The Girl With Nine Lives, The Girl Who Bit Back, The Girl With Ten Claws 3 Book Boxset (The Adventures of Benedict and Blackwell Series)

by E. Earle

  “I’ve got a hut a few miles from here near my uncles,” he grunted as he started the car. It took a while, but the engine came alive eventually. He pulled a blanket from the back and wrapped it around me. “There’s a rucksack there, can you grab it?”

  I attempted to reach for a dark red bag behind his seat, and suddenly unable to move my arm further than ten centimetres from my body I shook my head. Closing my eyes to his shaking head, I heard him move to get it himself.

  “Here,” he grunted, passing something to me.

  I opened my eyes and saw it was a t shirt.

  “Put it on, you’re soaking.”

  I looked at him then for the first time. He was wet through too. I licked my lips nervously, afraid to disobey. “Why are you…?”

  He took off the handbrake and started to drive. “Wet?” he finished, flashing me a thunderous glance as he made a U-turn in the road, away from Craggys. “Swimming in clothes does that.”

  I flinched at his tone. “How did you…?” I looked away, ashamed.

  “Put that shirt on,” he grunted. “Do it under the blanket if you want to- I won’t look. Take off your trousers as well.”

  I realised then that I wasn’t wearing any shoes. I had lost both of my ballet pumps in the water. Not bothering to take a breath against modesty, I whipped off my soaking vest and trousers and rubbed myself quickly with the blanket. I glanced at him nervously and saw his dark eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead, quiet furious.

  He must have jumped in after me…

  Embarrassment made my cheeks red, not from the fact that I was sitting in his car with just my bikini on, but because of what he must have thought of me. Tears hot in my eyes, I pulled his t shirt on, immediately swamped in his smell. It smelt of the sea, lynx and man. Annoyingly, I liked it.

  “You could have died,” he growled in a low voice.

  “I wanted a swim,” I said miserably.

  “Those tides are treacherous!” he snapped, hitting his steering wheel. “They’ll drag you under and see you for dead, understand? And in your clothes? Give me a break.”

  I stared at my hands. “I have a few swimming badges from school…” I glanced up at his incredulous face and bit my lip.

  Looking as though he wanted to say something back, he swallowed it down and tapped his hands on the steering wheel.

  “I’m sorry,” I said finally. “I just wanted to… jump.” I shrugged then, shifting my legs closer to the warmth of my body. “Without the consequences. I really was going for a swim.”

  Seconds passed. “Never do anything like that again.” His face was a show of seriousness and disapproval. I couldn’t bear it.

  My teeth gritted together against tears, not sure if I was even telling the truth. I had been looking for an escape. Rationality had not been my friend, and the darkness I had found in the ocean had not been comforting.

  “It was your cat.”

  His voice made me jump. I curled my legs up under me and started to rub Ben dry on my lap. “Huh? Ben?”

  “He started meowing and scratching my leg.” He winced as if in memory. “I followed him outside and saw you running.” He grimaced again and my blush deepened. “Then I was running after you. I Googled you, you know.”

  My breath caught, and suddenly, no air would come. I tried for another breath, but with no luck. The next thing I knew, I was having a full blown panic attack and Brynn was pulling the car over.

  Black swamped my vision and my limbs were shaking.

  “Shit, shit, shit- it’s ok.” His arms were around me suddenly and his hands were rubbing my back, telling me to breathe, slow, slow, slow.

  I pulled away as quick as possible, my hands over the gunshot wound on my side, as if he could somehow see it. I didn’t want his reassurance. I closed my eyes and screamed inside for control. My hands touched the coolness of the window and Ben meowed on my lap, his claws digging into my skin and dragging me back. I hunched over him, breathing in his scent, using it as a balm on my fractured spirit.

  “What did you see on there?” I gasped finally, my voice sharp. “Get a good read?” I sat up and faced him, my guilt from jumping for my stupid escape eradicated.

  He stared at me for a while, his expression unreadable. “I’m sorry for what happened to you,” he said at last, slowly and carefully. “I didn’t realise that I would find that.”

  “What did you expect?” I snapped.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Some background info.” His jaw hardened in annoyance and he pointed at me. “You may not realise it, but Craggys means a lot to the team. Without that place we’d be homeless and jobless. We’ve been there for years.” He paused, taking a breath and sitting back in his seat. “When we heard the place had a new owner, I knew I had to find out what sort of person was taking over us all.” I watched him run a hand through his hair, surprised to see him flustered. “When I saw what happened to you last winter… I was watching the news when Ben came in. I saw the story and put two and two together.”

  I started to shiver again. “He’s out,” I said simply, the words causing more pain when I heard them come out of my mouth.

  Brynn’s jaw clenched. “Don’t worry,” he said, pulling an old beach towel from the back and rubbing his dripping hair. “You’re safe with us.” He said it grudgingly, but there was something in his voice that was sincere. He may not approve of me, but I think he had decided he was willing to play ball. He shook his head. “You owe me some laundry.”

  I nodded. “Ok.”

  Brynn leaned forward then and tickled Ben under the chin then. “He’s a good cat,” he said eventually.

  I nodded and squeezed Ben tight. I didn’t start to relax until he started to purr.

  Brynn’s place was an outbuilding by the sea, connected to his uncle’s place. It had originally been his Dad’s he told me, but when he had died his uncle had inherited it with him. Brynn owned the outbuildings and his uncle the house. Brynn said he didn’t mind about not having the house- his uncle had a big family and the outbuilding was all he needed.

  When we pulled up the drive, I had to admit that the outbuilding was more than enough for one person. It looked as though it used to be a small barn but had been renovated over time to be made habitable. The house was surrounded by trees and had its own pathway to the beach with Brynn’s outbuilding next to it, but slightly hidden by view by the shrubbery that enveloped the property.

  My legs were still shaking so much Brynn carried me out of the car without me asking. I pulled the shirt further down in embarrassment as he set me down in front of the door. It only met halfway down my thighs, its wave motif the same of Jack’s shirt when I had first met him.

  “Why are we here?” I mumbled as he unlocked and opened the door. I followed him numbly, my eyes widening as I stepped in. “Jesus…”

  The walls were covered in black and white photographs- some of surfers, the rest landscapes and people caught in the act of doing everyday things.

  “I’m just going to get changed,” Brynn announced pulling off his shirt. I averted my eyes quickly, but even I found it hard not to stare. Wowza. “Make yourself at home, ok?”

  I nodded as he walked into another room.

  “Try not to drown yourself in the sink, ok?” he called back.

  I flinched and then scowled in his direction. Sighing, I put my hands on my hips and had a good look at my surroundings. Everything was open plan and made of wood and hand wrought iron. The floor was flagstone and covered as much as possible in odd Persian and woollen rugs. Three small but cushy sofas covered in throws were centred around a fireplace with a load of wood stacked in it ready to go. There wasn’t a television or a phone in sight. I raised my eyebrows as I looked to Ben.

  “What do you think?” I asked him.

  “I smell dog,” he meowed, sneezing suddenly. He jumped up onto a kitchen counter- small and modest, but handcrafted to a point where I wondered if Brynn ever bought anything new. Herbs hu
ng up from a beam and horseshoes as well as other brass covered an entire wall. I loved it, and wished I didn’t.

  Why the hell would he leave a place like this and live at Craggys? There was a couple of bowls in a huge Victorian sink and I wondered if he stayed here overnight. Glancing up, I saw a gallery with a bed. Yep, probably. Everything was small and compact- but it worked. It was cosy, every bit of space used. Surfboards were stacked in every corner of the room and two guitars stood on stands near the door.

  I turned around and jumped.

  Brynn was there staring at me, a clean t shirt and black jeans on. His feet were bare and I found my eyes trailing very slowly from bottom to top.

  “I said did you find the tea?” he asked, rubbing his hair free from extra droplets.

  “Oh, err…”

  “You’ll probably want more clothes than that,” he said quickly scanning my bare legs. He walked away and came back with a pair of jogging bottoms. “I can say here and now they won’t fit but they’ve got a drawer string, so you’ll have to make do.”

  I took them, mumbling thanks whilst he went and stuck the kettle on. Leaving on my wet bikini bottoms, I pulled them on quickly whilst his back was turned. I looked down at myself, drowning in baggy unflattering clothes. What a state I must look.

  I jumped again as someone knocked on the door. Brynn looked up in surprise as his uncle, John walked in.

  “Hey Brynn- I saw your car out front and thought-” His eyes caught hold of me and he started. “Oh hey! I didn’t see you there!” He stepped in, a devilish look in his eye as he looked from me to Brynn and then back to me.

  “Oh, John,” I laughed, “this isn’t what it-”

  “Tea, John?” Brynn interrupted, a nonchalant expression fixed on his face.

  “Well, I was actually going to say that your aunt has got a plate of Sunday dinner for you seeing you’re here- we’re about to sit down actually.” John turned to me, and I knew in his smile exactly what he was thinking with me being at Brynn’s. “You’re to come as well of course, missy,” he said with a wink. “Will be nice of you to see the family.”

  I looked helplessly to Brynn, not knowing what to say. Brynn shrugged, enjoying my discomfort. He was doing this on purpose. “Yeah, sure, why not?” he said.

  I threw a filthy scowl his way and then I fixed a wide smile on my face as John turned to me.

  “Well that’s sorted then,” he said happily, rubbing his hands together. “I’ll tell the boys and the missus we’ve got a guest!” He threw another one of his winks at Brynn then, making Brynn roll his eyes. “See you in ten!”

  Then, he was gone.

  “Why did you say that for?!” I growled, swinging on Brynn.

  His eyes narrowed with a crooked smile. “Say what?” he said casually. “We’ve been invited to dinner.”

  “But he thought-”

  “He thought what?”

  His smile infuriated me and I slammed my mouth shut. He knew exactly what I meant.

  He rolled his eyes at me and shrugged. “We’ll get fed, watered and then go back.” I could see in his eyes he was enjoying watching me cringe, that exasperating small smile still on his lips. “Why, what’s the problem?”

  I took a deep breath and sat down on the sofa with Ben. “I hope you scratched his legs hard,” I muttered to him as I sat and sulked.

  I had no idea why Brynn didn’t just say that no, we couldn’t go to dinner. It would have been better if we could have just got dry and went back. I didn’t want Brynn’s family to think we were an item, and I certainly didn’t want the word getting out either.

  I scowled at Brynn as he made us a cup of tea. I would have turned my nose up at it except I was really cold. He sat down on a sofa opposite me, throwing his legs over an arm.

  “You going to tell me why you jumped off a cliff then?” he asked.

  “You going to tell me why you jumped in after me?” I snapped.

  He stared at me for a few seconds, as if biting back any retort he may have had for my childish reply.

  “I panicked,” I finally admitted. “I do stupid things when I panic.”

  He nodded.

  “You going to do it again?”

  I scowled at him. “Of course not.”

  “Good.” He stood then, taking a swig of his tea. “Until this Rino character is found, I’m going to be sticking around, Ellena.”

  Rino’s name made my chest convulse. I was glad I had left my phone at the shack. I didn’t want to see how many missed calls I had gotten from Calloway and my mother. I leant my head back onto the pillows. Oh God, they must be really worried about me.

  “Can I make a call?” I asked eventually, ignoring his last comment. Men and their sense of protecting the little women.

  “Your family will be wanting you back,” he said.

  “I’m not going.” The words came out in a sudden snap. I clenched my knees to myself. I was never going back to Warwickshire- not whilst Rino was out. Would he be able to find me? Oh God, what if he was already on his way?

  Before I knew it, Brynn was kneeling in front of me, his hands on my knees, cementing me in place with his presence. “Don’t,” he said. “Take a breath… Come on, Ellena, breathe…”

  I did as instructed and stared back at him. His face was grave. He seemed to know exactly what to do when someone was having panic attacks, and although I didn’t want to take comfort from him, it was too easy to. I barely knew him, so why was it so easy to relax when he told me? Maybe it was his voice. Its tone brooked no argument and sounded not used to having people disobey. I took a deep breath, the edges of a panic attack subsiding and I waved him away. He sat back on his sofa, staring at me cautiously.

  My mouth opened and I spoke without knowing. “He tried to kill me.”

  Brynn’s jaw hardened. “I know.”

  I shook my head, unable to find words to describe my fear. I never expected this to come back. Not him. “What if-”

  He shook his head. “You shouldn’t think like that.”

  I shut down, for some reason feeling ashamed that I was even speaking about this. This wasn’t his problem- it was mine. I should have been able to deal with this better. Why had I told him so much already? I never spoke about this to anyone- besides from Calloway.

  Calloway’s gone, a nasty voice in my head sneered.

  “You came to Craggys to help us,” Brynn said calmly, dragging me from my thoughts. “Now we’re going to help you. No one’s going to hurt you.”

  I looked at his face and for a moment, I believed him. I glanced at Ben’s glowing pale orange eyes and felt my heartbeat slow. I nodded. “Ok…”

  Brynn’s family were all really nice and fussed over me as soon as I stepped into the house. I didn’t know how I felt about them thinking I was a special friend of his, but I didn’t have the energy to do much more than talk and eat.

  The dogs that Ben had smelt were a couple of pugs. I nearly choked on my food when I saw them- I thought they were hilarious. Brynn found my amusement, well… amusing and John’s wife Annette thought I should wear some of her clothes instead of Brynn’s.

  “Leave her alone, Annie,” complained John serving me some mash on my plate. I had said ‘enough’ twice, but he was still shovelling more. “It’s what lovers do, right?”

  “So will you be wanting to wear my clothes, dear?”

  I choked again on my food and Brynn told me I had to be more careful in chewing.

  I didn’t want to enjoy myself that afternoon. I wanted to sink into self-pity and darkness. But Brynn seemed determined to not allow me one moment of falling away from the present. Ben was allowed some chicken scraps from the table, and I took it that talk about me and Ben had travelled at least this far, because John’s family didn’t even bat an eyelid.

  “So, how is the business going?” John asked me, passing the mash to his son Jonny.

  “A lot better thanks,” I said, pouring more gravy onto my stuffing. God, I loved Sunday dinners.
“We’ve got a few bookings for next week.”

  “They’ve booked in for the surfing lessons as well,” Brynn told me.

  “Really?”

  “Yep. That Spanish couple we had did us a great review- the guy is a blogger and did a piece about us.”

  We spoke back and forth about Craggys, ideas, and the fact that a big festival was coming up until I realised that we were the only two talking. I paused and realised the rest of his family were staring at us. Hmmm.

  My conversation ceased and Jonny started arguing with his brother Riley about the date of their next paint job and I was glad. I started being very enveloped in finishing my dinner and being a good listener so I wouldn’t have to talk.

  I thought about the upcoming festival and felt relieved. There would be campers, surfers and other people- business would be booming. We would have to make sure the place was in ship shape to get maximum earnings. I had arranged with the banks to start a repayment scheme in the upcoming weeks- it would be small, but it would go some way over time to start paying off Craggys death sentence.

  I swallowed then and wondered about my own.

  Would Rino try and skip the country? Or would he come looking for revenge?

  We stayed for a few more hours and eventually said goodbye. Somehow, I had roped myself in for another Sunday and John was coming back with his sons in the week to continue work on Craggys.

  Brynn and I sat in thoughtful quiet on the way back.

  “Your family seem nice,” I said finally.

  “Thanks.”

  I stared out of the window, Ben snoozing on my lap. “Thanks for…” I cleared my throat. “Jumping in after me.”

  “No worries.”

  I glanced at him and saw a small smile there. “I’ll jump after you next time,” I said to him. “Promise.”

  When we returned to Craggys, I had no choice but to call Calloway back. I wanted to pretend to the team that nothing had happened, but I knew they were thinking the same as John when they saw me walk in with Brynn’s clothes on. I ignored the murmuring as I waited for Calloway to pick up. When he did, he growled my name with such ferocity that even Brynn heard.