They all drove in silence after that. Kaiden kept his eyes all over the road searching and looking. Zoe just sat back and enjoyed the ride. Her whole life had changed overnight and she was ok with that.
Nothing ever worked out for her and now it all was. This man loved her already and all she had to do was let her walls down and him in. How hard could that be? They were already crumbling anyway. As they got closer to their destination she recognized it a little bit. The Camden family lived here for a couple years before they moved to a bigger city. She suddenly had a thought.
“Is my parent’s house still here?”
“I don’t know, let me call Mr. Steinman and find out.”
Twenty minutes later and a few calls they were pulling into the driveway of a cute little house.
“From what Mr. Steinman said after your mother went missing they found a document in the house that stated, if she went missing then she was dead, and not to look for her. That if she left her baby, she was indeed dead and the house was left as is and in your name Zoe. Also the lawyer that died had set up a cleaning service for once a week and orders to keep the house intact.” Kaiden told her.
“Oh.” was all Zoe could say. Utter shock and disbelief coursing through her veins.
They found the key to the house under the third plant pot, right were the maid service said it would be. Kaiden handed Zoe the key and let her open the door and walk in first.
She walked in the door and immediately noticed that it was decorated exactly how she would have done it herself. It was all in creams and light colors. It was a small place, but comfortable, it had a very welcoming homey feel to it. There were no pictures of anyone in the house. She noticed frames, but they were empty. The missing pictures must be the pictures Zoe now had.
She walked through the living room, the kitchen, and the small dining room. There were lots of book shelves in the living room full of books and decorations with lots of decorative chests. Kaiden and Justine were following her slowly giving her the space she needed. She made her way to the hall and paused, she looked back at Kaiden and he nodded at her to continue. She went to the first room on the right and opened the door.
She fell to her knees in tears. Guilt for the anger she felt before slammed into her. The room was a nursery and looked exactly like her room in her apartment, minus the purple walls and crib of course. But looking at this room she felt all the love that a mother had for a child, the love her mother had for her, and she mourned them right then and there. She never knew them, but she was mourning the loss of them and how things could have been.
She stayed in the nursery for some time exploring every nook and cranny. Once she felt she saw everything, Zoe then decided to go to the other bedroom that should be her mother and father’s bedroom.
When she opened the door she was breathless, the room was gorgeous. A huge four poster bed was in the center with a large armoire in the corner. There were shelves on the walls with more decorative chests and books. She went to the closet to look at her mother’s clothes. She could tell that her mother had much the same figure as her own, as the sizing ranged one size smaller or bigger than her.
Zoe was going through the clothes looking at every single piece trying to feel something familiar. Something that would stand out more so than the other things. Anything to grab hold of that spoke to her. Kaiden came into the closet then and grabbed her hand. He gently pulled her to the bed to sit next to him.
“Zoe I need to tell you something, I plan on taking you to my home, our home in Ireland.”
“Oh?” she whispered
“We can take our time, but it is not safe for us anywhere once we turn Zoe, Ireland, the mountain is the only safe place I know of. We haven’t had any deaths on our land in thousands of years. The only time we lose one of our own is if there is an accident, or if they go on vacation and shift.” He told her rubbing her arm gently
“I understand that, and I am willing to move, god knows I hate cities. But Kaiden I just got all of this, I just want to be able to cherish it for a while.” Zoe told him with tears in her eyes. Right now she was thinking Kaiden was going to rob her of all of it.
“Zoe I am not telling you that you have to give any of this up. I was just going to ask you if I could call a moving company and have them move this stuff to our home. Then you can do whatever you want with the house. I want you to have all of your parent’s things. We have plenty of rooms at our house and if I need to I will build you a new house.” Kaiden was looking at her very seriously.
Instant relief and confusion hit Zoe “You would do that for me?”
“Zoe I would do anything to make sure you are happy.”
“Why don’t you have an accent Kaiden?” She was trying to change the subject quickly. She was falling in love with this man the more she was with him. Her mind was having a hard time listening to her heart so she was spoke the first thing that popped in her mind.
Amusement lit his eyes up “I have been here in America for seven years, and well even before that I didn’t really have an accent.” Kaiden looked confused by his answer.
“Ok, can I just have a couple hours with this stuff? I kind of want to look at everything. Then you can call a moving company and make all the arrangements you need to. I would love to have anything and everything of my parents.” Zoe told him beginning to stand back up to go to the closest. Her mind got its way this time.
“Take all the time you need Zoe, I will schedule them to come in a week or so that way you can stay here too. Do you want to stay here while Justine and I go to the lawyers?”
“No, I would like to thank him, but I would like to stay here instead of a hotel if you guys don’t mind. I just feel at home here, at peace.” Zoe said looking around the room. She definitely was not ready to have it all put in boxes and taken away.
“Absolutely, honestly I feel the same way here. It’s the light colors and familiarity. My mother would have loved this house. Your mother decorates a lot like mine.” Kaiden was looking wistful
Zoe giggled and went back to the closet.
They gave Zoe about an hour of looking at her mother’s things before they had to drag her out. They were now on their way to Mr. Steinman’s office.
Walking into the office the girls noticed the playroom before anything else. They looked at each other and grinned, they both wanted to tackle those huge monkey bars. They both took a step in the direction of the playroom when a tall friendly looking man came down the hall. He stopped in his tracks and smiled at the girls, he then gestured with his hands for them to go ahead. Zoe and Justine took off running and laughing, they raced across the monkey bars then pulled themselves together and made their way to the men watching them.
“Sorry that room just called to us.” Zoe apologized she was quite shocked with herself and Justine. Their playful side was usually just at the park, but when they saw those monkey bars, it was like being at the park.
“Well that’s what I built it for. I wanted this to be a fun place to come, not a normal boring stuffy lawyer’s office.” Mr. Steinman was smiling at them.
“You did well then. Mr. Steinman I presume? I’m Zoe, Thank you so much for finding me and giving Kaiden the package my mother left. You have no idea how much you have changed my life for the better because of that package.” Zoe was smiling at the lawyer.
“You are most welcome Zoe. I have been concerned about you since the day I found it.” Mr. Steinman grabbed her hand to hold on to it for a second. “I also understand we have a new client that needs her family tracked down.”
“Mr. Steinman, meet Justine Barnett.” Kaiden introduced them
“Hello Justine it is a pleasure to meet you. Kaiden here called me and gave me the basic rundown of the situation and I made a few phone calls and I have good news for you” He told Justine
“Wow, it’s really nice to meet you too Mr. Steinman, you work pretty fast.” Justine said with amazement in her eyes.
“Actually all I found w
as a similar situation to Zoe’s. Seems there is a lawyer in Germany that has been holding a file, it is similar to Zoe’s and he has been waiting for you to contact him. Your parents willingly gave you up for adoption and left instructions with this lawyer. He is sending all your information to me and it should be here within the week.” Mr. Steinman told us
“So they did just give me away?” Justine said with tears in her eyes.
“Please can we go to my office so I can explain better?” Me. Steinman asked
They all followed him to his office. Justine had gone right back into her shell and had tears streaming down her face. She looked like she wanted to run out the door, but Zoe grabbed her hand and held on tight. Zoe was trying to reassure her that everything was going to be ok. Once in his office, he led them over to the large window seat and Kaiden and Mr. Steinman took the couch opposite the girls.
“Now Justine, the lawyer in Germany is sending a package well two very large manila envelopes and some papers. He said there is also a journal and a smaller personal envelope that your parents told him would explain it all.” Mr. Steinman was trying to reassure her with his eyes. “Also he says he knew your parents quite well and that they gave you up knowing you would be leaving the country and would be safe. I am not sure what trouble any of your parents had, but it seems they were only trying to keep you safe.” Mr. Steinman looked away and stared at the wall.
“Justine are you ok?” Zoe whispered
“I will be. You said it will be here within the week?” Justine was feeling a little better from what the lawyer said, but she wanted to see it herself before she really believed all of that.
“Yes I will contact you the minute it is in.”
“Actually we will be in town at Zoe’s house, so you can call me and I will bring Justine right over” Kaiden said
“How about I bring it to you when it gets here? That way you can look it over in private and not have to wait till you got back here” Mr. Steinman asked
“That would be very nice of you.” Justine told him with a haunted look in her eyes.
They said their goodbyes and left the office. Justine was quiet and sullen in the back seat. She stayed in the car when they went to the bank and the DMV. When they got back to the house she hadn’t spoken a word and walked straight to the couch and just stared out the window. Kaiden left to get some food and Zoe went back to her parent’s closet. Soon after Justine came and sat on the bed.
“Zoe what is wrong with me? Why does no one want me?”
“Hun, do you remember what Kaiden told us?”
“Yep, your rich and a Queen and you were meant for each other”
“So that’s all you heard?”
“No” Justine said with frustration hanging her head and staring at her hands in her lap.
“Well do you remember him telling us that several of the parents put their children in hiding so that whoever was hunting them wouldn’t find them?”
“Yes I do, it’s just that I am jealous ok”
“WHAT?” Zoe felt completely confused and frustrated
“Your mom didn’t plan to give you up, that nursery in there says so, and she loved you. Mine just gave me up for my “protection” they didn’t even try. Yours did and they left you this home and money and I get some damn manila envelopes.” Bitterness scorching her voice
Zoe got up and walked over to her “Justine, think about it. If they were being hunted and you were with them, then you would be dead too. If you never came into my life I would probably be living on the street. You think I saved your life but you saved mine. We are together and I would never let you go. You are my sister. We got handed a fucked up deck of cards, but things are getting better and what’s mine is yours ok, everything. I wouldn’t have any of this if I didn’t have you.”
“I’m sorry I really am I just wish I had the knight and the fairytale you’re going to get.”
“Then let me make yours come true too. Kaiden told me that he has a mountain and like thousands of acres. I am sure we could build you a house and furnish it any which way. We also need to find your knight, then he can make the rest come true. But let me handle the material stuff okay?”
“You would do that for me?” Justine asked with tears in her eyes again
“We would do anything to make you happy.” Kaiden said walking in the room with three cups of coffee in his hands.
“Well hell.” Justine looked happy and sounded defeated.
“I can have some contractors start work now and have a home built if you would like me too?” Kaiden asked
“Kaiden?” Zoe asked staring at him
“Yes Zoe?”
“Can you slow down a bit? I know you have all the right intentions, but I am also thinking that we need to sort out the stuff going on here, with us, and then start with the others. I don’t want you building a bunch of houses and them being empty. Plus I think that some of them might want to have a say in their home, I know I would.”
“Damn Zoe you sound like a Queen already” Justine was laughing at her
“Well everything is happening so fast, everything I am not used to happening is happening, I just want to slow down a lot. I want to be able to enjoy my time here. I want all of this to soak in and once it does and we really start our life. I would like some say in at least the house I will be living in.” Zoe said in a voice so soft it almost brought Kaiden to his knees. The longing he heard in her voice made his heart break. This woman, who he loved, who was made just for him, is wounded, and he feels he is rushing her.
Kaiden dropped to his knees in front of Zoe grabbed both her hands in his and said “Zoe we can go as slow as you want. I will have the home of your dreams built. I will do anything and everything to make you happy.”
“Kaiden you have brought me happiness, more than you can know. But I need to let this, my mother and father, soak in. I feel like I am mourning them. I need to get to know you, I feel drawn to you and want to be around you, but I need to take it slow.” She said pleading him with her eyes. Kaiden nodded his head yes and stood.
“I have waited years to find you and the last thing I want to do is rush you into anything. I am sorry if I have done that to you. I got us some groceries instead of carry out. I figured you would like to make this feel like home while we are here. I will be in the living room, I hope you don’t mind but I had cable hooked up and bought a TV while I was out. I like to watch movies and there wasn’t one in there.” Kaiden looked like a wounded puppy.
“Kaiden I am sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel like you were pushing me to hard. I am just not used to this yet. The TV was a great idea though, we love movies too. Did you get one for us to watch?” Zoe had a smirk on her face.
“Yes I got a few, I wanted to cook you two dinner first and let you finish in here then I figured we could sit and watch them together, if you wanted of course.” Kaiden was now smirking too
“Can I help you cook? I sort of love to cook and it’s been a long since I have had more than just myself or Zoe to cook for.” Justine asked him
“Of Course, I would love that.”
Kaiden and Justine left the room to go put groceries away and cook. Zoe liked to cook too, but she had noticed a box buried in the back of the closet right before Justine came in.
Zoe went to the back of the closet and pulled the box out. It looked like a photo box, but was leather and looked well worn. She took the lid off and found journals inside. She decided to set the box of journals aside to look for more hidden boxes in the closet.
On the top shelf she found another box, this one was pink with lots of flowers, it looked to be a hat box. She took it off the shelf and opened the pink lid. Inside she found some more journals and some letters and photos.
She picked up the photos first and noticed that they were not her parents. The couple in the photo looked happy and the woman was very much pregnant in them. She set the photos down and picked up one of the letters. She noticed the name right away as Kai
den’s parent’s names. She skimmed the letter and realized that these were the letters his mother wrote. The letters he has are the ones her mother wrote. Well at least they had a complete puzzle now.
She set the pictures aside to show Kaiden later. She then grabbed the journal out and began reading it. There were pages full of her mother describing her pregnancy and plans she had. Zoe hugged the journal to her chest and decided she wanted to save this journal for reading later.
She skimmed through the journal and stopped on the last page. A sentence caught her eye. She flipped back to the beginning of this entry and began reading it. Her heart started beating faster and faster and she began to cry. She slammed the journal closed and ran into the kitchen.
“My father might be alive!” Zoe blurted out
Justine and Kaiden just stared at her for a moment. Then Kaiden was at her side.
“Why do you say that?” He asked
“This, I found this!” She shoved the journal at him
“Look in the back the last entry, she saw him get taken in a large truck.” She was panicked and crying. She was in the middle of mourning her parents and now she is slammed with the fact that one of them might be alive.
Kaiden tensed he knew about the trucks, he has seen them before. He watched men shoot his parents out of the sky, tie chains to their legs, and start to drag them into a large semi truck. But they both turned to ash before they got them in the truck.
Kaiden started to read the book “She never saw him turn to ash before they got the door closed, but as soon as he was in the truck she lost all sense of him. But she sensed others and she also says she noticed one of the men’s eyes, red flecks in them.” Kaiden shut the book a haunted look in his eyes and all over his face. He looked like he just saw a ghost.
“A Blood Dragon is hunting us?” he asked the room. You could see the shock written all over his face. “This changes everything. This is not an accident, this is murder, and he is hunting us, hunting them all down and killing them. He knows where they all were, because he is one of us. I need to call Charles.” Kaiden was pacing the floor and murmuring to himself.
The Pearls Page 8
