Untamed (31 page)

“Yes, darling, I do.”

“And yet, I could lose her just as easy. She could get back in her car and go back to her life in California.”

“Or not. Time will tell.”

As one they both started. Something hot and sickening stabbed inside Colton, nearly taking his breath. He saw his Mirriam’s face pale at the same moment.

“Mama?”

“I’m fine, Colton. But you have to go. The sanctity of your land has been breached. There is danger.”

He was already on his feet, but hesitated. “You’re sure you’re okay? I don’t want to leave you alone.”

“I am fine, Colton. Now go!”

He hurried to kiss her cheek then ran out of the house, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

Chapter Eight

Memory let herself into the house, putting her camera on the kitchen counter as she opened the refrigerator to see what there was to drink. A plastic gallon jug of water drew her eye.

She turned with it in hand to look for a glass and saw Colton standing on the other side of the bar that divided the kitchen from the dinette area.

“Hey,” she said with a smile. “I thought you were going to call when you were on your way back?”

“In my haste to return to you I must have forgotten.”

She smiled, but couldn’t help wondering about the odd way he phrased his response. Dismissing it, she set the jug of water on the counter. “Where are your glasses?”

“Where you’d imagine.”

Again she dismissed his response. Maybe the talk with Mirriam had rattled or upset him. “So, how’d it go with Mirriam?” she asked as she started opening cabinets.

Colton rounded the bar as she located the glasses and pulled one from the shelf. He took the glass from her, put it on the counter and wedged her back up against the counter, trapping her by placing his hands on it on either side of her.

“My interest lies here,” he said in a sexy croon just before he kissed her.

Memory literally went weak in the knees as he plundered her mouth. This was a side of Colton she hadn’t seen. Rough and demanding, almost to the point of pain, one hand closed on her breast, pinching her nipple through the fabric of her top.

Not  really into pain, she thought to protest, but suddenly lost the will. She felt him groan into her mouth, his free hand cupping her sex, fingers digging in hard enough to nearly push the fabric inside her.

Her senses were bombarded with hunger. Hot, strong and of a nature she’d never experienced. Need that somehow seemed alien.

Realization had her eyes flying open wide and her hands clawing to get his hands off her.

“Get away from me!” She shoved against his chest.

“Why? You want me.” He yanked her close again, reaching behind her to squeeze her ass painfully.

“Get the fuck off me!”

“You heard her.”

Memory’s eyes jerked in the direction of the voice and renewed strength flowed through her.

Colton leapt at the mirror image of himself who held Memory. His hand reached for the man’s arm, intent on jerking him away from Memory. And closed on nothing,

One moment an exact duplicate of himself was there and the next, Memory was rushing into his arms. Colton wrapped his arms around her, turning as he held her to scan the room.

“What happened?” He asked, feeling her body shake.

“I thought it was you.”

Rage surged through him. Not only had someone or something threatened the woman he loved, he’d invaded Colton’s home. Colton was ready to go to war.

It took a few minutes for Memory to stop shaking. She pulled back to look up at him. “I’m sorry.”

“Darlin’, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for. But what the hell was that?”

“I was hoping you could tell me. Did Mirriam help?”

“Not sure. One thing, honey. Do you have any unique talents or…or special abilities?”

Anxiety lanced through her. Revealing her secret was terrifying. She’d never told anyone. But did she need protection from Colton? Years of habit forced a hesitation. Love overrode habit.

“Sort of,” she replied, meeting his eyes.

“Sort of?”

“Well, it’s not something— I mean it’s kind of a…”

“Come on, let’s sit.”

They went into the den and settled onto the sofa. Memory took a moment to compose her thoughts. “It’s nothing earth shattering. I get a tiny glimpse now and again but not enough to call me clairvoyant. What I can do is…you know it’d be easier to show you. Do you have a pad of paper?”

Colton got up and disappeared down the hall. When he returned he carried a legal pad. “Thanks.” Memory took the pad and put it on the couch cushion between them.

“Okay,” she closed her eyes and visualized Mirriam in her mind.

“What?” Colton asked when she opened her eyes.

She looked down at the pad and knew he had when she heard the soft “holy shit” he muttered.

“How’d you do that?”

She shrugged. “Seems that whatever I see clear enough in my head I can project onto physical objects— and film. Even onto a digital memory card or a hard drive.”

“That’s incredible.”

“But not very useful— well, except in my profession. Beats the hell out of Photoshop.”

“Not sure I follow you.”

“Well, instead of me taking a photo and having to airbrush out a wrinkle or discoloration, I just visualize the subject or location without the flaws and that’s what the camera records.”

“Again, incredible.”

“There’re times I can sort of project an image into the space around me.”

“Come again?”

“It’s kind of like a ghost or hologram. Not really substantial but kind of there.”

“Interesting. Mirriam said that it was important to know what our abilities are so that we could figure a way to combine them and use them as a weapon against…”

“Against what?”

Colton opened his mouth, closed it and shook his head. “You’re gonna think I’m a nut case.”

“Try me.”

“Against Dark Fae.”

Something cold skittered down her spine, something that made gooseflesh appear on her arms. “Dark Fae?”

Colton had dreaded this moment. It was hard enough to wrap his mind around the possibility. To tell someone else, someone besides Mirriam, made him feel a little like a new age nut case.

“Okay, look, this is going to sound a little out there, but there are some things you should know about my family.”

“I’m listening.”

Colton quickly brought her up to speed, not going into a lot of detail but giving her a good account of what had happened.

“I know it sounds insane,” he said when he’d finished the tale. “But what if…what if that—thing that was here…”

“The Colton lookalike that vanished into thin air?”

“Yeah, the asshole who apparently looks an awful lot like me.”

“You think he was Dark Fae?”

“Sugar, I don’t know what the hell that was.”

“Me either but…hey, hold on. You said Mirriam said we needed to know how to combine our abilities. Which suggests that you have special skills.”

“Yeah, but it’s not something I’m real comfortable with.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s dangerous.”

“Really? Show me.”

He frowned for a moment then blew out his breath. “Okay, let’s see.” He tossed the legal pad over the coffee table and onto the floor.

Memory watched as he drew in a breath. He raised his hand, palm out toward the pad. It literally disintegrated into a puff of confetti that billowed up and rained down, covering the floor, the coffee table and dusting them as well.

“Whoa! That’s some ability. I can see why you’d consider it dangerous. How the hell did you survive puberty with that?”

“With great difficulty.”

She thought about it. “I don’t see how our abilities can be combined.”

“Me either…” His eyes suddenly brightened. “Unless…try this. Visualize an arrow in your mind and try to project it in front of us.”

Memory closed her eyes, focusing. When the image was clear, when she could see light glinting off the metal tip and air stirring the feathers at the base of the shaft she opened her eyes.

And there in front of them hung a ghostly arrow. Colton drew in a breath and extended his hand toward it.

The crash of a ceramic planter preceded a thunk. Both of them jumped up and ran across the room. Dirt and plant littered the floor and the top of a low credenza. And in the wall behind it was a hole.

“It works!” Memory said with a grin.

“But what purpose does it serve? Will it kill a Dark Fae?”

Her grin faded. “How the heck do I know? I don’t even know what a Dark Fae is.”

“Neither do I, but I know someone who might. How would you feel about a road trip?”

“To where?”

“Florida. My brothers’ ranch.”

“Where the fire starter and the…”

“Light Fae” he filled in the blank.

“Yeah, where they live?”

“That’d be the place.”

Memory thought about it for a second. “Well why not? I mean this can’t get much weirder, can it?”

“I hope to hell not.”

“Then Florida here we come.”

Chapter Nine

Memory and Colton emerged from the airport and looked down the long covered drive where people were being picked up from their flights. Colton raised his arm and then turned to her.

“You have everything?”

“Yep.”

He grabbed their overnight bags and started for the curb. Memory followed and in seconds a big double-cab truck pulled up. A man nearly as tall as Colton with the same dark hair and features similar enough to announce their kinship got out.

“Gotta say this is a surprise,” the man said to Colton. “Two visits in one year?” He then looked at Memory. His brow furrowed a bit and then he smiled. “Hey, I’m Cam. Colton’s younger and obviously much better looking brother.”

Memory grinned. “Hi, Cam. I’m Memory.”

Cam’s smile faded. “You look really familiar but I know I’ve never met anyone named Memory. Well, maybe you just remind me of someone. It’ll come to me. But let’s get loaded up.”

Colton stowed the luggage in the back seat and started to climb in, but Memory wiggled her way in front of him. “I’ll take the back seat.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Colton got into the front passenger seat and Cam pulled away from the curb. “So, you were kind of vague on the phone about the reason for the visit. Something happen with Jed and his family?”

“No, they’re hanging in. Matter of fact, Jesse and Mik are competing at the Silver Spurs in Kissimmee next month so if you and the family are free, I’m sure they’d appreciate the support. And maybe a place to crash.”

“No problem,” Cam said and looked over his shoulder at Memory. “Sorry, that was rude. Jed Nash and his family are friends from the Carolinas. His wife Mik— Mikayla is a two time national champion barrel racer and Jesse holds the all-around cowboy for the last three years running.”

“Rodeo people?” Memory asked, her interest piqued. She’d never photographed that sort of thing but it sounded interesting.

“Yeah, and damn nice people.” He turned his attention back to Colton. “So, if it isn’t Jed…”

Colton cut a look back at Memory before answering. “Actually, we wanted to talk to Ellie and her— brother.”

“Eldric?” Cam looked up in the rearview mirror at Memory and then at his brother. “I’m guessing this isn’t ranch talk.”

Colton shook his head. “We have some questions.”

“About what?”

“Dark Fae,” Memory answered.

Cam was quiet for at least a minute, staring at the road ahead. She leaned forward to put her hand on Colton’s shoulder. He covered it with his and squeezed. “I take it that’s a sore subject?” Memory asked when no one else spoke.

“Let’s just say that Eldric takes some getting used to.”

Memory didn’t know how to respond to that comment. Everyone was silent for a good ten minutes. Finally Colton broke the silence. “Okay, here’s the deal, little brother.

“When I was eighteen and enlisted, Anthony’s mother, Mirriam, gave me a crystal. Looked like one of those little quartz things you see that people put on necklaces. She made me promise to wear it and told me that one day it’d lead me to my destiny.”

“And you bought into that?” Cam asked with a laugh then sobered at the look Colton delivered. “Sorry, I know you and Ms. Tosta have been tight since you were kids.”

“She’s family.” Colton said. “And I did what she asked. Never gave it much thought until recently. A couple of days ago, I was headed back to the ranch after visiting Mirriam and the damn thing delivered a shock that nearly lifted me out of my seat.”

“Say what?” Cam looked at him.

“Yeah, exactly.” Colton agreed. “Strangest thing I ever felt. But I put it out of my mind. At least until the next day when Mirriam called me and asked if I could take a look at a woman’s car that had broken down near her place in town.”

“And knowing you, you dropped what you were doing and headed over.”

“Yep. So, I get there and Memory is with her. The minute I looked at her that damn crystal started sending off shocks or bursts of energy—I don’t know what to call it, but the damn thing felt like it was trying to electrocute me.”

“Now that’s just spooky,” Cam remarked.

“Even stranger is the fact that I had an identical crystal that was given to me the day I was adopted. The lady who cared for me in the orphanage gave it to me and told me to never remove it because it was going to lead me where I was supposed to go.” Memory paused, then added. “And my crystal was behaving the same way.”

Cam looked back at her. “Seriously? So what did you do?”

Memory chuckled. “Hmmm, maybe I’ll let your brother take that question.”

“Oh?” Cam looked at Colton.

“Let’s just say when Memory and I got to know one another and it caused the crystals to fuse.”

“Hold on,” Cam said. “Fuse? So what, you met, exchanged names and suddenly they just ripped off your necks and…fused?”

Memory couldn’t help but laugh, particularly at the expression on Colton’s face. “Well that would have been dramatic, but no. They fused when we had sex. I mean I didn’t see it happen, but when I tried to get off Colton our crystals had fused together.”

Cam looked at his brother and then up at her in the rearview mirror and broke out in a laugh. “Well shit, that’s one for the books. You must be something, old man.”

Memory laughed out loud. “Oh hell yes,” she agreed then sobered. “But that’s beside the point. Colton asked Mirriam about the crystals and she told him that if we could combine our abilities the way the crystals fused then we’d have sort of a weapon against Dark Fae.”

Cam’s head jerked up and his eyes met hers in the reflection of the rear view mirror. “She used those words?”

“Actually she said my new sister-in-law had given me the answer to who the abilities could be effective against.” Colton answered, drawing Cam’s attention.

“Shit on a stick,” Cam said.

“And that’s not all,” Memory said. “Tell him, Colton.”

Colton cut a look over his shoulder at her and she bristled. “Don’t give me that look. He’s your brother and he needs to know.”

Colton looked at Cam. “I left Memory at the ranch while I went to see Mirriam and while I was gone someone showed up. Someone who looked just like me.”

Cam frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Exactly like him,” Memory added her two cents. “It was his behavior that gave him away and when I tried to get away from him he got rough. I don’t know what he’d have done if Colton hadn’t shown up.”

“So what happened when you got there?” Cam asked Colton.

“He vanished.”

“Vanished?”

“Yeah. Poof, gone.”

“This is too weird.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Colton agreed. “But that’s not all. Mirriam said Memory and I needed to combine our abilities. So, we—we tried.”

“What kind of abilities?”

“Your brother can project energy,” Memory answered when Colton did not. “And I can— uh, I can kind of project things that are in my mind to manifest or materialize.”

“You want to try that again?” Cam asked.

“Ok, sorry. If I can picture something clear enough in my mind I can cause it to show up on things—a piece of paper, camera film, a memory card or a hard drive. And sometimes I can project those things into the real world—sort of like ghosts or something.  They’re not entirely substantial. Colton had me try and manifest an arrow and I did. He was able to push it—with remarkable speed.”

Cam shook his head. “Damn, life gets more freaking woo woo every day.”

This time Colton laughed. “Amen brother.”

“So you could do this energy thing all along?” Cam asked. “And you never told us?”

“Not something I really wanted anyone to know,” Colton replied. “Actually not something I really want to accept.”

“And now?”

“And now someone or something has invaded my home and threatened the woman I lo—”

Cam and Memory both sucked in a breath at Colton’s statement. For a few seconds there was silence and then Cam reached over and gave his brother’s shoulder a squeeze. “Well miracles do happen, don’t they big brother?”

Colton looked back at Memory and then at Cam and finally he smiled. “Yeah, I guess they do.”

“So some Dark Fae or whatever invaded your home and hit on your woman and you’re ready to take names and kick ass,” Cam said. “Is that about right?”

“You got it.” Colton replied.

“Well, hell, why didn’t you say so in the first place? You know there’s nothing us Marsh boys like better than kicking ass. And then there’s Lil. She’s hell with that fire thing now. Deadly. Oh, and Ellie can do some of that energy thing, only hers is kinda like lightning.

“Eldric, her brother, he says Lily is part Fae— an elemental. Fire element. Same with Ellie, only she’s air or something.” He looked back at Memory. “Not that I totally buy into all that you know, but it’s what he says.”

“And you’d discount it, of course, since he stepped through some circle of light from another plane of existence,” Memory quipped.

“He told you?” Cam looked at Colton.

“I did.”

“Well, well,” Cam grinned. “You must be one hell of a woman Memory, for this old man to have fallen so hard and so fast.”

“That she is,” Colton said and looked back at Memory.

“I do believe I’m going to like your family, Colton.” Memory said. “Shame this one is already taken. I bet I could get him national exposure in under thirty days.”

“Excuse me?” Cam asked.

“She’s a photographer,” Colton said. “According to Mirriam, one of the most famous and sought after in the world. They say she has the ‘magic eye’ and all the top models and companies are after her.”

“Really?” Cam asked.

Memory shrugged. “It’s no big deal. But you? You could make serious bank with your looks and I do mean serious.”

Cam laughed. “Thanks for the compliment but I can’t see anyone paying to have my mug on anything. Well, here we are.”

Memory turned her attention to the view outside the truck as they turned onto a paved drive beside a big sign that read “Marsh Ranch.”

“Oh, this is beautiful,” she exclaimed as they proceeded down the drive. “I so want to shoot this. And… holy shit. Who’s that?”

Cam and Colton both laughed. “That’s our brother Clint,” Cam said. “The one with the hat. The other one is Ellie’s brother Eldric.”

“Holy mother of god,” Memory breathed. “Your family definitely was blessed in the looks department. Are any of you ugly?”

Colton laughed heartily at the question. “Well there
is
that one cousin, Randy.”

Memory punched him in the shoulder. “Smart ass.”

Cam stopped the truck and they all piled out. Clint stopped pulling bales of hay off the back of the pick-up and walked over to them. “Twice in one year.” He bumped fists with Colton. “A record.”

He then looked at Memory. “Hey, I’m Clint.”

“Memory Wells,” she extended her hand. “And it’s a pleasure.”

“Same here.” He shook her hand and then gestured to the house. “Lily and Ellie are inside, getting started on dinner. Ric and I are just gonna finish unloading…”

“Elyssa?”

Memory turned in the direction of the voice. The dark haired man she’d seen working with Clint stood there. “Pardon?” She asked.

He approached and stopped just inches away, so close that she could feel the heat pouring off his body. Memory looked up into eyes that were almost too clear a blue to be natural, but eyes that were all too familiar as they matched her own. Something pinged in her mind, there was no other description for it—it was like the peal of a bell—clear and soft, reverberating through her mind.

“Elyssa.” He reached out and put his hand on the side of her face. “You’re alive.”

His touch sent a new sensation rocketing through her, something so powerful that it stole her ability to speak or move. Or stay conscious.

Colton caught Memory as her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped. “What did you do?” he barked at Eldric.

“I meant no harm,” Eldric insisted, following behind Colton as he headed for the house with Memory in his arms.

“Stay the hell away from her,” Colton growled.

Eldric looked at Cam who walked beside him. “I would not harm her, Clint. She is our sister.”

Clint and Cam stopped dead in their tracks and stared at him. “What do you mean she’s your sister?” Clint asked. “That’s impossible. She’s…” He looked at Cam.

Cam thought about the conversation they’d had on the way from the airport. “I’m not saying she is, but—” He looked at Eldric. “She did say she spent the first part of her life in an orphanage.”

“She is our sister,” Eldric insisted. “Our father had her hidden with a trusted friend and when the portal closed she was trapped here. She grew up without us. Like Ellie, she does not know who she is.”

“Oh hell, here we go again,” Clint groused.

Cam slapped him on the back. “Just another day in the life of the Marsh clan, bro. Come on, let’s get inside.”