by Elle Boon
“Are you going to sit there and daydream about your woman, or are you going to tell me what your plans for the future are?” Brax asked.
Hal looked at his boss, who was one of his best friends. Brax was a few years older than Keanu, putting him at forty. His dark hair had some grey at the temples, but Hal bet the women still flocked to him in droves. However, they’d have to go through one feisty little thing, namely Brax’s baby girl. “I was just thinking about your kid. How is the lovely Lita?”
“That child is making me have grey hair.” Brax smiled. He and Lita’s mother had divorced when the little girl was a baby.
“She is perfect and you know it. Except she is the spitting image of you, if you were female, that is.” Hal watched Brax pull a bottle of water out of the mini fridge.
“Do you know she tried to control her grandmother? My mother.” Hal caught the bottle of water Brax launched at his head. “Quit laughing asshole. One day you’ll have a child who can do what you do and then you won’t be laughing.”
An image of a little boy bending the bars of his crib flashed in his mind. “Oh, fuck. Do you think that’s possible? I mean it’s surely diluted down the line.”
Brax shook his head. “Buddy, let me tell you. My Lita is already showing abilities that are far superior to mine. However, she can’t manipulate others like us, thank God. My mother took her phone away and grounded her for trying. That was when the phone calls from the landline started. Have you heard a sixteen year old cry? Jeezus, I need a drink.”
Hal held the full bottle of water he’d fielded in his hand.
“I need something a lot stronger than that.” Brax shook his head. “You okay here, or do you need me to stay? My mom says she has it under control, but I don’t know.”
“Nah, I’m good. I’ve got two weeks’ vacation, and then I’ll see what’s what.”
His captain looked at him with his black eyes. Hal knew he saw far more than the average human. Hell, Hal knew Brax was far more than the average human, the same as all the men on their team. The next words that he said made Hal’s breath clog in his lungs.
“When we find the woman who is truly meant to be ours, we know.” Brax tapped his chest above his heart. “I made the mistake, the best mistake of my life, because I got Lita, but I also know my ex wasn’t my one. I knew in my heart Cheryl wasn’t it, but then she got pregnant and I figured I’d make it work. We made each other miserable, and not just slightly, but epically miserable. Thankfully she fell in love with a man who I approve of, and we split on good terms.”
It was strange to hear Brax speak about his ex and the man she was now married to with no anger. He’d seen them all together on a couple occasions, and was amazed at their lack of hatred. Brax truly did seem to like the other man. He wondered how he’d feel if he met Felicity’s ex. Rage boiled up, the water bottle crushed beneath his fingers, water spewed all over his fingers.
“Easy, Hal, you need to rein it in. You control him, not the other way around,” Brax said from across the room.
Getting up, he went to the bathroom and dried his hands and pants the best he could. Hal took a few calming breaths. Fuck! He lost it just thinking of his woman and some faceless ex. He took the towel back out to clean up the mess he’d made, seeing Brax with his legs crossed standing against the table unafraid, made him feel guilty.
“Don’t beat yourself up over that.” Brax waved at the water on the carpet. “I suspect we all will lose our shit over the right woman at some point. Look at Kea, he burns shit down on a regular basis, from what I’m told. Every time Cammie has false labor, I’m told her hubby is ready to set the entire town on fire if they don’t admit his wife.”
Hal laughed, just as Brax probably meant him to. Keanu Raine was his other best friend, and up until a few months back a member of the Smokejumpers. He was also a fire elemental, which came in handy in their line of work. He’d unofficially retired, although if they really needed him, Hal knew they’d only need to call. They were expecting their first child, and to hear Cammie talk, she feared they were going to have a little girl come out, burning the hospital down in a tantrum. Keanu assured them all that wasn’t possible. Hal cursed his lack of control.
“What were you thinking that caused that?” Brax waved at the spill.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Hal opened the patio door to the balcony. The hot air took his breath away immediately.
Brax’s hand came to rest beside his on the handrail. “If you need me to stay, just say the word and I will.”
“If I can’t control myself without you here, then I have no right to be anywhere near Felicity, or anyone for that matter, ever. Maybe I need to listen to my nana, and let the being be one with me. I’ve been working on it more, but it’s hard to let go.” He released his grip on the bar, seeing the indents left by his fingers.
“My daughter wanted to talk to you. I wasn’t sure then, and now I’m really not, but she is really insistent. Are you up for a chat with a precocious teen? You know she and I have visions, along with our other abilities, right?”
He wasn’t sure what Brax was getting at, the thought that Lita might know something about Felicity had him reaching for the cell strapped to the other man’s hip. “For the love of all, call her.”
“Remember she’s not only a child, but my child.” The threat was clear.
Lita picked up on the first ring as if she’d been expecting him to call.
“Hi, Hal. How’s my dad? Tell him he is being mean, and I promise to never try and manipulate grandma ever again.” Lita’s sweet voice came over loud and clear.
Brax plucked the phone out of his hand. “Nicely worded, Lita. How about you won’t manipulate any of your elders ever again.”
Hal listened to the father and daughter discuss the merits of who was the boss, and then the smartphone was placed back into his hand. “Your dad said you wanted to talk with me?”
“First of all, you need to merge with your other, whatever that means. I dreamed about you fighting yourself. I saw this really big guy, who looks a lot like you, then there was you. If you don’t, you are going to lose something important. Second, I saw you in an underground cave searching for a blonde woman. You need to make sure you don’t go alone. I’m not saying this because I don’t want my dad to come home.”
Her words were rushed, and way too spot on for him to discount. “Do you know when or where this cave is? Is this something that is going to happen in the near future or far off?”
“It’s hard to tell time in visions, especially when I can’t see surroundings. When I focused on the woman she was scared, but she was surrounded by a lot of other women. It looked like they were getting ready for a celebration. I couldn’t tell if it was a holiday or a party. I’m sorry.” She sounded way too old as she spoke of a vision she shouldn’t have seen.
“Do your visions always come true?”
“You can try to change them, the future is not yet set. I hope I’ve helped you, Hal. Will you tell my dad so he’ll unground me?”
Hal laughed. She may have visions too old for a young girl, but she still was a young girl at heart. “I’ll do my best. Thank you, bella.” Hal handed the phone back to Brax.
Going into his own room, Hal did what he’d been told to do by his nana. He sat in the middle of the bed, taking control of his beast, he heard an inner voice. One he was sure wasn’t happy to be called a beast.
The sun had set by the time he and the being came to terms with one another. Hal owed the being a thanks, for giving him the extra strength to do what he had always taken for granted. He knew he’d been pivotal in helping him save Felicity, too.
Brax was sitting in front of the television with the sound on low, watching the news. Thirst drove him to the mini fridge where he grabbed two bottles of water for them both.
After settling next to his friend on the small sofa, he handed him the bottle and they sat in silence, other than the news. Hal appreciated Brax and his easy frie
ndship more in that moment.
“I think, no, I know, I will have more control. You know he’s always been there, taking over when I needed, I just chose to pretend I didn’t know. Going forward, he and I will be a team.”
“So you no longer think of him as a beast, or a being?”
Hal shook his head. “My nana was right, he’s me, just more.”
“Well, it’s about time.” Brax slapped him on the back.
He winced. “Damn, Brax, you realize you’re no slouch in the muscle department.” Hal asked, rubbing his back.
“I’ve booked a flight back home. If you need me I can be back on the first red-eye.” Brax groaned as he shoved off the couch.
Hal stood as well. “I really appreciate you coming with me and smoothing the way.”
Brax stopped as his phone jangled at the same time he grabbed his head. Hal knew the signs, and prepared to catch the other man should he fall. The ringing stopped, only to start right back up, making Hal worry he should answer.
“That’ll be Lita,” Brax said, before answering the phone. “Yes, I saw it too. Tell your grandma I won’t be coming back tonight as planned. Share the vision with her, and Lita, please be good. You know I love you more than life.”
Feeling like an intruder, Hal turned to head back to his room.
“Hal, you need to wait.”
Yeah, he knew what was coming, or at least thought it was not going to be good.
* * * *
Felicity couldn’t stop smiling. Her body was deliciously sore from making love to Hal, but she couldn’t regret it. He didn’t seem to either, making her wonder what his long-term plans were.
She drove past the boutique, thoughts of the attack threatened to send her into a panic. No way was she going to allow that night to keep her from doing what she wanted, and she wanted to stop in and say hi. Her old boss had talked about buying her designs, had even went so far as to create a few pieces from her sketches, all with Felicity’s okay for a trial run.
A parking spot was open in the front, making the decision easy. She’d not have to face the back of the building, where her life was almost taken. As she got out of her little convertible, she felt like someone was watching her, the fine hairs on her arms stood up, and a shiver stole over her.
“You’re just being silly, Felicity Evans.” She told herself, walking quickly to the glass entry way. The boutique looked the same, with the exception of different clothing. When she walked in a sense of nostalgia washed over her.
“Hi, can I help you?” A young sales girl asked.
Felicity realized they didn’t recognize her. She thought about turning and pretending she walked into the wrong store.
“Felicity, is that you? Oh, my, you should have called and told me you were coming in.”
She blinked back tears. “Liz, it’s so good to see you. I apologize, I wasn’t sure what my plans were.”
“Is that really Felicity?” Alexa asked.
The young sales girl came around the counter. Felicity was glad there wasn’t any customers to see or hear them fawn over her. She smiled at Alexa, let Liz squeeze both her hands and then gently pulled them back. Being able to tolerate Hal and her parents touching her, was a lot different than allowing others.
Liz stepped back and eyed her up and down. “I love this dress. Is it one of yours?”
With a nod, and more confidence than she’d ever had, Felicity gave a little twirl. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Hey, I’ll have you know I’ve paid lots of cash to look this young.” Liz tried to look fierce. “Well, you could see if I hadn’t just had botox.” She laughed.
“Oh, hush, you’re only ten years older than me,” Felicity said. She and Liz went to the office she’d called hers for the last two years, a place she thought she would be for years to come.
A couple hours later, she walked out with a business plan in her hand. She wasn’t stupid enough to sign anything without having her parents lawyers look at it, but she had a plan. Digging in her purse for her cell phone, she stepped off the curb and between two cars.
As she found what she’d been digging for, she looked up to see a white van pull up next to her in the street. Felicity bumped into her vehicle, panic hit her square in the solar plexus. Calling the last number she’d dialed, she let her phone fall into the bottom of her bag.
“Crap, I forgot my phone.” She murmured, pretending she wasn’t scared. Time moved in slow motion.
“Come with us, Miss Evans.”
Felicity faced the man who spoke. “Please, just let me go. I will give you my purse. I can get you money. Here’s my jewelry.” She tried to remove the ring on her finger.
“Your father wants you brought to him unharmed, but I can knock you unconscious.”
His words shocked her. “What do you mean my father?”
“Boss, we are drawing attention.” The driver’s voice rumbled out.
The man who said her father sent him held his large hand out. He was even bigger than Hal, but his face lacked anything resembling warmth. She saw his eyes take in everything around them, and knew her time to decide was out. Her hand lifted into his big one. Felicity couldn’t go through another beating like before. The pain and suffering was still too fresh, let alone her body wasn’t completely healed.
“Why did my dad have you come get me? Is this a surprise for my mom?” She buckled into the seat next to the big guy.
“Your real father, John The Prophet, wants to meet you. Now sit back and be quiet. I’m not at liberty to give you any more information than that. Don’t make me drug you.”
Her mind began to spin, black and white dots flashed in front of her eyes. “I don’t know who this John is, but my dad is Rand Evans.”
“Should I phone ahead and let the Prophet know we were able to secure his progeny without incident?” Another man asked from the passenger seat.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Felicity said.
“That will not make us pull over, and it’s going to take us approximately four and a half hours. If you need to vomit I will give you a bag.”
Not wanting to disgrace herself, or sit for hours with the stench, she put her head between her legs. She prayed who ever she’d called was listening to the conversation and could somehow figure out where they were going. She thought of asking pointed questions, but feared what they’d do to her.
They drove along the Oceanside highway I-5 for hours it seemed, heading south toward Mexico. Felicity wasn’t sure how they thought they could get her across the border, was prepared to make a scene when they veered east, now going inland. Whoever the leader was he clearly thought she was his daughter, so she held out hope he’d let her go once he realized his mistake.
She was hungry, thirsty and tired by the time they rolled into a truck stop. “I need to use the bathroom.” Felicity looked to the man sitting calmly next to her. She shoved her bag under the seat to show him she was taking nothing with her, hoping by now her parents had been alerted and they’d already began tracking her. God, she prayed they had GPS on her phone.
“She hasn’t been a problem, and if one of us goes with her, surely she won’t do anything stupid.”
“On my honor, I will just use the facilities, and if you could get me a water and maybe something to eat, that would be great. I haven’t eaten since brunch.”
“The Prophet did say to take care of her. We wouldn’t want to upset him.”
The man in front seemed to defer to the one who’d snatched her out of the street, yet he appeared as if he was the one who was the nicest.
“Let me take her. I’ll blend in with the crowd, and won’t look as imposing as you, Marcum.”
Marcum glared at Felicity. “Fine, but make it quick, and don’t fuck up.”
Felicity nodded, letting Marcum help her out of the van. He was huge, but surprisingly gentle as he lifted her down. She walked beside the man from the front. He kept pace, but once they were out of ear shot of the others his demeanor
changed from solicitous to evil.
“You should be real nice to me, Felicity. When we get to the compound, you will have no friends. I can make things go a lot smoother for you if you are nice.” He grabbed her hand and placed it over his groin.
She jerked away from him. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t act the virgin, whore. We know you were fucking that blond guy you just met. Your father is pissed, but he will cleanse you before he marries you and makes you his wife. Until then, you’ll be sequestered. Do you know how lonely it’ll be? The only people you’ll be allowed around are his trusted advisors. I’m one of them. I suggest you make nice with me, Felicity.”
They reached the restroom, a one person stall that locked from the inside. She didn’t kid herself that they wouldn’t make a scene and get her out. She’d noticed the weapons they all carried, had felt the gun beneath the man she’d thought was the nice one as he’d jerked her to him.
“I need to go to the bathroom. Unless you want me to pee on you, let me go.” Her voice broke on the last word, knowing he would never let her go.
His grip loosened on her hand, anger reflecting back at her from his brown eyes. She’d just pissed off the nice one.
When she walked out of the small restroom, she held her breath, felt her heart hammering hard in her chest as they walked back to the waiting van. If her cell phone had been found would they hurt her, or kill her? Her pulse pounded so hard it was like thunder in her ears the closer they got to where the other two men stood.