Willow (10 page)

“I can’t be your friend,” he said as he placed his right hand on the tree by the side of my head.

He gazed at me until I felt forced to look away.  I was uncomfortable but at the same time I was inflamed. How could that be? I tried to create space between us as he had the physical advantage. My attraction to him was maddening but I didn’t want him to know it. And that was the problem. I was hiding my feelings. I was a hypocrite. People shouldn’t be left to wonder how another person feels about them. They shouldn’t have to guess where they stand but I couldn’t bring myself to speak what I was thinking.

I turned my attention to him. “What do you mean?”

“It means what you think it does,” he said, causing the blood to rush to my cheeks. He clearly had
all
the advantage and that knowledge both frustrated and pleased me. I knew I couldn’t trust myself around him so it was best to put some distance between us.

“I should be going,” I whispered as I attempted to move past him. “And what makes you think I need a friend anyway?”

“Stop running,” he demanded, putting his other hand on the tree, blocking my passage.

I didn’t know why but I began to panic. Was it the truth in his words or the fact he could read me so well? I spotted Reece who was carrying all our chairs and I called out to him, “Reece, are we leaving?”  

I heard Haven chuckle. “Very well Willow.”

He dropped his arm, letting me pass. “We’re not finished though.”

I looked back at him but said nothing more.

“What was that about?” Reece asked as he looked in Haven’s direction distastefully. “Could he have been any closer to you?”

“We were just talking Reece. So, what happened back there, who are they?”

“Who knows,” he shrugged. He put the chairs in the back of his truck and when he saw that I was waiting for further information, he sighed. “No one knows Willow. They aren’t from around here but they don’t look like they’re up to any good.”

“And people fear what they don’t know...”

We both looked up to see that Lacey had been listening all along.

As if on cue to diffuse an awkward moment Amber called out to Reece and I watched as he walked over to her. They stood in front of the truck and talked in hushed voices.

“Haven likes you, you know.” Lacey’s dark eyes were looking at me longer than necessary.

“Oh,” I said flatly, suddenly regretting how stupid it sounded.

“Reece too,” she added. “How can one girl get so lucky?”

Lucky?
Yeah right
. I was an orphan. I didn’t know where I belonged and the only best friend I ever had was a dog.

“New blood,” was all I said.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked.

“I’m new here. There is always interest at first.”

“You underestimate yourself,” she said.

“I think most of us do,” I retorted.

We both heard the engine and turned to see a rider approaching. The only thing that identified him was his dark hoodie. He was wearing a black helmet and motioned for Lacey who left my side without saying goodbye. I watched as she climbed on the back of the motorcycle. She was putting her helmet on when she nodded in my direction. That’s when I heard him.

“Ride with me,” Haven announced.

I turned to stare at him. “You didn’t even ask so what makes you think I’d say yes?”

“I’m asking,” he said.

“Look,” I started. “I came with my friends and I intend to leave with them.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” He asked.

I felt the sudden urge to leave, or run away as he had put it. He was waiting for me to reply so I walked towards the door of Reece’s truck. “I don’t have much of one.”

Haven moved in so close that I could feel a spark of adrenaline and I enjoyed how alive it made me feel.

“Life is too brief to be scared of taking risks,” he informed me. “Especially the ones that have the chance to make you happy.”

I looked into the trees and said nothing. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “When was the last time you were happy?”

I didn’t have an answer.

“What’s going on? What’s the plan?” Reece asked as he and Amber came around to stand with the two of us.

I looked at Haven and attempted a genuine smile. “I appreciate the offer, I do, but I’m staying with Amber and Reece. It would be rude not to go home with them.”

Hearing me, Reece opened the side door, “And we are leaving now.”

He obviously stated that for Haven’s benefit and not mine. The two stared each other down.

“Willow?” The interruption came from Reece.

Haven glared at him before looking down at me, “I’ll see you soon...”

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.