by Celeste Raye
“Not very often, but yes, on occasion, I have helped her out.”
“Would you want to stay with my son? Temporarily, of course. I have a few things that need to be taken care of, and since his mother is gone, I don't want to leave him with just anyone. Not after everything that he’s been through. He seems to have bonded with you in a short time.”
Vanessa looked to her friend for advice. She finally agreed, but she did make it clear that it would only be temporary.
“That sounds good. Your son is adorable, and I would be more than happy to help.”
Scott was still trying to take it in. But at the moment, all he could do was stare at the blue eyes that were grinning back at him. The woman caught him off guard, as well as the feelings that came with being around her. It had been a long time since he’d experienced anything like that.
He clapped his hands together, to pull himself out of his thoughts more than anything else.
“Well, now that we have that figured out, when can you start?”
She looked uncertain for a moment and then finally agreed that she would leave with them.
“I have to stop by my place and get a few things. What time does the plane leave?”
“It leaves whenever I want it to. We will be waiting for you at the airstrip. I'm going to get Shane out of here. I know that this is helping a lot of people, but this might be a bad reminder as well.”
Vanessa agreed and promised to see them later.
“I will say though, Scott, your son is strong. He’s helped many just by sitting with them. He’s a very special boy. Old beyond his years.”
All Scott could think about was getting home and getting his life back on track. Scott was ready for a new chapter in his life, sick of reading the last one.
Chapter Five
“What do you think, Fran? I mean, what do you really know about him?”
Fran chuckled and smiled at her friend. She could feel the tension that had risen when the two had met, and Fran was always looking for a good man for Vanessa. She was under the impression that she might very well have found one.
“He is rich, from what I hear, powerful, and has a bit of a temper, but you know that goes hand in hand.”
“Is he… you know…?”
Fran agreed.
“What kind?”
Fran hadn’t even thought to ask. She was so wrapped up in everything going on that she didn’t even know the answers to the most basic questions.
“I don’t know to be honest. I didn’t ask Shane, and the man, well, he’s like a whirlwind coming through, isn’t he?”
Vanessa agreed. Her mind went to the dominant stance and the tall man that had towered over her. He didn’t appear mean, but he had this stern look on his face that was hard to deny. He was the type of man that was used to being heard and she didn’t need Fran to tell her that. It was obvious to a woman like Vanessa. She’d met people like him, many times before.
“I am just nervous. I have to go stay with him.”
“You don’t have to do this, Vanessa. I know I might have put you on the spot, but I think it would be good for everyone. Shane really likes you, and you need some extra money. Scott will pay very well. Better than you can imagine, and it won’t be hard. It’s just one kid.”
Vanessa agreed, but at the same time, she was still worried. There was something about Scott that threw her off, and she wasn’t sure what that was going to mean for the future. The guy had something dangerous in his face, and it made Vanessa nervous.
“Are you sure that it will be okay?”
“Yes, and if it isn’t, just call me, and we will get you out of there. I don’t want you to worry, Vanessa. I think this will be good for you.”
Vanessa looked at Fran suspiciously. She felt like she had something extra going on, but she didn’t ask. Truthfully, she probably didn’t want to know.
“Fine, you’re right. I am probably just being silly.”
“Yeah, that’s what it is.”
“I feel like you want to say something. You should just say it if it’s something that I should know.”
“I don’t know. I think there is something there with Scott. You’re always telling me that you want to meet a nice guy.”
“Scott is not a nice guy. I don’t think that he likes humans. I do like his kid though. That’s why I agreed to it.”
“No, I think he is a nice guy, but he’s just had it rough. I mean, can you imagine what he’s been going through? I have heard some stories about him. He is pretty badass and just sort of lost it when his wife was killed, and his son was taken. Be gentle with him. I know you can be feisty sometimes.”
Vanessa wasn’t sure what to think. Fran was acting like there was something more than a job for her with Scott. Vanessa was attracted to him, it was hard not to be, but she wasn’t thinking about that at all. She was not there to find a boyfriend, even if Fran made it seem otherwise.
“Fran, it’s a job. I am helping him out with the boy until he can figure something out. It’s probably a lot on his plate all of a sudden. Soon enough, I will be back here and back to how it always is. You know that I don’t want to be in this life. It’s too dangerous.”
“I know that it seems like it lately, but this is just something that is going on right now. I feel like it won’t be long at all until something is changed. Nothing stays the same. It will be peaceful again soon.”
Vanessa wasn’t so sure about that. She had watched Fran go through some crazy things since she went down the path of the supernatural. It was also well-known that Fran fell in love with the man she was working for. That’s how it had all started for her. Vanessa didn’t think her life would turn out the same way. She was looking at it as helping out Fran, nothing more.
She mentioned that thought, but Fran wasn’t hearing it.
“I’m not blind, Vanessa, and you’re not either. What will be will be. I have a good feeling about it; that’s all. You will see. It’s going to be good news.”
Vanessa just smiled. They talked about a few other things before she left to pack and get to the airstrip. Shane was happy to hear that she was going with them, and it made her feel a little better. At least she had an adorable charge. Shane was going to be a bit complicated, but he was such a sweet kid.
The dad, Scott, he was a different story. She had no idea how it was all going to end with him, but she was excited to see.
Since the job offer took Vanessa by surprise, she had to go back to her place and grab a few things. She didn’t know what to bring, what they would be doing, where they would be going. She was in the dark but wasn’t going to call Fran and ask her about it. Fran wasn’t trying to make things easier for her.
So, Vanessa tried to be smart and grabbed a little bit of everything. Vanessa sat down on her bed, looking at the bag that was half-packed, trying to figure out what it was that she was doing. She wasn’t usually the type of person to go along with such things, but she had said yes. Vanessa had said it before she could really think it all the way through, but there was nothing that she could do about it now.
Driving down to the airstrip, Vanessa’s nerves took a turn for the worst. Every hair on her body was standing on end, and she rubbed her arms to ease the feeling. Something was going to happen, something that she wasn’t ready for. There was a moment when Vanessa just wanted to turn around and go back the way she came. It would have been easier. Danger was ahead.
Chapter Six
“What are we waiting for, Dad? I just want to get out of here. I want to never come here again.”
“We are just waiting on Vanessa.”
Shane didn’t look too sure about it.
“How long is she going to be? What if those witches come back? I don’t want them to come back.”
Fear was in his son’s eyes, and it bothered the man. Scott didn’t want to see his son scared. It was a horrible feeling to have, and he wanted to fix it.
“I told you before, Shane, they're not going to c
ome back. Why do you keep thinking that they will?”
There was a moment that a shiver went through Scott. It was just the way that his son looked at him. He was scared and considering that he had been in their care for the last two years, there could be a reason for Scott to be worried as well.
“I just don't think that they're going to let me go. They kept saying how important I was. I don't know why. They did a lot of tests on me and made me take a lot of medication. I don't know what any of it was for, but I think they’re going to come after me because of it.”
Scott was not as convinced as his son was. He believed that whatever Shane had been through, had scared the daylights out of him, but at the same time, he knew that there was more strength in the shifters than his son realized. The things that he was going to do and that he was capable of, what money made him capable of, there was no way that anything was going to happen.
“I told you before that I have never going to let anything happen to you again. I mean to keep that promise.”
“What if you can't? They've already gotten me before. And Mom...”
Scott looked over and saw that Shane was choking on the words. He felt horrible for even saying anything about it. He felt like he hadn't even grieved for his mother yet. Scott hadn’t grieved properly for his wife either. It hadn’t been time for that. He had been so focused on everything else. Scott wanted to think that this was a time for them both to heal.
“I won't let that happen to you. I promise you that I will not let it happen. You are going to be with me, and you are going to be safe. Don't worry about it anymore. You have to trust me.”
The kid still looked worried about it, but Vanessa had arrived, and the conversation was over for now. Shane started to perk up almost immediately, and it was hard for Scott not to be a little jealous. It was his son after all, but he could understand why he had taken a shine to her.
Vanessa was one of those women that had every male paying attention, no matter the age. Shane was taking notice, and so was his father. It was hard not to wonder.
Everyone sat down, and the plane started up. To Scott, it was just another milestone that he had been waiting for. He never thought he would get Shane back, and now he had him. They were all going to be together. Bringing the human was not initially what he would have thought to do, but it was a perfect solution.
“Wow, this is where you live?”
“You like it? I figure that you would be used to something fancier. Humans like to show off their wealth.”
Vanessa looked up at the place and smiled. She didn’t see anything less grandiose than the house in front of her. It was old, out of the way, and sort of magical.
She looked at the boy in between them and realized he was still asleep.
“It’s a nice place, Scott.”
“You don’t like me bringing up the fact that you’re human, do you?”
“It’s just weird, I guess. I am not around many people that can talk about humans in that way.”
“Why are you in this world?”
“I am friends with Fran, have been for a long time, and she is married to a shifter. I didn’t really have a choice. I wanted her to be able to come to me, so I know about it. This is just temporary, me being in your world. I prefer my own, without the Hitler-style witches that are testing on children.”
He looked at her with surprise. It wasn’t what he expected, and he chuckled. It was the first time that he had done so in over a year. He had to pull himself back from the cliff that he had been dangling off of. He had to remember how to enjoy life, and laughing was a start.
“I can see your point with that. The community has certainly been showing its dark side lately. I would like to say that this is the first time that something like this has happened, but that would be a lie. There is always a lot of fighting amongst the races. It is much the same as humans, although witches can do a lot more damage, to a lot more people.”
Vanessa shook her head and agreed, because she wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to that. She had seen some of the damage that could be inflicted by magical beings, and more than once she had wondered if it was worth it. She knew that Fran was in love and was never going to leave her husband, but Vanessa had always tried to keep her distance. When she had heard that children needed help though, there was no way that she could ignore it. Now Vanessa wondered if she had bit off more than she could chew.
“Well, why don't you go in? I am going to take Shane up to his room. I haven't changed anything. I have a couple of extra guest rooms that I can show you around to. Why don't you get a drink or something? The kitchen is right off the foyer when you first get in.”
Vanessa thanked him and got out of the vehicle. She was still a bit surprised that she had agreed to everything and shocked by where she currently was. Things were changing rapidly, and she needed a moment to herself to process at all. The drink was sounding really good right now.
She found the kitchen rather easily and made herself a drink. It was almost an hour before Scott made his way back downstairs. She could hear them talking quietly, and Vanessa could only imagine what they were saying to each other. What would it be like, to be away from a child for that long? She didn't have any of her own, but she could only imagine. It obviously wasn't a good thing, and the emotions seemed raw for both.
“Sorry that took so long. I think I forgot for a minute that you were here.”
She waved him off and told him that it was no big deal. “I can imagine that you guys need some time together. I can go off now if you want to go back up there. Just point me in a direction. Honestly, I probably don't even need a direction at this point. I can stay right here and drink a little bit more.”
“Are you freaked out?”
It would honestly be hard not to be freaked out. The things that the people did to those kids.
“Do you think there's a possibility that they will come back? I know that Shane is worried about it, but do you think it could happen?”
“I am going to keep you both safe. I promise you.”
Vanessa seemed to feel a little bit better about the situation, but at the same time, she was still trying to figure out what was going to happen next. She had never been in such a strange scenario before, and it was hard to see it getting any more normal. She was in a shifter household, and they were targets. It was natural to worry that she would be a target as well. It wouldn't have changed Vanessa's decision, but she wanted to know she was going to be safe. That he cared.
“Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better.”
“Why don't I show you to your room and then we should all get some rest? I think that's what I really need right now.”
Vanessa could not have agreed more. Her brain hurt with all the variables and possibilities. It was also a little bit harder to think, when Scott was so close to her. He had a way of towering over her that was hard to ignore.
“Come this way, Vanessa. I'm sure that you will like it.”
Vanessa was sure that she would as well. The house was beautiful, and everything in it was like living in a fairy tale. How could she not like it?
She followed him down a couple of hallways until he stopped in front of a door. He said it was a guest room, but it was quite beautiful, and it felt luxurious. Even the carpet had her stepping a little differently. If he wouldn't have been right there, she would have taken her shoes off, just so that she could feel it properly.
“How is this?”
“It's a beautiful room. I'm sure this will be more than enough.”
“Well, if you need anything else, all you have to do is pick up the phone and I have a butler that will get you whatever you need.”
“You have a butler?”
“Of course. How can I have this house, and not have a butler?”
She could imagine that it would be hard to run such a place alone. When her friend had told her that he was loaded, she hadn't thought about it. Now she was, after seeing what kind of money he had
. It was the ridiculous kind, and his attitude started to make a lot more sense.
After thanking him for the pretty room and everything else, she watched him leave and then she sat on the side of the bed to take her shoes off. Next, she sank into the bed. It was so soft, and all thoughts of getting something done were gone. She was fast asleep within minutes.
Chapter Seven
Scott should have been able to go to sleep. The ending that he was so positive he would never get, he got, and now the weight that had been on his shoulder should be gone. But sleep didn’t come.
Now, instead of being worried about where his son was, Scott was worried about what had happened to him. He also had to worry about the people that had done such horrible things to him, whatever those things were.
The stress of it was keeping him up, and the idea that the nanny was a few doors down seemed to bother him as well. It had been far too long since he'd been in the company of a female. It hadn't gotten to him before, but suddenly, it was a problem. Scott was sure that it was because of how everything had occurred. Now that he could breathe again, he wanted some more parts of life that he’d been holding off on.
It was easy for him to wonder what would happen if he went to her door. Would she answer it? Would she let him inside?
At some point, he went to get a drink. He stopped in front of her door, and his hand went up to knock. He did not know what he was going to say when she answered, but Scott had never worried about things like that before.
He had a way of getting every woman that he wanted, and no matter if she was human or shifter or witch, he knew he could have her. He knew what he was capable of and he knew that it would be hard for anyone to resist him, even Vanessa.
All of that confidence did nothing for him though, because instead of knocking on the door, he stood out there for several moments, feeling like an idiot. There was just something telling him that it was not the right time. He wasn't ready, or she wasn’t ready.