“I need some extra security on Zoe.”
Josh exhaled noisily on the other end of the line. “What’s going on?”
“Just do it.”
“Out with it, bro. Don’t make me come up to the big city and try to beat it out of you.”
“Zoe’s being difficult.” Jack eased down into the front seat of his car and put his forehead to the steering wheel.
“Difficult? What the hell does that mean?”
“She won’t move in with me. She won’t take any help for the baby. In fact, she doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Whoa, that’s not difficult, that’s painful. I mean, basically, you guys should be on your honeymoon.”
“That’s not how she sees it.” He pulled on the seat handle, stared up at the gray fabric on the car ceiling, and moaned. “I really fucked up.”
“I keep forgetting she thinks she’s normal.”
“It’s worse than that, Josh, seriously. She has issues from her childhood so I sent her to Diane.”
His brother didn’t say anything for a long while, then let out a long breath with a whoosh. “Shit. Even you should know better than that. What’s wrong with you?”
“I don’t know.” His insides hurt like he was being turned inside out. “When I’m with Zoe, I’m not myself. She makes me crazy. Besides, Diane and I haven’t been together for over a year. I really thought it would be okay, but she made Zoe think we were still hooking up.”
“Diane was no doubt a great lay but she’s always been a vindictive bitch.
“No shit.” Jack squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Zoe’s different. You gotta treat her differently than the women you’ve hooked up with in the past. I got the sense she wouldn’t leave you even if you weren’t mated. Think. How many women would mate with a guy they didn’t even know in order to save his family? You have to fix this.”
“I don’t know how.” Jack put his car seat back into the upright position. “She’s an emotional wreck. Said so herself. A walking, talking napalm bomb.”
Josh exhaled. “How bad is it? I don’t mean to pry, but a witch as powerful as her with emotional issues could be a serious problem.”
Fuck, if he didn’t already know that.
“She had a nightmare the other night and almost blew up the bedroom in her sleep.”
“Shit.”
Jack banged his head on the steering wheel. “I’m screwing everything up.”
“Give her some space. If she doesn’t come around, go caveman on her and drag her back down to the shore.”
“Thanks for the advice,” he said sarcastically. He pulled his car into traffic and shook his head. “Did you find anything out about the guy that ran me off the road?”
“He’s Russian Mafia. That much we’re sure of.”
“Anything else?”
“Nothing firm, but if he really has the vortex, he has to be related to her.” Josh cleared his throat. “Keep her safe and back off for a few days. Everything’s going to work itself out.”
“Easy for you to say. Your wife is probably already warming your bed.”
“Sure is.” He said something to his wife and she giggled. “My girl is always there for me. That’s the reward at the end of this. Keep that in mind.”
Jack hung up.
How was he going to give Zoe space when he was going out of his mind with worry? And with want. He headed in the direction of his office. He’d submerge himself in work. Exhausted, he wouldn’t be able to think so much about her warm body beneath his. About them swimming together in the ocean. The smooth curve of her hip–his cock twitched and he grimaced. Two weeks. He’d give her that long. Then, come hell or high water, he was going caveman.
Chapter 31
Zoe spent the next few days in a fog. She managed to buy three smoke alarms and a fire extinguisher so she could sleep, and a new deadbolt for the door. No more taking chances on any late night visitors. She would take control of her life one step at a time.
After a long internal debate, she made an appointment with her therapist. Feeling better knowing she had just made some positive steps towards improving her mental health, she logged into Nan’s computer and requested more projects from her boss. He had enough to keep her busy, but not saturated. She needed more.
She opened her private stash of client emails and requested a whole other kind of work. If she was going to be a single mother, she’d need the extra cash. There were lots of questionable jobs online and she finally found one that was up her alley.
The request was for a simple security breach. She supposed it was wrong, but large companies deserved whatever the small guy could dish out. A twinge of guilt impaled her as she wondered what Nan would say. But how was a woman without a college degree supposed to make ends meet? Besides, if she was caught she could say she thought the job was legit.
Once emails were exchanged, she let one program chug away and worked the others. She toggled off all forms of communication. When evening came, she opened the empty fridge and ordered Chinese. She checked her texts and missed calls.
Jack hadn’t tried to contact her. She should have felt relief, but her throat tightened and her eyes blurred. Had she really thought he would fight for her?
There was a text from her therapist’s office, with an opening that afternoon.
Smiling, knowing she wasn’t heading to Park Avenue, she slipped on her crusty old sneakers and caught the E train to Fourteenth Street. She changed to the N line downtown.
She caught her breath and dashed into the dilapidated building, just in time.
“Zoe. Wonderful to see you. I thought you were still down at the shore.” Doctor Larry rose, held her hand, and motioned to her to sit in her favorite overstuffed chair.
Zoe never felt comfortable on the couch. It made her feel too vulnerable.
“I came home early. I’m staying at Nan’s while she’s overseas.”
“Did you have a nice time?” He looked over the rim of his glasses and shuffled some papers on his desk.
“Yes and no.”
He smiled patiently and waited for her to continue.
“I met someone,” she sighed. “We had something, or rather have something, but now it’s all messed up.”
The doctor settled back in his own leather chair and folded his hands in his lap.
Zoe recounted the last few weeks. She included most of what happened, while modifying the paranormal interactions.
“That sounds pretty normal for a woman your age.”
“Yeah, I guess, but I’m not normal. I’ll never be normal.” Now more than ever.
“You like to say that a lot.” His eyes pierced her.
“It’s true.”
“Is it?”
“I have issues.” Zoe shifted uncomfortably. Issues didn’t begin to describe how being abused as a kid affected her behavior.
He smiled patiently. “Are you worried about how he’ll react if he finds out?”
“I told him about my past.”
The doctor leaned forward, raised his eyebrows. “That’s a first. How did that go?”
“He said he wished he could kill my father for me. Something about cutting his dick off.”
Doctor Larry let out a very rare guffaw. “That’s an encouraging response, don’t you think?”
“I suppose so.” Zoe frowned.
As Zoe left the building, she couldn’t decide if she felt better or not.
Fighting for normalcy was a life or death assignment. If she couldn’t find that balance, Jack was going to take what little bit of herself she had gained in the last few years. He’d eat her up whole and she’d be left like when she was as a child–a man’s plaything and her body not her own.
Chapter 32
Jack sat amidst the stack of archived copies his assistant had delivered. Somewhere in this mess was the clue to Zoe’s family of origin. He began to sort through the family trees, diaries, and hidden rand
om websites. What a nightmare to try to disassemble.
It was just about midnight when Jack, on his third cup of coffee, found a computer hyperlink with an astounding revelation.
“Motherfucker,” Jack muttered to himself. He found his phone under a pile of papers and glanced at the time as he dialed. It was almost two in the morning.
“Josh?”
“Do you know what time it is?” Josh bit out on the other end. “Honey, it’s Jack. Go back to sleep.” There was a creak and a shuffling of feet on the other end of the line. “Talk.”
“I’m going to send you a picture. Circulate it. Send out a red alert to every clan member. We’re on lockdown. No exceptions. Understand?”
“What’s going on?”
“I know who Zoe’s stalker is.”
Chapter 33
Zoe stared at the blood on her underwear and sat down on the edge of the bed, legs trembling. She doubled over, her stomach cramping. She crawled over to the bathroom and retched.
Something was very wrong and she shivered.
What was she supposed to do? After almost two weeks without Jack, she’d just begun to settle back into some semblance of normal. She’d been able to go back and forth to her job, her workouts, and therapy. She knew Jack had her followed, but that was okay as long as they didn’t interfere with her life.
Her crying jags were down to twice a day. Perhaps someday, she’d be able to think about Jack without falling into emotional quicksand.
She rinsed out her mouth and picked up her cell phone.
“Come on Olivia, pick up.” Zoe leaned back against the side of the tub and put her cheek to the cool porcelain.
“Hey,” Olivia’s singsong voice echoed on the other end. “What’s going on? Jack won’t tell me anything, and–”
Zoe hissed, another round of cramps gripped her gut, and she put her head to her knees.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Not really.” Zoe scooted over to the toilet and waited to see if she would puke again. It was a wonder the human species survived if this was what pregnancy was like. “I’m bleeding and cramping. I think something’s wrong.”
“You need to get to a doctor right away.” Olivia sounded worried and that frightened her more than anything else this morning. “I’m going to text you the number of an obstetrician. She’s one of our own. Tell her who you are.”
“Liv, I can’t–”
“Zoe this isn’t just about you. Stop being so damn stubborn.” Olivia sighed and softened her voice. “Let me know as soon as you find out anything.”
“I will.”
When her stomach finally settled, Zoe called the number Olivia had sent her.
“I’m…Jack Fialko’s…” Zoe cringed. “Solstice mate. I think something may be wrong with my pregnancy.”
The woman was all about efficiency as she took her name and information. “Can Jack get you here right now?”
“He’s working and I didn’t want to disturb him.” That sounded plausible enough.
The woman paused for a few minutes. “Can you get yourself to a cab?”
“Yes.” She’d do whatever it took in order to not have to call Jack.
“Good. We’ll see you soon. Come right into the office. We’ll be waiting for you.” The woman hung up abruptly.
Zoe Google’d the address and moaned. Park Avenue again. This time she dressed in a designer summer shift she’d stolen for a song from the thrift store.
Hands was waiting for her outside the building. She hadn’t seen him since she’d dodged him at the therapists, and from the look on his face, he still hadn’t forgiven her.
Zoe groaned. “Did Olivia call you?”
He nodded brusquely and opened the car door.
A faint sheen of sweat covered her body when another series of cramps hit her. Hands was beside her, helping her into the car. She gave him a grateful smile, but his lips tightened in response.
As he pulled into traffic, he frowned at her through the rearview mirror. “Jack will kill me when he finds out I didn’t call him.”
“He doesn’t care,” Zoe said, resting her head against the leather headrest.
Hands snorted. “Want my advice?”
Zoe attempted a smile. “Not really, but I bet you’re going to give it to me anyway.”
Hands darted in and out of lanes with amazing efficiency. “Yeah, I am. You two should talk it out. You look like crap and so does Jack. Anything that hurts that bad has gotta be love.”
He didn’t know how wrong he was.
“It’s a little more complicated than that. We don’t even know each other.” Except in bed. She left that part out.
“He needs you.”
“I know, I know. We mated for life. We can’t ever be with anyone else again–” She sighed.
Hands drove in silence for a while, looking way too often in his rearview mirror.
“He’s following me again, isn’t he?”
He nodded grimly. “I lost him. Don’t worry.”
Her stomach cramped again and she closed her eyes.
Hand pulled up beside the now familiar Park Avenue address.
“Don’t wait for me, these appointments take some time.”
“No can do. Call me when you’re done.” He frowned, and looked over the rim of his dark sunglasses. “Not like last time.”
She breezed into the same building where Diane had her office, signed her name with the same guard, and exited onto the fourth floor. From there, a receptionist ushered her into a small, tidy examination room and asked her to change into a paper gown.
Within minutes a lovely, if somewhat distraught, brown-skinned woman entered. “Hi Zoe. I’m Dr. Abrams.”
Zoe squirmed. The paper on the examination table crinkled under her. She hated doctors, even pleasant and lovely ones.
The doctor smiled sweetly and indicated that Zoe should lie back. “Let’s just take a look. Usually solstice pregnancies are very strong. I’ll need to examine you.”
The doctor pushed and prodded, and took all sorts of blood samples while Zoe lay on the very uncomfortable table. She began to worry more when the doctor left her alone for what seemed like forever.
A nurse came in with all smiles and started asking genealogical questions. Most, she couldn’t answer. When she mentioned that she thought her grandmother was from the healing clan, the nurse lost her bedside manner for a moment and stared with her mouth open.
“You’re a mixed breed?”
“I guess.” Zoe frowned.
The woman lost her genteel professional demeanor. “That was the first thing you should have told us. Are you really that ignorant?”
She turned with a theatrical huff and slammed the door behind her.
Soon after, the doctor returned, frowning intensely.
A cool breeze blew out of nowhere and the lights dimmed.
“Should I be worried?” Zoe asked, when the doctor continued to frown down at a chart.
“Do you know how many documented cases there are of mixed breed solstice babies carrying to full term?” The woman’s dark eyes held a hint of sympathy.
“No,” Zoe answered honestly. The woman was scaring her.
“One.” The doctor stared at her with her hands clenched and her mouth all skewed up. “You and Jack should’ve let us know immediately.”
“But what about my birth, I must have been a mixed breed?”
“You seem to have left out a lot of details.” The doctor pursed her lips and held up the clipboard holding the all-but-empty form. “Do you even know if you were the result of solstice?”
Zoe started to answer, then shut her mouth. She really didn’t know anything. “I just assumed…”
“We have no idea what we’re dealing with. We’re checking you into the hospital right now.” The doctor scribbled some notes and stood as if to leave.
“Wait. Am I going to lose my baby?”
“Everything looks to be fine at the moment.” The doctor’s
grim face spoke the exact opposite of what she said aloud.
“Then why do I need to go to the hospital?”
“If you check out okay, they’ll release you. Why don’t you call Jack and let him know.”
“No,” Zoe said a little too loudly, and the woman’s brows rose sharply. Zoe fidgeted with the paper gown. “I don’t want to worry him. You know how he is. When I get home I can tell him in my own way.”
The doctor looked uncomfortable. It had to be obvious that everything was not smooth in Fialko-land.
“Very well. I’m calling an ambulance to take you over. Just lay right here and we’ll take care of everything.”
Zoe nodded and rubbed her hand over her stomach. Her fingers trembled and her panic swelled in her chest. No matter how messed up her relationship was with Jack, she hadn’t wanted any harm to come to their child.
It just hadn’t seemed real. Until now.
Zoe closed her eyes and said a silent prayer.
Please, baby. Be all right.
Chapter 34
Ivar pulled the phone’s distorting speaker away from his ear and cursed. Somehow his cousin knew he’d lost track of his niece.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” His cousin’s voice simmered to a low, poisonous, scorn.
“Calm down, Gregor. I’ll pick up her trail again. It’s a minor setback.”
“Bah. You are lucky I still have need of your seed, cousin. But you don’t need all of your fingers to fuck a witch…”
Ivar shuddered. There could be no more excuses.
“My men say the witch is pregnant. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Futu-te. Matters not. It cannot take. She will lose it and we will find a closer match.”
“And does Fialko have our talent now?”
Ivar cursed again. “I have called for my best men to take care of the problem.”
“Make sure you do. No more fuck-ups. You should have taken care of her as I instructed, then Fialko and his people would not be an issue. Now we have the possibility of an all-out war with the American clan.”
“She’s looking for her long lost family. We will help her with that, no?”
Dark Vortex: Mated by Magic Page 16