by SM Olivier
“Tell me about yourself, Des,” I asked, initiating a conversation as I put my seatbelt on.
After my discussion with Grandpa and Sal this morning, I was determined to get to know my next Shadow. I wanted to make an informed decision and hoped if I gained a rapport with them, they’d be less apt to treat me as Cooper had.
Des shrugged but gave me a sidelong smirk. “Not much to tell. I grew up in Idaho's cornfields with nine brothers and sisters and knew it wasn’t the life I wanted. Soon as I graduated high school, I was outta there. I joined the military and met some civilian contractors on my trips to the sandbox. They convinced me to broaden my horizons. When I was supposed to re-enlist, one of the guys gave me a card to a private security firm. I got out and never looked back.”
I nodded. I couldn’t imagine being one of nine kids. As a child, I remembered wishing I had siblings, but it wasn’t in the cards for me. And never did I imagine I’d technically have two half-sisters and a half-brother. I couldn’t imagine the chaos a family of twelve could garner.
I was sure Lochlann, Paxton, and Golden could relate better than I could. They weren’t technically born into a large family, but over time they had one.
“Wow, nine children.” I shook my head with a smile. “I couldn’t imagine. How about you? Do you have any children?”
Des chuckled and shook his head. “I’m twenty-five and in no rush to grow up. I’ll have to grow up, and it’s a shit ton to raise a kid. I can barely raise myself.” He gave me an oh-crap look, and I laughed. I guess he realized some employers might not take his bluntness as favorable.
“There’s no shame in that,” I said with a shrug.
I wondered if the guys ever had similar thoughts of raising children—though Lochlann was in his early twenties, and Golden and Pax were still technically teenagers. Had they ever doubted their abilities in raising Maisie and Clay? Did they plan on having children later in life?
“Are you okay with children?” I inquired next. “You do realize, if I choose you to be my next security detail, I have children living with me.”
He smiled once more. “I currently have eleven nephews and nieces. I love ‘em. I’m the fun uncle when I see them, but that’s an easy job. I get to return them to their parents when I’ve had my fill. Plus, your granddad had me watching over the little ones at his house. That little Faith is a hoot and a half.”
I smiled slightly. Faith was one of my cousins, and she did have a quirky disposition.
We still didn’t know if we should introduce Maisie and Clay to the other children as of yet. When or if we did, I was sure Maisie would hit it off with Faith immediately. Together, those two would be double trouble.
Grandpa had decided to keep the children home for a while. He had converted the informal dining room into a classroom and had hired tutors. He made that decision based on keeping them out of the public eye, and, quite frankly, Ava, Tormentor, Coach Carson, and Principal Boyd had failed them academically. The older ones could barely read; the younger ones, like four-year-old Chasity and Charity, and five-year-old Gideon, could scarcely say their ABCs.
Ava had wanted to refuse Grandpa’s interference, but she technically had no say. Since she hated school, she never tried to educate the kids. Hope, the oldest at nine, said that Coach Carson had wanted to teach them when he could, but it was never a huge priority.
I believed, however, the real reason was they never intended to allow the children to ever leave the cabin in the woods. I imagined they were going to keep them as “ghosts” for their whole lives. They had no birth certificates, no social security cards. There wasn’t a record of their existence until Grandpa took them in.
“Peyton,” Des broke into my thoughts.
By his expectant expression, I had a feeling he had been talking to me for some time, but I had spaced out. It happened a lot nowadays.
“Sorry, yes, she’s a handful,” I agreed, a bit chagrined. “Are they adjusting well?”
Grandpa talked about the children all the time, but I rarely listened. A part of me ignored their existence due to their parentage. However, I had grown fond of them during my captivity. It was hard not to develop affection towards them, because, at the end of the day, they were just children. They hadn’t picked their parents, nor could they even fully comprehend that their lives weren’t… natural, normal.
“As well as can be expected,” Desmond replied. He took his gaze off the road for a brief moment and gave me a contemplative look. His eyes were full of questions. I immediately felt tense. I didn’t want to answer any questions pertaining to my time in the woods.
“I signed an NDA,” he said hesitantly. “I know the kids were tested, and physically they’re okay, but some of the things they say make me wonder… They don’t behave like normal children.”
His voice trailed off for a moment, then he added, “They say and do things that aren’t typical for children their age. They’re always so quiet. I barely hear a peep from them. Little Gideon accidentally knocked over an expensive vase and it shattered. Mrs. Delaney nearly had a fit, and he went hiding under the bed. It took your grandpap almost an hour to get him out from under there.
“They watch television when your grandpap allows it, and they behave as if they’ve never seen a cartoon. When Miss Delaney glares at them, they all flinch away from her. And your grandpap had that play gym built and they didn’t even understand how the swings and slides worked.”
I cringed but then relaxed slightly. Desmond’s question wasn’t about me or my experience, but the children. I could see the genuine concern in his gaze, so I decided to “throw him a bone,” so to speak. Most of it was public knowledge due to the media.
“I think that’s why Grandpa has them in therapy,” I admitted quietly. “The house they lived in was less than 1600 square-feet. All the boys shared one room, and all the girls another. Their fathers were never a constant in their lives, and I’m not even sure they knew which man was their dad. There were a lot of strange rules implemented in that house. There was no television. They were to be seen and rarely heard, unless directly addressed. I learned the men had… difficult childhoods.
“However,” I continued, “I knew Ava was raised in a somewhat typical household. I’m not sure what the reasoning was behind raising them as she did, except for the fact she’d been knocked up several times the last ten or so years.” I shrugged. “Maybe she was too tired to raise them properly?” I speculated. “Especially since the twins and Aaron’s mom were out of the picture.”
“Aaron?” he asked in confusion.
I grimaced. It wasn’t public knowledge that Aaron still hadn’t been found. The FBI seemed to be reluctant to release that information as of yet.
“There was another boy there.” I shuddered in remembrance. “He wasn’t a good boy,” I said concisely.
I didn’t believe any child was born… bad. However, I seriously felt, to this day, that there was something inherently wrong with him. He seemed to have no conscience and could lie with a straight face. He only seemed to fear Tormentor. Otherwise, he seemed to relish hurting and harming others.
Grandpa and the FBI seemed particularly interested in him for a little while there. All Grandpa would relay to me was that some of the children had shared disturbing information about him. I was unclear on the details, but I knew Grandpa was relieved he hadn’t had to take Aaron in. Not that he would’ve had to, since, technically, Aaron wasn’t his biological grandchild. Knowing Grandpa, though, he still would have. He had a soft spot for all those kids.
Desmond seemed to be processing my words as we pulled up to the school but then tensed. “Duck,” he said suddenly.
I didn’t hesitate or question him as I immediately bent forward, my head to my lap.
After several beats, Desmond sighed. “You can sit up now. Those vultures were camped out at the entrance. I much rather them not knowing you’re in here.”
“Thanks,” I murmured as we slid into a parking spot near one
of the side entrances.
He turned off the engine and then turned to me with concern. “Ready?” I knew the concern was directed towards me this time.
I already like Desmond. He put me at ease and seemed to instinctively know not to corner me or ask me triggering questions. He’d been able to extract more information from me than anyone had, without me even realizing it.
I expelled a deep breath and shrugged my shoulders. “I’m going to have to be.”
10
●
Undesirable Plans
I smiled when I noticed Crew, Zane, Paxton, and Golden waiting for me at the door. Technically, the fourth-period bell hadn’t rung, so they shouldn’t have even been out of class yet. We had planned it so that I’d arrive slightly before the lunch bell rang.
“Desmond, this is Crew, Zane, Paxton, and Golden,” I introduced the guys. “Guys, this is Desmond.”
Crew grunted in greeting while the others at least attempted to shake Des’ hand. I hid a smile and shook my head. Crew was just as much a fan of the Shadows as I was.
“Where are we headed?” Desmond asked.
I could tell he wondered why the guys were there to greet me at the doors, but I didn’t have the energy even to begin. I was going to let him figure it out on his own.
Desmond took a step forward and scanned the hallways. I could see his military training as he mentally noted the emergency exits, the several points of access from our vantage point, and so on. Since it was the end of the third period, there wasn’t anyone lingering in the halls yet.
Since being with Kyler, I noticed many things I would have overlooked in the past. When I was convalescing, Kyler had explained how the military still affected him, in addition to his PTSD. The way he maintained situational awareness was an example.
“Lunch.” I slapped a hand to my forehead. “I should have stopped for lunch.”
In my haste to get out of the studio, I had forgotten to stop and order something.
“It’s okay,” Paxton quickly reassured me. “The school lunch isn’t that terrible.”
Honestly, it wasn’t. The school boasted a hot bar, sandwich bar, salad bar, and sometimes a baked potato bar or something similar to it.
“Do you know what you want to eat?” Paxton asked. “I can go get it, and you guys can go get our table.”
“I’ll go with her. You guys can go get the food,” Crew said decisively. “Give me whatever's on the hot bar and a salad, please.”
“I’ll have a salad with Italian dressing and baked potato,” I looked down at the app on my phone. “With bacon, cheese, and sour cream.”
This might have been a small town, but their school was better than any public school I had attended, with an app letting us know about upcoming events, lunch menus, etc.
I was getting ready to close the app when my eyes scanned the week. “Homecoming game is this weekend? And the homecoming dance is next week?” I asked in surprise.
In the back recesses of my mind, I knew the Elite competitions and the homecoming game were on the same weekend, but that fact had completely slipped my mind.
The guys exchanged a glance as we continued to move towards the courtyard. I didn’t relish eating in the chilly weather, but I could appreciate the fact that it wouldn’t be as packed either.
“It’s no big deal,” Zane said, speaking up first. “We’re going to the game, but are you obligated to perform? I’m sure they won’t require it. Plus, we had no plans of going to Homecoming this year.”
“Not unless you wanted to go,” Golden piped up. “I wouldn’t mind having you on my arm this year.”
The guys cut him a glare, and I rolled my eyes. I understood their desire to protect me, but at the same time, I wanted to have the option. After all, this was our senior year. This was an important year for us. We were never going to have the chance to experience these milestones again.
My first instinct was a loud resounding no. However, my second thought was if I hadn’t been abducted, there would have been no question about it. We would have gone, even if it was for a little while. I had never gotten a chance to attend a dance with someone I really wanted to be with.
I didn’t want my circumstances to affect the guys any more than they already had. I could imagine Crew forgoing the social functions, and maybe Zane; but Paxton and Golden struck me as people who attended all major school functions. Hell, I had just discovered a picture of Golden, Bailey, Zane, Leah, and Paxton—who had brought some girl that hadn’t even attended our school—at last year's prom.
“It may be nice to go,” I hesitantly said as we reached our table.
Golden gave the guys a smug smile. “Come on, let’s go get some grub.”
“Desmond, have you eaten?” I inquired, looking at my silent Shadow.
He smiled at me and nodded. “Thanks, I have. I grabbed something on the way to the dance studio. I’m good. If you’re good, I’m going to walk around.”
I returned his smile and nodded. “I’m good. I have Crew.” I winked at my silent protector as Des left us.
I was surprised by the warmth I felt as I sat down. I looked up in surprise and noticed the outdoor heaters they had attached to the side of the building.
“It sucks for the people who like to sit in the middle tables,” Crew explained as he sat down next to me, noticing where my gaze was. “We had a few free-standing heaters, but the seniors last year thought it would be funny to move them and place them in random spots. They’re also the reason we have cameras throughout the building.”
He reached down and linked my finger through his. I sighed and leaned into him. He might not have been a man of many words, but he knew how to make me feel special.
I laughed softly. “Sounds like those seniors were fun.”
Crew gave me a crooked smile and shook his head. “At first. But it got old after a while. Instead of one senior prank, they did several. They’re the reason why we can’t leave campus for lunch anymore as well.”
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “You guys were allowed to leave in the past?”
“Juniors and seniors were allowed to leave campus, just as long as we were back in time for our next class,” he explained. “Some of them never bothered coming back, and some of them would do stupid things around town.”
“Like what?” I asked as I traced my fingers over his muscular forearms.
It felt so normal, having a conversation that didn’t revolve around me and my physical, emotional, or mental well-being. Crew was my most protective guy, but he was also the one who didn’t tiptoe around me the most.
He leaned over and placed a kiss on the corner of my mouth. “Did you really want to go to Homecoming?” he deflected.
I jumped as the bell went off and blew a frustrated sigh from my pursed lips. I was never this jumpy before.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I mean, I never got to go to Homecoming or the prom with someone I actually liked. In the past, I went with the guys that were friends, with whomever Madison was seeing at the time. I always felt like a third wheel.” I shrugged. “I mean, some of the guys were nice, and some of them seemed to have a real interest in me, but I wasn’t interested in them like that. I didn’t like mixing school and dance. I liked keeping them separate. Also, I wasn’t too fond of dating any of the guys who attended my dance school. It was messy at my last dance studio. They all dated and slept around with each other.
“A couple of the guys I met at school never understood my dedication to dance. I was at dance school every spare moment. They couldn’t understand why I couldn’t spend the time with them as most girls my age would have. My free-time was few and far between.”
“OMG, Peyton, you’re back!” I heard a guy squeal seconds before Freddy began to launch himself at me.
Crew was up in a heartbeat and placed himself between Freddy and me. My heart was racing with surprise, and my hands were shaking. I hadn’t noticed the few people who had trickled into the courtyard.
/>
Freddy must have realized how much he surprised me, because he immediately took a step back and frowned. “I’m sorry,” he said like a scolded toddler.
I feigned a laugh and stood up. Crew went to intervene once more, and I placed a staying hand on his arm.
Freddy had contacted me numerous times since my return, and we had talked a lot via text. He had also been one of the first volunteers to man the FBI's phones they had set up the second they had rolled into town.
Zane and Paxton had informed me Freddy had always been there. It wasn’t until he passed out from dehydration one afternoon that they finally realized he had been there for three days straight. Freddy had barely eaten, drinking even less. He would sleep in spurts when the phone lines were quiet. But he had become a fixture in the call center. Even after he had been hospitalized, he still returned, albeit on reduced hours.
I embraced him and felt the tremble in his arms. “It’s okay. I’m still a bit messed up,” I admitted.
Freddy had become a best friend of sorts while I’d healed. He had texted me, regularly—the latest gossip and other light-hearted messages. It had been precisely what I needed while everyone else figured out how to adjust to my new situation.
“Understandably,” he said as he stepped back and gave me a scrutinizing look. “Please tell me you’re going to class today. My partner sucks.” He grimaced.
I rolled my eyes. “Your partner is a better cheerleader, has more experience, and weighs at least fifteen pounds lighter than me. Plus,” I narrowed my eyes at him playfully, “as I recall, the last time you were with your partner you woke a few of us up with your nighttime antics.”
I knew Madison had become his new partner when I’d left. It had irritated me at first. One, she had tried to take Golden from me, and second, she took Freddie from me. But then I realized I was just being petty… At least where Freddie was concerned. I hadn’t been available, and Freddie did need a new partner.
