“Robert, why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”
“I just found out myself. They locked me out of all the buildings, too. Unbelievable! I am at a loss here.”
Part of Robert worried Tom Bennett was going to blow him off; another part hoped he would. He wanted Tom’s confidence, and to please his mentor. But there were times, like right now, when Robert was afraid of the man. He looked like pure evil. Robert looked up at him, giving away his vulnerability.
Tom smiled at him. “Don’t worry, buddy.” He slapped Robert on the back. “It’s time for me to call in other friends for assistance. We’ll take care of things, don’t worry, we can still play together. Count on it. I will find a way to get you back in charge of things. We have to gain control over those business accounts. Remember, there’s no way to back out now.”
Tom Bennett’s face distorted a bit, and for a split second he reminded Robert of an animal, a dark wolf maybe, marking its territory and establishing dominance.
“It was a life commitment you made in our deal. Those are the rules,” Tom said.
Robert shivered inside for a split second before he nodded. “Yes, we are in it together,” he said, to reassure himself as much as Tom. “Let me know when I need to do something for the cause.”
Tom left the Peabody. Robert sat and had a couple more drinks, thinking about the secret society. He had wanted to join for a long time now, ever since Tom first talked about its existence. Tom Bennett ran the show, and he needed the money to fund things. Robert was okay with that, as long as he was part of the plan. This was his destiny, just waiting for the day he’d be inducted as a full-fledged member of the Black Wolf Society. The society offered power and protection, and most of all, brotherhood.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Emilie and Jeremy hadn’t spoken much with each other since Pierre had died. Concentrating on anything proved difficult for Emilie, with the stew of emotions boiling in her head. Jeremy was patient, knowing she had to deal with her loss in her own way and time. He gave her space, leaving each day to work on the project, and returning in the evening to see her.
Every night, he slept at the house. Emilie wanted him near, cuddling her and calming things down in her head. In a way, she was using him. That thought made her even sadder. She didn’t want him to think that was all she wanted from him. Emilie loved him more each day, but couldn’t deal with happiness while a cloud followed her.
Ten days after her father’s burial, Jeremy left for work. Emilie watched as he drove away. She crossed the front porch, slipped into the wicker chair, and closed her eyes. The warm morning breeze soothed her skin. She could hear the swooshing of the leaves in the rolling wave of the wind, their tips rattling in the breeze. She reached into her pocket and found the small spiral shell. Emilie rubbed her finger over the smooth surface and began to remember.
In this brief stolen moment of tranquility, Emilie remembered Florida: the warm sunny day spent with Jeremy. They had been happy that day, as they searched together. There were no loud voices in her head, no turbulent emotions, just a calmness as they paddled up the stream. She needed that peacefulness now.
The silence was broken by the roar of a motorcycle, its hum lingering in the background before it faded away. That sound was replaced by the cawing of a bird, again fading away but replaced by the many shrills of different birds all squawking and singing out at once. Their calls bombarded her peace. She pushed the sound from her mind, flexing her telepathic ability like a muscle as she moved the images in her head in and out, hoping to teach herself how to control all of her senses. More than anything right now, she wanted to learn how to shield herself properly, and maybe even block other’s turmoil from her mind trap. She pushed again, stretching. It took all her energy, but if she wanted a normal life she needed to learn how to use this shield.
It was a hot Memphis summer evening. Jeremy walked across the front porch and sat next to Emilie. He knew that she had been here all day, almost motionless, deep in reverie. Nina, concerned about her apathy, had called him. Emilie heard her tattling on the phone in the foyer. If it was a Dream Barbie Jeremy was after, it would never be her.
Jeremy reached over and touched her face with a gentle hand, brushing his fingers across her skin. Emilie immediately lost some of her negativity. She felt his love; it seeped into her soul with warm joy, and she knew he’d do anything to help her get better.
“Em, look at me,” he said.
She turned and gave him a faint smile, but part of her was still far away. She hurt inside, knowing he could feel her distance.
“Emilie, I’ve finished my work here. My part of the project is completed.”
He was quiet a moment. Emilie knew what was coming next, before he even said the words. She rested her head on his chest and waited for him to finish his thoughts.
“I want to go back to Guilford, just to stop in and see my family for a bit. Please come with me. Before you answer, just take time to think about it. I think it’s a good idea to get away from here for a while. Come with me, and meet my family. They want to meet the girl I’m in love with, the girl who stole my heart.”
A tear ran down her cheek. She had dreamed of meeting his family many times, envisioning them in her head. Even so, there was no way she could handle it right now. Every day she woke up in tears, depressed to the point of not trusting herself. Jeremy wanted them to meet the girl he was in love with, but that girl was missing.
Someday she would meet them, but not when she was like this, all broken inside. She loved Jeremy too much to begin their life together while she was so messed up. Jeremy would understand, just like she understood his need to go home and check on his loved ones. She raised her head and turned to face him.
“Jeremy, you should go home and check in with the family. I want you to go. But I can’t yet. Soon, but not yet, not like this. I need to figure out how to get out of this hole I’m stuck in, and I have to do it by myself. Do you understand?”
Jeremy dropped his face and looked away. “I was afraid of this. You always need to control things on your own terms. All I want is for you to accept my help without feeling obliged or, worse yet, guilty. Let me share your emotional burden. Then someday it will be gone, I know it. I don’t understand your gift completely, and probably never will, but I can still help you.”
“That’s just it, Jeremy. You can’t help. It is up to me.”
He turned back around and looked at her. She searched his hazel eyes, trying to find the reason that she felt sorrow coming from him, now mingling with her own.
“Okay, I trust you,” he said. “You know what’s best. I can wait. I’ll stay here with you until you’re ready, and then when you’re feeling more like yourself, we’ll visit the family together.”
Emilie stared at the floor, afraid to look him straight in the eye any longer, scared he’d see her true intention. She needed to be alone and sort things out for herself.
“No need for you to wait. I think you should go home now. Believe me, I will feel better knowing you’re doing what you need to, for yourself. Allow me to go off by myself and get my head together. I promise, we’ll talk with each other every day. You’re still stuck with me, Jeremy. I just need some alone time . . . to learn how to manage this gift I’m cursed with.”
Jeremy’s eyes watered, and his smile disappeared. Emilie watched as he swallowed back his regret, and wiped the corner of his eye with his hand. Despite his bronze tan, he looked pale.
“Wow. I don’t know what to say. You’ve surprised me, Emilie. I thought my being around helped you. I don’t like this.”
“I don’t like it, either.”
The big clock in the entry hall chimed, calling the family to dinner. Emilie and Jeremy went to the dining room. Everyone was there, Robert and Rachael, and Michelle of course. They all ate in silence. One of many uneventful meals, they each sat in their own world, with their lone and peculiar ideas. The only sound was the tinging of silverware against the ch
ina.
Emilie noticed her father’s empty chair and she felt vacant. She heard his voice in her head. His last feeling was happiness, being with Mother. Emilie hoped she’d feel right inside soon, so she could give her love to Jeremy the way she was meant to, with abundant joy.
After dinner, Emilie and Jeremy strolled on the porch together. She motioned for him to sit on a bench and she leaned against him, looking up into his face.
“Jeremy, you know I love you with all my heart.”
“I know.”
“You know I need you and want you, right?”
“I know.”
“I want you to understand. These emotions…they pound in my head so hard, every day, unrelenting. I think I can teach myself how to control the empath in me, but it’s going to take time.”
Emilie looked at him with pleading eyes until the tears were ready to spill over. Jeremy drew in a deep breath.
“What do you need to do, and how can I help?” he asked.
“I’m going back to the coast, to Florida, near the ocean. I need time to sort out all the craziness in my head. I never felt at peace until I was there, with you. I hope to find peace there, again, but this time without relying on you.” Emilie grinned. “I don’t think you realize how powerful your touch is for me. You basically help me balance out the clairvoyance and make it manageable.”
“See, Emilie, that’s exactly why we should stay together.”
“No, that’s not right. Sure, I need to come to terms with the things I’ve experienced already and find a way to let go of all the havoc tied to them. But it’s more than that. I have to know that I can handle this gift on my own, and not be afraid to be myself again. I hope you understand. I don’t want to lean on you, Jeremy, I want to love you.”
“I’ll go with you,” he said, “if you want me to.”
“Please understand.” She hung her head. ”One day I’ll function like a normal human being again. It won’t be for long, just long enough. Promise me you’ll enjoy your family for a while.”
He respected her enough not to argue the point any longer. “Take the time you need. I’ll be there as soon as you ask me to join you, I promise.”
He took her in his arms, and poured his feelings into his embrace. She basked in his tenderness and hope. She felt his apprehension, and fear of loneliness, too.
“Please don’t be sad,” she said.
“You ask a lot from me.” He held her even tighter.
They spent the night together in passion. Their bodies meshed in complete surrender, their souls in abandonment. Emilie let herself become vulnerable, open to Jeremy’s touch. His understanding of her need to retreat actually made her feel closer to him than she had ever imagined possible. Knowing she was free made Emilie all the more bound to him. Love’s last kiss found peace in sleep.
First thing in the morning, Jeremy left for England. Emilie said goodbye to him, then she said farewell to her sister, too. She boarded a plane and headed for Florida, searching for peace in the last place she had felt tranquility. She was chasing nature again, but this time hoped to break the bonds that kept her a prisoner in her own mind.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Emilie left Memphis and stayed in a hotel near Jacksonville while searching for a house. She found a small bungalow, a ranch built in the 1980s, nestled on the coast with the beach as the backyard. The house had gray cedar siding with a coral pink front door. A weathered deck wrapped the house, with a ramp that led down to the beach’s sand. Located in Vilano Beach on Coastal Highway, it was a quiet place south of Jacksonville and north of St Augustine. She paid cash for a quick sale, the furniture stayed as part of the deal, and the sellers had been ecstatic getting rid of it after it had been on the market for so long. She closed on the property almost overnight, and moved in immediately. Emilie had her own private getaway within a week.
Some problems can be solved with money, she reflected, just not the important ones.
She acquainted herself with the local town and ventured into the shops, mingling with the crowds. Most of the time, she was alone at her house or on the beach, and she used the solitude to discover more about herself. She sorted the mixed-up emotions that had caused her so much pain, and slowly gained power over her gift, instead of it controlling her. She was beginning to understand her ability and how to use it properly. Testing her strengths daily, she went downtown and allowed other people’s emotions in, and exercised her reaction. She learned how to use her shield, stretching it and understanding its boundaries.
The summer heat had blasted the beach during the tourist season. Emilie had enjoyed the warmth, but after weeks of it, finally the autumn promised some relief from the scorching sun.
She looked out at the ocean, gazing across the blue-gray turmoil as the thunderous waves crashed at her feet. The wind blew through her hair, and she pulled it back behind her ears as she walked along the shore. Her feet, warmed by the wet sand, cooled when the waves washed over her toes. Sometimes, she felt like a child, here alone on the beach, amazed at such simple things. She watched as the dirty white foam that edged the water settled on rocks that lay near the surf.
She brought herself back to the real issues, ready to analyze the past few months and her progress. This had become a morning ritual, tracking the headway she’d made. She had finally achieved closure regarding her parents’ deaths. Understanding the reason why her father stayed in the beyond, love for the family, helped her accept everything. Sorting through the emotional currents that troubled her during her father’s otherworld experience took time, but with reflection came understanding. He’d given up his life out of love for his family. Now, the little girl inside her knew her parents were together again. She had experienced it while Pierre was in the trance. She’d felt exaltation, that was the last sensation she had shared with her father, when Pierre joined Bethany in spirit. Her mother and father finally had the happy ending that their love deserved.
Emilie no longer carried her family’s burden of a guilty conscience. Living away from them made it easier to realize they were not her responsibility. Sorting through all the chaos that had bombarded her, now her mind was in clearer waters.
Time had passed with the changing tides, in and out, in and out. Still she was depressed, but now for different reasons. She was herself again, but missing a piece—Jeremy. He called her early every morning, but that wasn’t enough anymore.
Her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID, it was her sister, who called for short check-ins often. She swiped open her phone, and stood still. Her feet sank into the soft warm sand, as more waves washed ashore and splashed against her legs.
“Michelle, good morning. You’re calling early.”
“You know what they say about the early bird. Besides, I have lots to do today, so I thought I’d give you an update now about everything going on here. My conversation won’t trigger any bad feelings for you, will it?”
“No. I’m clairvoyant, but I need to be near someone to sense their emotions.”
“Yeah, right. Sorry, Em, but that still sounds creepy to me. Guess I’m not very empathetic, you tapped everything from that vein.”
They both laughed. “So tell me, what’s up?”
“Well, I had a day full of meetings yesterday. Em, I’m learning the business and keeping up with the men. There was a lot to unravel after Father died, but things are running smooth now.”
“That’s wonderful, Michelle. I want you to know how proud I am of you. You’re a natural at running the estate, and a great businesswoman. Just a few months and already you have things running smoothly. Father’s faith in your abilities was on target.”
“Thank you for your support, Em. There’s still more to clean up around the mess Robert made, and knowing that Tom Bennett is getting away with the embezzlement is frustrating as all hell. They can’t pursue him without revealing our brother’s part in the scheme, and we promised Father to not expose Robert’s crime. So, my hands are tied there.”
There was a moment of silence over the line, until Michelle burst out in excitement. “I almost forgot to tell you. The police came to the house the other afternoon. They questioned Robert about the death of Mr. Pierce.”
“No! Pierce died? What happened?”
“The guy was murdered. Poisoned. They asked Robert a bunch of questions about being at the Peabody that same day. Get this, Rob just happened to have his lawyer here at the house when the police showed up. It was as if he knew.”
“You don’t think he had anything to do with the murder? Michelle, that’s our brother you’re talking about.”
“I don’t know what to think when it comes to Robert. Anyway, it was a brief encounter. They asked what he and Mr. Pierce had talked about in the lobby. Evidently the guy just asked for the correct time, they’ve got Rob on one of the hotel security tapes checking his watch for Pierce. Robert answered the police’s questions, and they left. So, I guess there’s no evidence that he was involved after all. Still, I think it’s odd. But I’m not about to stir up any more trouble with Robert.”
Emilie thought Mr. Pierce’s death far too coincidental, and now Jeremy would never have a complete account of his Uncle Thaddeus’s death. Maybe it was for the best. Of course, Robert claimed he knew nothing about Uncle Thad’s heart attack. Only time would help Robert see the impact of his actions on others. That wasn’t Emilie’s responsibility.
“What’s that supposed to mean, not stirring up more trouble? Still problems in paradise between you and Robert?” Emilie asked.
“You know he’s not talking to me,” Michelle said.
“Yes. He won’t answer my calls, either.”
“Emilie, I try to talk with him, honest. Robert pretends I’m not in the room. I try to say things about Tom’s grudge against father, but he refuses to hear me. He thinks they’re lies I’m making up!”
“Why on earth would you even want to lie about that? He needs to wake up and grow up,” Emilie said.
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