Cinder's Rising Read online

  Cinder’s Rising

  by

  Jenika Snow

  www.JenikaSnow.com

  [email protected]

  Copyright © 2015 Jenika Snow

  Published by Jenika Snow

  Copyright © 2015 by Jenika Snow

  Digital Edition

  First E-book Publication: 2015

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights.

  WARNING: This is a Dark Erotic story. This is not a traditional love story. This book is fiction and contains material readers may find offensive. There is very disturbing content, graphic sex, violence, and strong language, but does end with a HEA.

  When Cinder Franco finds herself in a new city after fleeing an abusive home, she hopes to start fresh. Her new job may be cleaning up after others, but it pays her bills and keeps her off the street. And right now that is all she can hope for.

  Ryder Prince has never taken anything for granted. He has worked his way to the top of his career to become one of the most renowned surgeons in the country. But because he has immersed himself in his career, he has found himself alone and detached when it comes to the female population. When he hires Cinder, he instantly sees a light in her eyes. She has been hurt, he can see that, and there is something inside of him that wants to help her.

  As time progresses and his feelings for her grow, he knows there is something special about her. He wants her, wants to protect and shelter her. When Ryder has to attend a charity event he invites Cinder as his date, hoping that things can naturally progress forward despite her dark past, and the fears they both harbor. But Cinder flees after her emotions get the better of her, and it is up to Ryder to show her that she is worth so much more than she gives herself credit for. It is up to him to show her that to him she is his world now.

  Dedication

  Dedicated to my mom. She was a wonderful mother, wife, nurse, and grandmother, but lost her fight with cancer far too soon. She may no longer be with us anymore, but she left me with a lifetime of wonderful memories that I get to share with my children, keeping her memory alive.

  Life is so short. Cherish every moment as if it were your last.

  Cinder’s Rising was part of the Seduction at Midnight Anthology. Below are the other titles that were included in the box-set:

  Beautiful Dreamer by Lacey Thorn

  Rescuing Red by Susan Hayes

  Wonderland by Catalina Harper

  Stardust by Kali Argent

  Goldie by Erika Reed

  Beauty by Laurie Roma

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  Dedication

  About Seduction at Midnight Anthology

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  Where to find Jenika

  Chapter One

  ‡

  The drugs scattered around the floor were not an unusual scene for Cinder Franco. The sight of the garbage that covered the rundown apartment she called home, of the scent of sweat, stale cigarettes, and the sight of passed-out junkies, was what she’d become used to. This had been her life since she could remember it, since she’d been born into a world where nothing mattered but getting another fix, of whoring out bodies because that was how dinner would get on the table. She grabbed the bag she’d packed two nights ago, stared at the scene in front of her again, and knew that leaving them like this was the only way she would survive.

  At twenty-three, she should have had a college education, a job, maybe even someone that loved her. As it was she’d the cigarette burn marks on her thigh to show that the only kind of love she’d gotten while growing up was the twisted kind. Her mother was on the ratty, stained and scarred couch with a man—whom she’d only known for the past day—draped over her. Cinder’s older brother was on the floor with a coke-residue-covered mirror beside him. And her stepfather’s remains sat on the mantle, his cheap urn the product of what their family could afford at the time. But even then she felt no sympathy for the man who had tormented her as a child, and the only one she’d ever known as her father. He had called her horrendous names while she grew up, hated everything about her because Cinder was the product of her mother cheating on him.

  She had nothing else keeping her here, holding her to this cesspool of degradation and filth. Maybe leaving sooner was what she should have done, should have been her goal, but a part of her loved her mother and brother. They were all she had in this shitty world, all she’d ever known. So, she finally had the strength to move on, to leave them behind her as they lay there passed out from drinking and doing drugs. They wouldn’t know where she went, wouldn’t miss her presence. She’d been nothing but their mule, their slave to help them when the trip went wrong, and when they had no one else to turn to. She would no longer work for them, to help support their habit and be an enabler. If that meant they’d die in their own filth, then Cinder had to move on and leave them behind. Only the ones who wanted to be saved could be, and her mom and brother didn’t want that for themselves.

  Turning away was one of the easiest things she’d ever done. She had a bus ticket, and the only material possessions that meant anything to her were packed in her ratty backpack. This was the first day of the rest of her life, or that is what she told herself as she moved out of the crack house and away from the only things she’d ever known.

  Half an hour later, she was at the bus station, her future not looking so grim any longer, and the prospect of what she could do with her life shining brighter than it ever had. Sitting on the bench and lifting her legs up, she stared around at the other people waiting to get on the bus. She wrapped her arms around her knees when a gust of wind whipped by her. The scent of oil and dirt in the air was thick. Cinder stood and fished out a few quarters from her backpack, grabbed her bag and walked over to the vending machine. Once she had a cheap granola bar, she headed back over to the bench and people watched, because if she didn’t find something to occupy her mind, she’d go crazy worrying about what her next step would be.

  Chicago was only a few hours away, and although she could have gone someplace less populated, she figured her best option for finding a job and starting over would be there. Grabbing the paper she’d got when she arrived at the station, she opened it up to the classifieds. A lot of the positions open were ones where experience or a degree was needed, and aside from her high school diploma and her experience flipping burgers and cleaning motel rooms, she was not qualified for any of them. But then she saw one particular ad for a housecleaner. The ad was pretty basic, not giving many specifics aside from the address of where to go and a number, and that it was for a private employer. Cleaning… she could clean anything as long as it kept a roof over her head and put food in her belly. Cinder didn’t care that she had no plan once she got to Chicago, because the reality was she had enough money saved up to last her a while until she found work. She just needed to get out of this bad situation once and for all.

  After folding
up the newspaper and shoving it in her bag, she looked around again. She noticed that several people were already lined up to get on the Greyhound as soon as it pulled up. The smell of burning rubber from the bus braking and of exhaust filling the air around her reminded her of the life she’d led: dirty, suffocating, and all around disgusting. The door on the bus slid open and the people who had been inside started piling out. When the last person stepped off the bus, it was a few minutes before anyone could get on as the attendants cleaned it. Cinder glanced at the people waiting to load, took in the fact they looked like they came from all walks of life, and how she was just like them now. She was riding away to her blank canvas of a life. There were a few families with children, several college-aged kids, and the occasional elderly person.

  She tightened her hold on her backpack, and stood. Cinder took her place in line and waited as everyone loaded on the bus. It was her turn to get on the vehicle. She gripped the handrail and took a deep breath. She put everything else behind her. She put the life she’d led in the back of her mind, the worry she’d felt since she decided to actually follow through with this, and only focused on her future. Once she handed her ticket to the driver and found a seat, she curled into herself and stared out the window.

  Well, this is finally it, Cinder. You’re finally doing it, finally getting away from everything you know to start over.

  She was scared shitless, but happy all at the same time.

  * * *

  Ryder left the operating room, the last twelve hours instantly draining him as he moved further away from his patient. The man he had just performed surgery on would live to see another day, and it was a miracle he was still alive. He moved past the waiting room, which was empty, a sad sight to come to after helping someone take another breath. But not everyone had a loved one waiting to make sure they were aright, to make sure things had gone smoothly and to cry happy tears because everything would be okay.

  He pushed open the doors to the south hallway, made his way toward the staff rooms, which were used for the surgeons after long, grueling hours at the hospital, and breathed out roughly. He had been up for the last twenty-four hours. Not just because of the surgery, but because he had wanted to know everything there was to know about his patient before he went under the knife. Ryder had always been like that, always made sure there was no detail he had missed, that he was always doing the absolute best he could.

  He entered the staff dorms, went over to the room he was using, and shut the door. Although sleep sounded like a godsend right now, he needed to shower and wash the antiseptic smell and sweat from his body. After his shower, he went back into the room, grabbed a shirt and pair of scrub pants, turned off the light, and went over to the twin-sized bed. He lay there in total darkness, hearing the sound of his heart beating in his ears, exhausted, but unable to sleep right away. He always went through this after surgery. He replayed the operation over and over again in his head, trying to see if he had done everything in his power to make sure nothing was fucked up. Exhaling roughly, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and realized once again he was alone. This was the life he had decided to live, one which was lonely on the best of days, sleepless, stressful, and having life in the palm of his hands. With one mishap he could end that existence, be responsible for the death of a human being. That was a powerful and frightening feeling to have. He didn’t have a God complex, and didn’t think he was the World’s Best Surgeon. What Ryder thought was that he could strive to be the best in his field, because this was his life, and nothing else mattered other than making sure someone saw another day.

  He scrubbed a hand over his face, breathed out, and as much as he wanted to just pass out for the next twelve hours, sleep evaded him. But this was a common occurrence whenever he was out of surgery. His mind couldn’t shut down, couldn’t focus enough to just relax and fall asleep.

  After he went through the surgery in his mind for the fifth time, he started thinking about where he was in his life. At thirty-eight, he had no wife, no girlfriend, and children were the last thing on his mind. He lived alone, couldn’t even keep a houseplant alive because he was gone so much for work. He’d die alone, childless, and not have anything but his material possessions to fill the void, of that he was sure. Ryder should have been happy with where he was in his life. He should have been proud that he was revered as one of the greatest surgeons in the country. But the truth was he was lonely, wished he hadn’t pushed everyone away because he had been focused on his career, and especially wished he had someone to share this world with. Being at the top wasn’t always the greatest, especially when the fall was harder the further up they were.

  Chapter Two

  ‡

  Cinder stared at the massive office building where she was about to have her interview. She’d been in Chicago for a week now, set up the interview as soon as she’d gotten into town, and found herself a small, one bedroom apartment that was semi-affordable. The money she’d saved up wouldn’t last her long, and if she didn’t get this job, she’d be forced to look for immediate work at one of the fast food places in the city.

  The weather was frigid, and she pulled her jacket tighter around her body. Many of the people walking on the sidewalks looked as if they had money. They wore thick, wool jackets, nice suits and dresses, and were speaking on their Bluetooth devices and smartphones. This was definitely one of the more wealthy parts of the city, at least going by the part of town she lived in. Her apartment was affordable because it was rundown, not pretty on the eyes, and smelled like age. But it had four walls and a roof, a lock on the door, and she was away from the toxicity of her old life. Yeah, this was just a housekeeping job for some doctor in his private office, and she didn’t have any references aside from her previous employment. Yet she was very nervous, afraid she’d screw up, and told herself to take a deep breath.

  She moved into the lobby of the building, looked around at the glass and granite that covered the place, and adjusted her skirt. It wasn’t like she had many nice clothes, but what she was wearing was the classiest she had. Moving toward the bank of elevators, she passed a security desk, a row of elevators, and pushed the button for the tenth floor. A few men in tailored suits stepped up to her, looked her over once, then focused on the elevators again. The elevators dinged their arrival, and once the stainless steel doors opened, she quickly moved inside and went to one of the corners. As the doors closed and the elevator ascended, she stared at the two men sharing the small space with her. They were speaking about some kind of financial paperwork, using words she had no clue about, and so she focused on the mirror in front of her that lined the keypad.

  Her dark hair was twisted in a semblance of a sophisticated bun, but really with the wind and chill in the air, it looked flat and mussed now. She ran her finger under her eyes, tracing the dark circles that lined her pale flesh. Cinder hardly wore make-up, but she’d gone out and bought a cheap tube of mascara and some light-beige eye shadow. It didn’t make her look like a supermodel, but it certainly helped in making the rundown appearance she always had going on a little less obvious. Her blue eyes seemed brighter today, maybe because she’d hope things would finally work in her favor? Now was not the time to reflect on what she’d lost, or what she had gone through. She had moved away from her shitty life to start over. Thinking about all the bad things she had seen and had been subjected to wouldn’t do anything but bring her back there.

  Cinder unbuttoned her jacket and smoothed a hand down her outfit. She felt her hipbones poking through the thin material of her cheap skirt and lifted her gaze up to the reflection of her face. She’d been thicker at one time, with curves she had been proud of. Over time, she’d made sacrifices where food and nutrition were concerned. But that would change, too, because she was now thinking of only herself.

  The elevator dinged, and the two men exited on the seventh floor. When the doors slid shut once more, she relaxed against the wall and watched as the numbers flashed to her arriving floor.
The elevator came to a smooth stop, and when the doors opened, she stepped into a small but tastefully decorated waiting room.

  Dark leather furniture and masculine décor was no doubt professionally placed. A glass and chrome reception desk sat directly in front of the elevator, and Cinder saw a small, petite blonde sitting behind it. When she was right on the other side, the receptionist lifted her head and stared at Cinder with a warm smile.

  “May I help you?”

  She smoothed her hands on her skirt for the hundredth time it seemed and smiled in return. “I’m Cinder Franco, and I’m here for the interview for housekeeping.” She handed her the resume and reference page she’d printed out at the library earlier in the week. Although there hadn’t been any specification on it, and she worried about the employer history and references she had listed, it was professional to at least present one.

  The receptionist smiled again and looked down at the stack of folders she had in front of her. When she grabbed the one she clearly wanted, she stood and motioned for Cinder to follow her. “I’m Dr. Prince’s personal assistant, Melanie Harper.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Cinder said, but the receptionist didn’t respond. Cinder made her way down the long hallway, looking at the pictures of the city scenes framed in dark squares. There were a few doors that lined either side of her, all of them closed.

  “Dr. Prince shares this part of the building with Dr. Grinaldo and Dr. Santino, who are also renowned surgeons in the country.” She pushed open a set of double doors and moved over to the side. “I’ll conduct the main interview, but Dr. Prince likes to ask his own questions after I’m finished. When we are finished, I’ll take you to his office across the hall.”