Page 10 of Smoke and Mirrors

Taking in a deep, long, calming breath to rein in my racing thoughts as I reach my car, the button beeps as I press unlock sending a small, high-pitched beep through the back street. My jaw is still tightly clenched from the tension of my actions and the unease of how easily Lily rattles me.

This woman has the potential to unravel me.

It’s distracting.

It’s unsettling.

It’s kind of nice.

Letting out a deep, throaty groan as I open my door and slide into my car, I turn on the engine and rev it to capacity. Pushing the car into gear, I hammer the throttle down roaring off down the street at speeds definitely not law-abiding to get home and try to sort my fucking head out before she arrives home too. I can always tell when she’s home because living next door to her, I can sense her, and it’s something I’ve become very accustomed to.

LILY

After spending the rest of the day with Marshall and the cubs, I’m on a giddy high. Or maybe that’s from meeting Kace officially today. I can’t really tell. Maybe it’s both? His awkwardness in the lion’s den was strange. He tensed up, but I’m not sure if it was from something I said or something I did. Or maybe just from being alone together and having wild animals around us. Either way, he wanted out of there fast, and I’m hoping that doesn’t mean he’s going to avoid me from now on.

I know very little about him really—other than his name, and that he apparently meets weird Italian men at zoos. I wonder what that was about. I want to ask him, but I’m not sure we’re at a stage in our ‘neighbor relationship’ that I could ask him something like that yet. I mean, technically, we’ve only really had one conversation.

After a big day, it’s nice to be home. I’ve already had a long soak in the tub, probably too long because the tips of my fingers still look like dried, wrinkled prunes, but it was worth it. I love working at the zoo, but it can be hard on the body. Lion cubs may look little, but they weigh quite a bit, and holding them for prolonged periods of time, especially when cuddling them like I do, can give you a sore back and arms. So I’m tired and ready for bed.

My fluffy bathrobe tickles my senses as the soft textures glide against my skin while I walk to my room to get changed into my pajamas. The annoying tone of Milkshake by Kelis starts to play from the living room. I groan wondering what crisis is happening tonight as I roll my eyes and turn on my heels, heading back out of my bedroom toward the living room to pick up my cell.

“Molly, it’s nearly eleven at night! Shouldn’t you be heading out to some guy’s house by now?” I quip, and then the extremely unusual sound of a baby crying echoes down the line. I tilt my head slightly at the foreign noise that I would never associate with Molly, especially considering her major distaste for children is a common topic of conversation for us.

“Lily, you need to help me. Like… I mean… really help me. This is the biggest emergency I’ve ever had.”

I take a deep breath and sit down on the couch next to me as the tone of her voice is actually one of seriousness and not banter for once. “Molly, do you have a baby with you?”

She lets out an exasperated groan as the baby cries harder, sounding on the verge of tears herself. “Yes! Oh my God, Lily! You have to help me. My niece is here, she’s six months old, and she won’t stop crying. Can you come here now? Please, Lily. Please, I need you.”

I smile briefly. “Of course, but why isn’t Holly helping?”

She sniffs sounding like she’s going to cry again. “My sister isn’t here. It’s just me and this… thing. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when you get here. Just hurry the fuck up before it dies from crying or something.”

Standing up, I race into my bedroom to get dressed. “Okay, Molly, just stay calm, and I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m getting dressed now, and I’ll leave straight away.”

She sniffs again. “Hurry… and bring chocolate!”

“Babies can’t have chocolate, Molly.”

“It’s not for her, it’s for me. I need calming down, not her. This thing is causing all the trouble, not me. Just get here, Lily!” She hangs up her cell, and I giggle to myself picturing Molly holding a screaming baby out in front of her as far away from her body as humanly possible. For Holly to leave her daughter alone with her sister, something must be wrong. So, I get dressed as quickly as I can and slip on my sneakers. I’m going to have to run to get there fast. I don’t have a car, and the quickest route right now is to sprint the two blocks to her house.

Opening my door, I race out of my apartment not looking where I’m headed, and my body collides straight into a brick wall. Well, that’s what it feels like anyway as my body slams straight into it. An “oomph” escapes me as I step back, looking up.

Strong arms reach out grabbing my upper arms to prevent me from completely falling backward. Swallowing hard, I look up into Kace’s smoldering gaze as he looks down at me. His eyes bore into mine with such intensity my knees buckle marginally. His grip intensifies on my arms as I dip slightly.

“You okay, Lily?” His deep baritone voice washes over me like smooth silk shaking my very foundation.

I swallow hard again trying to shake myself from the trance of his gaze and simply nod once as I chew on my bottom lip. It’s only when a slight chuckle from next to us alerts me that someone else is here. My eyes finally break from Kace, and I notice a man next to him wearing a white wife-beater, a leather jacket, and jeans. His hair is short but a little longer on top, and he has a well-maintained beard. His eyes, though, they’re piercing blue and could give Kace’s a run for their money. His face is well defined, and his build is strong and masculine—he clearly works out.

A lot.

Though his arms aren’t quite the size of Kace’s.

When I hear the clearing of a throat, it makes me realize I am staring at the man, and his smirk makes my cheeks turn red hot.

“Lily?” Kace repeats.

Clearing my throat, I shake my head as if to bring myself back to the present and look to Kace, who I notice still has a tight grip on my arms.

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