Jaden (St. Sebastians Quartet #1) Read online

  "Yeah, we do," Tyler said. "Remember, we grew up in the same house. And I call shenanigans on that last statement."

  It was Chris' turn to roll his eyes.

  When they were young, Tyler and Chris had looked like mirror images of each other. They were only separated by a year and change, so they were often mistaken for twins. Both were unnaturally tall for their age, both were athletic and solidly built, and both had long, dirty blond hair. Over the years, Tyler's hair had darkened. And now, probably to distinguish himself from Chris, he wore it short and spiky. Chris' hair had remained dirty blond and long. And to Kenda, despite the hair, they still looked like mirror images of each other. He was three years younger than Chris, and looked like neither of them. Where his brothers had taken after their father, he had taken after their mother. He'd been born frail, with thick, dark blond hair, and features that were more pretty than masculine. His eyes were green, where theirs were blue; and his lips, no matter what he did to try to change them, were full and pink. Pink, for crying out loud. Just like their mom's. The only thing he shared in common with his brothers was his height. He'd bulked up a while back, so he wasn't skinny and frail anymore. But he always, always had at least a day's growth of stubble on his face just to keep Tyler from introducing him as his baby sister.

  Having Nico around should have made him less aware of the differences between himself and his brothers, but it didn't. Nico was as different from Tyler and Chris as a person could get. He was half black and half Asian, had jet black hair, and the kind of dusky dark skin that made him seem exotic to women. So he was as popular with the opposite sex as his brothers. Kenda had spent the majority of his life playing odd man out to the three of them. Kenda had always been the third, fifth, or seventh wheel. But they'd reached this unexpected point in their lives where all of them were single at the same time. They could go out, and Kenda never felt like a hanger on.

  "Don't forget, it's May," Tyler was saying. "The first of the summer people are here. They'll be at the gallery tomorrow. You know what that means."

  "A fresh batch of women for Tyler and Nico to play with."

  Tyler and Nico looked at each other. "He has a point," Tyler said, a smile forming. "The ladies of summer are always fun."

  "Why wait for tomorrow?" Nico said.

  Kenda sat up and stared out at the ocean, already knowing how this night would end. A trip into town for drinks, he and Chris would end up alone at some bar because Tyler and Nico would have found poor, lonely tourists to carouse with for the rest of the evening, leaving Kenda to listen to countless anecdotes about Hayley.

  Tyler nodded. "I'm in. Things were beginning to get dull around here anyway." Tyler slapped Kenda's knee. "Don't look so forlorn, little brother. It'll be fun."

  "If you'd let yourself have fun," Nico said. "Let your hair down for once, Kenda."

  Kenda regarded Nico over his beer, eyebrow raised. "Let my hair down?"

  "Yeah. Live a little. Have a fling. When was the last time you had sex?"

  Chris cleared his throat, laughing. "I don't think he can remember."

  "No," Tyler waved Chris off. "It wasn't that long ago. Was it Stacy?"

  "Stacy was two years ago."

  "It wasn't Stacy." Kenda stood and walked to the deck railing. If they couldn't see his face, they wouldn't be able to tell he was lying.

  "Liar!" Chris roared. "It was Stacy. I remember. And I also remember you telling me the sex wasn't all that great."

  "That's right, I remember now." Nico pulled a fresh beer out of the cooler. "She was that pretty brunette who worked in the library and lived with her mom, right?"

  Kenda didn't respond.

  "Yeah, that's the one," Chris said.

  "I could have told you that one was doomed. Pretty, but any girl who lives at home at that age isn't worth the effort."

  "And before Stacy was Sandy," Tyler added.

  "The freak!" they said in unison. For a full minute they laughed so hard they couldn't speak.

  Exhaling, Kenda turned to face them. "Are you done?"

  Tyler stood and went to him. "Don't be mad, we just want you to act your age for once. You're not an old man."

  "I act my age."

  "You work all day, you come home and what...what do you do all night?"

  "I read. I listen to music."

  "It's that face," Chris said. "I know you think you hide it with the stubble and spiky hair and never smiling and all that, but women see that face coming from a mile away. You're just too pretty, bro. And you get attached to every woman you have sex with."

  "I know. That's why I'm not having sex with anyone, unless I know..." he petered off. Finishing that sentence was the one sure fire way to get him laughed at. Again.

  "Unless you know she's The One," Tyler finished, eying Chris. "But tonight is not about finding The One, little brother. Tonight you're coming out with us and you're having fun. Just fun."

  "Fun is overrated. Besides, I picked up the new—"

  "You're not staying home and reading a book," Tyler said. "Go change."

  "What time is it?" Nico asked. "Bria gets off at seven so I can't go before then. I don't want her home alone."

  "Any word?" Tyler asked.

  "He hasn't said boo." Nico set his beer on the deck a bit harder than necessary. "I wish he would come here, but he'd never do that. He's too much of a coward to confront a man. He'd rather beat on Bria. I don't intend on giving him a second chance."

  "So they still haven't found him?"

  "No. And I doubt they will. He could be anywhere by now."

  "She any better?"

  Nico shrugged. "Not really. Working at the bakery has been good for her. She's started cooking again. It's the only time she seems happy. I haven't eaten so well since I moved out of my parent's house. But she's still scared of every sound. Every creak in the house. And I still hear her crying herself to sleep sometimes. The only bright spot is our parents feel better knowing she's with me. They're at least able to sleep at night. But Bria..."

  "Well bring her," Chris said. "Getting out and doing something social may do her good."

  Nico nodded. "Yeah. Maybe you're right. I keep telling her she needs to get out and meet people in town, but she doesn't want to."

  Chris looked at Kenda. "What about you, baby brother?"

  Kenda inhaled. "I'm outnumbered. What choice do I have?"

  Nico swallowed the last of his beer, got to his feet. "I better go let Bria know. She'll need at least two hours to get herself mentally prepared."

  In a few minutes, Kenda was alone on his deck again. He looked at his watch and saw he had just enough time to shower. After that he'd swing by the bookstore to see when they'd have the new Stephen King book in.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Jaden poured herself a glass of wine and sipped it as she unpacked. Once all of her clothes were stowed she strolled the house, marveling at everything. She went outside and simply took it all in. The pool, the deck, the trail down to the water, and the sound of the ocean. It was perfect.

  It was getting late when she finally thought to check the refrigerator. Aunt Edna had left the previous Saturday. Friday was the soonest Jaden could get here. She'd probably need to go into town for groceries.

  Fifteen minutes later she was walking up Main, trying to figure out which fancy building housed the grocery store. The store fronts were beautifully designed, so everything in town fit perfectly together. But seriously, this place had been designed to within an inch of its life. Everything looked fancy and too high end to be a grocery store. Could she even afford to buy any food? She still had a paycheck coming, and there was a few hundred dollars in the bank from her last paycheck. But after that she'd be broke. She had to figure out a way to make money. Her aunt had left her an American Express card, but Jaden refused to use it. It was enough she was living rent free in her aunt's house for three months, she wouldn't spend her aunt's money on top of that.

  But if she never found the grocer
y store she'd never have to worry about spending money.

  "You look lost."

  She turned at the sound of the voice, nearly gasped in surprise. "I am a little, I guess," she managed to say. She purposefully tried to make her face look impassive, as though she wasn't looking at the most attractive man she'd ever seen in her life.

  She'd seen plenty of men like this before, but that had been in movies and on television. She'd figured for a man to look that good required a trick of make-up and lighting. But the man before her was no trick of the lights. He was tall and broad, with pale green eyes and the kind of lips she imagined she could spend all night kissing. She'd never seen a man with lips like that before. And what color was his hair? It was light brown with flecks of blond, or dirty blond with flecks of gold?

  "Where are you..." he paused as he was speaking and held up a finger at a group of men who had crossed the street and were waiting for him. "Where are you going?" he said, when he turned back to face her.

  "I just got into town today and the pantries are empty." She giggled, she smiled, a moment later she felt stupid. Why was she giggling? She wasn't twelve, for crying out loud.

  He was staring at her, his head tilted slightly to the side and his gaze so intent on her face that she found herself unable to meet his eyes.

  "Well, you're close," he said. "I'll show you."

  "Oh, you don't have to. I see you're busy." She pointed to the men on the other side of the street.

  He waved them off. "They're not going far." He turned toward the men and gave them a wave, then turned back to Jaden. "It's just a block this way."

  She'd expected small talk, the kind of mindless discussion people make when they don't know each other and are trying to kill time. But when he spoke again, he caught her completely off guard.

  "In ten seconds or less, tell me your favorite book."

  She wasted at least five seconds staring stupidly at him.

  "Times running out," he said.

  "It. By Stephen King."

  He stopped walking so abruptly that she was two steps ahead of him by the time she realized he was no longer beside her.

  "Really?" he asked.

  "It's brilliant. The Stand is also brilliant, but I'm slightly partial to It."

  When he continued to stare at her, the side of his lip drawing up into a smile, she shrugged.

  "What, you're not a Stephen King fan?"

  "No, I am. Just, usually when I ask people that question, they give me the name to some literary book no one's ever heard of before."

  "I love Stephen King too much to lie."

  She started forward, hoping he'd follow.

  He did.

  "What about you. What's your—"

  "The Shining. And I'm not just saying that because you named a Stephen King book."

  "Really. Because that's a weird coincidence."

  "How long will you be in town?"

  "Change of subject. Okay."

  "No, I'm heading somewhere with this."

  "All summer. I'm watching my aunt's house while she's in France."

  He stopped walking again.

  "You're Jaden Quinn, Edna's niece."

  She chanced a look at his face. He was still gorgeous. "How'd you know?"

  "Everyone knows your aunt. Half the town is in her bakery every morning for coffee and bagels, and in there again after work for pastries. I live a few houses down from her." He hooked an arm in hers, and she shivered pleasantly at the unexpected contact. He started forward again. "And since we're neighbors I feel comfortable telling you that you have to come to my house one day and see my library. I have every book Stephen King has ever written, even the Richard Bachman ones. I even have a few first additions and signed copies. I am a fan. Legit."

  Jaden turned to look at him. She had to crane her head back to see his face. "Stephen King collection, you say. I might have to take you up on that."

  "I don't have a signed copy of It, but I do have a signed copy of The Stand."

  "Really?"

  "Really." He stopped again, this time pointing at the store they were standing in front of. "Here you are. Farmer's Bounty. You'll be happy to know that the vegetables come from local farms."

  She couldn't help it. She laughed. "Good to know."

  "I'm at 19. I'm gone all day, but I'm always home in the evening. If you don't have anything to do tomorrow night, I'll be there."

  "Tomorrow is no good. I'm going to an art exhibit tomorrow night."

  "Are you?"

  This seemed to please him, so she nodded. "I am. I met the gallery owner today."

  "Hayley."

  "Yeah."

  "Well, my brother was trying to get me to go. We went to school with Hayley. So maybe I'll see you there."

  "Okay. It was nice to meet you," she said. She turned and went into the grocery store. Only after she'd crossed the threshold into the cool interior did she realize she'd never asked him his name.

  *****

  Kenda could hear the conversation happening around him, but it was like something far off in the distance. He didn't know what it was about the woman that had drawn him, but he couldn't stop thinking about her. Edna hadn't told him her niece was so alluring. Jaden. Yes, he'd go to the opening tomorrow and he'd get to know more about the woman who was his new neighbor.

  "Did you hear me, Kenda?"

  "Huh?"

  Kenda realized Tyler was talking to him. And he had no idea about what.

  "That blond outside on the deck. She's eying you. You should go over and talk to her."

  Beside Tyler, Nico was nodding vigorously.

  "Nope. Not interested." He leaned back on the bar stool and folded his arms over his chest.

  "I thought we'd come to an understanding. Tonight. You. Fun."

  "I don't need your help finding a woman, Tyler, Nico. I think I met someone." He grinned. "In fact, I know I met someone."

  They all started talking at once, so he held up a hand to stop them.

  "Her name is Jaden and she's Edna's niece. She's here for the summer, taking care of Edna's house."

  Again, they all started talking at once.

  "Jaden?" Chris asked. "Is that the woman you went off with on Main?"

  "That's her."

  "That's Edna's niece?"

  "No way," Nico said. "Not Aunt Edna, of Aunt Edna's Bakery. No. Way."

  "Yeah. I know," Kenda said. "Who'd have thought Aunt Edna would have a niece that looks like that? And she's a Stephen King fan."

  "Who cares what she reads. Did you see that body?"

  "Some of us, Nico, care about what's in a woman's brain, not just—"

  Nico blew raspberries at Kenda. "Every man cares about how a woman's body looks. We can't help it. That's how we're made."

  "So you gonna see her again?" Tyler asked, "or lust after her from afar? Like Chris with Hayley?"

  "I'm seeing her again. Tomorrow, in fact. Funny you should mention Hayley."

  "Oh no you don't. You've already said you'd go to the gallery," said Chris.

  "I have no intention of getting out of it. She'll be there, too."

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Jaden spent a relaxing evening on the deck. She'd managed to not think about the Man in White. That's what she called the entity that had haunted her for most of her life. She'd simply been too busy. After she'd gotten home from the grocery store she'd wasted entirely too much time trying to get the man from Main Street out of her head. Then she'd made an elaborate dinner. She'd eaten it down on the beach where she'd sat and watched the sun set. It had been a perfect first day in St. Sebastians, and she was excited for what the future might hold.

  Tomorrow, she had to start giving serious thought to what she could do for money while she was here. She'd go into town and see if there were any prospects for an unemployed customer service rep. And she'd get started on her book, the great American novel.

  It was closing in on midnight when she finally decided to go to bed. Only, when she go
t into her aunt's bedroom, the prospect of sleep began to unnerve her.

  She walked around the room, looking for anything out of place, but found nothing. She checked the closet, the bathroom, even looked under the bed, but everything was normal.

  "You're spooking yourself, Jaden," she told herself. "You haven't seen him since you got into town." Was it too much to hope that there was something about St. Sebastians that was keeping him away?

  She changed into her nightgown and settled into bed with a book.

  Her eyes shot open suddenly. Her skin was damp with sweat, she noticed this immediately. And she was afraid. But what was she afraid of?

  That question didn't take long to answer. She wasn't in her aunt's bedroom anymore, she was away, in his world. In the Red World. And she knew what had awakened her. It had been the screams. The screams of the people around her. They were everywhere. There were faces, but too many of them for her to see any one face. And they were all in agony.

  She was standing on a cliff, looking down into an abyss. It was a bit like the time her parent's had taken her to the Grand Canyon, only the sky was red here, and the canyon was filled with screaming people. At the bottom of the canyon was a river of fire. The flames danced high, the molten water rushing past and carrying the forms of writhing people.

  She had to help them. She didn't know how, but she had to do something.

  "You can't help them."

  Fear washed over her anew. Had she really been so stupid to think she could escape him by running to the other side of the country? He was no mortal man that could be trapped by invisible borders. He was an entity, and as it turned out, he could go wherever she went.

  She could see his blond hair. It was bright in this world of red, and beautiful and long. As beautiful as his face. He had the face of an angel. His beauty was why, when she'd been a child, she'd thought he was her guardian angel. Always there to watch over her, to protect her. It wasn't until years later that she'd learned he was no angel, but a demon. More evil and more vile than every movie monster she'd ever seen on the big screen.

  "Let them go," she said, knowing he'd never do it.