his
stomach.
“I’m glad you told me. I was thinking of
another word entirely.” Nico sucked on his teeth and shook his
head.
“It’s Grace’s fault. We tried to give her the
old ‘men hunt demons, women cook dinner’, but she started throwing
things.”
“We’ve been assigned kitchen duty. Meatloaf,
mashed potatoes, corn, green beans… oh shit, I forgot the rolls.”
Col grabbed the loaded tray and slipped it into the oven.
“Grace made the meatloaf and rolls and left
us a list of what to do. Hope needed her. Some crisis,” Dov
explained.
“Hope? Is she all right? Has something
happened?” He looked from the gym door to the one opening to the
hallway. “Where is she?”
The twins exchanged glances and Nico knew
he’d over reacted. He could almost hear them snicker. It was in
their eyes. He waited, less than patient.
“Just girl stuff. There was some big tiz over
some boxes that were delivered. Your girlfriend’s fine.”
Nico glared. “She is not my girlfriend.”
“Yeah, yeah, heard it all before,” Col
laughed. “Ask Canaan. He got the t-shirt.”
Nico shook his head in disgust and headed for
his rooms to shower. As he climbed the stairs he could hear the
twins singing a horribly off key rendition of “Let Me Call You
Sweetheart” at the top of their lungs.
There was laughing and giggling and something
that sounded like a horrified protest coming out from behind the
closed door of Hope’s room. He paused, listened for a moment and
moved on when assured there was nothing serious going on.
He waited until after supper to tell them
about the incident on the docks. When he finished, he took the now
dry paper from the pocket of his jacket. It was brittle and
crumbling around the edges and he took his time unfolding it. The
scrap was a title page from an old cookbook. Three words were
scrawled across the page.
Dov leaned over for a closer look. “Help me
Hope. Wow! It’s got your name on it.”
“Don’t be a fool,” Nico snapped. “She isn’t
the only Hope in the world.”
Hope was out of her chair and looking too, as
everyone else crowded around. The ink was blurred but the writing
was large enough to be distinct.
Help me - Hope
Hope’s hand flew to her mouth, too late to
stop her pain filled cry. Nico was there to steady her as she
swayed.
“That’s my sister’s handwriting. I know it.
That’s Faith. Oh dear God in Heaven. It’s Faith.”
She was breathing too heavily and too fast.
She needed air but the harder she tried, the less reached her
lungs. The room was turning grey. She clawed at Nico’s shirt front
and felt his arms tighten around her. Everyone was talking at once
but the words were muffled and she couldn’t understand. She heard
the sound of glass breaking and felt Nico catch her as she slumped
in his arms. Grey faded to black.
When she awoke, she was on the sofa in the
parlor and the first thing she saw was Nico in the chair opposite.
The hard, angular planes of his handsome face were softened in
sleep. With his long, dark lashes resting on his pale cheeks and
his hair falling softly over his shoulders she could almost see the
boy he once was. She smiled and watched him for a moment, curling
into the comfort of his presence. Even asleep, Nico made her feel
safe and protected. She paused in her thoughts. Safe and protected
from what?
She gasped as she remembered and Nico’s eyes
snapped open. He didn’t move or speak, only watched her carefully.
Waiting.
“Faith,” she whispered. “It was Faith. The
woman you found in the river was my sister.”
He was on his feet, reaching for her and she
rose to meet him. He cradled her gently against his chest and
murmured into her hair.
“We don’t know that. Let’s let Nardo find out
what he can. It was only three words, Hope, and they were
blurred.”
“No,” she said, wanting to stay enfolded in
his arms, knowing she couldn’t. “It’s hers. I can show you.”
She forced herself to pull away from
stomach.
“I’m glad you told me. I was thinking of
another word entirely.” Nico sucked on his teeth and shook his
head.
“It’s Grace’s fault. We tried to give her the
old ‘men hunt demons, women cook dinner’, but she started throwing
things.”
“We’ve been assigned kitchen duty. Meatloaf,
mashed potatoes, corn, green beans… oh shit, I forgot the rolls.”
Col grabbed the loaded tray and slipped it into the oven.
“Grace made the meatloaf and rolls and left
us a list of what to do. Hope needed her. Some crisis,” Dov
explained.
“Hope? Is she all right? Has something
happened?” He looked from the gym door to the one opening to the
hallway. “Where is she?”
The twins exchanged glances and Nico knew
he’d over reacted. He could almost hear them snicker. It was in
their eyes. He waited, less than patient.
“Just girl stuff. There was some big tiz over
some boxes that were delivered. Your girlfriend’s fine.”
Nico glared. “She is not my girlfriend.”
“Yeah, yeah, heard it all before,” Col
laughed. “Ask Canaan. He got the t-shirt.”
Nico shook his head in disgust and headed for
his rooms to shower. As he climbed the stairs he could hear the
twins singing a horribly off key rendition of “Let Me Call You
Sweetheart” at the top of their lungs.
There was laughing and giggling and something
that sounded like a horrified protest coming out from behind the
closed door of Hope’s room. He paused, listened for a moment and
moved on when assured there was nothing serious going on.
He waited until after supper to tell them
about the incident on the docks. When he finished, he took the now
dry paper from the pocket of his jacket. It was brittle and
crumbling around the edges and he took his time unfolding it. The
scrap was a title page from an old cookbook. Three words were
scrawled across the page.
Dov leaned over for a closer look. “Help me
Hope. Wow! It’s got your name on it.”
“Don’t be a fool,” Nico snapped. “She isn’t
the only Hope in the world.”
Hope was out of her chair and looking too, as
everyone else crowded around. The ink was blurred but the writing
was large enough to be distinct.
Help me - Hope
Hope’s hand flew to her mouth, too late to
stop her pain filled cry. Nico was there to steady her as she
swayed.
“That’s my sister’s handwriting. I know it.
That’s Faith. Oh dear God in Heaven. It’s Faith.”
She was breathing too heavily and too fast.
She needed air but the harder she tried, the less reached her
lungs. The room was turning grey. She clawed at Nico’s shirt front
and felt his arms tighten around her. Everyone was talking at once
but the words were muffled and she couldn’t understand. She heard
the sound of glass breaking and felt Nico catch her as she slumped
in his arms. Grey faded to black.
When she awoke, she was on the sofa in the
parlor and the first thing she saw was Nico in the chair opposite.
The hard, angular planes of his handsome face were softened in
sleep. With his long, dark lashes resting on his pale cheeks and
his hair falling softly over his shoulders she could almost see the
boy he once was. She smiled and watched him for a moment, curling
into the comfort of his presence. Even asleep, Nico made her feel
safe and protected. She paused in her thoughts. Safe and protected
from what?
She gasped as she remembered and Nico’s eyes
snapped open. He didn’t move or speak, only watched her carefully.
Waiting.
“Faith,” she whispered. “It was Faith. The
woman you found in the river was my sister.”
He was on his feet, reaching for her and she
rose to meet him. He cradled her gently against his chest and
murmured into her hair.
“We don’t know that. Let’s let Nardo find out
what he can. It was only three words, Hope, and they were
blurred.”
“No,” she said, wanting to stay enfolded in
his arms, knowing she couldn’t. “It’s hers. I can show you.”
She forced herself to pull away from
Similar Books
