by Elisa Leigh
Chapter 20
Bishop
Shit. I know she’s right, but the image of her growing round with our child is something I can’t get out of my head. I lay awake for a long time imagining what our life will be like when we do finally have kids. Eventually, I fall asleep and dream about a dark-haired, blue-eyed boy running through the grass with Cara chasing after him. She’s pregnant and doesn’t look much older than she is right now. All three of us spend a lazy summer day swimming in the pond.
I wake up to the sun streaming through the window and Cara still asleep with a smile on her face. As I watch her sleep, it dawns on me that she looks a little different. The changes are subtle, but I notice them. There’s no way that she could be pregnant already, is there?
She groans and rolls over. “You think too loud Bishop.”
I laugh and snuggle in close to her back, tangling my legs with hers, my mind going back to the dream I just woke from.
“It was a good dream, Bishop.”
“Was it a dream?”
Our conversation is cut short when my phone starts ringing. Seeing that it’s my mom and I’ve been ignoring her since last night, I answer it.
“Hey mom, I know I haven’t ans-”
“Bishop, you need to bring Cara home. Now.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Sensing my unease, Cara rolls over to look at me.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
My mom sighs heavily. “I’m not sure, just get home as soon as you can.”
“Alright mom, we’ll be home soon.”
“I love you, Bishop. Give Cara a hug for me and tell her everything is going to be okay.”
She hangs up before I can get anything else out of her. What the hell was that all about?
Cara is already up and getting dressed before I tell her to. I get my clothes on too then we make the bed silently. Once we’re done, we pick up around the cabin, making sure to leave it the way we found it. I grab the picnic basket, and we walk out the door, the sun shining brightly in our faces.
Cara stops beside the pond and looks out at it. “It’s like reality is making a rude entrance. I wasn’t ready.”
I lace my fingers with hers. “Me either baby. Come on, let’s get this over with.”
The mood is somber as we leave this piece of heaven carved out for us in the middle of nowhere. Once we make it back to my truck, I help Cara in and then we are on the way. Cara is quiet the entire ride back, but her mind is running a million miles a minute trying to figure out what is going on.
When I pull up my driveway, an older model BMW is parked in front of the house. Cara looks at me, but I only shrug. I have no idea who it is. Her anxiety is through the roof, and I can’t say that mine is much better with her emotions coursing through me too.
Cara grabs the handle to get out, and I stop her.
She glares at me. “I can get the damn door, Bishop. I don’t need your knight and shining armor shit right now.”
Her words sting, but she’s sorry as soon as they come out of her mouth. She looks over at me and is about to apologize when I take her hand and kiss her palm. “It’s okay baby. I love you, and I can feel what you’re feeling, so I get it, but I need you to calm down. We don’t know who is in there, but it doesn’t matter, because we are together, and nothing can tear us apart.”
She nods. “Now sit there and let me get the door.”
She rolls her eyes but waits for me to open her door. I reach out my hand and bow, “My lady.”
She laughs and takes my hand. We walk up the sidewalk to my front door but stop before entering. “Remember Cara, it’s you and me no matter what. No matter who is in there. No matter what they have to say. I love you more than anything.”
She smiles at me and I notice the anxiety she was feeling is gone. “I have a good feeling about this Bishop. Everything is going to be okay.”
“How do you know? Not five minutes ago you were freaking out about it.”
She tilts her head and shrugs. “It’s weird, but now that we’re here, I can sense it. I can feel people’s moods and can gauge a situation before I even walk into it. It’s gradually been getting stronger since the night of the party. When I woke up this morning, my sense of things was crystal clear.”
“Anything else you can do that you haven’t told me about?”
She winks at me. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
I swat her ass and she giggles. “Let’s get this over with. Then when we’re alone, we’ll have a nice, long talk.”
“I look forward to it.” She says wiggling her eyebrows at me.
“Dear Christ, what have I gotten myself into with you?” I say making her laugh. I kiss the top of her head then open the front door and lead us inside. I can hear a woman talking with my mom in the living room.
When we enter the living room, I see a woman that looks like she could be my mother’s age. I’ve never seen her before, but her dark hair and facial features look familiar. They stop talking as soon as we enter. My mom gives me a look, but I can’t figure out what it means, because Cara is freaking out beside me.
“Mom?” Cara cries, holding tightly onto my hand.
My eyes widen in shock. When Lamar couldn’t find anything on Marissa Giordano, I assumed she was dead.
Marissa stands and walks over to us, tears roll down her cheeks, but she wears a relieved smile on her face. “Yeah baby girl, it’s me.”
Cara studies her for a long minute then releases me and pulls her mom in for a tight hug. “I didn’t know what happened. Dad wouldn’t talk about it. I didn’t know. No one would tell me.” Cara says through her tears.
Marissa pulls back, her hands grasping Cara’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry Cara. There is so much I need to tell you, and I promise I will, but I need you to know that I left because I was trying to protect you.”
Again, Cara studies her, then nods. “Okay, mom.”
“Just like that, you’re going to believe me?” Her mom asks, looking at her daughter in pure wonder.
“Not exactly. I have a ton of questions but suffice to say I know that you’re not lying.”
Marissa studies her, and then me, and nods. “Right.”
We all stand there awkwardly until mom suggests we sit down. Cara, mom, and I sit on the sofa while Marissa sits in one of the sitting chairs across from us.
“How was the hike?” Mom asks.
Cara’s cheeks burn red. Bishop! Stop looking at me like that. She’s going to know what happened. I don’t want your mom or mine, knowing we had sex.
Baby, I’m sure they knew what happened the minute we walked in after spending the night together.
“Oh, where did you guys go for a hike?” Marissa asks, trying her best to make conversation.
“I took her up through the state park. We camped at one of the cabins by the pond.”
“So, you know then?”
Cara frowns, “I know that I’m a Fae. I know that I have ties to a town I never heard of before dad was killed. I know that Bishop is my soulmate, but that term should be used loosely since we are way more than that. Mom, I know you had to leave to protect me, but there is so much that I don’t know.”
Cara and Marissa study each other.
“Anyone want a cup of coffee? Cara?” My mom asks, breaking the heavy conversation.
Cara crosses her arms and sighs. “I’d love a cup. Thank you, Momma.”
I place a kiss on Cara’s lips and get up to go help mom with the coffee. I walk into the kitchen and find Mom pulling mugs out of the cabinet. “Mom-“
She holds her hands up in a placating gesture. “I know what you’re going to say, Bishop. She begged me not to tell Cara she was here, and if I told you, Cara would have figured it out instantly. That woman in there is all alone and needs a family. She’s been hiding out for over fifteen years. She needs our help.”
“You always want to save everyone mom. Sometimes they don’t deserve it.”
�
�She does.”
I nod, hating that she might be right. “Did she tell you any specifics?”
“Some. You’re not going to like it.”
I scrub my hands down my face. “Does she want anything?”
She shakes her head sadly. “She came back for Cara. She wants to take her with her.”
“That’s not fucking happening.” I run out of the kitchen and down the hallway back to the living room where I see Marissa begging Cara to come with her. “It’s not safe for you here, just like it wasn’t safe for me.”
“I know that you feel that way, but you haven’t told me why. You haven’t told me anything!”
“I need you to trust me.”
“I do trust you, but I’m not going with you. I am finally home. I can’t leave Bishop, and I won’t be leaving Hollows Creek!” I stand beside Cara and wrap my arm around her waist, proud that she has chosen us.
“You don’t understand, no one does. They are coming. They are going to kill you if you don’t leave.”
“Who are they?” I snarl.
Marissa looks at me. “The Elementals.”
“Who are the Elementals?” Cara asks looking to each of us for an answer.
Mom, who has been standing at the entrance, with a tray of mugs walks in and sets the tray down on the coffee table. “Cara, The Elementals are our kind’s elders. Everyone, please sit down so we can discuss this.”
For the rest of the morning, Mom and Marissa take turns explaining to Cara who The Elementals are, and why their presence in our lives aren’t a good thing. I even learn things about our elders that I didn’t know. By the time the conversation comes to an end, Cara and I have more questions than before.
“Do you see now why we have to leave?”
Cara grabs my hand and sets it in her lap, never letting it go. Looking at her mother she speaks, “Don’t you see why we can’t?”
Afterword
Thank you for reading Bishop, Hollows Creek Book One. Bishop and Cara will return in Bishop Part 2, set to release this summer.
If you enjoyed this book please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Bookbub.
xoxo,
Elisa
Acknowledgments
Jeb, my hubby. I love you.
Mary, thank you for being a great friend and Beta reading Bishop. I know that I can always count on you to be there with your support and ideas.
Jenny, Kristi, Angel, Karlee, Shelly, Danielle, Brooke, and Patti thank you for taking your time and beta reading this. All of your comments and suggestions made this the book that it is.
Kristi thank you for your help in proof reading Bishop.
ARC readers, please know that your support means everything to me. All of your encouraging messages make my heart full!
New readers, older readers, second timers, thank you for taking the time to read Bishop. I know you’ve taken time out of your day to indulge in a getaway of sorts. Knowing you took that time with something I created is the biggest honor.
About the Author
ELISA LEIGH
Author of the Panthera Security series, the Steel Daggers MC series and the Daddy Knows Best series, Elisa Leigh writes steamy love stories about men who know exactly what they want from their lady love, that being everything and forever.
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Also by ELISA LEIGH
In reading order
Panthera Security
Finally, Our Forever
Keeping Our Forever
Fighting Our Forever
Book 4 Cash Owens - coming soon
Book 5 Adam Kingston - coming soon
Steel Daggers MC
His Sweet Treat
Thanking Her Hero
Their Holly Bell
Saving His Princess
Hacked By Her Love
Tempting His Honor - coming soon
Daddy Knows Best with MK Moore
Daddy Captain
Daddy Lawyer - coming soon
Holding On
Holding Onto Kinsley
Holding Onto Becca - coming soon
Clearwater Curves Novella Series
(Created with M.K. Moore, C.M. Steele, and KL Fast)
Sweet Curves
Kennison Ranch
Roped Into Love
Lassoing Her Heart - coming soon
Hollows Creek
Bishop Part 1
Bishop part 2 - coming early summer 2019
Greg - coming late summer 2019
Davey - coming fall 2019
Finn - coming winter 2019
