Heavenly (26 page)

Mack. The Cracciola family had Junior. Junior was the chap who bumped me off."

"You talk about it like you're talking about neighbors or some dude down the street or something. Not like you're

talking about the guy who killed you.”

"I don't dwell on the act anymore, Zoe. What's the point?" His gaze was intense with layered meaning, and he tilted his head in taunt that said, 'And neither should you—dwell on things' I had to look away. I wasn't ready to stop dwelling on

Luke and his lies. "Like I said, people get what's coming to them. Mack sure did," he said.

"What happened to him?"

"His body was distributed unequally between New Jersey and New York."

"Yikes."

The road was starting to ice under my wheels and I took my foot off the gas a little.

"A pretty doll like you shouldn't waste her time being angry."

A sigh fluttered from my lungs. "You keep saying stuff like that and I'll find ways to be riled just to hear you talk."

He smiled.

"Still," I took a left. "I need to find Luke and chew him out."

"Whoa. Let's back up a bit, shall we?" He sat forward, his energy like an unseen wave crashing through me. I gripped the wheel. My breath held in my chest. Would I ever get used to the way he moved through me? "What good is going to

come of you talking to Luke at this moment?"

"I'll feel a hell—excuse me—
heck
of a lot better."

"Better than you feel now?"

Nothing could top the way I felt after his infusion of peace, but how easily the dark tentacles of frustration reached

back in. "Those are your feelings, not mine."

"I can share them with you."

A long silence tied us together. When I tore my eyes from his, I found myself idling in the street in front of the log

cabin. Luke's blue Samurai was parked out front, along with an old red Camero and a yellow and black truck that looked like

a giant wasp.

I pulled next to the curb and turned off the engine, staring at the dark house. It was six. Didn't these people believe in

electricity?

I wanted to go in there and yell at Luke, sure, but the sight of the place sent a shudder through me. This was probably

a drug dealer's house, not a friendly neighbor's place where my little brother was playing.

"Think about what you want to accomplish here," Matthias said. "Luke is learning valuable lessons from his own actions. Your interference may jeopardize the outcome."

I opened the door, got out, and took a deep breath.

I felt a presence beside me, turned and jumped. Matthias. I glanced at the car, then eyed him. "How did you—I didn't

hear the door...."

He rocked back on his heels, his hands in the front pockets of his slacks. His grin flashed. I headed up the path and

Matthias stayed at my shoulder. Just having him with me infused me with power, even if the power wasn't mine. Still, I felt

like I could do anything now: take these creeps and get my brother to safety.

Matthias stopped on the stoop and looked down into my eyes. "Don't take any wooden nickels."

"Wooden nickels haven't been used since, well, I don't know but it's been tons of years."

"I mean don't do anything stupid, Zoe. These guys are pikers through and through."

I knocked. "I can take care of myself. And if these
pikers
get out of hand, you'll be here, right?" I smiled.

He shook his head. "I can't go inside."

A knot formed in my throat. I realized then how awful this place really was. My heart banged.

"You don't have to go in either."

"I have to get my brother." I faced the door, my palms sweaty. I knocked.

The door ripped open and I looked into the face of a towering Paul Bunyan in ragged jeans and a red plaid, flannel

shirt. His eyes narrowed over his scruffy beard. He stood more erect, his bulk blocking the door. "What?"

I rose to my tip-toes, searched over his shoulder. "Luke! I need to talk to you!"

'"There's no Luke here," his tone scraped out.

"Nice try. His car's out front. Luke!" I ignored the big man's planted his feet and crossed arms. I glanced back at Matthias.

My heart stopped.

His jaw was knotted, his gaze stony and locked on the stranger in the doorway. His lean body was poised like a

panther ready to attack. I took a breath, hoping the soft sound would break his determined concentration but Matthias

remained statue still.

"Matthias," I whispered. His eyes didn't deviate from the big man. They shot like a sniper s red beam aimed for a kill.

A ribbon of fear wove through me. I'd never seen Matthias like this: so intense, as though his look alone could cause this man to disintegrate into nothing.

When I heard movement, I turned. Paul Bunyan backed into the darkness of the house. I took a step. "Luke!"

The door slammed in my face.

Around me, an unseen current vibrant and electric burned and bounced off the walls of the house, door, and

surrounding shrubs like a thousand firecrackers gone haywire. The hair on my body shot up.

I faced Matthias. His hardened gaze was still locked on the door. I panicked, thinking something had happened to

him, but I was so charged with this electric element I was afraid to move, sure the very act would cause me to burst into

flames.

I opened my mouth to say something. No sound came. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and let out a long, slow breath.

His bunched muscles eased and smoothed beneath the soft fabric of his shirt and slacks as he stood erect. As his breath

poured out, and the current in the air—the current swarming inside of me—ebbed, as if vacating my body at his silent

command.

I crumpled to the stoop in an exhausted heap, breathless, sweaty and faint.

Matthias crouched down in front of me. He reached out and took my hands in his, gave them a warm squeeze, and

then laid his palms on my head. "Zoe." The mere utterance of my name from his lips infused me with renewed strength, carried by the sound of his voice to my every cell.

I reached up and wrapped my fingers around his wrists. The blue in his eyes deepened a kaleidoscope of midnight,

moon and mystery that stole my breath and hypnotized my soul.

His hands gently eased from the top of my head to my cheeks. How I wanted him to hold me. Whatever had just

happened had left my body quaking like an earthquake. I had strength in my limbs, but I wasn't sure I could call upon it to

hold myself up.

Tenderly, he lifted me to my feet, his hands still at my cheeks. Then his hands slipped to my shoulders. "Are you all

right?"

I nodded. I was sure my voice was gone after that experience. Somehow that electric vibe had wiped it away, the

power so intense the residual jangling of my cells left me jumpy and so alert, my eyes were wide and open and I couldn't

blink.

"What happened?" The sound of my voice was small and insignificant, like a distant echo in a cave.

I felt his palms on my shoulders, warm, potent, protective, the power gushing into my body like water from a

shattered dam. His gaze left mine for the first time since the door had slammed shut, and focused on the house. "This is not a place for you."

"No kidding."

His sharp gaze penetrated to my core. The pressure of his hands on my shoulders sunk deep into my body as if he was

making his point perfectly clear. "Never come here again."

Fear rushed up my throat, brought tears to my eyes.
Luke. As
if he read my thoughts, he nodded, spoke, "He'll come to know for himself that this place will only bring him misery. You mustn't endanger yourself again. Understand?"

I nodded.
Please don't let go. Take me away from here.
The protection of Matthias' touch slid from my shoulders,

down my arms until his hands took mine. He stepped back, urging me along with a resolute tug. Comforted by his presence,

mesmerized by his countenance, I followed in step with him until we were at the car.

In a blink, I was inside with Matthias next to me in the passenger seat. How did I get there?

"There seems to be more leg room up here." He glanced around, shifting like a cat settling into a comfortable position.

"Do you mind if I ride up front?"

We drove in silence for a few moments. My mind spun. The energy whirling inside of me nearly burst my body into a

million pieces. I was sure I'd evaporate, or levitate out of the car and into the night sky. The contented smile wouldn't leave my lips. I couldn't stop looking at Matthias.

Each moment he spent with me built on the last, creating a mountain of awe and respect so vast the thoughts in my

head swirled and vanished trying to coherently understand themselves. Whatever had happened at that house, he'd taken

complete control of the situation—not surprising, but utterly convincing. "Is that why you came tonight?" I asked.

"Your intentions are excellent. But I know you, Zoe. You're impulsive. Impulsive can be dangerous. Believe me, no

one knows better than I."

"I can't imagine you reckless."

"A characteristic I possessed while mortal. Consequence was not a word in my vocabulary."

"What did you do? Come on, it couldn't have been that bad."

A half-smile tipped his lips up. "I don't need to fill your ear with my hoodlum ways."

I laughed. "I most definitely want to hear about your hoodlum ways. Hey, you know all about me."

He settled in the seat with a grin. "All right. What do you want to know?"

Were you close to your family? Did you have any brothers and sisters? What about your mom? And why do you

always look sad when you mention your dad?
I had dozens of questions, none of which I was brave enough to ask. His past seemed to pain him, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him.

"Yes. No. Mom left when I was four, and my father is not in a good spot right now. I suppose that's why I get a little

melancholy when I speak of him."

"You heard me?"

He nodded.

"Lame that your mom left. I'm sorry." Pain needled my heart.
Was the pain his?

"Pop did the best he could, raising me."
But times were hard and he was easily distracted, Zoe. Like Luke.

An old sorrow in his eyes reached out to me. My heart banged in an agonizing ache, an ache I realized that even

Heaven and its peace couldn't fully erase. Not when love was involved.

Pulsing into my mind came a flash of foreign images: startling blue eyes smiling down into mine as if I was a child,

peering up. The brown shade of a ragged pair of wool slacks my fists clung to—for dear life. Bodies flowing around the two

us. The sound of a train. Steam from bulky engines filling cold air. Voices. A conductor shouting, "All aboard!" Fear of the unknown.

I gazed up the pant leg, following the line of tattered coat with elbow patches, on up to chestnut hair beneath a

rimmed hat. My body craved a look—
please look at me Pop. Don't let me get lost.

Matthias' memory.

I blinked and the image vanished.
I
want them back, let me see them again. Please.
My eyes met Matthias', his shadowed with an old sorrow.

"I saw another memory," I murmured. He nodded. "You still love him, don't you? Where is he?"

"Whatever you felt of me just now is the hope that my father and I can someday be together again."

Questions Hew like a flock of birds in my head. "What does that mean?”

"There's not enough time for that discussion."

"Time! Crap, what time is it?" I looked at the clock in my dashboard. I had ten minutes until I was supposed to be at Starbucks. The evening was beyond my dreams, and the last thing I wanted to do was cut it short just to go sit and talk with

Chase. Maybe if I drove aimlessly, the night would never end. Maybe I could keep Matthias with me.

I glanced at him. My heart swelled.

Thoughts of him reaching over and touching my face with his gentle hands, kissing me with his beautiful mouth...His

eyes, fastened to mine, glittered with midnight stars.
Oh no! I
faced forward, a flush racing under my skin.
Had he heard me?

No. No.

I turned onto State Street and headed in the direction of Starbucks.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Anything to get those thoughts out of my head. Nothing worked. He was so close, his aura so strong. My mind

weakened, and drifted back to the image of him reaching out and touching me.

He cleared his throat. I didn't dare look at him. "So, what do you think of..." My mind scrambled. "Of the leg room up front?"

His low chuckle teased me. "I like it much better up here."

Drawn to the sound of his voice, I looked at him. A smile danced on his lips. "This isn't fair."

"Would you like me to go?"

I shot him a smirk. "Didn't you just hear my thoughts?"

"I got some sort of abstract picture, yes. But I couldn't make out exactly what you were thinking. Perhaps if you put it into words—"

"As if.
I'm almost at Starbucks. You want to come in? You could... hang... with Chase and me."

He craned a look around. "Starbucks. Isn't that a coffee joint?"

I nodded. "You've heard about it... in Heaven?"

"People are always talking about how much they miss their Starbucks. Is it really that outstanding?" He eyed the

building as I pulled the car into the packed parking lot.

"It's a billion dollar corporation. I guess it is to some people."

"I was never much of a coffee drinker."

I was disappointed to think the evening was coming to an end. "They have other drinks, too. Lattes, frapps, steamers,

stuff like that. You should try it."

"Not tonight, thank you."