Chapter 24
Avidya
I was certain I was a mess; I felt like it, that’s for sure. Sitting there in the kitchen, my back was to the counter and I had tears streaming down my face.
I wasn’t upset. Not really. I was just overwhelmed and relieved all at once. I never thought that Lynn would call. I wasn’t even sure she was still alive until today. A weight had been lifted from me at the knowledge that that woman that was like a mother to me was alive, and safe. Though we had no idea where she was, it would only be a matter of time before she’d show up again.
It was a gut feeling.
The phone call, although surprising, was well needed. It answered a few questions, yet made just as much more. I had to wonder if the questions would ever come to a close. Probably not with my luck.
The one thing I was absolutely sure of was that I was no longer the girl that Lynn and Cody had raised. I was no longer meek and quiet. I would do everything to prove that I was much more. Marrying Zachariah was only the beginning.
I laughed out loud, the noise loud in the quiet of the house.
If anyone was home other than me, they would surely think I was insane. Maybe I was.
Getting my emotions back in control, I pushed myself up and decided to go get cleaned up right after I finished getting the homemade pizzas finished up. I had already worked out in the huge home gym that Zachariah had. He still required me to keep up my strength. Plus, it did give me something to do to pass the time.
Mostly, I ran on the treadmill, but it helped keep my energy up most days. It gave me something to do when Zachariah wasn’t here.
I was getting to that point where I was becoming bored being at home day after day. I didn’t like shopping, I didn’t have any friends to go and hang out with. I also made sure that I wrote in my journal every day, even if it was only a sentence or two. At least it was something, and still enough to appease my husband.
I needed to start looking for hobbies that I could do. Ones that I was willing to try. I was never a crafty person, as I never thought that I would have the time to become that type of person.
After taking a shower and shaving my legs, I got dressed in a pair of jean leggings and a long purple shirt that went just passed my butt. I left my hair to dry naturally, knowing that Zachariah enjoyed my hair being down.
Lynn had basically programmed it into me that I was to look perfect and act the part once I was married, but here it didn’t matter. Everyone liked me for me, which was a nice refreshing thought. I didn’t have to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. Ever.
I was free to be who I wanted to be.
It was just that I wasn’t entirely sure who I was. I was slowly finding that out, at least.
I grabbed an apple, knowing I needed to eat, as I had yet to eat much today. I wasn’t a huge eater to begin with, but Zachariah had stated he wanted me to eat more after noticing how little I ate during the days he was home.
Given, I had other things on my mind when he was home. Things that pertained to only him.
I just finished my apple, tossing the core into the trash, when my cell began to ring. I had left it on the counter and had mostly forgotten all about it until now. Normally, only Zachariah called me on it. But this time, it was Travis.
“Hey,” I answered. It wasn’t often he called anyone, let alone me. Normally, he’d just make himself at home if he knew I was here on my own.
“What you up to today?” Travis asked lightly. It sounded as though he was walking outside with traffic in the background.
“Not a whole lot,” I answered, leaning my back against the countertop and surveying the kitchen.
“Perfect. I’ll come pick you up and we can have lunch,” Travis said. “Unless you are meeting that husband of yours.”
“He’s at the club interviewing new members today,” I stated. “Which you probably already know.”
“He doesn’t always tell me what he’s going to do,” Travis stated. I could picture him rolling his eyes with that statement. “I’ll be there in about ten minutes. Be ready, Vids.”
With that, he hung up, not giving me a chance to question him. There had to be a reason for him to take me out.
Pulling up my messages, I sent a text to Zachariah, letting him know what I was doing.
Going to lunch with Travis.
His reply came seconds later.
Have fun.
I wasn’t sure what I expected. Was I expecting him to tell me to stay at home?
It wasn’t long before Travis showed up, honking his horn from the driveway. I shook my head at his antics. He was so different from what I was used to. If he had done that with Cody still around, he’d have gotten his butt chewed out.
Making sure that the door was locked and the alarm set, I made my way out of the house with my purse across my chest.
Travis’s car was a small, dark blue Volkswagen and it fit him perfectly. He was a simple man and didn’t like the fancy, pricey things. He was much like myself in that department.
“Ready?” he asked as I pulled the seatbelt across my lap after getting into the car.
“Yep,” I answered, giving him a small smile. “Where are we going?”
“To the best place along the shopping strip,” he answered, backing out of the spot and turning the car around. “It’s not a place that Zach enjoys, but I have a feeling that you will like it.”
“If I don’t?” I challenged him.
“Then I’ll know not to take you there again,” Travis laughed.
“So, guess who called me today?” I asked as Travis gained speed. Glancing out the side window, I saw one of the black cars that belonged to one of my guards following closely behind.
“Who?” Travis asked, glancing my way.
“Lynn,” I stated. “And before you ask, no, she didn’t give her location.”
“What did she want?” Travis asked.
“She said she was worried about me and just checking up to see how I was doing,” I answered, looking out the window. “I don’t believe her. She’s up to something.”
“Why’s that?” Travis asked.
“I’ve been in this family long enough to know when there are ulterior motives behind actions,” was my answer. “I think she was just seeing if Zachariah really did what he promised with marrying me and she had heard about the car crash.”
“So, more like she was just checking to see if her plan for you was going well?” Travis guessed.
“Most likely,” I answered with a shrug.
“She’ll come out of hiding sooner or later. You know that, right?” Travis asked as we began to reach the outskirts of town.
“It’s what she will do that scares me,” I muttered. “I don’t know who she is anymore.”
“You have an army of men behind you,” Travis said. “No one will dare touch you again. Not unless they want to die.”
“I need to learn self-defense,” I stated. “I want to know how to protect myself.”
“I can help with that,” Travis answered. “Just have to run it by Zach, but I’m sure he won’t mind that idea. Every woman should know how to protect herself and I think you’d look badass with a gun, too.”
“Highly doubt Zachariah would let me even touch one of those,” I laughed out.
“Na, he’d like that idea just as much as I do, if not more,” Travis argued amusedly. “Bring it up to him later. He’ll be behind you one hundred percent.”
“You really think so?” I asked, shocked that Travis would think so.
“Positive,” he answered. “Julia knows how to handle a gun, but she should with who she’s married to and all. Even Violet knows.”
“What about Kenna?” I asked.
“She’s not a fan, but given her father was shot in a home invasion, I can’t blame her for that,” Travis answered. “Hey! You and Kenna should hang out sometime.”
“She’s a great doctor,” I said slowly. I wasn’t sure that we’d get along that well outside of that zone.
“She’s a sweetheart, really,” Travis replied. “You both should, though. It’d be a good thing. I plan to marry her, so you might as well become friends.”
“Have you met me? I don’t make friends easily,” I laughed before my brain could stop the words from coming out.
“You are an amazing little sister,” Travis said, his voice filled with adoration. “Anyone can see how much of an amazing person you are. Just give her a chance and you’ll be surprised.”
“Alright,” I sighed out, not wanting to fight with him. “I do get along with you well enough.”
“I’m easy,” Travis laughed, glad that I gave in so quickly.
I had to wonder what I had just signed up for.
Chapter 25
Avidya
“Burger Palace?” I asked, reading neon blue the sign above the small diner.
We stood on the sidewalk, the smell of perfect hamburgers and French fries floated out from the open door. The red brick, although slightly faded in spots from the weather, stood out from the neighboring stores and the coffee shop that was just two doors down.
I had not been here, ever. It was hard to hardly have been anywhere, then again I was never allowed to go shopping myself, and now that I could, I had no idea where to even start.
“Yep,” Travis answered happily as he stood beside me. “Small, but popular diner here and well worth it. Trust me.”
“I’ll so have to come back to here to window shop,” I muttered out, glancing down the sidewalk and seeing a number of stores.
“Maybe you can have a girl’s day out soon. Be good for you, and your mother-in-law,” Travis mused. “Then you’d be able to do more than just window shop.”
“Maybe,” I said. I did like that idea, but was nervous too. I’d never done something like that. There was a lot that I hadn’t done yet.
“Let’s go get some grub,” Travis said, leading the way into the diner.
Stepping in through the open door, I took a moment to look around. A number of black leather booths were lined up against the wall on one side with different colored hanging lights from the ceiling. Along the other side of the diner, a bar area with matching stools faced the kitchen portion. The speckled white floor was shiny and reflected the lights.
Some sort of bluegrass, banjo song was playing on speakers throughout the diner. The rhythm of it was upbeat in its own way.
There were only a handful of people inside, leaving more than enough booths open as I followed my brother to one of the many tables. He waited for me to sit before he took his own seat across from me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two of my guards take seats at the bar area and survey the place. Zachariah had been right about me not even really noticing them unless I knew where they were. I probably wouldn’t even have seen them if I wasn’t looking.
Within seconds, a server laid down menus in front of us both. “Welcome! I’ll be back in a few to get your orders!” Her black hair was pinned up on her head, a few stray pieces falling around her dark face.
She was off again without giving either of us a glance.
“Have whatever you want,” Travis said, looking down at his menu. “I’m paying.”
“You should,” I stated, looking at him. “You offered me lunch.”
He gave me an amused shake of his head. “Zach is rubbing off on you, Vidie.”
“Or maybe I’m rubbing off on him,” I mused, looking down at the menu.
Everything on the menu was a hamburger of some sort. Regular. Pickled. Pizza style.
Deciding on a regular hamburger and a side of fries and a glass of water, I waited for Travis to decide himself.
“So, how’s life going?” Travis asked, setting his menu on the table and folding his arms over the top. His eyes took me in, looking for any sign that I wasn’t telling the truth.
“Good, I guess,” I shrugged out.
“You look like you are enjoying life. Much better than how you were before Zach came along,” Travis spoke. “You have more color to you, now.”
“Not sure how,” I laughed out. “I have hardly been outside. I’ve only sat in the window seat that in the office.” Most days, the weather was a bit too windy to really enjoy being outside. I hated how the wind dried out my skin.
“Well, it must be something,” Travis drawled out. “Your cheeks are a bit brighter.”
I had nothing to reply with, so I only shrugged.
Moments later, the same waiter returned and took our orders before dashing off once more.
I had only been out to eat a handful of times in my life so far. I would be dragged to some fancy place that I could hardly ever pronounce the name of while Cody had a meeting with some man or couple that would be donating a large sum of money to the church. I’d mostly space out in my own mind at such meetings, finding them to be extremely boring.
This diner, although smaller than anything I’ve been to before, was nice and welcoming. It was cozy.
“I hear Toby’s doing well,” Tavis said. “Starting to settle in with Melio and Violet.”
“Yeah, he seems to be,” I replied. “I haven’t seen him for a few days. Although, the last time I saw him, he seemed happier, but still skittish.”
“It’ll take time for him more than just a few days to accept a new life, even with being only in the hands of a monster for a few days or weeks,” Travis said. “Not everyone is so lucky to come across Zach, or even Miquel.”
“Miquel was supposed to marry me,” I mused, pausing as our drinks were placed in front of us. I waited till the server retreated before continuing on. “That was until he saw my mark.” The same mark that had been branded into my skin shortly after I was kidnapped. The faint white lines could still be seen pretty clearly.
“Miquel is a different sort of man. He can be trusted to an extent,” Travis tried to explain. “I can guarantee that he’s never laid a hand on a child. That is probably one of the very things that Zach and Miquel agree on. Now, when it comes to women, free ones at that, he’s not the best at treating them with respect. He does know not to touch what isn’t his, though.”
“I could tell,” I said, recalling how Miquel held himself the few times I had met him.
The waitress came back, setting our food down and heading off to take yet another order.
“Do you come here often?” I asked, looking at my mouth watering food.
A simple hamburger, buns and French fries. A bottle of ketchup was already sitting on the table.
“A few times, yes,” Travis answered, taking hold of the yellow mustard bottle and dripping some onto his burger that had bacon on it. “This little place is pretty busy. Staff isn’t always too talkative, but it’s good food.”
We made small talk as we ate our meals. The smell of the warm, intoxicating food was just the tip of the iceberg. As I bit into the hamburger, I couldn’t help but let my eyes slide closed at the flavor.
“Told you it was good,” Travis said after swallowing his mouthful.
“We should make this a habit,” I mused. “I like this.”
“I’m up for that!” Travis said with a smile my way. “Maybe even get our other halves to join us, too.”
“Sure,” I said, not caring one way or another.
“Have you thought about seeing Racheal, if she’s willing?” he asked out as we started to slow down with eating.
“Not really,” I answered. “I’m not sure if it’s worth the trouble. Yes, I want to see her; meet her even. I’m just not sure if it’s worth the time, though. Would it make much of a difference?”
“It may,” he stated. “Have you read that letter?”
“Yeah,” I sighed out. “Cleared up a couple things, I guess. Not what I was expecting, that’s for sure.”
The letter was more of a journal entry. It had been written out shortly after the first time that Travis had visited her, I believe. It didn’t change things, though. I knew her reasoning a bit better, but that was as far as it went. I couldn’t forgive her for giving me up, even though it saved my life. Who knows what my life would be like if she kept me.