Dangerous Beauty Sexy Beast

By Dariel Raye

Drayden saved her life— but her incessant need for vengeance could mean the end of his.

 

Thirteen years after the brutal murder of Treva Evers' entire family, a cloaked stranger shows up just in time to save her from the same fate. When he disappears as quickly as he appeared, she is drawn into an underworld replete with magic and long forgotten customs, a place where nothing is as it seems, including her mysterious savior, and every word or action could result in brutal consequences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dariel Raye
• Release date: Mar 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201038700

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Copyright

© 2018 Dariel Raye All rights reserved.

WARNING: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

The scanning, uploading, and/or distribution of this book via the internet or any other means without the copyright holder’s permission is illegal and punishable by law, Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Editor: Leanore Elliott

Cover: L’Adagio Press

Contains intense, explicit sex scenes, coarse language, and violence.

Dedication

Thank you to my supportive readers, reviewers, author friends, and special thanks to Dariel’s Den and VIP Book Club members.

To your inner child, lots of good, a touch of spice, the one who never quite fit in anywhere except in books, stories, and dreams, I sincerely hope you never leave that part of you behind. For your self-in-progress, unique, priceless, the one who still loves to read and sometimes doubts, but endeavors to overcome challenges every day, dream bigger, challenge better, strengthen your armor with compassion, and make each moment worthy of life. Your legacy is yet to be fulfilled.

Drayden saved her life— but her incessant need for vengeance could mean the end of his.

Thirteen years after the brutal murder of Treva Evers’ entire family, a cloaked stranger shows up just in time to save her from the same fate. When he disappears as quickly as he appeared, she is drawn into an underworld replete with magic and long forgotten customs, a place where nothing is as it seems, including her mysterious savior, and every word or action could result in brutal consequences.

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Chapter One

Nothing helped get the day started like the welcoming scent of dark roasted coffee. For most people, the day was coming to an end, but it was just beginning for Treva Evers. She faced the challenge of another night with a long, leisurely cat-stretch before dragging herself to the bathroom to apply a quick facial mask and brush her teeth. Then she padded into the kitchen, grateful to the inventors of timed coffeemakers and Seattle’s Best. Some days and nights were life-changing, and this would be one of them. The realization was undeniable the moment she awoke, aware that a new challenge had begun. Prepared or not, exhilaration rolled along every nerve, muscle, and joint like a deep tissue massage, propelling her forward. It had been over two months since her last kill, and she was itching to get back to work.

After sipping her last drop of liquid energy, she slipped the coffee mug and prized coffeemaker back into her shoulder bag. In addition to the coffee cup, the pink leather bag held one microwave-safe covered plate, one multi-purpose terra ceramic pan, and a set of stainless steel utensils. The small bag fit neatly into a rollaway with compartments for each category of her necessities, including her 11" laptop with a hidden IP address provided by her benefactor. Since she was always packed for a fast getaway, there was no room in her life for extra baggage of any kind. The refrigerator that had come with the furnished apartment remained empty, and with the exception of coffee, a giant Hershey’s chocolate bar, and peanut butter crackers, her white kitchen cabinets simply served as decorative woodwork. She bought fresh produce, prepared her meals each day, and gave whatever leftovers she had to the stray cats and dogs that always seemed to find her no matter where she lived.

Continuing her daily ritual, she pulled the laminated, aged magazine article from a hidden compartment in her bag, sliding her fingers over it reverently. The encapsulated picture of her mother, father, and three brothers always pulled her right back into that moment, a whirlwind of loss, pain, and upheaval, yet she returned to it regularly, as if she needed the reminder:

Renowned archaeologist, Daniel Evers, his wife, Kiswanna, and their three sons, Daniel III, Knight, and Kamau, were found dead in their Pensacola, FL home yesterday at 4:30 p.m. Daniel was known for his contributions to the British Museum, the Smithsonian, and a number of others. Dr. Kiswanna Ungoji Evers gave up a high-level position as a physicist and geologist to start a family. She worked as a librarian. The case is under investigation...

Her favorite ocean sounds CD, also on automatic timer, blared to life, drawing her attention back to the present, and she assumed a scissor-like supine position on the hardwood floor to begin her 60-minute evening drill. She had developed the drill over time to strengthen every muscle and joint in her body. From this position, even her pinky was forced to gain strength and hold its own. She had always been small in stature, and she’d trained long and hard so every pound would exert more force than its actual weight. She remembered sparring with her older brothers. Treva smiled as she thought about them teasing her. Daniel, the eldest, lovingly called Trey, along with Knight, and Kamau would take turns lifting her upside down with one arm, then force her to free herself from their grips. Later in life, their embarrassing pranks had paid off time and time again, as she had yet to find a situation she couldn’t get out of.

Ignoring stiff muscles, sustained injuries, and groaning sore spots, she allowed the sounds from the CD to take her mind elsewhere. Ever since the day she had returned to find the remains of her family, ripped apart and strewn from one end of their home to the other, the course and purpose of her life had been determined.

Long before the consideration of dreams, desires, or interests, this reality had become hers, and the thought of her quest being over, having choices and possibly finding some semblance of normalcy, left her confused and lost—a lion with no pride, a shell of whomever she was to become.

Without the mission to avenge the massacre of her family, Treva had no purpose. 

Following her workout, she filled the bathroom sink with ice, then stepped into the shower, adjusting the temperature to the hottest level she could stand. As the hot, steamy water struck her aching muscles, she let out a moan, dropped her head, and hung her body wash on the resin shower dispenser to soap her hands with an ongoing stream of fragrant Japanese Cherry to lure her prey. She then slid her soapy palms over her rounded breasts, down her ribcage, then her narrow waist, along her full hips, and down her lower belly. She splayed her fingers through the manicured, soft, dark curls leading to her silky folds. Shifting, she rose up to meet her slippery fingers for the welcome massage, then braced one hand against the tile while gently vibrating her other palm against her clit.

Rolling her hips in a slow, indulgent rhythm, she thrust two fingers inside and pressed them against her slick inner walls seeking a much-needed release that never came. As minute after minute ticked away following her self-induced moments of pleasure and subsequent frustration, she imagined how much more fulfilling the moment could be if shared with the right man, but quickly dismissed the fantasy. Out of necessity, her sexual encounters with men had been brief, purely physical, and less than satisfying, and she couldn’t foresee that changing in the near future.

Grateful for every bit of pleasure she could find, even when she had to provide it for herself, she focused on her mission for the night and stepped out of the shower. She wiped the mirror to clear away the steam, and as usual, the moisture had nearly cleaned off her facial mask for her and melted most of the ice in the sink. She took a deep breath, held it, then dunked her face in what was left of the ice, shaking her head from side to side in the icy water to the count of 30 seconds. Patting her face dry, she thought about the many times she’d said growing up that she would never subject herself to this madness. Goodness! The things we women go through just to try to look good. Men would never survive it.

She sighed, dreading the facial excavation, but catching the eye of the wrong kind of man, one in particular, in fact, was imperative to her success. She picked up the makeup sponge and got to work. She spent most of her time accentuating her dark eyes, leaving the come-hither lips technique for last by adding a warm, nearly translucent shade of gloss that just begged to be licked and tasted. Once finished, she removed her fitted, red surplice mini-dress from its place in her disposable hanging bag, slipped it over her head, then covered her long tresses with a curly, light auburn bob. She finished the look with trademark Manolo Blahniks – sexy, yet strong enough to run in, not that she planned on running. In fact, she wasn’t planning to take any prisoners. She grabbed her tote, set her security alarm, and left the apartment. 

Besides a few people still trying to make their way to the parade, the night seemed unusually quiet for Mardi Gras season. Less than an hour later, she arrived at her destination, eagerly seeking answers to why her internal radar incessantly alerted her to the fact that this night would change her life forever. Whether the change would