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Heaving a heavy sigh, my eyes closed. I was second-guessing everything I’d said, everything we were doing…everything I’d requested.
Comfort flooded our bond and Stefan’s fingers danced over my shoulders. His thumbs pressed against the tight muscles of my back, kneading the tension away.
“You can not be filled with regret. What was said needed to be discussed. You did what you needed to do,” Stefan advised. His magic fingers continued to glide over my spine, leaving a trail of goose bumps over my skin. “It will be fine, yes? We will be back from our trip soon. No more worries.”
My teeth bit at my lower lip. Leaning back against him, the solid wall of muscle was calming and I managed a soft nod. “At least I don’t have to worry about worry lines anymore.”
“Yes, there is that I suppose.” Stefan chuckled and his arms wrapped around me, one across my chest and the other went lower to rest around my stomach. That strange magnetic pull between us leapt to life at our closeness, reassuring me in way his words couldn’t.
I swayed against him for a moment, my hands covering his. “There’s no going back.”
His hold never faltered, nor did the comfort he sent through the bond. “No. There is not.”
Unwittingly, I’d drawn that invisible line in the sand; the line that you can’t come back from. There were no words I could say to change the outcome, nothing I could do to change course. I’d declared war on my father.
***
I’d spent the remainder of the afternoon packing suitcases. We’d planned on staying a week in my hometown, hoping that I’d find the journals and we could be on our way home. And in a perfect world with no complications, it might work. However, nothing ever came easy for me.
The weather was growing warmer and the nights shorter as spring slowly faded into summer. Temperature didn’t matter to me anymore. I could walk around in a winter jacket in 100-degree temperatures and not be the least bit uncomfortable. My life was now all about appearances and fitting in with the human world. I’d have to learn how to fade into the background. With Stefan at my side, I knew it would be impossible to do. His six-foot-four inch height and supernatural Nordic beauty turned heads wherever he went. It wasn’t everyday you saw a man that was more beautifully designed than Stefan, and you’d be hard pressed to forget him if you saw him.
Folding up a fourth pair of jeans, I heard light footfalls head down the hallway. I’d just looked up as Lukas stuck his head in the doorway.
“Knock, knock,” he sang out loudly. He joined me at the bed and surveyed my suitcase. His mouth turned into a frown. “Have I taught you nothing? You can lead a horse to water…”
He flitted off to the closet and returned with his arms filled with clothes. He began methodically folding blouses and shirts, artfully arranging them in the large suitcase. I went to reach for a hanger and he playfully smacked at my hands. “You’ll only wrinkle them.”
Releasing an unladylike snort, I sat on the edge of the bed and watched Lukas as his hands blurred through the motions of packing. He caught me staring and flashed me a smile. “It’s been awhile since we’ve talked.”
Losing myself in memories, I struggled through the murky recollections until I remembered a distraught Lukas sitting by my bedside. “It was the night of the explosion.”
He never slowed as he continued to pack. “You were right to trust he’d come back. I gave up. I gave into my fear.”
Lukas looked up and his face took on a faraway expression. “I didn’t realize how much he meant to me. I love him, Josie. Not in a romantical sort of way of course, but I’ve been with him for over a hundred years. He was my friend as a human and saved me from certain death.” He shifted uncomfortably and I saw him swipe at his eyes. “As I sat here that night, I realized that if I lost him, I’d lose you. Granted, you have your faults and have questionable taste in clothing…”
I swallowed back a laugh and watched him fondly. He tried so hard to keep up his bitchy façade. “Sweet talker. Lukas, if you’re not careful someone might overhear you and think you care about me.”
His head snapped up and our eyes met, icy blue to emerald green. He jerked his head once and he smiled, exposing his even white teeth. “Tell anyone and I’ll track you down and force you to wear H&M for the rest of eternity.”
“Oh, the torture.” I joked back, placing the back of my hand against my forehead in mock horror. “Lukas…”
He shot me a sharp look and shook his head vehemently. “No. Don’t you dare do what I think you’re going to do.”
Ignoring his plea, I stood and hugged him. It wasn’t the same sort of hug I gave my brother, but it served the purpose of what I needed to do. Again, I used the opportunity to speak without being overheard. “When we leave, you’re the eldest. You have to take care of Anna and Nikolaus. I already spoke with him. I told him to do whatever he needed to do. You know where everything is…the financials. If for some reason we don’t make it back…”
“I said not to do this.” He hissed back, the warning clear in his words. “Don’t talk like this. It’s like asking for bad luck.”
“Feel free to stock my closets with whatever atrocities you feel fit. We need to all be on the same page. One more thing, Lukas. You can’t tell anyone what we’re doing. No one.” I released him and took my perch on the end of the bed. His eyes were slits as he stared at me. It was easy to see the unanswered questions that were forming in his mind.
Lukas stepped away from the bed and crossed the room to find a small notepad on Stefan’s dresser. I watched as he scribbled away on the piece of paper. With a sigh, he handed the pad to me. I scanned the paper quickly. When you say no one, you mean Amir? Do you know something I don’t?
Grabbing the pen from his hand, I wrote back a simple answer. Yes, I mean Amir. And no, I don’t know anything. It’s simply a matter of keeping our destination a secret.
Lukas read the note and resumed packing until the suitcase was filled and he started in on Stefan’s luggage next. As he packed, I ripped up the note into shreds and headed into the bathroom, flushing them down the toilet. I watched them swirl like confetti until they disappeared, leaving clear water behind.
As I stepped back into the bedroom, Lukas was zipping up Stefan’s suitcase. He managed a smirk as he turned to face me. “You’re flying commercial. I’d suggest making sure you aren’t hungry before you leave.” He glanced at his watch dramatically. “Which is in precisely five hours. You need to talk to Anna too.”
He walked to the door and blew me a kiss. “See you soon, sweet cheeks. I’ll send Anna over.”
