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“I burnt water one time,” Jayce comments under his breath.
“Jayce and I are going to check the house and the land before we start the installation of the cameras. I don’t want anyone else to pop up on us unannounced,” I tell them, giving Raven a quick kiss on the lips.
“Always the protector, huh?” she asks with an eyebrow raised.
“Just for those I love,” I reply with a smirk.
“Aww, does that mean you love me, too?” Jayce asks.
“No,” I say flatly, “But Raven does, so I have to watch out for you for her.”
A frown falls on his lips, “But I love you, Eli,” he says, arms open wide as if to wrap me in a hug.
I roll my eyes as he does just that, when he releases me, I ask if he’s ready for our task.
“Yes, we have flashlights in the trunk. I should have picked them up when I unloaded the food,” Jayce says. “It seems to get dark faster here.”
Lucien laughs, “Only you, Jayce, there are no street lights to mimic the sunlight. Time moves the same here as it does in town.”
There is annoyance on his face as he retorts, “It’s just an expression, Lucien. I know there is no difference.”
“We will have to add lighting to our list of fixing this place up,” I offer up, squashing their debate for later.
“That’s a great idea,” Raven says as she roots around in one of the grocery bags. Her hands stop when she finds what she’s searching for, a few pens and a notepad. “I know we have plenty at home but since we were going to be out here longer, I thought these would come in handy.”
I just laugh, she is always prepared for anything.
“Let’s go, Jayce,” I say, hooking a thumb towards the door.
We grab our flashlights to start our search. “Quiet is our mission. Yes, we will flash beams of light but no talking in case they have their back to us,” I tell Jayce.
“Yes, sir,” Jayce states with a little salute.
Rolling my eyes at him, we head to the closest outbuilding.
Raven’s remark about me always being the protector plagues my thoughts. She wasn’t wrong with that statement, but I didn’t protect the other woman in my life and she was gone. My mother was murdered right in front of my father and I. That was most of the reason why we were at odds, we both blamed ourselves.
Yet, we both knew that there wasn’t anything that either of us could have done to save her. We were caught in the crossfire of a robbery at the bank where my father was working. I was nine. Mother and I went to pick up my father for a lunch date.
My mom insisted that we wait for my father in the car but I was at the age where I wanted to watch my father work. So, I drug her in and we were almost to the bank manager’s office when the gunfire rang out.
My mother’s hand squeezed mine as she fell, blood covering her chest. I held her head in my lap, blocking the whole scene out, she was my sole focus. Her breathing slowed and she started whispering something to me. I had to lean in and on her last breath she said, “I love you, my boy.” Then her hand went slack as her eyes closed.
“Dude, you okay?” Jayce asks.
“What? Yes?” Not exactly my most convincing performance.
“I asked you where to now and you didn’t answer. I even flashed my light in your eyes and that didn’t bring you back. Were you in a vision?” he asks.
“No, sorry. Just caught in a memory,” I offer up with an attempted smile.
“Need to talk about it?” Jayce asks, his face full of compassion.
“Nah, I’m good.” I say, punching him on the arm. “Let’s get this done. I know that Rav is with Lucien, but I don’t like not being near her out here.”
“You and me, both. I can’t wait for the lights to be up out here. There are too many hiding places in all these shadows,” Jayce comments with a shiver.
My mother’s blank stare pops up once more and I shake away that memory, carrying on with my task. Jayce and I don't find anyone else on the grounds and when we get back to the house, we are greeted by Rav’s laughter.
