Dark Promises

Chapter One

I sit on my sports bike outside of a bar. Deciding whether or not to go in. I needed to get out more, but I hated being social. I hated being in public, let alone in the most crowded place possible on a Friday night.

A tap on my shoulder startles me. I turn to find Juliette smiling at me. I flick my helmets visor up quickly before she speaks. Her lavender scent fills my nose for a moment. My eyes stare at the ground beneath my boots. The gravel cruntches as I move my foot softly.

"You okay, Rae?" She asks softly. Her hazel eyes met my bright blue ones. "Rae?" She says again.

I shake my arm a little to bring myself back to the moment. "Sorry, yeah, I'm good. I'm just not sure this is a good idea. It's Friday night, and this bar is crazy packed!"

Too many people made me anxious. I hated large crowds unless it was somewhere I absolutely wanted to be. This is not one of those places.

"Come on! Please? It's for Kayce's older brother! It's his twenty-fifth birthday party," she grabs my hand and jumps up and down.

I groan and get off my bike. I pull my black helmet off and sigh as I shake my hair back into shape. We head inside, and the second we get in the door, the bar is packed. Wall to wall filled with people.

I side eye Juliette, and she smiles sheepishly. "You owe me big time!" I say, pointing my helmet in her direction.

Kacey pulls her into his arms, causing Juliette to giggle. Her smile is contagious. She's beautiful in that way. Her innocence and sweetness cause other people to be happy around her.

She's dressed in a tight pink dress, a pair of white platform combat boots with her hair tied back in a big pink bow. Her makeup was slight, the blush on her cheeks being the only part that didn't look natural a hundred percent of the time.

Kacey gives me a quick hug, "Glad you could make it, Raelynn!" He kisses my cheek, and I smile back in response.

I had met Kacey a few times. He's a sweet kid. His dark hair and scattered tattoos around his arms and abdomen.

The only thing I didn't particularly like about him was the fact that he rode a bike. Hypocritical, I know, but in my defense, I don't have many people who care about me, and from what I hear, he's got a lot. It's just Julie and I, I don't have any other family. He's got a big family with a girlfriend who loves him to pieces. Plus, he isn't safe when he rides sometimes. He goes without his helmet and will take turns at really high speeds.

He's a sweet kid over all.

Kacey pulls a girl to his side and nods to me. "This is Juliette's best friend, Raelynn! Raelynn, this is my sister Shilo and her girlfriend, Avery!"

I smile, "Nice to meet you guys!"

They both nod in response, "Nice to meet you too!"

They're both beautiful women. Shilo had dark brown hair tied into a bun. The color matched Kacey's damn near perfectly. Her mocha brown eyes and full lips. A beautiful shade of red coats them. She wore a black dress and a pair of sneakers. Avery had short blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She wore a short black skirt and a corset style top. Her hair swept her shoulders as she turned to look at Kacey.

"Where's the birthday boy?" Avery asks.

"Let me call him," Kacey says before stepping outside.

Juliette hooks her arm around my arm. "Girls, we need a shot!" She smiles as she hooks her arm with Shilo's next. She drags us while Shilo grabs onto Avery.

As we get to the bar, Juliette orders everyone a shot. We take them quickly, and Avery gags. "This is so gross!" She waves her hand in front of her face for a second.

"Babe, you just can't shoot whiskey!" Shilo laughs. She had a smooth voice, it was beautiful.

"Fuck you!" Avery smiles. They kiss one another in the lips before Kacey comes back with a man under his arm. "The birthday boy has arrived!" Avery and Shilo yell together.

He hugs them tightly before saying, "I didn't know you guys were in town!"

"That was the point, brother!" Shilo smiles as they part from the hug.

"Juliette, lovely to see you, darling!" He bows to her with a smile.

"Happy birthday, Liam!" She smiles back at him.

This is Liam. The same Liam she tried to get me to go out with. He stood me up that night. He's hot, but a dick. It factors out the hotness.

I didn't tell Julie that. I kept it to myself and told her it was fine. I ended up at a shitty diner on the other side of town, alone with a stack of pancakes the size of my head.

Tattoos cover his arms and neck. His deep brown eyes pierce mine. "Oh! And you remember Raelynn, right?" Juliette smiles brightly.

"Yes!" I smile, "he does!" I pull him into a hug and whisper, "she thinks we went out. Act like it!"

His deep vanilla and cedar scent fills my nose. The smell was intoxicating. I took a deep breath before he spoke.

"What?"

"Just do it," I say before pulling back.

"Let's get you a drink, huh Liam!" Kacey says before dragging him to the bar. Juliette follows, hand in hand with Kacey.

I turn around to see Shilo and Avery staring at me. "What?" I say confused.

"You didn't go out with him, did you?" Shilo asks.

I laugh, "fuck no. Dude, stood me up. I had a great night by myself though!"

Shilo shakes her head, "Sometimes I wish I could smack the shit out of him!"

I shrug, "No hard feelings. He's a man. Men are stupid."

Avery agrees, "Why I'm a lesbian!"

Shilo swats her arm, "I thought you were a lesbian because you love me!"

Avery giggles, "I do!"

"I'm gonna get another shot. Want one?" I ask as I stand at the bar again.

Shilo nods in agreement while I order three shots. "Avery, if you don't want it, I'll take it! Don't feel pressured," I smile as I down one of the shots. Avery politely declines the shot, so I take hers.

I watch as Liam talks to a woman in the far corner of the room. She stands in front of him as he scans the people around him. His eyes meet mine, and he winks. I roll my eyes and order another shot.

Kacey sits on a bar stool with Juliette between his legs. His lips close to her ear, and she giggles.

"This is going to be a long night," I say to myself.