As soon as the four people appeared the change in Bugsy’s demeanor reflected the tension that was visible in Bowen—and that had Charlotte instantly on guard.
“Kids,” the old man positioned himself and the big dog between Bastien and her, and the four approaching interlopers while he spoke urgently under his voice to them. “Whose car is that in the parking lot?”
“Mine,” Charlotte said.
“Good. You and the boy get out of here. Now. I’ll handle them.” Then Bowen started forward as if to cut the four off from getting too close. “Fine. You found me. I’ll come back with you.” As he spoke he motioned behind his back for Charlotte and Bastien to flee.
Charlotte looked at the handsome, dark-haired Cajun. Their eyes met.
“Something feels wrong,” he said.
“I think so, too,” Charlotte agreed.
“I don’t like the old guy’s odds,” Bastien said.
“Then let’s help even them.” Charlotte folded her arms across her chest and stood her ground. From the corner of her eye she saw Bastien mirroring her.
Bowen glanced back at them and whispered, “Kids! Get out of here!”
“No, sir,” Bastien said. “Not unless you come with us. It’s not good to be out here in this storm.”
“Aww, how sweet. And convenient. You’ve already made friends with Bastien and Charlotte. That makes everything so much easier,” said the petite black woman with mean eyes.
“How do you know our names?” Charlotte stepped up beside Bugsy.
“Yeah, I’d like to know that, too,” Bastien said, moving so that he stood on her other side.
“I see Bowen’s already been filling your heads full of lies about us,” said the woman.
“Eve, I just met these two kids. I haven’t said anything to them except that they need to get the hell out of here, and that’s not a lie. I don’t lie. I’ve lived a long time and learned decades ago lies make things worse. So, you know I’m telling you the honest truth when I say this,” the old man looked from Charlotte to Bastien. “You two need to get to that car and get out of here. These four aren’t just after me. They’re after you, too. And they’re bad news.”
“Shut it, old man. In one day you’ve been enough trouble for a lifetime,” shouted one of the men. He had a strange shock of white hair that lifted from his head like it’d been poured from a Dairy Queen vanilla ice cream spout.
“That’s not a polite way to talk to your elders,” Bastien’s voice deepened with anger.
“No one asked you, water boy,” the man sneered.
“Luke! Enough!” snapped Eve before she refocused on Charlotte, Bastien, and Bowen. Charlotte watched the woman’s face attempt to form a smile, but she thought it looked more like a grimace. “Okay, I’m going to make this fast because I’m really sick of this weather.” She wiped a hand across her rain-soaked face. “Charlotte and Bastien, I’d like to introduce myself and my brothers to you. I am Eve Stewart, and these three are Luke, Matthew, and Mark Stewart.” Each man nodded as she called his name, though the handsome, dark-haired Mark looked obviously uncomfortable. “We know your names because you’re the reason we’re here.”
“Why?” Charlotte said.
“And how could you know I would be here? No one knows that,” Bastien added.
Eve’s smile looked genuine for the first time. “Oh, that’s easy. We knew you’d be here because Mark drew you here with this storm. You see, Mark is special like you two are special. He also has a connection with water.”
Charlotte felt as if the woman had punched her in the gut. How did Eve know?
“What do you mean, our connection to water?” Charlotte said.
“Oh, no need to be coy. Tell Bastien and Charlotte how well you understand them, Mark,” Eve said.
Mark had been staring out at the angry ocean, but at Eve’s words he pulled his gaze away and looked from Charlotte to Bastien. Charlotte thought she’d never seen such hopelessness in anyone’s eyes before—ever. And that included her own reflection during the emptiest, most horrible times in her life.
“You’ve always loved water, especially the ocean. It started when you were children, probably about six years old.”
Charlotte jerked in surprise and sensed Bastien reacting the same.
“You’re most at peace in or on the water,” Mark continued, speaking slowly and carefully so that he could be heard above the crashing waves and whining wind. “You even sense things about it, see things or hear things, that no one else does, and when you’ve tried to explain those things to friends or family, no one ever understands you.”
“What else?” Bastien said.
“You were drawn here today, this morning, without understanding why, but you had to come here,” Mark said.
“This is too weird,” Charlotte said. “Look, if you have something to tell us, fine. I’ll give you my phone number and maybe we can talk sometime, but not here. Not now.”
“Your parents went to a lot of trouble to conceive both of you at a special clinic in Portland, Oregon. Did you know that?”
Eve’s words made Bastien’s body go rigid as Charlotte felt ice enter her blood. Her mother and father had told her over and over about the fertility treatments at the famous clinic in Portland, and how much the in vitro fertilization had cost—like it had been Charlotte’s fault her mother’s uterus was unable to conceive a child.
“Who exactly are you? What does Mr. Bowen have to do with this? And what do you want?” Bastien’s voice was flint.