Broken

This wasn’t how Willow Myers had hoped her day would go. Being in an unfamiliar dark room, tied to a chair with a gun pointed at her head, did not rank highly on her list of experiences she’d recommend to anyone. The lights around her really were quite dim, so she wasn’t able to make out much. However, there was no way she could miss the three other figures a few feet from her, surrounding a fourth person that they had beaten up badly. She blinked in shock when she recognized just who it was lying on the floor all bloody and bruised. She fought an urge to yell at total strangers, unwilling to draw their attention towards her…

Several Years Ago...

Willow sat at the kitchen table in silence, while a neighbor told her about her mother Lillian’s death in a horrific head on collision. At the age of six, the news didn’t completely register for her at first. Then she saw Sean walking into the house, and she knew that what she’d just heard was true. She had never met her father before but knew what he looked like; Lillian kept photos of the time they were together. He picked up Willow in his arms, tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry kid.” Her own eyes began to fill. She sniffled quietly as Sean took her to his car, where his wife Katrina and twin sons Leroy and Rafael were waiting.

The two boys may have been younger, but Willow instantly befriended them. Katrina, she found, was kind and sympathetic, allowing the girl to cry on her shoulder during her first night at their family home. The days became months, then years. Although she still sometimes felt an acute sadness about losing her mother, Willow eventually began to adjust to her new life. She was in general, a bright and cheerful child so making friends was easy. Her schoolteachers often praised Willow for her reading, neat writing, grasp of numbers and the confidence she showed when talking about her projects to the rest of the class.

By the time high school was over and done with, Willow would reach her full height of 5ft7. Her figure remained a bit on the skinny side, much like her mother and she definitely inherited Lillian’s long straight medium blonde hair, but she and her half siblings couldn’t have resembled each other more even if they tried. They all had similar facial features, plus the violet blue eyes and caramel colored skin of their father. Leroy and Rafael’s hair was a light brown like their mother’s. They both hit six feet at eighteen.

PRESENT DAY…

Willow was more of a cat than a dog person, so when an increasingly popular local cat café Paws4Love started asking for new employees, she applied and landed herself a job. The hours were eight to five thirty. The owner Brent Everette, who had basic vet training as well, lived on the premises. He always checked that the necessary supplies were readily available and the six felines currently in residence were very well taken care of.

Most of them had been rescued from abuse and neglect. If there was something Brent couldn’t deal with alone, then of course he called a professional. His partner Jose Vasquez ran the small café next door, which served tasty treats and drinks of both the hot and cold variety. The furniture was second hand but restored to good condition. Two shelves of books had been added in one corner; some people enjoyed a read while waiting for or eating their food.

Students were known to drop by every so often to study. Full time staff traded shifts during the week. The cats were set loose every day, to wander throughout the front room as they pleased. Not a single animal ever tried to run for the door and escape; they knew just how good their lives had become.

Willow was usually found behind the counter, watching as people came and went. She kept the water bowls full and tidied up a little if it was needed. She made sure to warn customers not to go overboard with the treats and follow the handwritten guidelines. Her fellow worker Sally Jones was situated in an adjacent office room, answering the phone, sorting files and cleaning the cages at the back of the building.

There were regulars who visited just to have fun with the cats for a while, then they would leave. Others wished to adopt a new pet. Willow gave them the forms to fill out. Brent would look at the papers and be on hand to answer any questions potential owners might have.

************

At about three forty-five on a Monday afternoon in February, Willow glanced up from stroking a huge fluffy grey cat called Jezebel as the bell above the door rang once again. A familiar face hurried in with a bundle made of his school jacket held close to his chest. Two black cats Caro and Whisper, who could more often than not be found chilling by the front entrance, quickly leapt to their feet and moved out of his way. “Sorry guys. Hey Willow, can you help me?”

For the past two months or so, Jamie Talbot had made a habit of coming to the café. His brother wouldn’t allow pets in their house, so he got his ‘animal fix’ at this place instead. The boy probably wasn’t much older than fourteen and like his previous visits, he was again accompanied by a stern young man dressed all in black. He never removed his sunglasses. Willow recalled that his name was Perry.

She waved at them. “Hi Jamie. What have you got hidden in your jacket?” He approached the counter with a rather somber expression on his face. “I happened to be walking past the school dumpsters after class and caught sight of a tiny kitten, nosing around some icky garbage that had fallen to the ground. I couldn’t leave her there.” 

Willow took the jacket from the boy and unwrapped it. The kitten was shivering, either from being afraid or cold and yet it stared at her with such a thankful gaze. She carefully took the tortoiseshell cat in her hands. “You did the right thing.” The poor creature was dirty and kind of skinny, but there didn’t appear to be much else wrong with her.

Willow called for Brent. He examined the cat right on the spot while Jamie and his guardian watched. “All she needs is a good wash and some decent food. Were there other kittens?” The teenager shook his head. “I didn’t hear or see any more of them.” “Why don’t you tell Sally where you found this little one and when she can spare a bit of time, she will search the area just in case?” Jamie’s smile practically lit up the room. “Of course, that’s a great idea!”

A Few Weeks Later...

Amara knocked on Willow’s bedroom door and wandered in. She wore a pretty dress, delicate sandals and a denim jacket. Her fire red curls were set free from their usual confining hair ties, her earrings were dangly and sparkled. She gave her best friend a top to toe glance and an appreciative thumbs up. “Hey. Your parents let me in. You look fantastic! Ready?”

Willow sighed. She had chosen dark patterned jeans with her favorite boots, plus a long-sleeved graphic rose and butterfly shirt with glittery flecks decorated on the front. She’d pulled half of her hair back into an embellished clip and in her ears were small silver stars. A light hooded jacket was added at the last minute. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Purple is so your color.” “Thanks. I know going out on the town before the weekend arrives, isn’t really your thing but come on you can’t say you aren’t curious. Besides, I need you with me. Things might not go to plan, and I’ll need a fast exit.” “Sure thing. I must admit, this new crush you won’t stop talking about has me a little intrigued. I have also heard and like some of Midnight’s music. They play it on the local radio now. The band are getting exposure.” “As they should, there’s genuine talent there. All of them are fine as hell too.” “That can only help.” “I'll bet it does.”

*********

Alright, she could admit it, the band members up on stage were rather cute. She had no particular type when it came to guys, but she immediately took note of the lead singer. His hair was brown and slicked back a little, falling to just above his shoulders. He had dark eyes and fair skin, defined cheekbones and a killer smile. His outfit was simple, but he wore it well; a brown leather jacket, paired with a black shirt and white jeans. On his feet were black boots. He also reminded her of someone else, but at that precise moment she was unable to figure out who. 

Amara was standing on her right side, clapping like crazy. Her focus was on the drummer; his spiked blonde hair and facial piercings, along with a couple of visible tattoos under his muscle shirt, definitely made her friend’s heart race. Willow closed her eyes for a minute or two and managed to tune out slightly, in an attempt to regain her composure.

The singer introduced himself and his band. “Hey guys. I’m Nick. This is Jeff on lead guitar, my cousin Joel on base and Glenn playing the drums. We are Midnight. I hope you all enjoy the show.” Throughout the entire performance, Willow’s eyes were captured by Nick; she simply couldn’t help it. His voice really suited the laid-back indie style of music that his band was playing.

She held her breath when the singer looked at the audience, pausing briefly to stare in her direction. She thought no more of it as he finished the last song, then bowed to enthusiastic applause. Midnight disappeared from view and the Raven Helm club’s main lights came back on. Amara found an empty booth for the two of them and flagged down a waitress to order drinks. She almost drained her glass.

Willow realized her friend was nervous, which was something of a rarity. For as long as she had known Amara, the girl had been brimming with confidence, the one who was always trying to boost the morale of those around her. Right now, however, she looked as if she would much prefer to stay in the corner and not try to approach Glenn, which was her original intention.

Willow spotted him before her friend did. He was leaning against the bar and chattering away in a very friendly manner, with whoever decided to come up and say hi. She tapped Amara on the back of her hand. “Now’s your chance, go for it!” Willow thought it was brave of her friend to take the first step and open up to another person, regardless of whether it ended up being just casual or something more permanent. Her heart was still fragile from her previous break up, to even consider the possibility of a new love…

Eight months had gone by since her relationship with Samuel Blackmore came to an end. They dated for two, nearly three years. She had actually dared to say out loud that she loved him. He told her he felt the same. So of course, she thought everything was good, when all of a sudden, he broke it off without a proper explanation. He sent her a text on what was supposed to be another date night: This isn’t working for me anymore. We should stop seeing each other. I’m sorry.

He couldn’t even bother to say it to her face. What a coward! She’d read the message in disbelief and threw the mobile across the room. It landed safely on the carpet of her bedroom floor and therefore avoided breaking; it might have made the throw a bit more satisfying if her phone did shatter. Willow lay down on her bed crying.

Katherine, who had just come in with a load of clean clothes fresh from the dryer, carefully placed the bundle on the bottom of the chair next to the bed and held out her arms. “Tell me what happened.” They talked for a long time. Katherine had a soft spot for her stepdaughter; they’d shared a special bond right from the start. She hated to see her in pain.

“As much as I liked Samuel, I think he made a huge mistake letting you go, and he will soon regret it.” Willow smiled through her tears. “Think so?” “My girl I am certain of it. Cheer up. He’s not the only guy in existence.” “I realize that. It still hurts though.” “Yes, but you won’t feel this way forever. You have your whole life ahead of you. Don’t let him put you off the idea of finding that special someone.”

“Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?” Willow was brought out of her recent memories and looked up from her drink. Nick was standing by her table. She nodded. He seemed to sense her unease and lowered his tone, smiling softly. “Hi. You already know who I am, so I won’t say my name a second time. I pride myself on recognizing most of the fans who follow us especially the locals, but I don’t believe I’ve seen you before.”

Her voice came out a bit croaky. “No, you wouldn’t have.” She cleared her throat and tried again. “However, I do know a couple of your band’s songs. My best friend is more into you guys than I am.” “Is she the redhead flirting with my drummer?” “Guilty as charged. She was a bit hesitant to make a move on him to begin with. I tagged along for her sake in case she got rejected.” “It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.” “I crossed my fingers anyway.”

Willow finished off her drink and declined the offer of a second. Nick ordered a whiskey. She had a couple of questions for him, but waited politely until he had his glass in hand. “Is Glenn a good guy?” “Sure, in general, but he’s kind of a player. I’ll say this for him though, he never pretends to be someone he isn’t, nor would he lie to a girl. He will let your friend know the deal and allow her to make the choice. Being the youngest of our group, he’s not too keen on getting involved any time soon.” “Amara is similar in that aspect, but she has a pretty good reason to forgo dating seriously for a while; her fiancé cheated on her and didn’t think she’d find out. The breakup was explosive as you can well imagine, so it’s put a dampener on romance.” “I get it.”

She switched topics. “Hey, this may sound like an odd thing to mention. I’ve been trying to work out who you resemble, and it’s been bugging me all night. I could be totally off track here, but there’s this kid, Jamie Talbot?” Nick’s eyes narrowed. “He is my brother.” She shivered at the intense look. “Wow. I wasn't so sure I would be right about my guess. Anyway, Jamie comes into Paws4Life every now and then. He has fun playing with our cats. He brought a tiny kitten in the other day. He’s formed a real attachment to her. I guess our paths would have crossed eventually if he by some miracle, managed to convince you to say yes to adopting.”

Nick's expression cleared and his tense posture went back to being relaxed. “I haven’t gotten him a present for his birthday yet, so we’ll see.” Willow felt the spark of attraction stirring again, much as it had from when she first laid eyes on Nick. Her warning bells were also ringing loud and clear, and that should have been the signal for her to get up and go, but instead she stayed exactly where she was. If he said anything to her in confidence despite being a stranger well, Willow thought to herself, my lips are sealed.

She listened as Nick continued talking. “Pets weren’t a common occurrence in our childhood. I don’t think Mum would have objected, but Dad is the one who rules the roost, as the saying goes. Jamie and I live away from home these days, but our father always keeps us in sight.” “Hence the well-dressed man who is aware of Jamie’s every move, even in a safe spot like the café`. Rich family?” “Something along those lines.”

Well, that was a vague response, and it only made her more rather than less curious. “Do you need bodyguards too?” “No. I put my foot down about that. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there were discreet eyes on this table. Someone within Dad’s inner circle has no doubt run a background check on you, since Jamie goes to Paws4Life so often. Anybody I spend more than five minutes with, is given similar treatment. I sincerely apologize for that by the way.”

“It’s fine.” “I guess you have all been given the green light because my brother hasn’t stopped visiting.” “How generous.” Nick smirked at her sarcasm. “I know. Dad would be disappointed to find no evidence of criminal or other devious activity in a cat café` of all places. You can’t always trust a business from the outside, big or small.” “Store front signs can also be misleading.” “True.”

Willow already had her suspicions that the Talbots were not just your average every day rich folk with heirs to a vast fortune. There was a secret simmering beneath the surface of Nick’s words; it could prove to be dangerous for her. Did she really wish to throw caution to the wind, and delve down deeper into the rabbit hole?

TO BE CONTINUED…