She looked down as she said “If you need anything, I’m your girl. I understand what it’s like to be the new girl. Like I said I wasn’t born here, like the rest of them. I lived with my parents until I was 14 but it wasn’t” she paused and finally glanced up “the right place for me so I moved out here and Teresa adopted me. Teresa is Will’s aunt, so he’s kind of my cousin. It’s complicated and then again, it’s not.”
It occurred to me that Annabella felt neither here nor there. We were kindred spirits. I couldn’t believe how comfortable I was around these people. I had just met them but they felt like life long friends, like family. I turned to Logan’s brother. “What about you, Brandon?”
He leaned back, all cool confidence. “As you can tell, I’m a pretty big deal around here-”
Logan cut him off “Little Brando’s the baby of the group.”
Brandon tried to get at Logan but Logan moved too quickly to be hit “I’m only 3 and a half years younger than you ass-hat” He turned to me “I’m 19, but according to this I.D. here I’m 21 so let’s keep it on the DL.”
“It’s not fair” Annabella cut in “Anyone else gets busted with a fake and the authorities would be all over it. With him, he’d probably have the police officers laughing in the booth with him, singing Irish folk songs as they drank.”
He shrugged. “That’s only happened twice and what can I say? It’s a gift.”
I took another gulp of my own beer before I turned to Logan. “So I hear you’re an Ad Exec?”
“That’s right, Sha-kira?”
I shook my head “No, sorry. My hips do lie.”
“Damn ok, back to the drawing board.”
“So tell me about what you do.” It only took those few words and suddenly a previously unseen, serious side came out.
“Well, I did my own freelance work while still in school but when I graduated I just continued doing it, except now I charge for my services.
Annabella put her hand over his “He’s being weirdly modest. He runs his own company and is hella successful.” I couldn’t tell if the touch was casual or if they were more than friends. Neither looked affected by it but you never knew, there could be history there.
“It’s still pretty new but I do all right. I just took on a new account today actually. It’s for a new sports drink and I’m not gonna lie, I’m stoked on it.”
Brandon and Annabella went to get more drinks and Logan slid in next to me as we discussed his plans for his newest client. He was passionate about the work he did and I could see how being the creative, idea guy was the perfect job for him. He was goofy like Brandon but smoother, more mature. He was also extremely quick and he didn’t miss a thing. If there was something going on, Logan knew about it. Knowing that, I took a chance. “So why does Jay think I’m going to steal his uncle blind and murder all the pets?”
He didn’t even hesitate “Jay’s protective of his family. I know it’s weird but in a small town, outsiders can seem more like intruders. We’re just not used to new people in our inner circle.”
It made sense but the words sounded rehearsed, a little off somehow. Now I was just being crazy. He probably knew I was going to ask and he’s defending his friend. Besides what other explanation could there be? I nodded my head in agreement.
He leaned in “How about Kira-son, like in the karate kid?”
I laughed, “You’re not going to give up on this, are you?”
“Is that a no?”
“Eh, it’s a keep thinking.”
Suddenly a beer slid in front of me. I made a mental note that this should be my last. I had to drive home after they dropped me back at the office later. I looked up and saw Jay. “Keep thinking about what?”
I scooted down so he could slide back in. “My nickname. Apparently I need one.”
Jay gave me an assessing stare, his violet eyes burning through me with such intensity, I almost forgot to breathe. He looked to Logan, “Kira’s short enough, isn’t it?”
I pointed to myself, feeling vindicated. “That’s what I said.” I turned to Logan and noticed he seemed much further away than before.
He ignored my comment and answered Jay. “Nope, but don’t worry it’ll come to me.”
Brandon and Annabella came back with Max, Mena, and Trent in tow. The three guys pulled up chairs as Logan got out, allowing Mena and Annabella spots in the booth, and he squeezed in at the end.
This put me very close to Jay and it was as uncomfortable as it was mystifying. It was uncomfortable because I still wasn’t sure I liked him all that much. So far he had been out right judgmental of me without cause and while he had seemed fair after I confronted him, it was hard to tell where we stood. It was mystifying because his intense stares were unlike anything I’d ever experienced; they were hard but soft at the same time, commanding but beautiful. Sitting next to him alerted me to the electric heat coming off of him and it had me wanting to pull away and sit closer all at once.
************
Jay
Looking around, Annabella asked “Where’s Demi and Will?”
“They’re not here?” Logan queried, confused.
Mena, Max, and Trent looked down at the table pointedly.
I felt Kira’s eyes land on me and I shifted slightly, “They went home.” I scoffed “Are you surprised?”
“Yeah, I am actually.” Annabella exclaimed “You would think my best friend and my cousin would say bye to me first.”
I shrugged “Take it up with them. You guys ready to get out of here.” I was bored, again.
“Yeah, I should be getting home. This was so fun, though. Thanks again for showing me a good time” Kira said, smiling to everyone at the table.
“Home? It’s summer. We’re just getting started.” Was she nuts?
“Right but I work, for your uncle as a matter of fact. I’m still moving into my apartment too.”
I rolled my eyes “Doc would want you to go out, don’t be lame.”
Her blue eyes narrowed. “For someone so suspicious of me, you would think you’d be less apt to take me out of work early and keep me out late at night.”
More pointed stares were aimed at the table like it was the most interesting piece of furniture on earth. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Brandon looking like he was about to say something and then Mena shaking her head at him until he caught on.
I stared Kira down. “Doc knew we were taking you out and you don’t have to get all sensitive. It’s only 7 p.m. I didn’t realize you had important knitting to attend to, my bad.”
She puffed up. “Actually it’s Jeopardy. It starts in a half-hour, so if you wouldn’t mind I’d like to get to it.”
She looked so smug, her blue eyes blazing and her features so stiff. I had to laugh. “Jeopardy? Really?”
She shrugged and her lips curved at the corners. “You wanted to label me as boring, I gave you boring.”
“Hey!” Mena exclaimed “Don’t knock Jeopardy. I love that show”
“So do I” Max admitted.
“I like it when I know the answers.” Logan added.
Trent turned to Logan, “Dude, if you hate the show, all you had to do was say so.”
At this everyone started laughing. Tentatively at first but it got louder, easier as the tension dissolved. “All right then, everyone’s invited to my house for Jeopardy.” Kira said, smiling.
Brandon threw his hands in the air “I’m down. It could be a Pardy, Party.”
Annabella face-palmed.
“What?” Brandon cried.
“No, Brandon. Just… no.”
I felt a knot loosen somewhere in my chest and I took a deep breath. “Well I’ll just drop you guys off then?” I asked, puzzled.
“Or you know, you could come. I have popcorn at the apartment.” Kira lifted her eyebrows to me and it was a direct challenge.
I smiled. She had no idea who she was challenging. “Popcorn and Jeopardy, how could anyone resist that?” I got out of the booth
and motioned for her to lead.
After she started walking ahead I saw the pack behind me trading weighted glances and smirking. I cleared my throat and they all immediately quit the grade school shit. I spoke lazily “You guys coming?” They all straightened up and followed. Being an Alpha had its advantages.
Chapter 6
Kira
The week following that first night out with my new group of friends was a whirlwind of activity. Each day Annabella came to the office during my lunch break to show me the best places to eat in town. My favorite place so far was the Sushi restaurant. It had a great lunch special so we ended up there twice this week.
Sometimes Demi, Mena or Christina would join us and it was surprising how well we all got along. Demi could be cold at times but she was likeable nonetheless. She just had a charisma and strength that you had to admire. Naturally Christina knew everyone already but since Jeopardy night we’d all become closer.
After work, the guys would come by the office and no matter what we did we always ended up back at Christina’s and my apartment at the end of the night. We decided on movies instead of Jeopardy though and except for that first night, Will, Demi, and occasionally Xander joined in too.
On Friday afternoon, Doc and I were chatting about the best way to calm an iguana and allow it to get used to you when a distinguished looking man entered the office. His power suit matched his strong stance and imposing stare. “Ah, Robert, how are you?” He walked over to where we were talking.
“Fine as always, Eric. How are you?”
Doc clapped him on the arm “I’m wonderful.” He looked down at me “Kira, have you met the mayor yet?”
“No, I don’t believe I have.” I said hesitantly. Man, they really don’t kid around with the town welcome wagon.
“Well here he is. Don’t be too impressed though, he’s also my brother.”
The mayor extended his hand to me “Robert Dellarson” and shaking it was understandably familiar.
“Oh it’s nice to meet you, I’m Kira Franklin.” He had the same bone structure, hair, and attitude. “You must be Jay’s father.” I didn’t know his father was the mayor but it didn’t surprise me.
He flashed me a voter winning smile “I must be. Would you be a friend of his?”
“Yes, he and his friends have been amazing.”
He laughed harshly “What a pleasant surprise.” I noticed Doc slide him a disapproving look but the mayor continued. “It was lovely meeting you, Miss Franklin. I have some business to discuss with my brother here. If there’s anything you need in Brisdale, don’t hesitate to ask me.”
“Thank you, Mayor Dellarson.”
Doc looked to his watch, “Kira, I’ve kept you here too long already. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you Monday.”
“See you then.” I grabbed my purse and headed for the parking lot. When I turned back I spied set, angry faces and tense postures through the window. A feeling of gratefulness washed over me that I was going to meet everyone at the pub later tonight instead of meeting here as usual. Well everyone except Christina, who had a date with Xander tonight. I drove home to get ready for the evening and tried not to ponder too much on what wasn’t my business.
I was on my way to the pub when my phone rang. I looked down to see “Mom” flashing on the screen. “Hey” I said into the cell.
“Kira, is that you?” Her panicked voice shot into my ear.
“Of course, who else would it be? I-”
She cut me off “You’re ok? You’re all right?”
“What? I’m fine what’s going on?”
“I…I had a vision. You need to come home.”
And there it was. The part of my life that I wanted to forget existed, at least the scary parts of it. “Mom, hold on. Take a breath. I’m fine. I’m not going to come home.”
“Kira, you don’t understand…”
“Then explain it to me.” “I saw you being attacked with dark shadowed creatures surrounding you, you were screaming.”
I almost dropped the phone but got a hold on it. “Mom, it’s going to be all right. You’re visions aren’t exactly accurate. They’ve been proven wrong in the past.” I shook slightly but continued “I can’t stop my life because of dark shadows.”
“Sweetheart, my visions have also been very right at times. Do you really think your life is so insignificant that you can risk it so unnecessarily? We know there are people after you, after us. That’s a fact.”
I took a deep breath and focused on driving as I mentally told myself to stay calm. I needed to keep my mom calm too. “As long as we live and no matter where we live, we’ll be hunted. I’m not going to live in fear. I take every precaution. I have wards all over me and my apartment. Every piece of hair or nail that leaves my body at any time is spelled to be destroyed. I have a thousand escape plans and make up more ten more everywhere I go. I’m smart, Mom. Nobody knows I’m a witch.
I don’t think my life is insignificant. I’m here because I want to have a life. We’ve been over this so many times. I can’t run away every time there’s a possibility I could get hurt or captured.”
There was a beat of silence on the other end.
“Then why am I having visions that it’s not going to be ok, Kira?”
I pulled into a spot in front of the pub and sat in the parked car. A million things were running through my mind but they were mostly fear based thoughts and I forcefully pushed them back. “You’re the one always telling me that the future can change, that there’s nothing definitive about it. I’ll be on extra alert, I promise… and I’ll call you everyday.”
“I don’t like this, honey.”
I began to rub at the bridge of my nose, between my eyes. “I’m not too fond of it myself but I’m not giving up my freedom, I can’t.” Suddenly a thought occurred to me. “Have you told Dad yet?”
“No, I called you first. I had to know you were all right.”
“I understand but please consider not telling him. He’ll only freak out and I am not going to be convinced to come back so it won’t do anything but cause a fight. Please, Mom.”
“That’s not fair to ask of me.” “I know.” My head fell against the steering wheel, my hair falling around me like a rag doll. “Mom, tell me as much as you can about the vision. I’ll avoid everything to do with it.”
No answer.
“Mom, did I…did I die?”
“No” a shallow breath. “Not that I saw. All I can remember is glass everywhere, dark shadowed creatures and you in the middle of it all. It wasn’t right and the intent to kill was in that room. That’s all I saw.” She began to sob.
“Mom, it’s going to be ok, I’m going to be fine. You’ll see. You know me. I never go down without a fight. I’m way too stubborn.”
I heard her snort through the phone. I took it as a good sign.
“You take care of yourself and Dad. Ok? I doubt middle of nowhere Brisdale, Florida is the supernatural hotspot that you believe.”
Her voice wavered but she had stopped crying “That’s true but remember, witch hunts can happen anywhere, anytime.”
“Right, even when the witches are doing the hunting and being hunted.”
“That’s why you need to stay safe. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I’ll do my best to keep your father calm.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too.”
I hung up and it took me a while to get the strength to get up and walk into the pub. I looked down at my phone and noticed I was still early so I headed to the bar to wait for everyone else. I happened to glance around and to my surprise, Jay was already there. He was sitting in the far corner covered in the shadows of the waning daylight, holding a drink and staring off into space.
“Hey” I said but he barely moved to nod. I sat next to him and watched him slowly move his drink hand up to his mouth, pause there then bring it back down. He smelled of alcohol and I wondered how long he’d been there. “How’s it going?”
He grunted.
“That good, huh? Me too.”
He focused on my face and I spoke clearly. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way but you look like how I’d imagine I look right now.”
His voice came out gruffly as he said, “Well then your day must be as fantastic as mine.” He seemed to remember what he had been trying to do and managed to actually sip the dark liquid this time.
“If you mean totally effed up, then yeah. I’ll take emotionally drained robots for 500, Alex.”
He laughed darkly. It wasn’t a pleasant sound. It was a little twisted and scratched at my ears but it was infectious and somehow, I laughed too.
My laugh didn’t sound any better than his.
“So what’s going on?” I inquired.
He fiddled with the glass. “Family stuff. You?”
It made sense considering the way his father was acting with Doc. “Same, actually…kind of.”
He nodded and we sat in silence.
Fear crept into my thoughts turning my world black as night. Key phrases like “the intent to kill was there,” “dark shadows,” and “you were in the middle of it” bounced around my skull. I could feel my freedom being sucked away from me with each breath. I shot up out of my chair. “Change of plans. Finish your drink so we can go.”
Jay responded flatly, “Go where exactly?”
“I’m not sure but we’ll know it when we see it.”
He looked at his glass and back to me. “Why bother?”
I looked him the eye, seeing pain there and forcing myself not to flinch from it. “Because pity parties suck” I started walking toward the exit and over my shoulder asked “You coming?”
He downed the rest of his drink and followed me out the door.
***********
Jay
We got in her parked car and she fiddled with her smart phone, looking for places to go. She wouldn’t let me look over her shoulder to figure out where she would take us so I set my sights on the radio. My phone buzzed again for the millionth time. I ignored it. Music was desperately needed.
Shifting Shadows (Sparks Collide Trilogy) Page 4