Forever Taken

Chapter One

How I imagine Asher at the top...

...................

Shivers rolled down my spine from the chill of the wind as I exited the station. My suit did little to keep me warm in the night air. The town was intimidating in the dark, and I allowed my hand to hover over the gun in my holster. I had never needed it before, but I didn't like to leave things to chance. In this new place, everything seemed more... My pride didn't want me to say scary, but I could admit that things were more daunting here in Blanton County than they were in Greer.

I walked quickly down the alley beside the station and through the parking lot behind it until I reached my Jeep Wrangler. I hit the unlock button on my keys twice, letting the lights in the car illuminate the dark inside so I could make sure there was no one inside. Paranoid, I know.

I made it home in record time, feeling safer once I was back. I hated being paranoid. Dad always taught us that men weren't afraid, that they were strong for their families. As I walked into my brother's dark house, it was like it magnified his courage over my own. Twenty-two years old, and I still needed a light or TV on to sleep. Yet Ezra, only three minutes older than me, was snoring in the bedroom with the house so dark that I had to count on the moon's light to get me to my bed on the couch. In the week that I had been living in Blanton with Ezra, I hadn't slept but maybe 5 hours. The couch was too close to Ezra's room for me to make use of the TV without disturbing him. And honestly he didn't know about my insomnia, and I'd like to keep it that way. So, like every night before, I lay on the couch until the early hours of the next morning and wait to finally pass out.

..........

The smell of bacon woke me and I groaned at the light coming through the windows. Ezra must have heard me because a messy blond head peeked out from the kitchen door.

"Good morning, Asher," he sang, his normal big grin plastered on his face. How was he such a morning person?

"Good morning, Ez," I replied, my voice hoarse from just having woke up. "What's on the agenda for you today?"

He ducked his head back into the kitchen, and I could hear plates and silverware hit the table. "I actually have to go to the restaurant today."

I sat up, raising my eyebrow. Ezra owned his own restaurant and made a lot of money without usually even needing to be there. It was his dream job, and I was proud of him. And thankful because without him I wouldn't have had anywhere to stay once I'd moved down here.

"I should be done by dinner time," he continued. "I was wondering if you wanted to grab dinner with me there?"

"I'd like that," I answered, and his head popped around the corner once more.

"You know," he grinned, "I've been telling the ladies all about you. They're dying to meet you."

I rolled my eyes at him and walked to the table to fill my plate. "I do believe that it would be ignorant of me to take relationship advice from you when you don't even have one yourself...."