The Pearls (25 page)

“Thank you. You have just given me the courage that I needed. Kind of funny, I don’t need courage to fight
, I just go, but talking, sheesh that’s a new thing for me.” Tia laughs and grabs Justine’s hand and they walk back to the house.

John smiles and takes Tia into his arms when they walk back in the house. “You sure baby girl?”
She nods her head and goes to sit back down. As soon as he felt her relief and her determination he knew she was going to open up.

“Oh do you guys know about the feeling thing with the first kiss?” Tia asks

“Yep we figured that out and apparently it’s a new thing for Dragons, well as far as we all know, it is.” Zoe says

“Pretty freaky huh?
It’s kind of awesome when we are fighting though. John can be on one side of the room and in a fight, then some guy starts to try his luck on me, and out of nowhere John feels me and he is there bashing the guys face in.”

“Got to love Fury’s. Speaking of which, I need to call Charles after this and tell him about the two of you and our new trainer.

“Who is Charles again?” Tia asks

“He is a Fury too and he is pretty much my uncle. He is at home and he looks after all the
half-bloods.” Kaiden tell her

“Sweet can’t wait to see what we can do against an adult Fury. Like one
that’s been a Dragon longer than a month.” Tia giggles

Tia looks to John as seriousness comes over her face. He nods for her to go ahead, she looks to Justine and she also nods for her to go ahead.

“Here goes nothing.” Tia takes a deep breath and lets it out. “My full name is Tia Carmela Perez. I was left in a hospital in Miami. I did the whole foster home thing until I was ten and then I have lived on the streets for the last six years. I got into lots of fights and eventually had the cops after me for hurting another girl pretty bad.”

“
I left Florida when I was twelve and have just been hitching rides with truckers. The last trucker I took a ride from chained me up when I fell asleep. I woke up chained to his bed in the back of the truck and he raped me for two weeks. He beat me pretty bad and drove into a field to leave me there. But once he got the chains off, he had planned to leave me there, so once he got them off I played dead, once he tossed me to the ground I jumped up and beat him with everything I had until he was no longer breathing. I was in the middle of a field in Colorado and wasn’t sure where to go. I ran as fast and as far as I could.”

“
Eventually I heard some other kids in an abandoned warehouse and figured they were all homeless kids too. They helped me get better and I stayed with them for another two years. We traveled all over the place. When I decided to leave there was one girl that left with me, and she and I came up here. She had some friends that had a house here and I have been living with them. About three months ago they talked me into the fight scene. I have been making us some good money.”

“
Well at my last fight the guy I fought told me I could make some real money off the roughnecks. Told me where to go and so I went. It was just me and this other girl that night and we just wanted to check it out.”

“
As soon as we walked in I felt something funny. Something pulled me right into that warehouse and right to John. When I saw that he was on the floor under this big guy, I lost it and threw the guy off then knocked him out. Next thing I know I am staring into the eyes of this gorgeous guy and his eyes are like mine, there are sandy color flecks in them and I couldn’t leave his side.”

“
We have been together since and he got his dad to give me a job on the rig. We are supposed to leave in two weeks, but I don’t want to now. I haven’t talked to John yet but I know I need to stay with you guys. My Dragon is talking to me and she is telling me that you are safe and you guys are home. John baby, what do you feel?”

“Same as you baby girl. This is our future and it’s the right choice.”
John said feeling the confidence in his own words.

“Welcome to our little family guys!” Zoe stands and starts to giggle. She walks over to
Tia and pulls her in for a hug. She knows the others can hear but she feels the need to whisper it instead of saying it out loud “It took a lot of guts for you to admit that. I am glad you trusted us enough to tell us and I just want to let you know that I am here and I understand. We were all dealt a fucked up deck of cards but we made it through alive and I think we have a good future ahead of us.”

“I am going to go call Mr. Steinman and see what he can come up with.” Kaiden told everyone and walked out the back door.

“This is all kind of mind blowing, but honestly I look forward to training all of you and whoever else. Mary will you be coming too?” Mateo looked fondly at Mary

“Yes I will be, now I need to get everyone settled. I assume you all are staying the night yes?”

“Well Um I am actually going to head home and then start the process of closing down the business. Gabriel, if you could come to town tomorrow with that nice large SUV of yours and pick up the weapons? They will be my insurance that I will neither run nor tell anyone. I really am excited for all this to happen. I assume I am going to Ireland?”

“Yes Mate
o you are, and I should be there around noon. Is that enough time for you to get them all together?” Gabe asked

“Yes it is. I will see you tomorrow and for the rest of you
, good night and it was very nice to meet you all and get to know you. I will see you all soon.” Mateo bowed and walked to the door. Mary went with him and walked him to his car. She was back a couple minutes later as Kaiden was walking back inside.

“Mr. Steinman will call me in the morning with more information. I am going to owe that man a lot of money with all these checks I have him doing. I just don’t know anyone else who can do it.” Kaiden said.

“I don’t know about you guys but I am really tired.” Justine said

“Come let me show you your rooms” Mary said. She gestured for them all to follow her.

Mary had been busy when they were all telling their stories. The house had four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Gabe went and got everyone’s bags while Mary showed them to their rooms. She put Tia and John in the room closest to Gabe and Justine’s room. She put Kaiden and Zoe in the room on the opposite wall closest to the bathroom. Her room was next to theirs. All the rooms had queen size beds and were nicely furnished.

Zoe knew no one has ever slept on this bed, but she appreciated that it was here. She lay on the bed as Kaiden was in the bathroom taking a shower. She was reflecting back on all she had learned today and this past week. She was happy, incredibly at peace with everything. She couldn’t wait to meet the others and get to know them too. She couldn’t wait for the day that they all got to go to Ireland. From what Kaiden told her it was the safest place and Blake confirmed his words.
She knows now that she needs to let all her walls down and talk more. Interact more and stop hiding. All her life it’s been to run and hide, right now she needs to be the woman that her parents would be proud of.

Kaiden walks in from his shower and he felt her emotion change. He knows something is different but he doesn’t know what. Zoe grabs him and pulls him down to the bed.

“I love you Kaiden, I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. I have been afraid to open up and all that is happening has opened my eyes. I am sorry I haven’t told you enough or thanked you enough, but I truly love you. You have made everything else in my life seem like it was nothing.”

“I love you too, My Angel. Things will work out and we will be happy.
I think I have a plan worked out but I need to sleep on it. Tomorrow after we settle some things we all need to go through that journal you set aside. My Angel you truly are the woman that was made for me. Thank you for being accepting of this life. I am a blessed man to have you by my side.”

Zoe pulled him into a kiss and held him tight. Their lips moved together perfectly. Kaiden pulled away
after a little while, the kissing was starting to affect him.

“We need to take this slow Angel. I do not want to turn here I don’t think it is safe. And if you keep kissing me like that we are going to have a hard time.”

“You’re right, your lips just feel so good and I don’t want to stop.” Kaiden pulled Zoe to him and they wrapped themselves up together and lay in silence. Soon Zoe could hear his breathing change and she fell asleep to the gentle rhythm of his chest.

Blake lay there in the dark with his thoughts running wild. He knew his mission and knew that all his brothers and sisters were being called back to camp. They would be preparing for a fight. He didn’t want that. He couldn’t hear them at all but he could hear them walking. He could tell there were more people here, at least two more.
Part of him hoped it was Vivi, but he knew it wasn’t. If it was she would be down here killing him herself. She would hate him for what he is doing and she would be able to tell. She always had that ability. She always knew when he was lying.

Blake just wanted her safe and happy. He knew that these people could give her that. He hasn’t told them where father is yet. He should he knows that. They are being very good to him. Yes he is tied up, but they are bringing him food and good food too. The guilt is eating him up alive and he is not sure what to do. Blake also has a secret that he needs to tell them

Blake took the headphones off today when he knew no one was watching him. And the stories he heard come out of all their mouths broke his heart and he felt responsible. It was, after all, his father that ruined all these peoples’ lives. It is his father that makes his children murder innocent people just because they have something he wants. But even if he tells them where father is will they trust him then? Will they leave him or worse kill him? He doesn’t know but he is going to have to choose his fate soon. It is only a matter of time before someone figures out what is happening.