Fated Under the Moon Page 4

  "Do you want to talk about it?"

  I squinted my eyes at him. I could've sworn he was in my dream, but I was keeping that one to myself. No need for him to get a bigger head.

  Finally, I answered, "No. I don't remember it. I remember being cold, and I remember being afraid. Maybe it was some type of night terror? I'm not sure."

  "Have you had night terrors?

  I thought about it, "I sort of remember my dad saying something about it when I was little." What I didn't add to that was he said it happened after the accident. And if I was honest, one of the reasons I ran was because my dreams had become increasingly more frequent. I'd never passed out before, though, and I'd never had terror like this.

  "Can you call him tomorrow and ask him about it?" That was a simple enough question and one he would have no idea would affect me so significantly, but at the mention of my dad, pain lanced through me. I looked over to the picture of the two of us, then squeezed my eyes shut, wanting to hold on to that memory and nothing else. I didn't want to think about losing him.

  He walked around my room, and even with my eyes closed, I knew he had picked up the picture of us. "Is this him? How long has he been gone?" I took a deep breath and just wished that Ryker would leave. I wasn't prepared to talk about him. I suppose that since he passed, I hadn't really told anyone anything, and I knew that wasn't right. My dad should be talked about. He was a great dad. Maybe even sharing the smallest amount of information would lessen the pain in my chest that thinking about him caused.

  Peaking open an eye and seeing him still here, I answered, "It's been a little less than a year."

  His eyes were warm, and he tilted his head to the side. "This is a good picture. I can tell how much he loved you."

  Now that made my throat burn, and I knew I was close to crying. Swallowing back any tears, I quickly agreed, "He did." I pulled the blanket around me, "Listen. I think I'm good. Thank you for coming tonight and for taking care of me."

  "Are you sure you're good?"

  I nodded. Ryker put down the picture and walked towards the door. "Mins makes her own blends of herbal tea. I'll go get you a cup. It will help you relax, then I'll leave you to it."

  "Thanks," I said, holding his eyes right before he left the apartment.

  With Ryker gone, I got out of bed, used the bathroom, and put on some pants. I took a look at myself in the bathroom mirror and gasped. My eyes were bloodshot, which somehow always made my eyes look greener. I also had some serious bags going on. That was all kinds of sucky, but what was worse was my hair. Jesus! It was still a little wet, but half of it began to dry. Only where it dried, it was pretty much sticking straight up. I looked like I got attacked by an eighties curling iron and a bottle of Aquanet, then slept on it.

  I left the bathroom searching for the brush in my purse and found it on the coffee table, then grabbed a brush from it. I worked the brush through the top of my hair, but it got stuck in the mess of knots. Just great! Seriously, how did it get so tangled? I was still holding Dad's ring, so I set it down to work the brush through my hair. I was fighting the plastic brush in a war with my blonde mess when there was a tiny knock on the door, and Ryker poked his head in carrying a mug that had steam billowing from the top.

  He set it down on the table in front of me, and the calming aroma immediately filled the room. I saw his eyes move to my ring, and for the briefest of seconds, I swore they changed from dark to a light shade of honey. It happened so fast, in a blink, it was gone. Maybe I was seeing things? Tonight hadn't really been a stellar night for me.

  I reached for the cup, "Thanks for everything."

  I was hoping he would go, and finally, he said, "Take care of yourself. I'm across the hall, and Mins is upstairs if you need anything. Wear your ring."

  "What...?" I began to ask, but he was gone before I had the opportunity to ask him why he would say that.

  Chapter Four

  "Knock, knock!" Mindy called from the outside of my door. I looked around, a little confused, then last night hit me. After Ryker left, I sat on the couch and drank tea. When I was finished, for some strange reason, I put on Dad's ring. It only fit on my thumb, but it fit! It had never fit before. I wondered if the humidity was making my fingers swell. Oh well!

  Once the ring was on, I fell asleep. Now, I was blinking my eyes open from the couch.

  I sat up when I heard, "Are you in there?"

  Right, Mindy was here.

  Upon opening the door, she gasped. "Morning or almost afternoon. I didn't wake you, did I?" She wasn't looking at me, and I studied her closely to see why. Instead, I kept getting a side-eye with a little smirk. You know, when you're in college, and some kid gets too drunk, so some other kid draws on his head, that's how I was feeling like I was the schmuck who was about to freak out when they saw themselves in the mirror.

  "What time is it?"

  "Eleven-thirty. Ryker thought I should wait, but I was getting anxious, and I wanted to make sure you're okay."

  I took half a second to assess myself. "I feel fine," I told Mindy.

  "Great, why don't you go use the bathroom and take care of yourself." She eyed me up and down as if I was in serious need of an intervention. I couldn't be that bad, could I? I looked at her, confused for a second. She raised her eyebrow and gave me a look that said, 'don't believe me, see for yourself.'

  I shook my head and moved to the bathroom. When I saw myself, I gasped in horror.

  Last night my hair was bad, today... well, today there were no words to describe how bad it was! On a good day, I battled with my hair, but with my shower last night and how warm it was already, my hair was literally sticking straight up and out!

  "Good news, no one drew a penis on my forehead while I was sleeping," I called out.

  Mindy chuckled.

  "Are you going to stick around for a few? I need to wash my hair," I hollered.

  "Yeah, I'll stick around."

  I closed myself in the bathroom and started the shower, then undressed. I thought about Ryker seeing me naked and how surprising it was that he didn't mention my scars. I was in an accident when I was young. I don't even remember it, but it left me with two large, jagged scars, starting around the tip of my shoulder blade and going down most of my back. I've had a few boyfriends who would tell me how gross they were. Needless to say, Cryin' Ryan wasn't one of them. The rest, though, once they saw them, if they talked any shit about them, a light switch flipped, and I was no longer interested in them.

  I quickly showered and thankfully remained conscious the entire time. I walked out in a towel and was surprised to see all of the guys with Mindy. They lounged around on the couch like they hung out there all the time.

  "Uh, hey guys."

  "Damn!" Reece called, checking me out.

  Grey smacked him on the back of his head.

  "What, she's hot!" Reece defended.

  I walked into my room and closed myself in, thinking how strange it was that they were all here hanging out. I'd roll with it. I never had a large group of friends before, and their familiarity and playfulness with one another was endearing.

  I dropped my towel to change, then immediately noticed that my curtain was pulled open. I saw Ryker's back on the porch. "Fuck!" I yelled and grabbed my towel off the floor to cover myself, but as I stood to wrap it around myself, my screaming made Ryker turn to look at me. At first, he had a look of concern, then his eyes flashed with surprise. There was a quick second where I was frozen, then I quickly shook that off.

  "Fuckity-fuck!" I yelled, scrambling to cover myself.

  Ryker grinned and moved away from the window. I made a dash for the curtain, and I wasn't sure how much of me he saw, but I'd been in Ohio a day, not even a full twenty-four hours, and I'd been caught naked, twice.

  Whatever.

  I pulled on some clean undies, a bra, jean shorts, and a blue tank, then walked back to the bathroom and smelled food, making my stomach rumble. I found a brush and started to tame my mane, then walked out to the living area. I paused because Mindy had lit sage and walked around the living room waving the herbs in the air. "What are you doing?" I asked.

  Grey answered for Mindy. "She's clearing out your bad mojo from last night. Just go with it."

  I shrugged because I had my fair share of hippies and friends who believed in this type of thing in Seattle. It wasn't my cup of tea but to each their own.

  Micah was in the kitchen. "I got Prestie's" I knew from being in town, Prestie's was the bakery.

  "It smells good."

  "Their fritters are fresh. Wait till you try them." He began opening a bunch of bags that contained the most delicious-smelling baked goods. Damn. But they could eat.

  My door to the apartment opened, and I heard, "Is that Prestie's I smell?" Ryker walked in with a massive grin on his face causing me to narrow my eyes. He'd been outside. How could he smell Prestie's?

  Mindy started to mumble something under her breath as she moved around the room with the burning sage, and Reece and Ryker moved to the kitchen.

  Micah smacked Reece's grabby hand. "Let the lady have first grabs."

  "You heard him, Elle, ladies first. So, get a move on. I'm starved," Reece said.

  "When we're done eating, I need you boys to help me grab some furniture from the barn," Ryker said.

  "No problem," Reece answered, and Micah lifted his chin, indicating he was game.

  I moved to the baked goods, ignoring Mindy, who seemed to be humming and talking in tongues. She was getting louder by the second, and I found this entire thing extremely odd, albeit almost comical. I grabbed a fritter and a napkin that Micah set out, then took a bite.

  "Oh, my God," I said with my mouth full. It didn't matter that there was a room full of people. "This is so
good," I continued and closed my eyes, savoring the delicious apple fritter, then opened them and watched with mild fascination as Ryker grabbed one, then also slowly closed his eyes as he took a bite. And damn, he looked good while he chewed; the way his mouth moved.

  Jesus, Elle, get a grip.

  Somehow after last night, he didn't seem as broody as before. I watched all of the guys grab some food, including Grey, who stood back and watched Mindy move around the room. Occasionally, he would glance my way as if trying to assess whether or not I was judging Mindy. When he was sure that I wasn't, he looked back at Mindy with a goofy grin on his face.

  "So, what do you need help with?" Reece asked his brother between bites. It wasn't lost on me how much they resembled one another. Only Reece had yet to fill out his frame the same way Ryker had. He was also an inch or two shorter, but their eyes were similar, and so was their jawline. Ryker had a small beard with salt and pepper flaked through it, and Reece was clean-shaven. Still, the resemblance was uncanny.

  "You'll see," Ryker replied.

  Mindy stopped chanting and exclaimed, "There, that should do it!" Then set down the sage and was about to grab the last fritter at the same time Micah went in for it. Grey saw this, and, I kid you not, a slight growl came from the back of his throat. It was subtle. I don't think anyone really paid much mind to it, or if it was odd, they didn't act like it. Micah grabbed a donut instead, then sheepishly said, "Dude, I was going to get it for her."

  "Sure you were," Reece replied.

  "What was all of that?" I asked Mindy.

  Ryker responded for her. "Our family has traditions that go back for centuries. What Mindy was doing was a sort of cleansing. It will purify your space from any negative spirits or impurities."

  "Wow, you believe in that kind of stuff?" I asked.

  "We do," Mindy cut in between bites.

  "You'll also notice that there are various tiny stones and crystals that are placed in different corners of the room." She moved and walked around the room to the furthest corner by the door, "Here is hematite. There is also jasper and tiger eye. Jasper is known to protect, but the three stones together will also discourage an evil or ill-intentioned being from entering, and that includes your dreams. In a second, I'll put aquamarine in your bathroom. It will also protect you from anything happening like it did yesterday. You should keep the window cracked. That way, any bad spirits can leave."

  "Whoa, this is a lot. So, I take it Ryker filled you all in on what happened with me last night. So much for HIPAA."

  "It's our way," Mindy said. "I know to some it may seem different at first."

  I cut her off, "Please, I'm from Seattle. Not much new-age hippy shit scares me. You want to put pretty gems all over the place, have at it. I won't lose much sleep over it."

  "Good. I was worried you were going to get all judge-y."

  I waved her off, "Not sure how much stock I put into all of that, but if it's something you're into, I'm cool with it. Just as long as you're not trying to get me to make any sacrifices to the wolves," I joked.

  Mindy gulped and looked at Ryker as I said that.

  Seriously, that was odd. Maybe they didn't get my sense of humor.

  "Don't worry, we only sacrifice virgins around here," Reece said and was met with a smack upside the back of his head by Ryker. "What, I was just joking."

  I laughed at Ryker and Reece, then thought about why I said the wolves joke. "Come to think of it, I did hear howling on my run last night. I chalked it up to being coyotes. Are there wolves in these parts that I need to know about? The way you two looked at each other kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies."

  Mindy laughed uncomfortably. "There has been a pack around here for a long time. But don't worry, they never attack humans."

  "The crystals and sage I can deal with, but a pack of rabid wolves?" I asked incredulously.

  "I never said they were rabid," she shot back irritably.

  I blew out a big breath, then mumbled, "I need coffee."

  Micah grabbed a mug and poured it. "You haven't gone to the grocery store yet. Do you take it black?"

  "Shit," I cursed, really wanting a cup of coffee but drinking black coffee was like drinking hot bean water. Who wants to drink that?

  "Mins has creamer. I'll go grab some."

  "Thanks, Grey. That would be amazing."

  "He's the best!" Mindy said, smiling. "So, what are your plans today?"

  "I have to go through the rest of my stuff and take inventory of anything I need, then hit the grocery store."

  "I'm watching my cousin later. I think I might take him to the swimming hole. Do you want help, then maybe you can hit the swimming hole with us?"

  I sort of wanted a little bit of downtime, but Mindy looked so hopeful. There was really no way that I would be able to crush her eagerness.

  "Sure," I sighed, "But I'm not sure that I have a swimsuit."

  "What size are you? A six?"

  I scoffed. "I'm five foot ten, so I'm a size ten on a good day."

  "I'll check later to see what I have. If not, maybe we can find something at the second-hand store."

  "Okay, sounds good."

  Grey walked back in and handed me the coffee creamer. "Thank you!" I said and walked behind the guys standing in the kitchen to grab myself a cup. I slowly drank my coffee and, while doing so, observed everyone in the room. Ryker was clearly the oldest, and he was the serious one. I could tell how much he cared for his friends and family, though. Grey had been back in the room for only a few minutes, and Mindy had already curled into his side. They were that cute, young couple that you couldn't decide if they were so cute you wanted to barf or if they were exactly what you wished you had. Reece and Micah were goofballs. They didn't seem to take life very seriously, and I appreciated that.

  "So, you have a cousin here, and you mentioned your dad yesterday. Do you have a ton of family here?" I asked Ryker.

  "Huge family. Most of us are pretty close too."

  "And the Valderes, is that some type of family feud?"

  At the mention of the Valderes, the entire vibe in the room changed. It was like it went from a carefree atmosphere where everyone was getting along to so quiet and tense you could hear a pin drop. Mindy, who I could tell was often the peacemaker, broke the silence. "We don't like to say their name around here. But yes, in a sense, there is a long family feud, only it's the type that's ended in bloodshed. What exactly are you going to be doing for them? How did you find them? Or should I ask, how did they find you? What are your ties to them?" Her eyes squinted on me, and I didn't like the accusations she seemed to be silently asking.

  "I'm basically just a secretary. They head-hunted me off a job site online. There's nothing nefarious. And what do you mean bloodshed? Are they violent? Are they like the mob or something?"

  "Something like that," Ryker grumbled. "Why don't we give Ariel some time to adjust this morning?"

  "Elle," I corrected, feeling a little bit like I was hit with a heady dose of whiplash.

  Mindy started to protest, "But I...."

  Ryker gave her a sharp look with his eyes, and she immediately stopped saying what she was about to say, changing course. "I'll stop by in a bit."

  Grey moved his head to the side, "Come on," he said, giving a slight tug on Mindy's side for her to follow. I watched everyone pile out of my apartment, feeling more than a little strange. One minute it was full steam ahead for bringing me into the fold, and at the mention of the Valderes, they all backed off. What did they mean by bloodshed? Surely it's not like they go around killing each other?

  I bit into my fritter and decided to shrug it off. I continued to unpack my boxes, then made a list of what I'd like to buy from the store, coffee creamer making the top of the list. My mind couldn't help but wander to Ryker and how he seemed to be silently in charge of everyone. If he said jump, well, it wasn't hard to imagine all of them asking how high.

  Still, he was kind to me last night. If he had a major issue with my employer, I wish he would leave the problem with them and not let it affect how he treated me.

  Grabbing my purse and keys, I locked up and drove to the second-hand store to look for a bathing suit. There was nothing there that would remotely fit me, and the longer I was out, the more I didn't feel up to going to the swimming hole.