What the Heart Takes

by Kelli McCracken

  Christ, he was a mess, a fucking mess of shit that didn’t deserve anything good in his life, least of all her. So he’d saved her life in Aruba. It didn’t change the fact that she needed a better Keeper, one that put her first, not his own selfish desires.

  She deserved better than a loser who’d accomplished nothing more than playing drums, knocking back a bottle, and screwing women. He couldn’t pretend he was anything more, regardless of what she believed. Why couldn’t she realize that? Why couldn’t she see that he was the world’s worst Keeper?

  No matter how much he sensed the fire burning inside, he couldn’t protect her. He’d failed in the dream, one Delia insinuated to be a future event. How far in the future, he didn’t know, and that uncertainty scared him.

  If the dream came true, he would fail her again. Except this time, they wouldn’t wake up. This time, she’d be gone forever.

  All thoughts came crashing down when the pull of their connection gained strength. Each tug on his soul beckoned him toward her. He took a step, not realizing what he was doing, until the movement obtained her attention. Her eyes trailed over his face, working their way down. They hesitated on his hands before returning to his eyes.

  She pursed her lips to the side, like she had something to say but couldn’t. Maybe Dylan’s presence kept her from bringing it up, or maybe she was still pissed at him. If he had to guess, he’d choose the latter. He hoped it was the latter. She needed to be angry with him, needed to realize that being his friend would be the death of her.

  Instead, she gave a slight nod in her mother’s direction. Anna hadn’t moved from her seat near the window. Heaven maintained her focus, though she stole a couple of glances at him. Her cheeks flushed a crimson shade as she rubbed her hands on her pajama bottoms, blowing her hair from her face.

  He didn’t understand why Heaven wanted him to look at her. Yeah, she was nervous, most likely about his reaction, and rightly so. It was taking everything in him not to lose it. Doing so wouldn’t be good for Faith. Still, it wasn’t her safety keeping him in the tension-filled room. He could care less whether she lived or died.

  Heaven was a different story.

  A voice cleared to his right, drawing his eyes to Delia. Still sitting in the chair across from Heaven, she fanned her shirt near the neckline.

  He turned to Dylan next, but with much reluctance. He knew his friend was pissed at him. Yet a sense of satisfaction accompanied the thought. They’d taken turns pushing each other’s buttons. Right now, he was one ahead. While their anger stemmed from different places, it didn’t change one fact. Misery still loved company.

  Much to his surprise, Dylan’s face showed no signs of anger or any other emotion. He unwrapped his arm from Heaven’s waist long enough to push up the sleeves on his flannel. She studied him a moment, then raised a brow at Layne.

  What was her deal? He didn’t understand what she wanted him to see. He couldn’t see anything, could only feel the fire that radiated within his—

  Something snapped inside his chest, like the last person to get a joke. Heaven’s subtle clues pieced a perfect picture of the message she wanted to send. The fire inside his soul consumed more than him. It consumed the room, right along with the people in it.

  She shot him a stern look, as if to tell him to stop. He fought not to laugh at the notion. If only it were that simple. He had no control over his abilities or the anger fueling them, anger brought on by the argument that transpired between them, anger in learning Faith’s whereabouts.

  He didn’t realize he’d growled until Dylan peered over his shoulder. Before his friend could ask the questions showing in his eyes, Heaven cleared her throat.

  “I can’t believe Faith is here.” Ringlets bounced around her face as she shook her head. “I’m curious, Mom. How long did you plan to keep this from me?”

  “I wanted you to rest before I brought it up. You’re exhausted, Heaven. All of you are, which means your emotions are running high.”

  “You think?” Heaven slapped her hand against the couch. The thump resonated through the room, adding to the tension. “She’s supposed to be in New York. Why isn’t she?”

  The question was finally out—the one Layne wanted to ask but couldn’t find the nerve. He moved his eyes across the den, not the least bit surprised to find that he was the center of Anna’s attention.

  “She showed up a few weeks ago, claiming her mentor had left for an international photo shoot. Faith didn’t go because other interns had seniority, so she’s on leave.”

  “I find that hard to believe. Faith is ruthless when it comes to what she wants. I know how much she wants to travel, and she wouldn’t let this type of opportunity in the fashion world slip away.”

  Layne agreed with Heaven. She knew her sister well enough to recognize her bullshit. Her questions saved him from having to speak up. Except admitting it was bullshit meant that Faith was up to something. Not that he cared much. As long as she stayed away from him, he would be sure to do the same. In fact, he’d do one better. He’d stay away from all of them, Heaven included.

  Anna tucked a few curls behind her ear before coming to a stand. They exchanged looks before she turned to her daughter. “I’m not sure what’s really going on. I do know her aura is a murky green, which signals depression. Your father tried reading her thoughts, which failed, so we’re clueless.” She glimpsed at Layne again, and then released a sigh. “I know how uncomfortable this is. The thing is, I can’t ask her to leave. She’s my daughter too.”

  Minute by minute, the situation grew worse. He hated how much this upset Anna, but he couldn’t be around Faith, especially if she was depressed. During the few months they were together, he learned how her mind worked. She’d blame her problems on him. Only that wouldn’t be enough. She’d make him suffer right along with her. As if he hadn’t already.

  He refused to let her do this. She was the one that chose to lie and cheat, not him. Any ounce of depression she experienced came at the hands of karma. After what she put him through when she hid her pregnancy and aborted the baby, she deserved nothing less.

  Refocusing on Heaven, he noticed her nodding at her mother, yet her eyes drifted to the floor. “You’re right, Mom,” she mumbled. “I can’t ask you to choose between us. I never would. That’s why I think it would be best if we stayed somewhere else.”

  “No,” Anna pleaded. “You and the baby are safer here. I doubt you’ll run into your sister anyway. She keeps to herself, working on projects that her mentor left. Aside from phone calls, we’ve only seen her a handful of times.”

  Heaven wouldn’t look at her mother. She acknowledged Layne for a brief second, and then dropped her eyes to her stomach. “It’s not fair to Layne if we stay here. She hurt him, Mom. She hurt all of us.”

  Guilt panged Layne’s heart. No matter what he did, Heaven always stuck up for him. Even now, after he’d asked for distance, after he told her they shouldn’t be friends, she never gave up on him. Yet he wanted to give up on her. Why did she waste her time?

  He waited for Anna to respond to Heaven’s statement, but it was Dylan who spoke instead. “We’re not leaving.” His voice rang with a finality that made Layne’s blood boil. “No one likes the fact that Faith is here, including me. Unfortunately, we have to deal with it. Your safety is what’s important, and this is the safest place for us right now.” He turned in Layne’s direction, giving him an icy glare. “Layne’s a big boy. He can handle Faith. All he has to do is avoid her.”

  What a typical Dylan response. His friend never missed a chance to remind him that he didn’t put Heaven first. The tightness in his chest proved how wrong Dylan was. Not only did Layne put her first, he was willing to give up the only woman who’d awakened his heart.

  “Believe me, I plan to avoid Faith every second I can.” He grumbled the words while tightening his jaw. “There’s only one way to accomplish that, which is why I won’t be staying here.”

  “What?” The quiver in Heave
n’s voice pulled at him. He refused to look at her. Doing so would make him second-guess his decision to leave, a decision he didn’t want to make but knew was best for her as much as him.

  “I’m sorry, Heaven, but I can’t stay here if she’s here.”

  “You’re not leaving, Layne.” She made it to her feet, taking a few steps toward him before Dylan grabbed her arm.

  “Calm down, Heaven.”

  “No,” she shouted, wiggling out of his grasp. “Not until he starts thinking rationally.” She didn’t give him time to respond before looking at Layne again. “You have a right to be here. I need you to be here.”

  Why did she always do this? “Heaven…”

  “Stop!” A certain level of authority resonated in her voice as she pointed her finger in his face. “Don’t say another word about leaving. Do you hear me? I will take care of this myself.”

  Moving toward the sliding glass door, she shrugged off Dylan’s hand when he tried to stop her. The reaction stunned Layne, but not as much as his friend. Dylan stood there, mouth open, brows folding tighter with each shake of his head. “Where are you going?”

  She proceeded across the floor, glaring at Layne before sweeping past. “To the apartment,” she answered, reaching for the handle. “My sister and I have a visit that’s long overdue.”

  “Heaven, wait—”

  The track squeaked to life as she slid the door open. The second she disappeared into the yard, Dylan sprinted toward it. His voice grew frantic with each plea until he vanished from Layne’s sight.

  Turning back to the fire, Layne cursed himself for not stopping her. He could have easily, but her reaction to his leaving left him speechless. In the last few hours, she’d raised her voice to him twice. It enraged him each time, yet left him powerless, like a child who had to obey. Whatever hold she had on him continued to increase.

  If Dylan hadn’t gone after her, he would have, even if it meant seeing Faith. She wouldn’t be confronting her sister if it weren’t for him. After their last blowup, she’d nearly lost her life. He didn’t want a repeat performance because this time it would be worse. This time risked her child’s life as well as her own.

  If she went into preterm labor, Dylan wouldn’t be the only person blaming him. He couldn’t live with that. Couldn’t live with the thought of hurting the one person he cared for more than anyone. The one person he—

  His affection for her burned through his heart as his eyes met up with Nicholas. Her father stared at him, as if he understood the ache in his heart.

  And then it hit him. Each and every thought that provoked his anger, including his feelings for Heaven…Nicholas had read them.

  Every. Single. One.

  CHAPTER 9

  The early morning sky lit up the grounds, giving Dylan a perfect view to the stairs near the garage. Heaven approached the bottom, ignoring his pleas as she ascended each step. If he’d been a little quicker, he would have caught her before she walked out the door. Not that it would have made a difference. She’d made up her mind on talking to Faith. Nothing he said or did would change that.

  The least she could do was allow him to accompany her in case things turned ugly. Faith wanted to hurt her. She did every chance she could and got off on it. Her actions in Aruba almost cost her sister’s life. He couldn’t take a chance on it happening again. Heaven needed him, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

  She must have sensed the urge in his soul. The pulses she sent were soothing, her special way of telling him she was okay. It didn’t ease his mind, but what else could he do? She was already at Faith’s door. Besides, he needed to have his own little discussion with Layne.

  Hasty steps brought him back to the den. Not much had changed with the scenery, short of his mother and Anna standing by the chair, whispering. They were so consumed with what they were saying, they didn’t notice him enter the room, nor had Nicholas. His father-in-law stared at Layne, who stood in front of the fireplace.

  Anger pumped through his heart with each step he took. He wanted to punch Layne. Maybe choke the life out of him. It was clear that he couldn’t talk any sense into his friend.

  Friend… He didn’t deserve that title. Friends were supposed to have your back. Layne used to have his until he kissed Heaven. Even afterward, when they rescued her from Marco. Yet the minute he came to Montego Bay, something changed. What, Dylan didn’t know, though he had his suspicions. One thing he knew for sure—they didn’t agree on anything anymore. Layne sure as hell didn’t have his back. If he did, he wouldn’t have argued about coming to Brightsville.

  This had to stop. All the friction and disagreeing did nothing but hurt the one person they wanted to protect. They had to work together to keep her safe. When would Layne realize that and quit being such a prick?

  Layne must have heard him approaching. By the time he stepped up to him, they were facing each other. His face showed little remorse, not his normal reaction to knowing Dylan was pissed. Where was his famous, I’m-sorry-I’m-such-a-fuckup look?

  The man before him had an air of smugness. In fact, it seemed as though Layne were sizing him up. Did he want to fight? Awesome. Dylan had no problem with giving him a beat down.

  “What the hell, man? You don’t listen to anything, do you?”

  With a slight tip of his head, Layne stepped forward, raising his hands from his sides. “What’s your problem?”

  Dylan clenched his teeth. The smoky scent of wood filled his nose as he took a deep breath, a breath that kept him from connecting his fist to Layne’s jaw. “You’re my problem, you idiot.”

  The words came out in a growl, but Layne didn’t appear fazed. Instead, he shot back his own retort. “Screw you too, dude. All I’m trying to do is fix a problem. I don’t want to be around Faith. Anna can’t ask her to leave. So I’ll go. Problem solved. I figured you, of all people, would be happy.”

  Happiness didn’t describe what Dylan felt. He loved the idea of having his wife to himself, but he knew how it would affect her if Layne left. It would break her heart. She cared about Layne. He accepted that. It still didn’t mean he liked it.

  “I could care less where you stay. My problem with you is that you don’t listen. Have you forgotten what happened in the dream?” The question made Layne’s jaw flinch. Good. Maybe Dylan was getting somewhere. “You refused to listen to her because you thought you knew best. That decision got her killed.”

  “Shut up,” Layne growled.

  “No. You shut up. That’s your problem, man. You need to think less and listen more. We just had this discussion less than twenty-four hours ago. Heaven and I don’t want to be around Faith, but guess what? We’re dealing with it.”

  Layne slapped his chest, replying, “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  “Save it,” Dylan scoffed. He took another breath, focusing on steadying his heart. Heaven had enough stress in dealing with Faith. She didn’t need his too.

  A sweet, citric scent replaced the smoky one in his nose. Slight movement at his side drew his attention to his mother. She placed her hand on his shoulder, curling her fingers around it. He waited for her to look his way, but she kept her eyes on the source of his frustration.

  “Layne, I understand your dilemma in all of this. What Faith did to you was beyond cruel. You have every right to avoid her, but you can’t let your anger stand in the way of your duty. You’re needed here. Heaven has to come first.”

  Rubbing the sides of his head, Layne scuffed his boots against the floor, making a slight turn toward the fireplace. “Why is it so important that I stay, Delia? She has all of you.”

  “There are many reasons, Layne, but the main reason is that you’re her Keeper.”

  “Who can’t control his abilities,” Layne accentuated each word as he hit his fist against his palm. “I’m no good to her right now.”

  “You are more than you think.” The response came from Anna, who’d returned to the bench by the bay window. She eyed the belt attached to her robe,
adjusting the knot on the side. It provided the perfect excuse for her to avoid Layne’s stare, as well as Dylan’s. “If you can’t get enough privacy in the cottage, you can stay in Heaven’s old room. Faith hasn’t been inside of the house. The few times we’ve seen her have been outside.”

  “Maybe so,” Layne replied, “but once she learns we’re here, she’ll come in just to torment me.”

  Dylan stepped out of his mother’s grasp, gaining his friend’s attention. He couldn’t take it anymore. Layne needed a good dose of shut-the-hell-up with a side order of quit-being-a-whiny-bitch.

  So he couldn’t control his abilities yet. Big deal. At least he had ones that would protect Heaven, ones that would evolve enough to save her life. Layne should be grateful he had a purpose. Besides, this wasn’t about him. He still didn’t get that.

  “You need to suck it up, Layne. If I can deal with you tagging behind Heaven and me, you can tolerate running into Faith.”

  “Excuse me?” Layne’s brows shot up. He trailed his eyes over Dylan, narrowing them the longer he stared. “This is my life. Stay the hell out of it.”

  Dylan would, the minute Layne stayed out of his and Heaven’s. That would never happen thanks to his role as her Keeper. “Your life affects my wife, so I’m in it. Get over it.”

  “Get over it? You mean the way you’ve gotten over the kiss?”

  It wasn’t Layne’s sarcasm that plucked Dylan’s nerves. It was the glimmer in his eyes and the satisfaction that lay within them. Every word he spoke had one purpose, to taunt Dylan with painful reminders.

  And those words served their purpose.

  Anger jolted through his body as he lunged forward. He braced himself for the impact between his fist and Layne’s face. The thought of breaking his nose gave him a sense of gratification.

  Thumping echoed through the room, but not because he’d made contact. Nicholas stepped between them. He smacked his hands against their chests, knocking them back a few steps.