Lessons Learned (The Gifted Realm Book 2)

by Jillian Neal

  The climbed back into the car and Garrett eased across the litter-lined street. He pulled next to the curb several houses down the street from Wretchkinsides’ safehouse.

  It was a two-story house in ill repair. The shrubs had taken over the sagging front porch. The paint was peeling, and it appeared to have been abandoned. They sat there in silence for a long while, occasionally checking the interior of the home with a pair of binoculars, but not seeing anything.

  Rainer barely paid attention to the home or the stakeout. He replayed Governor Haydenshire’s story along with the advice he’d gotten the night before from Sam in his mind repeatedly.

  He could buy her most anything in the world, but that wasn’t going to solve the problems he’d created. She needed time, and a commitment, and a fiancé, instead of just a shield.

  Rainer sighed. He’d had sex with her repeatedly over the weekend and then promised that he wasn’t keeping anything from her, when he really was. Getting her to have sex with him was not his goal, he decided, not that he would turn her down.

  They needed to talk for hours about everything that had happened. They hadn’t really even discussed Cascavel and her attempted abduction. Rainer had served only to try and quiet her fears, not listen to them and hear her out. He didn’t want her to be afraid. His Predilect had taken over his brain. He’d been treating her like an infant.

  “Hey, Logan,” Rainer broke the silence in the car.

  “Yeah?”

  “I will pay for you and Adeline to stay wherever you want tonight as long as it’s not at our house.”

  “She really that bad?” Logan quizzed, and Rainer was pleased to see that Logan’s irritation with Emily seemed to have dissolved into concern.

  He nodded and glanced towards the house, so he didn’t have to look at either Logan or Garrett.

  “Yeah,” Logan nodded, “But I’ll take care of it. I owe you anyway.”

  Garrett nodded his approval.

  “Thanks,” Rainer breathed his appreciation.

  “Well, look at what we have here,” Garrett pulled out a camera and began snapping pictures of none other than Dominic Wretchkinsides.

  “Why can’t we arrest him? He tried to take Emily,” Logan demanded.

  “Whoa there,” Garrett’s massive arm slung across Logan’s chest. “He was inside Les’s pub when she was almost taken. Don’t you get it? That’s how he works. He always has an alibi, and he never gets his hands dirty. He’s the mastermind with more blood on his hands than anyone in the entire Realm, but we don’t have enough evidence on him to keep him in Felsink for a month.”

  “We don’t have a warrant for his arrest, and we have no evidence in any case that would get us a warrant.”

  “What about Amelia?” Rainer wondered out loud. “I mean, Vindico watched him kill her, right? Why can’t we arrest him for murder?”

  Garrett was visibly impressed. “Unfortunately, Dan went to complete shit that night. He never called me. He never called Caddick. He just went all alone. Then he got himself mind-casted. Medios and most Gifted people can see the residuals of that kind of cast for days after the casting.”

  “A person who’s been mind-casted can’t testify, because they may not have actually seen what they thought they saw. If Dan had just taken someone with him, someone who could have seen Nic set the cast, even if we hadn’t gotten Amelia out, we could still have arrested Wretchkinsides. But he didn’t.”

  Wretchkinsides had gone into the house but then walked back out towards the side yard.

  “What’s he doing?” Garrett wondered as he continued to snap pictures.

  Suddenly, Wretchkinsides lifted what appeared to be a well-hidden wooden door into the ground. He descended into some kind of bomb shelter, or maybe an old still hideaway.

  “Well, Dan’ll be thrilled with that little bit of info.” Garrett seemed stunned that they’d gotten something to take back.

  Nothing happened for several long minutes, and Rainer’s mind went back to Emily. Everything from romantic clichés that he knew Emily loved, to places he might convince her to talk to him, to her favorite kinds of flowers, flitted rapidly through his mind.

  Her loft and their tryst from a few weeks before intrigued him but, truthfully, making out in the loft was in their past, and as important as that was, what Emily needed was a piece of their future.

  “I’m hungry,” Logan whined.

  “You’re not hungry. You’re bored,” Garrett scoffed.

  Food suddenly became a part of Rainer’s plan. He didn’t want to take her out though. He wanted her alone. They just needed to talk about everything and nothing.

  He’d order anything in that she wanted. He didn’t care where he had to go to acquire it, but he wanted them to stay home where she could scream at him, or hit him, or cry, whatever needed to happen so that they could heal and move on.

  He needed to be able to talk until she really listened and that wasn’t going to happen in a restaurant full of other people and the intrusive press.

  “No, I’m hungry,” Logan argued.

  “Fine, let’s go get some sandwiches.” Garrett rolled his eyes as he eased the car forward. “We need to park somewhere else anyway. We’ve been here too long.”

  Debate filled Rainer’s mind. He needed to show Emily that he would always take care of her. He also needed to prove to her that he wanted to work with her to fight the tides together, just like the Governor said.

  Rainer’s rapid thoughts left him startled when he heard the Highlander’s emergency brake engage. He followed Garrett and Logan inside a small sandwich shop that didn’t seem to fit in with the run-down storefronts.

  Rainer breathed in the peace that it afforded him. The smell of freshly-baked bread in the warm glow of the restaurant soothed him.

  A plump, elderly woman with wind-pricked cheeks greeted them. They smiled and exchanged pleasantries and ordered several sandwiches, chips, and Dr. Peppers, before heading back out into the drizzling rain.

  They returned to the safe house. This time Garrett parked on the street behind. Rainer unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite.

  “Yum!” Logan all but moaned, “This is the best sandwich I’ve ever had.”

  Garrett chuckled and nodded his agreement. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t be telling our mother that.”

  The sandwich was delicious, Rainer agreed, and a sudden thought occurred to him. He considered more evening plans while keeping an eye on the safehouse, though nothing interesting was going on near it.

  “Hey, you know, I once got a girl to sleep with me by packing her an indoor picnic,” Garrett began to brag as he lifted the sandwich in exultation.

  Logan rolled his eyes, and a genuine chuckle escaped Rainer’s mouth.

  They both seemed thrilled that they’d gotten some kind of reaction out of him, so Garrett continued, “You know, candlelight, fireplace, wine. You can feed her, she can suck you.”

  “Thanks, I got the picture,” Rainer quipped.

  As Garrett continued on with the lewd story, his mind became resolute. He had no intention of letting Emily do anything for him, not that she was offering. He’d taken her to one of the nicest restaurants in New York, and he’d acted like a prepubescent moron, so perhaps taking things back to simpler times was the way to go.

  A picnic sounded perfect. Life had been much easier before they’d graduated and gotten jobs, before he’d inherited the vast Lawson estate that he now stood to lose half of, and before they’d started sleeping together.

  Life just keeps going, Rainer, even when you want so badly for it to stop for a little while, or even just slow down, it keeps right on going, and we have to go with it. So, son, just hold on tight, because it won’t wait on you to catch up. His father’s words of wisdom rang in his ears and reverberated against the recesses of his mind.

  He needed to hold on to her, and he’d never been closer to losing the thing that meant the most.

  At a quarter of twelve, Garret drove back to
the grocery store parking lot. Portwood and Ericcson were waiting for them.

  Rainer gave them a half wave as he sprinted to his Mustang. He pulled the cast back into his body as he neared.

  “You going to get more sandwiches?” Logan called. Rainer nodded as he flung the door open. “We’ll meet you there.”

  “Well, hello again, boys. I hope you haven’t come back because you didn’t care for your sandwiches?” the woman fretted momentarily.

  “Oh no, ma’am,” both Logan and Rainer assured her that their lunch was delicious.

  “Actually,” Rainer cleared his throat and gave her what he hoped was a dazzling smile, “I was hoping you might be willing to help me with something.”

  She looked eager to help, so he continued.

  “I'd really love to take my fiancée on a picnic, and I was wondering if you might be able to pack up some sandwiches maybe a few desserts in a basket or something for us this evening?”

  “Well, aren’t you just so sweet. I hope your fiancée knows how lucky she is.” The woman began glancing around the chilled counter area, considering.

  “Yeah, I’m not thinking lucky would be Emily’s take right now,” Rainer sighed under his breath to Logan.

  Logan slapped him on the back. “Well, it’s Em, so I’d say if by tonight she just no longer wants to suffocate you in your sleep, then you’ve made really good progress.”

  “Thanks,” Rainer muttered.

  The woman stopped suddenly and gazed out the windows. Rainer glanced at his watch discreetly. Fionna had agreed to keep Emily out of the house for a couple of hours, but he needed to hurry. He still had several other stops to make.

  She offered Rainer a condoling smile. “Oh, but, dear, it’s been far too rainy today for a picnic. Maybe come back tomorrow, and I’ll pack you something extra special. She won’t want to be out of doors now; it’s just too wet.” She seemed to believe Rainer to be too in love to make rational decisions.

  He tried to discern the best way to persuade this woman to pack the picnic without telling her that he intended to eat it in their bed.

  Garrett sniggered, but then came to Rainer’s rescue. “Well, you know girls like indoor picnics. Right, Rainer?”

  “Oh, my husband proposed at a picnic in front of a roaring fire.” The woman clasped her hands excitedly as she reminisced with a glint in her eye that made Rainer hopeful.

  She came back to the here and now, and eyed Rainer for a moment. “Well, now, I know you’re young and obviously just getting started, so how much did you want to spend?”

  He smiled and tried not to laugh. “The sky’s the limit.”

  She looked slightly taken aback but gave him an impressed smile as she began pulling things out of the chilled cases. She glided into a back room and returned with a large basket.

  After questioning Rainer as to Emily’s favorite kinds of sandwiches, salads, and pastries, she began to put together a beautiful spread.

  After adding small bags of gourmet chips, she smiled, “Now, do you have a blanket? You’ll need a blanket even if you eat this on a rug in front of a fire.”

  “Oh, yes, ma’am” It was way too hot for a fire but he didn’t comment. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “How about some chocolate candies?”

  “Yeah, that’d be great.”

  With a thoughtful nod, she began adding tiny, heart-shaped chocolates wrapped in pink foil around the sandwiches and containers of salads.

  “Oh, I know,” she exclaimed as she went to a refrigerated counter near the drinks and pulled out some strawberries. “These will be a bit more money,” she said tentatively.

  “It’s fine, really,” Rainer reassured her again.

  As she was adding up the contents of the basket on the cash register, Logan and Garrett placed an order for two more sandwiches each, which Rainer suspected was the reason they’d accompanied him in the first place.

  As the woman prepared Logan’s sandwiches, Rainer shelled out a hefty stack of bills and placed them on the counter. He thanked the woman profusely, before he turned to leave. Logan took the paper bag that contained his and Garrett’s snack, and followed Rainer out the door.

  “Come back and let me know how she likes everything,” the woman called sweetly.

  Logan laughed outright, while Rainer thanked her again and promised to return to let her know how Emily had liked the picnic.

  “So, when exactly are we allowed to come home?”

  “Well, we have to work tomorrow, so I assumed you’d be home after that, honey,” Rainer sneered. It felt good to be able to joke with Logan again. “Oh and I’ll be late to work from now on, so would you mind taking Adeline to work or her taking you? I’m going to be taking Emily to the Arena the mornings she has to work.”

  “Uh, that’s assuming she thinks this picnic thing is sweet and not stupid, and actually agrees to get in the car with you.”

  A Foundation

  As Rainer turned towards the interstate, doubt took up residence where his momentary hopefulness had just vacated. It’s a picnic. I lied to her, hid things from her, and to top it all off, she thinks I essentially cheated on her with strippers.

  He knew the kinds of things going on in Emily’s mind. He just didn’t know how to make her believe that nothing had happened.

  He shook his head and tried to forcefully remove the doubt. This just has to work. I have to make her believe me.

  A sudden thought occurred to Rainer. He needed to somehow link their past and their present, and show her he would always be there for their whole future. Just like Governor Haydenshire’s champagne flutes.

  Rainer exited the interstate in McLean and made the first of several stops.

  He checked his watch again as he raced up the farmhouse steps.

  I need another half hour. He sent the text to Fionna and then flung open the door.

  Mrs. Haydenshire’s head shot up as she clutched her chest. “Rainer, what’s wrong?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I should’ve knocked. I’m just in a hurry,” he apologized.

  “Sweetheart, when have you or any of my other children ever knocked? Can I help you do something?”

  Rainer found it odd that she was seated on the couch, with her feet up, in the middle of the day. He tried to think of another time that he’d come home and not found her doing something in the kitchen, either with the twins or cooking.

  “Uh, no, ma’am. Would it be all right if I went back to my old room?”

  “As long as you’re not going up there because Emily has locked you out of the guesthouse, then you can go up anytime. Yours and Logan’s room will always be yours.”

  “Thanks.” Rainer tore up the stairs. He raced to the end of the long hallway and opened the right-hand set of closet doors.

  There wasn’t much in there, and the room looked basically the same as it had when they’d moved out a few weeks before.

  Rainer tapped the loosened floorboard in the back of his old closet until it sprang upward.

  Out of habit, he looked back down the hallway to make certain no one was coming. With a quick prayer that this might just work, he leaned in and eased the wedged shoebox out from its hiding spot.

  He’d stuck it in there to make certain that Logan, or any of the Haydenshire brothers, never saw them. His keeping so many of his and Emily’s notes from the past thirteen years would’ve gotten him harassed mercilessly. He remembered to restore the floorboard before he tucked the crumpled shoebox under his arm and raced back down the stairs.

  “Thanks, Mrs. Haydenshire!” he called as he flew past her and headed back out the door.

  He sped across the pastures and leapt out of the Mustang as soon as he’d jerked the key from the ignition.

  He grabbed the four dozen roses from the front seat and quickly began unloading the car.

  His brain moved rapidly through all of the things he wanted to do for her, if she’d just give him a chance. He started the bath water, lit and heat-casted the c
andles he’d purchased, remembered to add the bubble bath, and then tried to figure out how to make the roses look right in a vase.

  That seemed hopeless, so he laid one of the pink dozen on the dresser and began ripping the petals off of the others to scatter on the bed. It didn’t look quite the way he’d seen it done in movies, but it wasn’t bad, he decided.

  Racing back to the kitchen, he grabbed the picnic basket, along with several Dr. Peppers from their fridge that he balanced under his chin.

  After kicking the door closed, he arranged the basket on the bed and chill-casted the drinks.

  He considered and then sped back to the kitchen. He couldn’t find any wine in the house, and he didn’t have time to go purchase any. Dr. Pepper, it is then.

  He grabbed the shoebox of notes and a few sheets of paper and wrote a lengthy note to his fiancée.

  This one was so much more important than any of the others, so he poured out his heart in the letter. If she refused to listen to him, maybe she would read.

  He smoothed out a crumpled envelope that he located and stuck the new note on top of the box that he laid on their bed.

  He checked his watch and began to pace.

  The Calm Before…

  He heard the chugging motor of Fionna’s canary-yellow Pontiac Solstice shut down and, hoping against hope, he flung open the door.

  Fionna gave him a hopeful grin as she waved and backed out as soon as Emily had exited the car.

  “Why are you here?” Emily managed in a fretful whisper.

  “I got off early, and I’m not gonna be working so much ever again, and I need to fix everything I’ve done somehow,”the words spilled from his mouth without much finesse.

  “Where are Logan and Adeline?”

  They entered the kitchen, and he realized that she didn’t want to be alone with him. His heart sank as he drew a deep breath.

  “Uh,” he stammered, “They’re spending the night in D.C., I think.”