Let me guess, Cora said as I opened my mouth. She shot me a knowing look. Perfect, right?
I grinned at her. Precisely.
Okay, so your first kiss, first date, first dance, and everything that came before, during, and after of a physical nature has been classified, by you may I point out, Abigail said, pointing her eyes at me, as perfect. So why are you so unsure that sex wil be so different?
Her bluntness threw me for a moment, shaking loose whatever argument Id been forming in my head as shed formed her convincing defense.
Why was I so sure Id be a failure in bed when everything of an intimate nature shared between Wil iam and I had been anything but a failure? The odds had been against us for no other reason than my utter lack of experience and proclivity for the awkward path in life. But it wasnt just me and it wasnt just him that were the only factor in our intimacy, it was the two of us combined. Whatever magic it was wed manufactured when we came together, it was massive enough it consumed our imperfections and made what was left over a beautiful thing.
Id heard it a thousand times, but I got it now. We werent perfect, but we were perfect together. Perfect. Together. Perfect . . . together.
Insert light bulb switching to the on position now.
You get it now, dont you? Abigail said, her face elated. Something just went off inside that unsure little brain of yours. I can see it on your face.
I smiled, sure the rest of my expression looked dumbfounded. But in a relieved kind of way. I think so.
What a relief, Cora said, using my shoulder to stand up. Wil iam and Bryn have hot, scrumdidiliumptious chemistry. Wow, never saw that coming, she deadpanned, smirking down at me. Can we get this bachelorette party back on track then? She didnt wait for an answer as she bounded through the sand towards the house.
Abby, I said, pul ing her up after I stood up. I dont know if you realize it, but you just gave me a priceless gift. Thank you, I said, hugging her too me.
Thats what sisters are for, she said, her voice pleased. To support one another, be there for each other, and make sure to let one know when they are being insufferably insane.
Its an il ness, but Im working on finding a cure for insufferably insane, I said straight-faced as the porch lights buzzed on, fol owed by the interior lights coming on nearly al at once. I smiled as the memories of the first and last time Id been here flooded to mind.
Just to cut the suspense, the next event on our bachelorette journey is dinner, Abigail announced as we stepped inside.
Now youre speaking my language, I said.
I could almost see Wil iam sitting at the head of the table, staring at me with those peaceful eyes Id seen the night of our Betrothal. Peace was such a rare commodity in Wil iams and my lives that it was worth documenting, if not erecting some sort of monument to each precious instance.
So why dont you hop in the shower and wel prepare a grand feast? Abigail had such a grace with words that she could manage to insinuate I needed a shower without managing to offend me. It was a gift I did not possess.
Just what I had in mind, I replied, making my way to the first floor bathroom.
I got you a new set of jammies, Cora cal ed after me, shuffling through pots and pans. Not because I thought you needed any or wanted any or wouldnt be utterly inconvenienced by it, she added, trying hard to keep her smirk from developing, but because I thought it would be nice. Thats al .
Id made it a personal mission to put up a fight whenever Cora and clothing came to a pointed head in my life, but I knew she was doing it with the purest of intentions.
Gosh darn if that enlightening freefal hadnt upended my world.
Thank you, I said, her face flattening when she heard the sincerity instead of the sarcasm in my voice. That was very thoughtful of you. I smiled, winking at her, before finishing my journey into the bathroom.
There are some new slippers in there, too, she cal ed out. And I picked you up that to-die-for hair conditioning masque I discovered on the black market of cosmetics and theres a coconut sugar scrub that wil redefine life as you knew it and” Thank you, Cora, I said, just enough warning in my voice to silence her mid-sentence.
I cranked the water on and pul ed the ponytail holder from my hair, unleashing a good half pound of sand onto the tile below. As I peeled off my layers of clothing, the half-pound grew to a respectable kiddie-size sandbox.
Stepping under the shower, another layer of sand trickled off me, mottling the water running down the drain for a few minutes before it final y ran clear. Satisfied I was mostly sand-free, shampooed, and conditioned, I turned off the water, stepping out into the heavy steam.
I slid into the jammies Cora had laid out for me, wondering if I should let her take charge of more of my wardrobe when the black yoga pants fel to just the right length”finding pants to fit my mutant long inseam required shopping in the mens department or looking like I was waiting for a daily flood”and the light blue tank was the softest, most comfy material Id ever had wrapped around me. She knew her stuff, I gave her that, but I wasnt quite ready to let her make me into her own three-dimensional paper dol .
Five fingers tearing through my hair served as the grand finale to my beautification. I might have tried that hair . . . masque . . . thing if I hadnt been so eager to eat. Cora or Abigail on their own were culinary legends, but their talents combined resulted in meals that were worthy of left-over mummification so generations after could pay their respects.
Stepping out of the bathroom, the smel s of epicurean delights were absent. Maybe theyd decided on ordering pizza instead, although I couldnt think of a time either had ever stooped to this level of disgrace.
Cora? Abigail? I cal ed out, silence my only response. Instinct fluttered to the surface, something was wrong, but it was an instinct I wanted to ignore. Nothing was wrong, this was them playing a prank on me. Stop being so paranoid all the time, I reminded myself.
Just as I was rounding the corner into the expansive kitchen, a figure stepped in my path. A man who was unfamiliar, dressed in a flashy suit topped off with a flashier tie. He grinned at me, running his thumbs down a pair of metal ic gold suspenders, snapping them at the waistband.
You guys did not hire a stripper, I snapped, shouldering past the man. Tel me you didnt hire a . . .
What I saw next wouldnt compute. Id left the girls in the kitchen, banging around the cupboards like women on a mission, and in barely ten minutes time the room had fil ed with twenty bodies, a handful holding a wide-eyed Abigail and another handful struggling with a furious faced Cora.
My bachelorette party had just gone from death-defying to downright deadly.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SURPRISE
What is this? I asked as the man with the suspenders shouldered past me, making sure he hit me with the same force I had him.
And here I was under the impression you were a smart girl, an al too familiar voice emitted behind a shield of bodies before cutting through them. Two Haywards” plus one soon-to-be”girls al on their own, hundreds of miles away from the protection of their Al iance, and the first thought that comes to mind is, what is this?
Troy, I sneered, scanning the room, calculating a defensive that wouldnt end as soon as it began. Given the numbers of Inheritors Troy had brought along and that the only al ies I had in the room were bound up, my chances of putting together a successful fight wasnt looking good.
But that had never stopped me before. What do you want?
Yet another question as unremarkable as the first. He clucked his tongue, shaking his head. You know what this is and what we want. The vagueness of his answer was specified by the ful -length stare that slid down my body.
Wel , here I am, I said, spreading my arms to the side. I wont put up a fight. This time.
Troy gauged me, trying to figure out if I was cooperating or antagonizing. No matter what he decided I was, he motioned towards the remaining handful of men not attached to Cora and Abigail. As they progressed towards me, I didnt step back, nor did I let the adrenaline pulsing through my body ready it for a fight.
Instead, I searched for peace in the moment, remembering the look in Wil iams eyes last night. He was always in the forefront of my mind in these kinds of instances. So it wasnt a surprise thoughts of Would I ever see him again? What would he do if he never saw me again? What would I do if I never saw him again? were at the forefront, but as much as the possible answers to these paralyzed me, I wouldnt let Cora and Abigail suffer in my place. This was my battle, the war Id brought about. I wouldnt let anyone sacrifice themselves in my place.
Thats a good girl, a voice that grated on me like nails running down a chalkboard purred behind me at the same time her hand pinched around my neck. My parents had always taught me that hate is a very strong word . . . but I hated that woman.
Of course the cowards wouldnt go into battle with a twenty year old girl without you, Stel a, I said, trying to sound like al my strength and emotion hadnt just run dry at her touch.
You should know by now men are nothing but the muscle fol owing orders coming from the brains of the women, she replied as the six men coming for me found a piece of me to adhere their grips to.
I wish I could agree with you on that statement, Stel a, but Ive got a personal policy against agreeing with bitches . . . so, sorry, no can do. I shrugged, only serving to dril the fingers deeper into my flesh.
I wonder if that perpetual smirk you wear wil stil be in place in a few days? Troy mused, grinning malevolently at me.
Probably, I replied, keeping my tone light. Theres little you can do to me that could change it.
Wel see, Troy replied, too much hidden meaning in his tone to be comforting.
Alright, youve got me. I glanced at the herd latched onto me. Do with me what you wil , but you can let them go now. I nodded at the girls who were putting on their bravest faces, wishing Nathanial and Joseph would walk through the door. There wouldnt be an Inheritor left standing when they were done with them.
Isnt that a nice notion? Troy said, spinning to look at the girls. But one that, unfortunately, wil go unrealized.
I surrendered, I said as calmly as I was capable. I played by the rules. Now its your turn.
Bryn, Bryn, Bryn, Troy said, shaking his head. Is there anything you know about me that would lead you to believe I fight fair?
Rage shot through me, but it was as explosive as a wet fuse. Nothing sparked to the surface like I wanted it to. Accepting physical warfare was getting me nowhere, I tried a little psychological. My eyes grabbed his, narrowing at the same time I smiled. Is there anything you know about me that leads you to believe I fight fair?
Troys grin matched my own”threatening. A worthy opponent, he said, staring me over again. I wait decades to find the next one.
Consider your wait over and, unless you want to experience an Armageddon the instant Stel as laughable grip”I peaked my brows in reminder to that instance only weeks back in Germany”comes loose, you better let them go now.
Ah, idle threats. Troy flicked his ear my direction. What would I do without them and the sheer desperation in them? Turning away from me to the two parties with their captives, Troy nodded his head. End them.
So help me” I struggled, as effective as an ant stopping a shoe from squishing it.
Boys win! I knew you girls would be doing something lame like needlepoint or . . . a new voice cal ed out from a materialized body right before Patrick took in the scene. His eyes scanned his sisters-in-law first before they leapt to me. There were few times Id seen Patrick scared, but this was definitely one of those times. It wasnt just fear, it was terror.