by S. J. West
Ezra's eyes light up with excitement. He shakes JoJo's hand so vigorously I see JoJo holding back a grimace behind a smile.
"Bonjour," she says to Ezra, trying to keep her smile on through the shaking.
"We are all so excited to meet you and see what happens," Ezra says, placing an arm around JoJo's shoulders. "Come, let me introduce you to the rest of my family."
Chandler and I stand off to the side letting JoJo enjoy the spotlight of her celebrity among Ezra's family. They all seem excited to meet our friend and JoJo graciously accepts their hospitality.
Finally, we are asked to sit down and enjoy the feast Ezra's family has prepared. Luckily, I'm still hungry since I didn't get to completely enjoy my lunch thanks to a certain angel who refused to stop smiling at me.
"What are you thinking about?" Chandler asks me.
I look at him sitting across the table from me. "Mason."
Chandler rolls his eyes. "Should have known. What about Mason?"
I shake my head. "Nothing much. Just his smile. I don't know why it has such an affect on me."
"Because you're in love," Chandler shrugs like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"I couldn't…." I stop, wondering if I should be having this conversation with Chandler. Normally I would have this type of talk with Faison but she isn't exactly available, and I have to talk about it with someone. "I couldn't go beyond just kissing last night," I confess.
Chandler studies me hard for a moment before asking, "He didn't try to make you go beyond that did he?"
I shake my head vigorously. "No, in fact he's the one who insisted I go back home before things got to the point where neither of us could stop."
Chandler visibly relaxes. "So couldn't or wouldn't go past kissing?"
"Couldn't."
"Why?"
I feel myself bite my bottom lip, contemplating how to answer.
"What if he touches me in certain spots and I don't like it? What if I end up pulling away from him?"
"I assume this has to do with that business with your uncle."
I nod. "What if it brings back too many bad memories and I never find a way to wipe those images from my mind?"
Chandler sighs, understanding my predicament. "I can't imagine the hell you went through with your uncle, Jess. But I do know one thing, unlike your uncle, Mason actually loves you. Hell, even if I just like a girl, I make sure to take things slow with her. The way Mason looks at you tells me he would take things extra slow. I don't think you have anything to worry about. You're not going to experience things the same way because it will be with someone you love and someone you want to touch you. The two situations are complete opposites from one another."
"I don't want to hurt him," I say. "I don't want to flinch away from his touch and I'm scared that's what I'll do without even meaning to."
"Well, you seemed pretty stuck to him this afternoon," Chandler says, raising a dubious eyebrow at me. "I wasn't sure you guys were ever going to hear me."
"We heard you."
"Yeah, the fourth time I cleared my throat you did."
"Fourth?"
Chandler nods and I bury my face in my hands, completely mortified. I begin to laugh at the absurd picture in my head of Chandler trying to interrupt mine and Mason's making out session. Chandler soon joins me in my laugh fest.
"I'm sorry," I say, wiping tears from my eyes. "I didn't realize you had tried so many times."
"I felt like a peeping Tom," Chandler confesses. "You guys were so into each other, I wasn't sure you would ever come up for air. But you know what? For someone who just had her first kiss last night, you were doing some major damage to that man's mouth."
I sober up. "Do you think I was hurting him?"
"Oh my god," Chandler hangs his head like he can't believe I just asked my question. "No, I was giving you a compliment, stupid. It means you were kissing him in a pretty majorly wicked way. I don't think I've ever had anyone be that into me."
"You will," I tell him, hoping Chandler finds love like I have. I feel confident he will.
After everyone is through eating, Ezra brings out a medium sized wooden box from the house and sets it in front of JoJo. The box is ornately carved and you can tell whoever made it took a lot of time to work the wood into something special enough to carry what is essentially a holy relic.
JoJo stands up from the table she is sitting at and looks to Ezra for permission to get what we came for.
"Please," Ezra says, sweeping his arm over the box, indicating JoJo should be the one to open it.
JoJo looks over at Chandler and me, uncertainty and trepidation in her eyes. I give her an encouraging nod and she smiles nervously back at me. Even from where I'm sitting I can see her hands shake slightly as she gently lifts the lid on the box and peers inside.
JoJo suddenly looks confused and back up at me for help.
Chandler and I go over to her and peer inside the box ourselves.
The coat has lost its color from years of storage. Seams are coming apart and it appears to be disintegrating from age.
"What should I do with it?" JoJo asks me.
The material looks too fragile to take out of the box.
"Touch it," I suggest. "See what happens."
JoJo flexes the fingers on her right hand and runs the tips of them gingerly across the delicate fabric.
Almost instantly, the coat comes to life. Right before our eyes it transforms into a beautiful multi-colored silk robe with intricate embroidery stitched around the edges. Everyone, including me, gasp as we witness its magical transformation.
JoJo reaches inside the box and pulls the coat out. The coat seems to have every color in the rainbow. JoJo looks to me again for guidance.
"Put it on," I encourage.
JoJo slips the coat on and a warm glow, like the sun setting on the horizon, envelops her.
"Try to hit her," I tell Isaiah.
Isaiah looks at me like I've completely lost my mind.
"Don't do it hard, though," I warn. "You might hurt yourself."
Isaiah shakes his head but does as I ask and tries to hit JoJo on the arm. His fist bounces off of her and Isaiah is immediately sent flying through the air until his back hits a tree in the yard to stop his flight.
Chandler whistles. "Glad you didn't ask me to do that."
"I wasn't sure what it would do to the person trying to hurt JoJo," I say with a shrug. "Figured Isaiah could take the most damage."
"Thanks a lot, Jess," Isaiah says, coming back to stand with us but rubbing his back like it still stings from being slammed against the trunk of a tree.
"I owe you a day at a good spa," I tell him in way of reparations.
JoJo giggles like a kid and starts to dance around much like the time Chandler and I saw her in our vision.
She holds her hands out to us.
"Dance with me," she begs, shaking her hands at us, urging us to join in on her fun.
I shake my head but place my hand in hers just the same. So does Chandler.
Before I know it we're spinning around in a circle like we're playing Ring Around the Rosie. JoJo's effervescent giggling is contagious and we all find ourselves laughing like children, finding a carefree moment in our otherwise chaotic lives.
Chapter 11
When Isaiah phases us back to headquarters, Mason is no where to be seen.
"Where's Mason?" I ask Nick who is there to greet us.
"He had an errand to run," Nick says hesitantly.
I instantly know something is up.
"What kind of errand?" I ask, crossing my arms in front of me and taking a ‘you better answer me or else' stance.
"You'll have to ask him when he comes back," Nick answers, taking a cautious step back away from me. "I promised I would let him explain."
Nick continues his retreat and turns around, heading back over to Joshua who is still sitting at the control panel.
JoJo turns to Isaiah, "Could you take me back ho
me, s'il vous plait? I would like to get my crown and talk to my archangel now."
“Mason told me to take you to his villa when you were ready to meet your archangel,” Isaiah tells her. “We’re going to use it as a safe haven for all of you.”
"You should go with her," I tell Chandler, "just to make sure she’s comfortable."
Chandler nods.
I turn to JoJo. "You will probably sleep for a couple of days," I tell her.
"Oui, oui, I was warned."
I kiss her on the cheek. "Good luck with your angel. I’ll see you soon."
JoJo smiles and Isaiah phases both her and Chandler to Mason’s villa.
I feel a presence behind me and turn. Joshua is standing there, shuffling his feet nervously, obviously wanting to talk to me about something.
"I wanted to apologize to you in person," he says to me.
"Apologize for what?" I ask, having no clue what he's talking about.
"Asmodeus. He tricked me into letting him come into the house the day you were abducted."
This is the first I’ve heard of this. I wondered how Asmodeus could have phased into Mason's home but didn't really have too much time to think about it because of everything that happened afterwards.
"How did he trick you?" I ask.
"I was helping Malcolm set the room up for you. We arranged for a local florist to deliver the flowers. Asmodeus killed the delivery guy and took his place to gain access to the house. I should have been more careful. I didn't even pay attention to the guy when he came in, Jess. I sort of wondered why he kept putting the arrangements on his shoulder to bring them in but didn't even think about him using them as camouflage to cover his face. I was busy texting Caylin and just didn't pay enough attention to what was going on. I'm sorry. I was a complete idiot."
"Listen, don't blame yourself for what happened," I tell him. "I certainly don't blame you."
"Well, it taught me an important lesson," he says. "Not only were you kidnapped and almost killed but now we have to move everything."
"Move everything?"
"We can't stay here," I hear Mason say behind me. “This house has been compromised.”
I turn to face Mason and feel my heart light on fire at just the mere sight of him. He's wearing his grey wool coat. He smiles at me which just adds to the ache I feel to touch him.
"Where have you been?" I ask him.
"Calabasas, California."
"Never heard of it," I admit. "What's so important there?"
Mason walks up to me and takes one of my hands.
"Let's go somewhere else and talk about it."
Before I know it, we're in the living room at Mason's villa. He lets go of my hand and takes his coat off, tossing it on one of the smaller side couches. I sit down on the main couch because I feel like I probably shouldn't be standing to hear whatever it is he’s about to tell me.
Mason sits down beside me.
"I found someone for you," he says, looking hesitant to give me this information.
"My mother?" I ask breathlessly.
Mason shakes his head. "No, we still haven't been able to locate her yet."
Now I'm completely baffled. I felt sure his big news would concern my mother. My biological father was dead, so who did that leave?
"Then who did you find that I would want to see?" I ask.
"Nick found your grandfather. Your father's father."
My mind reels at this news. "How did you even know where to look?"
"While you were recovering, Zeruel and I had a lot of time to talk," Mason tells me. "He told me what he knew about your father’s past because he felt it was important you get to know your human family."
"So, I have a grandfather?" I ask. It never even crossed my mind to attempt to find my father's side of the family.
"Yes. And he lives in Calabasas, California. Apparently, he's the one who set up your trust fund, not your parents."
"So he’s rich?"
"Yes, he's quite well off. He used to be an attorney for some people in Hollywood. He made a lot of money, some of it from work and some of it from wise investments. He set up the trust fund because he wanted to make sure you were provided for."
"Why didn't the government find him when my parents disappeared?"
"Your biological father's name wasn't on your birth certificate. Your mother just made up a name because she didn't want your grandfather to have any legal rights to you. When Zeruel came to help your mother and be a father to you, your grandfather didn't have a clue where they took you. After years of trying to track you down, he finally found you. By that time you were almost eighteen and he felt like he would be imposing in your life if he suddenly showed up then."
"That's why I got my trust fund when I turned eighteen?"
Mason nods. "He still wanted to provide for you but made the lawyer tell you the money was something your parents set up, not him."
I swallow hard, trying to digest what Mason has just told me.
"When you went to see him," I say. "Did he say whether or not he wants to meet me in person?"
"He's wanted to meet you for a very long time." Mason takes one of my hands with his. "The only question is, do you want to meet him?"
It was a good question. One I had to think about, for about a second.
"Of course I want to meet him," I say, tears springing to my eyes at the thought of actually getting to meet a blood relative. After all these years, I was being given a chance to meet someone I shared a genetic background with, a heritage. Why wouldn't I want to meet my grandfather?
"Ok, I'll set up a time when you can go see him. How about tomorrow night?"
I nod vigorously and throw my arms around Mason's neck. "Thank you," I say, tightening my hold on him.
"Your welcome," he wraps his arms around me and I hear him breathe in deeply while his face is buried against my neck.
"Are you smelling my hair?" I ask, trying to think when the last time I washed it was.
Mason chuckles. "Yes," he admits, sounding like I caught him doing something maybe he shouldn't.
"That's ok," I reassure him, taking a whiff of my own against his neck. "I like the way you smell too."
"What do I smell like to you?"
"It's kind of woody with a hint of cinnamon."
"Must be the soap I buy from Malik and Tara's company."
"I love it," I say, allowing myself the pleasure of drenching my sense of smell with him.
Mason pulls away from me. "I love you."
I smile. "I love you too."
I see his eyes drop to my lips before he leans into me. "I love the way you taste too," he says, gently pressing his lips against mine in a chaste kiss.
"You're quite delicious yourself," I reply, leaning in to deepen the kiss but Mason pulls away.
I know I look confused because I am confused.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"We need to talk about something before we go any further."
"Ok," I say, suddenly concerned this conversation might be going in a direction I won't like.
"While you were all getting JoJo's talisman, we were watching the satellite feed back at headquarters."
I still feel like I’m in the dark. "And?"
"Why can you talk to Chandler so easily about things and not me?"
I see the hurt on Mason's face and instantly know he overheard my discussion with Chandler about why making love might be difficult for me.
"How much of our conversation did you hear?" I ask.
"I had Joshua switch the audio off when Chandler asked if you couldn't or wouldn't go past just kissing. It didn't feel right to listen in on what was meant to be a private conversation between the two of you."
I sit back on the couch. I should have known they would be watching us back at headquarters and make a mental note to myself to be more cautious with what I say from now on when I'm within range of the Watcher spy satellites.
"It's not that I can talk to Chandler more easily
than I can you. He's become a sounding board for me about you. I appreciate his advice on certain things, that's all."
"Would you tell me what your answer was to him?"
I look at Mason and see that he's listening intently for my next words.
"I want to go past just kissing," I say. "I want you so badly my body aches to the point where it's unbearable. But I can't make love with you yet. Even though every tiny cell in my body wants nothing more, I'm just not mentally ready."
"It would be nothing like what you experienced before," Mason says softly, "that much I can promise you."
"But can you promise me I wouldn't flinch away or even try to run away from you when you touch me? Because I can't make that type of promise to you. I don't want to hurt you like that. I don't want you to think I don't want you when I do."
"Then we'll take it slow," Mason says. "We can try to push the boundaries when it feels right and see where it leads us. If I touch you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, just tell me to stop. That's all you have to say, Jess. Say ‘stop' and I will. And you won't hurt my feelings if you flinch because I know how hard it is for you. I know what you've been through. There's nothing in this world you could do that would really hurt me except leave me."
"Well there's no way in hell I'm ever leaving you," I profess, which garners a pleased and relived smile from Mason.
"You and that smile," I say, roughly pushing Mason back onto the couch with both my hands and lying on top of him. "It's always getting you into trouble, Mr. Collier."
Mason's smile widens. "I like being in trouble with you, leads to interesting punishments."
"Hmm," I say primly, tracing the edge of Mason's jaw with my index finger, running it slowly down the center of his neck until I reach the small bit of chest revealed by the V opening of his white button down shirt. "I can see you're going to be a handful, Mr. Collier."
"Maybe even two," Mason says, taunting me with his maddening cheeky grin and mischievous eyes.
I reach up and begin to trace the outline of his lips with my finger.
"Insubordination will only get you one thing," I murmur, feeling Mason's warm, quick breaths against the tip of my finger, telling me he's almost to his breaking point.
