Divided (The United Trilogy Book 2)

by Wheeler, Jaci

  “Well, President Princess, are you coming over or are you just gonna stand there and gawk?”

  Oh crap! How does he know I am here? He hasn’t turned once. Great, there goes my hiding option. With not enough time to brace myself, I square my shoulders and walk over to him.

  “I can put a shirt on if it bothers you,” he says, still not looking at me. It is then that I notice that he is fishing. He has a bucket at his feet that is already half full. What is he saying about bothering me?

  “Bother me?” I am a little slow on the uptake today, it seems.

  He looks down at me with a small smile. Wow, not scowling really works for him. “I am talking about my scars. If they bug you, I’ll put my shirt back on.” He says it slowly and looks at me like I am missing a joke.

  “Oh. No! I’m sorry. Why would they bug me? I’m not the one who had to endure them.” I say this with complete sincerity. He cocks his head to the side and studies me for a moment.

  “No, I guess you didn’t. You sure are a strange one, aren’t you?” he tells me while still studying me with that odd look on his face.

  “I’m strange? You are the one who acts like I peed on your parade!” I cry out, flustered and not all used to not knowing how to handle someone like him. I can get convicts to eat out of my hand, for goodness’ sake, but this man completely terrifies and intrigues me all at once.

  He bursts out laughing. “Peed on my parade? Really?!” He is cracking up now and I should be mad that he is making fun of me but I can’t seem to muster up the energy to feel mad. He looks amazing, strong and happy. All those angry frown lines are erased and he has an amazing smile. He catches me staring at him and his laughter slowly dies down. “See anything you like?” he asks with a cocky grin.

  Oh you’ve got to be kidding me! What a smug, cocky man! “Not a thing!”

  He smiles at me again. “I can tell.” He goes back to fishing and I go back to my thoughts. I can’t take the silence that seems to be growing by the minute. What is it about him that sets me on edge so much?

  “Do they hurt?” He knows I mean the scars, but he doesn’t answer. He just looks down at me. I wait but I refuse to let him see me squirm.

  “Not anymore.”

  I place my hand on one of the long jagged scars that run across his shoulder.

  “Somehow, I doubt that very much. It might not physically give you pain, but it will always hurt, will it not?” I don’t know where I have found the courage to say that but he looks at me now intently again and just nods. It is only then that I realize that I am still touching his bare shoulder blade.

  I start to retract my hand when his large one drops to cover mine. He looks at me for a second. “I’m sorry about being so rude to you last night. I tend to not make the best first impressions. Not many people stick around to find out why.” I nod my understanding.

  “By design, I’m sure.” He gives me another half smirk before removing his hand and letting mine fall away. This is by far the oddest interaction I’ve ever had. I am both scared and drawn to this man who I know absolutely nothing about, except for the fact that he has endured more than anyone I've ever known.

  I can’t hold back the tears that are forming in my eyes, and one has already started to fall and he catches it with his thumb and wipes it away. “What’s wrong?” I turn my head to hide my face.

  “Oh, nothing, really. I’m just a silly girl who is much too empathetic for my own good, as Wes would say.”

  “Wes?” He looks at me again for another moment.

  And that’s when I remember him. “Oh crap! Speaking of Wes, he’s coming today and nobody has any idea where I’ve gone off to. I should have stayed closer to the gate. That’s all I need is for him to get agitated.” I am still flustered by our encounter and desperately need to separate myself from him so I can sort out my thoughts.

  “I need to get back and get this fish cleaned anyway. I’ll walk with you.” He puts his shirt back on and picks up his bucket. We walk back in silence and as soon as we walk up to the fence, I see Green and Wes standing there. Green looks just as happy as ever and Wes is scowling and spouting off about something! Once Wes sees me, he turns that wrath on me.

  “Really, Roz? You don’t come home last night and then you leave us stranded out here in the heat for almost an hour? What on earth has gotten into you? Where are we anyway? And why do you look like Jane of the jungle?” This has earned a hearty laugh from Green and an eyebrow raise from Dex at the mention of me not coming home last night.

  “Wesley, it’s wonderful to see you too! I’m glad you missed me.”

  I walk over to the gate and scan it open. Wes and Green walk in and the gate comes to a stop behind them. It is then that I see all the bags they are carrying. “Geez, you guys, how long did you think I am staying? “

  Wes holds up one bag. “This is yours. The rest of them are filled with food from Miriam. We had no clue where you are or how many people need feeding from your instructions, but you should have plenty. You really do need to learn to give more detailed instructions, Roz, especially when you go off like this, leaving everyone worried about you.”

  I look in one of the bags and find it full of muffins, cookies and cakes. The other bag has biscuits, dried meats, dried fruits, nuts, cheese, and bread. There is enough here for everyone. I take mental note of thanking Miriam when I get back.

  Wes starts with his rant again. “Since when do you just leave overnight without telling me where you are going and then send that scary Masters guy with a vague message? Where the heck are we by the way?”

  Just then, Dex clears his throat.

  “Wes, calm down. I’ll explain more later on. Wesley Sanders and Sebastian Green, this is Dex.” Dex looks at Wes for a long time, and then he nods to him and to Green as well and turns his attention elsewhere, but not before I see a flicker of recognition pass over his face.

  “Now, let’s go hand this food off to the ladies and the three of us will have a chat. Thank you for walking me back, Dex.” He just gives me a look I can’t decipher and walks off.

  I tell Wes and Green to follow me and we bring the food to the women over by the dining hall. Their eyes light up when they see all the bags. Zara comes around the corner when she sees me she heads in my direction.

  “What is all this?” she asks while looking at all of the bags.

  “It’s just some food to thank everyone for having me.” She smiles widely at me.

  “You didn’t have to do that, Roz. This is very kind of you. The kids are going to go crazy over all these sweets.” She gives me another dazzling smile, and I notice that Green seems to be rather captivated by her.

  “Oh, where are my manners? Zara, these are my friends Wes and Sebastian.”

  Wes mumbles a “nice to meet you” and Sebastian takes her hand and kisses it. This completely throws Zara off guard, and she shyly extracts her hand from him and makes an excuse to leave.

  “Ease up on the charm with that one, lover boy,” I say to Green, but he only laughs at me.

  “No really, Sebastian, take it easy on her. She lost her husband and is still very much in mourning.” This sobers him up instantly and he nods.

  “Let’s go for a walk and I will fill you guys in on what I can.”

  Once we are far enough away from the crowd, I turn to Wes first. I have to be very careful on how much I can say in front of him.

  “Okay, Wes, the only reason you are here now is because I know you can keep a secret. This place is highly important, and I can’t tell you who these people are or why they are working here, but you need to just trust me when I say you can’t talk about it, alright?” Wes nods, looking serious.

  “I know, Roz. I already got the shake down by that scary Masters guy.” Green smiles at this. I’m almost sure Green knows just as much as Masters does, but I have to still be cautious.

  “I’m going to be here to monitor the place for several weeks. I’m not sure yet how long I’ll be gone, but all th
e people need to know is that I’m out on assignment for the Ministry, understood?” They both nod.

  I turn to Green. “I know Masters sent you to keep an eye out. We weren't really sure what we were getting into when we came here but I can assure you I am perfectly safe. You won’t be needed out here after all. So if there are things you need to get back to, you can do so. Let Masters know that everything is fine. I’m going to need a while to just blend in around here and see how things are run.”

  “I understand. I think we are going to stay around for the day if that’s alright with you, and catch the train back tonight.”

  I nod at him and say, “That’s fine. It’s good to see some familiar faces.” Green hands me a letter, and tells me that him and Wes need to head to the outhouses, and so I point him in the right direction and proceed to sit down to wait for them go to read the letter. I open it up to see that it is from Masters.

  Roz,

  You were right. I was brought in for questioning upon my arrival. They know you are upset and that you need some time to calm down and survey the situation. I assured them of your safety and that you would meet with them as soon as you return. Nothing was said, Roz, but they were nervous that something was up. I could tell they didn’t want you to stay there, but also didn’t want to give away their hand by stating it. They were actually too casual and too jumpy for my taste. Keep your eyes open and stay safe. I’ll let you know if anything changes here.

  Masters,

  The knot in my stomach returns with utmost force. So far from what I’ve seen here, these people are not capable of starting an uprising. None of them have shown any reason to be banned. I haven’t been here long enough to ask any questions so I need to bide my time a bit and get them comfortable around me and earn their trust. Once I do that, maybe I will finally start to get some straight answers. As I’m sitting there in thought, a large hulking figure who can only be one person comes up next to me.

  “That’s a nice guy you got there. Does he always go off on you like that?” I know he thinks that Wes and I are together, but I don’t like the way he implies it and doesn’t ask me outright. Maybe I should set him straight, but I have decided otherwise.

  “Wes is just passionate. He wasn’t going off on me; he just has a lot of energy he doesn’t know what to do with. When he’s worried, it gets worse. I think it’s sweet,” I say with a smile looking directly at him. He scoffs.

  “So you love this guy?”

  Okay, this is where I have to tell him that we are just friends, but for some reason, I still don’t. “I love him so much. I always have.” He nods and walks off.

  Malik quickly takes his spot, scaring me. “Geez, you guys are sneaky around here.” He laughs.

  “Light footed maybe, but we aren’t the only sneaky ones.”

  He gives me a pointed look. “You know he thinks that you and that fellow are dating.” I give him a shrug.

  “It’s not my fault that he assumes we are. If he would just come right out and ask, I would have told him, even if it is none of his business.” Malik chuckles softly at this.

  “Maybe not, but somehow truths always come out in the end. I find it best to be as upfront as possible.” The subject is dropped just as fast as it was brought up. “It’s time to harvest some vegetables for dinner. Would you care to join me?” I see Wes and Green make their way towards us.

  The three of us join Malik as he shows us around the garden area. It is much bigger than I imagined it would be, but I guess it has to be like that to be able to feed so many people. Wes is very impressed with their irrigation system and the way they fight off frost and the other elements. I'm having a hard time following all the ins and outs of it, but Wes seems to be fascinated. In the end, I just stick to gathering all the veggies that are ready. Green comes over to help on my side of the row.

  “Are you really okay?” he asks with concern in his eyes.

  I nod and smile at him. “Really, Sebastian, I’m fine. They are so wonderful here and have treated me great. I just don’t understand why they should be banned.” He frowns.

  “I don’t either. Masters filled me in last night, and I have been going over and over it in my mind but it still doesn’t add up. The only way you are going to get your answers is by getting them to open up to you, I agree. And I think you’re right, that’s not going to happen with me hanging around. So if you really think you’re okay, I’ll go back. Masters isn’t going to like it though.”

  “Oh I know, but I have a feeling Masters doesn’t like much of anything,” I say with a smirk, and Sebastian’s face lights up.

  “He likes that little blonde you stuck him with.”

  I laugh. “Oh, is that a fact?”

  He laughs again. “Don’t you go and turn into a turncoat on me and rat me out, but they’ve been meeting for lunch every day, and he has been whistling, for God’s sake!”

  I giggle like a school girl and clap my hands together in enthusiasm. “I’m so glad things are working out for them. They both really deserve to be happy.”

  He looks down at me with a soft look in his eyes. “How about you, Roz, are you happy?” I think about this, even though normally I always say yes. I have an amazing family and wonderful friends and I love my job, but now I’m not so sure. I have such a feeling of unease the past month, and since I've been here that feeling has vanished. Among these people, I’ve seen a glimpse of true happiness. Green takes my silence as confirmation that I am not.

  “You really deserve it, Roz. I’ve never met anyone like you, so young yet so wise and full of life and love. You sure are special.” I give him a big hug which he returns with full force.

  "Thanks, Sebastian. You have been wonderful. I don’t know what I would do without you. Now why aren’t you settled down with a wife and two kids by now?”

  He looks thoughtfully at me for a moment then shrugs. “I’m not sure. I’ve dated plenty of very nice and beautiful girls, but nobody has really made me want to settle down. I just want to be free, ya know. It's nice to be able to come and go as I please. I have a dangerous job and I don’t want to hear about it being bothersome all the time. I like being carefree, but yes, sometimes it gets lonely. And before you get any ideas, I don’t need you to play cupid.” I grin because he knows me all too well.

  “Maybe you should focus your cupid attention all on yourself.” He picks up the full basket of veggies and joins the men who are heading in. I stand up to follow them to help prepare dinner.

  We are just finishing up in the food line when I see a tiny little blonde head poke out from under the table. I give my plate to Wes and tell him to save me a spot. I wait until a few people have passed and then I sneak under the table. Luckily, I’m basically child-sized so I don’t have to scrunch up too much to fit under there. Big brown eyes greet me and just a ghost of a smile. I sit there for a moment in silence, not wanting to rush her.

  Then I whisper, “That food sure smells good, doesn’t it? I even heard that they have some special treats tonight if you eat all your food. Why don’t we see if we can go sneak some of those?”

  She doesn’t say anything, but when I put my hand out she put hers in mine. I sneak into the kitchen area and grab a cookie and a muffin and then lead her back into the dining room.

  I can see Dex looking around frantically and I wave him over. “Looking for one of these, by chance?” I ask, holding up Grace’s hands. He breathes out a sigh of relief and squats down to her eye level. Grace lets go of my hand and runs into his arms. He holds her close and I can feel something inside of me break at their sweet interaction.

  He looks her in the eyes and says, “Listen, little mouse. I know it gets scary sometimes, but you can’t go off and hide without telling me where you are going. I keep telling you this, but you have to listen, okay?” She reaches up and kisses that giant man on the cheek and I seriously died right there. Heart. Stopped. The. End.

  I try to act like I am not gawking at their adorable interaction and make su
re that my heart starts beating again. “I put way too much food on my plate and Grace promised me that she would help me eat it all. Since I happened to have two treats as well, she said she would stick around and help me with those also.” A huge smile breaks out on her sweet little face. Dex looks over at me for a moment as if he is trying to figure something out. What that is, I’m not sure, but whatever it is, I don’t think he found it on my face because he moves his gaze away, shaking his head.

  “I’m going to get some food, Gracie. Do you promise to sit right here with Roz and eat?” He asks.

  She nods and grabs my hand. We sit down next to Wes and started eating. I am about to get up to get another fork but Grace has already dug in with her fingers. I offer her my fork, but she only shakes her head no.

  Dex sits down across from us, grinning at his sister. He really is gorgeous when he smiles. I can’t believe the difference that a smile can make to his face. It makes him a different man. He looks up at me and says, “I still don’t know how you do it, and I think Malik is right. You must be magical.” He says this with a smile on his face.

  “Do what?” I ask curiously.

  “You’ve been here for only 24 hours and you’ve already gotten her to sleep and eat, both things which are nearly impossible.” He looks over at Malik. “Yep, Magic!”

  I look down and see that Grace has already polished the plate. Wow, she really does want that treat. I take out the muffin and the cookie and let her pick. She breaks them both in half and gives half of them to me. I smile down at her and ruffle her hair. What a precious child she is. Just as I take a bite of cookie, Dex turns to Wes and asks, “So how long have you two been dating?”