Page 50 of The Chosen Two

The graceful canine thought for a moment, her bright fluffy tails swooshing behind her. “Yes, Ithinkthat my scent should be sufficient.”

I smile to myself as I remember the exchange but outwardly make a show of gagging and quickly throw the towel in the garbage. I am washing my hands for longer than is probably necessary when Jake comes up behind me, and his hands surround mine under the water. When we are sure neither of us still smells, he gently rests his hands on my hips and begins rocking side to side, coaxing me to dance with him.

He calls up our wedding song on his phone, and soon Billie Holiday’s voice fills our kitchen. He starts to sing along, and we dance in earnest, right there in the kitchen. He leans his forehead against mine. I close my eyes. And every time he sings about the mere idea of me, about his longing for me, about the moments that go oh so slowly until we’re together again, I remember how sweet and loving this man I married has always been. Maybe he’s just been under a lot of stress at work over that group he’s supposed to be courting in Vegas. Maybe this Callie girl is just giving him a hard time or playing hard to get or something. It’s not like I asked him.

I open my eyes and see his are still closed. I think I see a tear in the corner of his eye. “Jake?” I speak softly, and his eyes open slowly to focus on mine. “Are you okay? I haven’t checked in with you to see how you’re doing. Emotionally, I mean. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own shit—”

He quiets me with a kiss, gentle and warm, not anything at all like the deep, forceful kisses I’ve started to expect. It’s perfect. The moment is perfect.

“It’s okay, Miranda. You’ve been my rock for the last twenty years. You’re allowed to have your own shit. At least once in a while. I mean, maybe don’t make a habit of it.” He winks and smiles. And I melt. “I’m sorry for how I acted. I know that the severity of our secrets wasn’t even comparable. This domestic shit is just so hard. I’m so sorry.” He kisses me again. I move my hands to his face, one on his cheek and the other around his neck, pulling him closer and trying to become one with him. On my terms. I love this man, and I want to celebrate that.

We will have to have a real talk soon, about what we each want, about what my gi truly symbolizes, and, you know, eventually about the fact that I’m a mythically chosen superhero who needs to defend our world from all sorts of creatures that originated in folklore… But for tonight, we are just Jake and Miranda, the way we were always supposed to be.

We do make love on the kitchen floor again, but this time instead of frenzied it is slow and methodical. I have the time to feel the cold tile under my back and enjoy the contrast of his heat on top of me. The dichotomy only enhances the pleasure I gain from every movement inside of me.

We hold each other right there on the floor, no longer cold because of our shared body heat, for a long time. We even doze off once before we stand up, stretch our aching bodies not used to such hard accommodations, and move to our bed.

As we drift off to sleep for the night, back in each other’s arms but this time in the cloud-soft comfort of our bed, I am strong enough for this. I have to be. I will protect my family, whatever it takes.

Chapter 21

Miranda

Idaydreamwhilethedish soap begins to dissipate in the sink. I’m cleaning up the breakfast dishes while the kids finish getting ready for school. Jake sidles up next to me and wraps his arm around my waist. But then his phone rings, cutting into my happiness. I bite my lip and look down. He apologizes and moves away, holding my hip a moment longer before letting go to pull the phone from his pocket. I return to my dishwashing duties, only this time I’m frowning.

“Yes. Okay boss. I get it.” He comes rushing back into the kitchen. “Yes, just get us on the flight. I already talked to Ryan. He’s picking me up in ten minutes, and we’ll be at the airport in plenty of time. We won’t let them get away. Don’t worry.”

By the time he hangs up, I’ve stopped washing dishes, dried my hands, and am standing where we were dancing just moments earlier, my back to the sink, arms crossed impatiently. He looks at me sheepishly.

“Well? Are you going to tell me you’re leaving?”

“You already know. I have to. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. I know.” I wipe a few tears that have betrayed me from my cheeks. I try to force a smile. “To be continued?”

“Always.” He kisses me, and his lips are still warm and gently but also abrupt and rushed. “You’re good to get the kids to school, right?” He yells the last bit as he rushes out of the room to go upstairs and pack.

“Oh goddamnit.” I mumble to myself as I turn around and rinse the last of the soap from my hands. I switch from wife mode to mom mode and call out, “Kids, Mom’s taking you to school today! Time to get a move on!”

Five minutes later, he’s back, lugging his suitcase and rushing past me with a wave while he’s on the phone. “Ryan, I’m on my way out. I’m really not that worried though. I understand that Callie wants to run the group like a democracy, but we just need to show her that as the star, her opinion should have more weight than Mel’s does. Erin and Cleo will follow her. I mean, they call her The Chief for Christ’s sake! Obviously, they view her as a leader.”

Why do those names sound so familiar? My blood runs cold the same time Jake presses a soft kiss into the back of my head and whispers in my ear, “I’ll text you when I land and call you when I can. I love you.”

I can’t even answer before he leaves. I’m too… I don’t even know what I am. But my hands move on their own accord, and I grab the closest scrap of paper and write down the girls’ names before they start disappearing from my memory again.

“Mom!” All the kids are calling to me at once from the mudroom. I drag my fingers through my hair, holding onto the ends as if they are my only line back to our ship as I drift off to sea. I want to curl into a ball and sob, but I have to be here for my kids. So instead, I take a few deep breaths to keep from having a full-blown panic attack and follow them to the car.

In hyperdrive, I get the kids dropped off as quickly as I can. As soon as Phoebe closes her car door, I race to George’s house while I try calling Jake again. I need to tell him to stay here. It isn’t safe. Whatever they did to him the last time he was out there, they’re going to do it again. And I don’t want to see what he’s like after because whatever it was before, it will probably be more intense this time. Oh god. What did they do to him? To my sweet Jake. To make him so different. To turn him into that horrible sex addict. (Okay, maybe horrible is too strong a word.)

I practically screech to a stop at George’s front door, and, because I’m earlier than usual, he isn’t yet waiting for me in the open door. I slam my car door closed, run to the giant oak doors, and bang with my fists until he opens them.

He looks confused and checks his watch. “You’re not normally here for at least twenty more minutes. What is going on?”

I don’t have patience for his propriety today. “Shut it. We need to find out who Callie, Mel, Cleo, and... Ah!” I pull out my note. “Erin. That’s the fourth one.”

“What are you—”

I hold up my scrap of paper. “Callie, Mel, Cleo, and Erin. Who the fuck are they?”

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