Broken Butterflies Page 7

  Seeing Damon smile through the windshield sent chills up her spine. Just before the car would have hit him, Bram cranked the wheel and the rear of the car swung around, just missing Damon’s knees. In the same moment Bram jumped out the door, and the car nudged into a guardrail. Ilisha sat paralyzed not sure what the best action would be. She didn’t want to be trapped in the car. As she exited, Bram took Damon by the throat and slammed him to the pavement as if he were a rag doll. Damon countered by rolling over and breaking Bram’s grasp. Within seconds, he charged Bram, slamming his back into a tree along the road. The force was so great the massive tree tipped over with a crack, exposing the roots.

  Both of their wings took full span at the same time, and they lifted into the air. Twirling circles of black and white rotated above Ilisha’s head. Random black and white feathers drifted to the ground around her, tinged with silver blood, and black blood.

  Bram broke loose and held himself suspended for a brief second. His eyes glanced down at Ilisha, who was stricken with fear. Turning back to Damon, he streaked across the sky slamming into him. Both sets of bodies tumbled to the ground. Ilisha shrieked and her hands went to her mouth. The impact threw a cloud of dirt and debris up into the air. She moved forward, but stopped as the dust cleared. Ilisha could see Bram was on top of Damon hitting him in the face; each punch echoing throughout the area. She could hear the bones breaking as Bram twisted Damon’s arms. With every bone snap, Damon let out a feral growl. Before Ilisha could focus on what happened Damon disappeared. He didn’t break Bram’s grasp, he simply faded away. Bram was left on his knees looking at the ground and out of breath.

  Running to him, Ilisha tripped and scraped her arms on the pavement. Scrambling up, she pushed forward until she fell on top of him. Her arms wrapped around his chest as his wings retracted.

  “Oh my gosh, are you okay?” she asked panicked. Her hands ran over his body checking for injuries.

  Bram took her hands in his saying, “I’ll be fine.”

  With wide eyes Ilisha tried to break free of his grasp. “I saw the blood.”

  Ilisha shoved against his shoulder urging him to turn to his side. His torso was marked with a massive gash.

  “It will heal,” he said, forcing her to look into his eyes. “I promise. See?” He pointed to the area. The six inch gash closed, leaving nothing but some dried metallic blood.

  Ilisha ran her fingers over the slight scar left behind.

  “I told you it would heal.” He smiled reassuringly.

  “I don’t understand what happened. Damon didn’t make one move for me, why?”

  “Because he knows I’m with you. He wants to eliminate the threat.”

  “Now I know what happened in the park,” she said numb.

  Bram froze for a second, looking off in the distance.

  “What is it?” she asked, putting her hand on his bare chest.

  “There’s a car coming. We need to move.”

  He walked to her car as if nothing happened. No limping or moaning.

  He popped the trunk and fished a t-shirt out of his bag. “If this keeps up, I’ll need some more shirts.”

  Ilisha hurried and shut the car door. Bram backed up and drove away from the destruction.

  A minivan passed them coming from the other direction. Ilisha turned around and could see them break for the tree blocking the road. It was covered in black and white dust. Bram stepped on the gas.

  “It’s just a downed tree,” she said, wondering what the urgency was about.

  “Maybe so, but there’s no wind and no storm, I don’t want to take the chance.”

  “What happens if someone knows the truth about you?”

  “Nothing; you know about me, but it’s not good for humans to know what surrounds them.”

  “Why?” she questioned.

  “Wouldn’t want to burst their bubble of a world they think they control. In the past, it led to hunts and killings.”

  “Killing of angels?” she asked shocked.

  “Yes, they looked at us as a threat.”

  “How do you kill an angel?”

  “A human can’t kill an angel. But demons blend into the population and inspire the chaos. The more of us they kill, the more chaos they create, but to answer your question, the methods are the same as humans. The difference is we heal quickly, so inflicting injury needs to be so rapid we don’t have time to heal.”

  “So someone could—” she waved her hands thinking. “Stab you?”

  “A demon, yes. A human would never have the strength to harm me.”

  Ilisha gave him a mischievous smile and said, “So if I decked you in the nose, you wouldn’t feel it?”

  Bram chuckled. “I’d feel it, but it’d do nothing. There’d be no pain and no damage.”

  “Huh, interesting.”

  Ilisha’s eyes were heavy, so she let her head lean on the window and soon fell asleep. She woke when the car stopped. Her eyes opened in the parking lot of Mount Rushmore.

  “You still want to see this?” she asked groggy.

  “Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

  “I just thought after the thing with Damon, you wouldn’t want to stop.”

  “Don’t be silly.” He smiled and got out, opening the passenger door. Come on!”

  Ilisha gave herself a once over in the mirror and stepped out. Bram got them a brochure and bottled water. As they walked, he took her hand. Ilisha made no move to stop him; it felt natural. They spent a couple hours in the park before leaving. Bram never let go of her hand until they got back to the car.

  “I think we need to get out of this touristy area before we get a hotel,” Ilisha said.

  They were only seven hours from home, but stopped in a small town named Torrington and got a motel room. No other intimate gesture was made by Bram, which made her a little sad. Bram walked in the bathroom to shower, leaving the door open a crack. Ilisha put her suitcase on the luggage rack and rifled through it looking for pajamas. Finding them, she turned and caught a glimpse of Bram in the bathroom mirror. He was adjusting the water and his backside faced her. She could see the marks where his wings came out of his back; the skin was slightly darker. Her mouth opened slightly as she took in his perfect butt. Ilisha stared, unable to take her eyes off him, until he threw back the shower curtain and climbed in. She put on her pajamas and crawled into the one bed they would be sharing.

  Bram came out toweling his head, fully clothed.

  “Sorry for the one bed,” Ilisha said. “It’s all they had.”

  “No problem. I can sleep on the floor.”

  “You’re not sleeping on the floor,” she protested.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked to see what was on TV. “It’s no problem,” he smiled.

  “Yeah, it is. Come on.” She pulled the covers back and patted the bed in a friendly manner.

  He tossed his towel on the floor and crawled in. She noticed that he kept as much distance between them as possible.

  She twirled her hair up in a bun and got comfortable.

  Her dreams took her to a pleasant place. Walking in a white, flowing nightgown, her shoulders bare and a breeze playing with the ruffled hem, she met Bram in a thick forest. The moon shone brightly, creating a blue hue over the trees. He reached out and pulled her to him. Placing her face in his hands, their lips met softly, filling her skin with goose bumps. Ilisha let her hand drift down his stomach, over his pants, and took hold of him. Bram moaned, and his wings exploded from his back. Their kissing became more frantic as she unbuttoned his pants. Just as her hand plunged into his underwear she sat straight up in the bed.

  She clutched her breasts and looked over at him. His wings lay across his back taking up most of the bed. They brushed against her skin with velvet strokes as his diaphragm constricted. Moving as little as possible she got up and went into the bathroom. She splashed cool water on her face and leaned on the counter. Think, Lish. Are you falling in love with him?

 
Bram knocked on the door causing her to jump. Taking a second to compose herself, she opened it smiling. “Hey.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, just had a bad dream.” She waved her hand in the air blowing it off.

  He took her hand. “What was it about?”

  Oh shit. She thought fast. “Damon. I’m sure it’s just stress.”

  He led her out of the bathroom and back to the bed. Despite the fact her heart was racing, she kept the calm smile across her face. Working in the E.R. had taught her how to hide her emotions. She went to lie back on her pillow, but instead he cradled her in his arms. Ilisha swallowed hard, not sure what to expect. Bram lay on his back and nestled her to his chest. She closed her eyes and took in the moment. The fact that he wanted to comfort her over a bad dream just made her feelings explode.

  Despite her inner protests, she relaxed and placed her arm across his torso. His even breathing and the beat of his heart took her stress away. Ilisha never felt like she needed a man to protect her, but since Bram came into her life she appreciated how devoted he was to her.

  When Ilisha woke she was on her back, with her arm over her head. Bram was on his side with his arm lying across her chest. She swallowed hard and took a couple deep breaths, knowing she wished his hands were firmly gripping her breasts. To make sure she didn’t make him feel uncomfortable she bounced the bed as she rolled on her side and left her back facing him. His arm fell to the bed. He stirred from the movement and she pretended to just be waking herself.

  Amy was waiting for them at Ilisha’s new rental. The house was across town from her mother’s. As they rounded the block, Amy waved them down. The house was small and white with blue shutters and a fenced yard.

  Ilisha stood beside the car giving it a look. “This is perfect.”

  The inside had wood floors, and the kitchen had been updated with modern appliances and cabinet fronts. When Ilisha ran upstairs, Amy followed. “Um, so you’re with Bram now?”

  “No, he just helped me move.”

  “You like him,” Amy accused, smiling.

  “A little too much,” Ilisha replied under her breath.

  “Have you kissed him?” Amy beamed waiting for news.

  “Almost, but I stopped myself. What am I going to do? I don’t think he wants this.”

  “Test the waters. All he can do is push you away, right?”

  “Thanks, captain obvious.”

  Ilisha walked into the master bathroom. It was small and had old fixtures, but she could live with that.

  “You need to go for it. He is smoking hot, and he seems to be a good guy.”

  “I’ve never been into someone like this. I guess I just don’t want to feel the rejection.”

  “You don’t just like Bram, I think you love him,” Amy pointed out.

  “Yes, but I’m trying to push those feelings away. It does me no good to feel that way when he’s making it clear he doesn’t.”

  “Okay, so answer me this. What does Bram do for you? There’s a reason you’re feeling this way,” Amy queried.

  “Everything. I didn’t think a guy could be like him. He’s thoughtful, cares about me, he’d lay down his life for me, and of course he’s incredibly hot.”

  “I think you know what you need to do.”

  “I know.”

  Bram stomped up the stairs, and she knew he was making it more than obvious he was approaching.

  “Do you think he heard us,” Amy whispered.

  “Don’t know.”

  Appearing in the door to the bedroom, Bram smiled and said, “Moving truck is here.”

  Amy said her goodbyes. “I have a little one to look after. Call me later” and winked as she walked out.

  Ilisha had the movers carry all the furniture to the correct rooms and just leave the boxes downstairs. The movers left well after midnight.

  “Tired?” Bram asked, taking her hand.

  “No, not really.”

  She moved some boxes around. “I need to find my box with bedding.”

  Bram located it in the back of the mess and carried it upstairs for her. He helped her make her bed.

  “You’re awfully quiet today,” he said, tugging the sheet.

  “Sorry, just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Wanna talk about it?”

  “Not yet. How far away can you hear?”

  “Yes, I know you were talking about me earlier.”

  Ilisha blushed slightly. “What did you hear?”

  “My name and hushed voices. I could’ve heard everything if I honed in on it, but that’s not right.”

  Ilisha nodded, relieved.

  “Hungry?”

  Ilisha giggled. “No, I think I just want to be alone for a while.”

  “Okay. You know where to find me.” He kissed her on the cheek and walked out.

  She sat on her freshly made bed, grabbed a pillow and held it against her. Staring ahead, Bram’s face wouldn’t leave her thoughts.

  “Ugh,” she said and changed into pajamas.

  A storm echoed in the near distance. She slid the curtains back to see lightning flash across the sky. Looking for anything that would take her mind off Bram, she unpacked some boxes. Starting with kitchen items, she sorted it all out and placed them in the cabinets and drawers. Even the rhythm of sorting and cleaning did nothing for her. This situation was either going to turn into her own self-pleasure, which she knew would do no good, or she would have to act on her emotions. She put her elbows on the kitchen counter and took hold of her hair, sighing. In the next second, she grabbed her keys and ran out into the stormy night.

  It took minutes to reach the barn. Rain fell in heavy curtains, and she was drenched by the time she got to the stairs.

  “Bram!” she shouted from the bottom.

  He appeared, sliding to a stop. “What’s wrong?”

  “I need to talk to you.”

  He looked down and blew out a breath. “You scared me.”

  She bounded upstairs, hair and clothes clinging to her and water dripping across the floor. “Why did you fall?” she asked.

  He backed up giving her space to come into the room. “I told you why.”

  “You said you couldn’t let me die. Why?”

  Bram looked around, searching for anything other than an answer.

  “I need to know.” As she spoke, she came into the light and heard Bram swallow hard.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. His breathing was fast and he refused to look at her.

  “Are you really not going to answer me?” she asked hurt.

  He turned and walked to the small closet. He handed her a button down shirt.

  “What the hell is this for?”

  “Can you just put it on?”

  “Why?” she almost shouted.

  He didn’t answer and still refused to look at her.

  “You know what, forget this.” Ilisha threw the shirt on the ground and ran back into the rain. As her hand cupped the door handle of her car, Bram’s hand rested on the window.

  “Just leave it alone Bram. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come.” Large plumes of steam came out of her mouth as she spoke.

  He took her by the shoulders and spun her around. “What good is it going to do for me to tell you how I feel?”

  “Because I need to know, that’s why.” Tears mixed in with the raindrops.

  Bram sighed heavy. “I fell because I love you and I couldn’t let you go. And now because of my actions, your life is in constant danger.”

  Ilisha smiled softly. “Why did you want me to put the shirt on?”

  “Because you’re soaked, and I could see through your shirt.”

  “And?”

  “I’m a guy, Ilisha, do I need to explain this?”

  She waited for an answer, but instead his hands gripped her face, his lips meeting hers. Ilisha took in every second of this kiss, fearing it would be the last. Bram’s fingers slid to the back of her neck and held onto her
wet hair. Ilisha trembled from the cold rain, but ignored it. As his quivering hands found her breasts, she couldn’t tell what was making her shake. She felt colder at his touch, but her heart was full and warm. He lifted her from the ground causing her flip-flops to land with a splash. Ilisha wrapped her legs around him; their lips never parting. He started to carry her into the barn as lightning hit close by. Bram looked to the sky and closed his eyes in concentration. “We gotta move,” he put her back on her feet, and they ran inside just as a bolt hit a tree by the lane. Once upstairs, Bram hesitated before peeling off her wet tank top. Her teeth began to chatter. Swiping his arm under her legs, he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.

  He turned the knob to the shower and peeled his shirt off.

  “S-s-o-r-r-y,” Ilisha said, teeth chattering.

  He smiled and slid off her wet pants. Taking her hand, he escorted her behind the shower curtain at the same time unbuttoning his jeans and dropping them. Bram pressed his body to her back, letting the hot water run over them. His lips brushed her neck, and she leaned her head forward enjoying the sensation.

  “I’ve wanted you for so long,” he whispered.

  When they both stopped shivering, he turned her around and leaned into her. Ilisha wrapped her arms around his neck, as he lifted her and placed her legs around him. With one hand he turned off the water while the other opened the curtain.

  Carrying her to the bed, he laid her down gently. His hands brushed the wet hair from her forehead. “I love you.”

  She smiled and pushed her hips into his. Ilisha wanted to feel him, all of him. His tongue slid into her mouth, and she couldn’t help but saver the taste.

  Bram pulled away. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes,” she moaned.

  He positioned himself to take her. She didn’t want to wait any longer. Ilisha took hold of him and eased him inside of her, making sure to hit all the sensitive parts on the way. Bram sucked in a breath, then let out a moan. Her hands hit the bedspread bunching it up in her fists. As the pressure in her body built, there was no such thing as enough of him. With every movement of his hips she wanted more.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t hold it anymore,” he said.

  Ilisha nodded and stoked his cheeks.