Capture Her Heart

Chapter 14

The grandfather clock had just struck four am as everyone was asleep in the guest rooms. They had to split into three to four people per guest room, but they didn't mind. Luke, Gabe, Raven, and Corey were in the living room. Two of them were on the pullout bed in the couch and the other two were in recliner chairs that they put together.

They were light sleeping or gazing out the big window showcasing the stars when suddenly they heard a thump. Raven slowly sat up holding his pocket knife, Gabe and Luke looked at each other before creeping towards the stairs to see if they could hear anything else. Just as they made it to the edge, a creaking floorboard was heard at the top causing them to look up and catch a glimpse of small feet, they knew right away that Audrey was up and coming down. They scrambled back to their sleeping positions and Gabe whispered, "Audrey," toward Raven before pretending to be asleep.

A few seconds later they could hear her walking softly. Barely cracking his eyes open, Raven watched as she stood in front of them watching silently before turning toward the backyard. Once the backdoor shut, Raven sat up and turned toward the window. "She barely sleep."

"Yeah," Corey whispered, "But it's not like we can do anything about it right now."

"What is she doing?" Gabe asked as he yawned.

"Looks like she's heading to some animals," Luke whispered as he moved closer to the window.

"Why with animals night?" Raven pondered confused as to why she'd leave to attend them now when she should be resting and dealing with that in the morning.

"Maybe they are in rehabilitation? Possibly need a dose of medication? I don't really know much about taking care of animals, honestly. I only owned a fish back in elementary school and it died because I forgot to clean its tank. So your guess is as good as mine," Corey said softly as he watched her enter the pen and sit down petting something. "Maybe she wanted to cuddle them?"

"Why?" Raven asked even more confused.

"Maybe she had a nightmare and they help her?" Luke shrugged. "You know kind of like how Kota is with Max sometimes when he's struggling? He has said more than once that Max really helps him by just being there when he's having a hard time, something about how animals can be really therapeutic. It's why he takes him to the hospital for Momma Erica to help the patients. Maybe she is just being like Kota right now."

"She okay?" Raven asked as he walked over to Luke. "She upset?"

"I don't know," Luke whispered, "I can't see her anymore."

"Nyet good," Raven hissed through clenched teeth.

"I'm going out there, Big Guy, calm down," Luke smirked as he slowly twisted the doorknob.

"Da, go too," Raven grunted as he stood up and made his way toward Luke. Raven followed Luke as he slipped outside into the darkness. Luke raised his finger to his lips and Raven nodded. Luke pushed off the back wall and Raven watched in amazement how it seemed like Luke blurred into the darkness. No matter how many times Raven watched Luke slip into ninja mode it still amazed him each and every time.

Just before Raven decided it was taking too long Luke popped up right in front of his face, making him take a step back and growl as his fist wrapped around his knife. "Nyet do that again, I almost kill you."

"You say that every time and yet you still have yet to pull it out of your sheath," Luke giggled before planting a kiss on his cheek. "You can calm down Big Guy, she's petting some goats and talking to them about putting pool noodles on their horns to stop their fighting with each other and how it's not nice."

Raven chuckled and shook his head before freezing, dropping his hand on Luke's shoulder mid-chuckle. Luke started to open his mouth but stopped when he saw the intensity in Raven's eyes. Turning to follow his gaze, he went rigid when he spotted the movement amongst the trees lining her property with the woods. "Stay," Raven whispered so chilling that Luke remained frozen where he stood.

"Everything okay?" Luke jumped and spun ready to hit Silas but he grabbed Luke's arm in time.

"Fuck, now I get why you say not to do that," Luke whispered. "No, Raven spotted movement in the trees. She's out with the goats, we think she had a nightmare or something."

"I'm on it," Axel whispered as he took off toward where Luke had been watching.

"I'm okay now," Luke whispered as he looked toward the trees. "He's never spoken to me like that before. So dark. It shocked me."

"He didn't mean it toward you Luke, you know that. He just is pissed that the damn vermin think it's okay to come near what he lays claim on. Especially since we are all here," Silas said as he planted a kiss on Luke's temple, "Besides the Russians and Italians have hated each other for a long time. Just let him take care of this potential threat and then he will make it up to you, you know that. He's just trying to protect everyone that's his in the way he thinks is best."

"I know," Luke whispered as he watched Raven and Axel carrying someone into an awaiting truck silently. "It just startled me."

"The moment North overheard what was happening, he and Brandon went to help," Silas whispered as he wrapped his arm around Luke's chest from behind. "Let's try and get some answers before we tell her what happened. Knowing it's already taken care of may help with her anxiety and prove ourselves to her a little more."