by J. E. Taylor
“Your judgement is skewed.”
Feet shuffled into the house.
“My filter is fucked. I’ll admit that, but my judgement isn’t. Neither is that sixth sense of mine. I do have one, you know.” Alex glanced back at his father. “As insignificant as it seems compared to what you live with, my intuition has never been wrong. My internal sirens were blaring. They calmed a little when I got here, but something is watching this house.”
Tom walked into the room and stood next to CJ.
“Something is watching, and whatever it is, it can breach Tom’s protection sigils.”
CJ and Tom traded a glance.
“You should go with your father,” Tom said. “I can protect the house.”
“I would rather not have you in harm’s way,” I said. “If anything else happens to you...”
“I’ll be fine.”
Of course he would say that. I stood. “I’m going to bed. You all can hash this out without me.” I headed upstairs, yawning.
April stepped out of her room just as I reached mine. “Good night, Faith,” she said and gave me a quick hug before disappearing.
I didn’t even get a good night out before her door closed.
The nightly routine was fast, and with my teeth freshened and my nightgown on, I climbed into bed. My thoughts swirled, but it wasn’t Alex that kept coming to the forefront. Instead, it was that moment just before Fate disappeared that kept invading the nice thoughts of Alex’s hands.
I stared at the ceiling with sleep just out of reach. A car door closed, and the engine started. The rumble faded away, and I wondered if Alex was downstairs or not. My question was answered a moment later when my door opened.
Alex came in and sat on the edge of my bed while Tom waited at the door.
“Good night,” Alex said.
“Good night.”
Tom cleared his throat, and Alex obeyed whatever silent command that throat clearing meant. He left, and Tom closed the door.
I rolled on my side. Knowing he was in the house did nothing to quell the growing nerves plucking at my skin like a league of bed bugs. I fidgeted under the sheets, rolling from side to side, pushing away the doom overshadowing my life.
Chapter 17
My night remained restless, and I fell asleep in the wee hours from sheer exhaustion. Between what happened with Alex on the couch and the rest of the day, my brain just wouldn’t be quiet. What sleep I had was broken with flashes of bloody scenes and whispers from beyond.
The mattress under me moved, and my eyes fluttered open.
“Move over,” Alex whispered.
I did, and after the covers adjusted, an arm slid under my neck and Alex pulled me against him.
“Get some sleep.”
His order followed me down into a dark, dreamless sleep.
“WHAT THE HELL?” TOM’S voice snapped.
I shot up into a sitting position, blinking and disoriented. I turned toward the door, and Alex rolled onto his back next to me and covered his closed eyes with his arm. My hands shook, and I couldn’t stop blinking. I thought Alex crawling in bed with me had been part of my dreams. I glanced up at Tom with my mouth still hanging open.
“What are you doing in her room?” Tom asked in that I’m-going-to-throttle-you voice of his.
“She was having nightmares.” He lifted his arm and folded the covers back. “I’m still dressed, so don’t have a coronary.” He threw the blanket over his jean-clad legs and returned his arm to cover his eyes.
“What are you doing?”
The repetition of the question was starting to get to me as well.
Alex moved his arm enough to view Tom with one eye. “Trying to get a little sleep.”
“Not in here, you aren’t.” He crossed his arms. “You don’t want me to drag your ass out of that bed, do you?”
Alex glanced at Tom. “I’m just going to sleep, Uncle Tom,” he said, and irritation crept into his voice.
“Not. In. Here.” Tom’s words hissed through clenched teeth, and his arms flexed under the tight T-shirt.
“Maybe you should listen to your uncle,” I said. My shock had finally receded enough for me to speak.
Alex turned a single blue eye in my direction, the other still covered by his arm. “Do you want me to leave?”
“She doesn’t have a choice,” Tom said.
I shrugged. “You really need to go.” I didn’t want another altercation. It wasn’t the greatest way to start the day, and I prayed Alex would see that. “Thank you for coming in when you did. You helped keep the nightmares away, but it’s time to go.”
Tom’s arms fell to his sides, and he rolled his eyes. “Come on, lover boy, let’s go figure out breakfast for everyone.” His hostility changed to exasperation. He turned and disappeared, leaving the door open.
Alex put his arm over his eyes again, so I pushed him with my leg. He sighed and lowered his arm. “You want me to go?”
“I don’t want any more fighting. If this is how you all are normally...” I bit my lip and shook my head.
“This isn’t how we are normally,” he said and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “It’s usually fun to be around my family.” He ran his hands through his hair and stretched. “And Uncle Tom is usually the first to crack an inappropriate joke or take us out fishing or something like that. He’s been more of an adult the past few days than I’ve ever seen him.”
“What about your dad? What is he normally like?”
“He is exactly as you’ve seen him. Intense and damn strict. But he’s kind to a fault, and we all know he loves us no matter what. Even when we disappoint him.” He shook his head and stood up. “I should go before he comes back up and attempts to beat my ass.”
Alex didn’t look back as he shuffled out of the room and down the stairs. I rolled out of bed and into the bathroom. As much as I would have liked a shower, I was still on the no-shower list with my stitches. Instead, I did my best with the sponge, washed my face, and brushed my teeth before finding something suitable for the day.
When I got down to the kitchen, both Tom and Alex were at the stove. Tom was manning the bacon, and Alex was scrambling eggs. April grabbed two slices of toast from the toaster and slathered butter on them before putting them on the already respectable stack in the center.
Tom glanced over his shoulder. “Do you mind pouring the orange juice?”
“Sure,” I said.
Alex winked at me, and my face heated despite the cold blast from the refrigerator.
It was stocked full, so I had to move the milk to reach for the orange juice.I poured four glasses and set the container on the corner of the table in case people wanted more. No sooner had I taken a seat than everyone else sat. Alex set the pan of scrambled eggs on the hot pad, and Tom placed the bacon next to it.
“Dig in,” Tom said.
Before I knew it, my piled-high plate was clean, as was Alex’s, Tom’s and April’s.
April grabbed her school bag and ran out the door just as the sound of the bus reached our ears.
I gathered a few of the plates and piled them into the sink. I took off my gloves and set them aside. Without prompting, I started the process of cleaning the morning dishes. Alex stepped beside me and helped me load the dishwasher. He dried the pans, and before long, the kitchen was back in order.
Tom sat at the table with his cup of coffee, watching us.
“What?” I finally asked when it felt like his gaze was burning a hole in my back.
He smiled. “You two are cute together.”
Good lord, that was not what I expected to hear. Alex rolled his eyes with his back to his uncle, and I nearly broke out in a smile.
“Do you have your driver’s license yet?” Tom asked.
I turned off the water and wiped my hands before I slid the gloves back on. “No.”
“Did your mother teach you to drive?”
“Of course. Who do you think got her to the hospital?” I leaned on
the counter.
Dimples appeared in his cheeks. “So you drove illegally.”
I squinted at him. “What’s your point?”
“We should probably get you a driver’s license. But in order to do that, you need a permit. The genius beside you already has his license.”
I bit my lip. “That requires paperwork.”
“And?”
“And unless you have my birth certificate—”
“Not a problem,” Tom interrupted.
I crossed my arms and sent the most skeptical look I could drum up.
“How do you think CJ got your diploma?”
“You have my birth certificate?” My voice cracked in a high lilt.
“Yes. And we have legal guardianship papers.” Tom took a sip of his coffee. Smile lines around his eyes showed his amusement. “We can make miracles happen.” He winked as he put his cup in the sink and then pulled out his keys. “You can drive us to CJ’s house.”
My mother had taught me to drive out of necessity, and our little compact car wasn’t in the same league as Tom’s truck.
“I don’t know...” I said.
“I can drive us.” Alex reached for the keys.
Tom snatched them away. “Did I ask you if you wanted to drive?”
“Well... no,” Alex muttered and shoved his hands in his pockets.
Tom turned back to me and put the keys in my gloved hand. “You are driving. You don’t need to worry about the truck. It’s just a truck, so if you happen to back into anything, it’s no big deal.”
I closed my hand around the keys and nodded, although my stomach had dropped to the floor at the thought. I picked up my backpack, and we all headed out to the truck.
I put the keys in the ignition with a shaky hand and adjusted the seat until I was comfortable.
“Buckle up,” I said and turned the key. The truck roared to life.
“Turn around in the driveway so you don’t have to back out onto the main road,” Tom said.
My K-turn ended up being more like a crazy W. It took me three times to get the truck turned around, despite the extra parking spaces. Neither Tom nor Alex made any comments and when I finally got situated, I took a right instead of a left. Tom ended up guiding me through the town center and onto the back road in order to circle around to CJ’s house.
Tom’s hand gripped the handle with white knuckles, but his voice was calm and instructive despite the death grip.
As we rolled toward the security gate, it opened without us stopping and punching in the number. I pulled up the driveway and put the truck in park.
“Set the parking brake,” Tom said. “It’s the pedal to the far left. Push it until it can’t go anymore.”
I pushed it down, pulled out the keys, and handed them to him.
“I need to take a trip to Brooksfield today,” Tom said and glanced over his shoulder. “If your father says it’s okay, did you two want to take a day trip?”
“Sure,” Alex said. “Do you mind if I clean up first?”
“Not at all. It’ll give me a chance to talk your dad into it.”
Alex headed inside before us.
“I really should check in with my online class. The last thing I sent out was that my mother had passed away, and I can’t afford—”
“Don’t worry about the money,” Tom interrupted.
“That’s easy for you to say,” I mumbled under my breath. He didn’t have a whopping hospital bill hanging over his head and nothing in the bank.
“The hospital bills have all been settled.”
I stopped short and stared at him. “What?”
“Faith, when we signed the guardianship papers, that made us responsible for you. That includes making sure you have a roof over your head, meals on the table, and an education.” He shuffled his foot on the ground. “And I didn’t think a sixteen-year-old should have to have that kind of burden over her head.”
“But that was a lot of money.” I blinked up at him, still trying to wrap my head around it.
He patted me on the head. “We can afford it.” He walked into the house with me still gawking at him.
A chill settled over my neck, and I hurried inside. With the door closed, the uneasy feeling faded. I crossed into the kitchen. CJ leaned against the counter, waiting for the coffee machine to finish.
“Do you mind if I go use one of the computers to check the college courses I’m enrolled in?” I hooked my thumb towards the basement.
“Sure,” he said.
I traded a glance with Tom and headed downstairs. The basement was dark, and it took me a minute to find the light switches in both the main area and the computer room. I turned on the same computer I had taken the test on and navigated to my college blackboard.
My shoulders sagged. Every class was marked as incomplete. I closed my eyes and laid my forehead on my crossed arms as disappointment stabbed through me.
“Damn it,” I whispered and sat back up. With a deep breath, I closed out of the screen.
I stared at the browser thinking about mine and Tom’s conversation this morning. Out of curiosity, I typed in the question What is Tom Ryan’s net worth? I received a few hits, but nothing on the screen resembled the man upstairs, so I typed in What is CJ Ryan’s net worth? His information came up immediately. And with it came the fact that he and his brother were the richest people in Maine at a combined estimated net worth in the billions.
I couldn’t comprehend that much money. I closed the browser and just stared at the computer. My reflection showed my shock, and I closed my mouth.
Alex stepped into the room a moment later along with the clean smell of Irish Spring soap. I turned in the seat and stared at him. My brain was still overwhelmed by what I had read, and Alex just made it harder to believe. He was so down to earth. Not pretentious at all.
That hungry look was in his eyes again, and he pulled me out of the seat. Before I could speak, he kissed me, tightening his grip around me. His hands slid down until they cupped my bottom. He squeezed and broke the kiss, grinning at me.
“Looks like we are going to be able to go with Tom,” he said. “And I’m driving.”
I moved his hands back to my waist, holding them in place. The last thing I wanted was his father to catch us again.
“I haven’t been to Brooksfield in years,” he said. “Not since my grandparents were alive.” He leaned in for another kiss, this time moving me towards the darkest corner of the computer room.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Finding some privacy.” He pushed me against the wall. His hands roamed up my sides as he kissed my neck gently. “How are the stitches feeling today?” He licked a line at the edge of my shirt, following it to the V between my breasts and coming up the other side.
My skin tingled. “Huh?” I stared at the mischievous glow in his eyes.
“Your back. How does it feel today?” Both of his hands cupped my breasts, and his thumbs gently circled.
My brain stalled, and he raised an eyebrow, expecting me to answer. “Um, okay.”
“Stitches aren’t pulling at all?” he asked and kissed the underside of my jaw. When his hand moved between my legs, rubbing softly, he created enough friction to ignite a fire deep inside my soul.
“No. The stitches are fine.” My voice turned husky. I had an idea of what he was doing—this conversation to throw off my thoughts—but the way his eyes sparkled as he gazed at me, I knew I was in trouble. Eighteen was so far away.
Alex closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. And then he stepped away, putting his hands out to the side. When his eyes opened, the strength of the longing in his gaze made my knees wobble. He took another step away.
“If I don’t stop, I’m not going to stop,” he whispered.
I remained against the wall. Every cell vibrated with the heat he’d created in me. I wasn’t sure I would be able to move or speak, never mind carry on a coherent conversation.
He put his hand out. “Co
me on. Let’s go somewhere where I won’t get us in trouble.”
I took his hand.
He looked down at the connection. “You’re trembling.”
I laughed. “Your fault.”
Concern made a brief appearance and then dissolved into a killer smile. “Oh man, if that does this to you, imagine what will happen when we finally do the deed?”
And then he’d opened his mouth and ruined the moment. “The deed?”
“You know what I mean.”
I did, but I wasn’t going to let him off the hook so easily, not when he had been so smooth moments before.
“Come on.” He nearly dragged me out of the room, only stopping to shoulder my backpack and carrying it upstairs for me.
“How are your classes looking?” Tom asked.
“Every last one of them was marked incomplete.” Even my voice carried my disappointment, and Alex squeezed my hand.
Tom stood from the table, fished out his keys from his pocket, and handed them to me. “You’re driving.”
“I thought you said I could drive,” Alex said.
“Maybe on the way home if you’re good,” Tom said.
“Bring him home after. He’s staying here tonight,” CJ said with his arms crossed.
If I didn’t know better, I would say both Tom and CJ knew what had happened downstairs. Tom met my gaze and pressed his lips against a smirk. Darn it. He knows. My cheeks warmed, and I turned, heading out the door to avoid comments.
I climbed into the driver’s seat, and Alex got in behind me. Tom lingered at the door talking with CJ.
“Why eighteen?” Alex asked.
I looked in the rearview mirror at him. “Because we will be legal adults and can deal with any ramifications.”
“What if neither of us live to see eighteen?” He leaned his chin on the edge of the seat, meeting my gaze in the mirror.
There was no way I was going to dignify his question with an answer. “Maybe it’s a good thing that you are staying home tonight.”
He sat back in the seat and glanced out the window. “I want to have that experience.” His eyes drifted back to mine. “With you. My first. My last.” He shrugged and looked away.
