“You were never alone.”
“Yes I was. I didn’t know you were there. It was the same. And now this will never go away, and because of my actions, some poor foolish person is in trouble too.”
“Perhaps this person hasn’t put it on yet.”
“What if she has? Or worse yet, what if some guy gave it to his girlfriend and she’s halfway around the world?”
Sabin grabs my arms and shakes me. “Cease this. Now! We have methods. We can trace Judgment Day. We couldn’t do it there because we needed … certain things. We’ll find it. Now stop worrying.”
So what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Fumble around, afraid of what lurks around every corner again, like I did for years?
“No! You won’t have to do that.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“I, uh, I’m perceptive.”
“Huh uh. You’re much more than that. Tell me. You owe me for fucking up my life.”
Rafe scoots into the conversation. “Juliette, you see, we have abilities that are unexplained. We are able to do things that others can’t. And that’s all I’ll say. Sabin’s perception is beyond the norm.”
Rafe’s eyes dart around like a pinball on steroids. He’s lying. These guys are terrible liars. Whatever. I’ll deal with it.
“So, guys, what’s to become of me?”
“We’ll take you to a safe place.”
“In Denver?”
“Not exactly.”
“Kade can’t leave Denver. Because of his recovery.”
“Where you’re going, he’ll have the best of everything, the best counselors, anything he could ever need or want. Juliette, he won’t have an issue with drugs.”
“His business …”
“Will be seen to and will prosper in his absence.”
“How long will he be gone?”
“Maybe a month. Maybe much longer.”
“We talked about marriage.”
“You can still marry.”
“I’m afraid he’ll die because of me.”
“Juliette, it’s too late for that, I’m afraid,” Sabin says. “Kade’s in as deep as you are.”
“Were you the ones that made my family disappear? Wiped their existences away. And Sister Josephina?”
Sabin nods. “We had to. It was the only way to ensure no questions were raised.”
“How did you do it?”
Sabin downs the rest of his drink. “You must understand there are some things I cannot and will not share with you.”
“What happens next?”
Sabin looks at all his men, then at me. “We make you and Hart disappear.”
“What?”
“Not literally. You’ll be safe, living somewhere. It’s the only way we can protect you. You can’t live in the open anymore. They’ll find you, Juliette.”
“Kade’s family?”
Sabin’s head pivots back and forth, as my belly hits the floor. Not a gentle floating to the ground, but a slamming, like free falling in an elevator that just malfunctioned.
“No, no, no. They’re his life. His heart. It will kill him.”
“He’ll have you. Alive, Juliette.”
The back cabin door opens and Kade walks up. “What will I have?” he asks as he sits next to me.
“Your life,” Sabin answers, then proceeds to tell him what he just told me.
“Living Free.”
“Will be well tended to.”
“Is this permanent?”
Sabin shrugs. “Can’t answer that. If the Shaurok are diverted enough to someone else so they won’t be focused on you. If we can get Judgment Day and put it where it belongs, maybe not. But it hasn’t been there in a millennium. Juliette will carry the imprint for the rest of her life. It will fade significantly over time, but it will always be there. I don’t want to give you false hope.”
“How will we be able to live then, without taking a risk every time we go out?”
“Relocation of the assets and then for awhile, you won’t be able to go out.”
“Can you use her name and not refer to her as an asset?”
Sabin smirks. “She’s actually more of a liability so that’s a misnomer. Look, we’re all done for here. We’ve had an appalling lack of sleep, due to our efforts to help the two of you, and that was before your foolhardy trip to wherever the hell we just left. I understand you’re upset, but can you not, for one second, try to comprehend our side of it? We have been putting our lives at stake for the two of you for how long now?” He turns to Rafe with raised brows.
“Going on three years for her and then several months for him.”
“We’re not in this for shits and giggles, even though you seem to think we are. Maybe we erred on not telling you certain things. We have codes we are supposed to follow, which you aren’t privy to. We can’t just break every single one of them at will. Now the problem is you have to make a choice. Come with us, or stay. But if you stay, you give up your protection. We have to find Judgment Day; that is our priority now. Not you.”
“We go,” Kade says.
“Kade! Your family! There’s a possibility you’ll never see them again.”
Kade grabs me and pulls me onto his lap. “I love my family, but understand this. You’re the most important thing in the world to me. I won’t have you out there. If I told my brothers, they would understand. We go. No arguments.”
Something happens between the time our conversation takes place in the jet and when we get back, but when I wake up, I’m cuddled up to Kade in a dimly lit room. The bed is as comfortable as the one at home, so at first I think that’s where I am. Kade still breathes softly, so I don’t want to disturb him. I’m dying for a shower.
Rolling to my back, I stretch, but my muscles whimper in protest. I’m so stiff and sore. Gah, how long have I been asleep?
I get up and pad to the bathroom, but it’s not where it’s supposed to be. That’s when it hits me. I’m not at home. Sabin! The conversation with Sabin comes back and it slams into my brain, reconstructing itself like building blocks, until I have it all put back together.
Where am I? Do I have any clothing here? I find the bathroom and pee, because I’m about to explode. When I’m finished, I see toothbrushes, toothpaste, facial cleanser, moisturizer, everything I usually use at home in all my favorite brands, and not just what was in the bag I took on our trip. How nice. I’ll have to thank whoever did this when I find out. When I’m done cleaning my teeth, I strip and hop in the shower. It’s much like Kade’s back home, with all the nozzles everywhere. And it’s exactly what I need. I let it work out the soreness in my muscles. The thought of getting out isn’t pleasant, but I do it anyway and dry off. My clothes are all stacked and neatly folded in the closet. And there are all my clothes from home. This is very odd. I don’t remember going there to get them.
When I’m dressed, I walk to the window to peek out and I gulp. I have no idea where the hell we are, but this place looks like a palace. The terrace is huge and ornate. I can’t begin to describe it. There are mountains in the distance and a lake too. Italy, maybe? I don’t know but it’s amazing.
Kade makes a noise so he’s finally stirring.
“Kade, wake up. You’ve got to see this place.”
“Huh?”
I run to the bed and shake him.
“Get up! Now, Get up!”
“Okay. Give me a second to get oriented, woman.” He gets out of bed, wearing only his boxers, and damn, what a sight. My mouth waters.
“Look.”
He looks out and sees the gorgeous scenery and says, “Whoa. That is some kind of view.”
“Right? Where do you think we are?”
“I don’t know but I’m starved.”
“Go shower and I’ll find us some food.”
Kade wanders off to the bathroom, and I open the door and find myself in a long corridor. Our room is at the end, so there is only one way to go and I take it. I pass at lea
st a dozen doors, exactly like the room I exited, and then I come to a massive wooden staircase. I follow that down and find it strange that there is no one about. But as soon as that thought enters my head, a woman appears.
“May I assist you, miss?”
“Hi, I’m Juliette.”
“Yes, miss. My name is Graylyn and I am the house mistress if you should need anything.”
“I’m looking for the kitchen. Where can I get food?’
“Yes, of course. Follow me.”
She leads me down a long hallway that seems to go on forever. Then we round a corner and go down another hall. How big is this place anyway? It’s massive to all appearances. She pushes open a set of double doors and voila! The kitchen at last, and it’s gigantic, too. How many people live here?
“This place is huge!”
“Yes, it is, isn’t it?”
“I’m going to get lost every time.”
“It does take a while.”
“Can I help you?” a squeaky voice asks.
I look to my right and there’s a man, outfitted in chef’s attire, smiling at me.
“Um, well, I came down here for a bite to eat, but I didn’t want to be a bother.”
“Not a bother. It’s what I do.”
“I’ll leave you then,” the woman that escorted me says.
“What would you like?”
“A couple of sandwiches to take back upstairs. My boyfriend is starving, too, and he’s currently in the shower.”
“Hmm. What kind of sandwiches?”
“Turkey? Or peanut butter and jelly?”
He frowns and then looks like I just insulted him in the worst way.
To soothe his ruffled feathers, I ask, “How about you surprise me?”
He claps his hands and says, “Wonderful.”
“I’m going to run back to my room and get Kade and bring him back down here.”
“Splendid.”
Lord. I didn’t know it would be such a huge escapade. I jog back upstairs and hope I’m going the right way. When I reach our room, I’m pretty sure it’s the right one.
“Kade,” I call out when I walk in.
“Yeah,” he says. “Where’s the food?”
“It’s being prepared by the chef. This place is huge. Get dressed and come on.”
He throws on his clothes and I retrace my steps. When we arrive in the kitchen, the chef is creating a full course meal.
“Oh, my!”
We sit at a small bistro table and he hands us an appetizer. I have no idea what it is, but it’s delicious. Then another one comes. Next comes soup, followed by a small plate. And finally our entree, of which by this time, I can barely manage another bite. Kade, on the other hand, is inhaling his. The chef looks on and beams.
“You don’t like, miss?”
“Yes. It’s wonderful. But I ate too much.”
“Ah. Very good then.”
He turns away and starts to clean up.
“Excuse me, what is your name?”
“Kernell, miss.”
“I’m Juliette and this is Kade.”
“Oh, yes, I know.”
“Oh. How many others are here?”
“Just you! So I will spoil you!”
“Who’s in charge?” I ask.
“For now, you.”
“Is there someone we can speak with about our situation?”
“Ah, yes, I think so. Tomorrow. Today you are to rest.”
Kade and I finish our meal and then take a walk around the grounds. Everything is so gorgeous; it doesn’t look real. It looks like a page out of a photography book, one of those that people put on their coffee tables.
Later that afternoon, Kade and I sit by the pool. The weather is perfect, barely a cloud in the sky, and when there is, it’s one of those white cottony ones. I decide it’s all a bit too perfect, too pristine. Nothing is out of order. Even the birds sing in harmony. Something is off. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s there. The roses don’t smell exactly right, nor do the gardenias. They’re every bit as beautiful, but they’re not quite right.
“Kade, have you noticed this?”
“Yeah. I thought it was just me.”
We compare notes. “It’s an idyllic place. Maybe a little too idyllic.”
“What do you think?” he asks.
“You know what it reminds me of?”
“What?”
“Did you ever read Hunger Games?” I ask.
“No, but I saw the movie and you’ve hit the nail on the head.”
“Do you think this was all a set-up?”
“No. If they had wanted to kill us, they just had to pull their protection. It would’ve been that simple.”
“True, then why this?”
“Don’t know, but we will tomorrow.”
Late the next morning, the woman who escorted me to the kitchen knocks on our door and tells us we are being summoned. I expect it to be some old man, but am surprised to see it’s Sabin.
“You are settled in?” he asks. And then I squeal in delight as he turns around and hands Ethel to me. Her tail wags so much I’m afraid she’s going to wiggle it right off.
“I can keep her here?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Thank you,” I say, kissing her fur. “Sabin, where are we? This place. It’s sort of strange.”
“Always so fucking perceptive.” He shakes his head.
“It wasn’t that difficult to pick out.”
“How?” he asks. So I tell him.
“Have no fears of where you are. It’s not a manufactured world, like your Hunger Games. Well not completely. We only wanted you to have a reminder of certain things from your home and those were a few. The flowers were a simple touch to add beauty. But the scent. Damn, it’s hard to match.”
“Why this huge place to ourselves? You could’ve gotten something smaller.”
“Indeed?” He wiggles his brows and laughs. “This is my home, Juliette. The seven stay together. We don’t separate unless one wants out. You will be my guests here until we deem it safe for you to leave.”
“Thank you, Sabin, for helping us out.” Kade puts his hands on my shoulders.
“Sabin, are you going to tell us where we are?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
“What will we do all day?” I ask.
“What do you want to do all day?”
“Feel useful.”
“I’ll see what I can arrange so you don’t become meddlesome.” He laughs. He actually laughs.
“Can I have a computer?”
He looks off into the distance for a moment, as if he’s calculating something. Then he nods. “I think that can be arranged. However, you will have limitations on your ability to contact outsiders. And even though you have great knowledge of computers, I need your word you will not try to go beyond the bounds we establish. Are we in agreement?”
“Yes, I can do that.”
Then he asks, “Kade, what about you?”
“Do you have any musical instruments?”
Sabin laughs again. “I’m an operative. Not a musician. What would you like?”
“Anything.”
Two days later, Kade could be heard playing the piano throughout Sabin’s mansion. I wonder what Sabin thinks of it. For that matter, I wonder what the rest of his seven think of it. Honestly, I don’t give a damn, because I love it and he can play any time.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Kade
It isn’t the wedding I would’ve chosen for her, but I don’t want to wait forever. We don’t know how long we’ll be here. And what if it’s years? I refuse to put it off any longer.
When I ask Sabin to hunt down a minister, he only smiles. In the morning I spring it on Juliette by asking her to marry me that very same day, and I’m not surprised by her response. I tell her I’ll beg like some groveling bitch if she says no. But she doesn’t.
She yells, “Hell yes,” and makes me the happiest man alive.
In the evening, at sunset, we stand on the terrace lined with roses that don’t smell right (we laugh about it a lot), and we say our vows to each other. Sabin’s Seven, Kernell, and Graylyn are the only people present. After we feast on Kernell’s delightful food, Juliette and I slip away. I have plans for my wife and intend to carry them out to the letter. And I do.
Sabin remains sketchy about who and what the seven are, but I know we are safe in his haven. There are days where I miss my family and often think of how they remember me. Do they remember the pitiful kid who was high on speedballs or do they mostly remember the man I cleaned up to be? I hope it’s the latter. And Sabin was right. Since I’ve been here, the urge to use has vanished like a wisp of smoke. I’m not sure why, but I don’t question it, like everything else about this strange world in which we now live. I wonder how Kestrel and Carter’s baby is and whether Gabby and Kolson will ever have one.
Juliette and I will have a family, even if we have to populate Sabin’s house. One thing’s for sure—the kid will have seven uncles. After all this time, we’ve grown damn close to these unique men. They’re still taciturn and secretive at times, and there are things they keep us in the dark about, but I ask myself—do I really want to know? And the answer is always a resounding no.
~~~~~
Sabin sat us down the other day. Juliette and I were surprised at what he told us. There’s a chance we may be able to leave in the near future.
“How will that work? How will we move back home?” The question had been nagging both of us.
“Let us deal with that, but when you return, it will be as if you never left. Time will have passed, but people will know you as you were and are.”
“How will you—”
“Juliette.” His raised palm stopped her from asking the question he’ll never answer.
“Will we be married?” I asked.
He laughed. “Yeah. You don’t have to worry about that. And no one will question anything.”
“When?” I asked.
“When the time is right. And just so you know, you will be missed here. Particularly the constant nagging questions from you know who.” The corners of his mouth lift in a half-smile.
The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart: A Hart Brothers Novel Page 29
