“Where did you get this?” He sounds angry. Great. Not only do I have to deal with whatever this necklace means, but I have to face his anger too? I can’t win, can I? It’s like everything is stacked against me. Trying to rip my wrist free from his grasp, I ask, "Why? It’s none of your business. I’m
not here to see you. I’m here to see Gran." While not letting go of my hand, he forces me to turn around and face him. I see the hurt in his eyes before it disappears. “Gran said you would be coming in. She will be here soon.”
“Okay. Now let go of my hand.” He pulls me up against him. My breath catches, and my eyes drop to his lips. Too close. I need to step away. I try to take a step back, but he matches me. He still has my wrist in his hand, and we keep backing up until I hit some books. His other hand comes up to caress my cheek as he stares into my eyes.
“April, where d id you get this?" He shakes my wrist, making the necklace jingle in my hand.
“I got it from my son. He found it out back in the dirt last night. Why? What's the big deal?”
He still hasn’t dropped my hand, and his other one is playing with my hair. His touch is intoxicating, and I can slowly feel my guard dropping. The way he’s looking at me right now is making it impossible to focus. I just want to kiss him and act like the last few days never happened. Why can't I just pretend that today is the morning after our first time together, and everything is just dandy? Too bad that its not the case.
“This necklace is the amulet my mother was supposed to protect," he says in wonder, like it was the missing piece to all his problems. Maybe it was.
Gran needs to hurry up and get here, so we can figure this all out. His hand is on the back of my neck tracing the tattoos I have there. He’s focusing solely on the one in the middle, the symbol that means to ‘choose life’. It’s causing goose bumps to rise up all over me.
He scans my face and I bite my lip, not because I’m trying to but because I'm torn. We both have responsibilities, and I don’t need a distraction. His eyes zero in on my lips, and the need I feel for him causes me to gasp. The hand he’s holding is pinned above my head as he leans into me. His eyes are back on mine. I can see the same turmoil boiling in his eyes that I'm experiencing, but his desire is winning.
Just kiss me already, I scream inside my head.
So he does.
The hand that was tracing my tattoo is now on the side of my face making sure I don’t move as his lips crush into mine. A moan escapes and is swallowed by him. My free hand is fisting into the front of his shirt. Every inch of my body is trying to touch his. This kiss is even better than our first one. It’s pure need, desire, and want. It’s love.
“I’ve missed you, babe," he says with conviction.
I want to tell him I missed him too, but this doesn’t change the fact that I have something I need to do. This one moment of weakness is just that, a moment.
“Logan, I know. Me too, but you know this doesn’t change anything. I still have something to do, and I have to walk away again.”
“April, you don’t get it, do you? The only reason we had to be apart is because we both had our own paths, two different destinies. Our paths are entrelacen now. The person you are protecting is the same one I’m meant to protect. Don’t you see that?”
“Wait, what? What are you talking about, and what the hell does entrelacen mean?”
“My mom protected this amulet until it was taken from her. I knew I would have to protect someone, but I didn’t know who it would be. I thought it was you at first, but I found out I was wrong. This amulet is my sign. The person who found It’s the person I’m supposed to protect,” Logan says excitedly.
He can barely contain himself. It’s like he’s about to start jumping up and down like a girl. His smile is wide, and It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I’ve never seen him this excited. How could I take that away from him? I can’t. If he’s right, that would mean Mathew has more protection.
“Okay. I think I get that, but for us dumb blondes,” I make air quotations “you failed to mention what entrelacen means.”
He has the nerve to laugh. "April, you are far from being a dumb blonde. Baby, entrelacen means 'to intertwine' in French. It means that we started life in two different directions, but they lead us here. You know that song by Rascal Flatts, called Bless the Broken Road?” He waits for me to shake my head and continues, "Well, that’s us because we’ve both had hard lives, heartbreak, and you name it, but we’re here right now, together,” he says softly, reverently.
A tear makes its way down my cheek, and he kisses it away.
“We're stronger together and I can't
be without you.”
-M. Leighton, Madly & the Jackal
Chapter 36
Logan I had no intention of making her cry, but damn if she doesn’t look cute doing it. Her eyes turn an emerald green color with flecks of orange, and her glossy pink lips turn out in a pout. Even her shaking hands are cute because she’s trying to hide them. I take the necklace or amulet, whatever It’s, out of her hand and place it on the shelf next to us. Taking her hands in mine, I say, “Baby, no matter what happens, we’re here together. We’re in this together. No one is going to take us away from each other or stop us from protecting our boys.”
She literally falls into my arms sobbing. I’m so confused. I feel like I’m in over my head. I don’t know how to deal with a crying girl, but I figure holding her is a good start. When she locks her arms around me, I squeeze her tight and kiss the top of her head, “Baby, what’s
wrong?”
She chokes out, “You called them our boys.”
“Right, so why are you crying?” I ask, still completely lost. What’s the big deal if I called them our boys? That’s what they’re or will be, right? Now I’m just confusing myself. Of course they’re our boys. If I want things to work out between us, the kids are included. They come first no matter what.
“I’m crying because I wasn’t
expecting that. I’m crying because I want that. I want a family with you and the boys,” she manages to get out with a few hiccups. Her tears have stopped, but she looks like she could start crying again any minute. Come on Gran.Where the hellare you?
I try to let go of April, so I can lock the door and turn the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Close’, but she clings to me, which is so unlike her. If I’ve learned anything about her, it’s that she is extremely
independent, so her clinging to me shows that she’s really worried. Instead of letting her go, I lace our hands and walk over to the door with her. She flips the sign. I lead us in the direction of the nook, so we can sit on the couch and still have a complete view of the front and back of the store.
I sit down with my back leaning against the armrest and pull April into my lap. She’s so stressed and exhausted that I put her head on my chest and tell her, “Sleep for a little while. I’ll wake you when Gran gets here.” She doesn’t even argue, and I know she’s asleep when her breathing evens out.
I start dozing off too when Gran walks through the front doors. She sees April and comes to take the seat across from us.
“How long has she been out?” She whispers.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Twenty minutes maybe. She came in with the amulet that Mom was supposed to
protect. One of the boys found it in the backyard. Do you know what that means Agatha? Dad was a few streets away from us the whole time.”
With a heavy breath, she replies, “Yes I know. So did your mother, but she thought we could keep him away from you. Obviously we were wrong. Did she say which kid?”
“No, she didn’t. Why is that
important? It doesn’t matter which kid because he won’t get hurt,” I say kind of loudly, and April stirs.
“Hey Gran,” she says sleepily. “We need to talk.”
“Hugs first child, and then we can talk.”
Gran gets up and hugs April. She’s missed her these last few days. April g
ets up to go to the bathroom, while I start some coffee for the 3 of us. April grabs the amulet on her way back to the couch and hands it to Gran.
“I was told this is useless now, that it has served its purpose by locating the next target for them,” she explains heatedly.
“You were told right. When Logan’s father took it from his mother, his body absorbed its power, for a lack of a better explanation. It’s the eldest boy, isn’t it?”
April doesn’t use her voice but a sad look comes over her face, and she nods. I hate all of this. Why them? Why those kids? Haven’t they been through enough as It’s? All I know is I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure April and the boys are safe. I’ll do anything, even if that means sacrificing myself because that’s what you do for love and for family. You do anything within your power to do, even if it means laying down your life.
“Do you know what you have to do April?” It’s the softest I’ve ever heard Gran speak.
“They won’t tell me, but they did tell me that I chose this life and this specific mission. Apparently I was created for this moment,” her voice trails off.
Gran nods her head as if she already knew that. I’m sitting here and I’m still confused as hell because I don’t see why she would be created only for that specific purpose.
“Wait a second April. Are you saying what I think you are?” I ask, freaking out slightly.
If she thinks she was only created to save Mathew, she is wrong. She was created to be with me.
“Logan, there are bigger factors in this than you and me. I’ve known since I was a kid that I have a purpose. One was adopting the boys to give them a chance at life, and the second is doing whatever, and I mean whatever, it takes to protect them. If protecting Mathew completes my mission or purpose, then yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”
She’s annoyed with me. I can tell by the way her voice deepens slightly, and she pops her hip out with one hand on it. Her Italian side comes out when she starts pointing and waving her hand at me. Then the head starts rolling. If I wasn’t so mad that she thinks she’s going to sacrifice herself, I would be totally turned on with her snarky little attitude.
“Yeah, well sorry to bust your cute little tirade bubble, but that’s not going to happen, not while I’m around anyways. We can both watch Mathew to make sure he’s always safe. I’ll also watch you to make sure you don’t do anything stupid,” I say, sounding a little bit cocky.
The funny thing about our
relationship is that I already know her looks. The one she’s giving me right now means she’s going to tear into my ass and put me in my place, while making me proud of her in the same breath.
“Listen here. I’ll do what I have to do, not what YOU tell me to do. Will I watch out for Mathew? You’re damn right I’ll. YOU however can watch out for him if you must, but watch your own damn back because I can take care of myself, thank you very much. I don’t need you or anyone else to try to be my savior when I don’t need one. You got it? Or do I need to write it out for you?”
See what I mean? So damn sexy when she gets riled up. “April calm down. I’m not saying you need someone to watch your back. I know you can take care of yourself, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to keep an eye on you too. You just don’t understand that I refuse to let anything happen to you. I couldn’t take it if something happened to you.”
I can tell she wants to say more. It’s amazing to see a battle play out in someone’s eyes. April’s eyes are like a book; you can read everything from her eyes.
“Fine, whatever Logan. You’re not going to listen to me no matter what, but we will come to an agreement. Promise me something?” She asks, the playfulness gone.
She’s completely serious about whatever is about to come out of her mouth. For some unknown reason, I’m completely terrified of what she has to say. “Okay,” I manage to choke out.
“Our main focus needs to be on Mathew. If something happens to me, you have to make sure you get him out of there. I promise I’ll do the same if something happens to you.” Her voice is flat and lacks the excitement it usually holds.
It takes me a long time to answer her. How do I promise to walk away from her? I weigh all of my options. If the roles were reversed, I would probably ask her to do the same thing. I take a few deep breaths to settle myself. “I promise you April, if anything happens to you, I’ll get Mathew out of there.”
Ignoring Gran, she walks over to me, stands on her tippy toes, and reaches around my neck. Her eyes search mine to make sure I’m telling the truth. “Thank you,” escapes her lips before she presses them into mine. This kiss is different. It’s not like our normal ones, which are filled with desire and need. This one is
like…goodbye.
Chapter 37
April We have two more days until the full moon, two days until the darkness comes after Mathew. I know the man is here already. I can always feel him lingering around me. He wants to know what I plan on doing, but I don’t even know yet. All I know is that I have to keep Mathew and Logan safe. When I kiss him, It’s everything and nothing. It's all the kisses we’ve missed these last few days, and it’s all kiss we could miss if something happens to one of us. It’s a goodbye kiss. HopefullyIt’s not the last kiss because I plan to spend the rest of my life with him.
Those kisses will be needy, but this kiss we’re still locked in is everything.
Breaking apart from the kiss, I expected to feel lost, like my heart would be breaking all over again, but I don’t. With my eyes still closed, my forehead rests against his. Our noses are touching, and our breathing is labored. Our lips are so close that I feel his inhale and exhale of air. My hands are playing in his hair at the nape of his neck, while his are flexing on my hips. Hundreds of scenarios are going through my mind. I'm thinking about ways to get us all out alive, ways I could fail, and some ways he could fail. Failing is not an option though so I push those thoughts aside and focus on the here and now.
“Come home with me Logan. Stay with us until all this happens. The boys have been asking about you, and I’m afraid if I let you go...” I trail off, not wanting to finish that thought.
“April, nothing is going to happen. Everything is going to be fine, but I won’t refuse the offer," he replies, as if he has no intention of letting me go.
I look for Gran but see that she must have already left. "I guess that was too much for Gran. Are you ready to go?”
“Let’s get the boys out of school early and go to the park. “
I laugh, "Oh, you’re in for it! Let’s go. “
“I’ll follow you home, and then we can go pick up the kids. Sound good?”
I nod my head and follow him out the store. He locks up, and we head to our cars. The sky is getting darker. There are not many cars in the parking lot. Come to think of it, I didn’t see one person drive up the store the whole time we were here. Weird. I shake it off because tonight should be fun and carefree.
We pick the boys up from school, stop to get some snacks, and head to the park. The boys were so excited to get out of school early to play at the park and see Logan. We have an awesome time, and we’re all feeling pretty happy.
The sun is starting to set behind Red Rock, casting pinks and oranges through the sky. I have always been drawn to the Red Rock Mountains, and this sunset makes it even more enticing. After getting so engrossed in the landscape, I feel arms wrap around me, and I’m pressed back into a solid chest. Normally I would have stiffened up, but I know his smell. I can pick him out of a crowded room. I lace my hands with his while they’re resting on my stomach.
I can feel his breath on my ear, “It’s getting late babe. We should get the boys home.”
That one sentence does all sorts of crazy things to me. The butterflies are going crazy in my abdomen, and my heart is setting its own tempo to their flight. I sigh. What else could I do? In this moment, everything is perfect. I have a guy that loves me despite my flaws, and I have three ama
zing boys. This is closer to perfect than anything I can imagine. If I could freeze this moment and live in it forever, I totally would. The problem is that in 2 days, everything we have in this moment could disappear.
We start getting all of our things ready to go home. For the first time ever, I have no problem getting the kids to leave the park. Figures! A guy tells them to do something, and they hop to it. A chuckle escapes my lips, and Logan looks at me with eyebrows raised and a smile forming on his lips. I just wave him off and continue driving home.
We pick up some pizza and a few movies on the way to the house. Once the pizza is gone. My mom gives all the boys their baths and puts them to bed, giving me Logan some time alone. We head up to my room to watch a movie. I change into some old athletic shorts and a band t-shirt. Then I realize that Logan doesn’t have anything to change into.
“Hey, umm April, you don’t mind if I just sleep in my boxers, do you?” He asks, barely containing his grin.
Play it cool April. “No, not at all. I’ll end up taking my shorts off after the boys are asleep anyways.”
I look over at him to see him freeze as his eyes devour my body. Desired effect, Check. I start pulling back the covers on the bed while he sets up the movie. I have a grin on my face that just won’t go away, and I absolutely love it. I love being in love! I used to think I was in love with James, but that doesn’t even compare to what I feel now. What I felt for James was just an idea of what I thought love was. Logan. Well, what I feel for Logan is the emotion personified. He’s the moon bathing its light on me in the night, the sun warming my body, and the air that surrounds me.
I get in bed as Logan makes his way over. He sits on the bed to take his shoes off. Next off is his shirt. I have to divert my eyes. I’ve never thought of a guy’s back being sexy, but I’ll be damned if Logan doesn’t have the sexiest back ever. I feel him slide in next to me and pull the covers up on top of us.
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