What the Heart Takes (10 page)

Wasting no time, he unlatched the seat belt, flinging it away from his chest. It wound itself up by the time he pulled the handle and opened the door. But he couldn’t exit the car fast enough before Heaven shot off the next question.

“Are you okay?”

“No,” he mumbled, shutting the door. A gust of air blew past him, scattering his hair in his face. He didn’t mind the chill any longer. It relieved the sweat that clung to his body, sweat he’d built in containing the fire within him. A raging fire that her presence always evoked.

Quick steps brought him to the back of the car. He fisted his hand, ready to punch the trunk with everything he had. How the hell was he going to do this? How could he protect her and be her friend when being close to her tore him apart?

He gazed at the country road, half tempted to take off walking. As soon as he did, she would come after him. Then he’d have to deal with Dylan’s attitude for upsetting her.

As if his guilt wouldn’t be punishment enough.

Staring up at the sky, he walked around in a circle, trying to wrap his head around the mess he’d created. A door clicked shut a second later, though he didn’t have the balls to see whose footsteps sounded behind him. With his luck, Dylan woke up, found out what happened, and was coming to smash in his face. Fine. He deserved it. For hurting Heaven, for lying to them, for being a fucking human being.

Just as he braced himself for the confrontation, warm hands wrapped around his arm. It sent his heart into a faster rhythm. As crazy as it seemed, he wished it had been Dylan coming to kick his ass. He was prepared for that battle, not the one he was currently facing. This battle would rage war on his heart. All it would take is one bat of her lashes, one quiver of her lips, one pull of her soul.

“Please don’t do this.” He whispered the words as he closed his eyes, focusing on taking deep breaths.

“What is wrong with you, Layne? You’re really starting to scare me.”

“I—I can’t do this. I can’t be a part of this anymore.”

She pulled on his arm as if she wanted him to turn around, but he kept firm in his position. “Are you backing out of this because it’s getting hard, or is it something else? Because I remember you saying that you’d protect me with your life. Were you lying?”

He spun around, gripping her arms as he pulled her closer and leaned toward her face. “No. I am
trying
to protect you. Since I learned that I’m your Keeper, I’ve done everything I can to learn what I am and how I can keep you alive.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

And there it was—the question that would rip them apart if he gave her an honest answer. So he didn’t. “I think our friendship is getting in the way of my duties. Maybe we shouldn’t be friends anymore.”

A stare down between them began. Each passing second, the fire in his energy gained strength, filling every nerve in his body. He tried to turn around, but the pull of her soul held him in place, just a few inches from her face. He couldn’t breathe, or speak, or swallow the lump in his throat.

The cool wind continued to blow, whipping through her hair and his. He wanted her to go back to the car and give him a few minutes. She didn’t need to be out there, but he needed to cool off. Why wouldn’t she give him space?

He’d never seen this stubborn side of her, except once in Aruba, when he and her mother refused to allow her to be alone on the beach. Guess the last five months of dealing with him and Dylan had finally pushed her over the edge. It was kind of sexy…

No! It wasn’t sexy. It couldn’t be when it involved her because she…he couldn’t think…

What the hell was wrong with him? She made him crazy as hell one minute, mad as hell the next, and when he thought he’d had enough, she’d reel him right back in.

He needed to release her from his grip, was about to do just that when she reached up and swiped a strand of hair from his face.

Damn it. It was these little things that had his heart in such a mess. Those instances when she treated him like he was the only thing that mattered. Was this what Dylan felt?

“Layne,” she whispered, lowering her hand back to her side. “How much of the dream do you remember?”

“Everything.” He didn’t know why he told her that. He’d never planned to, but the words fell out as though he had no control over his mouth.

“I remember, too, including what you said to me when we were alone.”

Sweet Jesus. Why was she bringing this up right now? Did she want Dylan to murder him?

The warmth of her skin faded from his hands as he took a step back. “Don’t talk about that, Heaven. I’m sure Dylan has
sensed
your absence and is awake inside the car, listening to us.”

Her eyes fell from his and shifted to the car. A small crease formed just above her nose as she stared hard. Maybe she’d spotted Dylan or she was taking his advice and dropping the subject. Then a smile replaced the unpleasant expression. Dark ringlets swept her shoulders as she shook her head.

“Trust me when I say, Dylan’s sound asleep. So talk to me.”

“Heaven, I can’t explain what happened in the dream.”

“I can,” she answered, closing the gap he just put between them. “You showed a side of yourself to me that you don’t show many people. Everything you said in that dream was honest, but the thought of getting close to someone scares you. That’s why you’re blaming it on our friendship.”

Fuck… Guess everything Dylan told him was true. The dreams brought out their honesty. They said and did things from the heart and soul.

“Look, I know how the dreams work for you and Dylan, but they don’t work like that for me. You saw and heard what you wanted. None of it was real.”

“You’re such a liar, Layne. Stop it! Okay?” Her fingers pressed her forehead as she turned to the side, gazing in the distance.

He wanted to defend himself against her insinuations, but he couldn’t. He was a liar, had been all of his life. The only difference was the purpose of the lies. They used to benefit him. Now, they were for protection…her protection, from him.

“Maybe you’re right, Layne. Maybe we shouldn’t be friends. I need someone I can depend on, someone I can trust.”

It amazed him how such a simple phrase could rock him to the core. “Are you saying that you can’t trust me?”

Her shoulders rose higher before returning to normal, but what incited him the most was the distance in her eyes. “I’m not sure. I know you’re hiding stuff from me, which hurts because we need trust and honesty in our connection. I have to know you, Layne. The real you, not the tough guy the rest of the world
thinks
they know.”

“This is me, Heaven.” He jabbed his finger in his chest. “I’m an asshole, an untrustworthy asshole that tucks and runs when things get tough. I’m selfish. I use women, I betray my friends, and I’m the world’s
worst
Keeper.” Another step brought their faces so close, the steam from his breath dissipated onto her skin. “Am I forgetting anything?”

She parted her lips to answer, but creaking filled the air. He gazed over her shoulder, meeting Dylan’s heavy, but curious eyes. Time seemed suspended as he waited for Heaven to turn around and explain what was happening. Yet no words filled the air. Her eyes remained on him, holding him in place.

“Heaven?” The groggy sound of Dylan’s voice caused her eyes to flutter shut. She pressed her lips together and released a breath. Then golden gems gazed up at him.

“We’re okay, Dylan. Layne’s having a
diva
moment, but I think I have him calmed down. We’ll be in the car in a second.”

In an instant, Dylan glared at him. Fucking perfect. Now he’d start his shit again.

To his surprise, Dylan simply shook his head and got back inside, but the thump from the closing door was a good enough indication of how he really felt.

Layne started to walk by Heaven when she reached over and pressed her hand to his chest. “That list you recited for me is a bunch of crap, and you know it. Don’t start your bullshit with me, Layne Perry. I know more than you think I do. I just wished you let me know the deeper part of you.”

He flung his hands in the air, letting them fall to his sides as he stared at the taillights. “Why is this so important?”

For as long as he lived, he’d never forget this moment or the intensity of their connection. How it pulled him closer, like a moth to the proverbial flame, especially when she whispered, “Because the man you keep hidden is the one who will save me.”

CHAPTER 7

Heaven stared at the bare trees lining the edge of her parents’ property. Even with no leaves, they provided great shelter for the main house, preventing any passersby from snooping. It reminded her of Dylan’s house in L.A., minus the shale wall and security gate. Neither of those items would keep her safe anyway. The incident in Aruba had proven that. As long as transporters existed, she could never be alone.

The rental car slowed as it proceeded to the driveway between the walls of trees. She moved her eyes toward Layne, noting the rigidness in his body. His hands perched perfectly at ten and two on the steering wheel. Wide eyes roamed one side of the property to the other.

He worked his lower lip into his mouth, brushing the top lip against his soul patch. She’d never paid much attention to the tiny section of hair below his lip, but watching him work his mouth against it gained more than her attention. It hinted to the emotions he was trying to hide—curiosity, insecurity, and anxiety.

She parted her lips to ask what was wrong but thought better. Anger still stirred her heart over their confrontation on the side of the road. If he didn’t want to be her friend, she wouldn’t force him, nor would she continue to coddle him as she had in the past. She didn’t deserve his attitude, and he sure as hell didn’t deserve her friendship.

While her instincts urged her not to ignore him, she didn’t have a choice. She’d said all that she could. The rest was up to him. He would either choose to explore their connection or keep her at a distance.

Sensing Dylan’s eyes upon her, she gazed out the window, eyeing the willow tree in the yard. With bare limbs dangling toward the ground, the tree seemed as sullen as her husband. She had no doubt he was brooding over finding her and Layne on the side of the road, not just arguing, but also standing close to each other. In fact, they stood so close, one might assume they were sharing a kiss, especially with the way Layne’s face hovered mere inches from hers. Add in the tension between them and anyone would question what had happened.

She had.

The moment she’d returned to the car, waves of confusion rolled off Dylan. Those waves increased when Layne joined them, reclaiming his driving duties. No matter how many miles they’d put behind them, it hadn’t eased her husband’s mind. Even at this very moment, erratic beats of his energy bruised her soul.

At least he wasn’t asking questions, but the urge to do so ate at him. Vibrations spread across the seat each time he tapped his fingers. It coupled with the annoyance swirling from his soul. He directed most of the ill energy toward Layne, but it didn’t stop her from sensing it.

Biting her tongue, she chose not to confront him on the negativity. His behavior proved no different than Layne’s, but it was twice as hurtful. She didn’t know any other way to convince him of her love. He had to accept Layne’s role in her life or suffer to himself.

Her body shifted forward when Layne applied the brakes, bringing the car to a stop behind her mother’s vehicle. He killed the engine a second later, as well as the silence.

“The GPS ends here. I assume I’m in the right place.”

“Yes, you are.” She didn’t bother looking at him when she answered. He
was
in the right place, in more ways than one. What a pity it was to know he hadn’t figured that out.

Unfastening her seat belt, she slipped her feet inside her shoes, gazing at one of the second floor windows, the one she knew to be her parents’ bedroom. A soft glow illuminated the blinds a moment later. Either they’d heard the car pull up, or one of them had sensed her arrival.

The door handle met her palm as she pulled on it, letting the door crack open. She didn’t realize how much heat radiated within the car until a brisk gust of wind blew inside. When her eyes landed on the dashboard, her skin prickled. The knob on the temperature control pointed in the ‘off’ position.

Layne…

His emotions were all over the place, as was his energy. No wonder the car was so warm. It was these little things that fed her suspicion on his lack of honesty. Something was going on with his abilities. Something he hadn’t shared with her, though she still couldn’t figure out why. If he’d learned how to access them, why wouldn’t he share that information?

The frustration of it all had her desperate for escape. She finished opening the door and stepped out of the car before either could object. The pull of Dylan’s energy said he wanted to do just that. Instead, he opened his door a few seconds later, followed by Layne.

Neither had enough time to get out of the car before she’d made her way to the porch steps. The more distance she put between them, the easier she could breathe. If she spent one more second with just the two of them, she’d lose her mind.

Their conflicting energy intertwined, sending out a force strong enough to knock her off balance. She staggered across the porch toward the door. Dylan must have noticed. He called to her, but she couldn’t focus on his voice. Instead, she stared at the opening door and the man who stood inside it.

Seeing her father’s towering figure eased her stress, especially when he pulled her into an embrace. He’d been her protector long before Dylan or Layne. She had no doubts he’d protect her from them as well.

“Heaven? Are you okay?”

Was her frustration that noticeable or was he tapping into her thoughts? Guess it didn’t matter. Right now, she welcomed any type of distraction, for herself as well as the duo she’d abandoned at the car.

“I’m fine, Dad, aside from needing a break from those two.”

After he released her from his embrace, he ushered her inside. “Do you need me to run interference? You can go to your old room and cool off if you need a few minutes.”