Stephan (14 page)

“He better have,” Cassie glared at me. “You
can’t play with Jade, Stephan. She’s in a fragile place with
everything that’s happened. She’s lost her mum, not that she was
anything special, and has now been beaten and lost her grandfather.
Who I think may be worse than her mother. I have no idea how Jade
is a sane and well-functioning person with everything she’s been
through in her life. I bet my last dollar I don’t even know the
half of it.”

I didn’t say anything because I didn’t need
to bet, I knew everything Cassie was saying was one hundred percent
true.

*****

Jade

Jess met me at the train station. “Hey.” Her
arms came around me and I sank into the familiar warmth. “What’s
up? Is it your grandpa?”

I took a deep breath because I knew as soon
as I told Jess everything I’d break down. I was hanging on by a
thin thread and right now I needed someone I trusted. “I promise
I’ll tell you everything when we get back to your house. Did your
mum drive you or did you catch the bus?”

“Mum is waiting in the pickup zone. So we
better hurry.”

I followed her to the beat up red Ford and
got in the back seat. “Hi, Mrs. Stren.”

“Hello, Jade. It’s good to see you.”

I forced a smile and relaxed back into the
tattered seats feeling safe.

Jade

I’d filled Jess in on everything and now she
sat biting her nails. “I know you’re going to hate me for saying
this, J, but Stephan sounds like the real deal. I mean, he hasn’t
left your side since your bastard of a grandfather beat you. Well
besides last night. His family has custody of you and if he had his
way, you’d be living in his room.”

“I know, Cassie, but you should have heard
how he spoke to this woman. He was—”

“J, you need to give him a break. I’ve heard
everything you told me. If you ask me, I’m surprised he’s stuck
around as long as he has.”

I glared at Jess, and she sighed.

“J, I know it’s hard to trust anyone when
everyone you should have been able to trust in your life have been
deadbeats, but I think you need to at least give Stephan a
chance.”

“But I—”

Jess put her hand up. “I’m not saying you
have to fall in love with him. Just give him a chance and get to
know him.”

I hated it but was she right. I knew it deep
down in the gut I needed to stop being so stupid and basically a
brat to him. “Fine. I—”

“Jade, honey, there is a lovely young boy
named Derick at the door saying he’s here to drive you home,”
Jess’s mum yelled.

I was surprised Derick came and not Stephan.
Easing off the bed, I grabbed Jess and dragged her to the front
door. Derick stood at the small apartment door grinning down at
Jess’s mum. I could tell he’d been charming her. Her mother’s
cheeks were bright red and she had a huge smile on her face.

“Hi, Derick. I would ask how you found me,
but I have a feeling I know.” I remembered the phone sales
assistant telling me my new phone had a GPS tracking system.

“He turned the tracker on.” Derick confirmed
what I was thinking.

“Is
he
in the car?” I knew I didn’t
have to say who. Derick would know who I was talking about.

Derick’s gaze turned my way and he gave me a
wicked smirk, his brown eyes lighting up with amusement. “My
brother does have some brain cells, he knew sitting in a car for an
hour and half ride home with you wouldn’t be very smart. He wants
you extra calm.”

“I expected as much.” I hugged Jess and
turned to Mrs. Stren. “Thanks so much for picking me up and having
me here.”

Mrs. Stren hugged me. “You’re always welcome,
Jade.” Lapping up the love, I was reluctant to ease away.

Closing my eyes, I squeezed Mrs. Stren, who’d
been more of a mother to me than my own. “Thank you.” I pulled away
and went over to Derick before I changed my mind and begged Mrs.
Stren to take me in.

Derick’s arm slid around my waist and I was
surprised by his affection. “Come on, sis. Let’s go. We have a
decent size drive for this time of night.”

We walked down the hall and at the end near
the stairs, I saw a man I was sure I’d seen about a couple of
times. He was tall, about six-one, bulky, like he worked out a lot.
He had rust-brown hair with silver streaks and green eyes that
seemed to notice everything.

“I know Stephan told me to stay back but I
have a bad feeling.”

“Who are you?” I stared at the man.

“I’m Brand.”

“Hi, Brand. Are you related to Derick?”

“Nope.”

What did he mean nope? Who was he then? They
all walked down the stairs, Brand first. He gazed around everywhere
like someone or something was about to pop out and kill them. I
didn’t know Brand but I’d grown up around here. It may look a bad
like a bad neighborhood but no one had been killed while I lived
there.

“Brand, it’s fine. No one is going to jump
out at us. I’ve lived in this neighborhood all my life.”

“That may be, princess, but I’m getting a bad
feeling. I always listen to my gut.”

Princess? Why on Earth would Brand call me
that? “My name is Jade. I am anything but a princess.”

Brand halted at the doors leading outside.
“To this family, you’re a princess. They will treat you like
one.”

I narrowed my gaze on Brand, how did he know
this? Why did he think this? “I don’—”

“Quiet,” Brand said. “I need you to listen
and do everything I say. Derick knows the drill. He was trained as
soon as he could walk to know what to do when we are on alert. You
haven’t. You follow behind me. If I say down you get down. If I
tell you to do anything you do it without argument.”

Okay, this guy was freaking me out. I looked
to Derick but he seemed calm like this happened all the time. “What
the hell is going on, Derick?”

“Just follow Brand and I promise I’ll explain
later.”

I stared at Derick. I was unsure, and I
wanted explanations. “Fine, but you better explain what the hell is
going on.”

“Let’s go, princess.” Brand opened the door
and moved out of the building and I followed.

This was stupid. Brand was standing in front
of me and Derick was close behind me. I was sandwiched between the
two. I could see the car and frustrated with this silliness I
stepped away from the guys and moved onto the walkway. “This is
stupid, guys. I’m not playi—”

A loud fireworks bang sounded around me and I
was tackled by Brand as he covered me with his body and yelled,
“Owen, I need back up now. We need to get the packages to safety.
David is in the car on standby.”

I tried to look around Brand’s body but he
was so big I only caught glimpses of the surroundings. My heart was
about to beat out of my chest and my body ached. I was terrified.
We were being shot at.

Brand slowly lifted me and hunched over me as
he rushed to the car where he opened the door and shoved me in.
“Stay down.” I did as he instructed and Derick climbed in next to
me.

“Keep down, Jade. David is going to get us
out of here.”

Who was David and what was going on? I wanted
to say something but my brain and my mouth wouldn’t cooperate. I
lay down in the car while David sped us away.

I don’t know how long I laid there in the
car. I was scared. I wished Stephan was with me. I promised that if
I got out of this I’d give Stephan a chance. Tears rolled down my
cheek and I prayed I got out of this.

“You can both sit up now. Brand just called
me to say we’re in the clear.”

I couldn’t move. I felt Derick get up, but I
couldn’t. Feeling sorry for myself, I lay there and wallowed in my
bad luck and pitiful life. Why couldn’t anything go right for
me?

“Jade, you can sit up.” Derick patted my
back.

Shaking my head, I curled into a ball and
cried.

“No, no
. Jade, please don’t cry.
We’re safe now. David,
Brand, and Owen won’t let anything happen to us.”

Who was Owen? I only knew about David and
Brand. “What’s happening?” I whispered.

“Argh, Stephan owes me big time.” Derick
eased me up. “Are you sure you want to hear it from me? I mean,
Stephan should be the one telling this to you.”

Derick was right but I needed something to
think about other than what just happened—almost getting shot. “We
have time.”

“Has Stephan told you what my family does for
a living?”

“You buy things. I know your dad was buying
an apartment building. Stephan said your family has your hands in a
bit of everything.”

“That’s about right. The Silverman’s are an
old money family. We originate from Russia. The story goes we fled
with everything we could when the royal family was killed. We
changed our name to English. The rest as they say is history.”

I raised my eyebrow. I knew he wasn’t telling
me everything. “That’s why you need the bodyguards and people shoot
at you?”

“Well, we sometimes piss people off when we
buy things or sell something. Also people think if they kidnap one
of us they can get a ransom.” Derick shrugged like everything he’d
just told me wasn’t a big thing.

“So why were they shooting at me too? I’m not
a Silverman.”

“Yes you are.”

“I may be living with you, but I’m not a
Silverman.”

“You’re a Silverman now. Stephan claimed you.
You’re his, which makes you a Silverman forever.”

“You do know your brother’s reputation?”

“Yep. But there’s another thing Stephan
should have told you, but now it looks like I’m going to have to.
When a Silverman finds their one, their soul mate, they never
stray. The Silvermans have what Stephan calls a curse, I call it a
gift. The story is in the old country we helped save a group of
gypsies, and they gifted us with prosperity and the ability to know
our soul mate. Great, you say, well they forgot to mention when we
find our soul mate we turn into possessive cavemen.”

“So you’re saying I’m Stephan’s soul mate?” I
highly doubted what Derick was saying, but it was keeping my mind
off everything that happened.

“That’s what I’m saying. So when he was
getting rid of that chick, he was doing it because there is no
other woman now for Stephan other than you.”

“Uh-huh, if you say so.” I don’t know if I
believed Derick but it would be nice.

*****

Stephan

I was alerted when the gates opened and stood
waiting at the kitchen’s garage entrance. Brand was at the hospital
with Owen, they’d been hit by bullets while protecting Derick and
Jade. I was furious with myself for not being there. What the hell
had happened? Who the hell had shot at my woman and brother?

Dad had been on the phone with my uncles for
the last half an hour eliminating suspects. The annoying thing was
the list of who it could be was growing quite large.

The SUV drove into the garage and parked. I
didn’t even wait until David turned it off before I opened the back
doors. Derick sat with his arms around Jade. I didn’t care he was
touching Jade. I just needed to know she was all right. Derick got
out and I gathered Jade to me, surprised when she clung to my body
snuggling into my embrace. Lifting her, I cradled Jade in my arms,
went to the family room, and sat on the sofa.

“I heard your evening got even more eventful.
Are you hurt anywhere?” I ran my hands over her checking she was
safe and needing to touch her, to feel her.

“Just grazed knees and shook up, otherwise
unhurt. How is Brand and the other guy…Owen?”

“They’ll be fine.” I didn’t know how much she
knew so I didn’t say they were shot but will be okay.

Mum rushed in. “Oh are you both alright?” She
gathered Derick, who had just come into the room, to her looking
him over. “You look safe. What about you, Jade?” Mum gazed at
Jade.

“I’m safe. Brand covered me when the shooting
started. I have lived in the neighborhood all my life. I’ve never
been shot at before. I don’t even think I’ve ever heard shots.”

Mum came over and patted Jade’s legs. “You’re
safe here, sweetie. I hope you never have to hear that sound
again.”

“I’d like to say thank you to Brand. It’s
nice of him to protect me when I’m not a Silverman.”

“Argh, Stephan’s right. You don’t listen. I
told you in the car you’re a Silverman now.”

I chuckled at Derick.

“Little bit, Derick’s right. You’re a
Silverman and extremely important to me. I’m glad Brand protected
you. He would have been in trouble if he didn’t.”

Mum kissed Jade’s cheek. “Stephan and Derick
are right. You’re a part of this family now, Jade, which means our
bodyguards protect you with their lives too.”

Jade didn’t say anything for a while and I
enjoyed having her in my arms. My mum left, and Derick turned on
the TV flicking through the cable stations

“Why haven’t I seen your bodyguards before?”
Jade broke the quiet.

“They’re hidden. We don’t have them follow us
at the school. The school has high security. We have a lot of high
profile kids so we put money together and the school is very high
tech. Did you notice we have the high fences around it with wire at
the tops? We also have cameras everywhere.”

“How can you have all that in a public
school?”

“The cameras and safety things are what
parents have provided. The government hasn’t spent any money. They
did look at building a private school, but with all the costs and
maintenance it works out cheaper and easier to change the school.
Everyone has been grateful for the extra safety and all the better
quality things they get. It’s why the school gets the best teachers
and with the parents on the richer side we have the best of
everything, so the lower income families get the goods too.”

“Everything you’ve said makes sense I
suppose. I guess I need to take more notice of my surroundings. I
never really noticed what you’re saying.”