Surface Below: Dark Secrets (The Surface Below Book 1) (2 page)

He went on to check his stocks, happily surprised that a couple turned out to be a good sell. And he had turned a nice profit.

As he clicked through and purchased some promising ones, he recalled a distant memory. Not so distant college years. It made him realize it had been five years since he’d graduated. William had been two years into his English Lit degree and already losing interest. He had loved books and had an arsenal against the wall next to him to prove it. Everything from Poe to King had lined the shelves. But college in general hadn’t interested him. Partying and the girls is what had kept him lingering around.

By that point, William had cut himself off from his mother and the people who cared for him. Which meant he had cut himself off from the money. He had done it to himself. William knew even through the rebellious years his mother would have given him money. And at times she had insisted but he didn’t want it. And then a curious professor had taken the young William under his wing. Turning him into his little protégé.

The man had taught him all he needed to know to play the money game. Buying, selling, and waiting patiently. Not exactly one of his strongest attributes. It had seemed odd to William, at the time, that the professor had even taken an interest in him. But no matter the reasons, William had benefited from it. It wasn’t until he graduated from college that the professor had revealed to William who he was.

Benton Bancroft, a Bottom inhabitant by night and Surface dweller by day. The man was a Conjurer just as William’s mother was. William only carried half of that gene, inheriting the rest from his father, the vampire. And he embraced that vampire side with very little left to give his Conjurer.

Benton had given William the knowledge and resources he needed to become a Drifter, to be able to walk away from the Bottom life and live comfortably on the Surface. And that’s exactly what William had done. His visits to the Bottom became scarce. He lived his life on the Surface among a species he appreciated.

Tired and sore, he finally retreated back to his bedroom. He didn’t bother closing the door. Letting the towel drop to the floor, he climbed into the welcoming embrace of his king size bed. Before drifting off to sleep he wondered if he should go out that night. He knew he would, but still he wondered if he should.

Time for a change.

The sun was already flirting with the sky when Becca climbed into the comforts of a hot shower. Her feet sore and throbbing, her lower back aching. Hot water ran down her body and over her sore muscles, calming them and washing away the night’s drunken advances.

Stepping out, she came face to face with a soft blue-eyed girl. Dark red hair framed her face, curls wet and running water down to her shoulders. She worried she had lost that person but here she stood, looking at her. Her own reflection. Pulling her hair up and securing in a mess, she turned off the light and went for the door.

The house had quickly quieted down as Becca passed the rooms, one by one, turning off the lights. Reaching the end of the hall; on the far side of the house, she peered into the room across from hers. A smile crept up on her as she eyed the bed. Z, her cousin, was already curled up with his arms wrapped around her best friend Nikki. She was more like a sister though. The two were already fast asleep.

It had been a long night at the bar. Too many college students crammed in, all too eager to catch the football games. Two waitresses had called in, leaving Nikki and Becca. And Z had run back and forth from the storage room to the bar, restocking as fast as he could.

Becca switched off the hall light and turned to look into the blackness that now filled the house. On the other side of the house her Uncle Danny was in his room, not sleeping, but quietly tucked away in his bed with a book. This was her family. And it made a smile grow to touch the corners of her lips.

Softly closing the door, she went over to her bed. It was small. Just big enough for her bed, night stand and dresser. The white walls made the room bright. A few pictures decorated the walls. One was of a country farm with a big beautiful house and red barn. It was her favorite one. It had been a gift from her uncle. He had told her it was the old Marks Farm. An old family friend, he would say. A family he grew up with and spent most of his own childhood and teen years with.

Sitting down on the edge of her bed, she glanced over at the picture on the night stand. A heavy sigh passed her lips as she reached for it. It rested in her hand against her lap. The man and woman in the frame stared back. Tears stung at her eyes and her bottom lip quivered like a child’s. The woman was beautiful and full of joy. The man’s eyes were glowing with love.

Wiping the tears away, she placed it back in its place on the stand and slipped under the pink comforter of the twin size bed. As she turned out the light, Becca blew a soft kiss to the picture, “Good Night mom and dad, I love you.”

It was early afternoon before Becca woke up. She was still tired and sore from the prior night’s shift. And sleep hadn’t been peaceful. Dreams had filled her mind. Some were of her parents and others of a dark place. A place she dreamt of often. It was a city but she knew it wasn’t of this world. Skyscrapers filled the horizon, the sound of waves breaking against the shore filled the air, and in the distance, a grand castle. It stood above it all, on a rocky surface. A moon so bright it couldn’t possibly be from this world. And she stood over it all. As if it were hers for the taking.

Becca pushed the dream from her mind and slipped from her bed.

As she made her way through the house, it was still quiet. Z and Nikki were still very much asleep. Like every morning, she searched the space next to the door, noting that her Uncle Danny’s keys were already gone. He was at the bar preparing for another night.

Becca went into the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards to find coffee. The kitchen was functional. A small four-chaired table sitting on the opposite side in a small nook. Windows surrounding it. The kitchen was minimally stocked with appliances. The basics: a fridge, stove, microwave and of course a coffee pot. And Becca was sure they had a toaster somewhere.

Waiting for the carafe to fill with just enough to make a cup, Becca went for the back door. It was bright outside and already humid. She squinted against the light as she pulled open a storage door, inside the laundry room. An empty basket sat in front of the dryer and Becca opened the door, loading the clothes into it. Behind her on a small counter sat a basket ready for the wash. She rolled her eyes, already picking it up and dumping the dirty clothes into the washer.

“Sure, Becca will do it for you,” she mumbled, pouring a capful of detergent into the washer and dropping the lid down. Its sound resonating through the room.

In the kitchen, with a fresh brewed cup of coffee, Becca took to folding the laundry. She did most of the housework for her family. It was a love-hate relationship. On one hand Becca adored her family, but she wondered how they would function without her. But she appreciated the small sliver of personal time. It was uncommon in their home. Had been since they were six years old. About the time her Uncle took both Nikki and Becca in.

The sound of shuffling feet brought her back to reality, pulling her from the far-off time. Looking up, she caught sight of Z. The vision of a zombie, dragging one foot, trying to make its way across a large field to catch a meal, came to mind. She scrunched her nose and giggled. In Z’s case it was making it across the tiled kitchen floor to the coffee pot.

“Good morning.” She said. He made a sound but nothing that resembled a coherent word.

“Ugh…”

It only added to the zombie picture in her mind. Giggling again, she propped the laundry basket on her hip and went to place a singular kiss on his cheek. Again he grunted. She gave him a once over. His brown hair was sporting an interesting squished and wild bed head. She reached up and pulled a mug down, and placed it in front of him.

“It’s hot, don’t forget this time.” She enjoyed taunting him. Patting him on the back, she left the room and went to finish the chores.

The afternoon went by too quickly, and Becca found herself in front of the mirror fixing her hair and doing her makeup. Grabbing for her eyeliner, she looked up to see Nikki standing in the door, already primped and ready for another night at Tony’s.

Friday and Saturday nights were their busiest nights and
Tony’s had a reputation in this town. Good old Raymont, GA. A town known for its fishing, hunting, bed and breakfasts and yes, even ghost stories. People flocked there this time of year. Fall time. Tony’s was the place to be.

“Hey you, I see you’re already perfectly beautiful for tonight,” Becca noted, applying the eyeliner. Nikki rolled her eyes and went over to her, taking the pencil from her hand. Expertly she began applying it for her. “What are you doing?”

“Keeping us from being late.” She half laughed, moving to the other eye. Style and fashion came naturally to her where Becca was insecure.

Nikki’s long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her tan skin was beginning to lose its beautiful summer glow, but not that anyone would notice. She was everything Becca wished she could be. Physically, that was. Becca had always wanted the body Nikki had. Growing up together, from the tender age of six, when Danny finally took Nikki in, Becca had wished she could be one tenth the beauty Nikki was.

It was all in her head though. She was every bit as beautiful as Nikki. Her gorgeous red curls were something to be envious about. And the fierce, deep blue eyes that contrasted against her pale, lightly freckled skin left most guys panting. Becca didn’t see it that way though.

“We wouldn’t have been late.” She took the pencil from her and tossed it up on the counter. Nikki sighed heavily and turned Becca to look in the mirror. With her arms around her from behind, she hugged her tightly.

“Becca, you’re beautiful. No matter what you think. Stop trying so hard to be someone you’re not. You’re Becca and that’s all you need to be.” She kissed her on the cheek. “Now come on, let’s get to work.

Nikki skipped out of the bathroom and left Becca staring at herself. She knew what Nikki had said was true, but there was still that self-doubt in the back of her mind. It made her wonder if she’d feel the same way if she had grown up with a mother. Maybe if she’d had the encouragement only a mother could give. Becca gave a heavy sigh and pushed off from the counter. She would never know what growing up with a mother would be like, and she was tired of wondering about it.

“Becca!” Danny yelled from the back room. “Did you order those extra cases of beer?”

A smile grew on Becca’s face and she appeared in the doorway of the storage room. He was holding a clipboard and staring at the crates of beer.

“Yes Uncle Danny, I did. Should be here later tonight. We have plenty to get us through till then.”

Her uncle looked down at the cases again and started counting them. Mentally counting each one, doing the math in his head and looking back down at his clipboard.

“Alright, tell Z to make sure the bar is fully stocked.” He didn’t look up.

“Z…”

She didn’t even get it out before he was already throwing his hands up, coming towards her.

“I heard…I heard.” He half smiled, squeezing past her. “Good thing he’s my dad because otherwise, I’d probably have knocked him out by now.”

Becca chuckled and leaned onto the bar. Shaking her head, she gave the back room a sideways glance. There was comfort when Z was frustrated. Especially with his dad. It made it home. Of course the bar and Uncle Danny had always been home, but the loss of both of her parents, so young, still made her question her path and where she belonged.

“Nah, you wouldn’t.” No one was there to hear it.

It was the same routine every Friday night. Danny would stress about how much inventory they had, how much coverage the bar had, who was on the floor, which bartender was on the bar, etc. If there was something he could worry about, he would. But that was Danny. Next to his children that bar was his life, and without it he wouldn’t be who he was.

Nikki appeared from the other side of the bar, where the hall and bathrooms were. She walked the length of the bar and leaned against the bar facing Becca.

“Nikki, you good on tables, right?”

“As always.” Nikki smiled, checking her hair in the mirror on the back of the bar.

“Good because we reopen in about 30 minutes,” she told her and the rest of the staff that had begun to trickle in from the back room. “So make sure your areas are good to go.”

By day, Tony’s was open for breakfast and lunch, and then closed for the afternoon, only reopening for the bar crowd Thursday through Sunday.

Becca made a round of the bar, switching on the flat screens as she went. Counters lined the front and back walls, high top tables in the middle, pool tables to the back, and some booths beyond them. The bar itself was centered between the hall and storage room door. Passing back through the bar, she eyed the liquor bottles, ensuring none were empty or about to be. Just as she finished, her phone went off. Fishing into her apron, she pulled it out but didn’t bother to check who it was.

“Hello?”

“Ha, you’re finally taking my calls?” The voice made her skin crawl and she cringed.

She sighed at the voice, now wishing she had checked the caller ID. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

“What do you want, Davin?” she asked as diplomatically as she could muster. Securing the phone between her ear and shoulder, she reached for two empty bottles and tossed them into the trash. The sound of them clanging together echoed through the empty bar.

“You done giving me the silent treatment?”

“Not a chance, you just need to fuck off already.”

Memories flooded her mind. He had always gotten too aggressive with her, and the fight that had ended it all had been monumental, but over something so frivolous. Davin was the kind of guy who felt women were there to serve and be obedient. It was subtle at first; he wouldn’t hit her, but his grip would get tighter and tighter. And finally one day he lost it and his fist had come down hard on her face. She tried to rationalize it but she got tired of hiding the bruises. The last fight provided a way out for her, and this time she planned on sticking to it. And if she didn’t, Z and Danny would make sure she did.

“Fuck off? Sure you don’t want to rethink your answer?” His tone changed almost instantly. What started out somewhat complacent was now arrogance.

Becca took it as a cue, ended the call and shoved the phone back into her apron. Hatred and anger boiled at the surface. She took in a few deep breaths but felt her cheeks growing hot, and her heartbeat pulsed in her ears. Nikki had caught the tail end of the conversation, and watched Becca try to overcome her emotions.

“Davin?” she asked, cringing at the name. Becca ball up her fist and her eyes burned with anger as she pushed past her.

Becca had had her fair share of conversations when it came to Davin, and she wasn’t about to have another. Both Danny and Z stopped and watched Becca charge through towards the back door, and then shrugged at Nikki. She shook her head and mouthed silently to them ‘Davin’.

“Becca, you okay?” Danny called after her. She didn’t answer, but instead the door slammed against the concrete wall and she went for the dumpster.

“You two go finish up front. I got this one.” Danny pointed to the two and back at the front of the bar. Tossing his clipboard down on the crates beside him, he readied himself for damage control.

Cautiously, he peeked out the door just in time for her to heave a rock at the door. The door slammed shut and the sound of it resonated through the building.

“This should be easier as they get older,” he muttered before attempting to open the door again. Alright, cease fire,” Danny called out, throwing his hands up first before looking out.

“I’m fine.”

Danny let out a small chuckle. “Yeah, uh huh. You look like a picture of fine.”

Becca pulled her hair up off her neck and stopped with her back to him. The October heat was still thick, and sweat prickled the back of her neck and brow. She took several soothing breaths. Danny walked over to her and dragged her over to a couple of milk crates.

“Sit.”

She crossed her arms and sat down. Sitting down next to her, he kicked the dirt. Resting his arms on his knees, he looked out into the empty parking lot. How many pep talks had he had in this very spot with any one of them, he wondered?

“So Davin call again?”

“Yeah.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Was too worried about stock on the front that I didn’t look to see who was calling.”

“I told you I could take care of that very easily.” He gave her a quick look, gauging how angry she was.

Yeah, with your foot to his face
.

Becca knew that if she gave the word he would grab the metal baseball bat in his office and hunt the boy down. And Z would be right behind him. But she didn’t want the trouble that came with it. The fact was, Davin Cosgrove was the nephew of the town sheriff, and in his family’s eyes he could do no wrong. Even if it meant beating up a girl half his size.

“No, that’s okay. We can’t afford the bail.” Becca nudged him. Her face softened and she gave him a halfhearted smile. “Really it’s okay. I’m just tired of dealing with everything Davin. If it’s not him calling it’s all of you asking. Has he called? Did he come by? Did you see him in town? I just want to be done with him, Uncle Danny.”

And that was the root of her stress and frustration. Becca knew that her family and extended bar family were only concerned for her feelings and well-being, but she just wanted this time in her life to be over.

Meeting Davin had been a fluke. Working at the bar hadn’t been the life goal she’d aspired to, but after a failed attempt at college that’s what life had handed her. And she was happy being there. Davin was only visiting family when he stumbled into the bar with a handful of friends. He was sweet and funny, even charming. And that had caught Becca’s attention. It was only supposed to be a summer fling, she had told herself several times. Have fun, get her mind off college, and spread her wings. However, Davin had stuck around. And summer turned into fall and fall to winter and before Becca realized it, Davin had taken over her life. Dictating where she could go, when she could go, and whom she could go with.

“Okay I get your point. No more Davin talk. Promise.” He stuck his pinky out to her. Narrowing her eyes at him, she locked fingers with him. It brought her back to a very distant memory.

A sad little girl sat on the front step of her Uncle’s house. Her mother had just died and as friends and family filled the house, offering comfort and casseroles, she sat teary-eyed and lonely. But Danny did what any uncle would do. He joined her on that front step. He pulled her over to him and looked down at her.

Lifting her chin he said, “She may be gone darlin’ but her spirit and her smile and everything will always live on through us. I promise.” He poked out his pinky, hesitating for a moment and wiping away her tears, and she locked her pinky with his.

Every day since then, he had made good on his promise.

“Good. Don’t forget to send out the memo,” she teased, getting up from the crate, and headed for the door.

He watched her walk back inside. She was like her mother. The red curls, the blue eyes. Her big heart. But she was even more like her father. Stubborn and feisty. Danny got up and went back inside, letting those memories go. As he grew closer to the door leading to the bar, he could already hear people filing in.

“Oh it’s going to be a busy night,” Danny said to no one before slipping into his office to hide.

The night went like every other night did. Old faces and new faces filled the bar. The one thing that brought them all together was the football game.

Halfway through the night and Becca was already growing tired. Back and forth she went to the bar, filling shot glasses and popping beer caps. Her feet burned, lower back ached and the pretty made-up face she had on before opening was already melting off of her. The neatly placed bun on the top of her head had fallen halfway and she had hastily pulled it the rest of the way, letting her curls fall down her back. Leaning against the bar, resting her cheek against her hand, she waited for an order.

“Beeeccccaaaa.”

Nikki came bouncing up to her and Becca tried hard, but she couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s silly girl act. Her best friend leaned against the bar and her hands tapped the old wood. A playful smile on her face. She smacked at her gum loudly.

“What?” Becca kept her face forward, biting her lower lip to keep from laughing. She could tell Nikki was up to something.

“Did you see the cutie in the back booth?”

She pointed behind her, just past the pool tables.  Becca looked and her heart jumped at the sight of him. He was more than just a cutie, he was gorgeous. His shaved head, athletic build.

“He’s cute.” She looked away and absently bit at the inside of her lip. Nikki narrowed her eyes at her. She straightened now and pointed in the direction.

“Get your butt over there.”

Becca shook her head though, already feeling butterflies building in her tummy.

“Come on, Becca, go meet him. Go flirt.”

“Nikki….” Becca whined. She looked again and nibbled at her lip again. He was tucked away in the farther corner of the bar, his head buried in a book. She thought it odd, but the new face only piqued her curiosity. She gave Nikki another unsure look.

“Go,” Nikki ordered, pointing again.

“Stop, he’s going to see you.” Becca grabbed at her arm and pulled it away, already feeling her cheeks grow hot at the thought.

“Becca, come on.” Her best friend, her partner in crime. She groaned at her to go and spread her wings. Nikki just wanted to see Becca smile again. And she was sure this guy could do that.

“Becca Ann, listen to her. Go, have fun,” Linda encouraged her.

Linda was a longtime family friend and bartender. She set down a shot glass and filled it with some whiskey. She pushed it towards her. “Go on.”

Becca smiled and tipped the shot in her mouth. She grimaced and cringed as it burned down her throat.

“Bleh, why did I do that?” She groaned, pushing away from the bar. “I hate both of you, just know that.” Becca narrowed her eyes at both of them, and shook her head.

Nikki squealed and jumped in place. “No, you love us!” she called after her.

Before she even got to the table, he looked up from the pages and it stopped her. His brilliant green eyes were dark and too inviting. Becca stood awestruck in front of him, biting at her lip. Her cheeks flushed and already she could feel the pulse in her ears. A shy awkward smile played at the corners of her lips.

“Miss?” he said quietly. William could hear her heart quicken. A smile touched his eyes as he watched the girl in front of him. This was why he loved humans so much. They were intriguing and beautiful. And this girl was no exception. “Miss?” he said it a little louder, breaking her trance.

Becca straightened and flattened out her apron around her waist, her fingers playing with the hem of it. “I…I’m sorry.” She fumbled for the words. It had been some time since a man had had that effect on her. “Um, can I get you something?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you.” William found himself smitten by her reaction. Becca looked up and their eyes locked on each other’s.  A familiarity raced through her. Something deep within her very core was almost screaming. She couldn’t place it though.