The wall of water fell into the ground around us, absorbing instantly into the lush grass.
Jessica didn’t argue. She didn’t utter a sound. Gretchen’s demonstration had made it very clear that she and Daniel would be able to stay safely tucked away while we left for South Africa. The way Daniel looked at Jessica, I could tell he was all for a little one-on-one time with her. Having grown up with him and seen him smitten with women many times before, I had to admit that the way he looked at Jessica was different. But Jessica was in a whole different league from every other woman he’d been interested in.
Every now and again he’d run across a lady who would catch his attention, but none ever seemed to hold his interest for very long. After his stunt yesterday, I’d purposely looked at his future. It was a skill I still needed to practice, but I saw two clear futures for him. I wondered what would happen with either scenario between him and Jessica.
One future showed him tiring of her like he did every other woman he’d ever met. If he moved on, I was sure Jessica would take it badly – every Centauride I’d met had almost no experience “dating.” All the Centaurides seemed to go right from meeting a Centaur straight to betrothal. “Badly” meant her return to South Dakota and a miserable life, more miserable than she could have imagined.
The second future I could see was even worse. If Daniel continued following Jessica around like a love-struck puppy and she rejected him for a pureblooded Centaur – he’d be crushed. If his actions yesterday in the jungle were any indication, her rejection would cut him deeper than mine ever had. I prayed that this future didn’t come to fruition, because, as far as I could see, he’d never recover from her rejection.
I desperately hoped a third future for Daniel would present itself, but sadly, no matter how hard I tried, I didn’t see a happily-ever-after for Jessica and Daniel.
Jessica gave Gretchen a hug. I was sure the two were exchanging thoughts because when Jessica let go of Gretchen, her eyes went instantly to Daniel. She nodded to Gretchen and smiled brightly.
I didn’t want to intrude into what Jessica and Gretchen had discussed, but I very much wanted to know what Gretchen had said to change Jessica’s mind about staying. Before I could wonder aloud or ask the question telepathically, Drake placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed, giving me a final reminder, “It’s time to go.”
Chapter 2
(Camille Nash – Cancun, Mexico)
I smiled at Drake. He was right – it was time to go. The last week had been beyond words. Drake and I were married and had honeymooned in the most beautiful place I had ever seen. Both our families surprised us with the help of Bianca. It was the first time since I’d first met them in Charleston that I was able to spend any quality time with them. When we had first met, I was thrilled to have so many brothers who openly welcomed me as a long-lost sister. Now, having spent the last week with them, playing beach volleyball, body surfing, eating every meal together, all I could think was how full my life had become in a short period of time.
Mom had sheltered me from my Centaur family since birth. She did the best that she could with what she knew. Growing up as Zandra’s daughter had instilled in her nothing but fear and a healthy desire to escape Centaur society. If I had lived her life, I probably would have made the same choices.
I wish she could have known Gretchen and Will while she was alive – well, maybe not, given that Will had seduced Mom. But if she could have met a normal Centaur couple, and had a chance to feel the love they freely shared with their children, they may have been able to restore her belief that our race was good. Mom might have wanted to rejoin the Centaur society rather than staying hidden in the seclusion she created for herself and me.
I had learned so much about our kind. I liked the idea that when this life is over, we all meet again in the pasture. There are so many things I want Mom to know. More than anything I want her to know I found happiness right here on earth – true happiness.
I had stumbled into love with a man who would sacrifice anything for me, who would risk everything he held dear for true love, and who believed the sun really did rise and set on my shoulders. Beyond the joy of Drake in my life, other loves presented themselves that I had never anticipated, either: the love of a stepmother who had more than enough room in her heart to make space for me without conditions, the endless hours of laughter my brothers inserted into my life, and the knowledge that I had a father who had never abandoned me.
If all these blessings I had been given were suddenly taken away, I could go to the pasture knowing without a doubt that my life had been full. I would know that I would be missed, that my Centaur family truly loved me. In return, I was prepared to go to the end of the earth to save each one of them.
Drake had been listening to my thoughts when he answered, “South Africa isn’t the end of the earth, but you can see it from there. Don’t get any crazy ideas; you’re not going to the pasture any time soon. We have far too much living still to do.” Drake’s hand gently rested on the small of my back. I loved that feeling, the gentle reminder that he was at my side.
The large iron gates at the front of the property opened wide to allow four black SUVs entry. They drove up the driveway and pulled to a stop in front of the house. Not one of the drivers so much as flinched. Each driver remained in his vehicle and kept his eyes trained on the windshield in front of him. The SUVs looked like Will had borrowed them from the US Embassy or some foreign dignitary. The windows were tinted dark, and I was sure that the shiny black paint was covering armored doors.
Jessica sauntered up to Daniel, grasped his hand and pulled his arm over her shoulder. Loud enough so that we could all hear her, she said, “C’mon. Let’s get you inside and off your feet.”
Daniel shuffled along beside her as they slowly walked back toward the house. He had eyes only for her, but in typical Daniel-fashion, he wagged his eyebrows like a comic strip character at me. In an innocent schoolboy voice he asked Jessica, “What could we possibly do to pass the time on this big empty estate?” Kudos to Jessica for continuing to help him into the house and not shoving him face-first into the dirt for the innuendo.
Just as they passed me on their trek to the house, I said, “Hey, Daniel?” He turned his head back towards me when I reminded him, “You’d better be a boy scout while we’re gone.” He held up two fingers, gave me his sly smile, and leaned his head on Jessica’s shoulder.
I didn’t wait for Drake or Will to prod me; I climbed into the first SUV, taking a seat in the third row. Despite Drake’s height, he found a way to wedge himself in beside me. Gage, Bianca and Katherine sat in the second row while Brent took the passenger seat up front, next to the driver.
Katherine reached out to close the door and announced, “This door weighs a ton!”
In the blink of an eye, Brent opened his door, was out of his seat, and standing outside Katherine’s door. I would have had to been deaf to miss the sweetness in his voice, “Sit back, I’ll get it.” Brent closed her door with a solid thud. Confirmed, we were definitely in an armored SUV.
My nervousness began to return as the SUV inched away from the house. Bianca must have sensed it because she turned around in her seat so she was facing Drake and me. “There’s a huge advantage to taking a family plane.”
That was another perk of being a Centaur: it seemed like every family had access to private jets, but rather than calling them that, everyone just referred to them as “family planes.” Let’s see, no security like commercial airports, seating to watch movies in fat recliners, and a full-blown kitchen instead of pretzels. Any of these was an obvious advantage over commercial air travel, but I decided to see what she had up her sleeve now. “Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“The fact that we’re on our own schedule. We’ve been cooped up on the estate for over a week. I never got to take you to my favorite place here.” She looked at her watch, “Let’s make a pit stop for lunch.”
“I don’t know. Will was pretty adam
ant that we go straight to the airport.”
“Pshaw, we’re in the lead SUV. The others will follow us wherever we go.” The next thing I knew, Bianca was giving directions to the driver. We were off the main highway, down an alley that looked barely big enough for a donkey and cart, around a corner too tight for a Lotus, and on a dirt road with ruts large enough to hide small sports cars.
Drake's cell phone rang, then Gage's, then Brent's. Gretchen's voice echoed in my head, "What's going on? This isn't the way to the airport."
I heard Drake, Gage and Brent answering similar questions to whomever had called them. "Bianca decided to take a detour for lunch. It won't take long."
We were driving deep into the jungle. If it had been anyone other than Bianca, I would have been worried – but so far, each of her “ideas” had been amazing.
When our SUV came to a stop, we were in a market of sorts. I use that term loosely. All four vehicles wedged themselves into a secluded parking lot. There were men dressed in some sort of ceremonial bird costumes asking if we wanted to take our picture with them. A small train waited for a child who wanted to pay the few pesos for a ride that looked like Barnum and Bailey may have retired it half a century ago. Shops lined each side of us offering souvenir t-shirts at five dollars each, ugly statues of characters I couldn’t identify, and thousands of coffee mugs, glasses, key chains and every other trinket one might find in a tourist trap.
I tugged on Bianca’s shirt, “This is your favorite place?”
Her perfect smile shone back at me. “What? Not into the local culture?”
“Where are we? How is this your favorite place?”
“There are some Mayan ruins a couple miles down the road – Tulum. Gage and I found this place when we were here for our honeymoon. When cruise ships pull into port, this place is swamped with people, but today, we won’t have to fight the tourists for a decent burrito. Follow me.”
Bianca walked past all the vendors without so much as a second glance at them. She smiled and shook her head as she passed the bird men. She took us to a restaurant – sort of a restaurant. There was a huge grill, a counter, plastic tables and chairs sprinkled around a room. I could hear Will on his phone trailing behind us, “. . . Delay an hour. Make sure we’re fueled and ready to go.”
Will, Gretchen, Bruce, Hannah, Beau, Lacey, Ben, Bart, Brent, and Katherine hung back a little taking in the place. Bianca, Drake, Gage, and I were looking at the menu written in English on a chalk board on the back wall. The man greeting us was quick to offer suggestions. My stomach rumbled with delight at the smells emanating from the grill.
Having grown up in San Diego, I’d eaten at Erlbertos most of my life. My order there was always the same – Carne Asada Burrito and an ice cold Coke. The smell of this place made me homesick for the cuisine of San Diego. None of the Erlbertos were five star restaurants, but the memory of how much I loved their food came rushing into me as the aroma of this place assaulted me.
We ordered and what was delivered to our tables was nothing short of burrito heaven. I was on my second bite when Bianca slid her hand over my lunch. “Wait, you’ve got to try the hot sauce.”
Gage shook his head, “No, she doesn’t. Just because you’re trying to burn a hole in your stomach doesn’t mean you should try to inflict agony on your friends!”
Bianca shot back, “Oh stop. This sauce is pure flavor.”
Gage turned to me and warned, “Don’t listen to her. I put some of it on my burrito and burned my taste buds off. I couldn’t taste anything for a week!”
Bianca rolled her eyes and gave her best southern belle accent, “You, my love, are exaggerating.” She turned to me, “Cami, live a little.”
I didn’t even like spicy salsa. After Gage’s warning, there was no way I was trying any of her hot sauce. “Hmmm, I think I’ll pass this time.”
She grabbed a thin short bottle labeled, “Atomic Sauce.” She didn’t use it sparingly, and even the man behind the counter warned, “Es muy caliente, señorita.”
Bianca was beautiful and had the poise of a beauty queen. Her complexion after a week here was a golden-bronze, and her perfect blonde hair was never out of place. If Barbie were a real person instead of a toy, she would be Bianca. This near-supermodel leaned over her plate inhaling a fat burrito; even more unexpected were the tears streaming freely down her cheeks and the snot running like a faucet from her nose. My image of Bianca as a beauty queen was officially blown forever after seeing her like this.
I handed her a handful of napkins as Gage shook his head at her and asked, “More water?”
Without waiting for her to answer, the man behind the counter ran over to our table and put two cold bottles of water in front of her. She uncapped the first and sucked down half the bottle before she could answer, “Gracias.”
When she sat up and leaned back in her chair, her eyes were as red as the peppers on the hot sauce bottle’s label. Her tear ducts were working overtime as tears continued zipping down her cheeks. I grabbed Gage’s arm and asked, “Is she going to be okay?”
“I’m convinced that little lady could substitute plutonium for orange juice at breakfast and never miss a beat. She’ll be fine.”
Hardly able to believe her reaction to the sauce, “Is it really that hot?”
Gage smiled, “Here, try this.” He took a toothpick and dipped the tip into the offensive bottle. “Put just the tip on your tongue and you tell me.”
I did as Gage instructed. The width of a toothpick is less than a millimeter, yet touching it to my tongue felt like I had just gargled with battery acid. “Holy crap, Bianca! Do you have a superpower or something?”
Tears still rolled freely from her eyes, but her enormous smile shone through. “I like it hot.”
Gage wrapped his hand over hers, “Okay, Super Girl. Finish your lunch. We’ve got a plane to catch.”
Bianca bought two bottles of the Atomic Sauce and slid them into her purse. We climbed back into the awaiting SUVs and were at the airport thirty minutes later. The jet was waiting for us. Beau was the first one up the steps into the jet with Lacey right on his heels.
We were all settling in for the long flight when I looked around for a quick headcount. I only saw twelve counting Drake and me. Will and Gretchen were sitting in two seats facing Ben and Bart. Gage and Bianca were sitting across from Drake and me. Bruce and Hannah were snuggled up on a sofa with a portable DVD player between them. Katherine was sitting on a chair watching Brent stuff something large into a closet. Twelve. Who was missing?
The captain’s voice came on the speaker, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to welcome you aboard Strayer Air. In the event of a water landing, your chair serves as a floatation device, but I recommend latching onto Ben because he’s wearing enough cologne to repel even the hungriest shark.”
In disbelief I turned to Drake, “Is Beau flying the plane?”
I could hear the laughter in Lacey’s voice over the intercom, “This is the co-pilot. We’ll be cruising at thirty thousand feet, so in the event of a water landing, sharks should be the least of your concerns.”
Drake touched my knee, “Relax, Cami. All your brothers have their pilot's licenses. I’ve flown with Brent and Ben lots of times.”
“Brent and Ben? But not Beau?”
His hand cupped my knee in a reassuring way, “He’s just goofing around.”
Will stood up from his seat and closed the exterior door. He leaned into the cockpit to say something to Beau then returned to his seat. Everyone looked at ease, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to be talking about water landings on a private jet. The engines throttled up, and we taxied away from the terminal. In a matter of minutes, we were airborne.
I couldn’t be sure, but guessed that Gretchen sensed my apprehension. Her words calmed me, “We will be there in about nine hours. Don’t let Beau frighten you; you couldn’t be safer.”
“Seeing the future, or wishful thinking?”
“Bot
h, I think,” she offered.
A question had been eating at me, so I asked, “Will Zandra know when we arrive?”
“The message you sent with her enforcer left little ambiguity. She will be expecting us.”
I hesitated, already knowing the answer, “That was a dumb move, right?”
“Not necessarily. Rumors have been rampant since you and Drake escaped in South Dakota. The enforcer’s account of Cancun will only increase the Council’s curiosity.”
Katherine had been listening because she offered, “You have nothing to fear. If you don’t want any Centaurs to know your whereabouts, I’ll disguise you.” Katherine had hidden Jessica in plain sight from a highway patrolman who knew she was in the car. She could do the same if we needed it.
Brent now sitting beside Katherine echoed, “Plus there isn’t an enforcer breathing who hasn’t heard what happened in Cancun by now. Not one of them is going to come after us without thinking twice. Sending your messenger was a brilliant idea.”
I looked around to nods and smiles in all directions. Ben stood up, “Yeah, Bart and I are expecting multiple proposals as soon as we touch down. Centaurides are going to be scooping us up like Coach bags on clearance.”
“Coach bags? Don’t you mean avoiding you like the bird flu?”
Ben’s easy smile answered, “Think about it. For thousands of years our herd was supposedly extinct. We pop up out of the blue, kick enforcer ass all the way back to Africa, and have the new Chairman of the Council in tow. We’ll have to shoo all the Centaurides away.”
“Or they’ll shoot us out of the sky before we touch down,” Bart added. All eyes turned toward him and he defended, “What? None of you have ever read Sun Zsu’s Art of War? That’s what I’d do.”
Beau was standing, leaning up against the wall just outside the cockpit, “Nice Bart. No one, not even the Chairman herself would fire on a family plane, and you know it.”
Centaur Redemption (Touched Series) Page 2
