Dark Layers Volume 2: Dark Layers Read online

  My mobile phone rings and I'm relieved to see it's Derek. I deflate into my chair and answer.

  "Dere..." I start to say but he interrupts me.

  "Anile, what the fuck is going on? Have you seen the papers?"

  "No why? Derek I need to talk to you, it's important." I say while twirling the office telephones cord through my fingers - I'm mentally hoping it will ring and Elijah will be on the other end.

  "It can't be more important than the News of The Worlds front page!"

  I try to swallow but my mouth's bone dry - as is my brain!

  "What's on the front page?" I ask in a shaky voice.

  "Where are you?" He asks quickly.

  "At the office."

  "Turn on your computer and look on The News of The World."

  I quickly switch on the Apple Mac and thankfully it loads quickly. I search for the news paper on Google and when it pops up, I mentally crash. Holy fucking shit!

  ADULTERY

  Is it a Sin When Separated From Your Spouse?

  ELIJAH DARKS

  - Currently Married -

  Self-Made Billionaire Bags a Hottie - ANILE GOODEN aged 22

  "Derek." I whisper. I am open-mouth shocked. Fuck this is bad, this is really, really bad.

  "You and Elijah are splashed everywhere Anile, and not just on that paper. What the hell is going on? Are you two an item?"

  "Derek I have to go." I mutter in a daze. I hang up, absolutely reeling. Fuck, what am I going to do? Do I ring the papers and set them straight? I have to! My father is going to kill me!

  I lean my elbows on the desk top while grasping my face in aggravation.

  Hester comes walking into my office with shock written all over her face. To my amazement, she's dressed in white - still owning her beautiful bright red lips and long dark brown hair, but still, she's dressed in bloody white!

  "Are you okay Anile?" She asks with a deep frown.

  I shake my head - my equilibrium has officially dumped me.

  "I don't know." I say, gazing up at her. My hands have now lost all knowledge of how to move. They are just resting on my desk top, limp and lifeless.

  "Mr. Darks informed me that you will no longer be working here," she says, still looking confused, "please tell me you have seen the papers?" She gasps.

  "I have literally just seen them. Hester, I do not know what to do; do you think I should ring the papers and set them right on their stories?"

  "No," she forces with a prompt voice, "let Mr. Darks take care of the press Anile - I am pretty sure he is already dealing with shutting them down. Are you still working here then?"

  "No... yes... I don't know. I have just given my signed contracts to Jezebel but now I think I'll take them back and leave."

  "It will be too late; Jezebel will have posted them into Mr. Darks' office by now. Did Mr. Darks sign his part on the contracts?"

  "What?" I shout, eyes agape. I get up from my seat in a frenzy. I try to run to Jezebel's reception desk.

  "Anile, stop," she insists while gripping my arm, "did Mr. Darks sign the papers before you?"

  "Yes, I think so - I cannot remember." I break free from her grip. Did he sign them?

  "It is too late then; you will not be able to leave here without a good reason until your contract is up."

  "Elijah does not want me working here - he sacked me."

  "That was before you signed your life over to him." She whispers almost too low. I barely hear her.

  "They are working contracts; I did not sign my soul to the devil."

  She huffs sarcastically which rings my alarm bells. "Did you read the conditions on termination of contracts?" She asks serious.

  "No why?"

  Shaking her head in aggravation, she drops a bomb. "Anile, you should always read the small print. Mr. Darks states that, 'all Lawyers are bound by law to finish the cases that are submitted to them. Under no circumstances are you allowed to quit a case that has been submitted to you. If a Lawyer quits a case before they have finished it, Darks Lawyers will sue for all obtainable assets from the Second Party or those financially responsible for the Second Party. That Second Party is you, Anile."

  Holy shit!

  "I did not see that." I whisper breathless.

  "I think that is why he gave you such a high profile case - the Timothy Allen case - to insure you couldn't leave without just cause. Anile, Mr. Allen is one of our best customers, and he's so damn famous - I thought the idea of Mr. Darks handing you one of his cases was bizarre."

  "I have to see if Jezebel has given the contracts to him." I say.

  I walk fast out of my office. I reach Jezebel's desk. Fuck, she's nowhere to be seen, neither are the contracts - double crap! Leaning against the reception desk for support, I succumb to my tears. I cup my face for comfort.

  "Anile." Hester joins me with a sympathetic hand on my shoulder, "come back into your office. You look exhausted and we should talk. I am worried about you."

  She wraps her arm around my shoulder - I peer up at her affectionately. I follow her while tears continue to prick my eyes. Why did I have to rush this, why didn't I just wait a few days and decide what to do about my job with a clear head? Because you thought you could outsmart him, stupid! If I had known the press would be all over Elijah and I, I definitely would not have come back to work. I cannot have people digging into my past - finding out about my mother - shit, my father is going to kill me.

  I sit in my chair, still fighting back my tears. Hester kneels down in front of me. Her expression is harrowing.

  "Are you okay? What's going on Anile?" She holds my hands gently in hers, resting them on my knees, showing me tenderness. She reminds me so much of my warm loving mother. She frowns. "Why do you seem so caught up in something all-consuming?"

  "Hester, I don't know if I am allowed to tell you. I signed that NDA."

  I would love to tell her about that house; Elijah and his mother; him sacking me because I am a virgin; my aching chest - but I know I cannot.

  "Okay, do not tell me, you will get in trouble," she frowns deeply, "Anile, I think, if you can somehow manage it - find a way out - you should leave your job and start afresh. I did warn you off Mr. Darks and -" she's interrupted.

  "Did you now?" Elijah snaps.

  Chapter Two

  I LOOK UP AT Elijah with a weak expression. He's standing in my door way; one shoulder against the frame; one hand in his pocket, and he's nibbling that damn lip. I sink into the depths of the earth - holy shit! He looks good; he's wearing that navy blue three piece suit again. My mouth waters; my heart rate picks up to a dangerous speed; my palms sweat.

  "Hester back to work!" He orders with clenched teeth. He looks like a crook with harrowing eyes.

  Hester looks scared. She pulls her tail between her legs in defeat. She leaves without so much as a goodbye, squeezing past Elijah in the door way. This only makes me more nervous; what the hell is going to happen now? Stay composed and try to maintain control! Ha, yeah, right!

  Once the door is closed, Elijah walks towards me and starts circling me, slowly pacing around my desk. His hands are hanging limply by his sides, his head is hunched - he's confused as I knew he would be. I can feel sweat pooling all over my body and I am officially fire engine red! Shit!

  "I thought I told you to leave your job and that I will have your things sent to you?"

  Bastard!

  "Well, I do not take life changing orders from you, Sir." I snap.

  He stops dead in front of me. He strangely smiles tenderly while cocking his head to one side.

  "As I can see. You look tired Anile, your soft blue eyes look glazed and made of steel; maybe you should go home and rest."

  "I can function on minimal sleep, Sir."

  He shakes his head in defeat. He moves to the window and stands staring out of it, looking like the King of England himself.

  "Do you know that you are mentally vulnerable if you are tired?"

  "What?" I ask confused. My
eyes follow him to the window.

  "That is how they programme soldiers. Sleep deprivation; you are automatically open to hypnotization by one who knows how to perform the task."

  "What on earth are you waffling on about? I don't care about all that crap Elijah."

  "I know you do not, but you should."

  "Is there a valid working point to this Elijah? Because I am busy, I need to start work."

  He itches just under his left eye before lightly pointing at me."I told you that you cannot work here Anile, you need to leave."

  This man is mind fucking me, playing reverse psychology to perfection - less than five minutes ago I was desperate to leave because of the press and the bizarre contracts, but now - because he is trying to lay down orders - I want nothing more than to do the opposite of his desires. I somehow think this is what he wants though, and he's playing me like a fiddle!

  "Show me a Law that states you can sack me on the grounds of me being a virgin and then I will go willingly." I snap. I flash him a winning grin - I have my phone in my hand and I'm recording him; this will teach him, the Bastard.

  "Touché." He jokes.

  I lean back into my chair exhausted.

  "You are very taxing Elijah; I honestly do not have the mental power for you today. Unless you have appropriate grounds for dismissal, please leave my office."

  "I am taxing!" He snaps annoyed. He turns to face me looking sinister - his eyes are onyx black and his mouth is set in a firm line. "You have raised the bar for me Anile. You fight with yourself to stay away; then you give into your desires, and because I do not want to take advantage of you, you want to play games? I can assure you, whatever games you are intending on starting, I will finish them and you will soon realize that I am not worth it."

  I am playing games? Bastard! What planet does he live on?

  "Do not flatter yourself! I'm not here on your account, I need this job; I have student loans to pay off, I have an apartment to pay for and I need to live Elijah."

  I can feel a lump rapidly growing in my throat. I try hard to push it back but tears prick my eyes, so I turn away from him and try to busy myself.

  "I will take care of your loans and your apartment, and I will have another job for you to start by Monday Princess."

  I'm furious! Heat burns the inside of my tummy because of my rising anger.

  "You cannot pay me off!" I point a firm narrowed finger at him. "Who do you think you are?" I scream as I get to my feet. "You know what? Stick your fucking job!" I snap. I grab my briefcase and aim to leave.

  "Anile - stop!" He orders.

  "You just fucking told me to leave!" I scream. My hands are squeezed into fists. I feel like thrusting them into his damn face!

  "Stop this Anile, now!"

  "Why? Will you spank me?"

  He gasps from behind me. He's holding his breath. I turn around and now the flood gates have opened.

  "You cannot order me around Elijah. You want me gone so, 'alakazam', I am gone." I finish as tears pool down my face. I want to grab my face but my hands are locked into fists still.

  He comes rushing over to me and grabs me in his arms. Oh, this is home - NO, no it's not! Why oh why do I feel so damn good in his arms?

  "Please do not cry Anile. I am sorry. You are just so... innocent; you are a Princess to me and I do not want to be responsible for your undoing. Please try to understand." He whispers as he kisses my forehead. I lean into him, welcoming the comforting feeling. His scent, oh his spicy enigmatic scent mentally captures me - but I know I have to leave. I slowly peel myself out of his soft grip. Oh no, loneliness - I can feel it heavy in my chest.

  "I'm going to leave. Do not even think about paying anything for me and I will find my own job. Thank you for the opportunity Mr. Darks and good day to you, Sir." I finish.

  He stares down at me with pity, also with something else - sadness? I have to go. I wipe my face with the back of my hand and stand strong as I turn to leave.

  "What are you going to do Anile?" He whispers.

  "I am going to get stinking drunk and try to erase you from my memories; and maybe, just maybe, I will wake up tomorrow no longer a virgin." I smile sarcastically.

  "You wouldn't dare!" He warns.

  "Try me."

  For some reason I just want to be nasty to him. He's hurt me so badly; I just want the pain to stop.

  "I will shut you down Anile, believe me!" He threatens.

  Oh really!

  "There is no pleasing you, and to be frank, I am glad I will no longer be nested in your dark den! You cannot do anything to me anymore, I no longer work for you!"

  He comes right up to me, almost touching my nose with his. His gaze is penetrating. His sensual smell is off-putting, teasing, torturing! Stay focused Gooden!

  "You have been warned Anile." He whispers, staring into my eyes with a hooded expression.

  Failing miserably to maintain control, I close my eyes. I keep them closed like a small child until I can sense he has moved away from me. Once I feel he is distant enough, I open my eyes and narrow them at him.

  I try to hurt him again, "well, you are already labelled a Bastard so why stop the habit of a lifetime? Your pain is now my pain - thanks!"

  I storm past him and he strangely grabs my arm with tenderness.

  "I care for you, don't you understand?" He begs with a deep frown.

  I look up at him, compelled by his stare. We feed off of one another for a few seconds. I hate that I have these feelings for him. I just want him, in every way. This heaviness that lingers in my chest seems to weigh more with each time we see one another. Why is it so dam hard? Love, relationships, they should not be this strenuous.

  He releases a huge sigh and gives up with my lack of words.

  "Goodbye Anile."

  Goodbye? You Bastard! I snatch my arm back - annoyed that he could give up so easily - and I leave. No more words, no more visible tears for him.

  Thankfully he doesn't follow me; he just stands still - like stone.

  As I step over my office threshold, this vague feeling washes over me and I wonder; did I imagine all his mind control? Was this all me - mentally fucking myself with my over analytical, overbearing imagination? Nervous butterflies flutter desperately trying to escape this strange emotion. Somehow, I keep walking away; I don't steal any glances from behind me, I just keep moving forward.

  I barely acknowledge the lift down, and when I finally arrive on the ground level, I'm annoyed at the sneaky eyes that are upon me.

  "No I am not dating Mr. Darks, so you can all resume your normal working pattern!" I snap in the hall. I gather all the dignity I have left and I leave.

  Once I get outside of Darks Lawyers, I relish in the free feeling as the coldness of London escalades over my skin. This is an absolute joke how trapped and controlled Elijah can make me feel! I rush and arrive in the underground, thankful that my train is here waiting. I push my way on between the busy working class citizens and sit on one of the awful blue seats next to an old woman who keeps eyeing me. I know she can see my red rimy eyes, so I try not to look at her - I cannot take pity from a stranger, it would be my undoing.

  I'm bitterly disappointed that my first job has turned out so badly, and that my... relationship, with Elijah has also. We were just starting to make progress, just starting to form a proper relationship - I think. I have basically suffered for nothing.

  Once I get off of the train, my thoughts plummet to below freezing – a feeling of - missing someone so much that you almost feel sick - makes an appearance. I have to hold my breath so I do not feel that horrid lump in my throat. I know that I'm just inches away from falling apart.

  I finally get home and feel somewhat safer; safe from everything that has happened and now I feel like I can let my emotions out. I reach my apartment lobby and once the lift pings open, I see Derek pacing back and forth.

  "Anile. I have been waiting for you. I rang the office and some lady told me that you have left
and that you no longer work for Darks Lawyers."

  "That is correct." I mumble before I break into tears. I slowly walk towards him with my face cupped in my hands.

  "Oh Sweetie. Was it that bad? Why did you leave?" He says tenderly while walking towards me.

  "Derek, he doesn't want me, he doesn't want me." I cry.

  "Come on, let's get you inside and you can tell me all about it." He gently grips my shoulder to offer me comfort.

  I open my front door and Derek immediately leads me into my bedroom. He still has one affectionate hand on my shoulder.

  "You look tired and you need to sleep Anile. I will wait here for you, don't worry." He promises in a sympathetic voice. "Why doesn't he want you?"

  "Because I'm a virgin." I confess still sobbing. I sit on the edge of my bed, completely broken by Elijah's words that haunt my memory.

  "Is that some kind of a joke?" He lowers himself down on the bed next to me with awareness; he's worried, really, really worried.

  I shake my head defeated. He takes my face, wiping my tears away with the soft pads of his thumbs.

  "That is fucked Anile. What does he want? For you to be some kind of whore to have his acceptance?"

  "I don't know, I don't understand Derek. I have saved my virginity for someone special; after everything my father did to my mother - well you know why."

  "I know." He whispers defeated. "Go to sleep, all this will seem a little better after you have rested Sweetie."

  I lift my heavy legs atop of the bed and lay my head in his lap. I stare into space with my sore red eyes; I'm so confused. Why do I feel like this? I know it isn't love, how can I love someone in just over a week? I feel my emotions growing into anger; rejection is a bitch. He has fucked me in the head when I promised I wouldn't let him control me.