A couple of hours had gone by and we were all sitting in the apartment staring at the wall saying nothing to each other. I don't think anyone really knew what to say. We had all been betrayed by the people that were supposed to protect us. Well Lorik and Gabe weren’t first hand but they still felt the blow back from it.
I still hadn't told anyone what was said to me. Like how Maria was my real mom. I didn't know how to take that. Was he saying it to justify what he had done? I looked over at Shayden. I watched as he looked back and forth between me and Lorik, and me and Gabe. He was comparing us. He had heard it.
The door opened and Dean walked in. His hair was in disarray. I could tell he was taking everything hard as well. That letter must have said more but he never told us and I wasn't about to check.
“We need to leave. I don't know where we will go but we are not staying here.”
I stood up and looked at him. “I know where we can go.” I grabbed a notebook and wrote down the directions. “We don't need to even pack our clothes. I have everything that everyone needs. Of course, Braxton will want to either take the hard drives out of his computers or take the computers with us. I'll be taking mine. But we won't need food or anything.”
I got up and went over to my bedside table. I got out all my computers and grabbed the medical kit out of the drawer. I just needed to get the stuff out of the fridge that needed to stay cold and I was set.
I turned around and blinked. Zavier and Shayden were standing up looking at me. Everyone had the same look on their faces, fear mixed with a little shock.
When I looked over I felt faint. Dean wasn't even in the room. I was going to ask where he was when the door opened and Dean walked in saying exactly what he said a few minutes ago.
My mouth dried out as I made my way over to all of them. I handed Zavier my computers and Gabe the med kit. I heard Shayden saying what had happened and handed Dean the directions on the notebook.
“I think you may have to sedate me. I don't think I can tell visions from reality anymore.”
I could hear Dean telling Gabe not to, but it seemed they wouldn't have to anyway. The shaking became severe, my alarm screamed at everyone, and I felt arms hold me as my body went slack.
I was walking down a well-lit hallway. It had beautiful marble floors, brick walls with windows that went from the floor to the ceiling every few feet. I could see three doors lining the hall. But it was the brightness from the window that caught my attention.
I stopped and looked out the window. Snow covered the ground. There were three sets of footprints. I followed the footprints from the building I was in to where they originated. The buildings were side by side. Touching but not connected it seemed. They made a circle. In the middle was a huge field. It had rose bushes and small trees dotting the landscape. Then I saw my men.
Gabe was walking off toward one of the buildings. I could see Sage building up a snowball. I laughed as he threw it and hit Gabe in the back of the head. Gabe turned and laughed. I hadn't seen him laugh like that in years. He packed the snow he gather and tossed it back toward Sage only for him to duck out of the way and it hit Lorik in the face.
I could tell it was on from there. All of them were throwing snowballs and laughing when Zavier stopped and looked up at me. He mouthed the words I love you. I whispered it back to him. Suddenly I heard kissing noises and looked down.
Standing in front of me were two little girls. They had their lips puckered and pressed against the window. I looked back up and watched Zavier blow them a kiss. Every one of the men stopped and did the same. The little girls giggled.
I felt their small gloved hands when they put theirs in mine. They began pulling on them.
“Mommy! Mommy come on. Papaws awake,” One of them said.
“I want to see Papaw, come on Mommy,” The other added.
My heart swelled every time they called me that. I looked down into their beautiful faces and gasped. They had long beautiful black hair. Their eyes were different than any I had ever seen. They were as black as Zavier's only with a bright blue star-burst in the center. I could tell they were identical twins. They had Zavier's nose and my lips. These were my daughters. Zavier's daughters.
Tears came to my eyes and I couldn't stop the smile from spreading. I could feel the love they had for me and their dad. I nodded to them.
“I'll race you.”
They giggled and took off running down the hall with their hair flying out behind them. They stopped at the middle door and I watched as they worked together to get the door open. They were giggling and grunting but before I could get there, they had it open and were running inside.
I heard the squeals of delight from the hallway. I stood in the doorway and watched as Dean picked up the girls and held them to him. Dean. Not my Dad. The door started swinging shut and I reached a hand out to stop it. Director Sterling.
We were at the academy. A new academy. When I looked both ways I could see the words Director on each of the other doors. I couldn't, however, make out the names.
Suddenly a voice whispered to me, “Find Laven.”
It didn't seem to be coming from here. My eyes shot open and I looked around the room. I immediately was forced into another vision. Dad was standing there looking at me.
“Find Laven.” I nodded and he vanished.
I got up and made my way downstairs. They had managed to get me here without me ever waking. I guess my mind had to come to terms with it more than I thought. I still wasn't sure I wasn't losing my mind, but I figured as long as I didn't fight someone that wasn't there, I was good. For now.
Everyone stood as I got to the bottom of the steps.
“I'm glad you're up. How are you feeling?”
“Uh well. I had a nice dream. Then woke to a vision. So I guess I'm doing weird as usual.”
“What was the vision?”
“Dad saying to find Laven. I don't know what a Laven is. Or is it a person?”
I watched as Braxton grabbed a computer off the table. “Thanks for the tech room. It's awesome,” he said as he began typing. A few minutes later he looked up. “Laven is actually a person. She is the daughter of Director Merringer. The Director of New Zealand.”
New Zealand? My breath caught in my throat. I couldn't even get the words out to ask. This was the same Director that had told that I was the black rose. Would they accept me?
“I guess that's a good thing. I had been trying to figure out a way to tell you that we needed to go there. If we start with them it would be in our best interest.”
“What do you mean?”
I was glad Zavier was coming out of his shell because he asked what I couldn't speak.
“We need to start going from region to region. If they will listen long enough to let us explain it could lessen how many people we have coming after us. Starting out of the country would be to our benefit because they haven't heard everything going on. I can assure you that the other state regions have. This will give them time to realize we aren't coming after them. And well, Director Merringer, would be the best place to start.”
I felt like I was in a dream as I walked over and sit down in Zavier's lap. I had never done that before but he accepted me with a huge smile and wrapped his arms around me. Dean leaned forward.
“So what was the dream about?”
I told them all of it. When I told about the little girls Zavier's hold tightened. I felt him put his cheek against my neck before turning his head and kissing it intimately. I leaned into him and he did it again. Dean cleared his throat and I smiled.
“Tell me about the academy.”
I knew he wanted to side track me and Zavier. Not like I could get pregnant right now anyway. I still hadn't started. I told him all I could, including the three doors of directors and one being his. He nodded.
“It was our academy. All of ours.” I looked at each of the guys. “We each invested in it. We each help design it.”
&n
bsp; “We don't have that kind of money.” Lorik didn't know everything.
I got up and went to another door. It was my office. I went in and came out pulling a table. It was one that would show 3-D images. It would be as if we built a replica of the academy only it was all electronic. I also had the touch screen computer that went with it and several files laying on of top the desk.
I stopped the desk in front of the guys. They looked at and I could see the twinkle in Shayden and Lorik's eyes. They had always wanted one. I would have to give it to them.
I took the files and stood before them.
“Zavier, I bought you firing ranges. You have about a hundred of them across the US.” I handed him his file. He looked down at it and his eyes bulged.
“Forty million. Rissa how's that possible?”
“They hold classes on shooting as well as have an imitation shootout. People are willing to pay good money to pretend to shoot bad guys.” I turned to Shayden. “Shay I bought you a gym franchise. You have around two hundred worldwide.”
I handed him the file. He opened it up.
“Sixty-seven million?”
I nodded. “You have the best and newest equipment. Also each establishment gives free self-defense classes to abused women and kids being bullied.” He smiled and looked back at the file. I knew he would like that. He always said he wanted to give back to the community.
“Lorik. I took the game you built and put it online. You have your own set of servers in that room.” I said pointing behind me.
He looked at the file and jumped screaming. I had never seen him so happy.
“Whoo! Two-hundred million. Beat that!”
I shook my head and walked over to Sage.
“I bought you nightclubs. You have a hundred nightclubs from here to L.A.” I handed him the file.
“Beat that you say? Boom! I beat that. Try two-hundred forty million.” I stood back trying not to laugh at the two of them. My jaw was already throbbing from smiling so much.
I walked over and sit down beside Gabe.
“This is yours.”
He took the file and looked inside. I watched as he covered his mouth and cleared his throat. “I only helped with it. You don't have to give me the credit for it.”
Gabe had helped me create a medication that every hospital now used. It was a gel that could be put in the wounds to numb it. It contained an anesthetic for numbing, antibiotics for infection, allergy medication, and a steroid for inflammation. This way it could be used on most of anyone. And the hospitals loved it.
I smiled at him and kissed his cheek.
“You deserve it.”
I had two more files in my hand. I could see the look of confusion on Braydon's face.
“This is for you and Braxton both. Remember when I asked you to help me design my dream house?” Braydon nodded. He didn't realize I was having it built. “Remember how I asked you to get Braxton to help build 3-D software to go along with it?” He nodded again.
“Well when I was done using it. I put it online. Schools, architects, and government officials started purchasing it. This is what you two got from it.”
He shook his head. I nodded. He huffed and reached for the folder. He opened it up looked up at me and handed it to Braxton. I didn't say anything else. They were private men just like Gabe.
I handed Dean his file and didn't say a word. He nodded to me and looked it over. I could see the smile even as he looked down at the folder. “I was afraid I wouldn't make it after what had happened to me. The money I got from killing those men, I figured could be used to make sure my men were taken care of in the future. When I realized that I was going to pull through it, I made sure to collect the investment back that I made. None of you owe me anything.”
Sage stood up. “Let's do this academy thing.”
That was all it took. I leaned back against Zavier and watched as they went to work. They decided what needed to be put in. I added in a nursery. Gabe mentioned a clinic. I said it should be more of a hospital. He smiled at that. They mentioned dorm houses; I agreed as long as we each had two bedrooms and two bathrooms but shared a kitchen and living room. It saved space and kept us together at the same time.
I turned to see Zavier asleep. I reached out and got a notebook off the coffee table. I turned the page and began sketching my daughters. I needed to see their faces.
I was done sketching, had went to my office and got the pastel pencils, was leaned back against Zavier and coloring them in. I stopped and looked at them. They were beautiful. I leaned my head back and before I knew it was fast asleep.