* * *
"This boyfriend. You aren't ready for Wesley to meet him." Camryn said.
* * *
"Wesley...the fucker is huge! 6'4 broad shoulders...he's a good looking Paul Bunyan." Shelby and Camryn laugh.
* * *
"I always thought animal protection should have been called on Paul Bunyan about Babe, the blue ox," Camryn said.
* * *
"Gross! You twisted bitch!" Shelby laughs.
* * *
"Come on you know all men are perverts. It's never if he's a freak. It's what kind of freak is he?" Camryn stated.
* * *
"This is true! I don't care how well-mannered a man is." Shelby said.
“Men," Camryn said.
* * *
"When I was a kid, my dates pick me up. All the guys had to come into the house. My dad and my brothers--except Wesley would introduce themselves. Wesley wouldn't say a thing. He stands back eating an apple and watching the guy. He would write down the car plate number and take a photo of my date! He constantly freaked them out! I almost never lost my virginity." Shelby laughs.
* * *
"Lost it with an FOW - friend of Wesley?" Camryn asked.
"No. FOM - friend of Martin," Shelby stated.
* * *
"Martin is after Wesley? Right?" Camryn said.
* * *
"Yes. I almost had sex with Kevin and made out with Tobias a few times...it's Tobias, nothing serious would ever develop." Shelby said.
"Wednesday," Camryn said.
"He's 20 years older than her ...maturity wise they're on the same level," Shelby stated.
Officer Margaret Snowden waited when the boy saw her; he lost it.
* * *
"I can't press charges." He said.
* * *
"One step at a time Xavier." Officer George Wein said.
* * *
"Stone, everyone calls me Stone." He said.
* * *
"Walk me through what happened," George said.
* * *
"She said she didn't want sex. She watched me bath. She gave me new clothes. We ate dinner. She had these things...um, she said one was some ass thing. I said I thought you didn't want to have sex. She said she wasn't having sex, but I was. That shit didn't make sense, so I asked her, did she want me to rub one out. I'm feeling dizzy. I asked her, did she give me something and she ...laughed. "Stone said.
* * *
"You tested positive for Rohypnol," George said.
* * *
"Damn." He said.
* * *
"She was a customer. Her name?" George said.
* * *
"She had me call her Mistress," Stone stated. "How did I get to the hospital?" He said.
* * *
"My partner and I brought you. We got a call about a naked boy wandering around. Its 17 degrees.
You are also getting treated for hypothermia." George said.
* * *
"Fucked with sex toys?" Stone asked.
* * *
George locates Margaret.
* * *
"She struck again?" Margaret said.
* * *
"Yes, same story. She picks them up. They bathe. Gives them new clothes. Feeds them, followed by a sexual assault by a sex toy. A black female in her early to mid-20's. "George shakes his head.
* * *
"She's patient. She's older and looks younger. No one is taking this woman seriously." Margaret said.
* * *
"A female sex offender. There are still too many people that believe this shit only happens in prisons." George said.
Wesley's fingers drummed the stirring wheel. The traffic now in Austin is insane! Camryn sat on the passenger side; she and Wesley been have stuck in traffic for an hour. She made a game counting red cars, blue cars and off colors - yellow and green. A man stares at her, and she realizes it's Simon. Simon blows a kiss at her.
* * *
"Did that asshole blow a kiss at you?" Wesley asked.
"Yes, he did," Camryn stated.
* * *
Wesley maneuvers through traffic. He takes back streets. He needed to find a birthday gift for Shelby. His hot girlfriend agreed to assist him.
"I remember a six-month-old Shelby spitting up on me, and now she's turning 33. Where has the time gone?" Wesley asked.
* * *
"You know you're her favorite brother," Camryn said.
* * *
"I do. Martin will claim he is...idiot." Wesley said.
A large black pickup cuts Wesley off. He honks the horn.
* * *
"What the fuck!" He said.
* * *
Wesley slams on the breaks. Three other cars box them in. Wesley scans the setup of the cars. The guys held bottles with cloth hanging out.
* * *
He had no issue running over these assholes so he and Camryn could escape.
* * *
"I won't be ignored Camryn!" Simon said.
* * *
Simon's crew threw the bottles filled with gasoline at the car.
Wesley accelerates.
Shelby was waiting at a stop light when she sees a wave a light coming at her.
Everyone in Austin is knocked unconscious.
Holly was beside herself when Zeina told her the news of her sister's murder. After a few hours of hiding, she comes out of her room.
* * *
"The Sandoval kid is double clutching. Asshole Richard's primary concern is impressing Minerva, and covering he and his sister's asses. He's been giving us tidbits on things but not enough to do anything. Fuck him, fuck Katrina and fuck Minerva, it's time we stop playing this patty cake shit and go to the source. "Holly said.
* * *
“How do we approach a witch that either doesn't know she's one or doesn't want to know she's one?" Zeina asked.
"We send a representative of course," Holly said. "Minerva now has fear on her side. Abigail was right about fear. Now that others fear Minerva, they are not going to support us in a coo, unless we can demonstrate we can challenge and win." Holly said.
* * *
"You and I ...this we cannot do that," Zeina said.
* * *
"Come on Zeina! Minerva doesn't want to get rid of Camryn because she wants to remove the stain on the coven. She wants to get rid of Camryn because she possesses the power to make her into a stain. This is about preserving herself. A little birdy told me that she'd gotten the sister on her payroll." Holly said.
* * *
"Holly ...we need Momma Pow," Zeina said.
Wesley wakes. He’s sitting on the passenger seat. He’s confused.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
Camryn smiles. "Yes. Some dream you're having. I thought I had vivid dreams." Camryn said.
"Dream? I was driving, and now I'm in the passenger seat? What just… What of those assholes!" Wesley said.
Camryn smiles. "Wesley you slept the entire trip to Houston. See, we're here at the Galleria….are you okay?" Camryn asked.
Wesley is confused. He doesn't understand what happened. What he does know, it that it has something to do with Camryn.
"How did you do that?" He asked.
* * *
“Drive a car while someone sleeps…it’s been known to happen." Camryn stated.
She needed to convince Captain Observation that he didn’t experience what he just experienced. Camryn needed to get out of the car and away from Wesley. She's trying to appear that nothing is wrong. How the hell did she do that!
* * *
Wesley knows Camryn is lying. He can feel it when someone lies. Wesley rubs his eyes and smiles.
“An odd dream.” He said.
“Let’s go get Shelby’s present.” Camryn smiled.
She can no longer ignore this ability. She could feel Wesley watching her. Camryn isn't sure if he's appeasing her because that's a better strategy. She can tell he doesn’t
believe it was a dream.
* * *
"I love you." He said.
* * *
"You don't love me." She said.
* * *
"You're going to try to argue with me about my own mind? “He asked.
* * *
"Wesley, we have fun together right?” Camryn asked.
“Yes. This smells like your leading to a 'let's see other people' conversation. I'm not going to be dumped by you." He said.
"You can't keep me from dumping you," Camryn stated.
"You can't stop me from loving you," Wesley stated.
* * *
Camryn didn't know what to do with this man named Wesley. He drops the L word now. Maybe he’s screwing with her.
* * *
Wesley knew the weirdness hanging over them at this moment probably wasn't the best time to drop the love bomb on her. What's he supposed to do? Wait for a rainstorm or say it over a candle light? This was the moment he felt most confident to say it to her.
Camryn looks at his handsome face, his blue-grey eyes; she searches to find the twitch a sign of disinterest in her. She didn't want to push him away - that is old Camryn behavior. The other guys went away easily because they were never interested. Hamilton dumped her three days after relocating to Silver City...she doesn't ignore the signs any longer.
* * *
She only saw sincerity and acceptance from Wesley. It's a new experience. It's both frightening and elating.
* * *
Wesley kisses the side of her head. "We are buying a gift for my Shaman real estate agent sister. I know different. Just like I know I wasn't asleep, and you did not drive us to Houston." He said.
* * *
"Let's go get Shelby's presents," Camryn said.
Minerva taps the side of the water-filled copper bowl. She sees Alison. Minerva smiled what a twisted bitch she is.
Minerva attempted several times to spy on Camryn, but the water turns black. She's confident that Camryn is of the Abigail Crawford bloodline, but there was something else. She's never seen this type of protection before.
* * *
She wonders who placed protection on Camryn. The irony draws attention to Camryn, why would she need all that protection is the obvious question. She isn't sure how she will use Alison, but she sees a plan forming. It's going to be better than what she initially had in mind for the Morgan sisters.
* * *
Minerva walks upstairs to her roof garden. She grows her own vegetables and fruit and has the garden because she likes soil under her feet. She wiggles her toes in the dirt. The grainy texture. The deep rich scent of the earth is sensual. She finally had control over the coven. It is time for her to find a companion again. Many men were...not up to her standards. She already tried that girl stuff, and she couldn't commit to it.
She is centered and returns to her alter.
* * *
"I call on all the Scott bloodline living and within the next realm. Show me why this untrained witch has such strength and protection." She said. Minerva waits for an answer.
* * *
She felt a presence enter the room. She saw nothing but something is here. A face of an old woman springs from the darkness.
* * *
"I hate it when you do that!" Minerva said.
* * *
"Quiet girl." Elder Scott said.
* * *
"What is it?" Minerva asked.
* * *
"This Alison person conspires against you." She said.
* * *
"Duh! At this moment ....she's useful to me." Minerva said.
* * *
"How is she useful? She's barely produced anything." Elder Scott said.
* * *
"I need her to try to betray me. It's all part of the plan." Minerva said.
* * *
"Very well. I will go check on your other assets." Elder Scott said. She disappears into the darkness.
* * *
She raised no fool, but she can't stop mothering me. Minerva thought.
Katrina locks the office door behind her. She kept getting her meditation interrupted by the muffled sounds of Richard having sex with his girlfriend. What a stupid name--Shelby. A grown woman allows people to call her Shelby. Birthday sex. She despises Richard at the moment.
* * *
Katrina sits on the floor looking into the flame. She takes deep breathes each time, watching the candle flame flicker. She sees four men wandering around an area. They appeared confused.
"Guides protect me. Protect the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual body from any attachments or invaders as I go on this journey. I am the operator of this physical being, and only I, have access to me. Archangel Michael, help carry me on this travel" Katrina said.
* * *
Katrina realizes she is in a forest.
* * *
"We've been this way before." Groans a man.
* * *
"Shit! Any of you assholes ever went camping?" Asked a man Katrina presumed he was the leader of the group.
* * *
"Backyard with my kid." Another man said.
* * *
"Wow Tucker, in the backyard with your retarded kid will be very helpful." The leader of the group scoffed.
* * *
"Simon, my kid is mentally challenged." Tucker corrected him.
* * *
"Whatever. We are in a fucking forest." Simon said.
He angles his cell phone, and there is a weak signal, then uses a navigation map to figure out where they are. He shakes his head.
"If I weren't standing in a fucking forest I'd think this app is shit. We're in Big Bend National Park." He said.
* * *
Instead of things getting clearer, they were becoming more confused.
* * *
"How did that bitch do this?" Monty asked.
* * *
"No. No. We were given something and woke up here." Angelo stated.
* * *
"We didn't wake up here. No one went to sleep." Tucker said.
* * *
"So she ... zapped us what 500 miles? How is that even possible?" Monty asked.
* * *
"She's a witch. Let's see if we can find a river or trail or something." Simon said.
* * *
"A what?" Monty asked.
* * *
"I know things," Simon said.
* * *
"Are we sure it was the descendant of Ham?" Angelo asked.
"Yes," Tucker said.
* * *
"Shut the fuck up!" Simon said.
* * *
The men walked along for another 30 minutes in silence when Monty suddenly stops. What was that sound? Monty thought. It is a dark and cloudy day. He is worried it would rain any moment.
* * *
"What now?" Angelo asked.
* * *
"I thought ....wings or some kind flapping," Monty said.
* * *
"We are in a forest. So I'm sure there are a couple of birds around here." Simon said.
* * *
"We need to span out and cover more ground. It's going to start raining any moment." Tucker said.
* * *
"No! We need to stay together." Monty said.
* * *
"Put away your purse. I'm already feeling raindrops, so time is not on our side. We need to cover more ground. The phones aren't working so we shout to each other. Move your asses." Simon said.
* * *
Monty is nervous. He could tell they are being watched. He didn't understand why he is the only one noticing. He carefully walks along the forest. It is quiet...the quiet before the storm.
IF: Nowhere To Run (Camryn Morgan Series Book 1) Page 13