by SM Olivier
Judge Myers smiled kindly. “Not quite. Come follow me, it’s a bit chilly out here. Let’s take a drive.”
Gavin took my hand and I squeezed it back. I didn’t know if he was offering me moral support, or if he needed it.
Gavin allowed me to sit up front in the black Lincoln with darkly tinted windows.
Judge Myers turned and looked at me. His eyebrows knitted. “We’ve met before, but I don’t remember it. Hmmm,” he continued to look in my eyes. I noticed the warmth in my head and I knew he was prying in my head, but instead of feeling invaded or cold, like Zach made me feel, the feeling from his was different. “I am truly stumped. My gift is to see into people’s lives. It helps me in my line of work. After meeting a defendant, I can tell within moments if he’s innocent or guilty.” He explained. “I see that we have met before, in a hospital. William Bell adopted you and…a little blond girl…Ella,” he smiled as if he found her name in my head. “But…something’s changed.”
“How close are you to William?” I asked hesitantly.
He chuckled softly. “You’re wondering what side I am on, and I assure you it’s yours.”
I snorted good naturedly. “Do you have to do that?”
It was kind of hard having a conversation with someone that already knew what you were thinking or seeing.
He frowned suddenly. “You should be able to shut me out, but someone has a block on you. Okay, I will stop reading you and let you talk.” He chuckled good naturedly.
He started his vehicle and we started moving.
“Someone’s turned back time,” I clarified bluntly. “Someone has taken the memories of my connections. They can’t remember me, but I remember everything. Collin Scott has been blocking me, and I know Zach Young has been making him watch me.”
He frowned even deeper. “I’m not familiar with Collin Scott, but I’ve known Zach Young. He has no back bone, I can’t imagine him capable of such an act.”
I grabbed his hand and looked in his eyes, “Look please.”
I brought up my memories of the time we found Zach in that run-down trailer, helping abduct children for Horatio, then when he tried to compel me in the restaurant, then when he succeeded to compel me and attempted to make me fear Will.
Judge Myer’s eyes widened in surprise. “I haven’t even heard about a time changer in centuries. I’m sure Horatio is hiding them carefully. The only one I know of, that’s capable of messing with memories is…your sister.”
I gasped. I had completely forgotten about having a half-sister out there that was believed to be working with Horatio. She was now in contact with the guys. She would have to be, to make sure any chance encounters I had with the guys could be erased once more.
“Do you know who she is?” I breathed in shock.
He shook his head once more. “No, Horatio has had her under his thumb for so long. All her records were lost and burned. I couldn’t find them, even if I wanted to.”
I frowned and stared down at my hands, reminded of why I was here to begin with. “Pietro Ricci, Troy, can you find his records?”
He smiled. “That’s something I can help you with, but why the urgency?”
“Do you know how he came into the care of Will?” I asked hesitantly.
He nodded. “I do. I signed every single one of your adoptions or guardianships. Sealed the ones that needed to be sealed.”
I looked back at Gavin, who looked more than shocked. “Sorry,” I frowned. “It’s not my secret to tell, but Troy left his foster home for a reason, and tonight another little boy will want to leave for the same reason…but worse.”
Judge Myron looked grave. “It will be taken care of. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“My sister, well, cousin, Ella Thomas,” I said worriedly. “I don’t know if she’s okay. She’ll come into her gift soon and I don’t know where she is or if she’s even okay. I want her safe. My brother, Alex-”
“Alexander Ray,” Gavin supplied from the back seat. I gave him a grateful smile.
“Alex will come into his gift soon,” I continued. At Judge Myers look of wonder, I added. “I forget you don’t remember all of this…now,” I said ruefully. “My mother had 5 of us, that I am aware. The evil harpy that’s messing with my life,” both men chuckled at me. I continued. “Me, followed by Micah and Alex. I’m not sure where my other brother falls in this, but Alex was able to let me know about his existence before…,” I paused and waved my hand around. “…all this happened. Alex is in the city, Gavin can give you more details, but he will get his gifts soon as well. His father will take him to hospitals, then sell him, essentially. Can you look again? It would make more sense.”
I let Judge Myers see the moment I met Alex and everything he knew about my brother Micah, who was homeless, living on the streets of Baltimore, and how he ended up in the trailer to begin with.
Judge Myers gave me a reassuring smile. “I will try my best to handle this, but I can’t make any promises,” he said sadly.
“Were you part of the institute?” I asked warily.
“I was,” he confirmed. “I got out long before the guys started acting like god,” he said reassuringly. “It looks like I have work to do. Hurry along before someone comes looking for you.” He reached out and grabbed my hand in comfort.
I opened the door, my heart feeling lighter. “Oh, and Blake,” he called before I could close the door. I leaned down to look at him. “Be careful, and I think it’s of great importance that you make those connections very soon.”
I nodded numbly and watched him drive away. We were further than the elementary school.
I groaned. “I hope you don’t mind the long run back.”
“I hope Collin doesn’t lock you down even tighter.”
Collin was livid when I got back. I could see that he was talking on his phone and pacing when Gavin and I came back to the parking lot.
“Where were you?” Collin asked as he stalked towards me. Grabbing my arm in a tight vice grip.
“I decided to run today,” I explained. “Ouch, Collin,” I hissed.
He didn’t seem to care that he was bringing me pain as he started to yank me to the car. “Why didn’t you take your phone? Why didn’t you have the decency to call me?”
“Collin, seriously you’re hurting me,” I cried out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I had left my phone and I didn’t think I was going to be late.”
“Seriously, dude, you need to let her go.” Gavin took a menacing step towards him.
“Stay out of this,” Collin snapped. “I know you want her, but she’s my girlfriend.”
“Oh my gosh, Collin,” I shouted. “We’re just friends!”
“Is there a problem here?” Noah interrupted.
I turned to see Noah, Drake, and Rose right behind me. From Collin’s look of shock, I assumed he hadn’t seen them approach. Noah looked ready for a fight, and even Drake had dropped his bag to the ground. Rose looked sullen.
Collin dropped my arm abruptly and smiled broadly. “No, nothing,” he hastily explained. Then he looked hesitantly at Rose. “Just relationship issues, you know how that goes.”
I rubbed my arms, certain I would have a bruise there tomorrow.
“Even if you think your girl is cheating on you, I don’t think manhandling her and dragging her around is acceptable,” Drake said with quiet conviction.
I looked over at Gavin, mortified that Drake would think I was cheating and wondering if he caught the slight inflection in Drake’s tone. Did he suspect their relationship?
Collin had the audacity to blush. “I’m sorry Blake and Gavin,” he said a bit grudgingly. “I was just worried. You’re new here and I didn’t know what could have happened to you. I didn’t know you were with him. I looked all over the gym and didn’t see you there. I freaked out. I’m sorry.”
I looked down at my arms and rubbed the imprints of his hands. I looked down, longing to tell him where he could go. If I didn’t rea
lize how important it was for me to find out who else might be working with him, I would have already left him. I never understood how any woman would subject herself to any form of abuse.
“Blake, sugar, honey,” he tried to wheedle as he drew me into his arms. “I’m sorry. Please accept my apology.”
I grudgingly nodded.
“Blake,” Noah demanded my attention. “If you’re not comfortable going home with him, we can bring you back with us. Maybe give you both some room.”
“No!” Collin shouted quickly. Then more softly. “I mean, that’s not necessary, is it Blake.” He hugged me closer. “It was all just a little misunderstanding. She understands I would never intentionally hurt her.”
I looked over at Gavin once more. He was still angry. “Maybe a time out would be good.”
“I can drive you home, if you want,” Noah added. “Gavin, you’re welcome to come along as well.”
I knew this was an opportunity I should take. Judge Myers and Ella’s words came back to haunt me. Make your connections. I could take this opportunity to try to make a connection tonight and go back to Collin’s later so I could continue finding a way to use his same methods of spying.
“Yeah,” I tried to feign a look of apology at Collin. “Maybe I need a time out. Sorry,” I whispered softly to him. “You really hurt me and scared me. I need some time to think.”
“Come on, Blake,” his voice got real whiny. “You know I didn’t mean it.”
“Let’s go, Blake,” Gavin insisted. “I’ll follow you to your spot,” Gavin looked at Noah as if he didn’t know where he was going.
I picked up my bag and followed Gavin to his pickup truck.
Chapter 7
I felt like I was coming home, in all sense of the word. The moments we rolled through the gates I felt a tug on my heart strings.
“I missed home,” I said quietly to Gavin.
He looked over at me with sympathy. “I don’t know how you do it. If it was me I would have already told them the truth. Plus,” he added quietly. “I don’t trust Collin. Now more so than ever. I think you should tell them tonight.”
The truck came to a stop and I looked over to him. “It’s not that easy. For one, I need to find out who is against them, and I am in the best position to do so; and two, I don’t think they’re ready for it. It was hard for you at first and we don’t have to make a connection. I’m not forcing myself into your life, whereas I would be if I drop it on them now. If I take opportunities like this and let them know me for me and not me as their connected, then I think they’ll be more receptive.”
He shook his head. “If it was me, I would want to know. Especially knowing the danger, you put yourself in.”
A knocking on Gavin’s window made us jump. Noah’s smiling face was on the other side.
Gavin opened the door.
“Everything okay?” Noah asked.
“Fine,” Gavin said sullenly. “Just talking about the ass.”
I knew he was upset with me as he picked up his bag and started walking towards the house, reminding me this had become like a second home to him 3 or 4 days a week.
“You’re sure you’re just friends?” Noah murmured quietly with a mocking glint in his eyes.
“Positive,” I said tongue in cheek. “He treats me like… a sister.”
“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully as he guided me in the house.
As we walked through the garage doors, it was as if I had never left. I removed my shoes, because Sue, the housekeeper/ family friend, hated shoes being worn in the house. Then I paused in the doorway of the kitchen, taking the scene in before me. I was filled with mixed emotions. Part of me was glad to be back, the other, not so much.
We often did our homework as a family (odd I know) in the dining room or family room. Most of the time I would try to complete mine quickly, so I could help Drake in the kitchen with dinner. Drake generally waited until after dinner to do his. On the rare occasions that he felt overloaded with it, he would order take out. Will had given him a bank card for that purpose.
Drake loved cooking and didn’t mind being the person to do all the grocery shopping and meal preps. He almost treated it like a business. The menu for the week was posted by the fridge on the bulletin board. Another separate sheet had the list of groceries for the next shopping trip. Everyone would write in a request for meals or groceries on a separate piece of paper. He tried to make everyone happy, but on occasion he would flat out refuse. Like when Jemmy would write ‘chicken fingers with spaghetti’ every week. He didn’t mind indulging her on occasion, but he wouldn’t often give in to the five-year-old trapped in her body. Seriously, what 18-year-old girl thought chicken fingers and spaghetti were a tasty food combination?
My stomach clenched when I saw Tamara sitting on Jaxson’s lap while she did her homework and he read from his American Literature book. Tamara was Zach Young’s daughter, and she was a beautiful mix of black and white. She had inherited her father’s blue eyes and slightly upturned nose, and I hated her. Even if she wasn’t Jaxson’s girlfriend, she was a pretentious, vindictive, and generally hateful girl.
Gavin had found a spot next to Jemmy. He was already diving into his work, while she doodled in a notebook. She never was a serious student.
“Hey, everyone,” Noah called as he put an arm around my waist. “This is Blake, she’s a friend, Blake that’s my brother Jaxson and his girlfriend Tamara, and that’s my sister Jemmy.”
Everyone said ‘hi’ with various levels of emotion. Everyone looked at me, and I was promptly dismissed as non-threatening in Tamara’s eyes. I’m sure I looked like a hot mess in my shorts, Gavin’s oversized sweatshirt, and my hair wild from my run. I wished I had thought of that before coming here, at least taken a shower first.
“Dinner won’t be done for some time. Do you have a change of clothes? You can hop in my shower if you would like,” Noah stated.
I smiled gratefully at him. “That would be great.”
“If you don’t have a change of clothes I’m sure I can find you something to wear,” Jemmy said with a bright smile.
Tamara snorted as she wrote something in a notebook. “Like the Oompa Loompa could fit in your Gigantean clothing.”
Jemmy was tall and leggy with light brown hair and pink highlights. She was a subpar student, but she had fashion sense for days.
Jaxson gave her a long-suffering sigh. “Really, Tam? Is that really necessary?” He was looking at me in contemplation.
Tamara started laughing. “I was only joking.”
Jemmy rolled her eyes. “Way to hide the ugliness with a joke.”
“Sensitive much?” Tamara bit out. “Learn to take a joke.”
“I have my clothes from earlier,” I cut in and then smiled at Jemmy. “Thanks for the offer, though; that was really sweet of you.”
“Normally, not a synonym used for Jemmy,” Noah joked as he winked at her.
Jemmy stuck her tongue out at him as the back door opened and Drake came in. “Hi, I’m Drake,” he stuck his hand out to me and I took it with a smile.
“Hi, Blake,” I suddenly blushed. “Thanks for helping out today.”
“Where’s Rose?” Noah asked.
Drake shook his head with a frown. “She wasn’t feeling good, so she decided to head home.”
I looked over at Gavin and it looked like he was done being mad at me as he gave me a pointed look.
“Oh, okay,” Noah said. “Well come on, Blake, I’ll show you where you can take a shower.”
“Is Stacey coming over?” Tamara asked intentionally wanting to instigate. Her and Stacey had never gotten along, but they had teamed up once before against me. Bonding over a common enemy, once again, me.
I never understood how someone so beautiful and spoiled could be so miserable. At least now I knew she always had this character flaw. When I had met her previously, I had thought it was just me. After all, I had taken Jaxson away from her.
“Nope,” Noah re
plied. He never seemed to allow her to get under his skin. “And not that it’s any of your business, but I broke up with her.”
I gave him a startled look because this is the first time I had heard about it. He seemed to avoid my eyes as I followed him out of the room and up the steps to his room. I had never been in there before. It was as large and spacious as mine had been. His room looked almost sterile in all whites.
“Taking your med-school-feel seriously, aren’t you?” I teased as I dropped my bag next to the bathroom door.
“Nah,” he laughed. “Pops always told me to decorate it how I would like. I’m just not that imaginative, and I didn’t trust Jemmy to touch my sanctuary.”
“Not imaginative, huh,” I said suggestively.
We had spent the last few weeks flirting shamelessly. When he was free he would generally text me on the phone that Collin gave me, things like ‘How’s your make-up work coming along?’ or ‘Are you ready to schedule your next quiz or exam?’ If Collin was nearby, I would text back that I was still working on xyz, or ‘I should have a better update for you later’, something along those lines. Generally, after Collin or I retired to bed, I would pull out Gavin’s phone and text him back.
Lately, he’s been texting me almost every night. It led me to assume that he didn’t spend as many late nights with Stacey as he once had. I hadn’t realized they may have broken up. I liked those late-night conversations that sometimes went on to the early morning hours. I got to learn more about him than I ever had. The stupid trivial things like his favorite color (green), his favorite food (Philly cheesesteaks), his favorite movie (Patch Adams), his favorite season (summer); little things like that. I also got to finally find out why he was adopted by Will. His past wasn’t nearly as dramatic as most of ours. His parents had sent him to another boarding school by the age of five, never really wanting to have children. They both were doctors that crossed oceans to third world countries, helping other children rather than being with their own child. His previous boarding school had threatened to close by the time he was 9. They placed him in the newly opened Knightstown Academy and barely bothered to spend any time with him. He spent a lot of time with the Bell boys, and when his parents died after contracting a disease overseas, he had accepted the invitation to live with the Bells permanently.