In the Still of the Night

by Samantha Lucas

  Before Mica, Jayden had no idea what it felt like to really sleep. To feel safe enough to let her guard down and surrender to the deepest sleep. Now she did and every night she dreamt, usually of Mica, but sometimes a nightmare encroached. Only these were different from the ones she used to suffer. In these, Lorenzo never got her, but he always killed Mica. When she awoke frightened, sweaty and panting, Mica never asked why, never pushed her, he simply loved her until she fell back into the bliss.

  Jayden knew she was falling in love with him, knew he was falling for her, but until she was sure there was the possibility of a future, she wouldn't tell him, and she prayed he didn't tell her. It was enough to know from his heart to hers. She didn't need nor want the words.

  "I had this place built for them about six years ago.” Mica's voice pulled her into focus. “It's not much really, the house is small, but it sits on twenty six acres and, as you can see, there's a good-sized natural pond."

  She looked to the right of the gravel drive they slowly moved along. The sun sparkling on the surface of the water made it look like glittering jewels. A small pier hung out one end, and several large willows surrounded the water's edge. She imagined her children laughing and swimming, jumping off that pier. The vision brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't believe how much she wanted that. But she was still so far from getting it, she shoved the wishes away as Mica reached across and squeezed her hand.

  "We'll be safe here. It's so isolated that every passerby is taken note of. It's impossible to sneak up on this place, but I have a security firm coming Friday to install some extra measures, just in case."

  Jayden smiled. She wondered if he'd come up with that on his own, or if Zane had insisted, because it sounded a lot more like Zane then it did Mica. Then again, she had to admit that she'd noticed changes in Mica over the past few weeks. He was more aware of his surroundings, always conscious of her, and she felt the same subtle ready tension rolling beneath the surface of his muscles as Zane had. She squeezed his hand and averted her gaze back over the water.

  As the little white house came into view, her stomach twisted in on itself. More people she was putting in danger, more people she'd have to attempt to communicate with, and more people judging her. She sighed without meaning to, and Mica slowed the car to a stop. He tugged her chin up until their eyes met.

  "It will all be okay. They'll be so excited to see us they might act a little crazy at first, but at heart, they're good people and they'll like you, Jayden."

  She gestured toward her neck with a disgusted look.

  Even if I can't speak?

  He kissed her forehead, then rested his against it. “Yes. Even if you never speak."

  How does he do that?

  He laid his palm over her heart, applying gentle pressure.

  "Heart to heart, angel."

  A soft kiss later and they were finishing the trip up the driveway. Jayden had barely stretched her legs before the front door opened and the people from the photo in Mica's apartment materialized.

  Jayden was taken back by how much Mica looked like his dad. The same soft eyes, the same charming smile. His father's hair was a lot shorter than the son's, and liberally laced with silver. He was tall and his skin a shade lighter than Mica's. Jayden thought he looked exceptionally kind.

  The site of Mica's mother made Jayden smile to herself. Arms extended and tears filling her eyes, she descended the few steps towards them. Mica held one arm straight out towards her as he pulled luggage over the edge of the car.

  "You know I can't hug you until you promise not to cry, mama."

  She stopped, straightened her beaded turquoise tee, and sniffled. “No tears."

  Jayden thought she was a beautiful woman who didn't look old enough to have a son Mica's age. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a clasp at her neck, and she wore almost no makeup. She had a gentle grace and an exuberant aura that embraced Jayden even at a distance. Mica's mother was everything Jayden pictured her to be and more.

  Mica laughed and grabbed his mother into a hug so big it engulfed the poor woman. Jayden closed the car door, leaned against it, and watched in fascination. Her mother wasn't the warm and fuzzy type. As her gaze traveled from Mica and his mom to his dad who waited with obviously strained patience, Jayden marveled at what a real family looked like. Mica kissed his mom's temple then pulled his dad into the fray for a brief second.

  Zane's black pickup slowly pulled in behind them, gravel crunching beneath the behemoth's tires. He'd changed vehicles somewhere in Arkansas, removed the rest of his piercings, and exchanged his black leather for denim, but he was still a big guy who sort of radiated danger. The kind of guy who might make you cross to the other side of the street—just in case.

  He came up beside Jayden and wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders.

  "What do you think?” He gestured with a slight movement of his chin. “The Brady bunch, or Ozzie and Harriet?"

  Jayden smiled and gave him a playful poke in the stomach, to which he overreacted with a growl and tipped his dark glasses over the bridge of his nose so she could see his dark eyes. “You're the only one I let pull shit like that, Jayden, you know that?"

  She smiled because she did. Zane was the sole human being in the entire world—other than Mica—that she trusted. The only one she didn't fear on some level. Three years ago when he came into her life, he'd been quite like a white knight. She knew deep down he'd never forgiven himself for things not working out. Jayden believed everything worked out the way it was supposed to and wondered, if she'd been free these past three years, would she ever have met Mica?

  "Mom, Dad, this is Jayden.” He beamed at her, then grew serious when he added, “She's very special to me."

  Jayden felt the blush rise fast and sure, and averted her gaze until she felt comfortable again.

  "And this is her ... brother.” Mica's smile grew feral. “Jacques Clouseau."

  Zane choked, Jayden gasped, and Mica's parents looked confused.

  "You're French?” Mica's mom looked confused.

  "Like the Pink Panther?” So did his dad as he spoke in unison with his wife.

  Mica came around behind Zane, slapped him on the shoulder like they were old friends and at the same time maneuvered himself between Jayden and the Brit.

  "Yep, just like that, Dad. In fact, Jacques here is a big fan. Maybe you can pull out those old videos you've got.” He winked. “Give Mom a break for a while."

  From the corner of her eye, Jayden saw Zane smolder.

  "That is a marvelous idea. I'm Steffi, by the way.” Mica's mom held her hand out to Jayden who bashfully took it. “That'll free me up for girl talk. Right, Gene?"

  "Mmm hmm.” Gene had started to pile bags on his muscular frame like a pack mule. “I guessed you and Jayden would want the guesthouse.. Had it all aired out last week. Jacques, I'm afraid that leaves you bunked out on the sofa in the den. Sorry about that."

  Jayden thought she saw actual plumes of steam leave Zane's ears as he graciously replied, “Quite all right, mate."

  Gene straightened. “Hey, I thought you were French."

  "Mum was English. We were raised with her."

  He's fast.

  But then, she supposed that's why he got the big bucks.

  "Oh, Jayden, I can't tell you how excited I am to have you guys here. I've been telling people all week that my son was on his way home with friends."

  Jayden felt the blood drain from her face.

  So much for ‘under the radar'.

  "Mom, I thought you said you would keep this private. I told you Jayden needed rest and quiet."

  Steffi waved her hand in front of her face. “I only told friends, honey. Y'all can't expect to keep your stay here in complete privacy."

  "Well, as a matter of fact, yes, we had.” Zane exchanged glances with Jayden, but despite the fact that the original idea was blown sky high, she wasn't ready to run off, either. She wanted to see Mica with his folks, at least for a lit
tle while.

  Mica pressed her closer into his side. “I'm serious about our privacy, Mom. One casserole-toting do-gooder shows up here unannounced, and we're leaving. Understood?"

  Jayden thought he was horribly harsh, but after a three second pout, Steffi agreed, and then they all headed into the house as if they were one big family.

  About an hour later, Jayden was done for. She sat in an immaculate room that was so cozy she wanted to curl up and take a long nap. A turret at the side of the room was all windows, and the afternoon sun spilled in making a puddle on the thick floral carpet. The room was painted in two shades of aquamarine with a border that depicted an old-fashioned country cottage. Over-stuffed furniture and lots of throw pillows made it the kind of room she never wanted to leave. One full wall was lined with built-in shelves, most were lined with books but several were set aside for family photos, and Jayden made a mental note to take a closer look.

  That's where he got his love for books.

  "You have to know, Jayden, this isn't a bit like how Mica grew up.” Steffi waved her arm in reference to the room, as if she'd known Jayden had been studying it. “We were so poor even the mice in the walls needed welfare to get by, but Mica's been good to us since making it so big.” Jayden saw that tears misted her eyes. “Too good, really. We're the talk of the town, you know."

  Jayden tried so hard not to yawn, but she was exhausted.

  No idea why, all you've done the past week is sleep.

  Discreetly covering her mouth, she yawned a big yawn.

  "Oh, sweetheart, you're wiped. Long drive?” Steffi stood up, picking up assorted dishes of leftovers from the impromptu lunch she'd served. Jayden went to help. “Don't worry about it, sugar. I've got it."

  She smiled at Steffi, then at Mica, and continued gathering dishes. She was dead tired, couldn't add a damn thing to the conversation, but she knew how to clear dishes.

  "Let her help, Mama."

  He exchanged a look with her that was as deep as it was fast. It amazed her how acutely connected she felt with this man. Sometimes it felt as if they were joined at a cellular level.

  "All right, but after that, you take her up to the cottage for a nap."

  Mica leered.

  "Will do, Mama. No arguments from me."

  As she followed Steffi into the bright yellow and white kitchen, she heard Zane and Gene coming back from the den, Gene's voice proclaiming they'd rounded up every last Pink Panther movie ever made. Jayden smothered her laughter.

  Carefully placing beautiful china with dainty purple roses around the edge into the dishwasher while Steffi put away the leftovers, the women worked in a companionable silence for few minutes. Jayden was surprised at how nice it felt and hoped that when this was all over, she'd be able to come back here.

  "You know, Jayden...” She felt Steffi's hands on her arms and straightened, turning. The woman who'd been so friendly and happy all afternoon suddenly seemed tense. “...Mary Snowden lives up on Bear Hill. She has a granddaughter who's deaf, and the whole family learned sign language. I ... uh...” She looked away and Jayden saw her cheeks pink. “Oh, call me an old busybody if you want to, but I borrowed a few books from her. I thought maybe ... if you wanted, of course ... well, maybe we could learn a few signs and then maybe ... I mean, I know you might start to talk again any day now, but I just thought...” She laughed nervously and twisted her fingers together. “Oh, listen to me. I'm such an old fool, you must think me terribly pushy."

  But Jayden didn't, and she'd never wanted to communicate anything more than that. She took Steffi's hands and waited for her to meet her gaze, then shook her head vehemently.

  I don't. I think you're wonderful.

  Steffi cupped Jayden's jaw in a motherly way that startled her. She smiled at the offer.

  "My son grew up ashamed of who we were. He was teased somethin’ awful in school, and I knew the day he moved away he'd never be back. I've tried to accept that. I never thought that he'd ever stand in my living room with a beautiful young woman. He's never even dated one long enough for me to come up there and visit. I know this communication thing must be frustratin’ as a tick on your rear, but I really want to find a way."

  Jayden laughed and hugged her tight. No one had ever made her feel so special before. To think she had a hand in bringing this family some happiness was beyond surreal. They were still embracing when Mica joined them a few minutes later.

  "This is good."

  Steffi pulled away, flustered, wiping her eyes and waving her free hand in the air. “Oh, girl stuff, honey. I was telling her about Mrs. Snowden. You remember, little Chloe was born deaf, I told you, it was about five years ago."

  "Sure, I remember.” He put his arm around Jayden in a protective stance that was becoming second nature. “And?"

  "Well. I was just telling Jayden that I went and visited her after you told me about her and borrowed a bunch of material about communicating with the deaf."

  "But Jayden hears just fine, Mama."

  "I know, honey, but she can't speak. I thought if we could all learn some simple signs, it would be a big relief for her, ‘cause honey, as a woman, I'm telling you, not being able to express yourself has to be right up there with leprosy and unexplained fungus."

  Jayden laughed and buried her face against Mica's chest. She felt him holding in his own laughter as he covered his mouth with his hand.

  "Okay, Mama.” He pressed his cheek against the top of her head. “Visuals aside, I think that's a wonderful idea. What did you think, angel?"

  Jayden looked up and smiled, nodding.

  "Settled then. But not until tomorrow. I'm taking Jayden to bed and intend to sleep ‘til morning."

  "All right, honey.” Steffi kissed his cheek and squeezed Jayden's hand. Just before they left he kitchen, Mica called back, “And don't feel you're boring good ole Jacques. He really loves those old movies."

  Jayden smothered another bout of laughter into his shirt.

  * * * *

  "We found her."

  As the man entered his office, Lorenzo nearly began to salivate. Three fucking months she'd had him chasing his tail like an imbecile. All his men had taken the brunt of his displeasure, and they all wanted her found as much as he did. The girl had no idea how much trouble she'd caused for herself. If she thought she'd been unhappy before ... His smile turned cruel as he thought of all the ways to punish his errant wife.

  "You were right. She ran right to the agent, and he turned out to be a hell of a lot easier to trace. They're holed up in Mississippi. You want me to send Trent after her?"

  Rage moved through Lorenzo's body. It wasn't a surprise, it just wasn't what he wanted to hear. The agent complicated things. He was a strange hybrid, working for both the English and American governments. As Lorenzo found three years ago, making the man simply disappear would be more trouble than it was worth. But seeing as he'd been with Jayden for three months now, who the hell knew what kind of ammunition she'd given him? Plus, there's the very real possibility he's been fucking her.

  Lorenzo Lloyd would not be cuckolded. He'd already killed several men just to prove that point. He laughed softly to himself. One he'd even set up, told him he could have Jayden for a night, simply as a convenient excuse to get rid of him.

  He ran his fingers the length of his goatee. This required thought. Rash movement would only point trouble back in his direction, and trouble was something he'd spent every spare minute since Jayden's escape plotting to avoid.

  "Just watch her for now. She thinks she's safe with him; she'll stay put.” He turned to look out the window over a large expanse of lawn. “And see that the house in Tonga is readied. I think Mrs. Lloyd and I are overdue for a second honeymoon."

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Eleven

  Jayden pressed a closed fist against her chest, watching herself in the mirror. A fist with little finger pointed upward.

  "I."

  She crossed her arms over her
chest and touched each shoulder with the opposite hand.

  "Love."

  Then point.

  "You."

  She knew that was the long way to say it, but something so monumental just seemed to beg for more than a one-hand signal. She let out a breath as nerves rumbled through her stomach. She knew it verbatim, but hadn't had the guts to tell him. Right now she felt another need to run for the bathroom.

  How can a person throw up so much food when they've hardly eaten?

  After she rinsed her mouth, she lay on the bed, hand over her sensitive stomach. Telling a person you loved them should be easy, wonderful, happy. So why did she spend all her mornings tossing her cookies?

  It had been the one thing holding her back from just doing it. Over the past three months, Mica and his family had learned sign language right along with her. Even Zane had picked up the essentials. She was almost able to converse freely with them and it felt amazing, all the more so because of the fact that they'd been willing to do all of this for her. It made her feel deeply loved by these people.

  Accepted.

  She adored Mica's family, adored his hometown, adored living a quiet life, but it hadn't slipped her attention that Mica seemed restless. He didn't like to go into town, didn't like it when friends stopped by to see him, and really didn't like it if she went into town with Zane.

  And he, of course, represented another problem. If Mica was restless, Zane was on the verge of a breakdown. She knew he wanted this assignment over with so he could go back to the exciting life he was used to. Zane was an action guy. He lived for the takedown, the undercover work, and the women. None of which existed in Harley's Bog. Jayden tried to spend time with him, but that only made Mica more agitated. There were days she wished they'd both just go jump in the pond and stay there.

  On the few occasions Mica had acquiesced and taken her into town, Jayden found the place charming and not nearly as broken down as Mica had represented it. They'd all gone to the first firehouse barbeque of the season together, and dancing in the streets under the stars to an old Elvis Presley song had quickly become one of Jayden's favorite pastimes.