Amalgamate

Chapter 16

In less than forty eight hours she had managed to learn something about her parents, where she came from, who she was and even what she was. The word 'demon' still gave her the chills, but she found it alarming how quickly it was all growing on her. Everything in her life had been turned upside down and inside out, but she sensed the biggest obstacle she would ever face lay just on the horizon.

Barriers, hurdles, and stumbling blocks- that had been her life. And she'd always conquered them alone, until Ian. Her hand shook as she reached into her pocket for her phone. She had to know, but she was afraid that if he hadn't called her what was left of her fragile psyche may be decimated. Mixed emotions flooded her heart and her head as he hit the voice mail icon only to find...nothing. She'd been gone for two days and no one had even tried calling her?

If she died, would anybody even know? In a moment of weakness she debated calling Ian but then her left brain kicked in, 'Why bother? He hasn't tried calling you. Has he?' Her left brain just wouldn't let her pride take a back seat.

She stared at her phone realizing that deep down she wanted him to pine over her absence, to call her incessantly, to find and rescue her. 'Well, want in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up faster.' She found herself reiterating the expression more frequently lately.

This just proved that Ian was just one more person on a laundry list of names who hadn't really given two shits about her. And with that thought, she pulled up her big girl panties and got on with the show. She turned off her phone and dropped it back in her purse. Nobody was calling her and she damn sure didn't have anyone to call anyway. It was bittersweet. Being alone to think, but having no one to bounce her thoughts off.

After only a few minutes of observing the patrons entering the bar from the parking lot she was confident her current attire of jeans and a t-shirt wouldn't gain her entrance into this establishment. Bikers...black leather and bare tattooed skin everywhere. It reminded her of some kind of S & M establishment.

The women were hard and looked like they could definitely handle themselves. The men were even harder. Most of them looked like they would kill anything that got in their way, and these were some huge MF'ers.

This late at night the stores would be closed, but she suddenly remembered Maeve saying she owned a personal boutique called 'Risque', in Atlanta. She hadn't believed her that first night but she pulled it up on her iPhone to check.

"Well, what do you know? She wasn't lying." As soon as she saw the store window she was able to sift right to the boutique.

It was far too late for customers so she had the shop all to herself. It was dark and quiet which always made her jittery. Perusing the merchandise, she decided Maeve had exceptionally expensive taste as the items were clearly suited for the wealthy. She'd never owned anything this nice, and while she felt bad taking it, it wasn't a choice. It was a lack of options. She'd leave her an IOU.

Looking in one of the full length mirrors lining the interior walls, Rowan's reflection emboldened her. She almost couldn't believe the woman staring back at her was really her.

She was a vision with her fiery red hair, and sparkling violet eyes, against pale skin. This was a welcome change because she'd been drab and boring her whole life, never turning a single man's head. But tonight she was beautiful, confident, and bold. She hated that whoever this Olian was had taken this from her. Her life might have been very different had she looked like this.

She stopped herself, "Focus. No sense in thinking about what could be. You're here now." She needed to reel in a big fish, someone who knew what was really going on, because Greer had only given her a taste.