The men are gone a lot, and when they are, the house is terribly quiet. But that’s when Juliette and I steal away to our room and idle away the hours. I didn’t think it was possible to love her any more than I did, but my love for her is like a seed. When it happened, it took root, and each day, with care and attention, the roots grow deeper and expand, bringing me more joy than I ever thought possible.
When I look back, I reflect on how I would’ve been so different if Langston hadn’t raised me. But sometimes you have to fall and fall hard before you can rise. And other times it takes someone like Juliette to help you rise. It did for me. Langston may have been to blame for the fall, but Juliette is responsible for the rise of Kade Hart.
And Then Some
Serena Callahan
For as long as she could remember, Serena Callahan wanted to learn how to SCUBA dive. She’d first fallen in love with the idea when she watched her little goldfish swim around in their bowl, but it wasn’t until she saw the movie The Little Mermaid that she became obsessed with it.
Only Serena had a problem. She was the youngest of three children and had been born twenty years too late to aging parents that didn’t care a whit about her. She grew up isolated within her own household, ignored, unloved, and unwanted.
Serena would dream about what her life would be like when she grew up. She would live by the sea, spend her time underwater talking to sea creatures, until she grew old and died.
But she knew she had to have a plan. So she took a nosedive—right into her schoolwork. It wasn’t that difficult. She had no friends. All the girls made fun of her because she wore grossly outdated clothing that were hand me downs from her older sisters. They smelled like mothballs and were stained and moth-eaten from being stored in the old attic for so many years. And boys—well, they were equally bad, cutting off chunks of her hair in class and writing nasty words on the back of her ugly blouses. Serena learned to ignore them, shut them out.
She lived in a world inside of her own head.
When it came time to apply to college, her test scores were unreal, and her high grades ensured her acceptance to the best of universities. But there was one obstacle. Her parents wanted her to stay home to care for them. They were older now and needed her assistance.
Guilt almost kept her there, until a kind and perceptive counselor at school persuaded her to accept a scholarship from Duke University. She explained that since Serena was now eighteen, she could legally live on her own. So it was after she graduated from high school that she left the confines of her parents’ home and moved to Durham, North Carolina to begin a new life. She got a job in the Marine Laboratory assisting research scientists, and with the money she saved, she took SCUBA classes and became PADI certified.
Serena took to SCUBA diving as if she’d been born a fish. The first day, when they instructed the students how to use the buoyancy control device, she was the only one that didn’t need assistance. She adjusted hers correctly to give her zero buoyancy in the water, so she neither floated to the surface nor sank to the bottom.
Then when they added the tank and regulator and told the students to breath naturally, Serena felt like she was on land. The first day they let the students stay under water the entire class, she had the most oxygen left in her tank. She was proud because her instructor told her it meant she was breathing normally and didn’t have any anxiety under water. She couldn’t wait for the day to take her certification exam. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was an equal to the other students. No one made fun of her, ridiculed her, or bullied her. She finally felt at home.
So, after Serena attained her BS degree and decided to work on her master’s, it was with monumental excitement that she took her first trip to the United States and British Virgin Islands with a diving group from the marine biology department. They would be collecting and gathering different species that were indigenous to the area and would study them to identify any mutations in response to environmental factors.
There were six students, professors, and masters candidates altogether. Serena would be writing a paper on her findings with the hope it would be published.
Several of the dives would be conducted during the night and they would be divided into teams of two. One team would be dropped off at one point and the other team at another. The boat would then come back to retrieve them an hour later.
As Serena was collecting samples that night, when she was getting ready to surface, she spied an unusual necklace, an oval-shaped, odd colored stone, suspended from a black chain. She stuffed it in her mesh bag, and then surfaced from her dive, intending to pay closer attention to her finding at a later time. She often found things while diving—jewelry, sunglasses, money, you name it. But this seemed special, different. But she might be wrong, because it was hard to tell sometimes under water.
When she arrived back at her hotel room, she was pleasantly surprised. The necklace was quite attractive. She decided she would box it up and take it home with her, hiding it amongst her other jewelry, and not claim it as a dive discovery.
The next morning, after Serena was dressed, she was on her way down to eat breakfast when she remembered her necklace. Grabbing it off the desk, she quickly put it with the rest of her jewelry, but what she couldn’t have known was she had just sealed her fate, a fate filled with danger that would lead her down a path she could never have anticipated.
The End
For Now
Epilogue (Contemporary Version)
Juliette
Three Months Later
* * *
Kade was right. Separating myself from the necklace broke the bond of my shadows. When we came home from our trip, I could no longer see them. For a week, maybe two, I would call to the one at night, but he never came. Until one night, I’d finally given up hope. I was outside with Ethel when I felt that familiar disturbance of air. He didn’t speak aloud like he did in the past. He brushed past me and filled my mind with a farewell. I got the sense that they were still out there somewhere, but since the necklace was no longer in my possession, my ability to recognize them had been taken away. The necklace had kept them tied to me. I still refuse to go out after dark, only traveling by car, and only with Kade.
At times I wonder what that necklace really meant and if my father was tangled up in some sort of organized crime. The best conclusion I can come up with is the Russian mob. I can’t for the life of me understand why my father would involve himself in something so shady and dark. He never seemed the type that would do something like that. I suppose I’ll never have the answer.
We decided to get married at Kade’s brother’s house in Charleston. They were gracious enough to plan everything for us and take care of all the arrangements.
The day we boarded the private jet that would fly us there, my nerves were on edge. The memories it evoked aren’t great ones. Kade pulled me close and reminded me that the past is the past and the future is our gift.
Our arrival in Charleston was amazing. A limousine whisked us off to a hotel suite, where every amenity awaited us. After we relaxed, another limo drove us to Kestrel and Carter’s house, and I immediately fell in love with Kade’s family. His brothers were warm and welcoming, and his sisters-in-law took me under their wings and treated me like they had known me forever. But the baby, Daniel, was so precious; I couldn’t seem to keep my hands off him. His chubby cheeks begged to be kissed and squeezed, and his giggles were contagious. Kade was equally smitten. He laughed at Kestrel because apparently Kestrel was never one who wanted children, but now he is the epitome of the perfect dad. Carter can’t lift a finger before Kestrel already completes the task.
“So, Kestrel, it looks like you’re a diaper pro,” Kade remarked.
“I have it down to less than thirty seconds. The little man here is very cooperative.”
Carter shook her head.
We spent an enjoyable evening together, and the girls told me what was in store for the next day, our wedding d
ay. Carter showed me pictures of her wedding day and said she ordered flowers similar to the ones she and Kestrel had. Everything was set for six in the evening.
“So, Juliette, your honeymoon sounds awesome,” Gabby said.
“Yes. I’m super excited. I’ve never been to Europe before. Kade is the one who suggested the coasts of Spain and France. But Charleston would have been great too.”
Charleston is a wonderful city. It reminded of my hometown, New Orleans, except on a smaller scale.
Our wedding day dawned bright and beautiful, with not a cloud on the horizon. It was April and the weather was perfect. My dress was an ivory silk sheath with a lace overlay on the top. Kestrel walked me down the aisle and Kade didn’t break a smile. He looked so serious, it actually worried me a bit. But when we turned to face each other and say our vows, I knew why. He leaned into me and whispered, “I am the luckiest man alive. And it’s all because of you.”
I would’ve argued that he had that backwards, but then it would be tit for tat, and our vows took care of everything we needed to say to each other. The strange thing was, if all of that horror hadn’t happened, I never would’ve ended up in Denver, at St. John the Baptist, and Kade and I would never have met. Life works in odd ways sometimes. I can’t say I’m happy I lived through all of what I did, but I wouldn’t take Kade out of my life for anything. He said I’m responsible for lifting him up after his fall, but he’s my light and he chased away the darkness that haunted my existence. I often wonder where I would be if it hadn’t been for him. I don’t ever want to find out the answer to that.
* * *
After we returned to Denver from our honeymoon, Kade told me he had a surprise for me. We got in his truck and drove to the cemetery. When we arrived, he escorted me to a giant headstone. On it read: In loving memory of Christopher, Kathleen, and Sylvie Bressan. May they rest in peace.
I was speechless. My hands ran over the words, touched their names, and then I cried. It had been a while since I’d thought of them. But the idea of a memorial to them had never crossed my mind. That Kade thought of it meant so much to me. “Thank you. This means more to me than you’ll ever know.” And I pressed myself against him, knowing I’d never want to let him go.
* * *
In my dreams, when I’m unusually tired, I still hear the voice of my shadow telling me to take care at night. I sense he is angry that I tossed the necklace into the sea. We argue back and forth, but then I wake up and laugh at myself. I’ve always been one to have crazy dreams, so I’m sure this experience has only added to them. Sometimes my dreams are of my family, of how I found them, and I wake up terrified. But Kade is there to calm me and pull me back to the present.
As for my shadows, as time passes, I wonder if I really did see them or if they were something my stressed brain conjured up. Kade insists they were real, as real as their footprints in the snow and the necklace I threw into the sea. All I know is my family died for some unknown reason and I’ll have to settle for the fact that I’ll never find out why.
A Note From The Author
Thank you so much for reading The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart. I hope you enjoyed this not-your-run-of-the-mill-romantic-suspense. Over the last year I’ve gotten so many requests to write another Guardian-like series that it got my wheels spinning. I thought about how it would be to introduce a group of mysterious guys in one of my contemporary novels and do a spin-off about them. So that’s how The Seven were spawned. Read on for Sabin: A Seven Novel.
SABIN: A Seven Novel
Sabin: A Seven Novel
Copyright © 2015 A.M. Hargrove
All rights reserved.
Published by A.M. Hargrove
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used factiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in form or any manner whatsoever by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or a book review. Scanning, uploading and distribution of the book via the Internet or via any other means without permission is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support for the author’s rights is appreciated. For permission requests, write to the author, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at [email protected]
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Cover by Mayhem Cover Creations
Epigraph
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
* * *
-Aristotle
Prologue
Serena Calahan
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with scuba diving. I first fell in love with the idea when I used to watch my little goldfish swim around in their bowl. As silly as it seems, it was the movie The Little Mermaid that fueled my obsession.
My excitement surges as I prepare to drop back in the crystalline waters of the Caribbean Sea for the first time ever.
“Listen up everyone,” the dive master, Joe, begins. “We’re making two drops. The first group of three will drop here, and we’re leaving a buoy with the beacon. A line is attached. In case of an emergency, all you need to do is surface and activate the emergency mode on the buoy. It’s right on top and you can’t miss it. The maximum depth here is only sixty feet, so you should all be fine. Any questions?”
Everyone shakes their heads. This is a shallow, night dive between Peter Island and Salt Island, in the British Virgin Islands. Our goal is to collect different species that are indigenous to the area so we can study them to identify any mutations in response to environmental factors, and my heart is pumping hard from excitement. Night dives bring out different species of fish and the marine biologist in me is thrilled. But even if I weren’t here to conduct research for my master’s degree, I still would be stoked knowing how this is going to be all kinds of awesome. If possible, I would live in the water.
“We’ll be back to pick you up in one hour. This area is out of the main traffic line, plus the buoy is lit with a large blinking light, as you can see, so even if you surface, just hang tight and you’ll be fine.”
They lower the buoy, and it’s big enough to sit on the edge.
“You can drop at any time.” Joe glances around at all our exuberant faces, including the two professors and three Ph.D. candidates that accompany me.
I don’t want to waste precious dive time, so I put on my mask and flop backwards into the water. The sea is dark and chilly, but I acclimate quickly because of the neoprene suit I am wearing. I adjust my buoyancy control device so I can sink to the bottom and wait for my companions.
Once they join me, we’re off, and I go to work. My wrist mounted light guides me along as I use my plankton net to gather samples, never drifting too far from the others. It only seems like minutes when I’m alerted that we are close to our one-hour mark. When a companion gives me the signal to surface, I resent it. I could stay here for hours.
Right as I’m securing my mesh bags onto my belt, something catches my eye—an oval-shaped odd colored stone, suspended from a black chain. I snatch it, giving it a quick glance. It’s intriguing but doesn’t necessarily look antique or expensive. Then again, the dim light in the dark water might not be doing it justice. I stuff it in my mesh bag, and then surface, intending to pay closer attention to my little treasure at a later time.
It’s not uncommon to find things while diving—jewelry, sunglasses, money, you name it. None of it usually amounts to much. There isn’t a lost and found for sea dives. Besides, half of the time what I find is considered junk. If the jewelry isn’t broken, it’s one earring, or oftentimes
cheap costume jewelry. Once, when I went through the hassle and paperwork of claiming an item for discovery, the examiner gave me the stink eye when she found a “made in China” stamp on the clasp. But even as I surface, something about this seems special, different somehow. I don’t spend time examining it now, but plan to inspect it more closely later.
Once the boat picks us up, it’s hard to think straight between the roar of the engine and all the chatter. I’m riding high from being in the water, mentally calculating when I can do it again. But I do know one thing. SCUBA diving ranks number one for me, despite the negativity my family gives me about it. Like my instructor told me, I must’ve been born to do this. Being under water sure brings me happiness.
The next morning, I dress and I’m on my way down to eat breakfast when I remember the necklace. Grabbing it off the desk, I stuff it in my bag with the rest of my jewelry. What I couldn’t have known is this action seals my fate, a fate filled with danger that would lead me down a path I could never have anticipated.
One
Sabin — One Year Later
The knock on my door surprises me. I wasn’t expecting anyone so when I open it, I’m even more shocked to see who it is.
“L’han, we need you to come with us.”
“Where?”
The Hart Brothers Series Box Set (Including the bonus book Sabin: A Seven Novel): Freeing Her, Freeing Him, Kestrel, The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart, Sabin: A Seven Novel Page 114