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I stood at the wall overlooking the ocean with my back to the house. The day’s events rattled around my brain like a ping-pong ball, and blew my definition of normal to hell and back; but then again, I wasn’t sure what the hell a normal family was.
Saving Raven opened doors I wished to God had stayed closed and I wondered just what kind of nutcase I really was, to go up against the devil.
“Uncle CJ!” the childish screech pulled my attention away from the water and I turned to see the three-year-old making a beeline across the yard with her arms spread wide. Setting my drink down on the rocks, I crouched, mimicking Grace’s pose and when she launched, I caught her in mid-air, twirling her around like a rocket taking off for the stars. Her laughter was infectious and I found myself joining in long enough to soften the heartache in my chest. She placed a sweet butterfly kiss on my cheek and then her laughter faded.
Her bright blue eyes met mine and her little hands cupped my cheeks. The transformation of her features, from a child into a wisdom-infused being, gave me pause. She pressed her lips together in a sad smile. “Give it time. It will all make perfect sense when you remember everything.”
Even her voice sounded ancient and a chill bit my back. Her little hands gave each cheek a pat and then her eyes cleared and she was back to the fidgety three-year-old I remembered. I put her on the ground and she ran back to her parents.
My gaze met Damian’s and he gave a halfhearted shrug. Grace was a natural trinity and for the first time since I came out of the coma, I really understood all the ramifications of that label. Damian, on the other hand shared the same destiny, except he acquired his grace through inheritance and thievery, just like he acquired the seed of my power.
I turned back toward the ocean. The vastness of the water calmed my nerves. It made me feel much smaller than the world, even though I knew somehow I played a very important part in the world’s survival. The responsibility left me breathless and more unhinged than I had been since I woke from the coma.
Tom’s decision to share the demise of our father wasn’t a conscious one. All the talk about Lucifer and angels prompted his memory and he didn’t have enough time to put up the barrier to keep me from it.
Of course, this time the seizure took hold, but for the first time since I came to, I had the full recollection of it and not some vague shadow of a memory. It wasn’t just Tom’s memory either. My thoughts and feelings intertwined with his like a snake curling around a magical staff. The level of pain and anguish that scene caused still held on, and the sense of loss was so great, I wasn’t sure I could hold it together for the impromptu family barbeque.
“Hey,” Valerie’s voice intercepted my thoughts and I glanced at her. “Are you okay?”
I laughed and scanned the endless blue before me. “I am no longer sure I want my memory back.”
“Chris,” she whispered and slid her hand in mine.
“How many people out there know these things really exist?” I waved my free hand toward the crowded beachfront in the distance.
“Not many. You didn’t know these things existed until a couple of years ago. Before that, you may have dealt with a ghost or two, as well as a guardian angel, but other than that, you were just as clueless as the general population.”
I turned and met her gaze. “What else is out there?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve only been exposed to vampires, demons, and angels, but I gather from some of Damian’s memories, there are other things that we haven’t had the misfortune of running into.”
“Great,” I said with all the enthusiasm of a rock.
“The good news is you can destroy most anything that comes after us,” she said and I rolled my eyes.
That wasn’t really what I wanted to hear. “So, basically, I am as much of a freak of nature as all those things out there that go bump in the night,” I stuttered.
“No...” she started and I sent a glare in her direction, shutting up whatever argument she was going to launch. She yanked her hand out of my grip and crossed her arms. “Don’t forget to include me in that category, too,” she added with a level of sarcasm I had yet to encounter.
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” I said and had to suppress a smirk at the full-blown fervor now etched into her tight features. I was really pushing her buttons today and, to be honest, it was a major tension release. If I didn’t let off some steam, I might have a goddamned melt down.
God knows how much I loved Valerie, but at the moment, I wanted to see just how irate I could get her. When she turned to leave, I decided to exercise a little of my freakish strength and willed her to remain at my side. The fire that lit up her eyes brought forth a smile.
“Sorry, babe,” I whispered, and she muttered some foul curses aimed at me.
“Tsk, tsk. There are young ears in the vicinity.”
Her face turned that explosive red that should have reduced me to shame, but it had the opposite effect and I chuckled.
“Let me go,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
My eyebrows rose and my chuckle turned into a full guffaw. The more she cursed me out, the harder I laughed.
“Next time you’re jerking on the ground, I’m going to laugh while you drool,” she growled and the mental image those words gave me didn’t help corral my laughter. In fact, I actually dropped into a crouch and held onto the rock wall to steady myself.
“You are such an ass,” she said.
I looked up at her. “I love you,” I said through the laughter.
“Fuck you,” she whispered, but her lips twitched and those adorable dimples appeared.
I didn’t have a chance to explore that comment. Steve hollered my name and I released Valerie, looking in his direction as I climbed to my feet. He wasn’t alone and all the motion in the back yard stopped. Every pair of eyes shot to the woman standing next to Steve.
She looked like the hot teacher in one of those old rock-and-roll videos as she strutted across the lawn in stiletto heels. “Mr. Ryan, I presume,” she said as she approached.
I traded a glance with Valerie and then nodded in her direction.
“I’m Sam Cole, the vice-president of acquisitions at KMR Associates.” She jutted her hand out in my direction and I just stared at it before meeting her gaze.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Cole, but as I told your ass...oc...i...ate, I’m not interested.”
She dropped her hand. “Boy, you have a natural talent that needs to be shared with the world,” she said as her hands found her hips.
I chuckled. “I beg to differ.”
Steve joined us. “Hear her out,” he said and I cocked an eyebrow in his direction before refocusing on Ms. Cole.
“Thanks you,” she said to Steve and then drew in her breath. “KMR would like to represent you.”
That’s all she said and Steve’s lips thinned to the point I knew she had snowed him, in some way, to get in the door.
“What did you tell my uncle that made him let you in the house?”
She sighed. “I told him we want to hire you for charity events.”
I crossed my arms, staring her down. “Why?”
“Because, you could bring in a tremendous amount of money for different charities,” she said and left the implications hanging.
“Which means you’d get a sizeable chunk,” I stuttered out and doubt crossed her features.
“Well, as your representative, we would get a cut,” she said and shifted her weight. Her heels had begun to sink in the grass. This wasn’t the normal high-powered boardroom scene this woman was used to, and I took a seat on the rock wall, facing her.
“Tell me how that makes a difference, in, say, a child’s life?” I wanted to see if there was any form of a heart in this woman. So far, I hadn’t seen anything more than a self-serving, money-hungry publicity whore.
She leveled a glare at me. “It could make the difference between a life-saving treatment and a cold box in the ground.”
Okay, I had to admit, that was a good come back and I slid my gaze to Valerie. Her study of the woman intrigued me and I got a whiff of the budding rivalry and perhaps a twinge of jealousy. When she realized I was studying her, she dropped her gaze to the ground.
I focused back on Ms. Cole. “I don’t know how to read music,” I said and the surprise that formed a small ‘o’ of her mouth pulled a smile to my lips. “As a matter of fact, I don’t really know how to read, period.”
“Excuse me?” She glanced between Steve and me, and then her gaze landed on Valerie.
“He’s learning, but he’s nowhere near the point where you could give him sheet music and he could read the words, never mind translate it to song,” Valerie said.
Ms. Cole pressed her lips together and stared at me. “After the performance I saw on television, you’re telling me that was a fluke? I don’t buy it.”
“I’m sorry, but I am really not interested in signing with you, ma’am,” I said, knowing the salutation would piss her off, and I offered my best apologetic smile to soften the blow. If I was going to help a charity, I would sing for free, not be whored out by a pimp masquerading as an agent.
She glanced at the open water beyond me and blew a slow stream of air from between her lips. When her gaze returned to mine, I knew exactly what she was going to say next.
“I can’t leave here without signing you,” she said and crossed her arms digging in.
“Well, then you might as well ditch the stilettos and pull up a seat because you’re going to be here for a very long time.” I stuttered through the words, but Valerie got the gist and started laughing.
I gave a nod and stepped away, leaving Ms. Cole with Valerie to either drill her for more details or escort her to the door. I chose to take a seat at the picnic table next to Grace and help her to color one of the Disney princesses in her coloring book.
I glanced at Raven, who sat quietly in one of the lounge chairs nursing a drink. After the day she had, I got that she needed a stiff drink, and she cocked her head silently questioning what the lady on the lawn wanted.
“She wants to represent me,” I said and the crease between her eyes made me smile. “She saw the news story and wants to make me her singing monkey,” I clarified and a smirk appeared.
“That could be fun,” she said and winked. “But I think Valerie might get a wee bit jealous of all the harlots throwing themselves at your feet.” Her Irish brogue was thicker with the free rein of alcohol running amok in her system.
“Harlots?” I raised an eyebrow and smirked.
Raven made out as if she was going to pitch her glass at me and broke out laughing. “You’d be a fool to walk away from that girl,” she said tipping her head toward Valerie, who had corralled Ms. Cole and was leading her into the house.
“I agree with you there,” I said and refocused on the coloring book.
“Thank you,” Raven said after a few minutes of silence and I met her gaze.
“For what?”
“For saving both of our lives.”
I gave her a nod and finished coloring in Sleeping Beauty’s dress. Staying in the lines was more of a challenge than I thought it would be and I concentrated. Grace placed her hand over mine stilling my movement.
“It isn’t over yet,” she whispered and then looked out over the ocean. Darkness crept across the water, turning the twilight sky the deep colors of night, and the full moon crested the horizon like a giant white saucer.
A chill swept down my spine like a bitter winter wind, and I shot to my feet, turning toward the house with only my internal alarms raging.
Before I knew it, I was sprinting through the family room, dodging furniture until I made it to the open front door. Valerie stood by the passenger window and glanced back at me. “I’m going to take a ride with Ms. Cole. She has some interesting thoughts on raising funds for the children’s hospital; instead of just directing her to the best hotels, I’ll accompany her. I should be back in a little while, okay?”
Something told me to say no, but instead I just nodded like an idiot and she climbed into the car. The last glimpse I got was Valerie in the passenger seat, sending a wave in my direction and I closed the front door even with the warning bells inside me screaming like a banshee.