Part 12
The sun was setting, sending orange bands of light through
the room. They shone over Eve and bathed her in light. Her wings fluttered
around her body and slowly started to retract back into what he assumed to be
their normal resting position. Her eyes still remained close, but it was a
start. It was the first movement of the day, the first movement since she had
fallen. He hoped that it was a sign that she was going to be ok. He sat
motionless just keeping a vigil at her bedside. As darkness set in outside, the
room was thrown into darkness with only a slight amount of light from outside shining
in. Fatigue began to set in again as he patiently waited for her to wake.
Eventually he was not able to hold out any longer and he joined her again on
the bed, bringing her close to him once more. Shutting his eyes he breathed in
her scent and drifted off to sleep.
She woke in the early hours of the morning, groggy and
nauseous. She could feel arms wrapped around her and the heat of another body
pressed against hers. Looking over she saw Alex asleep on the bed beside her.
Carefully she slipped out of his grip and slowly headed to the bathroom. Light
headedness made it had for her to remain standing though. Her eyesight wavered
as stars danced in front of her. Blackness was falling upon her again and as
she lowered herself down to the ground in front of the toilet she tried to
remain conscious. Grabbing the toilet seat, she rested her head on the edge of
the bowl and then she gave in, the lights disappeared as she passed out.
The bed was cool beside him when he woke and opening his eyes
with a start he realised that she was not next to him anymore. Frantically he
got out of bed and started to look for her. Walking past the bathroom the door
was open and he saw her. Leaning up against the wall with her head resting on
the toilet bowl. Her eyes were closed and her face showed just how weak the
body was. Scooping her up again into his arms he carried her once more to the
bed and placed her back down. Her eyes fluttered at the movement, but remained
closed. He was starting to worry, but had no idea what exactly he was meant to
do to help her.
“Has she woken yet?” Mitchell’s words shattered the air,
sometime later.
“Yes, she woke when I was sleeping in the earlier hours of
the morning. I found her in the bathroom with her eyes closed though. I am not
sure if she fell asleep there or passed out.”
“I see her wings have gone again. I am going to take that as
a good sign for her. She will be fine.”
“I am still worried though. It has been too long.”
“Don’t worry. She will wake when she can.” Mitchell’s words
comforted him slightly. “Father has requested your presence though when she is
awake however. He just wants to talk to you both.”
“He is up and moving already?”
“Yes, the same night in fact.” Alex was slightly annoyed that
his father had recovered so quickly while Eve was still suffering.
“Tell him that we will come when she is up and strong enough
to make the trip.”
“I will. Make sure that you eat. I will talk to you
tomorrow.” Alex watched as Mitchell disappeared from the room and went back to
his own home.
Alex continued to sit by the bed just watching. It was
tiring, but it was exactly where he knew that he needed to be. It was late
afternoon before she moved again in the bed. He got up and stood beside the bed
in the hopes that she would open her eyes and see him standing there, waiting
for her.
Eve felt like she was not alone. Slowly stretching she felt
every muscle ache in her body. Opening her eyes the room was getting dark. She
looked up and there he was. Alex. She tried to get up. Her throat was dry and
she needed a drink badly. Alex sat down on the bed beside her and stopped her
from moving too far. “Say here. You are still weak.”
“Water” her voice sounded soft and scratchy. Alex rose
immediately and without a word left the room. She could hear him making his way
around the kitchen before he found a glass. Carefully she sat up and rested
against the bed and wall. Her vision wavered, but it was manageable. When Alex
came back he sat beside her once more on the bed. She drank the water slowly
and took the time to look around. The clock shone a time, but she still had no
idea how long she had slept for. Her mind was fuzzy. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I am just glad that you are awake again.” As
he said the words she felt a weight lift off of his shoulders. He looked
shocking. Actually he looked like.... laughter bubbled up inside of her and
escaped her mouth. It filled the air with noise and had him looking at her
intently. “What is so funny?”
“You look like death.” She couldn’t stop the giggles of
laughter.
Alex shrugged “You would look like death too if you had been
watching over someone’s bedside for almost two days hoping that they would
wake.” There was no malice in his words, only honesty and it stopped her
laughing immediately.
“Two days?”
“Yes.”
The answer hung in the air between them, so did what he was
not saying. There were so many questions floating through her mind.
“What happened to your father, is he alright?”
“He is fine, up and making demands already.”
“What does he want now? I hope that it is not my head on a
platter still as that isn’t happening.”
“He wants to see us both when you are awake and up for it.”
“Let’s go now then.”
“Not now. Later. You are still weak and need to rest.”
“You need to get some sleep too then Alex.”
“Later, first you need to eat. Do you think that you can walk
to the kitchen?”
“Only one way to find out. Can you help me up?” He held her
hands as she got to her feet. She was surprisingly steady given that she had
been in bed for so long and her vision was blurred when she first started to
move. “You must be hungry too if you haven’t left my side.”
“I have eaten. My brother’s forced me to eat when they were
here.”
“Your brother’s have been here?” She stopped in mind step and
looked at him. Immediately Alex recognised his mistake.
“Yes. They came to check on us both. I am sorry. If you don’t
want them to return, they won’t.” A fresh worry filtered into his voice.
“They are welcome any time that they like, provided that they
are not trying to kill me. I have had enough of that this week. Anyway, it
doesn’t surprise me that they would check on you. What little I saw of them, I
can see that you are all close in one way or another.”
Relief flooded his face and he was left behind as she
continued toward the kitchen. It was only something simple. Toast and water.
She didn’t think that she would have been able to stomach more than that. She
felt another wave of tiredness hit her and yawning, she watched Alex do the
same.
“Let’s head back to bed.” She rose and left her dishes on the
table. Slowly she headed back to her room. She sensed that Alex was following
her. Climbing into bed she looked up as he stood in the doorway. “Are you
coming to lay down or what?”
“You don’t want me there.”
“You have no idea what I want.”
“I still should go. Let you rest. Goodnight Eve. I will come
over tomorrow and check on you again.” He turned to leave.
“Stay” The room was silent. Turning back toward her he looked
at her face. “Stay and keep me safe.”
He stepped toward the bed and stood once more, seeking her
face for an answer to the question he hadn’t asked. She regarded him with
curiosity, unsure if he knew how much she wanted him there with her. He gently
climbed into bed and lay beside her, giving up all pretence of leaving. The
body heat between them and the electricity in the air was distracting, but as
she moved closer and she felt his strong arms grip her in a hug, she felt
nothing more than safety and warmth. It was those feelings that had both of
them drifting off to sleep once more.
The sun was up when she woke, still safe and cocooned in
Alex’s arms. All of a sudden it hit her and she was jumping out of bed looking
for the phone. How could she have forgotten? “Oh my god. Oh my god” Alex
stirred and watched her frantically looking for something.
“What’s wrong?”
“Work, I am supposed to be at work.”
He closed his eyes and put his head back on the pillow. “They
think that you have a family emergency and have given you the week off. Don’t
worry.” He was already back asleep as she looked at him, ready to ask him
questions. Sighing at the fact that she was now fully awake she went to the
kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Sitting down in front of the TV she relaxed
and caught up on the morning news.
The smell of coffee had him waking once more. Getting out of
bed, he followed the scent to the kitchen, where a coffee pot was hot and ready
for him to drink. Pouring a cup he could hear the TV on and went to
investigate. Eve was sitting on the couch watching the news. He sat beside her
and she leaned into him. It felt foreign to him, this whole domestic feel to
things.
“I want to go and see your father today.” It was not a
request but a demand.
“He can wait.”
“I want this over with. I want to be able to live my life.
Are you going to take me there, or do I have to try and contact one of your
brothers?”
“I will take you.” He didn’t like it one bit, but he wasn’t
going to send her there alone.
“Fine I will go and get ready then.”
She dressed and wondered what was really happening. She was
falling for him and while she had trusted him with her life, she was scared
about what it meant considering what he did for a living. For so long she had
guarded her heart from people, in fear of what it would mean to her when they
left. Now she was opening her heart up to the one person who at some point
wanted to see her dead. Fear rippled through her blood as she considered that
she was about to face his father for the second time. She tried not to judge
him for the pain that he had caused her when they last met, but it was all that
she could see and feel inside of her when she thought of him. Her heart beat faster
as she tried to stay calm. Looking at herself in the mirror she still looked
pale, but she also looked worse than she felt. Deep inside, no matter how
scared she was, she still felt stronger. Whatever was about to happen, could
happen. She was a big girl and could handle it. It would be better to deal with
it now than later.
Alex was waiting for her in the lounge, exactly where she had
left him. He stood when she walked into the room. “Are you sure about this?”
She already knew Alex wasn’t sure himself, but hearing the uncertainty in his
voice made her doubt her decision briefly.
“Not really, but I don’t have a choice. It needs to be done.”
Understanding was visible in his eyes. He felt the same way.
“Do you remember how it works?”
She nodded and walked toward him holding out her hand. The
moment that he grasped it, she shut her eyes and held on for the ride. When it
felt like ground was beneath them again she opened them. They were outside the
same building as before. A spark of terror flashed through her system, but then
she looked at Alex and felt calm. She trusted him and trusted that he would
keep her safe. They walked inside and feelings of déjà vu came upon her as she
struggled to remain standing while walking down the stairs.
The room opened before her and once again Alex’s father was
on the other side of the room. All the brothers were once again in attendance,
flanking their father as he sat. She could feel the tension in the room and
even Alex had slightly stiffened by her side at the sight before him.
“Father” he acknowledged with a nod of his head.
“I am glad that you both could make it.”
“You made the command, I am here.”
“In the last few days your brothers and I have done a lot of
talking. We have disagreed on a lot of points, but we have agreed overall on
one point.” His tone and demeanour scared Eve. She sensed an ambush coming and
couldn’t help wondering if it was going to be a good or a bad thing. She just
wanted it to be over. She wanted her life back.
“What did you work out in my absence?” Bitterness and
betrayal was clear in Alex’s voice.
“Alex, you were always the one son that could have gone
either way. You were the one who troubled me the most when it came to welcoming
you into the family business. You were the one that I had to test the hardest.”
He paused, letting Alex absorb the words and there meaning. It explained so
much, especially since he was the only one that had to kill their mother. “You
do a great job, but now you have fallen in love and you have me reconsidering
your role within the business.”
“I don’t want you leave. I want to still work.”
“You don’t deny that you are in love with her?” Amusement lit
up his father’s face momentarily.
“What is the point, you all know it. The only person in the
room that probably doesn’t is Eve, but that is not her problem. We are talking
about me here at the moment.” His words shocked her. He was in love with her?
When did that happen?
“Your brother’s and I are at odds on what to do here. My
thoughts are that you call it a day. I free you from your responsibilities here
and you can go on to leave a normal life. Your brothers disagree with me.”
“I disagree with you too father. Nothing has changed for me
in regards to my work. I can and still will do my job.” He was not going to
give it up without a fight. His job was not only his career, but it was his
life. It was all that he had ever known.
“This is where it will become complex then. Alex after the
other day, I believe you. Eve is what you say she is. There is no other
explanation. She is life.” His admission was not as joyous as Alex had hoped
that it would be for he could hear a but lingering in the air. Eve stood there
listening to what they were saying. Not all of it made sense to her, but she
understood enough to understand the basics. “But how will that work if you are
death?”
The question did more than hang in the air, it surrounded
them and suffocated Alex as he thought beyond his heart and realised that his
father was right. “You are right, it won’t work. I hadn’t thought that far.” His
shoulders slumped as he resigned at the thought that his father was right once
again. For once it would be nice to be right. The satisfaction that he was
right about Eve was overshadowed now by his feelings for her and the pain that
he knew that he would eventually cause her.
“Then my son you have a choice to make.”
“Wait, don’t I get any say here?” Eve’s voice reverberated
around the room. No one had paid her any attention since she had walked into
the room. It was time to make her voice heard. Staying quiet was no longer an
option and she knew that she had to fight for what she wanted. She was no
longer intimidated by the man before her.
“You have something that you want to add?” Alex’s father
acknowledged her presence for the first time. He openly regarded her with a
tone that invited her insight instead of distaste.
“Yes I do.” She looked around the room, starting with his
father and moving towards each of the brothers in turn. “He loves me. I didn’t
know that before today, but I know it now. I don’t know what exactly I feel
right now, but I know that I trust Alex more than I thought that I could ever
trust anyone, especially in such a short amount of time. I want the chance to
work out how I feel. I want the chance to explore what might be between us.”
Pausing she took a deep breath and continued. “This last week for me has been tumultuous
to say the least and I want an opportunity to see how I feel when everything
settles down again, when I don’t have people trying to kill me and when I don’t
have to worry about anything but myself and what I want in my life.” She looked
into Alex’s father’s eyes and hoped that he understood what that meant to her.
“Why can’t we be together?”
“There is no precedence for it.”
“Until a few days ago you didn’t even believe that I my
talents existed. Heck I didn’t even know.”
“And now I know what you are, I need to protect my family, my
sons.”
“I am willing to have rules set in place.” Eve spoke quickly
in an attempt to appease him. She hated having to plead, but it was not beneath
her to try. Part of her already knew what her feelings would be when the dust
settled.
“Rules? What kind of rules?” One of the brothers spoke up for
the first time. He stepped forward and she had no idea which one it was. This
one in the last meeting had stayed quiet the whole time.
“I can promise not to interfere with your work provided that
you stop trying to kill me. Hell I won’t even bother if you want to come and
visit Alex. It would also be nice if you maybe cut Alex’s workload a little so
that we can spend time together.”
“When you say ‘your work’ do you mean all of us?” He asked in
clarification.
“Yes. I can accept what you do, provided that you can accept
me.”
“Do you think that it could work Alex? Are you willing to
risk everything for her?” He turned his attention from Eve to Alex and stared
at him trying to work out what he was hearing was the truth.
“Yes Heath I do think that it could. Like Eve, I want the
option to at least try.” Alex turned to his father “If it doesn’t work we can
try something else. I want the chance.”
His father turned to his brothers and they huddled in tight
conversation leaving Alex and Eve wondering what was going to happen. Their
fate was being left to the men before her, men she didn’t even know, and Eve
didn’t know if that was going to work for or against them. Alex gripped her
hand and gave it a squeeze. It reassured her slightly that he was still there
beside her. When they turned back to look at them all the faces were passive
and showed nothing of what their decision was. A few beats of silence filled
the room before Alex’s father spoke, directing his comments to Alex.
“Alright, you can have your chance. Eve is not to interfere
in your work and I will ease you back into your job in a few weeks. Take a
break and work out if this is really what you want.” He disappeared from view
right before. It was the end of discussion and his brothers moved forward
towards them. They stopped a few paces from where Alex and Eve stood.
“Eve I would like you to meet my brother’s.” He motioned to
each of them individually, “This is Heath, Eric, Levi and Jordon and you have
already met Mitchell.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you. I am sure that I will be
seeing more of you in the future.” She smiled for the first time in a while and
she meant it.
The end..... for now
