts." She quit trying to look for Charity and rubbed her sore arm instead.
The night air was cool and breezy. Piper looked up at the stars and sighed. Well, she was sure the stars were there. The bright lights of the City That Never Sleeps tend to hinder such things. Just then a black limo pulled up in the front of the club.
"Get in, Piper." Adrian said sternly. Later, Piper would spend hours wondering why she simply obeyed and didn't even put up a fight. When she finally did ask Adrian about it, he'd said he'd been using a substantial amount of mind control on her at the time.
Piper climbed into the backseat right before Adrian did. Once the vehicle was in motion, Piper's head began to get even fuzzier.
"Where are we going, Adrian?" She asked sleepily.
"I'm taking you home, Piper; to your new home."
"I liked my old home." She frowned over this revelation and his face blurred at the edges.
"You'll like mine better." The last thing Piper saw was Adrian's unearthly face giving a self-satisfied grin as she slumped to the floor of the limo.