The Defender (The Carrier Series Book 2)

by Diana Ryan

  A few seconds later we released our hug and looked down the street. Joel and Aaron came flying around the corner. When they met up with us Aaron yelled, “Let’s get the hell out of here!” So we ran down a few more blocks to where our car was parked on the outskirts of the Oak Lawn neighborhood.

  It was there that Aaron finally pulled me into his arms and kissed my head and face what seemed like a hundred times. “Ava. Are you okay? I love you so much.” He pulled back and locked his eyes on mine. His right eye looked bruised and puffy, and I touched it gingerly.

  “I’m fine.” He pulled me in for another tight hug, and I said, “Are you sure you’re alright? Your eye looks horrible.”

  “I’ll have a black eye for sure. Don’t worry. It’ll make me look tough out on the football field.”

  I felt so safe and comfortable in his arms.

  “God, I can’t believe that asshole!” Then he pulled away and inspected my neck. “Are you sure you’re fine? Should we go to the hospital?”

  I was so glad he was my boyfriend. Someone who would defend my life and fight for me. “No. I’ll be alright.” Then I caught sight of Ted and Joel standing off to our left. “Thanks, you guys.”

  “Yes, Joel. Thanks for having my back,” Aaron added.

  “You bet,” Joel replied. “With your tackle power and my wrestling holds, he never had a chance.”

  “Ava, you’re like a sister to us! You know we’d do anything to keep you safe.” Ted gave me a little pat on the back.

  Suddenly a thought popped into my head and I laughed out loud.

  “What’s so funny?” Ted asked.

  “It just occurred to me. I wonder what it looked like seeing Vargas get beat up by two spice girls!”

  The boys joined in the laugh. It felt good to break the tension of the scariest night of my life.

  Aaron grabbed my hand and kissed me gently. “Vargas won’t be a problem anymore.”

  Now that I was in college, I didn’t have to worry about Halloween, considering it was a children’s holiday. At least that’s what I thought until my freshman year when everyone kept asking me what I was going to be for Halloween. It was then that I realized that for the entire weekend, every house party, bar, or dorm mixer is a costume party—an excuse for the ladies to put on lingerie and headbands with little animal ears attached and strut around. Sexy Kitten or Dirty Puppy were the most popular costumes at the kegger I was dragged to last year. I’d seen enough leg and cleavage by eleven o’clock to last me until the next Halloween.

  This year my friends were pumped to attend the Freakin’ Scary Costume Party held at the student center. Considering my recent mood, it wasn’t very surprising to my friends when I told them I’d much rather stay at home sitting on the couch in my pajamas eating popcorn balls and watching slasher movies.

  First prize at the party was two hundred dollars cash, and Elaina was sure she was going to win this year. She had decided to go dressed as Katherine Hepburn and actually looked pretty spot on. Kasie went as a Flirty Fairy and Sharon borrowed her brother’s camouflage jumpsuit so she could go as GI Jane.

  “I’m not going,” I flat-out told them when my roommates asked why I wasn’t ready to leave.

  “Yes you are,” Sharon insisted. “It’s time you get out of your funky mood. Come on.”

  She grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me down the hall and into my bedroom. Sharon scanned my closet and took out a blue strapless dress that fitted my curves just right and hit a few inches above my knee.

  “Put that on. I’ll be right back.” She left my room quickly as I grunted unhappily at the dress in my hands.

  My stomach twisted as I thought about what my friends were pressuring me into. “You’ll be fine,” I tried to tell myself. “What could happen, really?” But even as I tried to reassure my nervous stomach, my brain suggested several scenarios where I wouldn’t be fine. Sharon came back as I was zipping up the dress.

  “Here.” She placed a red headband with devil ears on my head.

  I looked at her. “What am I?”

  “The devil with a blue dress on. Like the song!”

  I heard Kasie yelling from the living room, “Come on you two! It’s nine o’clock! We wanna go!”

  “We’ll be right there!” Sharon left the room as I pulled out a pair of red heels from my closet. If I was going to be forced to go, I was going to look good. My phone rang from the table by my bed. I hadn’t remembered turning it back on. I swiped the screen—unlisted. Unlisted? Maybe it was my parents calling from Ireland. A smiled graced my lips as I accepted the call.

  “Hello?” There was silence on the other end of the line. I tried again, “Hello? Mom?” All I heard was heavy breathing. “Adam?” Still more creepy breathing. “Is this some kind of sick Halloween joke? Who’s there?” The breathing continued, but no voice. “Well, if you aren’t going to talk, I’m hanging up now. Don’t call me again.” I shook my head as I ended the call.

  That was weird.

  “Ava! Are you coming or not?” Elaina called.

  “Okay, okay. Here I come!” I grabbed my purse and ran out of the room.

  The girls were waiting for me near the door and when they saw me, they all had strange looks on their faces.

  “What are you?” Kasie finally said.

  “Devil with a blue dress on.” Their eyebrows were still crunched up, so Sharon and I sang them a little bit until they all said, “Ohhhhhh.”

  “That’s good!” Elaina chimed.

  The night was clear but brisk, so we walked quickly down the street to the back door of the student center. Next to the door there was a man wearing all black and leaning against the brick wall of the building, arms crossed across his muscular chest. I spied an earpiece hooked around the top of his ear. He looked very serious and stared straight ahead as we passed through. It seemed sort of odd to me—campus police were not dressed like that. Then I remembered it was Halloween, after all, and this misfit was most likely someone in costume.

  We climbed the stairs to the second floor. Party music blasted through the fire doors separating the stairwell to the banquet room, but it couldn’t drown out the dread pumping my heart deep inside me.

  Elaina pushed open the door to reveal an elaborately decorated hall complete with spider webs, skeletons, black and orange streamers, and spooky smoke billowing off the dance floor. There were tables of snacks, freebies, and tons of costumed college students. The knots in my stomach had tied tighter and I had a bad feeling in my chest.

  Ug. Halloween.

  We showed our IDs at the door, and made our way through the crowd to the dance floor. I still felt weird. Not being able to see everyone’s faces added to my uneasiness.

  “Can we leave yet?” I yelled at Elaina.

  “What? We just got here!”

  I basically stood still on the dance floor while I constantly surveyed the crowd. I kept my guard up and tried to avoid all the guys rubbing up on me from behind, but the dance floor was packed and it was difficult. I usually liked dancing, but I was definitely not in the mood.

  “I’m gonna get some food,” I yelled over the loud music into Kasie’s ear. She nodded in affirmation. Snaking my way through the crowd, I finally stepped off the dance floor and walked right past the table of food. I had no intentions of eating. Nothing would stay down until I was safe in my bed and this crazy night was over with. In the hallway I took a deep breath of fresh air. It was simply suffocating on the dance floor.

  “Devil with a blue dress on. Brilliant.”

  I knew it was him the second I heard the British accent.

  Of course he would be here—it’s frat sponsored. Why hadn’t I put that together? My heart somehow raced faster—there was no way of escaping. I reluctantly turned around to find a handsome man wearing black pants and a simple black T-shirt with the British flag covering the front.

  Adam walked slowly towards to me, but I crossed my arms across my chest and retreated backwards a few steps.


  “Ava, please give me a chance to explain what happened last week.”

  “I have never felt more like a fool in my entire life. Completely assaulted.” Then I raised my voice, “My sandwich was on the floor!”

  Oh, Ava, my brain complained, why didn’t you have this conversation planned out ahead of time?

  The people at the admissions table were staring at us. Adam swung his head around and quietly suggested, “Let’s go in here.” He pushed open the door that led from the hallway outside the ballroom to the student lounge. I followed, nervously wondering what I was going to say to him.

  The lounge was empty, and the only light in the room came from the exit signs over each of the four doors and a soda machine in the far corner. I stopped a few feet in and stood with my arms still crossed over my chest. Adam moved in until he was only half a foot from me. I took a step back and realized this was the exact room where I met Adam.

  “Ava, I am so monumentally sorry about what happened the other day. That girl, Thora, is the Theta Sig sweetheart. The boys in my frat paid her to pretend she was dating me and try to break us up.”

  “Ridiculous. Why would they do that?”

  “Because that’s what frat boys do. They mess with each other for entertainment.” He took a step closer to me and carefully placed his hands on the outside of my arms, near my shoulders. Before I could think about protesting, his touch woke something up in my barely beating heart.

  Adam stared deep into my eyes. “I’ve been worried sick about you this week.” He rubbed my shoulders and let out a very heavy breath. “What they did was cruel and horrible and someone as sweet and caring as you never ever deserved such merciless behavior. You must believe I would never do anything to jeopardize our relationship. You are so important to me, Ava.”

  I wanted to believe him, but I didn’t know if I should. He was, however, emanating calmness and sensibility and he conveyed no sign of panic or nervousness. He could be telling the truth.

  My heart believed him. My brain wanted it to be the truth.

  I allowed him to pull me in for a hug and I relished the safety I felt while wrapped up in his arms.

  “I don’t know, Adam,” I said, still in his embrace. “What if your frat friends decide to screw with us again?”

  “Don’t worry. They’ve had their fun. They’ll move on to another victim now. I promise.”

  I pulled back, but kept my hands on his waist. “Fine. I will allow myself to be in the same room as you again.”

  “Really? Woo!” His intense smile was simply adorable. His brown eyes lit up as he wrapped his arms around me, picked me up in a hug, and swung me around a few times in somewhat of an overreaction. “Oh, Ava! You will not regret this! You are an amazing woman!”

  “Okay! Okay! Put me down! I’ve gotta get back into that party before my friends think I’ve been kidnapped.”

  “Right-o.” He put me down promptly, opened the door for me, and then followed me out into the hallway. Adam grabbed my hand and began swinging it in his like little kids do out on the playground.

  “You look smashing, as always,” Adam said.

  “Thanks. You too. Not much of a costume guy?”

  “Halloween is not one of my favorite festivals. My mates and I like to celebrate Mischief Night.” His wide smile showed his perfect teeth.

  “I have to ask—what’s Mischief Night?”

  “I’m glad you asked, Princess Ava.” He stopped right in front of the door to the party. “The traditional British Mischief Night is on November 4th. It’s basically a time when teenagers take the liberty of pulling outrageous pranks on their friends and families.”

  “I can imagine the mischief you must have gotten yourself into.”

  “Oh, Princess. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He winked and I looked at him with imploring eyes. He sniggered a little laugh. “Maybe sometime. But right now, I wanna see you cut a rug!” He opened the door and pulled me in before I could protest.

  Holding my hand, he led me all the way onto the dance floor. We passed my friends, clearly confused, as they gestured to ask if everything was okay. I nodded back at them and smiled as Adam continued to lead me until he found some space in the middle of the floor.

  Some type of hyper pop song was on and we bounced around each other for a while, letting loose. It was like we were the only two in the place acting silly and not caring what we looked like. My nervousness had crept away, and I finally allowed myself to have a little fun. Several songs passed and we were starting to sweat.

  But before I knew it, the music changed to a ballad. We stared at each other for a few seconds, wondering whether we should leave the dance floor or engage in a slow dance. I had told myself I would give him another chance, but was I was ready to jump back in right where we left off?

  Before I could complicate the situation by overthinking it, Adam took charge and made the decision. Smiling sweetly, he placed his hands on my hips and pulled me into his body slowly and carefully.

  “I missed you,” he said.

  Excitement rushed through my veins as he slowly and deliberately placed his hands on my bare shoulders and gently slid his palms over the skin on my arms. Then he lifted my hands up and laid them down on his shoulders and neck. He returned his hands to my hips and slid them around to my lower back.

  His eyes stayed focused on mine, drilling deep into my soul and breaking down the wall I had placed around my heart. I moved in a bit closer, moving my arms from around his neck to around his waist. I laid the side of my face flat against his muscular chest. It felt so right and so perfect. I could hear his heart beating quickly and noticed mine was beating just as fast. My mind was racing.

  Uh-oh. I’ve had this feeling before.

  He rubbed my back as we danced there, swaying back and forth, and round and round for a few minutes until I heard him quietly call my name.

  I pulled back from my position on his chest and looked up at Adam’s kind face. His brown eyes were simply sparkling, peering out into mine. For the first time I saw a truly beautiful face looking back at me, and a smile crept onto the corners of my mouth.

  “Ava,” he looked so happy, “has anyone ever told you how wonderful you are?”

  My heart was starting to melt. My face wouldn’t stop smiling, but I couldn’t say anything. Where was my voice?

  He continued, “You are talented, fun to be around, intelligent.” He took his time, letting each compliment sink in. “You’re a superb dancer.” That one made me laugh.

  We were still swaying to the music. “Ava, I’m not supposed to feel this way about you. I’m in big trouble.” We continued dancing as the song switched to another ballad.

  “What do you mean?”

  Adam slowly and deliberately brushed some hair from my face. “I think I love you, Ava. I think I need to spend every day of the rest of my life with you.”

  And as if those words were the soldiers needed to break through my wall, I suddenly felt as if I could love Adam, too. But how could this be? Just last week I had more hatred toward this man than anyone in my whole life. Could I simply be caught up in an unsuspecting romantic moment?

  He was waiting for my answer; it was clear in his eyes.

  “I…I…” I didn’t know what to say, but he saved me before I said anything more, as he placed a hand on the back of my neck and moved his face closer to mine. He gently swiped his thumb over my lips and searched my eyes, contemplating whether he should kiss me. Last time we tried this a car blew up only a few hundred feet from us, and tonight I felt like my heart was about to explode out of my chest. I was unaware of the other hundred people in the room. I just wanted so badly to kiss him.

  “Screw it,” Adam muttered, and then his lips touched mine. We kissed slowly, drawing out the fullest length of the kiss each time our lips embraced. A rush of happiness flowed down my body, as our lips interlocked on the middle of the dance floor.

  I moved in closer, my hands moving up the back of
Adam’s neck and my fingers running through the hair on his head. With each passing second I felt more and more like I wanted Adam to be by my side, like I wanted to call him my own, and to share all my life’s experiences with him. I was falling hard for him—right there on Halloween night in the middle of an overcrowded dance floor.

  “Ah!” I pulled away quickly and doubled over in pain. “My head!” No! It was happening again! Suddenly I saw myself in a cave filled with water up to my waist. That very handsome man from my other visions was kissing my neck and shoulder. It was incredibly romantic.

  “Dammit, Ava! Ava! Not now!” Adam dragged me off the dance floor—people were starting to stare. For the first time I heard frustration in his voice. “Snap out of it! Come back to me!”

  “No!” I pulled my arm free his grip. “Who is that man?” I desperately wanted him back. He was fading away quickly, taking his beauty and my heart with him. I closed my eyes tight, willing that sweet face to return to my mind.

  “Forget about him! Ava, we have to leave straight away!” Adam took my hand and I allowed him to lead me out the back door into a dimly lit hallway.

  I stopped walking as I noticed the pain was subsiding. “No, I’m okay. I’m better now.”

  I need to see a doctor tomorrow. Enough is enough. Something is seriously not right with me.

  Adam’s voice was urgent, filled with pressure and annoyance. “Listen to me, Ava. You don’t understand. We need to leave right now.”

  Still holding my hand, he expertly led me along a back hallway, down several stairs, and into the kitchen behind the banquet hall. How did he know this was back here, and what were we running from?

  “Wait! Let me tell my friends I’m leaving. Where are we going by the way?” I tried to stop walking and turn the other way, but Adam’s hand had a tight hold and was still pulling me after him.

  Suddenly a strange sound came from the darkness behind me, and then ZOOM!—something whizzed by, knocking the red devil-horn headband right off my head.

  My hand instinctively went up to touch the place where the headband had been, and I quickly glanced behind me to see what the cause was.