by V L Friends
“Umm, no,” I answered with a nervous chuckle, looking around the room for anyone else.
“Are you lost?” He seemed to move even closer, which made me take a few steps back, and then he took a few steps forward.
There was a long pause and I felt a little dizzy, then I suddenly came to my senses, realizing he was awaiting my response. “No, I am looking for a man that might live here. Caleb Alexander; do you know him?”
“Mmm, that depends.” He was now continuing to walk closer to the point where he backed me up against a wall. I could feel my heart pounding.
“W- what do you mean?” I stammered.
“That depends on who you are, darlin’.” His lips twisted in a half smile as he ran his one finger down the side of my face in a seductive way.
“You are making me uncomfortable,” I said, trying to avoid his hypnotizing eyes. I admit that I had never seen a more stunning man but was annoyed at the fact that he seemed to know it. Those large deep blue eyes bore into me. Seriously, they were like deep pools. He was intimidating.
He sighed and leaned close to my ear as he whispered and I could feel he was touching my ear with his mouth. I shuddered. “Don’t you know it is not polite to enter one’s home and not introduce yourself, love?”
Yep, definitely French.
I couldn’t tell if it was a shiver or tingles that ran down my spine. Was I holding my breath?
“Leave her alone, Julian!” said a voice from the top of the stairs.
I looked up to see another young man descending the stairs who looked like a younger, dark-haired, slightly shorter version of the other man that stood in front of me. He too was wearing formal attire and was tugging at a bow tie, which I guessed he was having trouble tying. He smiled down at me warmly as he approached.
“Brother, look what I found lurking in our doorway. Can I keep her?” The tall one pulled back a bit but still seemed amused.
“Hello, please excuse my brother, Miss, he enjoys playing with people but he’s relatively harmless,” said the dark-haired younger man with a wide grin, extending his hand to me. His eyes were an even bigger, brighter blue.
“My name is—Hannah,” I lied.
“Caleb,” he said, shaking my hand, but he scrunched his brow as if he questioned me.
“Hannah, what can I do for you?” he asked with formal tone.
“She is looking for you, Caleb Alexander,” the taller one interrupted, as he was now pouring himself a glass of amber liquid I concluded must be brandy. He was now in the parlor. I hadn’t even noticed him move!
“Uhh, well I was looking for a Caleb Alexander but I am terribly sorry; I must have been mistaken. He would be in his fifties. You don’t happen to have a father or uncle with the same name, do you?” I shrugged and laughed nervously.
“I am afraid not,” Caleb said, studying my every expression intently.
Something was strange. My father’s name was Julian and he had a brother named Caleb. These two were brothers as well with the same name so they had to be related to my uncle. Why was he lying to me, I thought? Deciding this was not the time to interrogate them since I was outnumbered, I began inching to the door. This was all too confusing.
“I see, well, thank you for your time. Again, I am very sorry for the intrusion,” I said, turning to leave.
“Of course,” was all he said as he watched me leave. I could feel their stern stares piercing my back as I walked out the door.
“Damn it! What am I supposed to do now?” I forgot there was no cab waiting for me. I knew I would never get another cab out here.
“You’ll never get another cab at this hour.” It was Julian, leaning casually and smugly against the door frame, folding his arms against his chest, studying me with amusement. He was still acting playful and cavalier but something about him caused me to shudder deep inside.
“Could I possibly trouble one of you to give me a ride into town?” My heart was pounding so loudly, I could hear it like a gong in my own ears. I hated being at their mercy. The worst part was that I knew they knew I was nervous. The walk two miles in the dark into town suddenly didn’t seem like such a bad idea but I quickly took a deep breath and tried to pull myself together. Don’t panic.
“Certainly. What will you give me in return?” he grinned.
“Julian, give it a rest!” Caleb appeared in the doorway next to Julian and nudged him aside. “Miss, as it turns out, we are going there ourselves, so yes, we would be happy to give you a lift. Our driver is not here for another thirty minutes. Why don’t you come back inside and wait?”
“Thank you,” I said, walking past them as I reentered their home.
“Would you like a drink?” Caleb asked as he began pouring himself a glass of the amber liquid.
“Sure, whatever you’re having is fine,” I said, realizing that I was not old enough to legally drink alcohol but Caleb didn’t say anything. He just poured me a glass.
“So, just out of curiosity, why are you looking for this Caleb guy, anyway?” Caleb asked, handing me the glass.
That was smooth the way he pretended not to be interested and it flowed out of his mouth so casually, I thought to myself. Why was I so suspicious of him?
“He is a friend of my family’s and they told me to look him up to give him something,” I said
“I see, and why couldn’t your family deliver it to him themselves or why couldn’t they give you the exact location of where he is?”
“My family passed away and they had not seen or heard from him in a very long time before they passed,” I said.
“I am very sorry to hear about your loss. So, you lost all of your family?” He spoke so casually but there was something about the way he looked at me that gave the indication that he was really wanting this information. He was on alert but trying not to look it.
“Yes. Well, I mean… The ones I knew.”
“What a shame. So, Hannah, where are you from?”
“Africa.” Why did this suddenly feel more like them interrogating me?
“That is an interesting place to be from. I would never have guessed you were from there,” he said. Caleb obviously didn’t believe it.
“So, are you all alone here in the States then?” he asked as he sat back casually, crossing his legs. I noticed that Julian, who was sitting back in a chair near the bookshelf pretending to read a book, was practically holding his breath waiting for my answer.
I should answer this carefully. I sensed danger.
“No, actually, I have friends that I keep in touch with here on a regular basis,” I said, trying not to seem too obvious.
“Hmmp.” Julian made a noise that seemed very much like a scoff as he turned the page of his book.
“Is something wrong?” I looked at him questioningly.
“Nothing really, you’re just a liar. You have been lying since you first walked in here.” The words seemed to flow off his tongue with ease, as if it were a well-known fact.
“Well, look at the time. It seems it is almost time for us to go.” Caleb held out his watch as if to emphasize his words.
Julian slammed the book he was pretending to read and strode over to me.
“Oh, we are not going anywhere, brother, at least not until this young lady spills the truth.” Julian grabbed me roughly by the arm.
“Julian, I am handling this!” Caleb warned his brother, gritting his teeth.
“Forgive me, brother, but she is not giving you anything with that schoolboy, nice guy routine. Now I say we lock her up until she tells us who she really is and who sent her!” Julian strengthened his grip on my arm. I stood to face him, feeling my face flush with anger, disguising my fear. I had this tough girl persona that kicked in as a defense when I was really scared. I had to maneuver my way out of this and this is what came to mind. I decided to say something unexpected, to shock them so I might have time to get away.
“What has you two wound up so tight?” I tried to redirect as if they were the one
s in question. “I mean, really? I may not have given you my real name but you act like I am your enemy. Do you think that every young woman that comes to your place is here to assassinate you or something? Paranoid much? Seriously, is there a name for what is wrong with the both of you?!” I said, giving a hands-on-my-hips stance and squaring my jaw. At this point, I was guessing all formality was out the window. Yes, I did lie a bit but I didn’t deserve to be locked up for it!
The brothers looked at each other with amusement. “You would be surprised at how many beautiful women want to kill us,” Julian said smugly.
Did I just get chills?
“I see.” Now I was sure I was looking at them like they had lost their minds. I yanked myself out of Julian’s grip. I tried to pretend that he had not just threatened to lock me up.
“Well, thank you, gentlemen, for your hospitality but I won’t be needing that ride after all. I must be taking my leave now.” I set down my glass and quickly walked to the door. “Don’t worry, I will show myself out.” As soon as I got out of their line of sight I made a run for it. To my surprise and relief, they made no attempt to stop me, but Caleb did call out for me.
“Hannah, wait!”
“That’s not her name,” said Julian with an annoying mocking laugh.
“Now look what you’ve done! You scared her!” Caleb accused.
I could hear them talking to each other as I began walking across the circular driveway to the dirt road. Did I mention that I have super hearing? Well, it’s one of the gifts I have had since I was thirteen. If I concentrate I can sometimes hear conversation from blocks away.
“I must admit, brother, at first I thought she was this mousy scared little girl who acted all polite and stuffy, but that display right there has me curious. She does not seem to really fear us like most do. Do you think she knows who we are? She is definitely hiding something. What read did you get on her?” Julian asked.
“Her thoughts showed me that she does not know anything. She is suspicious that we are hiding something though. She is protecting herself for sure but, brother, she is not here to bring us harm,” Caleb said.
“She has a lot of spunk. Reminds me of someone,” Julian said with a hint of amusement in his tone.
Was Caleb reading my mind? I blushed with both embarrassment and anger at the invasiveness.
“Julian!” Caleb’s voice sounded shocked. “You must get her back here! She possesses supernatural abilities!”
Shit! Now I was really screwed!
I cringed at my carelessness. Caleb knew I could hear them and for a human that was impossible. I was way out of ear shot! I felt my way along in the dark, barely able to see the road and tripping, it seemed, on every rock. Maybe I could hide in the woods somehow, I thought, trying to make my way to the tree line just off the shoulder. Before I could get to the side of the road I felt something push me hard to the ground. I cried out in pain as my knee scraped a sharp rock.
Two hands grabbed me and picked me up to face the person responsible. His face looked ghostly, glowing in the moonlight. My breath hitched as I also noticed his glowing eyes. He held me off the ground like a small child.
“Did you have to push me like that?” I snapped.
“Well, if I didn’t you would have walked off the road right into a large hole.” He chuckled. “Well, at least we know you don’t possess supernatural sight,” he mocked. He set me down for a second but his hands quickly went to the back of my legs as he lifted me to carry me. I studied his face intently now that he was up close and I could see every line and curve. He seemed to notice my gaze but acted uninterested. Finally, a few yards from the house, he stopped and looked directly into my eyes. His face changed and seemed more serious, almost shocked.
“What are you going to do with me?” I trembled.
“What is your real name?” he asked with a whisper, ignoring my question.
“Anaya,” I decided I might as well tell them. I was now at their mercy so they would probably find out anyway.
I swore when he heard my name I saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes before he slid me to the ground.
“Go inside,” he said as he disappeared into the darkness.
Inside, Caleb stood waiting for me with a calm, gentle demeanor. My guess was that he was the thinker of the two and Julian was the muscle. Caleb reached out his hand to me to help me walk down the few stairs to the sunken living room they called the parlor. He turned his attention to my legs, noticing I was limping.
“Did you fall?” He looked genuinely concerned.
I scoffed. “Yeah, with your brother’s help. He said he was preventing me from an even bigger spill, but I suspect otherwise.”
Caleb let out a displeased groan.
“Here, let me help you.” He lifted me up into his arms with ease as if I were nothing more than a feather and brought me to the sofa. Without hesitation, he lifted my dirty skirt to examine my knee.
“Wait here, I’ll be right back,” he said as he disappeared, reappearing seconds later with a bowl of water, a bandage, and a cloth. That was weird. Was I imagining that he had lightning speed? What was happening to me? My mind must have been playing tricks on me.
After he gently washed and bandaged my knee, he turned and looked up to examine the rest of me. As he cleaned the dirt off my hands and even from my face, he spoke to me gently. I watched him with fascination. I was sure he could charm anything out of anyone. At this point I was sure I would tell him anything.
“So, my dear, is there something you want to tell me?” He was crouching down in front of me looking all attentive. I had the sudden urge to brush the hair off his brow. He had black hair and his eyes were pools of blue, like his brothers’, only his were darker blue and seemed to sparkle. He was stunning.
“Hmm?” I spaced out the question.
“How about we start with your real name?” He looked like he was blushing as he controlled a grin. Damn, he must have been reading my thoughts again.
“Oh! Yeah. Umm.” I shook my head as if I had just come out of a trance.
“Her name is Anaya.” Julian burst into the room carrying firewood to the fireplace and, after dropping it roughly on the rack, he turned to us both.
“She is my daughter, Caleb.” Julian gave Caleb a stern look. “Yes, Sarah and I had a daughter together.”
“That’s impossible! You…?” I began to protest but Caleb held up a hand to interrupt me as he straightened and moved to address Julian.
“What the hell, Julian?! Just when were you planning to tell me?” Caleb said between clenched teeth.
“It would have come up eventually. I just didn’t want to load more on you; after all, we were just reconciled,” Julian said, explaining.
“Well, I assume there is more to tell?” Caleb looked from Julian to me.
I felt like this was a dream. None of this could be true. They must have been playing with me. I kept waiting for one of them to laugh and say they were kidding.
“Sarah was killed last year and I got word that Anaya had disappeared afterward. I have been looking for her. Sarah and I had an agreement that I would not have anything to do with Anaya, and for her protection she would never know who or where I was and that I am a walker. How was I to know that she would come looking for you?” Julian seemed upset but turned his attention to adding wood to the fire in the fireplace.
“Sarah is dead?” Caleb seemed to be devastated by the news of my mother’s death and sat down slowly. He seemed to be shocked and his eyes were watering. Did he know my mother?
I shook my head at the absurdity.
I decided these two must have been the best actors I had ever seen. Either that or they both were indeed crazy. Who could be so cruel as to talk about a person’s dead mother this way, acting as if they knew me. I had to get out of here!
Just then I heard a car horn honk. They seemed to both ignore it as Caleb sat motionless and Julian continued stoking the fire. I slowly eased myself to my feet and tip-
toed to the door with my purse in hand. When I got outside I noticed a limo in the driveway and got in. The driver was surprised to see me.
“I am afraid they had a change of plans. Would you mind dropping me off in town? They are not going to be ready for a while,” I lied.
“Sure thing, Miss.” The driver pulled away and I breathed a sigh of relief. My mind was swimming and could not shake the conversation. What had Julian meant when he said he was a walker? Where had I heard that term before? Never mind. The important thing was that I was safe and getting away from the two crazies. That was a close call.
Chapter 2 – Supernatural Family
My head was throbbing, and of course the loud music coming from the downstairs restaurant during breakfast rush was not helping. Maybe this hotel room above a popular local food establishment was not such a good idea. I couldn’t think straight.
What a huge mistake this was coming here. As I moved by the window on my way to the bathroom I glanced out and jumped back, startled by a familiar face looking straight up at me. There he was, standing there in the street with his piercing sky-blue eyes looking up at me like some kind of predator. It was Julian Alexander. There was a tremor in the pit of my stomach at his intense focus. How did he know I was here or that this window was the one for my room? He was still in his suit from last night, wrinkle free, and his golden locks of hair gave off the picture of perfection. It scared me how oddly connected I felt to him. There was that feeling of panic rising from my gut again. I was in over my head. I grabbed my clothes and began packing frantically while trying to change out of my pajamas. Stumbling forward and nearly hitting my head on the dresser, I caught my breath.
“Get a grip, Anaya!” My annoyance at myself for how poorly I was handling my panic was reaching an all-time high.
Out of breath from my crazy attempt to gather my things and flee, I took a deep breath and looked around the room for my shoes. As I was digging them out from under the bed, I finally calmed down enough to think and contemplated my strategy for leaving here unnoticed. Was there a back door that I could run out through the restaurant? Did he really even see me in the window? Could I pretend I was not home and wait until he was gone and then slip out? Why was he here? My mind started to spiral again and a sudden feeling of irrational fear gripped me. I am so dead!