Talon's Heart (7 page)

 “What is it that you want Mackenzie? I’ve told you before I’m not interested, been there done that.” Her face turned a very unbecoming shade of puce. Usually I wouldn’t be that crass with a female, fact is I’ve never had this problem before, well not to this extent. If I told a girl once was it she might try shit to get my attention but none of the others had ever tried invading my space the way this one did. “You can’t just use me and cast me off like some…some plaything. I’m not like these other idiots you use for your pleasure and kick out of your bed.”

 “You knew the rules, once and that’s it, you said you understood not my fault you expected them to change for you. If you do or say anything to upset Skylar I will personally destroy you, get it? That means no digging into her past, and no snide remarks to her when you see her on campus. You’ve been warned, now get out of my way I have to go get my woman.” That last part was a sure dig not only because she was getting on my damn nerves but because I was pretty sure she had something to do with making Skylar sick and calling that asshole here. I don’t think he even knew where she’d run off to before this shit started with the flowers. I walked around her and left her fuming in the hallway. Her screech at the bystanders to fuck off was almost comical.


 By end of day I knew what make and model rental car he was driving. I had my girl squared away in the condo while I was about to go on the hunt. I had to be slick because she was watching my every move. Ever since I’d picked her up from her last class she’s been on tenterhooks. I knew she knew he was close since Stephanie had given us an estimate of when he’d be here. The guys I’d had on her all day had reported that she was a little jumpy most of the day. Looking over her shoulder when going from one place to the next when I wasn’t there to distract her, but they’d done their bit to keep her mind off this shit.

 Now that we were home and it was just us she seemed a little apprehensive again. I kept myself busy making her dinner while she sat and watched. When she was finished with her meal of steak and vegetables, which I had to practically browbeat her into eating, I set her up in front of the computer with her homework. I couldn’t put it off any longer, the eyes I had on the douche said he was close.


 "Talon where are you going?"

"Out, I'll be back soon stop worrying."

"Don't tell me not to worry when I know you're about to go get into trouble over something stupid."

"It's not stupid, some dick tries to get near my girl he has to go through me."

"I'm calling Olivia and Xavier, you're out of control."

"Good luck with that."



 She put the phone on speaker and dialed; my brother Ryder picked up on the other end. "Hi Rye, it's Skye, are your parents there?"

"What did he do now?"

"Hey big brother, don't pay her any mind she's just worrying for nothing."

"How you feeling lil sis, you all better?"

"I'm getting there thanks, where's Olivia?"



 "I'm right here Skye, Rye put you on speaker, what's going on what did my son do?"

"He's about to go get in a fight..."

"It's her ex fiancé who cheated on her, he's coming here for I don't know what, but he's not seeing her..."

"Son...do we need Damien?"

"No dad, we don't need the family lawyer for this, I don't plan to kill him, not unless he insists on hanging around."

"That's not funny Talon, you see what I mean? he's lost his mind." She was doing a good impression of the stern school teacher with her arms crossed and a glower on her face. It didn’t matter because I wasn’t about to budge and she’d soon see that her allies wouldn’t be any help.

 

"Uh, Skylar, I don't know if Talon told you about the men in our family and their women..."

"He told me Xavier but I don't see what that has to do with him acting like a Neanderthal."

"Well, he kinda can't help it, it's programmed, sorta. We don't know what it is exactly and may never know, but just know he can't let that guy anywhere near you or he might lose his mind."

"See..." I smirked at her incurring her wrath farther I’m sure.

"What, that's crazy, what do you mean lose his mind, like seriously?"

"Skye, take it from me, they're not playing, just let Talon handle the situation, and Talon you be careful, we don't need to be bailing you out of jail. And besides Skye needs you now since she's sick and all."

"I know that mom, why's everybody acting like I'm going to off this jackass? I'm just going to have a nice little talk with him."

"Uh huh, he doesn't look like he's planning on just talking if you ask me."

 

"Kick his ass Talon, wish I was there to help you out bro."

"Ryder don't encourage him, seriously Talon Robert is harmless..."

"Bye guys I have to go talk to my girl."
I hung up the phone, now she knew she wasn't going to get any help from that corner.

"I don't care how harmless you think he is, you're not seeing him, now just let me go take care of this and I'll be back. Just watch TV or something if you don’t want to tackle homework, it'll make the time go faster."

"Why don't we both stay here? Besides I'm not at the dorms, he doesn't know where I am and Steph would never tell him." She grabbed my shirt and held on tight.

 "Yeah but I suspect he's getting help from another faction."

"Who?" She scrunched up her eyes at me.

"That's not for you to worry about, I got it all under control."

"Avery if you get into trouble I'm going to be so mad."

"Not to worry babe I'll be careful, now give me a kiss so I can go do what I gotta do."
I pulled her to me and kissed her the way I always do, like it's our last kiss and I can't get enough. "You stay inside okay, don’t open the door for anyone, I have my keys, not even Stephanie gets in until I get back."

"Talon you're being ridiculous...."

"Whatever, just do it please, I know you don't listen worth shit but believe me you do not want to play around with this, stay...in...side." I gave her one last hard kiss and left.

 

I know she doesn't understand what she calls my craziness, shit I barely understand it myself. All I know is that the need to protect her overrides everything else, not to mention the aggression I felt every time I thought of him looking at or even touching her.
I never felt any of these things before so I was basically playing it by ear. This possessive caveman routine was all new to me, I never cared what any of the women I slept with did after I was done with them, never had any interest in who they screwed, saw or hung out with. With this girl, it felt like I would kill anyone who even looked at her. If I had to spend the rest of my life like this I would be nuts by the time I reached thirty. How the hell did my father and brother deal with his shit? Maybe I should've paid more attention to those stories after all instead of laughing them off.

 SKYLAR

 

How did I end up with the only caveman on campus? Just when I had decided to grow a backbone and stop being a doormat, he comes along and sets me back a couple centuries. My family had nothing on him, he was bossy, opinionated and just plain pig headed. I know he didn't think I would ever take Robert back, but the way he acted it was as though my just being in the same air space was a catastrophe. And I don't understand his obsession with the whole mold thing either; he’s acting as though someone had purposely set out to hurt me. I think that the last occupant just dropped a wet hand towel under the bed and forgot it, but no, Sherlock had to pull out his monocle and start pointing fingers, he’s a nut.

 

Who would've ever thought that the school’s resident jock and playboy would be like this? From the little whispers that kept following me around campus, our relationship was an enigma; everyone was trying to figure it out. I was a little surprised by it myself in the beginning, after all the stories I had heard the first two weeks I was here, I had expected him to be a real ass, but nope. He was sweet and doting, and best of all he doesn't rush me into doing anything that I'm not ready for which had been one of my greatest fears.

 

Yes we do some things that are new to me, but I never once felt pressured or like I have to do it to keep him. And the way he touches me, the way he whispers to me of the things we’ll do together in the future, sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s not all a dream. I was never in love with Robert, he and I were childhood friends whose fathers were business partners of sorts. When dad told me as a young teen that I was destined to marry him I never thought to put up a fight, it just was.

 I’ve always done what I was told, being raised in a strict close-knit family it never struck me as strange or outdated. And then one day my world had come crumbling down around me and my eyes were opened. A little bit of the innocent had washed off of me and I’d had a choice to make. Bury my head in the sand and go with the status quo or find myself in the rubble and move on. I’d chosen the latter and that had led me here to him. Heaven help me.

 

I was still getting looks and snide remarks from some of his old flings, especially when he wasn't around. But when we were together they stayed away, the only one who seemed not ready to give up was Mackenzie, and for some reason she burned me up. I hated to even see her; every time I did I got a cramp in my tummy. Maybe it was because she was so beautiful or maybe it was because I had seen her all over him that first day. Whatever it was she got to me, but Talon who seemed to be seriously in tuned to me in such a short time always sensed it and tried to limit my exposure to her. He never engaged her in conversation, and in fact the last couple times he didn't even acknowledge her, where before he would still say hi if she spoke.



 I never let on that this bothered me, but he had explained that he wasn't the type to just dog a girl just because, as he put it he had fucked her. He said just because he didn't go back for seconds that didn't mean he had to treat them like less than human. So when they would wiggle their fingers at him in passing or say a coy hello, he would answer but kept it moving. Thank heaven he didn't engage in conversation with any one them, I'm not sure I could handle that. Not after what had happened in my past.

 He had pointed out every girl he had ever slept with to me, no joke; he said he didn't want me getting any surprises and since he knew what Robert and Lainey had done to me, he was very protective when it came to that. I think I was finally coming to believe him about this whole family legend thing as farfetched as it seemed. His mother and sister in law swore it was true; they’d neglected to tell me about the caveman part though, because the man that just left this apartment is not what I would call rational.

 I should’ve suspected from the way he wouldn’t let me sleep in my own bed after only one week of dating that he would be like this. But his actions also made it easier for me to accept the feelings I had for him without fear. After Robert I’d convinced myself that I would never be able to trust again. If someone that I’d borne no real love for had been able to cut me so deeply I couldn’t imagine that I would be able to survive betrayal at the hands of Talon Avery.

 I’d taken a risk and found something I never imagined existed. He looks at me like I’m the most beautiful girl, the only girl in the world. And when he tells me how precious I am I believe him. His love isn’t something that’s said it’s something that’s felt, that’s shown. I feel stronger now than I ever have because of him, because he makes me feel like I’m not alone. For the first time in my life I know what it means to really have someone at my back, someone that would catch me if I fall, that’s if he ever lets me fall.

 Talon Avery in other words has fast become my everything. It amazes me that I have no fear of him leaving me or hurting me the way I once was. He had this way about him that just told me he was being honest with me about that. And I’m not so green that I don’t recognize love when I see it, when I feel it. The only thing I question on occasion is how in the world did I get so lucky? How did I come from betrayal and loss to this overwhelming happiness that seemed like something out of a fairytale? Of course the fact that he’s nuts kind of balances it out.

So no, I’m no longer afraid of what he makes me feel, the quickness of it. That panic that I felt in the beginning before I was treated to the full Talon Avery treatment. If Stephanie and Kevin his best friend hadn’t assured me in confidence just how unusual, how different he was with me I would probably have given into the fear but now I’m so glad I’d closed my eyes and jumped into the deep end. I can’t imagine life without him in it.

But now things had come full circle and he was about to get himself in trouble over my past. I hope Robert gets some sense and just turn around and go home. Not because I give a damn about him, I just don’t want Talon getting into trouble and I know he will. He can’t fool me, I knew all that calmness was hiding something, the man blew a gasket over flowers, how did he expect me to believe this would be any different?

I'm so tempted to follow him and make sure he stays safe but I know that would only make matters worst. He hates it when I disobey him it makes him nuts. I could just imagine what our lives are going to be like, him calling the plays and me just following them. I guess I'll just have to remind him every once in a while that I don't play on his football team, a lot of good that will do me though. Talon isn't exactly the cooperative sort, he likes things done his way and that's that. I usually just let him have his way because it saves time and energy but this time I’m not so sure.

 I was starting to get nervous again, pacing back and forth with worry eating away at me. I looked out the window but there was nothing to see out there so I went back to the couch.

I picked up the phone to call Stephanie maybe she knew what the hell was going on. I don't think Kevin kept her in the dark as much as Talon kept me there, according to his caveman mentality there were just some things his woman didn't need to worry her head about. I so have to drag my man into the twenty first century.