Believe

by Natalie Gayle

  She looked so close to crumpling that I stepped in beside her and wrapped my arm around her middle.

  “Whoa there, girl. Don’t collapse on me. Come on; it’s just a little way. Let’s get you up to the dojo.”

  Her body weight slumped against mine but somehow she was managing to place one foot in front of the other at this stage, which was all I could ask for. I started to worry that she was really going into shock or that maybe something worse had happened to her that I wasn’t aware of.

  My fear sparked my temper and I couldn’t seem to stop myself from demanding, “What were you doing down there, Eden? Shit, it’s dark and cutting through an industrial estate is no place for a woman at night.”

  I must have spoken for a minute as we trudged up the road before I really started to get worried. Had she gone into some sort of comatose state because of what had happened? She had to have a lot of mental baggage from the scars she had on her face and neck. That sort of burn scar didn’t come without a level of trauma.

  When I could stand her silence any longer, I almost begged, “Please say something to me, Eden. I’m freaking out here.” And it was so close to the truth it wasn’t funny. My heart was in my mouth and I wondered what the hell I should be doing with her.

  “I’m okay, Dane.” It was little more than a whisper, but her words were clear and she was obviously cohesive.

  Probably terrified out of her mind, but still with me.

  “Far out, girl. You had me terrified for a moment there.” I couldn’t suppress the relieved chuckle I let out.

  “How much further?” she croaked out.

  “Just past this building.”

  We rounded the corner and somehow made the twenty paces to the front door. No sooner had I slid the door open and moved Eden inside, than she totally collapsed in a faint.

  “Xander, I need some help here man. She’s fainted,” I called out from the reception area. I saw Xan quickly realise just who I had in my arms and I didn’t miss the look of concern that instantly came over him.

  “Rohan, take over here,” he barked as he ran across the mats to help me. Eden’s sisters Sophia and Tori were right behind him, seeming to also figure out who I was holding.

  “What the hell happened?” Xander asked me, while taking Eden from my arms. That there in itself, was a very telling move from Xan.

  I read that very much to be a sign of possession and Xander feeling protective of her. He didn’t even hesitate, just did it. I briefly wondered if he even realised himself.

  Xander strode off to his office and Sophia, Tori and I were left to tag along.

  “What happened? How is she?...Eden.” Tori and Sophia were both talking at once.

  “I found her…” I started to tell the story.

  “Girls!” Xander silenced them. “Let Dane explain.” His tone was enough to halt any further questions from them for the moment.

  I watched how gently Xander placed her on the sofa in his office and I felt like I was intruding on a really private moment. Regardless of what Xan was or wasn’t saying there was definitely something going on there already. Xander glanced at me and I knew that was my cue to start talking.

  “I was cutting through, down by the river when I came across some guys outside Heuy’s Motor Shop giving her a hard time…” I started to explain before Xan cut me off.

  “What do you mean a hard time?” His eyes narrowed at me and I read anger coming off him.

  “I just saw the end of it. I was walking up the laneway when I heard a woman screaming. I took off running towards it. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it. It was loud.”

  Xander instantly looked even more pissed than he had before, and there was a little shake to his head. “We didn’t hear a thing here. I had the damned front door shut. The wind was whistling round here like a bitch.”

  I watched Xander smooth her hair and Sophia crowd in to check on her sister. This was the first time I’d really seen Eden without her head down. Regardless of the scars down the right side of her face, she was beautiful. The left side of her face was so perfect, almost too perfect. I couldn’t help wondering what she would have looked and been like if that fire hadn’t happened.

  “Tori, go grab a towel from the tall cupboard in the kitchen area and wet it please,” Xan ordered and Tori disappeared without a further word. Another sideways glance from Xander told me to get on with the story.

  “As I came out of the laneway I saw the guys surround her. She wasn’t putting up much of a fight, but she obviously didn’t want to be going with them. I realised it was Eden as soon as I saw her hair and her height.”

  A small whimper escaped Eden’s throat and then what looked like a shudder went through her body. I figured she was going to be okay if she was starting to come around.

  “Did they hurt her?” I could hear the concern in Xander’s voice, but there was a sharp edge too and I wouldn’t want to be those idiots if she’d been hurt.

  “I don’t think so. I think I got there in time.”

  Xander nodded at me and but I could see how much he was struggling to keep it together as he comforted Eden while fighting the outrage at what had happened to her.

  “I took the first two to the ground. They were a good way to being shit faced and hardly even put up a fight. The third guy let her go when I told him he had your woman. I didn’t want to risk her getting hit if I went after him.”

  “Fucking arseholes” Xander snarled. Xander was caught up in a whole heap of emotions. I didn’t need to be Einstein to figure that out. One look at his face and it was obvious.

  “What do you mean, she’s Sensei’s woman?” Sophia asked me suspiciously as Tori hurried back in with the wet towel. Xander took it from her outstretched hands and started to gently press it to Eden’s face and neck.

  I couldn’t help thinking he hadn’t corrected my use of “Sensei’s woman.”

  “I told him that so he’d let her go. Even those idiots aren’t stupid enough to risk Xander coming after them.” The words were for the girls, but the tone was all for Xan. There was a subtle ribbing there that only Xan would pick up.

  My explanation seemed to do the trick with Sophia. She didn’t push for anything further and she was no shrinking violet.

  Eden groaned again and this time her eyelids fluttered open. “Just lay there for a minute, Eden. You’re safe. I’ve got you. Try to relax,” Xander said to her in a voice that was tender and again I felt a little uncomfortable. It really did feel like I was intruding on a private moment.

  “You’re going to be fine, Edie,” Sophia assured her, squeezing her hand some more.

  She still looked confused and Xander filled in the blanks for her. “You just had a little faint. You’ll be fine once the shock passes and your body gets a chance to equalise itself. Just try to breathe slowly and evenly. You’ve had a tough night, but you’re going to be fine now.”

  He kept up with the reassurances a bit longer. It seemed to settle her and we could all see she was starting to get herself back together.

  “Could I have a glass of water, please?”

  That was all the cue I needed to get out of there. I took off for the kitchen. She shook her head slowly no. “They just scared me and tried to drag me off.”

  A few seconds later I’d filled a glass and was back in the office.

  “Here you go.” He held it out to her and her hand wobbled a little as she took it. “Umm, I’m fine now. I just want to go home.” Her voice was a little stronger than I’d been expecting.

  Eden and Xander exchanged a few more words and I leant back against the desk. Kind of in that state where I didn’t know if I should go or stay.

  I was waiting for a cue from Xander.

  “We can take her home now, Sensei.” Sophia stood as if to prompt a move. A storm cloud seemed to descend over Xan right then and there.

  “You and Tori can get your butts back to class,” he growled at them. “Eden and I are going to have a little chat.”
r />   They both looked at Xander, then to Eden and then scurried off with a couple of backwards glances. But Eden wasn’t protesting, so they went without any hassles. So I figured it must be all okay between them. Family dynamics, particularly women could be hell to figure out.

  Shit I should know I had two sisters.

  Xander’s face looked like hell and I couldn’t help the grin on my face. It was just too funny.

  “You can go out there and check on Rohan as well,” he snarled at me. I flashed him a grin and raised my eyebrows at him. My buddy had the hots something bad for Eden.

  I was so onto him!

  Chapter 6

  Arianne

  Just as she’d promised, Cathy called and told me all about my car. It was some sort of fault with a wiring harness. Unfortunately, it had also taken a couple of days to get the part shipped from Melbourne. Dane had kindly agreed to let me keep his truck even though I had argued to the contrary.

  I would actually be sad to hand her back. So would Isaac. “Mum, Dane’s truck is so much cooler than our car. Can we get a truck like this?”

  It was about the hundredth time I’d heard how much more he liked Dane’s truck than our car. All the way to school this morning he’d been going on about it.

  Well, it wasn’t hard to see why. I was surprised myself. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d enjoy driving it. I was wrong! Driving around in the beast of a truck had a tendency to make you feel ten foot tall and bullet proof. The attraction of the vehicle, nor it’s owner for that matter, was not lost on me.

  “Sorry bud, but it’s only on loan till ours comes back and by the look of it that’s now.” Dane was sitting on my front porch having returned my car to the driveway. I turned into the driveway and pulled up behind my car.

  I’d hardly drawn to a stop before Isaac was out and rushing over to Dane.

  I lovingly gave the truck one last friendly pat as I hopped out and shut the door. I hadn’t even managed to press the remote to lock it, before I heard chuckles which I immediately knew had been directed at me.

  “Lucky truck.” Dane said waggling his eyebrows at me.

  SPRUNG!!

  I shrugged, trying to casually brush it off. “I’ve enjoyed driving your truck.”

  “I can see that.”

  “Your truck is so cool Dane. Can we keep it?”

  “Isaac!” I chastised. “First of all it’s Mr Roberts and second, no we can’t keep his truck. We have our car back now.”

  “But the boys at school called him Dane.” Isaac argued back.

  “Sensei Dane. I believe was the term,” I corrected firmly. “The Sensei part is a mark of respect just like Mr Roberts or sir. It’s how you address an older person until you are given permission otherwise. You know that Isaac.”

  “Well I’m calling him Sensei Dane then,” he stated emphatically. “That’s much better than Mr Roberts.”

  “Isaac you’re not a student of his therefore the Sensei bit doesn’t apply to you.” I watched Dane go to speak and then decide against it. He didn’t need to be witnessing my son and me debating this.

  “Well I want to be then.” His voice rose sharply at me in frustration and anger.

  “Don’t speak to me like that, Isaac.” I kept my cool but it was becoming more difficult. “Do you even know what Sensei means?” I was going to go down the logic path with him.

  “Of course I do. It means teacher in Japanese Mum. Everyone knows that.” He might have special needs, but he also had attitude and more damned knowledge than was right for a nine year old as well.

  “You don’t call someone Sensei unless they are your teacher. Mr Roberts is not your teacher.”

  “Well I want him to be. I want to be like Justin and Caleb. I don’t want those boys to tease me anymore.”

  I stiffened. I’d walked into my own trap and I wasn’t sure how to get out of it.

  Dane sat throughout this whole exchange with Isaac, watching on with quiet amusement or horror. I wasn’t sure. I was hoping for the former¸ but wouldn’t have been at all surprised if it was the latter.

  “I have a suggestion,” he offered before I had a chance to regain my composure and figure out my next angle. “Your mother’s right, little mate. People don’t call me Sensei unless I teach them. How about you just call me Dane? We are mates after all.” Then he looked up at me with understanding in those hazel eyes that looked far greener at the moment in this light. “That’s if it’s okay with your mum, of course.”

  Isaac spun and faced me immediately, awaiting my answer. “Well Mum is it okay?”

  I was quite stunned at how quickly he seemed to be forming a connection with Dane and that concerned me. Then I started to worry that he was missing a male role model in his life.

  “Is it Mum?”

  “I guess if Mr Roberts is okay with it, then I’m fine. But I expect you to remember your manners young man.”

  He nodded his head up and down in agreement with me before turning directly around to face Dane. “Will you teach me karate? Then I can call you Sensei Dane as well.”

  I didn’t miss the little grin that crossed Dane’s lips. Isaac was persistent when he wanted something.

  “Isaac my man, that’s something that you and your mum need to work out and discuss,” Dane said very diplomatically.

  “Yes Isaac. Dane is absolutely right. It is something we need to discuss and not something you just go and take upon yourself to nag about.” God, he was really testing me today.

  “But you’ll say no. I’m not even allowed to watch Lego Spinjitsu because you think it’s too violent. There’s a Zane in that as well. Did you know that Dane? It’s with a “Z” rather than a “D”. That’s very close to your name, don’t you think?” His head was bobbing back and forth talking to both of us. “He’s so cool. He’s my favourite and he wears the black gi. What colour gi do you wear Dane?”

  I shook my head and for about the four millionth time I wondered where my son got all this stuff from. He was the equivalent of a human sponge, mopping up every bit of random facts and figures with ease.

  “I have a few different coloured gis little mate. Depends on what I’m doing and what style I’m teaching or practising.”

  Isaac’s eyes went wide. “You do more than one?”

  Dane nodded. “Sure do mate. I train about five different styles regularly, but I know others as well.”

  “That is so cool. How many hours a week do you do?”

  “I probably average around three or four a day with my own training plus teaching.”

  “That’s between 21 and 28 hours per week. You must be really good. What’s your favourite move? Do you fight UFC? How many belts have you won?” Words were racing from Isaac’s mouth in what I often referred to as verbal diarrhoea.

  “Whoa, slow down my friend. I can’t keep up with all your questions.” Dane put his hands up in mock surrender with a big smile.

  “Isaac, I’m sure Dane has other things to do this afternoon. It was very kind of him to drop our car off.” I tried to intervene otherwise Isaac would talk his ear off again.

  “But Mum…”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind answering them.” He glanced up at me and smiled. All I saw was patience and understanding, which surprised me and also washed my body with a warm tingly feeling.

  He accepted my son for what he was.

  “I’ve got a couple of favourite moves. My favourite strike is a hook.” I watched him stand and demonstrate for Isaac. “My favourite kick is a roundhouse although I don’t get to use one very often.”

  Again he demonstrated. His long jean clad leg shot out in an arc before returning to a stance that looked like a tiger about to pounce. My blood was starting to race as I watched the little impromptu demonstration. It looked more like a very sexy masculine dance than violence when done on my front lawn!

  “I do fight MMA, but I haven’t fought in the UFC. I don’t have any championship belts but I have won a few troph
ies over the years. I do have rank belts, though,” he explained answering all of Isaac’s questions.

  “Will you teach me how to do that stuff?” Isaac was enthralled and I worried this was going to be his latest fixation.

  “Isaac!” I reprimanded harder. “We’ll talk about this later.” He ignored me and turned back to Dane, which just about got on my last nerve.

  I glanced at Dane to see how he was going to handle this, but Dane’s focus wasn’t on us anymore.

  It was on the road.

  My eyes tracked to where he was looking and a fearful dread filled me.

  It was Marcel.

  He was driving past very slowly and he had a scowl on his face.

  Dane was up and moving toward the road. “Don’t move.” His voice was firm and commanding, but not angry.

  Isaac had miraculously stopped talking and I almost wished he hadn’t because at least then he wouldn’t be focused on the black Mercedes crawling by, driven by his father.

  I watched Marcel’s evil eyes narrow as he took in the scene.

  What would this look like to him?

  That wasn’t a hard question to answer. Dane lounging on my front porch chatting to us and his truck in the driveway immediately suggested familiarity. He was comfortable here and likely spent a good portion of time here. Would that help or hinder my cause?

  But I still didn’t know what he wanted…

  I watched Dane stride across the road and stand a metre or so back from where Marcel had stopped in the middle of my quiet street. They were exchanging words, but the wind was blowing their voices away rather than to me.

  A couple of moments later, Marcel stomped on the accelerator and took off quickly at a speed that was far in excess of the fifty kilometres per hour speed limit for suburban streets.

  Idiot!

  That just pissed me off even more. His blatant disregard for rules and safety annoyed the hell out of me. One of my neighbour’s kids could have been playing in the street!

  Dane stalked back over to me, muttering.

  “What did he say?”

  “Not much really, just something along the lines of him not appreciating me moving in on his family.” Dane emphasised the last two words and my blood began to boil.