The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart: A Hart Brothers Novel (25 page)

“You did,” Kolson says. “You stayed to
protect me. You said yourself he would’ve killed me.”

Standing, I look at both of my brothers and
say, “I love you both, but to think any of us could’ve done
something is ludicrous. His power was way beyond our capability. So
I say we put this conversation to rest and not let it spoil this
day. If we don’t, he wins and that bastard has taken enough from us
as it is.”

“Here, here.”

“Agreed.”

His name never comes up again. In the
morning, my car to the airport waits, and I’m eager to get back to
Denver. The four of them walk me outside. It’s all hugs and kisses
from the girls and a promise to return to see the baby as soon as I
can. The guys do what guys usually do. We man hug and pound each
other on the back. I promise to be in touch and thank Kestrel and
Carter for their hospitality and Kolson for the great rides. Then
get in the car and practically tick off the minutes until I get
back to Denver.

Juliette

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are not
nearly as awful with Ethel to occupy my time. After the masses are
over, I have her to play with. The weather has warmed so the snow
is melting. That means it’s a mess everywhere. Whenever I take her
outside, I more or less have to bathe her to get the dirty snow and
slush off her cream colored fur. It’s quite nasty, the poor little
mite. She’s not very fond of baths, but at this rate, she should be
used to them real soon.

There’s a space adjacent to the convent that
I use to walk her. It’s the best I can find, where the snow isn’t
too deep. Her tiny body is still smaller than most of the snow on
the ground, so I’m careful of where we go. Each time I go out, I
notice them. The shadows are here, floating, drifting, in and out
of spaces.

“You all are nothing but a bunch of chicken
shits,” I mumble. “Always fucking hiding.” Then I realize what I
just said and hope Sister Mary Elizabeth wasn’t close enough to
hear. She’s inside in the den, watching TV. We’ve had a laugh over
that because it was never allowed when Sister Satan was in charge.
That’s my new name for Sister Helena. It’s dark out and I shiver in
trepidation. I’m not a fan of the darkness. “Hurry up little one.
Find your spot.” Why the heck does it take dogs so long to sniff
out a place to go?

As I impatiently wait, the air around me is
displaced. Something is in my space, moving nearby. The shadows
have never gotten so close to me before. The hairs on the back of
my neck stick out, as do the rest of my body hair. It’s as though
the air is static charged. One day, when I was young, a storm was
moving in. I was playing outside and my mom told me to come in. I
didn’t want to because I loved to watch the black clouds roll in
and the lightening strike. Mom yelled and said if I didn’t come
inside that instant, I would be punished. I did as she said, but
took my time. As I went, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
My hair felt like it was trying to stand on end and my skin began
to feel a prickly sensation. I looked around and suddenly and huge
boom and a flash lit up the yard. I screamed as a tree at the end
of our property was struck by lightening. My body feels exactly as
it did that day.

“Why don’t you show yourself to me?” I
murmur.

“If you turn around, you’ll see us.”

The voice comes from directly behind me.
It’s low, deep, and sends my heart racing up to my throat.
Swallowing my heartbeats, I slowly turn to face my shadows … those
who have followed me for two years now.

It’s dark and I have difficulty
distinguishing anything except there are two of them. And they are
tall and massive, larger than even Kade. The thought doesn’t escape
me that if they desired, they could snap me in two.

“Have you come to kill me then? Is it my
time?” I might as well get this over with.

“No. We have not.”

Their answer surprises me. I want to see
their faces, get a good look at them, so I angle my head and move a
bit.

“Stay put. Or we leave.”

“Why are you here then, if it isn’t to kill
me?”

“How do you see us?” The one who speaks has
a low, throaty voice. It’s beguiling.

“I don’t know, but I do. Everywhere I look I
see you. You’re in the shadows of everything, the trees, buildings,
everything.”

“Is that what you call us then?
Shadows?”

“Yeah, I guess I do. It’s what you are to
me.”

A black, gloved hand reaches out to me, but
I flinch. He grabs my face so quickly, it’s hard for me to
comprehend how he does it. There’s no escaping him. He tilts my
face one way and then the other, examining me, I think.

“What do you want from me?”

“Nothing.”

That makes no sense. “I don’t understand.
Then why are you here? Is it because of the necklace?” I can’t tell
for sure, but I get the feeling he’s smiling at me.

“We protect. Don’t fear us. Don’t seek us
out. And stop calling out to us or drawing attention to us, for
Christ’s sake. Forget you saw us. The … necklace … don’t
ever
let it out of your possession at any time.”

I reach under my shirt to pull it out and
say, “I’ll give it to you if you want. You can have it.”

“No! It’s yours and should remain with you
at all times. When the time is appropriate for you to pass it on,
you’ll be notified.”

“Notified? Of what?” Ethel scratches my leg
so I look down. When I look back up, they’re gone. What the hell?
Did I just imagine this? I am not sure now. They’re out there; I
know they are. I feel their eyes on me now. I pick Ethel up and
walk back inside, thinking about what happened. I don’t dare tell
anyone or they’ll lock me away right next to Sister Satan.

“Everything okay?” Sister Mary Elizabeth
asks when I walk back inside.

“Fine, fine,” I snap.

I don’t pay attention to her; my thoughts
are wrapped up on what occurred moments ago. Who are those people?
They have to be some super secret government dudes to move so
silently like that. Maybe they’re those Black Ops guys I’ve read
about. But why me and why this necklace? What is this thing anyway?
Damn, I wish I had a computer right now, though it hasn’t done me
much good so far.

“Emmalia, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been asking you a question and you
keep ignoring me,” Sister Mary Elizabeth says.

Good lord. What should I tell her?

Offering her up my best fake smile, I say,
“I’m fine as can be. Just lost in thoughts here.”

“And would those thoughts have anything to
do with a handsome young man that you may or may not be missing
right now?”

Oh God. Did she have to go there?

“Maybe,” I giggle.

Perhaps if I play the lovesick fool, she’ll
get off my case and let me think a minute.

“So, want to watch a movie?”

“Sure. Whatever you choose is fine with me,”
I say.

We end up watching Pride and Prejudice,
which I think odd that she would want to watch a love story. That
is until we get to the end. Then she says, “Perhaps Mr. Hart is
your Mr. Darcy and you are his goddess divine.”

Oh my God. I love this woman but I have to
get away from her. Her notions of romanticism are making me
bonkers.

I laugh and say, “Perhaps. I only hope he
doesn’t turn out to be an unmitigated ass.”

She lets out a gigantic snort and then
howls. “Oh, Emmalia, you do have a great sense of humor. But I
don’t think you have to worry about Kade turning out to be
ass.”

“Hmph. You never know.”

“True. Well, it’s off to bed for me.”

“Same for me, after I take Ethel for one
more turn outside.”

“Lock up, will you?”

“Sure thing.”

As I bundle up for the cold walk, I wonder
if my shadows will approach me. But they don’t. I know they’re out
there. My senses tell me. If there were no snow on the ground, I
may be brave enough to seek them out. Now that they’ve spoken to
me, I want answers. They have them, and I want to know who they are
and what this necklace is. Why is it important enough to warrant
protection?

Ethel is quicker this go around, and when
she’s done, I scoop her up and hurry inside. I’m ready to snuggle
in bed with her. Kade is supposed to come home tomorrow and as much
as I adore having Ethel with me, I’m ready to see him.

Right as I’m drifting off, I swear I hear
that low, hypnotic voice speaking to me, telling me never to travel
alone at night. In the morning, I question whether I dreamed it or
if he was in my room with me.

~~~~~

The next day, I expect to hear from Kade, but
the call never comes. He was supposed to arrive home around noon,
or that’s what he told me anyway. Noon comes and goes, and no Kade.
I call him and text him and he never returns my calls.

Around three that afternoon, I strike out
with Ethel, and walk to his house. It’s still cold, but the
temperatures have remained in the high thirties to low forties, so
the snow has continued to melt. I have no issues getting there.
When I arrive, his truck is in the driveway, so I know he made it
home.

I bang on his door and ring his doorbell
several times, but get no response. So I let myself in and disarm
his security system.

“Kade, are you here?”

No answer. I walk through his house, looking
for him. Maybe he’s sick, or injured. I go upstairs and the place
is empty. He’s not here. But he’s been here. There’s an opened
suitcase on his bed, and clothes are hanging half in and half out
of it. It’s like he arrived home and decided to leave in a hurry.
But where did he go?

I call the convent and let Sister Mary
Elizabeth know what’s going on.

“Do you think something happened?” she
asks.

“I don’t know. I can’t for the life of me
figure it out. He should’ve called by now. I’m terribly worried
about him. I think I’m going to stay here in case he shows up.”

“Okay. Let me know if there’s anything I can
do. Do you want me to call Father Anthony?”

“Please. Ask him to call me if he hears from
Kade.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

By ten o’clock that night, I am convinced
something serious has happened. I could go with the explanation of
him not wanting to be involved with me, but why would he text me
one day and everything be fine and now this? And then there’s the
fact that he’s not home. He came home and left and hasn’t returned
and his truck is here. Why wouldn’t he take his truck? Maybe I
should’ve called Living Free. I will in the morning if he doesn’t
return by then.

~~~~~

At nine a.m., I’m still awake when Kade’s
land line rings. I eagerly answer it.

“Hello, Kade?”

“No, who is this?”

“Who is this?” I ask.

“It’s a friend of Kade’s. My name is
Mack.”

“Oh, Mack. This is Juliette.”

“Juliette! Have you seen Kade?”

“No! I’m worried to death about him.”

“Same. He was supposed to attend one of my
meetings yesterday and never showed up. No one’s heard from
him.”

“He was home sometime because his bag from
his trip is here, along with his truck.”

“Jesus. I was afraid something like this was
gonna happen.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“He’s been teetering on the edge.”

“The edge of what?”

“The edge of using.”

“What? Oh my gosh. Why hasn’t he said
anything?”

“Because he’s a jackass and thinks he’s
stronger than that. Listen, Juliette, do you know anything about
Kade’s past?”

“Yeah, he told me about his father and all
that. Is that what you mean?”

“But did he tell you the finer details?”

“Probably not.”

“Then there’s a lot you don’t know and may
not want to know. It’s not my place to tell you, but Kade’s
fighting a war. And I believe that meeting you has raised some
serious doubts about himself. I’m going to do an all out search for
him.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Yeah, stay there and let me know if he
shows up.”

“Okay and will you call me if you find
him?”

“Yeah.”

We exchange cell phone numbers and he ends
the call. Now I have no idea what to think or do. So I fall to my
knees and pray. I pray to a God who I’m not sure exists, the God
who led me to the convent where Sister Helena abused me, the God
who allowed my family to be butchered, the God who tore my life to
shreds, but it’s the only thing I know, the only thread of hope to
which I cling now.

Hours later I awaken, on my knees next to
Kade’s bed, my torso and arms lying across it. My knees ache from
the time I’ve spent on them, so I drag myself to my feet and take
Ethel outside. It’s six in the evening.

My shadows are there, silent and still as
the breezeless air. When Ethel’s done, I let her back inside. I’m
sure she’ll curl up on one of her many dog beds Kade has scattered
throughout the house.

I walk back out on the terrace and say,
“He’s missing. Do you know where he is?” No reply. I didn’t expect
one. My heart aches with frustration. These men could help if they
wanted. I feel it! “Please! Can’t you help me this once?” Nothing
but darkness is my response. I sink into a crouch and tug at my
hair. “Where is he?” I mutter. “God, I’m so worried about him.”

My bones begin to sting from the cold when I
feel it, that displacement of air around me. What is it that makes
me feel this way?

“Go inside. The temperatures are too low for
you to be out here like this.”

He’s right. Whoever he is. Two booted feet
are planted directly in front of me. I stretch my neck to see the
man standing before me, but again, it’s too dark to see his
face.

“Do you have a name?”

He laughs. “Of course I have a name.”