by Jane West
Jeffery saved me from total humiliation by butting in and doing the honor of officially introducing us. He cleared his throat. “Let me have the pleasure. Stevie, I would like for you to meet Valour Cross.” Jeffery very gallantly pointed to our guest. “Val for short. And Val,” Jeffery glanced at me—“I’d like for you to meet the one and only Stephanie Ray Collins. It’s Stevie for short.” Jeffery’s taupe eyes sparkled with mirth.
My cheeks were blazing under the humorous gaze of Val’s eyes. I hid behind my lashes as I mumbled. “Nice to be on first-name basis.”
“Likewise, Freckles.” His voice was deeply rich, yet playful. Goose bumps covered my arms. The good ones.
Dom and Jeffery didn’t help the matter any when they both snorted laughter. Some things never change.
Jeffery thought it’d be more private for our guest and me to sit outside on the front porch. We were far away enough from anyone’s earshot.
The full moon caressed us with its silver light and a nice evening breeze rustled through the trees. Mockingbirds were chirping among one another, a sound I never grew tired of hearing.
I didn’t want to sit in the swing. It brought back too many memories of a time that I didn’t care to revisit. I suppose there may be some residual feelings still lingering over Aidan. Why else did I still get a tug at my heart whenever something reminded me of him? Perhaps in time, the pain would ease.
So I went and sat down on the top step, and Gold-Eyes followed, sitting down next to me, stretching out his long legs. If he questioned why I chose the steps and not the swing, he didn’t ask. I was grateful.
The house sat on a hill where we could see all the way down to the end of the street. The Garden District was breathtaking—tree-lined sidewalks with rows of stunning Victorian homes standing in their glory—a delightful sight I once thought only existed in magazines. Sometimes I had to pinch myself to make sure this was my life. I sighed, sadly. Despite the remarkable life that had been bestowed upon me, if given the choice, I’d give up all of this to have my child back.
Gold-Eyes or I should say, Val, cleared his throat and brought me back to our pending discussion. I glanced up, but not before I could veil my sorrow. His speckled eyes softened, and I knew he had caught a glimpse of my sadness. I quickly looked away, but it didn’t matter. He saw my heavy heart. Even though, his eyes filled with a gentle ardor, he didn’t ask why the sad face. Instead, he wrapped his arm around me and hugged me tenderly. We shared a moment of silence. Then with a deep sigh, he began probing me about my plans.
“Do you have any idea where you want to start looking for your daughter?” His tone was serious and direct, stirring the air with nobility.
“Yes, I have it all planned out. I want you to break into Haven Hospital and steal my file,” I confessed, straight up. I figured no point in beating around the bush. Val gulped the last bit of beer down and crushed the can with his bare hand. “Uh...you don’t ask for much, do you?” He spoke in his deep baritone voice.
“Well...unless you have another idea, it’s the best I’ve got.” I didn’t look him in the eyes. Rather, I kept my eyes focused straight ahead. “I figured Haven hospital will have my medical documents. Just maybe the birth might be in the same files.”
“Wait! The guy at The Devil’s Den, he worked at that hospital. You had planned on bribing him ”
I didn’t know if he was asking a question or stating a fact. “Yeah. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that far.” I picked up a pebble and threw it at the mailbox down at the iron gate. Ting. It bounced off the box. Then a curious question hit me. “How did you know I was there?”
Val shifted, hesitating before he answered. “Mac, the bartender recognized you, so, he called me. My friend knew you were in over your head. That place is not exactly a spot for the weak at heart.”
“You think I’m weak?” I snapped my head up, glaring at him.
Val paused briefly as he searched into my eyes. “No. I don’t. But I do think you jump before you think.” He smiled. “It took some gumption to do what you did. Still, stupid.” His eyes gleamed with what appeared as admiration.
“Yeah, it’s starting to become a bad habit of mine.” I smiled to myself.
“You gotta be careful tracing off to those back alley joints. You’re asking for a whole set of problems.”
He didn’t have to tell me. I knew far too well about creatures lurking in the shadows. Then it dawned on me. “How did your friend know me?” I stared into his face. Something I just realized I liked his chiseled chin and his strong jaw. He was handsome, though, different than Aidan. Aidan had swagger and the arrogance to match. Val seemed more grounded, yet a leader with dignity.
“To be honest, it wasn’t much of a secret. Mac saw you that night I threw you out of my place. Our little encounter sorta developed into a hot topic among the regulars.” He paused, tinkering with his keys. “I’d sent a warning to the locals to ban you.” Val tossed a short smile. It was disturbing enough that our tiff ended up as gossip. The banning part, I didn’t care about. Yet there was more than what he was telling.
“What’s the other reason?” Our eyes locked. The gold specks in his deep green eyes glimmered under the moonlight.
“My friend knew I had a fondness for you.”
“Oh!” I said, surprised. I didn’t know what to say. “Uh...thanks,” I said awkwardly.
He took a sharp sigh and got back to the subject. “So you need me to break into this hospital?”
“Not exactly.” I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I think with your ability to copycat other people, you can masquerade as one of the orderlies. All you have to do is find the file, grab it, and get out.”
“Do you know the layout of the hospital?”
“No.” My face squinted like I’d eaten a bug. I was hoping he wouldn’t have asked me that. Clearly, I wasn’t prepared. “But that orderly at The Devil’s Den knows.”
“You think that fat bastard will help you after you tried gutting him?” Val snickered to himself.
“No, but I think he’d do it for a hefty price,” I might be naive about a lot of things, but greed was an easy thing to spot.
“How much?”
“Whatever it takes.” An impish grin grazed my lips.
“You’re that rich?”
“Yep,” I replied.
For a brief moment, our eyes hasped. A hush rendered. With a long sigh, he exclaimed, “That guy, the father, he must have hurt you pretty bad.” It wasn’t a question. It was an observation. I didn’t answer. I didn’t have it in me. I looked away, peering off down the street.
“Okay, I’ll get the layout. And you, my friend, will stay put. Safe out of harm’s way.”
“Oh no! I’m going with you. I didn’t say I wanted you to do this alone.” Sitting on the sidelines was out of the question. I was in this ‘till death.
“We’re going to do this my way, or else I’m walking,”
By the stern glint behind his eyes and the tightness of his lips, he wasn’t going to budge. Even still, my stubbornness got the best of me.
“I’m in this with you, all the way.”
“Sorry.” He smiled. “My way or the highway, Freckles.” He stared back at me with an inflexibility set in his jaw.
I paused a moment to collect my cool. I needed his help, and I didn’t have many other options. In fact, he was it. I had to take it or leave it. “Okay,” I withdrew a defeated breath, “agreed, but one more thing?”
His shoulders stiffened. I knew he was dreading my next request. “Will you teach me how to fight? You know, street fighting?” Like I said, why beat around the bush?
My new friend shook his head and grinned.
Then he looked me straight in the eyes. “You never cease to amaze me. I’ll teach you. Be at my place bright and early tomorrow morning.” Then he hesitated. “If I train you...don’t expect me to powder puff it. I’m going to treat you like a man.” Val leaned in with his lopsided grin. “I hope
we have an understanding?” His eyes were solid and firm.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,”
“And oh...don’t wear those damn cutoff shorts. They’re too distracting. Wear sweats, and pull your hair up too.”
Talk about blunt, I thought. “All right, I will if you stop calling me Freckles.” I bargained.
Val snorted a laugh and shook his head. “There are no deals in war, sugar,” he stated, handing the crushed beer can to me. “Gotta go.” He rose to his feet, pausing as I stood up on the top step our gaze even. I thought he was going to kiss me. I saw he wanted to in the gold speckles of his warm eyes, but he pulled away. Instead, he softly slugged me in the arm, like a little sister. I reckoned that was best. If the truth be told, I wasn’t ready to move on just yet. My head was still swimming from what Aidan and Sally and that whole blasted family had done to me. I may not ever get over it. That was a fact that I had to face.
I watched as he trailed down the long steps. Once he reached the iron gate, he turned back to me and called out. “I like you better with no makeup. Your freckles stand out.” He tossed me a sideways glance, dangling his keys in his hand. Without another word, he straddled his Harley and rode off. My eyes followed him until he was out of sight.
Funny he should say that. Tonight, I was me. No fancy clothes or hairdo—just me.
No Pain and Tell Me Again...What’s the Gain?
Icouldn’t fall asleep that night. Worry kept clouding my mind. As much as I needed Val’s help, I found myself concerned over the target I might be putting on his back. After all, he had nothing to do with this fight. He knew the Family. Even more, he possessed knowledge of their operations. So it wasn’t like he was going in blindfolded. Surely he could take care of himself. Still I was asking a lot.
Odd how he changed his mind when he was dead-set against getting involved. I wondered if the money had persuaded him, though, he didn’t mention his price. If money was his motivation that was fine. I preferred to keep our relationship business. Personal might become a hindrance. I had to keep focused on finding my daughter.
That early morning, I sat in front of the mirror at my makeup station. Staring at my disheveled hair, I thought change was past-due. A new look with a new attitude was just what the doctor ordered. Quickly, before I changed my mind, I reached in the drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors. In only a few clean swipes, the lustrous locks fell to the floor in a heap. Once finished, I looked at myself in the mirror. What was left caressed my heart-shaped face. Quite fitting for the present Stevie, I thought. Now Val couldn’t complain about my hair getting in his way.
After I’d showered, I went to The Closet. I shook my head. Only Jeffery would think to name a closet, but I had to admit, it was impressive. I looked through each piece of clothing, and nothing came even close to what Val instructed. “Nothing sexy.” I tapped my finger on my lip. I snatched a pair of black leggings and Val’s jersey. The leggings were tight fitting, but the T-shirt, three sizes too large, covered all the sexy parts—my boobs and butt. What else could there be?
Time was running out, and I didn’t want to be late on my first day. If he thought I didn’t take this seriously, he might change his mind. So once I finished dressing, I took the stairs two at a time. No time for breakfast, so I grabbed a piece of toast and headed out the door. Both the guys were still asleep. I’d apologize to Dom later for missing his morning feast.
***
When I arrived at the bar, I took the back stairwell to his apartment directly above his establishment. For some strange reason, my heart began pounding at my chest. I drew in several deep breaths to calm my pulse. I started to knock, but as I raised my hand, the door flew open, and there he stood dressed in a white T-shirt hugging his beautiful six-pack and exposing his well-formed biceps. A little thrill shot through me, though, the excitement was short lived. By the starkness in his eyes, I sensed agitation. “You’re late!” He barked.
“I am not!” I bellowed. “You told me early. I’m up before the damn rooster’s crow!” I retorted while I stormed past him. I brushed against his arm without budging his footing.
“I told you to wear sweats. What’s this?” He tugged on his jersey that I brazenly had worn. I jerked it out of his hand and snapped back. “It’s fine. No skin showing. What’s your problem?”
The playfulness in Val’s face from last night had vanished and a mean-eyed green monster had taken possession of the dude’s body. “That shirt defines every curve. And the pants? What were you thinking?” His hard eyes raked over me from my flip-flops to my boobs.
“I thought it might be a smart move to use my best features to throw off my opponent.” My hands rested on my hips, shooting him a challenging glare.
Val’s eyes flashed with humor for a second until his attention drew to my hair. “What is this?” He snatched a short curl.
I swatted his hand away, feeling annoyed at his fault-finding. “I’m just trying to be one of the boys.”
“I think that’s impossible, Freckles.” His eyes sparkled, with on corner of his mouth tipping, suggesting a smile.
“Whatever!” I shot back, trying to hide my rosy cheeks. “Are we going to get down to business?”
Val’s eyes combed over my body with a lopsided grin followed by a deep breath, “Come on.” He opened the door waving at me to exit first as he followed behind. The whole way downstairs, I felt the heat of his eyes glued to my ass. It was obvious to me by his slow-moving feet taking deliberate care in each step down as his footing echoed in the spillway. Thankfully, my back was to him. My face blistered with embarrassment.
We finally stopped in front of a metal door that read, Private. My nerves were getting the best of me. I’d been in plenty of fights during school, but I had no concept of how a Zop fought. I eased a fretful sigh.
Val jiggled his keys as he stepped in front of me, unlocking the door. Holding it open, he spoke for the first time since the top floor. “Ladies first.” He mused. I assumed his good mood stemmed from his gawking at my ass while descending three damn flights of stairs. I think shopping later is in order for an over-size pair of sweats. I rolled my eyes at him as I entered.
Once we were inside, he flipped on the lights. It took a moment for me to take in the whole place. “Wow! Talk about souped-up!” I whistled. “This has to be at least ten thousand square feet?” My eyes orbed.
“Yep, actually a little more.” A proud smile stretched his lips. Obviously the warehouse had a vital purpose for him. Then my face twisted with curiosity and confusion. “What does one man do with such a huge place?” I inquired.
Val’s brow shot up. “Oh, there are many things one can do in a facility such as this,” he replied with a hidden undertone. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the entailment.
The dwelling reminded me of something out of the dark ages. It was rustic and smelled of men, sweat and a rust like blood. The vast room was dimly lit and appeared built solid with large wood beams from the ceiling to the floor reminded me of a centuries-old warehouse. The word gym didn’t quite give it justice. As my eyes raked over the spacious place, it left me chilled. I remembered my studies of European history,how the Middle Ages were known of torture techniques that were less than humane. The devices used in that barbaric period were inconceivable, and even harder to believe there were people who enjoyed conjuring the most gruesome devices.
If my memory served me well from my studies, I recognized one device that was called a Judas Cradle. It looked like a wooden stool, only the seat was shaped into a sharp cone, not flat and certainly not meant to be used for casual sitting. They would strip the person down to bare skin, then hoist the prisoner up and drop him on the sharp spear ripping his rectum. The picture in my mind was quite disconcerting. I noticed another device called the Rack. It was believed to be the mother of all torture devices. It consisted of a wooden frame with two ropes fixed to the bottom and another two tied to a handle in the top. I remembered reading the torturer turned the han
dle, the ropes would pull the victim’s arms, dislocating bones with a loud crack. If the torturer kept turning the handles the limbs were torn right off the body.
I flew into Val, appalled. “What the hell kind of place is this?” I spun on my heels, leaving.
Val grabbed my arm, halting me. A lopsided grin flipped up as he exclaimed, “In my world, sometimes we have to resort to drastic measures.”
My stomach roiled. “You mean to tell me that after all these centuries, you, a Zop have to resort to such barbaric methods out of the dark ages?”
“I know this is hard for you to understand, but the world of extraordinary is cruel and savage. If you want to stay alive, it would be best for you not to forget that.”
The glint in Val’s eyes gave me a jolt. This was creepy no matter how I looked at it.
My eyes drifted to the far wall where a long line of weaponry stood erect in glass cases. Before I realized it, I was standing in front of one of the glass cases with curiosity. In my history lessons, I’d never read anything about swords. Each one had an unique design. Some of the etching was worn and faded.
My eyes fell upon another device encased by its self that reminded me of a skewer. Strange how it hummed as if it was singing my name. As I examined the odd spear, I assumed by its weathered condition, it either had been ill-treated or it was very old.
I turned to call for Val, but he had been standing behind me. His step was light as a thief. It reminded me of Aidan, and a slight prick tugged at my heart. Without hesitance, I pushed my memory away. I forced my focus back to my more recent interest. “What is this?” I touched the glass, peering at the object, curious of its strange effect it held on me.
“It’s very ancient. According to legend, it’s cursed. It’s deadly to anyone who uses it.”
“Cursed?” I whispered without taking my eyes off the box.
Val rubbed his chin, hesitating. “Have you ever heard of the Spear of Destiny?”