Free Taken (Breaking the Darkness) by Felicia Starr Page B

black. The chairs were matte black with tall backs, the tops angled to one side, very modern looking. So not my style.
    The only color in the room came from a raging fireplace that covered a large portion of the wall behind Ziona. The flames cast shadows throughout the room. The light flickered on the faces of the men on the far side.
    A collage of televisions covered one wall. The volume was muted, but the images being projected were all news channels. The stock market looked to be an important concern at this meeting.
    I felt like a fly on the wall. Careful not to move in too fast, I slowly made my way around the room to investigate what was going on and where we might be. I needed to be careful; Phaela could see me in this state so it was possible someone else could spot me too.
    Much of what was going on in the room suggested it was a business meeting. In addition to the fact that almost no one was dressed in business attire, there was something off-putting about this crowd. Even with the fire blazing in the room, I felt cold. My astral body felt shivers of fear deep within.
    Ziona was wearing a tight black pencil skirt that hugged her curvaceous hips. If she turned the right way, I could see the definition of her muscular thighs. They remind me of a gymnast, but she was more than double the size of the average gymnast. Her blouse was fitted and struggled to stay closed over her voluptuous bosom. She must’ve really loved those boots. They took that outfit to an inappropriate level of sexiness for any business meeting.
    She had no problem making sure every man in the room considered what it would be like to bed her, regardless of their interest. She leaned in over her computer at the table, her hip kicked out to the side showing the curves of a perfectly round backside. Her breasts looked ready to fall out onto the table.
    I was having a hard time hearing what she was saying, but clearly she led the meeting. Her finger pointed at the small man seated to her right, her face void of pleasantries. I took it the little man’s response was unacceptable by the slamming of her hand on the table. A few of the men kept their eyes downcast.
    Looking around the room, her eyes stopped on someone whose face I couldn’t see from this angle. I approached the other side of the room and her voice suddenly registered.
    “How about the Fromarian brothers? What is your update?”
    I finally got to an angle where my view of this one had no obstructions. He sat tall above most of the others at the table. His shoulders were strong and wide. Even though he was seated, my guess would have been that he was over six feet tall. His black hair was pulled back tight and longer than I would have expected, but it was contained by a number of rubber bands keeping it very neat. His face and neck were shaved to perfection, probably by a straightedge blade.
    A black T-shirt appeared painted across his chest. The sleeves squeezed at his massive biceps. The shirt displayed an image with a name of some kind. It was hard to make out the name from here as part of his laptop blocked the lettering.
    Impeccably groomed eyebrows crowned his large grey eyes. His smoky discs were protected by long black lashes, which most women worked hard to achieve. A strong jawline accentuated his pouty lips. The frown lines around his mouth gave him just enough of a mature look to take him serious but youthful enough that most any female would crave his attention.
    “Ma’am, my affairs are in order, as they always are. As for my brother, I know not of what he does. Last I heard from him, he was in the field. I ask nothing of him, as his business is his own.”
    His eyes jetted over in my direction and met mine. My heart sank with fear. I wasn’t sure if I imagined the exchange. Oh, I hoped he couldn’t see me. I moved just behind where Ziona stood. If he could see me, I didn’t want him to inadvertently give me away.
    Our eyes were locked in on one another. My heart