Raven

by BE Kelly

  “More like eleven or twelve, with your pit stops,” Remi accused.

  “Hey, I have a small bladder,” Nena defended.

  “And a love for all things fast food and caffeine,” Remi said. “Don’t pretend otherwise, Nena. Remember who you’re talking to here. I know you better than anyone,” Remi reminded.

  “That’s true,” Nena agreed. “And right back at you, Sis. So, how about you share what or I’m guessing who, in this case, has you in such a pissed-off mood.” Remi knew that denying that Jag and Tex were behind her current mood would be a mistake. Once her sister picked up the scent, she was like a dog with a bone.

  “Fine,” she sighed. “I’m not really sure what’s going on with them. One minute, we are hot and heavy and the next, one of them ends up pissed off about something and storms off. I’m getting whiplash at their mood swings. I think I need to maybe take a step back. Hell, maybe I should just move on.”

  “You like them?” Nena asked. Her sister always had a way of cutting right to the chase.

  “I don’t know—yeah, I think I do, but I’m also afraid to like them too much. What happens if I fall for them and they decide I’m not worth it?” Remi questioned. That was always her biggest fear—people finding out that she was a total fraud. She had let her own daughter down and ended up losing her. She wanted to keep that part of her life buried deep down but telling Texas about Aria felt right. He didn’t judge her; even told her it wasn’t her fault. Remi knew the truth though—it was. She should have been paying attention instead of trying to help everyone else around her.

  “You’re worth it, Remi. I think that maybe it’s time to stop beating yourself up and let someone in. Well, in this case, two someones.” Nena bobbed her eyebrows at Remi, making her laugh.

  “I’ll think about it if you think about letting me drive some of this trip,” Remi taunted. She knew her sister’s stubborn streak would give out and she’d either let her drive or find a cheap motel for them to stay in.

  “Yeah, we’ll see,” Nena said.

  ****

  They drove through most of the night and when Oryana couldn’t seem to keep her eyes open, she found a motel with a vacant room and they checked in to catch a few hours’ sleep. Sharing a bed with Nena wasn’t ever fun, but Remi made the best of it. They only had one available room, with a double bed. Honestly, she was so tired, she would have slept in the car, but the bed was comfy. She’d just find a way to get around Nena’s snoring.

  “Hey Sis,” Nena whispered. Remi looked around and it was completely dark. Just a dimly lit overhead light showed her sister’s face.

  “Where are we?” Remi asked. She hated staying in strange locations. Waking up and not knowing where she was always made her uneasy. It was one of the reasons she didn’t like to stay over at a guy’s place. Remi always got dressed and made some excuse as to why she had to leave so quickly. That was until she met Jag and Tex. She had spent the entire night with them and waking up in the morning, with the two hunky bikers, set her nerves on edge. She had woken up and wanted to run out of their house so fast, it would have made their heads spin. It’s what she did to poor Jag a few days prior and the look of hurt on his face nearly broke her damn heart.

  “I’m not sure,” Nena admitted. She looked around as if trying to get her bearings and Remi did the same. “I think we’re in some sort of parking lot,” Nena said, pointing to the few cars that were scattered around the lot.

  Remi looked around and noticed the white van before they could hear the woman’s muffled shouts coming from it. Nena took a step towards the van and Remi put her hand on her sister’s shoulder, as if trying to stop her.

  “Nena,” she whispered. “This is a vision. I think we just found someone. Get as much information as possible.”

  Nena smiled and nodded, “It’s not my first rodeo, Sis. Let’s do this.” Nena took her hand and they walked over to the van, sliding open the side door. Usually, when they had a vision, they were merely spectators, looking on. It was like they were watching a movie from the inside, but they weren’t a part of the cast. They found a woman with long, dark hair naked in the back of the van. She was lying on her side and her ankles and wrists were bound with rope. Her hair looked matted with blood and she had dried blood crusted to one side of her face. It was all they could see since her back was towards them.

  “Who are you?” Nena asked. “We want to help you.” The woman turned to look back at them, her mouth had been covered with silver duct tape, but Remi knew those eyes. They belonged to her cousin. Why the fuck would someone do this to her cousin?

  “Aylen?” she questioned.

  “Oh my God, Ay. Tell us what happened,” Nena insisted. She rolled Aylen over, to face them, pulling the duct tape free from her mouth. Her sob was nearly a howl and it damn near broke Remi’s heart.

  “Oh Ay,” Remi cried, wrapping her jacket around her little cousin’s naked body. Nena looked for something to help loosen Aylen’s bindings and found a knife in the passenger seat. Remi took it from her and sliced through the rope, freeing her cousin.

  “Tell us,” Remi demanded. “How does this happen to you?”

  “It already has,” Aylen sobbed. “You can’t stop this.”

  “Who did this?” Nena asked.

  “I’m—I’m not sure,” she stuttered. “A man stopped me on my way out of work. He pulled up to the curb when I was going to the parking garage. He pretended to be lost and asked me for directions. I told him I wasn’t sure about the area he was going to and he got angry. He pulled a knife from somewhere under his seat and told me to get into the back of the van.”

  “Oh God,” Remi cried. “Where are you now? Can you describe him?”

  “Give her a minute,” Nena said.

  “Thanks,” Aylen said. “I knew you guys would find me in my dreams. I knew if I could find a way to connect with you both, you’d be able to find me.” Aylen paused and she frantically looked around, as if expecting to see her assailant. “He got out of his van and chased me down and God, he told me that he would slit my throat if I screamed. So, I didn’t.”

  “It’s alright, Ay. You’re safe now. Can you tell us anything else?”

  “He’s bald and looked to be in his fifties. He knew my name. I think he works at the hospital too, and that’s how he knew who I am.” Aylen was the first one in their family to go to college and actually graduate. Hell, she more than just graduated—she was a doctor. An orthopedist, to be exact, and she was damn good at her job.

  “Where do you think he has you?” Remi asked. She looked around the area, searching for a road sign or any landmarks that might give away where Aylen was being held. They looked to be in a heavily wooded area, at what seemed to be an old rest stop. The parking lot had just a few cars in it, besides the van that held her cousin.

  “I’m not really sure,” Aylen admitted. “It felt like he drove us around for hours, but I’m guessing it was more like thirty minutes or so. He parked the van here and put tape over my mouth, telling me that he had to cover his tracks, so no one would be able to follow us. He said he’d be back and I’m afraid that when he gets here, he’ll move me—or worse. I overheard him talking on his cell, while we were driving, and he said something about a high bidder. I’m afraid he’s going to sell me,” Aylen admitted.

  Remi knew all too well about the threat of human trafficking, especially of Native American women. She had worked with an agency in New Mexico, that helped women find their way in life after they were saved from that nightmare. The abduction of Native American women accounted for forty percent of human trafficking. In New Mexico, one-quarter of all abducted women were Native and it broke Remi’s heart to hear each and every one of their stories. She couldn’t let that happen to Aylen or anyone she loved.

  “We won’t let that happen,” she promised her cousin.

  “Remi,” Nena warned. She knew better than to make promises she might not be able to keep, but she couldn’t help herself—it was Aylen. He
r cousin was like her younger sister. It was just her and Nena until their Aunt Joanna took them in and made them a part of her family. She had two daughters—Kaiah was the same age as her and Nena, but Aylen was just an infant. Remi fell immediately in love with her little cousin. She used to pretend that Ay was her little sister and that drove Kaiah crazy. It was probably the reason her cousin seemed to take great pleasure in pointing out that Joanna wasn’t her and Nena’s mother. They knew that, but Kaiah seemed to need to remind them of that fact, every chance she got.

  “Please guys, you can’t let him sell me. Find me, please,” Aylen begged.

  “We will do everything we can, Ay,” Nena promised. “We’ll be home by morning if we wake up now.” Remi worried that they were going to be the ones to break the news about Aylen’s abduction to their aunt and grandmother. How were they going to do that? How did they break news like that to the people they loved most in the world?

  “Wake up,” Aylen said. She put on a brave smile as tears fell down her blood-stained cheeks. She nodded and turned her back to them, assuming the position they had found her in, legs and arms bound and duct tape back over her mouth. It broke Remi to leave her cousin that way, but their conversation with Aylen was based on an illusion. That was always the way, having to figure out what was real and what wasn’t, during their visions. Remi knew that somewhere her cousin was lying in a van, hand, and feet bound, duct tape over her mouth, scared out of her mind. Remi was just thankful that Aylen had been able to fall asleep long enough to connect with them. If the situation was reversed, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to do that.

  “See you soon, cousin,” she whispered and opened her eyes. It was time to finish their trip home and find her cousin. She and Nena had a promise to keep.

  Jag

  Jag tossed and turned most of the night and by the time the sun came up, he wanted to wake Tex and tell him that he was ready to take off, literally. He had called the hanger, to make sure that everything was clear for their trip. He was given the thumbs up to fly and he had to admit, he was pretty damn anxious to get to New Mexico. He’d never admit it to Texas, but he was right. Tex would never let him live that fact down. They did need to have a come to Jesus meeting with Remi and lay down a few truths. The first being that they needed open communication between the three of them if this thing was going to have a chance to work. No more hiding or running. They were all guilty of both and it was time for them to be completely open and honest with each other. The next thing they needed to get straight was that she was theirs, whether she knew it or not. They were both falling for her and he’d do just about anything to hear her admit the same thing to him and Tex.

  Texas threw their duffel bags onto the plane and smiled at him. “Good thing we travel light, man. Maybe you can fly us to New Mexico faster and we can claim our woman by nightfall.” He bobbed his eyebrows at Jag, causing him to chuckle.

  “Is she?” Jag asked. “You know—our woman. She’s shut us down at every turn. I thought I had broken through her barriers the night we spent together, over Reckoning. The next morning, she couldn’t seem to get dressed and run out of our room fast enough. Then, she shows up at our house and spends the night between the two of us, sharing her body, but not letting me in completely.”

  “I’m sorry about that, man. I still think I’m doing the right thing here. Remi’s story is her’s to tell, not mine. Please just trust that she’s been through a lot of shit, man. She’s been torn apart by life and she’s just trying to find a way to hang on.”

  “How?” Jag asked.

  “Well, I think she runs from relationships, for starters. She said she doesn’t spend more than one night with a guy. She’s given us two nights now, so there’s that. Baby steps, man. That’s what we all need to focus on now. We’ll get there; but first, we need to find her,” Tex said.

  Jag nodded, “Let’s get going then. I have a feeling that Remi’s going to give us a fight and we’re burning daylight.”

  ****

  The flight was short and by the time they landed and hunted down Remi’s family’s address, it was nearly dinner time. Texas rented a truck for them and drove out to her grandmother’s house. It took calling in a few favors with his military connections, but Jag was able to get the information they needed. Remi’s grandmother lived just outside of town if that’s what he would call the little strip of buildings that ran about a half-mile down the road. Honestly, he’d never been in a place so desolate in his life, outside of the warn torn countries he had to live in while serving his time in the Air Force.

  “She lives out in the middle of nowhere,” Texas grumbled. It felt that way. They had been driving for about an hour now and Jag was tired and ready to have the conversation with Remi that was way overdue.

  “Is that it, up there?” Jag asked pointing to the little single-story house.

  “Man, I hope so,” Tex said.

  “You think Remi and Nena made it here yet?” Jag asked. He hated that they drove almost seventeen hours from NOLA. He would have gladly flown them out to see their grandmother and aunt.

  “No idea, but I think she’ll be able to tell us,” Texas said, nodding to the older woman who stood on the front porch that ran the length of the small house. “I’m guessing that’s her grandmother.”

  Jag jumped out of the rental as soon as Texas pulled up to the house. “Hello,” he called to the older woman. We’re looking for Remi and Nena.”

  “I know who you are,” the woman said. “I saw you were coming for my granddaughter, Remi.

  “You must be her Anali,” Texas said, holding out his hand. He was putting on his country boy charm and when Remi’s grandmother ignored Tex’s extended hand, Jag belted out his laugh.

  “I think I like her,” Jag whispered.

  “I’m worried about my girls,” the old woman admitted. She looked like she had been crying. Her long gray hair framed her round face and Jag didn’t miss the way she watched them both.

  “They haven’t shown up here yet?” Texas asked.

  “They got here early this morning. The twins had a vision over-night and they’re worried about their cousin, Aylen.” Jag was having trouble keeping up with the older woman. Her thoughts seemed scattered and he was beginning to think she wasn’t in her right mind. “Don’t look at me like that, boy. I’m making complete sense,” she said as if reading his thoughts.

  Jag held his hands up in defense. “Okay, how about we slow down and start from the beginning. Remi and Nena got home this morning, right?”

  “Yes,” she breathed. He could tell that he was getting on her nerves, but if she was correct and Remi was in some sort of trouble, he wanted to be able to help.

  “Then what happened?” Tex asked.

  “The twins told me that they had a vision last night. I’m assuming Remi has told you about what our family can do?” Jag and Tex both nodded, not wanting to interrupt her. “They saw their cousin, Aylen, in a vision they shared and she had been abducted.”

  “Well, can’t they just warn her and then change it from happening?” Texas questioned. “I mean, we’re not experts on the whole seer thing, but that’s what Remi did for Jag here, a couple of nights ago. She saw his death and well—stopped it.” Jag bit back his groan at the way Texas almost shared too much with Remi’s grandmother. She saved his life by agreeing to spend the night between him and Tex. Telling her grandmother that wasn’t something he wanted to do though.

  The woman smiled at Texas. “Yes, I’m aware,” she admitted and Jag had a sneaky feeling she knew a whole lot more than what they were telling her. “Nena and Remi believe the abduction has already occurred,” she said.

  “Have you tried to contact Aylen?” Jag asked. She smirked at him and nodded.

  “Yeah,” she said. “No one has seen or heard from her in almost a day now. Her sister, Kaiah is beside herself but she’s staying with her mother. My daughter, Joanna, is in Texas having some tests run over the next few days. Both Aylen and Kaiah
were supposed to go with her but Aylen never showed up. Joanna couldn’t cancel her testing and we agreed that she should go. We’re not telling her about what Nena and Remi saw, not until we have confirmation. There is no sense in worrying her without cause.”

  “So, where are Nena and Remi now?” Texas asked.

  “They went to town this afternoon, to report Aylen as missing at the local police department. They should have been back by now,” the woman said.

  “And, that’s why you’re worried about them,” Jag said.

  “Yes. And, we just wasted all this time discussing details when you could have headed back to town to track down my girls,” Remi’s grandmother accused. Yeah, Jag liked her. She seemed like a tough woman who didn’t take crap from anyone.

  “So, we need to go back into town, as in twenty miles that way?” Tex pointed in the direction they had just come from and groaned.

  “Yes,” she agreed. “And, don’t come back without the twins. I’m guessing that if they aren’t still at the station, filing a missing person’s report; they’ll be at the only bar. The girls haven’t been home for a few months and they’ll want to catch up with their friends. If I know Remi, she’ll be questioning everyone within a ten-mile radius about Aylen’s disappearance.”

  Texas looked like he wanted to give her an argument but was smart enough to know better. He turned and started back to the rental.

  “Let’s go, man,” Texas said. “The sooner we find Nena and Remi, the sooner we can figure this mess out.”

  ****

  They drove the twenty miles back to town and Jag had to admit, he was anxious to find Remi. If her cousin was in danger, he knew she would do just about anything to help her. It was one of the things he loved most about her—her heart and her willingness to help people. From what her grandmother told them, Aylen would need not only Remi and Nena’s help but his and Tex’s too. They would do whatever it took to help find Remi’s missing cousin.

  Texas stopped at the police station and they were told that the twins had been there, to file the missing person’s report, earlier in the day. But, they had left and the lone officer on duty told them to head over to The Thirsty Eye, which was the town’s only bar. The officer told them that he had it on good authority that the twins were over there, trying to track down Aylen. They thanked the guy and high tailed it over to the bar.