“Are you the owner?” His gravelly voice slides over my skin like silk. I know he’s hot, but how the hell can his voice affect me like this? I look up until I reach his lips, and I smile until my eyes rise and encounter the most penetrating eyes I have ever seen in my life. They’re a dark brown with thick lashes. I have an instant feeling of recognition that makes my heart race and my breath catch.
“I’m the manager,” I answer. “I know this is going to sound corny, especially as I know I have never seen you before, because I know I would definitely remember, but do I perhaps know you somehow?” I see his eyes widen, and a stunned look crosses his face before he hides it.
“I get a lot of that, especially from women,” he quips. I notice that his shoulders have tensed, tightening the T-shirt over his impressive chest. I have the feeling that he’s holding something back.
“Here you go,” Sara says, interrupting us as she places a chair next to him.
“Thank you, doll. I will bring it back shortly,” he says as he picks up the chair. Before he turns and heads out the door, he looks back at me and winks. I swear my heart flutters at his flirting. I look down at his ass as he walks out.
“What’s he doing?” Tracy asks as she walks to stand by the window that faces outside. Mrs. Collins, who is waiting for the colour to set in her hair, stood from the chair and is standing behind Tracy.
“Why doesn’t my Joe look like that?” Mrs. Collins sighs. I see Sara standing in the doorway looking at him, and suddenly, I have this blinding rage that overtakes me.
“Isn’t it time to wash Mrs. Collins’s hair?” I ask. A few minutes later, Sara and Tracy are both helping Mrs. Collins to the back to wash her hair. I move forward to stand next to the window and see that he’s standing on the chair with his back to me. Moving closer to the window, I look up at what he’s doing and notice that he’s slotting some kind of device in a groove between the window. Suddenly, a mischievous thought pops into my mind. I wait for the right moment, and then as his hands come down as if he’s finished, I look at the device, noticing for the first time that it’s some kind of camera. I move my eyes down, and instantly, the camera rotates down.
I see him tense, and then he adjusts the camera again, tightening the bolt behind it. As soon as he brings down his hands, I do the same. This time, I can’t help laughing because as he was about to step off the chair, he notices the camera has moved again. Suddenly, his head snaps around, and he looks at me. I try to maintain an innocent look on my face, but the laugh is fighting to escape. I look up innocently at the camera and shrug.
He squints at me suspiciously before he looks back up at the camera. I look at his fine ass where the screwdriver is in his pocket and try to extract it out of his pocket so that it falls onto the floor. To my surprise, it doesn’t move. Strange. I try again with no success.
Not once have I not been able to move an object if I wanted to. Why would the screwdriver not move? I’m so preoccupied with this occurrence that I don’t even notice that he has again tightened the camera in place and is bringing the chair back in.
His dark eyes look at me as if seeing right into my soul; I feel a zap of energy travel down my spine at his look. “Were you doing that?” he asks quietly as he sets the chair before me. I have never confessed to anyone except for my family about what I can do. My parents think I’m extraordinary. My brother also used to think like that until he got himself involved with drugs. Now I have to hide from him. Why would this man even suspect that I could be moving the camera with my mind?
“What do you mean?” I ask innocently. He may be drop-dead sexy and make my heart race, but there is no way I’m going to give anyone else a reason to try to hurt me because of what I can do. Before he can reply, another hottie steps into the salon.
“Hey, Brother, are you done?” Looking over at him, I see that while the guy before me has dark hair and dark-as-sin eyes, the one who just entered looks like a surfer with his tousled blond hair and dark blue eyes, but there is a dangerous energy around him that cautions everyone. I hear a growl, and my head snaps to the guy before me. Did that come from him? It sounded just like a wild animal. His eyes are trained on the guy who just entered the salon, and I notice that his muscles are tensed.
“Oh, fuck no,” the blond says, making my eyes widen in surprise at his words. Before I can comment, he turns and steps out again.
“What was that?” I ask.
“Nothing,” the guy before me snaps, but then seems to catch himself as he shakes his head. “Sorry. What’s your name?”
“Talia,” I murmur.
“Talia, has anyone been around asking you questions?” At his words, I still. What kind of questions is he talking about? I shake my head in reply. “Good. One of my brothers or I will be across the street over there in the alley. If you have any problems, just call out and we’ll come to help. Okay?”
“Why would you be in the alley? And why would I have any problems?” I ask suspiciously.
“There are some really bad guys hiding in this area; we will be in the alley waiting for them. I don’t expect there to be any problems. I’m just saying if you need me, just call. I will hear you.” With those words, he turns and steps out of the salon. What the hell? I rush to the door.
“What’s your name?” I call. He continues striding away, the blond next to him.
“Celmund,” he calls without looking back.
“Those are some hot guys,” Sara says next to me as we watch them walk towards the alley and disappear. “I think he liked you.”
“Why do you say that?” I ask as I turn to walk back into the salon.
“Oh, come on. You can’t say you didn’t notice the way he was looking at you,” Sara grumbles. “I know you don’t notice these things, but the guy was practically eating you with his eyes.”
I look over at her and grin. “It did look like he liked me, didn’t it?” I murmur so Mrs. Collins doesn’t hear me. I see Sara’s face lift in a grin.
“So you did notice,” she teases just as our next appointment walks in. For the rest of the day, we are too busy to continue talking about Celmund, but my mind wanders again and again to him. I look out the window countless times, hoping for a glimpse of him, but I don’t see him again for the rest of the day. I wonder if I’m on his mind as he is on mine. Never has a guy made such an impression on me as he did.
I have had a few boyfriends, but no one has overwhelmed me with sensations as Celmund did. I know he’s hot, but I have had good-looking guys look at me before, and I’ve never been as attracted to them as I am to Celmund. My mind keeps returning to his lips, his broad chest, and his sinful body. Is it possible that only I felt it?
We’re about to lock up, when my phone rings. Taking it out of my handbag, I groan when I see that it’s Jason, my brother, phoning. “Why don’t you just block him?” Tracy says from where she’s sweeping the hair from the floor. Tracy and Sara know the problems I have because of Jason. He used to be such a good kid, a caring brother, but then he got mixed up with the wrong crowd.
Somehow, he always manages to find me. I have had to move twice from my apartments because of him. I don’t let my parents know where I work because he might find out. He is constantly looking for money for his addiction, and if he doesn’t get what he wants, he gets violent. I have tried to help him get clean, but when it comes to drugs, he has to want it himself.
“Hello?” I answer. Even with everything he has done I love him. I believe that sometimes people get into situations that later on they don’t know and can’t get out of. Jason was always trying to be one of the cool guys, never seeing that it was destroying him.
“Talia, you need to help me,” he starts without even greeting me. I haven’t spoken to Jason in the last three weeks, and I haven’t seen him in the last two months since he tried to force me to help him rob a pharmacy. Because of my ability to move objects, Jason concocted a plan where I would help him and some other accomplices I never met enter the pharmac
y without them having to force themselves inside.
“Jason, I’m not going to help you with any of your schemes,” I say angrily.
“Come on, Talia. You don’t even know what I was going to ask,” he whines.
“I don’t need you to tell me to know that I’m not interested,” I snap.
“You’re such a bitch, you know that? How can helping me out hurt you?” he argues, his voice rising in anger.
“Look, I have to go. I’m still at work, and I don’t have time to talk,” I say.
“I’m coming to see you,” he says before the line goes dead. How can he say he’s coming to see me if he doesn’t know where I work or live? Dialling my mother’s number, I wait for her to answer. She has arthritis, and some days, it can be difficult for her to move.
“Hello, dear,” she answers in a whisper, telling me that my father must be sleeping.
“Hi, Mom. Have you seen Jason lately?” I ask, knowing that it’s unlikely that she has. One thing about Jason is that he never goes to see my parents. He will phone my mom, but he won’t see them. I know that Jason regrets disappointing my parents, and even though the drugs have scrambled his brain, he still has that core of decency where he keeps the pain of seeing him in this condition away from them.
“No, I haven’t. Is there a problem?” I can hear the worry in her voice at my question. The last thing I want to do is worry my parents. They deserve their peace. My parents live in an old age home. They only managed to have us when my mom was in her forties, but they never gave up. After I was born, they thought that that was it, but right after me, my mom got pregnant again with Jason. My mom has always had health issues, and my father recently found out that he has a heart condition. Worry is the last thing they need.
“No, Mom, all is fine. It’s just that I spoke to him earlier, and he sounded good,” I lie, trying to appease her.
“Well, if you see that boy, tell him that I miss him and he must come to visit.” I never once told my parents the trouble that Jason brought me. Like Jason, I will do anything to appease them and keep them happy. We speak for a little longer before I disconnect the call.
“Why do you do this to yourself?” Tracy asks as she buttons up her coat. Sara already left a few minutes ago; I will lock up as soon as Tracy leaves. I know my colleagues mean well, but they don’t understand the anguish of not being able to help someone they love because they’re not ready to help themselves.
“He’s a good person; it’s the drugs that make him like that. I still have hope that he will find help and heal,” I confess, feeling the tears behind my eyes, but I refuse to cry. I have cried way too many times because of Jason.
“Well, I hope for your sake that he does,” Tracy says as she walks over to hug me. “Shall we go?”
We make our way outside, and Tracy waits next to me as I lock up. “See you tomorrow,” she calls after everything is locked up, and we make our way towards our cars.
“Bye,” I call. I glance in the direction of the alley, wondering if one of the guys are there like Celmund said. The whole day, I’ve been glancing in that direction, but I never saw any sign of movement. Sighing, I open my car door and slip in. I’m about to start the car, when I see movement in the rear-view mirror from my back seat, making my heart beat in fright as I scream.
CELMUND 3
“Fuck, bad fucking timing,” Burkhart grunts as he paces. Caelius just told him that I found my mate, and needless to say, he’s worried like I am. What has been worrying me is that maybe whoever is organizing all this already knows that Talia is my woman. Could it be that this is a setup and they arranged everything for me to be able to meet her?
“I have to keep away from her. This could be a setup,” I grunt.
“Of course this is a fucking setup,” Burkhart growls. “This fucker has been a step ahead every fucking time.”
“Someone needs to keep an eye on her.” The need to be close to her is already there even though we haven’t bonded. If I know she’s unprotected, I will go nuts. There is no way I will be able to go about what I need to do and have her in danger. Fuck, I need to find the asshole who has masterminded this. I need to find the person responsible for activating the devices.
“We’ll have eyes on her around the clock. We’ll talk to Tor and get the guys here.” I growl at the thought of the other men being close to her. Shit, I’ve never been the possessive type, but the thought of any man close to her makes me nuclear.
“You have to get over that shit. You can’t go near her until this is sorted,” Burkhart snaps as he comes to stand before me with his hands low on his waist.
“I will phone Draco. He can send some of our guys. They are mated, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” Caelius says as he pulls out his phone and dials, placing the call on speaker.
“What’s up?” Draco answers.
“We have a problem,” Caelius states. “Celmund found his mate.” We hear his indrawn breath before he grunts.
“Fuck, is this on speaker?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Burkhart replies.
“Celmund, you can’t bond with her at the moment, Brother,” he says.
“I know, but I need eyes on her.”
“We will come up.”
“There is more,” Caelius says before Draco can disconnect. I explain the situation to him about what we found and what we suspect. I hear him swear and a crash, knowing that he must have smashed something in his anger.
“Caelius, come pick us up. I want to be there later today,” he orders before he disconnects. Knowing that my brothers will be here calms me. I need to concentrate on what I need to do and let the others protect Talia. The thought of her has me hardening. Fuck, I need to resolve this. I have wanted to find my mate ever since I can remember, and when I do find her, I can’t even be close to her.
Caelius places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “We’re here for you.”
I nod. The best thing that ever happened to me was being accepted into the Elementals MC. I found a family I thought I would never find again. When my parents and brother were killed suddenly, I was left with a hole in my soul that left me lost for a long time until Draco found me and asked me if I wanted to prospect.
At first, I was suspicious of everyone, as the death of my family was never resolved. My parents were very wealthy, and the method used regarding their car explosion was never identified. For years, I delved into every possibility, but never did I find their killer.
“I’m gonna take off. Is there anything you need from the compound?” Caelius asks as he makes his way towards his bike.
“No, I’m fine for now,” I call. Just as he sits on the bike, I hear a scream. My throat tightens, and I’m running before I even realize what I’m doing.
“Fuck,” I hear Burkhart roar behind me as both of their running footsteps follow me.
“Leave it alone, Celmund. We’ll sort it out,” Caelius calls, but my vision is trained on the car ahead of me where I see Talia trying to open the driver’s door to get out and a man’s figure in the back seat trying to pull her back. The fury that engulfs me is overwhelming. I don’t see or hear anything. All I want is the son of a bitch in reaching distance. He will never touch another woman again. He thought to touch my woman, to frighten her. He will die for his audacity.
I don’t stop. I reach the back door of the car and yank, pulling the door off until it’s hanging from its hinges. I take hold of the asshole’s arms and yank him out, throwing him out and onto the pavement. I move towards him, but suddenly, there are arms around me, holding me back. “Calm down, Brother. You don’t want to kill him in front of your woman,” Caelius grunts behind me.
My fury has no bounds. That scream made my blood run cold. I never want to hear fear from her again. “Fuck, Celmund, calm down,” Caelius grunts as I continue moving forward, dragging him behind me. I can hear Burkhart talking from behind me, and I know he is checking up on Talia, as I hear her fear-filled voice.
The guy ha
s lifted from the ground and is trying to crawl away. I can smell his contaminated blood from here. “Motherfucker,” I grunt as we’re nearly upon him. He tries to stand, but his legs buckle under his weight. I kick out my leg, striking him, and he sprawls on the ground again. His breath whooshes out in a hiss.
“Wait, please . . . stop,” I hear Talia cry out, and my tensed muscles cord in anger as I hear her fear. My head snaps around to see what is frightening her, but I see her eyes on me. “Please, don’t hurt him.”
“He was trying to hurt you.” My voice is a guttural growl.
“Please, don’t hurt him.” When I see a tear slide down her face, my heart tightens in anguish. I don’t want my woman scared or in pain. “He’s my brother,” she whispers.
“What?” Burkhart grunts from next to her.
“Talia,” her brother calls out in a grunt, “tell them to leave me alone.”
“How did you find me, Jason?” she asks, which makes me tense again. Why wouldn’t he know where she works if he’s her brother?
“You know I can always fucking find you,” he grunts as he starts to stand. His words grate at me, but I hold myself stiff, trying not to attack him, at least for now. “Now call your guard dogs off.” He glares at me.
“Listen here, motherfucker. Say that again and I will rearrange your face. Not even your sister will be able to help you,” Burkhart growls as he steps towards her brother. He must have realized his mistake, because he lifts his hands and steps back.
“Burkhart,” Caelius calls as he steps next to us, bringing Burkhart to a stop.
“What do you want, Jason?” Talia asks from behind us. I move my shoulders, letting Caelius know to let me go. He loosens his arms and then slowly lets them drop, but I notice that he doesn’t step back.
“I need your help, Sis,” he says as he steps towards Talia. My instincts are instantaneous. I stand before him and growl in anger. He stops before he takes another step. I can see how high he is, and from close up, the smell of his polluted blood is overwhelming. I will never let him get close to my woman, brother or not brother.
CELMUND: Elemental's MC (book 7) Page 2