by J. E Hanson
“His specialty is with guns. This is why the men chose him among his many other unique talents,” she explains to me his functions within this group.
This is the first time that I’ve seen so many guns. My dad doesn’t like guns, so that is why we never had guns. There’s no way to describe their guns. They are either gold; gold trim; or solid slate in color. I’m sure their guns have special names, but I’m ignorant when it comes to guns.
Willow continues with the introductions, “This is Zane Washington.”
My guess about their names, so far are spot on. Once again, I carefully nod my head. He repeats the mutual nod in return with a small grin.
“Zane specializes in biology. He’s also our local alchemist and doctor.” I take a double look at him strangely. He appears too young to be a doctor.
I had no idea until now, that they each have different sets of skills. Zane almost matches Ian in height, but he’s taller than Ian is. He has a square face. He shoulders are broad, and he’s stocky. He has a few tattoos, but not as noticeable as Ian’s are. He has a gold stud in his right ear.
The two ginger hair men possess shoulder-length hair with no dyes. They each have hazel eyes, and they are lanky. Their faces are square-shaped too. Once again, I feel vertically challenged. They are equally muscular. I notice that the twins have a couple of gold studs in their ears. Willow turns me to face these ginger haired men.
“These two men are our first set of identical twins. Let me introduce you to Brennan and Brannon Hayes,” and she points at the men.
My head rigidly nods in their directions and they reciprocate.
“They each have training in anything aquatic in nature. That involves anything that goes on the water or underwater. That could be boats, jet-skis, and underwater bombs. The list is limitless, when it comes to the water. They are swim, surf, and diving instructors. Those are their jobs,” she explains in detail.
The twins smile warmly at me, and they appear friendly.
Willow turns me around to meet a distinct fellow with auburn hair. This man also has chestnut eyes. He peers at me, while he curls his nose. His expression is faint, but I already witnessed it. With no surprise, he’s also taller than I am. He appears older than the rest of the men from the silver strands in his hair. His skin is tan, and his arms protrude with muscles. He has a square face and broad shoulders. This man has a prominent nose overshadowing his face.
“This is Thomas Hawthorne,” she carefully introduces me to the contemptuous man.
Thomas nods only once in my direction with a bitter expression of disdain, and I reciprocate following in suit. A little gold crucifix on a gold chain flashes from his neck. I can see that nobody is wearing silver, not even Willow possesses any silver on her. A few of these men have chains from their wallets to their front belt loop, but their chains are gold.
“Thomas manages anything mechanical in nature. This constitutes each and every piece of land transportation on the premise,” she carefully explains his jobs to me.
With the way he stands, there is something aristocratic about him.
The next person in line smiles at me warmly. I instantly recognize this man. He’s the one, who called Ian a bitch. I will never forget his colorful introduction. The man has high cheekbones, and there is an unusual feminine quality about him. He is lanky and narrow, and his hair is dark auburn.
“This is Louis Mansfield,” she gleefully introduces me to him. She is about to add something, but Louis interrupts her.
“I hate being called Louis. Please call me Louie instead,” Louie speaks up. We nod at the same time, but he automatically strolls over to me, shaking my hand.
“My jobs are pretty fucking simple. I play fetch and I retrieve,” he shakes his head, and continues, “that last part was a joke. You can laugh, you know. I specialize in bombs, detonation, powder, and ammunition. These are boring things that men love to get their hands on these days.”
Louie’s personality makes me smile for a change. His sense of humor sets me at ease. I think warm thoughts of friendship towards him. He steps back in line, and allows her to continue with more introductions.
Willow turns me to face another man. “I believe you already know this gentleman. This is Leonardo Durant, but you may call him Leo instead.”
I instantly recognize him, and my head carefully nods once in his direction. “Leo is in charge of security and tech. He’s also in charge of all computers and electrical devices.”
Leo took off his leather coat to reveal a set of slate guns resting in his holster. The charcoal tanks—or ivory tanks appear to be the common fashion trend around here. He keeps his charcoal beanie on head. For the first time, I notice that he has ear piercings too. His face is oval, and he has a five o'clock shadow. He looks rough, and he could probably use a good shave. He has dirty blonde hair with dark eyes. Just like the others, he’s also tall. He is muscular, and he has broad shoulders. His frame is wider than the others are.
Willow points to the subsequent man, “They are essentially brothers, but they are not related. I thought I should inform you of that at once. They are extraordinarily best friends. This gentleman is Samuel Jefferson, but you may call him simply Sam.”
I quietly think to myself, “This is some kind of a sick joke!”
He looks exactly like Principal Peter Jefferson. Peter and Sam are equal in height. Sam has muscles, stocky frame, and a square face. Sam also has that same prominent nose. This chaos has to be a secret joke on me. This man has to be Principal Peter Jefferson's identical brother, a natural brother, or even a cousin for that matter. Sam doesn’t possess any ear piercings unlike Leo. He is also clean-shaven unlike Leo. I guardedly nod at Sam, but he nods back with annoyance in his eyes. I can read their eyes well.
“Sam manages security, tech, and training too.”
Willow wheels me around to meet her father. “This astounding gentleman is my daddy, Charles Black. But you can call him Charlie.”
My head nods, repeating to the burly man with long curly auburn hair. Charlie has an oval face with an auburn goatee. He’s tall too and stocky. He has broad shoulders with muscles. He has gold guns in his holster too. He nods in unison with a faint smile on his face.
“My daddy is in charge of operations also, but he specializes in swords,” Willow gloats about her dad.
You would never suspect that they share genetic ties, except for their eyes and height. Her father has pasty skin with patches of curly auburn hair covering his arms.
Willow turns me to face the angry Viking, or the Viking who hates me being here. “This is Erik Gunner. He can be a real pistol to deal with at times. And he will be the first to admit it,” she properly introduces me to the intimidating Viking.
“That’s for sure!” Louie makes a wise crack.
His sudden outburst spawns the rest of the men to laugh aloud. Erik quickly jerks his head, giving Louie a look of instant death. Louie catches the hint, and then he closes his mouth tightly. Erik twists his head to face me, and he nods only once at me. I make sure to nod my head in return.
“Erik specializes in operations; martial arts; and weaponry. He’s also in charge of armor and legal issues.”
Erik has broad shoulders, icy-blues, and platinum-blonde hair. His hair is in an intricate braid running down his back to his ass. He has an oval face with high cheekbones. He doesn’t have facial hair, but he has a couple of piercings in each ear. He stands over six feet tall, and he’s the tallest man in this group. His walk is straight with proper posture. The way he carries himself is exceptionally intimidating. He doesn’t look like the type to fuck with either. His skin is flawless, and protrudes with muscles.
They appear to wear a holster of some sort. Their guns remain hidden in their holsters, but seem ready to fire. I guess that all their guns have bullets in them.
I start to relax and unwind even more, now that I know their names. My captors aren’t as scary as I originally thought. I firmly believe that I’m the l
ast person, who they would kidnap, now that I’m thinking clearly.
My body is extremely plump and round. I even smell like rotten eggs. The person they should kidnap would be someone like Willow. I don’t own anything of value, and I might have five dollars in my checking account, if I’m lucky.
I relax until she turns me around to face the one person, who stands in front of the library table. My heart instantly skips a few beats. Now I know what it feels like to have a stupid crush on someone. The feeling is indescribable and breathtaking, when my eyes focus on him. I always thought Arizona, was completely stupid for having constant crushes on different boys. Now, I see what she has been talking about after all these years. He moves his dark shades to the top of his head. My dream lover stares at me with those same piercing ultramarine eyes. His eyes match the other man standing next to him. They have to be identical twins, but with noticeable differences. This man has larger muscles than his assumed brother does. His face is stern and perfectly chiseled. They have equal facial features and height. He leans his ass on the table with his hands firmly gripping the edge. There’s no way to talk to him through my infatuation. I plead with my eyes for him not to utter one single syllable to me. I try to come up with something intelligent to say, but I draw an instant blank. This man has the platinum-blonde hair, ultramarine eyes, and a perfect tan. His muscles bulge in every direction including his chest.
Willow smiles fondly at him. I can feel the tension in the air. I zero in on his attire, and he’s wearing an ivory tank. The difference between him and my dream man is that he also wears a pair of charcoal dress slacks instead. This mystery lover wears an ebony chain with a gold symbol around his neck. I gaze over him intently to notice an expensive slate with gold holster on his back. There’s a certain confidence about him that he clearly projects. Once again, I notice there’s something around his wrist. The mystery lover from my dreams, currently wears a gold bracelet on one wrist, and on the other, he’s wearing a gold wristwatch. My mystery lover isn’t wearing cowboy boots, but he’s currently wearing expensive charcoal loafers.
Willow breaks the uncomfortable silence between us, by hugging him right in front of me. I instantly feel a bitter pang of jealousy, especially when she kisses his cheek. The mystery lover smiles warmly at Willow.
“This amazing man is Christian Hunter. He’s the younger identical brother to Alexander. You will meet Alexander in just a second.”
Christian pats her head. He casually nods his head in my direction, catching me off guard. I almost forgot what to do next. My head manages to nod nervously one time in his direction. I’m the foolish girl with an instant desire for him.
“Christian is the co-leader of this group of men. He’s in charge of operations, finances, and training. He actually does it all without taking a break.”
Willow continues to introduce the other platinum blonde with the jet-black tips.
“This man is also amazing, and his name is Alexander Hunter. He’s the older brother of the two.”
My head has this head nod thing down. With respect to my mystery lover’s brother, my head nods once in his direction.
“Alexander is also the co-leader over this group. He’s in charge of the same things as Christian, and they make the rules for the rest of the men to follow. They also make important decisions that affect us all,” she carefully explains their jobs and responsibilities to me.
The shape that my body is in upsets me greatly. My body isn’t like everyone else here. Here comes the self-doubt, ready to torment me. That’s when the thought of my sister should be here instead of me, commences.
Christian must have noticed the disappointment in my face. “I will go ahead and inform you that we are doing all that we can to find your sister,” he explains and then he points at Erik, “Erik will review all our rules with you, in a few minutes. I will inform you a little about us. We are an elite group, who you never hear about. We are the Enforcers. It is our job to keep rogues from preying on the weak. We are here to keep the world safe. I am sure in due time, you will find out everything soon. Right now, we need to make sure you settle in. You need your rest, because you are about to face a grueling schedule. Your grandfather has left you in our care, and we will provide you with the necessities. You will have everything you need during your stay here.”
The cat caught my tongue. There’s nothing left to say, to a response like that. He has a thick foreign accent, and I’m completely awestruck with him. I attempt to pin his accent down, but can’t figure out where he comes from. His thick accent is extremely sexy and steamy. His accent alone sends me into instant orgasmic bliss. Alexander obviously has the same thick accent. The ten men gather around Christian and Alexander to discuss strategy.
Willow interrupts my thoughts, “How about we help you out of that dress, and show you where to take a shower? I have a fresh set of clothes waiting for you.”
I follow her from the library, and I refuse to say anything until she prompts me, “How are you feeling?”
I’m nervously study the floor. “I don’t know what to think. This has to be some kind of sick joke that Ava is pulling over on me, or she’s really in deep trouble. I just know that I feel tons of emotions right now. I’m unable to distinguish one from the next.”
“You are in really great hands. The men have special training with protection, and they will keep you safe. You will have to learn to trust them, and they will have to learn to trust you in return. This is a wonderful learning experience for everyone. In all honesty, they know what they are doing.”
“Who is my grandfather? I’m certain that all my grandfathers are deceased.”
“We will let him explain that to you.”
My pudgy legs have trouble keeping up with her. “When will I meet him?”
“You will meet him eventually. Right now, he wants you to settle into a routine first.”
At this point, there’s no way to keep up with her. She’s already standing in front of the elevators. She types in numbers into a gold keypad. My amazement continues, when she places her thumb over a touchscreen. The gold doors to the elevator swing open, revealing an enormous elevator. There is a sitting bench with burgundy padding on it. There are mirrors everywhere in the space with gold emblems. The wood smells fresh and mahogany. We leisurely stroll inside, and Willow pushes number one on the elevator pad. The gold elevator doors snap close, and now we descend to the first floor. After the doors open, we step out of the elevator together, and then we walk three additional corridors, revealing an achromatic door. She opens the achromatic door, to reveal a small room.
“This is where you will stay until Christian and Alexander decide when it is okay to trust you. Only then, will they give you an actual room here.”
The whole situation is simply peculiar. Willow hands me a pair of charcoal shorts with a large charcoal shirt. She hands a pair of ivory cotton socks with a pair of ivory tennis shoes to me. She points to the upper left corner of the room, and there is another achromatic door inside my temporary bedroom. “You need to take a shower. No offense, but you stink!”
My face reddens with more embarrassment, but she motions me to enter the bathroom.
The sink has an ivory towel with a gold letter H embroidered in the towel, and it has a matching washcloth to go with it.
~~~***~~~
The shower couldn’t have come at a better time. I fumble for the gold showerhead and the gold nozzle inside. The flimsy plastic beige curtain pulls shut. The power of the water stream shocks me at first, but I quickly readjust the water temperature precisely to what I like. My body stands in the intense shower lifeless for what seems to be an eternity. The scalding water pelts against my skin, to relax the tension in my body. It feels as if hands are massaging my pudgy body. To my disappointment, the invigorating shower ends with Willow pounding on the bathroom door.
“Are you okay, Princess?”
The name Princess freaks me out. “I’m sorry that I took so long, and I will hu
rry up,” I inform her and apologize.
I finish scrubbing every inch of my body, and end my blissful shower. The outfit they provide me now covers my body. There are toiletries resting on the sink to freshen up. The arduous task of brushing my hair will take majority of my precious time.
I reemerge quickly, to brush my hair out. Willow looks at me surprised, since now she realizes just how long my hair actually is.
“Oh wow, you have incredibly long hair!”
“I trim my hair over the years, but I never cut my hair, or even style it.”
“It has been an incredibly long time, since I’ve seen anyone with hair this length. Not even in our world, do women leave their hair this long. How far does it go?”
“What do you mean, by your world?”
“Oh nothing, it is just that our world is a little indifferent. You will find out soon enough. May I please see how long your hair is?”
I show her that it goes past my ass. I continue to brush all the tangles out, and the brushing takes a while longer. After ten minutes of rapid brushing, I roll my hair back into a tight bun at the top of my head.
“I would never have thought that your hair is that long. Do you ever leave it out?”
“If I leave it out, it will bunch up and turn into large knots. So, I keep my hair up at all times.”
“I strongly advise you to never leave it down in front of Louie. Louie would love to cut and style your hair. He’s the residential hair stylist around here. He loves to put his hands in all our hair and that includes mine. He will tell you that he’s a hair artist, not a hair stylist.”
We laugh a little over Louie. Willow ushers me outside my temporary bedroom, and she quickly escorts me back inside the library.
Once again, Christian remains standing there. My heart continues to skip a few beats. I quickly shift my eyes back to the floor. She escorts me to an empty table. At her request, I sit down and wait for their meeting to end, and it lasts for another five minutes.
