by K. Anne
My fingers came up and touched my lips. I’d never, ever been kissed like that. I’d had a few boyfriends over the years, and I’d kissed most of them. Not even one of them had come close to Cain in the kissing department.
“Cain, look at me,” I whispered.
He shook his head, his eyes still closed.
“Damn it, look at me! What just happened?” I asked.
When he opened his eyes, I froze. The heat of his gaze had me breaking out in sweat for a whole other reason than our jog. I took a step back and stumbled over a pothole in the road. His arm reached out and grabbed me before I fell and embarrassed myself. His touch was like a jolt of electricity running through my body.
“What are you doing to me?” He released me and stepped away.
My mouth dropped open in shock as he started walking down the road again.
What am I doing to him?
I wasn’t the one who had kissed him.
I forced my legs to start moving as I tried to catch up to him. When I was walking next to him, I looked over at him. “What was that supposed to mean? I didn’t do anything! You kissed me,” I said.
“Yeah, I know. Damn it, Ella. I didn’t plan that. Nothing has gone according to plan since I got here, and it’s all because of you.”
“Because of me? I haven’t done anything to you.” I was confused and hurt by the anger in his tone.
He kicked a piece of gravel. “It isn’t supposed to be like this!”
We walked in silence for a few minutes.
Cain obviously had issues, and apparently, impulse control was one of them. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way he’d kissed me, so maybe I was just as bad as he was. I didn’t understand why kissing me had made him so angry. It wasn’t like I’d begged him to kiss me. That was on him. So, why was I on the receiving end of his anger?
“Look, I don’t know what happened back there, but let’s just—” I started to say, but he hushed me.
“Be quiet.” He stopped in the middle of the road. He looked around for a second before he started walking again. “We need to move. Someone’s coming.”
“How do you know?” I asked.
“I can hear the car. Come on.” He started jogging.
I strained my ears, trying to hear. The only sound I heard was his feet hitting the blacktop. I started jogging as well, my legs screaming in protest. I ignored them as I pushed myself harder. It was beginning to get dark, and there was no way I was going to hang out in the middle of nowhere by myself at night.
“Wait up!” I called.
He slowed long enough for me to catch up before increasing his pace again. I groaned in annoyance.
“I don’t hear anything. Besides, what does it matter? I hate to break it to you, but we’re on a road. Granted, it’s a small one, but it’s still a road. Cars usually drive on those.”
“They aren’t friendly,” he said.
I could tell by the look on his face that he instantly regretted the words.
“Aren’t friendly? Cain, what is going on?” I demanded.
He ignored me as he continued to jog.
A few seconds later, I heard the sound of a car approaching. As it rounded the corner behind us, I glanced back. It was an older model car with a few guys in it. Nothing seemed uncommon about it. Tons of people drove older cars around here.
As the car approached us, it slowed down. I moved closer to the edge of the road, trying to stay out of the way. Cain tensed for a second before falling in line behind me. I slowed to a walk when the car stopped next to us, and one of the guys rolled his window down. I peered inside the car, but I didn’t recognize any of the occupants.
I cringed when I caught the smell of weed coming from inside. Awesome.
We were on a road that had very little traffic and even less cell service, at dusk, with a carload of stoners. This should end well.
“You two lost?” the guy who had rolled down his window asked.
The other occupants in the car laughed as if he’d said something hilarious.
“No. Just taking a walk,” I said, trying to keep my voice cheerful despite the unease I felt.
The guy’s eyes landed on me and stayed there. I stared back, willing myself not to be terrified of him or his friends. None of them were that scary-looking as far as I could tell. The one talking looked like he was in his mid-twenties. I could see a few tattoos on his arm, and he had his septum pierced, but that didn’t mean he was a bad guy. Tons of people had piercings and tattoos nowadays.
He was attractive, but he had nothing on Cain. The guy’s hair was a dirty-blond color, and it was a little shorter than Cain’s. His eyes were dark, but I couldn’t make out the color in the fading light. He looked a bit skinny, as if he didn’t eat that often.
Drug addict, a voice whispered inside my head.
I looked over my shoulder, expecting someone to be standing behind us but no one was there.
Cain stood beside me, his entire body tight with tension. His gaze never left the car in front of us. He could sense that these guys were bad news, too.
“Well, we’re on our way to see our friend. He lives a few miles from here. We can give you a ride that far if you want,” the man said. “I’m Joe by the way. These are my friends, Andy, Brian, and Seth.”
Did he think we were stupid? There was no way I would get into a car with a bunch of guys I didn’t know, especially when it smelled like they’d taken a bath in weed.
I shook my head. “No, thanks. We’re fine with walking.”
“Oh, come on. We won’t bite,” Joe coaxed.
“Really, we’re fine. I appreciate the offer though.” I turned and started walking, hoping he would take the hint and leave.
Cain silently followed me. I wondered why he was being so quiet. It wasn’t like him at all. Usually, I wanted to shove a sock in his mouth to shut him up.
“Hey, wait a minute!” Joe called as their car started moving.
They coasted beside us as we walked.
I ignored them, hoping that my gut was lying. Right now, it was telling me that I should probably run, or things would end badly for Cain and me. My stomach dropped when I heard the car stop again, and a door opened. I glanced back and saw the guy who had been talking to us climbing out of the car. He moved quickly to catch up. Once he did, he stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“Why don’t you get in the car? We’re not going to hurt you,” he said.
Liar! the voice shouted in my head. Run!
“You’re kind of freaking me out by following us. Will you please leave us alone?” I asked, trying to walk around him.
He stepped in front of me, blocking me yet again.
Cain apparently decided it was time to step in. He grabbed me and yanked me back before stepping closer to Joe. “I think you and your friends should move on.”
Joe looked Cain over and grinned. “I don’t think so. We want to party with your friend.” He gestured to me. “You’re more than welcome to leave if you want, but she’s staying with us.” Any kindness in his voice was gone.
I watched him smirk at Cain. He knew Cain didn’t have a chance against him and the three other guys in the car. Fear ran through my veins like ice, chilling my entire body. This wasn’t going to end well.
“Last chance,” Cain said, his face empty of any emotion whatsoever.
Joe laughed. “Or what? I hate to break it to you, but there are four of us and one of you.”
Cain shrugged. “I’ve won against worse odds.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
The guy chuckled again before motioning to his friends in the car. My stomach sank even further into a pit of despair as I heard three doors open and close. Before I could blink, they had surrounded us.
“Now, why don’t you keep walking?” Joe said to Cain. When Cain didn’t move, he frowned. “Suit yourself.”
I opened my mouth to shout out a warning when I saw the guy behind Cain lunge for him. My warning wasn�
�t needed—at all. Faster than I’d thought possible, Cain spun and grabbed the guy by his throat. He tossed him across the road like he weighed nothing.
The other two guys jumped toward Cain as one, obviously ticked off over the fact that their friend was lying in a heap across the road. Cain ducked as one of them swung at him. His arm shot out, landing a blow that caused the guy some serious pain. Cain turned to the other guy while the one he’d just hit grabbed his crotch and dropped to the ground, howling in pain. Cain’s fist connected with the new guy’s face, causing him to fall back. He was a lot bigger than his friends or Cain, and the blow didn’t keep him away for long. He ran full force at Cain, head-butting him in the stomach. I watched in horror as the two of them fell to the ground with Cain underneath.
Cain flipped over with what seemed like no effort at all, so the boy was the one pinned underneath. He drew back and slammed his fist into the guy’s face. I winced as I heard the sound of his nose breaking. Cain stood and turned just as the first guy leaped at him again. I swore, I had seen Cain rolling his eyes before grabbing the guy and knocking him on his ass.
Joe was staring at Cain in disbelief. It was obvious that he and his goons were rarely put in their place. Anger flashed across his face as he moved toward Cain. Cain, on the other hand, smiled as he watched the guy approach.
Joe was obviously the leader of the group and smarter than the rest. He didn’t run at Cain like the others had. Instead, he studied him, looking for a weakness. His eyes fell on me, and he grinned. He lunged toward me, reaching for my arm. He never got the chance to pull me to him though. Cain appeared beside him and slammed his fist into the guy’s stomach. The guy’s grip on me loosened, and I broke free. I stumbled backward and fell on my butt, scrambling to get away.
Once I was out of the way, Cain unleashed his full fury on the guy. I watched in horror as he landed punch after punch to the leader’s face. When the guy stopped fighting back, Cain kicked him in the leg, dropping him to the ground. He gave him one final kick before stepping away.
My heart was racing as I tried to process the scene in front of me. Cain had been jumped by four guys and had won. He didn’t have a scratch on him either. How was that even possible?
He crouched down next to the leader and spoke so softly that I almost didn’t hear him, “You ever touch her again, and I’ll kill you. It doesn’t matter though. I’ll be seeing you soon enough. I can sense it already. Your nasty little habits are going to be the death of you.” He rose and stared down at the guy. “And I promise, I won’t hold back the next time we meet.”
Cain turned to me. My mouth dropped open in shock as he walked over to me and held out his hand.
He must have noticed the look on my face because his hand dropped to his side. “Ella? What’s wrong?” he asked. “You’re safe now.”
“Your eyes…” I stammered. “They’re glowing.”
And they were. His eyes were still dark, but they were literally glowing like an animal’s eyes in a spotlight.
I froze in horror, unable to process what I was seeing.
Cain instantly closed his eyes and opened them again. The glow was gone.
“How is that possible?” I whispered.
He shook his head. “My eyes aren’t glowing, Ella. You’re in shock.”
He reached down and scooped me up into his arms. While my mind screamed at me to run from him, my body didn’t agree. I felt myself relax into him as he carried me.
Neither of us spoke until we reached our block. It was probably the longest Cain had ever been silent in his life. I stared at his eyes, willing them to glow again. I knew what I had seen. There was no way I’d imagined that glow.
“Cain, tell me the truth. Why were your eyes glowing like that?” I finally asked.
“My eyes weren’t glowing. That’s physically impossible. You were scared because of those guys, and you imagined it.” He put me down in the middle of my yard.
“I’m not crazy! I know what I saw!” I shouted. “And how did you do what you did with those guys, Cain? Almost all of them were bigger than you, even the one you tossed around like a rag doll. You shouldn’t have won!”
He shrugged. “They were high, Ella, and clumsy.”
“You’re lying.” Anger flooded my brain. “What is going on?”
He turned and started walking toward his house. “Believe what you want. I’m tired, so I’m going to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow. Try not to get into any more trouble until then.”
I watched as he disappeared inside his house. I didn’t move for several minutes, half-expecting him to reappear. When he didn’t, I finally gave up and stomped my way across my yard.
I wasn’t crazy! I knew what I had seen. He’d taken on four guys and walked away without a scratch. His eyes had glowed.
I wasn’t one to believe in the supernatural, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Cain was even human. And if he wasn’t, then neither was Asher.
That thought chilled me to the bone.
By the time Asher knocked on my door at eight, I had showered and made dinner. Unsure of how long Asher planned to stay, I’d even made extra for him. Uncle Jack was running late once again, and I suddenly felt nervous as I walked to the front door to let Asher in.
My uncle trusted me. He’d blatantly told me so on more than one occasion, but I still wasn’t entirely sure he would be okay with me having a boy over while he wasn’t home—specifically, a boy who looked like Asher.
When I opened the door, Asher was standing there with a smile on his face. I noticed his backpack slung over one arm, full of books. Obviously, he planned to make use of tonight. Strangely enough, that thought brightened my mood.
With Cain, I felt like things could spin out of control at a moment’s notice. With Asher, I knew exactly what I was getting—or at least, I thought I did.
“Hey.” I smiled at him. “Come on in.”
I stepped aside, and he moved past me and into the house. I studied him as he walked by, looking for anything out of the ordinary. I saw nothing, not that I’d really expected to.
Once he was inside, I closed the door behind him and turned. He was standing next to the couch, studying the living room like it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.
“What are you looking at?” I asked finally.
He glanced back at me before walking across the room to where Uncle Jack had several of my school pictures hanging on the wall. I instantly felt my face turn red with embarrassment as he studied my fifth grade photo.
“Your house. It’s…nice, really nice.”
I shrugged. “It’s just a house. Yours is way bigger than this one anyway.”
He continued to study the photographs on the wall. “It is, but it doesn’t have any of this in it.”
“This?” I questioned.
He finally turned away from the photos and looked back at me. “This house is full of love. One look into this room, and I can instantly see that. Your uncle loves you very much, and it shows.”
I thought back to when I had been in his and Cain’s house. I remembered that there were no photographs hanging, nothing that made the house feel like a home. “Your mom doesn’t like to hang pictures?”
“No, she’s never really been one to show either of us off.” He seemed uneasy as he pulled his bag off his shoulder. “Where do you want to study?”
I motioned for him to follow me. “I thought the kitchen would be best.”
He walked behind me so silently that I glanced back to make sure that he was indeed following me. When we made it to the kitchen, he dropped his bag onto the table.
“I made extra food in case you’re hungry. It’s chicken,” I said. “Would you like some?”
He smiled warmly at me. “Food would be great. Thank you.”
I waved him off. “You’re welcome. Make yourself at home while I heat it up.”
I walked over to the microwave and pushed the buttons to warm the food back up.
Asher sat do
wn at the table and started pulling his books out of his bag. I grinned when I saw both his science and math books laid out. Obviously, he wanted to start with our weaknesses. That was fine with me.
Once the microwave dinged, I grabbed the plate of chicken and mashed potatoes out of it and got a fork from the drawer. Asher moved his books aside as I walked across the kitchen and set the plate down in front of him.
“You want anything to drink?” I asked.
“Water would be good,” he said as he picked up his fork.
I grabbed a glass and filled it with water. After setting it down in front of him, I pulled out the chair closest to him and dropped myself down into it. My books were stacked neatly off to one side. I pulled my math book off the top and flipped it open to the page we had been assigned for homework. Asher watched me as he ate.
“I’ll go ahead and start on math. When you’re done, you can start on the science homework. Then, we’ll help each other when we’re finished.”
“Mmkay.” His voice was muffled as he chewed. He swallowed roughly. “This food is amazing by the way. I’m already plotting how I can come over for dinner every night.”
I laughed. “No plotting needed. You’re welcome anytime. It’d be nice to have company for dinner. My uncle usually gets home late, so I eat by myself a lot.”
“I guess you’ll be seeing a lot of me from now on then.” He smiled.
“You won’t hear me complain. Ever since things happened with my mom, I hate being alone.”
He hesitated for a minute before speaking, “Can I ask what happened? I’ve heard a few things at school, but I’d rather hear it from you—I mean, if you’re comfortable talking about it.”
I studied him. Asher wasn’t the type of person to dig for information and then spread it around for everyone to hear. The look of concern on his face was genuine. I knew that without a doubt. For some reason, I trusted not only Asher, but Cain as well. I felt a pull to both of them, something I’d never experienced before. The brothers made me feel safe. They made me feel normal.
