Noun. Something that makes you forget grief or suffering.

Luna James

My fingers scrolled over the numerous pages upon pages of information.  Things ranging from newspaper articles to magazine interviews to press conferences were flooding my screen.  I clicked on yet another video of Callum MacBrady being escorted out of an arena by his team.  The heartbreaking title read, Callum MacBrady won UFC Featherweight championship while longtime girlfriend was mugged and murdered outside of arena.

My heart went out to him for his loss.  I couldn't imagine having the best night of your life resulting in the loss of a loved one.  His smile was so big and genuine as his arms were raised up in victory.  I took a moment to admire his many tattoos over his body.   I couldn't completely make out what they were but I could see a king's crown over his chest and bottom of his throat.  His last name was written over his naval along with what I could only assume to be his call name, Assassin, just above his belt.

More articles were linked off of the video.  Callum blames Perceval brothers for girlfriend's death.  Kit Perceval denies claims against his family.  Kit Perceval found guilty of mob relations.  Anonymous witnesses admit Kit Perceval is mob boss.  Amon Perceval serves time for assault, sentenced to anger management and community service.  Remy Perceval publicly threatens Callum MacBrady over Molly Ryan scandal.  Perceval brothers arrested for suspicion of murder.  Callum MacBrady calls out Remy Perceval at press conference for upcoming fight.

I clicked on the last title and held my breath for the drama to unfold.  The host stood at the podium and thanked everyone for coming out.  "We'll keep this under an hour out of respect for the animosity these two fighters share.  First to the stage I'd like to welcome super lightweight champion of the world, weighing in at one hundred and sixty-eight pounds, Remy 'Berserker' Perceval." A generous amount of clapping went up in the crowd. 

The young man came onto the dais with his manager beside him.  He walked with such a swagger that most cocky assholes had, it made me instantly dislike him.  I settled further into the bubbles while I watched the conference unfold.

"Now it's time for our contender.  He weighed in at one hundred and sixty-five pounds, the Featherweight champion of the world, and aspiring super lightweight title holder, 'The Assassin' Callum MacBrady!" Screams and cheers pierced the atmosphere as the Irishman walked confidently onto the stage.

Callum strode over to the host to shake his hand, but faked him out and reached over to grab Remy's championship belt that was displayed in front of him.  Remy jumped up and went to grab it but Callum lifted it up high and laughed in his face with a maniacal glint in his brown eyes.  "Come and get it you fucking bitch! You little fucking weasel!" He shouted over the host's arm as he tried his best to keep the two men separated.

"You have to earn that to touch it!" Remy yelled back, taking the bait that Callum was setting out for him.  "Why don't you put it down and step over here.  Prove to all these people that you deserve it." Remy waved his arm out again the crowd.  There were some boos and some shouts of encouragement intermixed among the people.

"Why don't you suck these big Irish balls!" He continued to laugh and wave the stolen belt in front of him while the host held them both away.

Remy lunged and was restrained by his manager and the host while a swarm of security bombarded Callum, yanking the belt out of his hand and holding him back.  "I was just having meself a laugh!" He shrugged off the security.  I smiled at his demeanor.

"Come on guys, let's save it for the octagon." The host said into the microphone when the two men finally sat down.  I shut the video off and sighed.  I'd been soaking for at least an hour as far as I could tell by the decrease in temperature.  Pulling the plug, I slowly stood and stretched my legs and arms after lying down for so long.

My mind wandered back to how I hit Amon.  Part of me felt guilty due to the lack of tact I used, not because I'd hit him in general.  I twisted my back from side to side to loosen up and stepped onto the plush bathmat.  My baby pink bathrobe was hanging on the hook near the door waiting for me.  I reached for my matching towel and made quick work of drying off my body.  A pleasant buzz wove through my veins from the screwdrivers I'd drank in the tub.

I tossed the used towel in the same pile of my clothes and stepped lightly over the hard floor to my robe.  The soft, fluffy material made me want to sleep in it as I tied it around myself.  The sound of the tub draining followed me through to my closet.  I pulled open a drawer of underwear and sifted through until I found something comfortable to sleep in.  I never wore a bra to bed, but I always felt cozy in a pair of cotton cheekies.

I slipped on a pair that were teal and pink and retied my bathrobe.  My feet slid into a pair of matching pink slippers that hugged my painted toenails in fur and memory foam.  The sound of the water draining ceased along with all the worries of the day.

I lazily padded to my bed and began to mix another drink.  The delicious fuzzy feeling was taking over my senses.  Using the remote on my nightstand I turned on the television against my wall to a music channel.  My eyes closed and soon I was swaying and humming to the music with a glass of straight vodka in my hand.  All thoughts of Callum and Amon and his brother faded from my mind.

"Bright and early for the daily races, going nowhere, going nowhere," I sang to the familiar sad tune.  When the song ended I decided to do some yoga to help me sleep, as if the alcohol wasn't enough.

I let the robe slide down and pool at my feet while I stepped around it to the thick yoga mat in the center of my room.  I started with simple stretches and began to lower myself into a full splits, using the position to roll my hips back until I was in cobra pose.  I liked the calming poses before bed and it kept me fit and flexible.

I leaned forward on to my forearms and brought my legs up into the splits while keeping my head on the mat.  My breathing remained even and controlled while my legs lifted higher into a full headstand.  I slowly brought them further back until my feet rested on my head, fully lowering them to the ground into a deep backbend.  I held the pose for a few seconds and then brought my hands to my calves and climbed up until I was at a stand.

It always relaxed me to do a little yoga in the morning and night.  One to start the day right and the other to end it on a good note.  The bathrobe was still in a pile near the nightstand.  I managed to walk straight to it despite the liquor making me hazy. It slipped easily back on me as I tied it tightly around my waist.  I slinked to the bed and sat down, removing my earrings and jewelry into the pearlescent dish on the nightstand.

"Well don't stop the show on my account." My heart leapt into my throat at the sudden voice. I screamed and covered my mouth as I jumped off the bed and whirled around.  Standing on my balcony, hidden behind sheer curtains, was Remy Perceval.

"How did you get in here?" I breathed in shock.  My eyes darting around my room for signs of a break in.  "You need to leave.  Now!" I shouted but my words shook nervously on my tongue.

He stepped inside in a white t-shirt and blue jeans.  "But I just got here." He grinned deviously and took deliberate steps to me.  His body was carved in muscle and buldging beneath his form fitting attire.

My lungs felt tight the closer he got.  "Remy, you...you can't be here." I tried to take a step back towards my door.  I already knew I didn't have enough time to reach my phone and dial a number.  My only hope was getting out of the house before him and running to the next house over.  Unfortunately the nearest neighbor was a quarter mile away.

He chuckled darkly and kept his pace until he was right in front of me.  "On the contrary, princess, I can do whatever I want." I moved back again with every step he took forward.

My head was spinning with thoughts of what was going to happen to me.  Headlines of his flashed behind my eyes and I had to clear my mind to think of how to get away.  "What do you want?" It came out as a whisper but I had meant for it to be firm and unafraid.

He smirked at my state.  "You're shaking." He simply said and ran his long fingers down my collar bone, exposing my shoulder beneath the robe.

"It's cold." I lied and shivered at his touch.

"It's a warm night.  I think you might be scared, Miss James." He continued to press forward and make my breath hitch.

"I'm not afraid of you." I managed to get out and felt my back bump into the wall.  My door was five feet away.  I just needed to make it five feet.  Five feet.

"No?" He slipped his hand under the bathrobe and pulled it down to show both of my shoulders. 

"No." I gritted out and grabbed the lamp from the table next to me, smashing it over his head and distracting him. 

"You bitch!" He shrieked and I could have sworn I saw his eyes turn yellow.  I used the small window of time to sprint for the door.  I screamed when he caught my foot and I fell the the ground with a thud.  Pain shot through my elbow when I hit the floor.

"Get off me!" I cried out and kicked at him.  Blood trickled from the side of his face where some of the porcelain had cut him. 

He caught both of my feet in one hand and growled irritated at the fuss I was putting up.  "Shut up!" He used his other hand to wrap around my throat and raise me up to a stand like a ragdoll.  "I came here for one thing.  One job that John gave me, but you fucked up." I couldn't breathe.  His grip tightened with every word and I clawed at his arms, drawing blood with my nails.

"Please." I choked out and he smiled at my struggles.

"You don't get to ask for favors now sweetheart." He loosened his grip slightly so I could gulp in air.  He took my hands into his and held them over my head, pushing them painfully hard into the door behind me.  I had been so close.  "This could have been so easy, but you had to make this difficult." His lips grazed my ear.

"What," I gasped for a breath, "do you want?"

He laughed in my face.  "I want you to forget about all the bad things." His nose traced up the side of my temple.  He dropped my hands roughly and flipped me around so my stomach was smashed against the door.  I bit my lip and tried to look for the next best exit route.  "Still not scared?" He kept me pinned with his hand on the back of my neck but I could breathe freely. "I can smell it on you. And it's so fucking sweet."

My breathing was ragged and panicked.  I couldn't slow it down no matter how hard I tried.  "N-no." I stuttered pathetically.

His gruff chortle bounced off the back of my head.  "I think you are.  I think," he moved his free hand down to the collar of my bathrobe and slowly pulled it down, "you're terrified to see what I'm going to do to you.  Because deep down you know," I shuddered when the robe dropped off, "I'm not here to talk about business."

My heart couldn't have beat any faster.  The warm breeze blowing in from the open doors brushed past my bare back.  Remy's hand trailed down my spine eliciting goosebumps and tingles.  My brave exterior was crumbling fast.  "Please, Remy, you don't have to do this." I whimpered.

He roughly spun me around.  My hands covered my bare breasts from his hungry eyes.  I kept my head down and focused on catching my breath.  "You weren't so modest a few minutes ago." He commented and made my blood run cold.  "Why don't you show me that move again?"

I looked up at him and spit in his face.  "Fuck you!" I cursed and received a harsh smack across my cheek.

I couldn't hold myself together anymore.  I covered myself with one arm and used the other hand to rub my face, tears spilled over in fear.  Now I knew he wasn't afraid to hurt me.  "Please don't do this." I cried out with terror lacing every word. 

"There it is." Remy leaned down and wiped the tears from my face.  "I knew I smelled fear on you." I was horrified when he licked the tears off his finger. 

"Remy," I sobbed and scurried back against the door.

He took a deep breath and smiled in satisfaction.  "I love hearing you say my name like that." He reached down and grabbed a fistful of my hair.  "Say it again!"

My eyes went wide. "Remy!" I cried out in pain.

He rested his forehead on mine.  I whimpered and squeezed my eyes shut.  "So pretty when you're frightened, little bird." His hand grabbed my face and forced me to look up.  "Open your eyes." He demanded.  I kept them shut and shook my head. His hand wove back into my hair and ripped my head back.  "Open them!" He screamed in my face.

I broke down and cried, my eyelids opening despite how much I didn't want to see him doing this to me.  "Remy please, let me go.  Please." I sobbed out.  My eyes settled on his and gasped at the way they looked.  Veins buldged around his eyelids like little black lines.  His once blue eyes were an onyx black surrounded by reddened bloodshot whites.

"That fear you have, it's so... mouthwatering." I was shaking uncontrollably under his gaze.

"Please don't hurt me." I begged.

He laughed lowly, more of a rumbling in his chest.  "I had no plans to hurt you.  But now," I shook my head and tried to back away but he gripped tighter on my hair until I cried out in agony, "I may just to see how beautifully you scream."

"No, no please!" He dragged me closer to him so he was flush against me.  My body was shaking.  I didn't know how to get away.  Panic overtook me and it became hard to breath.  Before I knew it, his mouth was on mine and I struggled to get him away.

The kiss was sloppy and bruising the more he pushed me into him.  When he released meni fell back and took in deep breaths.  "Now I wonder what the rest of you tastes like.  Let's get those off." He looked at my underwear.

"No!" I screamed and threw a shoe at him while running to the door.  This time I managed to rip it open and dash down the hall.  The sound of his condescending laugh echoed behind me.  I didn't bother to turn around.  I just ran.  I ran all the way to the front door and ripped it open.  My body collided with something hard and statuesque.

"Whoa, Luna." Amon's voice made my head snap up.  I opened my mouth to scream but he clamped a hand over me.  "None of that now.  Calm down, I'm sorry I scared you." He cooed like he was talking to a baby.  His eyes raked over my body and seemed to just realize how underdressed I was.  "What happened to your clothes?"

"Nice of you to join us brother." I thrashed against him when Remy stepped into view.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Remy?" Amon's tone was like a whip.  His hand let go of my mouth.

"I was just cleaning up a mess." He grinned demonically.

"What have you done?"

"Please!" I interjected.  "I won't tell anyone you were here.  Please, just don't hurt me again." I dropped down to my knees and cried.

Amon shut the door and locked it, all hope of them leaving ended.  My mind was clear and instantly sobered the moment Remy slapped me and I wished I was at least a little dull to the events.  "Look at her, brother.  She's just begging to be touched.  I know you want to taste her. I can smell it too.  I know you can, John told me how it made you feel the first time you met her.  It drives you crazy." He pressed his fingers to his temple.

Amon glowered at him and stepped to the side of me while I buried my head in my knees.  "This isn't the way." He spoke so calmly.

"Come on.  We both came here for the same reason.  Why not have some fun first?" Remy paced wildly in front of him, ringing his hands in the air.

"You aren't well, Remington.  You're hungry." I looked up at his odd choice of words.  My cheeks were wet from tears and I knew my eyes were puffy.

"Just look at her!" He lunged for me and dragged me up by my arm.  I wrapped the other around my chest to keep somewhat hidden from them. 

"Stop!" Amon called out to him but he wouldn't listen. 

Remy ignored him, leaning down to eye level and grabbing my face to force my gaze to his.  As soon as my eyes met his he smiled.  "Stand up straight." I complied instantly.  "Put your arms down." I couldn't comprehend the lack of fight I suddenly had.  My arms came down and my breasts were bared to the two men in my foyer.  "Just look at her." Remy circled me like a predator.

Amon's eyes lowered to my chest.  I could see the internal battle he was having with himself as to what to do next.  I wanted so badly to hide myself behind my hands again, but my body wouldn't respond.  I felt trapped in my own skin.  He took a few steps and brushed my hair behind my shoulders to give him better access.

"Taste her." Remy snaked a hand around my neck and bent it to give Amon a glimpse of it.  "Just one taste."

Amon let his fingers run down the veins protruding from the side of my throat.  They pulsated with every violent beat of my heart.  Amon took both of his hands and raised them up to my face.  His touch was so gentle in comparison to his brother.  My eyes met his blue orbs and froze.  "When you go to sleep, dream of something nice.  When you wake up you'll forget this happened.  You'll only remember being annoyed at Remy and Callum for arguing.  There was no fight, Denise saw nothing, and you left in a good mood.  You came home, drank a little, and  fell.  That's why you'll feel sore tomorrow.  You have a date tomorrow night at seven with Callum."

Remy began to clap slowly in the corner.  "Bravo Amon!  Well played.  You could have said she was going out with you, but you just handed her over to that prick."

Amon glared at his antics.  "I couldn't let her forget that.  When Callum shows up tomorrow night, it'll be a little suspicious when she doesn't remember that she agreed to go out with him." He ran a nervous hand through his hair and blew out a breath.  "What the fuck were you thinking!" He suddenly screamed and shoved his brother.

Remy stumbled back a ways and landed on a table.  "I was doing what you should have done!" He bellowed back and returned the shove.  I stood paralyzed with my hands at my sides.  Silent tears streamed down my face in pure unadulterated fear.

"Please," I whispered hoarsely.  I didn't want to die.  I didn't want to be violated.  I just wanted this to end. 

They both stopped and stared at me. "She's terrified." Amon glared at his brother.

"Don't pretend the fear doesn't do something to you.  It's in our blood.  You yearn for it." Remy's hand grazed my neck and shoulder, stopping above my collar bone. His lips pressed a chaste kiss to the hollow of my throat that left me quaking. 

Amon moved in, his body rigid and tense.  "Get away from her." He snarled and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me into him. 

"Do you feel that?" Remy continued.  "When her naked body is on yours, do you feel that?  Her body is calling to yours.  Just reach out and-"

"Enough!" Amon picked me up, my body trembled as he cradled me.  His eyes scanned my chest once more before shaking his head.  "Sleep." He said gazing into my watery eyes.  Darkness overcame me.