Fate Foretold

by Jaliza A. Burwell

  “I’m all right,” I answer him. “Can you tell me what happened since you found me? Where are we? How long have I been out? What’s the damage from the gunshot wound? How bad is it?”

  He waits until I stop asking, giving me more patience than I expected from him. His lip quirks into a gentle smile instead of one of irritation.

  “When we found you, you were barely standing, swaying too much and holding a bedpan to keep us away.” He motions toward my wound. “May I?” When I nod, he slips on gloves and releases the last couple of buttons so he can look at the wound. He shifts me where he wants me so he has better access. As he works, he keeps talking. “Once you were down, Eli got the SUV and I stabled you as best as I could. We loaded you up and drove to this safe house. We have these across the country and use them depending on the jobs we are working on.” I open my mouth but he shakes his head, telling me to let him continue. My mouth closes. “We’re currently in the Smoky Mountains, south of Knoxville.”

  “Tennessee?”

  He nods.

  “That has to be like a ten-hour drive.”

  He nods again. “We needed to get you out of the city. Holsen is up to something. The only reason Noah gave up searching for you was because Holsen summoned him. He’s staying at a hotel in Little Rock. We fear he plans something bigger, so we had to get you as far away as possible. We probably would have been further, but you needed attention and I couldn’t afford to wait any longer. Once we got here, I hooked you to an IV and began treating your wound properly. Unfortunately, the infection set in, and your fever was high.”

  “How long was I out?”

  “Three days. You roused a couple of times, but for the most part, you’ve been out of it. Your fever broke a couple hours ago and your infection has cleared. I just stitched you up once your wound was done draining so hopefully it will close up in a few days. You can’t get out of bed for the first two days, just to be sure, and we’ll clean it twice. You have stitches so we don’t want those tearing open, and I need to keep a close eye on it for signs of infection.”

  “Okay. Okay.” Nodding to myself, I take a moment to process all the information. Once I feel settled, I look up at him. “What’s the treatment plan?”

  “For the first two days, you aren’t allowed to get up unless to use the bathroom, but one of us will help you. After that, you may move around very carefully. The stitches are to stay in for at least seven days and then I should be able to remove them. The wound needs to be cleaned with soap and water. Anything else will irritate the wound and slow down the healing. Showers only.” He holds up a small tube. “This is antibiotic ointment. It’ll help to keep it from becoming infected. After it’s been cleaned, this will be applied. Your pain medication should be wearing off by now so I have more for you to take.”

  “Thank you,” I say. “For explaining it all to me.”

  His smile is genuine and morphs his face into something dangerously seductive. “You’re welcome, Adalyn. I really am glad we got to you in time.”

  His deep voice causes goosebumps to form on my skin and a tingle to crawl down my spine. He doesn’t seem to notice as he finishes up with his care, and then carefully buttons my shirt again, his knuckles brushing against the sensitive skin on my stomach.

  I take in a sharp breath, and his eyes flicker to me before back to his task. Once he finishes, he straightens up.

  “Eat.” His voice is an octave lower. “It’s early afternoon now. Once you finish, I’ll come in to check your vitals.” He rests his hand on my shoulder before turning around and walking to the door.

  Before he reaches it, I call out, “Are you sure you aren’t a healer?”

  He pauses, his shoulders stiffening. After a moment, he says back, “Definitely,” before disappearing out the door, leaving it cracked open.

  I stare after him for a few minutes, wondering what kind of history he has to respond like that. When I give up, I reach for the bowl of broth and sip it, smiling at the deliciousness. It wasn’t bland at all, all the flavors dancing on my taste buds.

  After finishing and not leaving a single drop in the bowl, I lay back down and stare at the ceiling, wondering what’s going to happen now. I’m too scared to See now, knowing what I will See will be full of blood and death. And I don’t want to lead Noah here. I actually feel safe right now, and I haven’t felt that way in a very long time. Hope blossoms in my chest, and I have to quickly squash it down.

  There is no hope. Not for these men. If I stay here, they’ll die.

  20

  DJ stares down at his cards, his tongue peeking out from behind his lips as his eyebrows furrow in concentration. I smile as I wait for his turn. Smells of something delicious waft through the door and my stomach rumbles at the thought of dinner.

  After letting Jackson check the wound, I rested for a couple of hours, and apparently, DJ ran out of patience. He came into the room with a deck of cards.

  We’ve been playing crazy eights ever since. I’m down to three cards and somehow DJ managed to get half the deck into his hand.

  “Are you sure you aren’t cheating?” he asks. “Using your gift to See?”

  “No.” I smile, but then it slips away, and I shift around. “I’m too scared to use my gift.”

  DJ’s eyes meet mine with sympathy. “Why? No one should ever be scared of their gift.”

  Something close to frustration slips into his voice as his eyes darken with memories. Something haunts him and whatever it is draws me in. I feel like I’m falling into the depths of browns in his eyes. He looks back down at his cards, breaking eye contact. Trying to crawl out of whatever I fell into, I blink furiously and stare down at my cards. They’re blurry for a moment before coming back into focus.

  “Adalyn, why are you scared?”

  “Noah will find me.” I grip the cards hard and they bend under the pressure. “It seems every time I use my gift, he shows up shortly after.”

  “Noah is still in Little Rock, throwing a bitch fit because he can’t find you. We’re keeping a close eye on him.”

  “He’ll know.”

  “He won’t. His gift is not limitless. With this distance, he won’t know. Colton looked into him further. His gift can only go out about a ten-mile radius. Outside of those limits, he won’t know. Think of it like him casting a web around him and when you use your gift, you shake the web, allowing him to lock onto your location. You’re not in his web. He won’t know.”

  “Are you sure?” The hope in my voice is clear.

  He smiles. “I’m sure. He isn’t close enough. You can use your gift and he won’t pop in front of you. It’s safe.”

  I glance away as the ball of fear that has been whirling around inside of me slowly breaks down. I’m far enough away. I don’t need to run for my life.

  I’m safe.

  We go a couple more rounds and he manages to force me to pick up more cards.

  “You’re quiet, what are you thinking about?” he asks.

  “You guys found me,” I say in a soft voice.

  “That was the plan.”

  “I just hoped you didn’t.” When I meet his eyes, he sighs and puts the cards down, moving closer to me. His hand goes to my thigh and gives it a squeeze. His touch sends warmth and comfort through me, and I have to force myself to keep from squirming.

  “We aren’t going to die. We like living too much.”

  “It isn’t that easy.”

  “It is, though. My brothers and I, we have faced odds that have been impossible and came out all right on the other end.”

  “I See it. Every time.”

  “Have you been able to See us surviving? All of us living?”

  I look down at his hand, the way his fingers curl over the blanket to wrap around my leg.

  “Yes. Once. It’s a small possibility. A drop in the ocean.”

  “Then we will live. That’s all we need. That one drop and we will win.”

  Frustration builds up in me, and I snap, “H
ow can you be so positive?”

  He smiles, though it’s sadder than it should be, and I hate myself for forcing him to give me that look. It doesn’t look right on him. “Because we’ve done it before. I grew up with the guys.” His expression darkens. “That place we were at was not a nice place. A few years ago, we escaped and shortly after, tore that place down. Our chances of survival have always been zero percent. We had doctors tell us we weren’t going to make it to our twenties.”

  “How old are you guys? You can’t be much older than me.”

  “We aren’t. I’m the baby of the guys at twenty. The oldest is Colton at twenty-three. He’s been taking care of us forever. You’re twenty, right?”

  Nodding, I respond, “Good guess.”

  He flashes me a toothy grin. “Both of us are babies.”

  “Can you tell me more of that place?”

  “I’d rather not, and it’s in the past.”

  I press my lips together before I ask him to tell me anyway. Curiosity has always been my weakness and something in me is begging to learn everything I can about them. But I need to respect their feelings, because by his hard expression, asking was going to dredge up a lot of bad memories.

  “Okay.”

  I place a card down, and he moans as he’s forced to pick more cards. I laugh at his dramatic reaction, the heavy air dispersing into something more light and relaxing.

  “Jackson says I’ll be able to move around in a couple of days,” I say nonchalantly, keeping one eye on DJ.

  “That’s good.”

  Nodding in agreement, I put down another card when it’s my turn. I bite my lip before taking the plunge. “I’d like to leave then.”

  He freezes, his hand hovering over the rising pile of cards, his in his hands. With furrowed brows, he looks up at me. I make sure to communicate with my expression how serious I am.

  “No.” He places down the card and stares hard at his cards again, but this time not in concentration.

  “DJ,” I call out softly.

  He doesn’t look at me, as if by avoiding my gaze, it ends the conversation.

  If only it worked that way.

  “DJ.”

  Still, he doesn’t look at me.

  Anger wells up inside of me. “Dae-jung,” I snap, glad I made him help me pronounce his full name earlier. That seems to work because he looks up at me. “When I can move on my own again, I’m leaving.”

  He leans back into his chair and rubs a hand over his face. “Why?” There’s a hint of pain in that one-worded question.

  “I can’t stay here.”

  “Why not?” he snaps out. “We just found you. Why are you so quick to leave already? Why can’t we help you?”

  “Because I don’t want it,” I snap back in a harsh whisper. “This is my problem. Mine. I don’t need to add you guys into the equation. I don’t need your blood on my hands.”

  “I already told you that isn’t an issue. We aren’t going to die.”

  “You don’t know that!” I yell out. “I See it, DJ. I See it every fucking time I close my eyes. You guys die. The way you die is different, the situation is different, but you die. And you die because you’re too busy butting into my life. I don’t want that. I don’t want your help. I don’t need your blood on my hands too.”

  By the time I’m done yelling, I’m breathing heavily.

  “What is going on?”

  My head whips over to the door, to see Colton and Eli standing there. Colton’s arms are crossed over his chest. His shaggy light brown hair has been recently cut so it doesn’t fall across his forehead anymore. Dark grey eyes meet mine and he raises an eyebrow, waiting for an answer. This is the first time I’m seeing Colton since waking up.

  “Difference of opinion,” I say.

  “She wants to leave. When she can get out of bed she wants to leave,” DJ bites out, still glaring at me.

  “And I have that right,” I argue back. “Unless I’m a prisoner here?” I throw the challenge out at him, and he flinches, moving away from me. DJ gets to his feet, running his hand through his hair before pushing past Colton and Eli, leaving the room. Eli follows after DJ, leaving me alone with Colton.

  “Is that smart?” Colton asks, moving farther into the room, taking the spot DJ just vacated. He has no judgment in his expression as he settles down.

  “I can’t be a burden,” I answer.

  “Did we ever give you the impression you were a burden?” he asks, keeping his voice soft and calm. I can see why he’s the leader. Colton has a way of calming a person with just the sound of his voice. The gentleness in the tone gives me a sense of security, and he doesn’t pitch his voice in a way to give away emotions other than positive vibes.

  “No.”

  “You aren’t a burden. If we weren’t in, we wouldn’t have bothered searching for you.”

  “You guys say you’re into security, right?” When he nods, I continue, “Then you’re the type of people who don’t turn a blind eye. DJ mentioned a compound you guys escaped from and then went back and destroyed. You fight. That’s wonderful and there are plenty of people who need you guys. I’m not one of them. I don’t want your help.”

  “Even so, Adalyn, your body has gone through a trauma. While we have you on bedrest for a couple of days, you’re going to be feeling weak for the next couple of weeks while you heal. You’ve pushed your body to its limit before we found you. You were straining.”

  My eyes widen. “Really?”

  He nods.

  “We were able to give you medicine to help, but still, your body and mind are exhausted and you need rest. Can’t you rest here?”

  “I don’t want to bother you guys any more than I already have.”

  He reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it. “You aren’t. I promise you aren’t. You’re an enigma to us. You somehow slip into DJ’s dream realms without meaning too. Jackson may seem like a tense guy now, but since we found you, he’s been more relaxed than I’ve seen him in a long time. DJ won’t shut up about you and enjoys your presence. You don’t notice this, but DJ doesn’t open up to anyone.”

  “And you?” I ask, feeling shy with the question.

  “You feel right,” he says and looks down at our hands, his thumb running over my knuckles. “You fit in. It’s like a piece we didn’t know was missing is back again and now that we know it’s there, we can’t just let it go.” He sighs as he lets me go, and I briefly miss his touch before I bury those emotions. “For now, can you promise to just rest? Heal up. Don’t think about climbing out the window just yet and give us a chance. We do want to help you.”

  Not knowing how to respond, I just nod.

  The smile he shares with me is breathtaking, and I stare after him as he gets to his feet. “Jackson will be in shortly to check your wound.”

  The door clicks closed, and I stare down at my hand, clenching it into a fist and then releasing it. Colton’s words swirl around inside my head.

  I’m changing them? How? And why? When he mentioned it feeling right to have me with them, my heart had skipped a beat as hope slipped inside. My dad had been the only person in my life for so long and I never expected to let anyone else in. Sure, I had flings, I’m a woman, but never anything that lasted beyond the night. And with how often I moved around, I never had time to make friends, or even bothered trying.

  Now there are four guys unwilling to just let me walk out the door to face danger alone. They want to be here for me.

  I groan and lean back into the pillows, shifting around until I get comfortable.

  Is it really okay to stay here?

  21

  The images keep flashing through my mind when I try to sleep. Colton’s blank stare, a bullet hole in the middle of his face, the back of his head a mess of brain matter, blood, and clumps of hair. Jackson bellowing his fury as the air around him shimmers and then pushes out, hitting blurry images of people. Something big smashes into him and blood splatters on my face. Eli hovering ov
er me, trying to help me to my feet, until something hits him from behind and bursts out from his chest. DJ is running toward me, his arm a mangled mess at his side. He ducks to the side as someone shoots him.

  He slides to my side and yanks on me, but I won’t move, and his face is twisted in pain and fear. His eyes flicker behind me before a red dot sprouts in the middle of his forehead. And then everything goes black.

  Death. Death. Death. And more death. Scenes, more than I can count, keep flashing through my mind. All the ways they die and all the ways I die.

  I whimper and curl into myself, wanting to escape them. Why do they keep dying? Why can’t they live? I want them to live long lives, but with me in the picture it’s impossible.

  “Shh,” a rough voice says into my ears, and I’m pulled into a hard chest. I grip a shirt and bury myself into the person. Their touch drives the images away.

  No more death. I shudder and move closer to the heat. They drive away the horrible images.

  A new one comes. All four of them smiling, in fancy suits. Each one of them holds an expression of lust as they watch me move toward them. I gasp. It’s more than just lust though. There’s love. So much love I feel like I’m drowning.

  Then it all fades away into nothingness as I finally fall into a deep sleep beyond my gift. I’m warm and safe and with a sigh, fall deeper into the dark abyss.

  The heat wakes me up. I’m hot, burning. When more awareness creeps in, I stiffen, feeling two hard bodies pressed against me. My head rests on an arm, and I can feel two more around me. One is at my waist, just above the wound, hand on my back. The other is around my chest, their arm between my breasts, hand resting just above, fingers grazing my neck.

  I shift, trying to put pieces together. The body behind me stiffens as my ass goes back and feels something hard pressing against it. The arm around me flexes.