“I don’t know their names, but I know they’re friends with your mother. They know we’re Protectors and they hate us for it. They’re afraid of what we’re capable of. I have a good idea of where they’ll be taking him.”
“How do you know my mother?” I ask, feeling on edge.
“I’ve known who she was since I was chosen to become a Protector, Nat. Your grandpa was just like her. He hated us, too.”
I stop talking. I need a minute to take all this information in. I don’t remember Gramps ever talking about Protectors, but I have a feeling he wouldn’t have liked them if he did know about them. He wasn’t as open-minded as I like to think I am.
We pull up to an apartment complex that is much larger than mine, and Bennett whips his truck into a front row parking spot. I reach down to undo my seatbelt and realize I haven’t been wearing one. It irritates me that Bennett isn’t considerate enough to buckle me up while I’m unconscious.
“Bennett, why was I asleep?” I ask, realizing I don’t remember anything after Shiloh dropped me off at my apartment. Did I even make it upstairs?
“You fainted and hit your head when you fell,” he says with a nonchalant shrug.
Bullshit. I glare at the back of his head as I follow him into the building and to his apartment. The inside of his place is small, but it’s filled with expensive things. The TV that’s mounted to his wall is bigger than any TV I’ve ever seen before.
“Would you like a drink or something to eat?” he asks.
I shake my head while pulling out a chair at his dining room table and take a seat.
“I’ve got to go meet with some of the others so we can make a game plan for how to help Shiloh. Will you be okay here?”
“I’ll be fine,” I tell him, still wearing a glare on my face. I know he’s lying to me.
“I’ll be back in an hour,” he says, walking out the door and leaving me alone in his apartment.
It takes me all of five seconds to decide I can’t trust Bennett. I’ve never fainted in my life. I go to grab my phone out of my back pocket and groan out loud when it’s not there.
I know I’m in Seattle, but I don’t know my way around this town. I’ve only ever been here once with Gramps when I was younger. I force myself to stay put and not make matters worse by getting lost. At least twenty minutes pass by before I come up with a plan. I’m sure I’ll regret it later, especially if it doesn’t work, but I don’t have much of a choice.
I walk to Bennett’s kitchen and rummage through his drawers until I find a fillet knife. I take in a slow, deep breath before sliding the knife down the inside of my forearm. I’m surprised when my knees don’t buckle from pain. I walk to the couch and have a seat, cradling my self-injured arm tight against my body. A moment passes before I start feeling it, the stinging sensation, like something on fire and something frozen are being held again my skin simultaneously.
I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting on the couch when I hear someone banging on the door. I can’t get myself to focus long enough to answer it—not until I hear Shiloh’s voice on the other side.
“Open the damn door, Bennett!” he yells.
I run to the door and quickly yank it open. Shiloh is sweating and holding his arm to his chest just like I am. Without speaking, he grabs my arm. There is just enough space between my wound and my hand for his fingers to wrap firmly around my wrist. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath; within seconds, the pain in my arm is no longer there.
“Are you okay?” he asks, pulling me to him and wrapping his arms around me.
“How did you find me?” I mumble into his chest.
“Bennett called me. How did this happen?” He grabs my arm and inspects the fresh cut. Blood is already drying around the edges.
“I did it so you could find me,” I tell him.
He sighs before nodding. “C’mon, I’ve got some stuff in the truck to clean that up.”
“Wait, why did Bennett call you? He said those men from the bar had taken you. What’s going on?”
“Nat, it’s a long story. Can we talk about it after I’ve taken care of your arm?” he asks, sounding exhausted.
I follow him out of Bennett’s apartment, still in a daze. He opens the passenger door for me and helps me get inside before jogging around to the other side. I stare at him as he gets a small first aid kit out of his glove box. He cleans my wound and puts a bandage on it without making eye contact with me.
“What were you doing with Bennett this morning?” he asks, finally looking at my face instead of my arm.
“Can you just start driving? I want to get out of here.”
He studies me for a moment before putting the truck in drive and driving away from Bennett’s apartment complex.
“Bennett called me an hour after I dropped you off at your apartment. He said Kevin had found out about the meeting you two had. Why didn’t you tell me you’d met with him?” Shiloh asks, trying to contain his anger and hurt.
“Bennett is the one that had been calling for me at work. He showed up at Aunt J’s and explained that he was a friend of yours. He told me being a Protector would be a great opportunity for me and for him. When I told him I wanted to talk to you about it, he advised against it. Who is Kevin and why does it matter if he knows I’ve talked to Bennett?”
“Kevin is the leader of the Protectors in Seattle. He’s crooked and never plays by the book. That’s one of the main reasons I refuse to move to Seattle. Bennett said he had to get to you before Kevin did. If Kevin were the one to take you…” He trails off. “I can’t even think about it,” he says angrily.
“I don’t remember anything after you dropped me off except waking up in Bennett’s truck,” I tell him.
“You were in his truck? Asleep? What the—”
I cut him off before he can finish his sentence. “Why would he lie about you being in trouble and then tell you where I was?”
I watch Shiloh’s knuckles turn white as he grips the steering wheel tighter.
“Because he’s loyal to Kevin, but he’s also loyal to me. He obviously can’t decide whose side to be on. Nat, the only reason he wants you to be a Protector is so they can control you, because if they control you, they can control me.”
“How would they be able to control you, too? You wouldn’t be a chosen one; you were born this way.”
“I would never let you join them in Seattle alone. I’d come with you, and they know that,” he says, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.
“Why don’t you want to be with other people like you?”
“I don’t want to be like them. They only protect those they deem worthy. They’re manipulative and conniving and someday it will come back to bite them in the ass.”
I can tell he’s getting angrier as the conversation goes on, so I decide to drop it. We pull up to our building an hour later and I suddenly remember that Bennett had sent Macie to stay at Lacey’s house.
“Don’t you want to pick Macie up?” I ask.
“She’s here, Nat. Asleep in her bed. Where else would she be?” He gets out of the truck and shuts his door before I answer him.
“Bennett said he told her to go to Lacey’s for the night,” I explain as I get out.
“Bennett is confused right now. It’s in your best interest not to speak to him any more without my knowledge,” he says as we walk into his apartment.
Lacey is sitting on the couch talking on her cell phone. She mutters a quick goodbye to whomever she’s speaking to and jumps to her feet. She glares at me before sucking in a deep breath, preparing to go on a rant, I’m sure.
“Here’s your check, Lacey. Go home,” Shiloh tells her in a stern tone.
She rolls her eyes before jerking the check from his hand and slamming the door behind her.
He locks the door and turns on his heel, heading for the bathroom. I hear the shower running seconds later.
“Well, he’s pissed,” I say out loud to myself as I flop down on h
is couch.
I’m staring at the TV when I hear Shiloh come out of the bathroom. I have no idea what I’m watching and I don’t care. I jump at the sound of him slamming his bedroom door. Is he really going to ignore me all night?
I stomp down the hall to his room and yank the door open. He’s standing in front of the window with his hands on his hips, wearing nothing but boxer briefs.
“What is your problem?” I snap.
He shakes his head without turning to face me. I close his door quietly, hoping our argument doesn’t wake Macie up.
“You know, this isn’t my fault. I didn’t ask to be hauled away in Bennett’s truck. How can you be mad at me right now?” I’m fuming at this point.
“You should have told me about him coming to your work. You should have told me that he was trying to convince you to change. How do I know you didn’t go with him willingly, Nat?”
“Because I want to be with you!” I yell. “The only reason I wanted to be a Protector was so I could be with you more!” I feel tears building in my eyes and try to blink them away, but Shiloh notices before I can.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” he mutters, walking toward me. He stubs his toe on the corner of his bed and the look on his face makes me smile. I almost laugh, but then I notice a pain in my own toe.
“Ouch,” I hiss as I bend down to examine my perfectly normal toe.
Shiloh stops dead in his tracks. “What did you just say?”
“My toe just started throbbing out of nowhere,” I explain.
He scoops me up in his arms and carries me to his bed. “Roll over onto your stomach,” he demands, sitting on his knees beside me.
I pull my eyebrows together, prepared to question him, but the look on his face makes me change my mind. He lifts my shirt and starts moving his fingers down my back and over my sides. After a brief moment, he moves up to the back of my neck, pushing my hair to the side.
“Fuck!” he shouts before getting off the bed and pacing the floor. I immediately sit up and start running my hands over the back of my neck; nothing’s there.
“Would you calm your ass down and tell me what’s got you so worked up?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I know why you were asleep in Bennett’s truck,” he says as he runs his hands through his hair.
“Okay, why?”
He grips his hair in his fist and pulls, hard.
“Ow!” I yelp, moving my hand to my hair and rubbing the area that’s stinging.
Shiloh comes and sits next to me on the bed. He gives me a weary look. “You felt that, Nat.”
Now I get it. “Oh my God,” I say, slapping my handover my mouth. “I felt it. I’m a—”
“You’re a Protector,” he finishes.
It’s my turn to start pacing now. “Wha—how did this happen? I didn’t agree to anything!”
“There’s a small spot on the back of your neck where he must’ve given you the shot. I’ve never seen it work this fast before,” he says, shaking his head.
“How do we reverse it?”
“Reverse it? Nat, you can’t reverse this. You’ll be a Protector until the day you die,” he says quietly.
“I can’t even protect myself, Shiloh. What am I supposed to do?” A tear rolls down my cheek as I wait on him to tell me how to fix this.
“Come here,” he says, taking my hand and tugging me to him.
I lose count of how many times he tells me everything will be okay and eventually fall asleep in his arms.
Shiloh
Nat only stirs a little as I peck her cheek before slipping out of bed. I dress as quietly as possible before leaving the apartment.
Bennett is at the park waiting when I pull into the parking lot. I feel my hands start shaking with anger at the sight of him.
“Why’d you do it?” I snap as I slam my truck door shut.
“Shi, you have to understand,” he starts, raising his hands in the air like he’s surrendering.
“I don’t have to understand shit. Why did you do this to her? You of all people know how miserable it can be.”
“If she didn’t join us she would have turned against us, just like her mother. I had no choice. If I didn’t do it, the others would have.”
“What did you give her, Bennett? When you turned it took you a week to start feeling even the little things. It’s only taken her a few hours,” I explain.
He takes a few steps toward me; I can tell he’s intrigued by the information I’ve just given him.
“I gave her the same serum I had. There’s no way it can be working this soon,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Would I be here now if it wasn’t already working?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“That’s impossible. We’ll have to tell the others.”
I take two hard steps toward him and use my left hand to cup the back of his neck. “You won’t tell anyone about this until I say so. Do you understand?” I tug his face close to mine so he knows I’m serious about this.
“Fine, but you know what Kevin will do when he finds out—and he will find out, Shiloh.”
“I’ll take care of it, Bennett. Just get out of my sight,” I say with a sigh because I know he’s right.
I walk back to my truck and just sit there with my head against the steering wheel. If Nat is already feeling some things this soon, then what else will she be capable of in a month’s time? How will I be able to keep her hidden from Kevin? He’s the oldest of all the Protectors. He keeps tabs on everyone and he’s had it out for me since my dad died. He’ll never accept us living in Puyallup once he finds out the truth about Nat, especially if she’s going to be as unique as I fear she will be.
The smell of something burning invades my senses when I open the door to my apartment, but I see no smoke.
“Nat? Mace?” I call out.
“In here, bubba!” Macie answers from her bedroom.
“What’s that smell?” I ask from her doorway. Macie is painting Nat’s toenails while they sit on the floor.
“Macie made us breakfast, Shi. It’s toast with peanut butter and bananas on it,” Nat tells me with a huge grin on her face.
I hold back my laughter as I watch her take a bite of toast that has been burned to a crisp.
“Your plate is on the counter,” Macie informs me without looking away from Nat’s feet.
Nat is still grinning up at me, and I wink at her before walking to the kitchen to grab my gourmet breakfast.
Bennett calls me while Nat is in the shower. He begs me to come to Seattle for the night, insisting that they need my help. I want to say no because I’m still pissed at him for taking Nat, but I know he didn’t plan that on his own; I’m almost certain Kevin had something to do with it. I promise to be there by midnight but refuse to stay at his place. As soon as I hang up with him, I call and book a hotel for myself.
“Going somewhere?” Nat asks, stepping into my room as she dries her wet hair with her towel.
“Oh, uh, I have to go back to Seattle tonight,” I stammer.
“Seattle? With Bennett?” She stops drying her hair and lets her mouth hang open while she waits for my response. She’s pissed.
“I’m not staying with Bennett. I got a hotel. I was going to ask you to come with me,” I tell her.
“Why would you go help Bennett after what he did to me? I just don’t get it.”
She’s no longer pissed; she’s sad, which is worse than pissed.
“Nat, you don’t understand right now, but someday you will. I have to help the Protectors when they call on me. Their safety guarantees mine and Macie’s safety. Besides, it’s my job.”
She walks over to my bed and pulls her legs up to her chest. She’s wearing a pair of my boxers under her t-shirt and I want to smile at the sight, but I don’t because I know this is a serious conversation.
“Is it my job, too?” she asks quietly, like she’s scared of what my answer will be.
“It will be,” I say witho
ut hesitating.
“I can’t do this.” She sighs, letting her head rest against her knees.
I go to her and wrap my arm around her. “I’ll help you. I promise.”
After a minute she nods, letting me know she believes me.
“Go pack your bag and meet me in the hall. We’ll drop Macie off at Lacey’s on the way.”
Macie hugs each of us three times before going inside with Lacey. I hate to leave her, but I’m thankful she gets it.
“You can sleep if you’re tired,” I tell Nat as I pull back onto the street.
“Do you have a headache?” she asks.
“No, I feel fine. Why?”
“I have one and I was wondering if it’s really my headache or if I’m feeling yours.” She shrugs.
“Get some rest,” I say, patting my thigh for her to lay her head on.
We get to the hotel a little after ten. Nat is groggy from sleep and collapses face first onto the bed the first chance she gets. I laugh out loud before joining her.
“I’m glad you came,” I tell her, squeezing her hand gently.
She jerks her hand away from mine and bolts upright. She’s staring at the ceiling with wide eyes. I try to look for what she’s seeing, but there isn’t anything there. I sit up next to her and rub my hand up and down her back. “Are you okay?” I ask quietly.
“She’s hurt; she’s hurt, bad! We’ve got to find her, Shiloh. He’s going to come back,” she says in a panic.
“Who’s hurt, Nat? What do you feel?” I ask her, looking over her body to see if she’s catering to any unseen injury.
She slowly turns to face me. “I don’t feel it, Shiloh. I can see it.”
“You wha—” Before I’m able to finish my question, she is up and running out the door. I go after her, calling her name, begging her to wait up, but it’s like she can’t hear me.
She only runs faster.
I follow her down three flights of stairs and through the hotel lobby. She’s got a solid twenty-yard lead. Who knew she could run so fast? She turns a corner and I lose sight of her. By the time I make the turn, she’s gone. I stop running, putting my hands on my knees and taking several deep breaths. I close my eyes and wait until I feel my lungs burning and my legs aching; she’s stopped running, for now.
Protect Me (The Protector Series Book 1) Page 10