The Scarlett Legacy (Woodland Creek) (8 page)

“HONEY,” OLIVIA CALLED.

Wes opened his eyes to her beautiful face. Sunlight spilled into his bedroom from the balcony doors behind Olivia.

Her brows were furrowed in a look of concern, and that’s when he realized that what had happened the night before wasn’t a dream.

Avalon had beat him before he could even defend himself. The toll on his pride was bruised almost as much as his body.

“What happened to you?” She ran her fingers along his back and he rolled over so that she couldn’t see them. It stung like hell to put pressure on the bruises, but he’d rather hide them than have her see him so defeated.

“We have a problem,” he said, covering his eyes with his hands. Even his arms hurt. Just lifting them made him wince with pain.

“Tell me,” she said.

He removed his hands from his eyes to see arms crossed over her chest.

“Don’t keep this from me, Wes. What happened when I went to sleep last night? Did you get into a fight?”

Wes frowned. “I wish.”

He tried to sit up but the pain kept him down. His head hit his plush down pillow and he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. The look on his wife’s face prevented him from drifting back to sleep. She deserved answers.

“Tell me what happened!”

Wes avoided her eyes. He stared at the ceiling. “I wouldn’t even call what happened last night fair.”

“Wes, stop stalling.”

Wes took a deep breath and propped himself up so that his back rested against his headboard. He put a hand over Olivia’s.

“Hugh’s youngest son has returned.”

“What?” Olivia sat next to him on the bed.

“Yes. Avalon Prince is back, he knows I killed his father.”

Olivia stared off for a moment, her mouth open with shock. “I can’t believe it.” She shook her head before glancing at him. “What does he want?”

“My sister.” It hurt Wes’ heart to think of bringing Evie into this, but the fact was that she was a part of this the moment Avalon laid eyes on her. Maybe he should have encouraged her to go to school abroad. Anything would have been better than having her in this mess.

“What does he want with Evie?”

“He wants her, Olivia. What do you think?”

“No,” she said.

“Either I kill myself or let him have her.”

“What a disaster,” Olivia said. “We should have left Hugh alone.”

Wes hung his head. She sat on his lap, straddling his legs, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The worry in her eyes hurt him. Then there was the pain in his back. Not only did it burn like hell, but it itched. He scratched it, wincing as he did so. With a sigh he leaned back against the head board.

“I hate having you see me like this.” His entire body was sore from what Avalon’s mysterious power had done to him. He knew the Princes were wizards. It was one of the reasons their fathers were always in constant competition. Still, he never imagined Avalon could fly.

But how?

It was not a typical wizard power.

“It's okay,” Olivia whispered in between soft kisses on his lips. “We can get through this.”

“I can’t imagine how. He will hurt Evie to get to me.”

“We won't let that happen,” Adelaide said from his bedroom’s doorway.

Wes and Olivia turned to her voice. She stood there leaned against the doorframe in the purple robe she wore around the house. Her hair fell long over her shoulders in perfect waves.

“How are we going to stop him?”

Adelaide looked as if she hadn’t slept in days. It broke Wes’ heart to see her in such disarray.

Her eyes fixed on Olivia, and then Wes. “We give him what he wants,” she said and Wes felt a sickening feeling in the pit of is stomach.

“It’s about time Evie did her part for the family. At least he doesn’t want to hurt her.”

Olivia shook her head.

“No. He just wants to keep her, like a pet or something,” she said, her brows furrowed. “Let me try to handle it first.”

Adelaide stared at Olivia for a moment.

Wes had hoped that he wouldn’t have to use his wife’s skills again, but this was to protect Evie, and he knew Olivia was serious. She wouldn’t be talked out of it. Perhaps she could be successful.

She’d done it before...many times.

It was worth a shot.

Olivia did have her own talents. It was time to exploit them one more time. But this would be the last one.

“Fine,” Adelaide said, turning to walk back down the corridor. “We will tell Evie what’s been going on at Sunday dinner. We can’t keep it from her forever. She’s an adult now.”

Olivia nodded.

“Then,” Adelaide said. “You can go after him that night. But you’ll need to be discreet.”

“I always am,” Olivia said, flickering a glance at Wes that made the hairs on his arm stand on end.

Evil could be so beautiful.

DRAKE’S DINER WAS
packed that night. Evie and Parker stepped inside the retro style diner with classic checkered floor tiles, red chairs, and white table and counter tops. The jukebox played popular hits from the fifties as cute high school girls and young women in matching pink dresses and checkered caps served customers.

The vibe was one of fun and friendliness until Evie showed up.

Evie breathed a sigh when all eyes seemed to turn to them despite the boisterous chatter that filled the air. It was as if the life had been sucked from the room when they recognized her. That was the bad part about knowing everyone. They knew all of your business. College kids, older adults, and even children stared at her as if she’d walked in there with horns on her head.

The whispers filled her ears, making her wish she would have stayed in the car.

There she is.

Look.

Why is she here?

Evie rolled her eyes.

Elliot, Parker’s dad, stood behind the counter with a checkered apron over his black slacks and white collared shirt. She loved that place. Everything fit with the theme of a cool diner from the movies her father used to love.

Elliot motioned for them to come forward to two seats he’d saved for them at the bar area.

Evie avoided the looks from everyone and sat down on her barstool. She put her elbows up and shielded her face by resting her chin in between the palms of her hands.

“Evie,” Elliot said with a bright smile. He came from behind the counter and gave her a warm hug.

For a man in his fifties, he was unbelievably handsome. He had such a friendly face that Evie couldn’t help but smile back. With salt and pepper hair and blue eyes, he looked like Pierce Brosnan to her. She used to always call him James Bond when she was younger. Evie figured Parker had good genes and would be as attractive as he was now as they grew old together.

“Good to see you, sweetheart,” he said with a charming Southern accent. He nodded to Parker as he went back behind the counter. “Glad you could bring your girl in to see your old pa.”

“What are you talking about, dad? You saw Evie almost every day when you were the groundskeeper at Scarlett Hall,” Parker said rubbing Evie’s back.

Pulling two glasses from the shelf, Elliot set them under the soda tap.

“That was a long time ago. I started to forget what her beautiful face looked like.” Elliot gave Evie a wink.

Evie grinned. “Thanks, Mr. Drake. I’ve missed you too. Is Sue around?”

“Naw. She went home early. She can’t seem to get rid of this awful cough she’s been having. And her poor nose keeps running.”

“She okay?” Parker looked concerned. He sat beside Evie and reached for two menus from the menu holder. He handed Evie one. “I spoke to her yesterday, and she didn’t mention not feeling well.”

“She’s all right. Just those damn allergies.”

“Oh good,” Evie said. “We will visit her tomorrow. I’ll make her some soup.”

“She’d love that.” Elliot handed her a root beer float, her favorite.

“Thank you,” she said. “You remembered.”

Leaning on the counter top, Elliot put a straw in each glass. “How could I forget? You and Parker used to come in here in your school uniforms every day after school and order the same thing.”

Evie’s smile widened. Those memories were her favorite. She didn’t know how she would have survived growing up in Scarlett Hall without Parker’s friendship and the kindness of her family.

“Good memory,” Evie said, taking a sip of the cold drink before her.

Elliot looked from Parker to Evie, his face becoming serious. “How are you holding up? I keep hearing so much about the whole Prince trial and his death today that I could barely focus on putting out orders for worrying about you. Tell me you’re ignoring all of that gossip going around.”

“I’m fine,” Evie said. She sat up straight. “It is just gossip after all. I just ignore it.”

“Good girl,” Elliot said.

Parker rubbed her back again, relaxing her. “She’s been pretty strong through it all.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Elliot nodded. “So, what are you two having for dinner tonight?”

“We’re actually getting take out. We want to go to Nightmoon Creek for a bit to watch the sunset.”

“Now doesn’t that sound nice?” Elliot looked from Parker to Evie. “You know he gets his romantic side from me, right?”

Evie laughed. “I believe it. Sue’s a lucky woman, and I’m a lucky girl.”

He winked at her again. “Let me guess, a double cheeseburger with bacon and mushrooms and fries for Parker, and my famous fried chicken sandwich with tomato and avocado for the pretty lady.”

“Sounds about right,” Evie said. “I’ll take an order of sweet potato fries too.”

Her stomach grumbled. She couldn’t wait to get their food and leave. To eat her dinner in peace with the man she loved would be the perfect ending to her night.

Elliot tapped the counter twice. “Coming right up.”

Evie watched him head to the window into the kitchen and dictate their order to Parker’s Aunt Sally, the diner’s cook.

“It’s packed in here tonight,” Parker said as he looked around.

“I noticed.” Evie focused her eyes on her root beer float. “That’s why I can’t wait to get out of here.”

“Who cares what anyone here thinks? Let them look at you. Let them talk. They’re just jealous and have boring lives.”

“I know. I’m trying to ignore it all.”

“Let’s think about something else,” he said, turning her bar stool toward him. He took her hands in his. “What is Evie Scarlett going to be at the Halloween party this year?”

Evie scrunched her nose. “Do I have to go?”

“We go every year, don’t we?”

She shrugged, thinking about how she really wished she didn’t have to be in town for Halloween this year. Parker had no idea what it was like for the wizards and shifters of Woodland Creek.

The entire month was a nonstop excuse to play tricks on each other. She was grateful that her family had been spared so far. Of course, one could say her father’s murder could have been the ultimate prank since it happened the first day of October.

How crazy would that be?
Evie didn’t put it past the Prince family. They were bold enough to pull something like that. Avalon’s face flashed in her mind. She wondered if what tricks he had up his sleeve.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I haven’t put too much thought into it.”

“Well, I’m going as King Leonidas from 300. Airbrushed abs and all.”

Evie burst out laughing. She covered her mouth, realizing that she laughed a little too loudly. “You’re hilarious. You don’t even need to airbrush your abs, goofball.”

She poked him in the stomach, feeling the hard muscles beneath his long-sleeved black shirt.

“Oh yeah,” he said, grinning. “You’re right.”

Evie gazed into his eyes, unable to stop smiling. Parker could do the impossible. He could make her forget her troubles whenever she was with him.

“You should go as my queen,” he said.

Evie didn’t reply. She just smiled at him and returned to finishing her drink. She envied Parker for being human. Humans could live such carefree lives.

She had other plans.

Plans to escape the dangers of Woodland Creek.