Chapter 14
We were driving down the gravel road when bright headlights came up behind us, drawing a curse from Reece.
Amber looked behind us, “I wonder who that is?” She sounded concerned.
“I don’t know but what an ass!” Reece said, cursing again. “I can barely see.”
“Let them pass once we’re off this road,” I suggested.
The headlights were blinding as they drew closer and there seemed to be more than one.
“Motorcycles,” I reported. “Can you pull over enough to let them by? I know the road is narrow but they should be able to pass.”
Angered, Reece slowed down and pulled dangerously close to some trees, giving passage to the riders. One by one they rode by, the last of which was the rider with the moon tattoo. He turned and stared into our vehicle and in a matter of seconds he was out of view. Reece grumbled to himself and Amber looked from him to me, “They’re going to hurt someone,” she said.
Once we were on the main road we relaxed and Reece turned on some music. We were chatting about the stories people told around the fire and agreed that until the last twenty minutes it had been a fun evening. Through the laughter that followed headlights once again flooded through the back window, temporarily blinding Reece. He swerved but regained control quickly.
“Can you pull over?” I asked as alarm altered the inflection of my voice.
“Do it!” Amber ordered.
Reece slowed down and so did the rider behind us. We were almost stopped when we saw them. Lacey and the blonde in the hoodie were in a heated discussion with the three riders. They were parked off the main road and there were no lights cast except from the moon which was gibbous and not yet full.
The rider pulled up next to Reece and motioned for him to roll down his window.
“You shouldn’t stop. You need to get out of here,” Haven yelled. We could barely understand him since he was wearing his helmet. His brows were furrowed and he appeared to be angry.
“What’s going on over there?” Reece asked.
“None of your business,” Haven hissed. He raised his gloved hand and motioned for us to drive off. I heard Amber unbuckle her seat belt and she started to climb over the seat when Reece blocked her.
“Oh no you don’t,” he told her.
“I’m not staying put when Lacey is so outnumbered,” Amber argued. “Now let me pass.”
While they argued I saw that someone was approaching the truck. It was the man with the moon tattoo. Haven rode his bike around to the front of Reece’s truck and dismounted quickly. He took off his helmet and dropped it on the ground. He put up his left hand and shoved the man back. The man flexed himself and shoved Haven back with both hands. That’s when the others came towards them. The man with the shoulder length dark hair approached Haven calmly and as he did, the man with the tattoo took that opportunity to reach for the passenger door before I could lock it. As quick as I had ever seen someone move, he unbuckled my seat belt and was attempting to pull me out of the truck when Amber shouted and Reece grabbed my arm. I leaned back and kicked the man above his groin. Haven reached around and twisted the man’s arm behind his back and thrust him away from me. The man jumped up and took a confrontational stance. Haven stared him down.
Now that the rest of us were involved we couldn’t drive off but we didn’t leave the truck either.
“Easy you two,” the dark-haired one said. He looked towards the man with the tattoo and raised a finger in warning. “Back off Justin.”
Justin spit on the ground. “You can’t let them drive off now that we’ve found them.”
“Ambushing them in front of witnesses is not the way to do business!” The dark-haired one said.
“Darius, let them go,” the blonde spoke up. He was addressing the dark-haired man but glanced at Haven.
It was then that I noticed the third rider. He was holding Lacey by her other arm but was taking directions from the others. He was thinner and more ordinary looking than them and had not said a word all night.
“They’re not going anywhere. Not yet,” Justin said.
“You aren’t in charge,” Darius said authoritatively. “If you’re challenging me, it’s not going to end well for you.”
“You are only in charge because Haven went rogue and you’re screwing the boss.”
The silence that followed was short-lived.
“You’re sleeping with my mom?” The blonde questioned angrily.
Haven looked over his shoulder and shouted to Reece.
“Get out of here now.”
Reece didn’t have to be told twice. He started the truck, spun his tires, and drove away as fast as he could.
“What did they want with me?” I wondered aloud. “I am no one to them.”
Amber reached over the back of the seat and wrapped her arms around me.
“I don’t know...” Reece said under his breath.
Minutes passed and bright lights once again flooded the cab and one separated from the others. Simultaneously we heard a thud on the back of the truck and saw a bright light bobbing in the ditch with the rider closing in on us. I don’t know which I heard first, Amber’s screams or the shattering of glass. I don’t know which I felt first - razor-sharp shards of glass as they sprayed my face or the searing pain as a hand violently grabbed a handful of hair and began pulling me out the window. I had never refastened my seat belt and there was nothing holding me in place. I heard Amber and Reece cry out. I felt Reece’s hand on my leg as he tried to pin me in place. With one hand I was holding on to the roof of the cab and with the other I was gripping the hand that was pulling me free of the window. Another thud sounded and the truck swerved again and the force of the grip disappeared, replaced by the terrifying sensation of falling. Before I could scream I felt a constriction around my abdomen, which briefly knocked the wind out of me. I swung around until I was on the back of a motorcycle – Haven’s motorcycle. I had a death grip on him and when I dared to look towards the truck with Reece and Amber still inside I saw a sight that both frightened and awed me.
Lacey was in the bed of the truck wrestling with Justin. My eyes were trying to register what was taking place while my mind was trying to comprehend what had just happened to me. We seemed to be losing speed and I nudged Haven and cried out, “Go!”
Reece’s truck was nearly out of sight although I could tell Reece had driven to a stop in the ditch and as he did, Lacey and Justin went flying into the air before falling to the ground. I was incapable of crying out although the rush of adrenaline was surging through me. Haven had been riding off road but steered onto concrete before taking a left onto a dirt road. We were minutes from reaching Crested Butte and I was frightened for Amber and Reece.
“Stop, we need to stop!” I shouted.
Haven ignored me and kept riding up the winding dirt road.
“What about them!” I cried out.
Haven ignored me. We were still riding through dense forest with no houses in sight. We rode for several more minutes before a house came into view. It was two stories tall and made of logs. There was a two-story deck that seemed to wrap around most of the house. I could hear the rush of water nearby but couldn’t see the source of it. Haven pulled up to the front of the house and parked and as soon as he did I slid out from behind him and almost fell as my knees buckled. I put my hand to my forehead and was trying to organize my thoughts so that everything made sense. That’s when Haven spoke.
“I know you’re scared,” he told me gently. “Let me-“
“What the hell just happened?” I demanded. “What about Amber and Reece?”
“They’ll be fine. I can assure you of that.” He looked past me into the distance. “They weren’t after them…”
I heard him but the rush of thoughts and questions were coming at me like a bullet.
“What about Lacey? She was on top of that truck!” I shook my head, confounded. “How in the hell did she get on top of the truck?”
“Don’t worry,” he reassured me. And then he smiled in admiration. “Lacey can handle herself.”
“And me? Why were they after me?” I almost began laughing through the hysteria.
Haven came closer and pulled me into his chest. I felt like laughing as much as I felt like crying. The shaking continued and I felt his arms tighten around me in comfort. I pushed away from him. My head was beginning to hurt as the surge began to dissipate. I felt myself grow weary.
“I need to call the police and I need to go home. I have to see if Amber and Reece are alright.”
“Come inside,” He beckoned. “You need warmth.”
“Did you hear me?”
“I can guarantee that they are okay. You can talk to them soon. Trust me,” he said.
He took my elbow and guided me up the steps and I was too tired to argue. My body felt weak and I couldn’t tell if the chills were from the dip of adrenaline or the fear over everything that had happened.
Once inside I looked around. The interior was immaculate and sparsely decorated. A stair case was to our left and my eyes widened as I stared into the green eyes of a black and white tabby; he was resting on the window sill looking down at me. His expression was one of disinterest but he didn’t look away.
“That’s Grendel,” Haven filled in. “He’s Levi’s. You’ll meet him soon enough.”
“He’s impressive,” I said as the cat’s eyes narrowed into slits.
Haven took my hand and guided me to the living room where orange flames danced in the largest fireplace I had ever seen, which was the main source of light in the vast room. I sunk into the dark leather couch and stared into the fire. My eyelids grew heavier as each second passed. I felt Haven’s form next to mine as his arm encircled my shoulder; I was too tired to pull away. I heard footsteps, a little slow, almost a shuffle.
“Is this Willow?” A soft, musical voice asked.
I didn’t turn around; I was dangerously close to falling asleep.
“Lauren,” Haven announced. “We didn’t wake you did we?”
I felt his fingers apply faint pressure to my shoulder and I looked up to see an older woman smiling down at me. Her hair, mostly ash blonde with gray flecks, was swept back into an up-do and she was wearing a dark blue wrap. Her nails were short and she wore what looked to be an emerald ring on her middle finger. Her delicate features were symmetrical and refined. She was certainly a lovely woman but she had to be quite old.
“I was reading dear,” she answered before turning her smiling face back to mine.
“Young lady, would you like some tea or maybe some hot cocoa?”
I acknowledged her by pursing my lips together. “Tea sounds good. Thank you.”
“Willow, this is Lauren Hohl,” Haven introduced. “Lauren, this is Willow Scott.”
We smiled at each other politely before Lauren turned and walked away.
“Is she your grandmother?” I inquired as I turned my waning attention back to the fire.
“No,” he said firmly. I could feel his eyes searching my face. “She’s related to Levi.”
His grandmother I presumed, although I said nothing.
We sat in mutual silence. I could feel his eyes penetrating me and when I felt him look away I glanced over at him to see his intense gaze linger on the fire before us, and then, I heard the same graceful shuffle.
“Here you go sweetie,” Lauren announced as she came in with a silver tray.
I admired the tea service and found it charmingly old-fashioned. I thanked her and took a sip of the fragrant sweet tea.
“It will warm you up,” she said before leaving again.
Once she did Haven murmured, “Remember, there are things we need to discuss, things you need to know. I thought there would be more time but tonight proves there isn’t.”
I shook my head and put my cup down. “What I need is to talk to Amber and Reece and then I need to call the police.”
“It won’t do you any good to talk to the police,” Haven stated. “This is not a matter for them to handle.”
“Haven,” I protested. “We were attacked! Those men are dangerous! How can you not want them arrested?”
His eyes flickered from blue to sinister azure and for a minute I thought he might hit something.
“Some things are without a logical explanation. Things people should not and cannot know about,” he insisted turning my face to his. “For their safety and ours.”
I averted his eyes. He wasn’t making any sense.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying you need to know who you are, what we are and what they are.”
I stared at him. It was becoming all too real. It was as though I was about to hear bad news and I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
“Come with me,” he beckoned.
He rose from the couch and offered me his hand. I took it and stood but pulled away as he led me into the hallway. There were several photographs hanging on the wall and he stood in front of an old black and white portrait. In the portrait a boy and girl sat side by side, holding hands. They had to be siblings as they both had the same curly blonde hair and fair eyes. Even though they had the same coloring they looked nothing alike. The boy appeared to be a year or two older and was wearing a sailor suit while the girl was wearing a pale dress and pretty white boots. Her hair was parted on the side and swept into a large bow. The boy stared silently and solemnly from the photo while the girl wore a slight but lovely smile.
“Levi,” Haven pointed to the boy. “And Lauren, circa late 1940’s.”
We heard the door open and turned to see an attractive man standing there, followed by Amber and Reece. The man looked to be in his late 20’s and had dark blonde hair.
“That’s Levi,” Haven pointed out.
I stared at the man and felt my blood begin to boil as I pondered whether Haven was trying to make fun of me.
“That’s impossible,” I stated turning to look up at Haven. I was so angry I thought I might cry.
“How, after everything I’ve been through tonight, could you even attempt to make jokes?”
Haven continued to look at me and I dared him to make a fool of me. Our silent interlude was interrupted by Levi.
“Look who I found,” Levi announced as Amber ran up to me.
Before I could say anything she had me in a tight hug. Reece looked relieved but fatigued. His hair was completely disheveled and his face expressed worry as lines furrowed on his forehead. He didn’t even look at Haven but approached me slowly. Levi went to stand next to Haven and the two looked at each other for a moment before Levi whispered and Haven nodded. He turned to Levi and I heard him say, “It’s contained then?” Levi nodded once. “Only the runt got away. They always run.”
I looked from the two of them to meet eyes with Reece. Amber let go of me and exclaimed, “Thank God you’re alright!”
I managed a smile, feeling completely reassured to see them both.
“Amber, I was so scared something happened to you and Reece.”
“No honey, we were fine,” Reece interjected.
I saw him raise his hand, as if to touch me, but he pulled back and painfully looked to the side. Amber took my hand, “We’re here to take you home.”
No answers, no further explanations, just ordinary statements. I was too tired to press the matter but I knew something had changed, something was off and as much as I wanted to know, I was scared of knowing.
Out of frustration and sheer exhaustion I sighed heavily. “There is nothing I want more than to climb in bed and sleep the night away.”
I didn’t look at anyone in particular and headed towards the door. I could sense Haven following but I heard Reece tell him, “I’ve got it from here.”
There was an intake of breath and a brief pause.
“You can’t protect her like I can,” Haven claimed.
“Protect her!” Reece objected. “I think you’ve put her in enough danger. If it weren’t for a*sholes like you-“
“Her very existence is dangerous, something you have no control over,” Haven declared hotly.
I looked over my shoulder to see Haven and Reece within arm’s length of each other. Levi had followed and was standing on the deck. He appeared relaxed but his eyes were vigilant. I momentarily saw a form fade away from a window upstairs. Tired of the fighting and tired of the cryptic conversations I exclaimed, “Would you two stop it! Reece, are you coming or not?”
Reece ignored me as he and Haven continued their pissing contest.
Haven’s cheeks drew in slightly, “We will finish this later.”
“Count on it,” Reece hissed.
“Men,” I muttered under my breath.
Amber exhaled, almost in a laugh, “No doubt.”
Then, and only then, did Reece follow us to the truck. Haven didn’t move an inch. I shivered as I waited for the warmth of the heater. I looked at Reece but he seemed a million miles away. Amber was resting her chin on her elbow as she looked into the vast night. No one spoke. As the heat filtered through the cab my eyelids grew heavy and the next thing I recalled was the change in movement as we stopped in front of Anne’s house.
“Alright sleeping beauty,” Reece announced. “Time to wake up.” I felt him shift and realized I had fallen asleep on his shoulder and my eyes widened as I discovered I had drooled on him. Reece noticed and chuckled. “Parting gift?”
I was embarrassed so I looked towards the house. The porch light was on but from the absence of all other lights it was apparent Anne had already gone to bed. That was good I thought. Less questions and less chance of me getting in trouble for arriving home so late. I glanced over at the dash board and sighed. It was almost 3 a.m.
“Reece, I really need to talk to you and Amber.”
“Later, okay? None of us are in very good shape right now,” Reece answered.
I looked behind me to see that Amber had fallen asleep too. During the ride home she had used Reece’s jacket as a blanket and her legs were curled up underneath her.
“Okay then,” I acquiesced. “But call me tomorrow.”
I climbed out of the truck and hurried up the porch steps. I let myself in and heard Reece pull away. I locked the door and turned to see Pandora waiting for me. She seemed subdued, probably feeling just as tired as I was. I quietly hung my jacket, removed my shoes and headed up the stairs, hoping my late arrival wouldn’t be betrayed by any noise. I turned on the bathroom light and was shocked by my haggard appearance. My hair was a ratted mess and I had circles under my eyes from where my mascara had bled. I also had some scratches on my face but no glass had penetrated very deep. I wiggled out of my clothes and pulled on a night shirt. I untangled my hair and began brushing but I winced from the pain. I had been hurt more than I had realized. I took a washcloth and bar of soap and carefully began washing my face. Once my teeth were clean I climbed into bed and motioned for Pandora to lie down near me. The last thing I heard was the distant howling of a wolf, or was it the wind?