Michael
The three of us were having our morning meeting. Juliet and Jessy did a great job fixing up the place and giving us a decent environment in which to work. Marcus had a lot to handle before he and Juliet left for her Doctor's appointment.
"So… Michael, you and Caleb will be together from now on." I nodded. I was ready to figure out who was behind all of this. I wanted to kill them just as much as Caleb. We needed all our enemies sorted out. "You will set up a team as soon as you know and figure out what's going on."
"Louis, we need you to work with Soren and Isla. They have already infiltrated the island. If you're there and can help Isla get some backbone. This could go even quicker… Can I leave it to you to sort out the inner circle as well…"
"Sounds good. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to send Fahan an invitation."
"When I was there… his second wasn't really on board with what Fahan was doing. And Jade? She will get better after her pregnancy… His problems are just starting." I put in my two cents.
"I will keep that in mind. We need to exhaust every avenue… After that… I need to start working on our own defenses. We need to build our army. I'll be traveling a lot, checking up on every continent to see how many vamps we really have in our corner. Besides the obvious threats."
The three of us dispersed. I went back to the house to wait for Caleb. He was training with Juliet in the mornings for a few hours. Selena was still not back from En-gannim. Jessy and Kubra would be taking shifts watching over her. I sat down on the patio, watching them. Sammy and Warden were in the water with Juliet while she did her exercises. It was mid-summer, and the mornings were hot in the desert. My gaze traveled to my room. I wondered what was going to happen with Juliet and me later. As I glanced back, I saw an outstretched hand. I got up. Juliet held both arms in the air. I pulled her up and out of the pool. I turned to grab the towel and handed it to her.
"You want to walk with me?"
I was a little fidgety. She took my hand. "You okay?" She asked.
"No!"
I closed the door behind us. She went for the shower, taking off her bathing suit. I sat down on her bed, stroking Katty. The cat curled up into a croissant. Juliet only rinsed off the salt from the pool and got out again. She dried herself off while I watched. Her eyes met mine. I thought I knew her every move. Her every mannerism. But I couldn't figure out what the hell she was thinking. I lowered my gaze to the floor, wrapping myself with one arm.
Since I got off that thing… Juliet and I had been together for a few days. I was fine when we were okay. But since Chris came back, I have had trouble sleeping. Almost everything was a trigger and haunted me around every corner. I felt almost out of control. Thoughts racing.
I could see from the corner of my eye, moving around in front of her closet. Once she was dressed, she picked up the dryer. I jumped up and took it from her. She sat down on the little chair and closed her eyes. Her hair was still long. One thing she never let go of was the bottle blond. Her roots were dark and growing out.
There was a knock at the door. "I'm done. I'll shower, and I'll be out in ten minutes," Caleb said. We heard him running away.
"Be careful… Today."
"Of course."
Juliet took my wrist in her hand and kissed my palm. My thumb stroked over her cheek.
"You still love me?" She asked.
I didn't answer. Took my hand away and kept drying her hair. "Should I make you a messy bun?"
She gave me a half-smile, "Sure."
When I was done, she stood up and turned to me.
"I liked you best when you don't try and act your way out of any situation. Sincerity will get you way further than faking who you are."
I turned away from her. "You just don't like the new me."
"No, I don't." She confessed.
I stopped on the little bridge, arms hanging by my sides. My head turned to the side, my eyes fixed on the water and the fish, taking in her words but not really looking back at her.
"We were okay when Chris was in that thing… But we never seem to connect properly. Michael… You said you didn't know what would happen if I didn't ask you to brand me… And I did. Have I not proved to you how much you mean to me. You were so used to watching me. But I don't think you ever really wanted to see the real me… I miss Michael, who was in earnest whenever he spoke."
"Then the question isn't really if I love you… Is it?"
"That's unfair."
My eyes shot up to the roof. I made some muffled noises. "I don't think you even know what's wrong between us anymore. You want to pick a fight… Or you want to be right… All the time."
"Wrong…? Do you think there's something wrong? Between us?" Her voice was low. She wasn't picking a fight. Juliet was trying.
"Face it… I was never in the picture for you."
"Seriously? None of you were."
"Just Chris? That is why you're angry… Because it wasn't me. But him."
"Not this s- again! I could've done something… I made the choice. I stood in front of him on that thing and chose not to do anything." Her voice broke. "What is going on? Are you leaving me?"
My shoulders slumped, shaking my head in exasperation. I turned around. "No! I just can't deal with you today. You want something from me… That I can't give you… I don't even want tonight. Because all you want is for me to… talk. And I don't want to."
She quirked an eyebrow. "You know… If you need space… All you had to do was say so. If you need time… Take time… I'm not going anywhere."
"I did try and tell you! But you never listen."
"But you didn't, though. You spoke to the guys about it. Not to me! And if this is the type of relationship you want. I can handle that… But I need to know Michael. I can't read your mind… I thought we were okay after you knew I loved you… It seems you've changed… your mind?"
"It's not!" I spat out. "You want me to fight with you and say things that I'll regret later. I can't live like that. Have everything between us out in the open."
Her brow furrowed.
"You keep challenging me. The baby thing was to manipulate me… The situation. Even throwing that stone at Marcus's feet was you forcing us into a corner. All you had to do was not be so demanding. And I do try and talk to you… But every time you push me away. After I killed that girl, I asked you to talk to me when we came back. You said no. After Charlene left, I asked if we could talk, and you said no… We're never on the same page. And I'm sick of it always being on your terms or when you want something."
She turned away and sat down on a stool in the corner. "What happened to you doing everything for seventeen years… I haven't even got my dance."
Juliet was playing with her fingernails, staring at them. There was another knock. The door opened. Caleb took in the scene. He narrowed his eyes at me. She lifted her head. "It's okay, Caleb. You guys go… You have work to do. Don't go back on your commitments."
He nodded and stepped out of the room. I followed without looking back at her.
***
Juliet
"fuuuu…." I muttered under my breath. Michael didn't even look back at me. Not that he ever had. I blew up my cheeks and expelled the air slowly… But… The knot in my chest was almost too much. It felt like I was being compressed together in one of those car crushers at a junkyard. Charlene had told me to go easy on him. And I had tried. I stood up and frantically went through every box in my room, checking for my secret stash of drugs. I couldn't find anything because we hadn't been there for so long. I checked my headboard. Nothing. I sat down in a huff on my bed, swallowing down the lump in my throat. My heart was racing, a queasy feeling between my ribcage. I was beyond livid. Frustrated to the point where I was going to do something stupid. I just stood there. Let him walk all over me… First, he tells me not to grow up and then asks me not to be so demanding. Insufferable… My eyes caught my closet. I half-ran over the bridge and yanked open the doors, pushing my clothes to the side. My hand reached for the little dangly line. The lights came on. A few black pouches were stacked in the corner. "Well done, Juliet! You do think ahead."
I grabbed one and unzipped it. It can't be that hard to shoot yourself up. I rubbed my tummy. "Sorry, baby. But we are going for a little ride." My head darted around at the space. "I could close myself off in here." I didn't know who I was talking to. I stepped out and fixed the room, ordered the clothes on the hangers, put off the light, and stepped back in. "They will think I went to Chris… He was waking up… But it will be a few days. I thought about not being there. The bridge of my nose started burning. My cheeks were already red. "I hate this… Feeling like this." I pinched it hard.
"What feeling do you hate?"
I spun around. My hand on my heart. "Dad, what the heck. You almost gave me a heart attack."
"You and Michael had words." His eyes lowered to the pouch in my hands.
"Juliet! You always do this. Try and push down who and what you are. It never ends well. You cannot change yourself. How many times do you need to learn this lesson."
A tear rolled down my cheek. "It's going to hurt either way. If I'm with them and we fight… It eats me alive… If they are not here, it digs into my core. I don't know what's wrong with me."
My dad snorted. "You're in love, Juliet! With four men… It's never going to change. It's always going to be like this."
"Please don't say that."
"It doesn't always have to be give and take. You can be happy on your own. By yourself."
I scoffed. "Me!? Happy by myself?! I don't have four husbands for nothing!"
"Yes! Alone… Make yourself happy and forget about everyone else... Is there no other way for you to grow up without changing your core personality? Changing everything in your life. Look at you."
"You know there is only change in death… I'm not ready to die. I don't want to."
My dad laughed lightly. I pushed the pouch at him. "Then help me, please… I don't want the rest of my chest to be covered…." I gestured to my boobs. "If you know what I mean."
He chuckled again.
"That's why you came to France. You were checking up on me."
"After everything… Really, Juliet. You should know yourself by now. Crashing was only a matter of time… Faking it till you never make it…" I had to laugh; he was right. "And… Louis came to me… Because you didn't even ask me for help… You were fine up until a minute ago. Do not let Michael's mood get to you. If I'm not mistaken. You sleeping with him covered Caleb's tattoo… It was his cat that covered your back." My dad pointed at Katty. "I'm getting rather sick of this guy."
Another tear rolled down my cheek. I shook my head. He pulled me closer and kissed me on my hair. "Fine… What was your idea? Lying there on the floor in your own filth for three days? You want to get a UTI."
I laughed against his chest. "A kidney infection is the least of my worries."
"I can't look after you in that closet… Do you feel like falling apart right at this moment?"
I nodded dramatically. "Please! Quickly."
He rushed to the bed while I placed that strappy rubber around my arm and pulled the cord with my teeth. I sat down as he drew up the liquid. He didn't hesitate. "Get Jessy to…" I was gone.
***
Liam
I stood there staring at my daughter, shaking my head. She was only twenty-two years old. Could I blame her? Or Michael… It was all my fault. Everything that had happened to her. Why Samuel had to choose Michael and Louis… I picked up the pouch and cleaned the room, stuck my head out the door, and called Jessy. He was on the deck chair, head hanging low. Bored out of his mind… His eyes came up. I waved him over, putting my finger on my lips. I closed the door behind us.
His eyes flickered over the room. "Okay? What do you want me to do?"
"Well, we need to get her out of here without anyone knowing."
"That's easy."
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't tell her. But… she can teleport from right there." He pointed to the corner of the room. "Did it for an extreme case scenario."
I clapped him on the shoulder. "Goodman!"
"Where do you want to take her?"
"It has to be a place that no one will find her… Especially not Michael. If he's there when she wakes up… I don't know what she will do… It will be you and me."
Jessy ruffled the hair on the back of his head. "What?"
"She has been building a cabin at the edge of Canada. Out in the middle of nowhere… It was the one thing I was never allowed to say… But you are her father."
"It's perfect. Let's go."
We both pulled one arm around our shoulders, and Jessy traveled us. The room was dark. "Take her." He said.
I picked her up. He clapped his hands together, making the room dimly light up. I gasped. Jessy walked along the wall of the room, putting on more lights. "This isn't a cabin, Jessy. Who paid for all of this?"
"Well, she was getting money from being queen. She had a job until a few days ago. Her whole world was ripped out from under her. This place was for her and Michael… For tonight… All their nights."
***
Michael
Caleb and I teleported, ending up on En-gannim. The sole purpose of our day was to follow all of Ahasuerus's bastards around and to make sure we knew what they were up to. Try and see if they were hiding something. What they talked about. If nothing panned out, we would have to do it for a few days.
I dreaded being in anyone's company at that stage, especially Caleb's, after the previous day with Marcus. The boy didn't speak to me at all unless it was about the mission. We cataloged every one of Ahasuerus's sons that might have been a threat. Searched every building. The whole island. It was rather convenient, having them all in one place. Every tribe altogether.
In the middle of the day, we sat in some abandoned building, taking a break and eating… Caleb blew up a map of En-gannim. There were so many islands as he spun the globe in a circle. "We will have to get Marcus's army mobilized. Give some excuse for why they are there and cover all the islands around En-gannim. How many places could they be hiding? If they have an army of their own… They have to train somewhere." He ventured. "The two of us can only do so much."
"I'll send the message."
Marcus [ Give it a day or two. We don't want to spook them ]
"Why are all his bastards on this one Island anyway?" Caleb asked.
"Control. I suppose."
"From the ten guys that we think it might be… I think we should follow this one for the rest of the day." Caleb blew up a picture into the air.
"Okay. Let's do it… We have to start somewhere. He is the oldest."
It was dark soon. The man didn't travel off the island. We planted devices on all of them. I wasn't looking forward to staring at a screen, monitoring again. I sent Marcus another missive.
Me [ Can we ask Earth to send some watcher vans to En-gannim. I don't really want to do the scutwork ]
Marcus [ Sure. Sort it out ]
Me [ Will do, boss ]
Caleb and I went to Washington and made the arrangements. Earth didn't mind if we were back as long as we stayed on the compound. Jack had taken over Bertram's position in the meantime. I was happy to see them and talked to a few of the guys I knew from back then. I didn't see Carl. Caleb soon got bored and told me he was leaving. I shook his hand, and he left.
James came over, "Hey, man. Long time no see."
"Not that long… Thanks for watching out for me on the farm."
"Yeah! You freaked me out… Want to go get a drink?"
Jack came over. "Sounds good to me. There is a bar down the road that we like to go to… Or will the missus complain?"
I chuckled. "No… Let's do it. I don't even have to ask for a bodyguard… You guys will be able to handle me?"
James tapped his leg. One of Juliet's guns was strapped down on his leg. "You won't be eating anyone on my watch."
We all had a good laugh as we walked down the road.