by E. J. King
“You guys go. I think I’m going to hang out a bit longer,” Ethan said, looking over my shoulder at something that made his eyes widen.
Without looking, I assumed it was a pretty girl. I’d talked to Hope on the phone the day before and she mentioned that she’d broken up with Ethan when they said goodbye. She didn’t think it was fair to tie him into a long distance relationship.
Ethan seemed to think the best way to get over Hope was to flirt with someone else, and I didn’t feel I was in a position to judge.
“Alright. Just don’t do anything stupid,” I advised.
“You know me.” He grinned, but I could tell it was forced.
Rafe was quiet on the way back to the motel. For the first time, I realized that our quiet moments were no longer awkward. It was comfortable being with him, even when we had nothing to say.
“Hey.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him to a stop.
“What’s wrong?” He immediately went into protective boyfriend mode. It was adorable.
“Nothing’s wrong.” I smiled faintly. Our lives were a little too messy if every uttered hey was a cause for alarm. “I just… I don’t know. I love you.”
His head tilted in a mixture of surprise and confusion. It wasn’t like it was the first time I’d said those words to him, but it was the first time I’d said them out of the blue, for no reason.
“I love you, too.” He pulled me in for a hug, crushing me to his strong, familiar body. “Always and forever.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Why do all motel ceilings look exactly the same?”
An hour after leaving the bar, Rafe and I were lying in bed, tangled in the bed sheets in a state of post-coital bliss.
Rafe laughed. “That’s not a question you typically hear an eighteen-year-old female ask unless she moonlights as a prostitute.”
“Are you looking down your nose at motel room sex?” I poked him in the ribs. “That’s very hypocritical of you.”
My ear was pressed to his bare chest and his voice rattled around his steady heartbeat. “I’d be perfectly happy if we never spent a night in a motel room ever again.”
“What?” My head shot up. “You mean, you liked living in one place for a longer than a few weeks at a time? I thought you didn’t want a normal, boring life.”
“Normal, maybe not. But a life with you could never be boring.” Rafe was staring at the ceiling. “I never thought I wanted that kind of life until I met you.”
My heart did a little skip. “It looks like you’ll have to wait a little longer.”
“That’s alright.” He slowly stroked my head, letting his fingers tangle in my hair. “I can’t think of a better way to pass the time.”
While I appreciated the sweet, tender intimacy of the moment, I felt there was another matter that needed to be discussed. I just wasn’t sure Rafe would agree.
“What was your childhood like, James? Were you happy?” In my head, I always pictured Rafe as a sad, lonely child.
“Sometimes.” His eyes got a distant, faraway look. “When I was really little, Ken hadn’t decided that he hated me yet. Those years were pretty happy.”
“How long did that last?”
“Until I was six. He took me on a hunt and I didn’t handle it well. First grade hadn’t really prepared me for vampire hunting. Ken got mad that I hid behind him during the fight.” Rafe’s eyes closed for a second. “That was the first time he hit me.”
Hearing Rafe talk about his past was always hard. My own childhood had been a fairytale compared to his, even with all the monsters and carnage. “I wish I could erase those memories for you.”
“We all have scars,” he said. “Speaking of horrible pasts, wanna tell me about Luke?”
Even pressed into his warm body, I felt a chill. “There’s nothing more to tell.”
“Come on. I shared a difficult story, now it’s your turn.” He nudged me playfully.
“I already told you that story.” I rolled over, away from him, and sat up. “Please just let it go. Jealous boyfriend isn’t a good look on you.”
“I’m not jealous, Kaylie. I’m curious.” He sat up, too, resting against the headboard. “When you’re around him, you get this look… I just want to understand it.”
“It’s nothing to worry about.” I moved to the edge of the bed. “We should get dressed. Ethan might come back.”
“Kaylie. Wait.” He reached for me, but I slid away.
While I started to put on my clothes, Rafe went to the bathroom and started the shower. After a couple of minutes sitting there, feeling like a total jerk, I went to join him.
He didn’t hear me over the water and it wasn’t until I pulled back the shower curtain that he turned.
“Kaylie.”
“I was a total bitch to Luke. He loved me and I used him and left him. I don’t like to talk about it because I don’t like that version of me.” I hurried to get all of the words out. Rafe stood under the water, watching me in surprise. “In fact, I don’t really like any of the versions of me before you.”
He thought for a long second, studying my face. Then a coy smile spread as he scanned the rest of me. “I like this version of you the best.”
“The naked version?” I asked, rolling my eyes.
“No.” Rafe took my hand and pulled me into the shower. “The version of you that lets me in.” He paused. “But the naked version of you is a close runner-up.”
I didn’t even notice the water pouring over us as he pulled me close and kissed me.
After what was likely the longest shower of my life, Rafe and I got ready to see his mom. I could tell that he was nervous, his hands shaking as he buttoned his shirt.
“Let me,” I said, taking over. “You’re cute when you are nervous.”
“I’m cute all the time,” he said, but his words lacked their usual sass.
Someone pounded loudly on the door, startling me.
“Make yourselves decent!” Ethan barked through the door.
“Get in here,” Rafe yelled back.
Ethan opened the door cautiously, wearing a big grin. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“You’re back late,” I commented. It was almost time for us to head back to the house.
“I made a new friend,” he said, but his face was dark. “Plus I figured you guys could use the alone time.”
I shot him an exasperated look. “Subtle.”
“Are you ready for the family reunion, big bro?” Ethan asked Rafe and I noticed that his words were a little slurred. He’d probably had a few more drinks after we left the bar.
“Can’t wait.”
I couldn’t decide which brother sounded more despondent.
“We should leave soon if we want to stick to Luke’s timeline.” I didn’t have to say how important it was that we not run into Ken until after we spoke with Kate.
They put on brave faces during the car ride, wavering only when we stood outside the front door again.
Ethan did the knocking this time and we all held our breaths as we waited for the door to open.
Their mother was nothing like the witch I had imagined. She was beautiful and young, barely in her forties. She had auburn hair that hung down to her waist and wide, blue eyes. The same blue as Rafe’s.
“Ethan,” she said, seeing him first. She had an airy voice. Her eyes flashed with pain when she looked over his shoulder and saw Rafe. “James.”
“Mom.” He nodded almost imperceptibly. “This is Kaylie.”
“Hi,” I said lamely.
Kate looked me over closely, her face unreadable.
“Come in,” she finally said, stepping aside to let us pass.
It took us a few minutes to get comfortable in the living room. I found myself wedged between Rafe and Ethan on the couch. The furniture was modern and stiff, quite a bit like the woman sitting across from us.
“It’s good to see you both,” she said, not sounding like she meant it.
&
nbsp; “Dad didn’t seem to share those sentiments,” Ethan said with a frown.
“Your father was surprised. It’s been two years since we’ve seen either of you.” At this, her eyes darted to Rafe.
His shoulders pulled back as he tensed. “Sorry about that, but I didn’t think we would be welcome back. Based on Dad’s reaction, I was right.”
“He’s still upset that you took Ethan away,” Kate admitted.
I wanted to take Rafe’s hand, let him know that I was there for him, but I didn’t know how he would react. Instead, I pressed my leg harder against his.
“Rafe didn’t take me away, Mom. I wanted to leave and I made him take me with him.” Ethan’s protest was weak, probably because he knew it wouldn’t make a difference.
“He’s your older brother, Ethan. James should’ve had your best interest in mind and insisted that you stay with your parents.”
Now Rafe was getting really agitated, his leg was shaking the entire couch.
“Leaving was in my best interest, Mom. Our home was a toxic environment.”
“You sound like your brother,” she said through tight lips.
I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “Mrs. Night, we didn’t come to cause trouble or stir up sensitive feelings.”
She looked at me like she just remembered that I was there.
“What do you want then?”
“Information.” I leaned forward. “I was told that your husband might be able to give me some details about my mother’s death.”
“Your mother?”
“Violet.” I paused, surprised to realize that I didn’t even know her last name. “My father was Benton Hart.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh. You’re Kaylie Hart.”
“Last I checked.” I didn’t like the way she said my name, like it was a bad word. “You know about my parents?”
“Every Hunter my age knows their story.” She didn’t sound happy about it. “One of those great love stories that ends in tragedy. And massive death and destruction.”
“What?” Now it was my turn to be unhappy. “What does that mean?”
“Never mind. I’m being dramatic.” She waved away my question with the flick of her hand. “Can you confirm that the recent Soul activity is because of Benton?”
“It is.”
She nodded. “Just as we suspected. The three of you need to speak with Ken.”
“That was the plan. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really want to speak with us.” I didn’t think it was worth mentioning the terrible things he had said to his sons.
“I’ll handle Ken,” Kate said with a frown. “I know how to control his temper.”
Rafe cleared his throat like he was preparing to say something, but he thought better of it. Instead, he got up and left the room.
“He’s just like his father,” she said quietly, staring at the door through which he had just left. I wasn’t sure if she thought that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“At least he’s not like Ken,” I said hotly, following Rafe from the room.
I did a full lap of the downstairs and didn’t find him anywhere. On the second floor, I found him in one of the bedrooms, sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.
“You okay?” I stayed in the doorway.
“We shouldn’t have come here,” he replied without raising his head. “Ken is never going to help us.”
“Wow. That is incredibly pathetic of you.” I couldn’t help myself. I’m sure he had been expecting sympathy, but I couldn’t encourage him to be so negative.
Now his head shot up. “Pathetic? Gee thanks, babe.”
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself. And don’t call me babe.”
He let out a reluctant laugh. “I take it you are experimenting with tough love.”
“No.” I walked over and sat next to him, keeping about two feet of space between us. “I’m not here as your girlfriend right now. I’m here as your friend.”
“What’s the difference?” he asked wearily.
“Girlfriend-Kaylie would console you with comforting words and a hug. But you don’t need that right now. You need a friend to tell you to get over it, and to kick you in the ass. So that’s what I’m here to do.”
Rafe pouted. “I’d rather have girlfriend-Kaylie.”
“Too bad.” I did my best not to think about how hot he looked when he sulked. There would be time for that later. “Ken is going to come home, and he’s not going to be happy to see us here. But we need him to answer our questions, James. You have to be ready for a fight, not hiding upstairs.”
“I’m not hiding.” He let out a long breath. “It’s just too hard to be in the same room as her.”
“You mother?” I asked, surprised. This whole time I had thought Rafe’s nervousness was because of the potential that Ken could appear at any minute. It never occurred to me that he might be reacting to Kate’s presence.
“She didn’t use to be like that.” Rafe shook his head. “She used to be the heart of our family. Whenever Dad was in one of his moods, even if she couldn’t stop him, she at least tried to make everything better afterward. Now, it’s like she has lost her spirit. She gave up.”
I shrugged. “So? If I was married to a jerk like Ken and both my kids left me, I’d be pretty check out myself.”
It was the wrong thing to say.
“You think this is my fault? For leaving her and taking Ethan away?”
“No. That’s not what I meant.” Time to switch back into girlfriend mode. “I just meant that I understand why she seems a little…cold. But it’s not your fault. You had to leave, Rafe.”
He barely heard me. “I never stopped to think that Dad might’ve turned his aggression toward her after we left. I can’t believe I was so selfish.”
My usual tactics weren’t going to work on this occasion. He was already too far along in his guilt trip.
I got up and went to stand in front of him, sliding between his legs until I could put my hands on his shoulders. Instinctively, his hands moved over my thighs.
“I’m only going to say this once, so listen carefully. You don’t have a selfish bone in your body, James Rafferty. You spent two years of your life looking out for me and you didn’t even know me. You risked everything, became a Lost Soul, just to save me. I’m standing here now because of you. I owe you everything.”
He looked up at me, eyes deep with emotion. “That’s not true, Kaylie. I’m the one that owes you everything.”
“I was just returning the favor,” I said with a smile. “Besides, if I hadn’t saved you, I would’ve had to live without you and there was no way I was letting that happen.”
“You’re too good for me,” Rafe said, pulling me down into his lap. “I just hope you never realize it.”
I was lost in his arms, deep in his kiss, when Kate interrupted us.
“I’m sorry,” she said, clearing her throat uncomfortably. “I just wanted to let James know that his dad will be home soon.”
I kept my head down, face covered by my hair and let Rafe handle the talking.
“Thanks. We’ll be downstairs in a second.” His voice was a little shaky and I fought back a smile. Even someone as tough and wild as Rafe still got embarrassed when his mom caught him making out with a girl. It was adorable.
“Actually, I think it would be best if you and Ethan waited up here until after I’ve had a chance to talk to him. I’ll come get you.”
“Alright then.” Rafe waited until we could hear her steps on the stairs before he poked me in the side. “Nice work, Red.”
“Me?” I squirmed and giggled. “I’m just a helpless victim.”
He poked me harder until I yelped. “You seduced me. I’m the victim here.”
“You are ridiculous.” I swatted his hand away.
“You two are both adorable,” Ethan said from the doorway. “Now knock it off before I throw up.”
I slid away from Rafe, still feeling a little flustered. The guy
s moved comfortably into teasing each other about embarrassing childhood stories while we waited for Ken to arrive. I sensed his presence a few seconds before we heard the front door open, the same way I could always sense supernatural evil.
A few minutes later, we could hear him yelling loudly. Rafe and Ethan both got noticeably tenser as we waited to see what would happen. Nearly twenty minutes passed, but Kate eventually appeared.
“He’ll see you,” she said simply, looking like she had just been through battle.
It felt like we were being escorted to a death chamber with the way the guys shuffled miserably down the stairs.
Ken was perched rigidly in a chair, Luke hovered near the window. I didn’t make eye contact with either of them as I followed Ethan to the couch.
“You shouldn’t have come back,” Ken said when we were all seated. “I know that you waited for me to be gone so you could manipulate your mother.”
No sense arguing with that. We stayed quiet.
“She seems to think that it’s important I let you talk.” He clenched his hands together and leaned forward, elbows on knees. I felt like I was a kid again, being lecture by my own father. “So talk.”
“I want to know about my mother,” I said quickly, not giving anyone else the chance to speak. I had an agenda and I intended to get some answers. “What do you know about Violet?”
“Violet?” he grimaced. “I was afraid that’s what this visit was about.”
“You knew her?”
He nodded. “Very well, actually. Violet’s parents were close friends of my parents. We grew up together. When she became an orphan at twelve, my family took her in.”
“You grew up with my mother?” I was stunned.
“She was like a sister to me.” For just a second, I stopped seeing Ken as the terrible man that abused Rafe and saw him as the boy that had known my mother. He continued. “I was the first person she told about Benton, and I told her to stay away from him. I knew he was nothing but trouble. She didn’t listen. Thought she could save him. But everyone knows a Lost Soul can’t be saved. They are evil.”
My breath caught in my throat and I prayed that Rafe wouldn’t explode.
“What happened to Violet after…” I couldn’t find the right words. “Did Benton kill her?”
