Sweetwater: The Kihn (The Sweet Series)

by Rivi Jacks

  Cal apologized profusely, and I think he was more embarrassed than I was. I told him it was an accident, more my fault than his. I had been told to wait. He smiled in a shy way, and I think he felt somewhat better.

  Sawyer nudges me as if to say, “Pay attention.” I turn my attention back to Taylor.

  “It’s supposed to snow again,” Taylor remarks. “That’ll slow them down and give us a little leeway, maybe give us some time for training, but we’ve got to move fast.” I frown, not sure what he means.

  As if he’s reading my mind again, Lucas says, “They don’t hunt or travel in the snow. Their footprints can be easily tracked.” I make eye contact with him. That makes sense.

  The meeting ends with plans to meet again Sunday at the community building. I say a quick good-bye, grab my coat, and head out the door. Andy and I take the walkway from the back of the house to the front. He’s as besotted with Emma Rae as she is with him. I’m glad because he seems like a sweet guy. He voices his concern that there aren’t many local places to take a date.

  “Why don’t you ask her to go with you to a party a cousin of mine is throwing Saturday night? You’ve met him: Eli Jones. He’s engaged to Dawn Hayes, the girl I had the shower for,” I tell him.

  “You’re sure?”

  “I am. I promise it’ll be fun, and Emma Rae will love it.” I know she’ll love bringing tall, handsome Andy to a local party. She’ll get to show up Teresa Ryder. Teresa frequently makes disparaging remarks about Emma Rae being an Amazon, unable to find a date her height. As we turn the corner, in the middle of the path sits the wolf. I stop, surprised.

  “It’s okay,” Andy assures me. “That’s Lucas’ wolf.”

  What?

  “Wolf,” Lucas calls. I flinch. He’s right behind us, unbeknownst to me. “Come meet the lady.”

  “We’ve already met.” Oops! How will I explain that? I’m not ready to ’fess up after the way I lied to him about not being in the woods.

  Lucas gives me a level look. “It was my understanding you only saw Wolf at the McNish place?”

  “You knew it was your wolf?” I ask, hoping I can throw him off.

  “You have other wolves running in this area?” He inclines his head mockingly. “Actually, he’s not my wolf. He just lives with me,” he clarifies. “Stop stalling, Sofie,” he commands in a quiet voice, his eyes gleaming silver. Geez, he can look stern.

  “I... also saw him one night when I was leaving Nick’s.” I chew my bottom lip.

  Lucas glances from me to Wolf, and his eyes narrow as he looks toward the area of the woods I was in the night I was his intruder. He exhales sharply, shaking his head. “You’re lucky something didn’t get you that night.”

  A cold chill moves over me at his words. What something is out there? I glance toward the woods.

  Sawyer hurries up to us, bumping against my shoulder. “We’ve gotta go. I have a hot date.”

  I squat down, giving Wolf a good-bye pat. “That’s the only kind of date you know,” I chide.

  “It’s the best kind, right, Lucas?”

  “I’ve always believed so.” Lucas’ voice is low, sexy. I glance up, catching him watching me. His eyes gleam from the walkway lights, and his expression makes my whole body tingle.

  I tell Andy good-bye, and after giving Lucas a quick nod, Sawyer and I take our leave. As Sawyer drives me home, I notice the clear night is especially dark.

  “Where’s Jake tonight?” I ask him.

  “Lucas sent him and Nick on an errand.”

  “What kind of errand?”

  “I’m not sure,” he answers. “Sofe, I think it would be a good idea not to tell Jake about the little accident you had tonight.”

  “Oh... I know that. What happened? I mean when...”

  “Did you know one of Lucas’ men is a doctor?”

  “No.”

  Sawyer says, “Yeah, Lucas was pretty shaken when Cal came swinging across on that rope, knocking you about six feet. He yelled for Lewis, who checked you out before he let Lucas move you.”

  “Why’d you let them take me to Lucas’ bedroom?”

  “I told Lucas you’d be pissed when you came around if they made a fuss.” Sawyer knows me well. I would have died of embarrassment if I woke up with everyone looking at me. “So, Lucas picked you up and—”

  “He what!”

  Sawyer glances at me. “He picked you up and carried you to the house.”

  “Oh my gosh!” I slump down in the seat. I thought it was bad waking up lying on his bed, but to think he held me in his arms… I get a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach as I fan my face.

  “Sofie!” Sawyer laughs as he turns into my driveway. Since Jake isn’t home and we don’t know if he’s coming home, Sawyer comes in with me while I check the downstairs and back door.

  Right after Sawyer leaves, Diane calls. “You want to do lunch tomorrow?” she asks.

  “Sure, pick me up at Murphy’s. I only have to work a couple of hours.”

  “I called earlier. Where were you?” After making her promise not to tell Jake, I relay the night’s events. “You are so lucky. You could have been seriously hurt, Sofe.”

  “It’s not as if I did it on purpose.”

  “Did you enjoy him carrying you? Yum,” she giggles.

  “Uh... I was unconscious.” I shake my head at the phone.

  “Ooooh—I bet he took liberties with you.”

  “Diane!”

  “What? You don’t think he copped a feel?”

  “No! You’re starting to sound like Emma Rae!” I tell her, exasperated.

  “Oh, come on, Sofie. With your boobs, any red-blooded man would be tempted.”

  “Ewww!”

  “What do you mean?” Diane asks with disbelief. “He’s gorgeous and the way he looks at you all the time.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What?” she asks.

  “He... kind of scares me.”

  “What?” Diane’s voice hits a high note.

  “There’s just something about him...”

  “Yeah! He’s drop-dead gorgeous.”

  “I... just don’t like him.”

  “Uh-huh,” she says as if she believes just the opposite, but she does drop the subject. “I’ve got to go. I need to get into the shower.”

  “Hey, did you talk to Jake earlier?” I ask.

  “Only a quick call. He told me he was taking care of some business, and he’d see me tomorrow.”

  “Okay—go take your shower.”

  I feel sad after talking to Diane. I can’t remember a day I haven’t spoken with Jake. I need to set things right with him. I don’t want this rift between us. I lie on my bed. Why hasn’t Jake tried talking to me? This is not like him. I don’t think I care for the influence Nick has over Jake. Thinking about how Nick acted at the meeting last night, and at other times—not to mention he’s a cheating son of a bitch—makes me realize I don’t like Nick much at all. Maybe that’s why I don’t mourn the end of our relationship.

  At that moment, I hear a thump upstairs. I keep perfectly still, and then I hear sounds outside my bedroom window. I vault off the bed and turn off the light. I pull the shotgun out of my closet and grab the phone on my way to the hall. I turn off the other lights through the house as I dial Sawyer’s number. No answer. Crap! I punch in Jake’s and get the same response. Double crap!

  I move from one room to the next, looking out the windows. From above, there’s another thump. Well, screw this! I won’t just sit here and wait for—whatever—to come down the stairs. I reach into the hall closet where Jake keeps some 00 buckshot. It can bring down a deer, so maybe it’ll work on—

  The phone rings, startling me, and I give a little screech. I answer and Jake is yelling my name. “Jake,” I whisper, “where are you?”

  “I’m a couple of hours away. What’s going on there?” He’s still practically yelling.

  “Something’s on the roof, and I hear noises out back, but I can�
��t see anything,” I whisper frantically. “Sawyer’s not answering his phone.” I know he can hear the fear in my voice.

  “Nick’s on the phone with Lucas right now. He’ll be there; you hold on!”

  Relief washes over me, desperately glad that someone is coming. A floorboard creaks above me and I look up at the ceiling. “You’d better tell him—to hurry.”

  I move to the front door, ready to leave if something starts down the stairs. I would have left already if I weren’t worried about what was outside. Within seconds of speaking to Jake, I hear a series of thumps and thuds on the roof. Then I hear a quick knock on the front door and Lucas calls to me. I yank the door open with more relief than I can explain.

  “Upstairs!”

  Max flies up the stairs at an incredible speed as Lucas takes the shotgun and leans it against the wall. “Are you okay?” he asks, searching my face, his full of concern.

  “I am now.” I sound calmer than I feel.

  “What happened?” He radiates power, and even in my distress, I’m conscious of my attraction to him. “I was in my bedroom when I heard something on the roof.”

  Lucas raises my chin with his fingers, causing my breath to catch. “But you’re okay?” His beautiful eyes search mine. His lips hold a ghost of a smile.

  I lick my dry lips, suddenly unable to find my voice.

  Max comes back down the stairs. “Nothing up there now. Looks as if it ran off when we got here.” A look passes between him and Lucas. “A window was open, and I smelled them in the room.”

  “Them?” I ask.

  They exchange another look. “More than one was in the house,” Max clarifies. There’s a knock on the door, and Lucas reaches over and opens the door to Taylor.

  “Three Kihn. Andy and Jefferson gave chase,” he informs us.

  “Three!” I exhale sharply.

  “You’d better sit down.” Lucas leads me to the couch. “Taylor, call Jake. Let him know she’s okay.”

  My mind runs rampant at the possibility of what could have happened if Lucas hadn’t arrived in time. “How did Jake know to—oh.” I realize Nick’s ability has come to my rescue again. I push the hair off my forehead, combing it back with my fingers. I look up at Lucas. “You got here incredibly fast. Thank you.”

  He’s watching me intently. He suddenly squats in front of me, and takes my hands. I look down at our hands. Mine are small in his large, warm ones.

  “Sofie…” Lucas hesitates. His lips quirk in a half smile and he glances down. My stomach tightens as he runs his thumb over my knuckles. It’s as if he has a direct line to my lower extremities. “Do you know of any reason—why the Kihn are so interested in you?”

  I stare into his silver-green eyes. I’m so afraid he’ll find out my secret. I notice the subtle change in his expression when he sees my panic.

  “Let me help you, Sofie.” His voice is deep and gentle, urging me. He squeezes my hands. “Trust me.”

  For a moment, I want to. “No.” I shake my head. “Why would they be interested in me?” I’m sure I don’t want him to answer that.

  “How were you able to give a detailed description the other night when you only saw the Kihn for seconds?” His eyes delve into mine. Their intensity is unsettling. I feel as if he sees the depths of my soul, and I’m unable to look away. I’m aware I put him and Max on alert the night the Kihn paid a visit to my house. He suspects I’m not telling everything. Maybe that’s why I’ve been so leery of him.

  “Your friend saw him for the same amount of time as you. She can barely recollect anything while you remember details as if you’ve seen him dozens of times.” His eyes narrow. “How do you explain that?”

  “Total recall,” I retort. I always resort to anger when I can’t handle a situation. I pull my hands from his and stand. He stands too, towering over me. No way can I tell him. After too many years of keeping secrets, learning to hide my fear from the nightmares, only to find out I have some weird connection with the Kihn? No, I’m not playing Show and Tell. “I’m tired, and I have to get up in the morning for work. Jake will be here soon, so y’all can leave. Thanks so much for—”

  “We’re not leaving you here alone,” Lucas states, his voice hard.

  “Jake will be here soon—”

  “I don’t give a damn if he’s around the corner.” He bites the words out, his eyes flashing silver.

  “Fine!” I say, gritting my teeth. We glare at each other for several moments. Damn, he’s hot! Even when he’s mad. “Taylor, will you stay with me, please?”

  He glances quickly at Lucas. “Of course, Sofie.”

  “There! I’m not alone,” I snap at Lucas.

  He grabs my arm and hauls me up against him. I gasp sharply, my eyes wide with alarm. He tilts his head toward me and his voice is low and seductive in my ear. “Go ahead, hide behind Taylor, but that won’t keep you safe from me.”

  I stare at his angry face, watching the muscle jerk along his jaw line and the blaze of heat in his eyes. He releases me abruptly and stalks to the door. “Call if you need us,” he tells Taylor. With a quick look my way, he and Max are gone.

  I’m in bed when Jake gets home. I’m still awake but pretend to be asleep. I don’t feel I can go over everything again. Taylor can fill him in. I’m doing my best not to think about what happened tonight, but I keep thinking of what Lucas wants to know. And what did he mean when he told me, I wouldn’t be safe from him?

  I drift to sleep, seeing his stormy, silver eyes.

  Fridays are now my regular day off since Murphy decided to have a Friday burger special. Diane and I have a late breakfast with Emma Rae. Emma Rae’s chattering about going to Eli’s party the next night, and being single again hits me. Emma Rae and Diane both have dates, and I’ll be on my own. It won’t be too awkward since the party is at a relative’s house, and considering I’m the maid of honor, it would be rude not to show.

  After breakfast, Diane and I head to Lebanon for some shopping. We drive the old Route 66, and on the outskirts of Lebanon, we pass the bar Emma Rae went to with Andy and Taylor. Only four cars parked in front, but as we drive by, I see a black Hummer near the back. Of course, Lucas’ Hummer isn’t the only one out there, but I’m sure it’s his.

  When we drive home later, I check and the Hummer is gone. At my house, I find Wolf lying on my front porch. I pet him for a few minutes before going inside. No amount of coaxing can get him to come in where it’s warm. Has Lucas told Wolf to stay here? Can one train a wolf to stay, to guard? I bet if it’s possible, Lucas can do it. He’s a wolf himself.

  That idea makes me stop in my tracks. Is Lucas a supernatural? Neither Nick nor Taylor has ever hinted that Santiago or his men are supernatural. Maybe that’s what bothers me about him. Something makes my alarm bells go off. Of course, it might just be the fact the man is sex on a stick. I feel so out of my league around him. I make a cup of coffee and sit at the kitchen table.

  Nick told me all the monsters and magical creatures we grew up hearing stories of are real. What about werewolves? I glance around the now dark, shadowy room with a certain amount of alarm. Could Lucas Santiago be a werewolf?

  The sudden pounding on the back door comes near to giving me a heart attack. Sawyer’s arrived on a mission. Aunt Pat sent him over to fetch me for supper, and since he and Sam are about to starve, he hustles me out the door. My cousins have been painting their mother’s kitchen for the last two days, and we haven’t had a chance to discuss what happened Wednesday after he dropped me off.

  “I called, but you didn’t answer,” I tell him once we get on the road.

  “Son of a bitch!” he exclaims. “I told Arilla I needed my phone with me.”

  I look at him with my mouth open, and I’m sure the rest of my face exudes surprise. Sawyer glances over and wiggles his eyebrows. “Shut up!” I practically yell.

  “She called. She was the hot date.” He wiggles his eyebrows again.

  “Shut up!”

  Sawyer l
aughs his contagious laugh. Arilla Kane and Sawyer have a tumultuous history. She’s been living in Texas for the past year, but I guess she’s back.

  I look at him from the corner of my eye. “I’m surprised you’d want to get that going again.”

  “Hmmm.” He pulls into his driveway and parks the Jeep. He turns toward me. “Sofie, why does it seem as if the Kihn are trying to get to you?”

  The amusement falls from my face and a hard, cold lump settles in my stomach. I don’t tell him that Lucas asked me pretty much the same question. I chew my bottom lip, unsure of what to say.

  “You’ve got to start coming to training and no more staying home alone,” he says.

  I don’t say anything. We both hear someone yell and see Sam at the back door, waving for us to come in.

  “We’d better go in before Sam wastes away,” I murmur.

  My Aunt Pat fusses over me as we settle at the table. She continues to set food out, refusing my offer of help.

  “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” Sam confesses.

  Sawyer leans in toward the table and whispers, “I’m so hungry I could eat the balls off a low-flyin’ goose.”

  His mother smacks him on the head. “Sawyer Wayne! I heard that.” I cover my giggle with my napkin. “Don’t be talkin’ nasty at my table.”

  My Aunt Pat is an awesome cook, and by the time we finish with dessert, I’m ready to roll out of there. We mosey on down to the Shotgun Shack to set up for the poker game. Of course, Sawyer brings up Wednesday night again and Sam asks me questions.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” he asks.

  “I knew you were out with Rose, and right after I called Sawyer, Jake called.”

  Sawyer hands us each a beer. “I told Sofie she needs to start training. It doesn’t matter if Jake agrees or not.”

  “Absolutely,” Sam agrees.

  “Aw, Sawyer!” I smile as a favorite song comes across the music system.

  “I knew you’d remember this one. I’ll load it on your iPod,” he offers.