The Bonded Chapter 2

Kenra followed Luke blindly, lost in her own thoughts. He led her out the of the apartment complex and down a path she hadn’t seen before to a non-descript black sedan. He put her bag in the trunk and then opened the passenger-side door for her. She moved towards the car but then pivoted and slammed into Luke’s hard chest.
“Wait,” she said as she stumbled backwards. “I’ll take my motorcycle and follow you.”
Luke was frowning before she finished. “No way.”
“Look, you’re lucky I’m even agreeing to follow. I need my bike,” she said through gritted teeth. “I’m not giving it up.”
“Kenra, I’ll come back for it but it’s too dangerous for you to be on that thing alone and I don’t think I’ll fit,” he responded.
“I’m not leaving it behind,” Kenra hissed and folded her arms across her chest.
“I told you I’d come back for it or I’ll send someone for it, but we need to get out of here now. Every second we stand here, the situation becomes more dangerous.”
Kenra didn’t budge but lifted her chin a little higher. She knew there was no way to push past him but she refused to leave the motorcycle behind. Luke studied her face but she gave no sign of backing down.
He huffed and rubbed two fingers against his forehead before pulling out his phone and dialing a number. “Garrett? Yeah, I need you to do something. She wants her bike. Can you and Trudy come get it? Yeah, I know. Thanks.” He hung up the phone and raised his eyebrows. “They are on their way. Happy?”
“No,” she glared at him, “but I guess it will have to do.” She turned and got into the car. Luke shut the door behind her.
Kenra blinked and he seemed to just materialize in the driver’s seat. And then they were off. He sped through the streets leaving the little town fading behind them. He avoided the main streets and instead, he used back roads that wound through the heavily forested areas. She thought it was interesting that this may have been the same route she would have taken if she were fleeing on her own, albeit a lot slower.
She knew she was in a state of shock as she turned to look out her window, trying to remember anything her mother had ever said about her father, to remember if she had ever intimated that he was the threat but Kenra couldn’t grasp anything her mother had ever said about him that was negative. She did know that there was something more to the relationship between her mother and father. There was an underlying substance that Kenra couldn’t define and her mother never explained. She couldn’t begin to imagine what would cause someone to run from someone whom they obviously loved so much. That frightened her more than anything else, but it also made her curious as to whom her father really was.
Luke was kind enough to leave her to herself or perhaps, he didn’t know what to say. Kenra looked over at him; feeling her stare, he shifted to return her scrutiny and attempted an unsure smile. After offering what she knew could hardly qualify for a smile at all, Kenra turned back to the window and gazed out, not seeing the landscape as it hurried by.
The man beside her didn’t seem so bad. His eyes were breathtaking, like ocean waves lulling her into peace. Although she hadn’t seen him laugh, there were indentations around his eyes revealing that he did it often. Even now, the corners of his mouth twitched upward. His sandy blonde hair hung past his ears and neck in a messy style, but it suited him.
Kenra turned back to him, finally able to form the words that swirled in her mind, “My father is alive?”
He looked startled at her question, but replied, “Yes.”
“I’ve just always thought he was dead. My mother… well, she never said he was dead, but it was obvious that she loved him very much… and well, why would she be running from someone she loved?” she rambled, knowing it was the first time she could talk openly to someone about the things in her life. Even if he was a stranger, he knew more about what she ran from than she did.
“I’m sure she loved you very much and was doing what she thought was best for you,” he answered softly. “Your father always spoke well of her. He loved her, too.”
She didn’t respond for a few moments as she processed this new information. “Why now though? Why is he interested in me now after so long?”
Kenra knew she sounded desperate as she desired for someone to be a part of her life again, to have someone love her. She had been on her own for over a year now and it was maddening. Luke’s touch was the first real human contact she had since her mother’s death. Maybe her father really did want her. Perhaps, he had been looking for her for all this time and had just found her.
“He’s always been interested in you,” Luke said. “He talks about you and his wife constantly. He was resigned to the fact that your mother would never let you come back to him as long as she was alive. When she died, he tried to come to you himself, but you were gone so fast. It took a few weeks to pick up your trail again. But you kept running and he was fearful that your mother had told you awful things about him and that’s why you kept moving.” He paused to let it sink in. He quietly added, “I’ve followed you and reported your whereabouts to him. I… I was to keep you safe until I felt like you might be open to coming back. But when they showed up… well, we didn’t have an option then. You had to return.”
He seemed to be pleading with her to understand, his eyes darkening with the intensity of his plea, though she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to understand. She didn’t know who they were, but he seemed to harbor a fear of what they could do. She couldn’t explain it, but she knew he felt he couldn’t protect her from them and that he needed to take her to her father for her safety. He didn’t say all this, of course, but it was in his gaze. She could look into his eyes and see the truth shining as clearly as if he had spoken the words. She could feel the fear of the unknown trying to gain a foothold in her mind, but Luke reached over and held her hand; his touch was startling, but it dispelled her wayward thoughts.
“I know it’s scary… and I’m not the right person to explain everything, but please give him a chance to explain,” Luke begged. She nodded her consent and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. Her thoughts threatened to overwhelm her, but he still held her hand. It was calloused, but warm and strong. She wondered how long he had been watching over her and why her father chose him to come for her. Luke’s very presence put her at ease—completely at peace. It was unusual that in the midst of the unknown, she felt calm in this moment. She was unsure of whether it was because of Luke or the thought that she no longer had to run.
Surprisingly, Kenra fell asleep. She dreamed of her father, but mostly of Luke, her lifeline in the midst of the chaos, and her nightmares stayed at bay.  She awoke a few hours later and realized she was still clinging to Luke’s hand. It was so comforting to have human contact again with someone who knew what was going on. She didn’t have to pretend to be something she wasn’t. Maybe she could get through this and then start that normal life she had dreamed of so often.
“Are you hungry?” Luke interrupted her musings.
She looked over at him even as her stomach grumbled. “Sure,” she replied embarrassed at the sound of her hunger. He gave an absolutely stunning grin and then turned back to the road. A calmness she couldn’t understand surrounded her and she thought about how to make him smile again.
They exited the highway and stopped at a gas station with a fast food restaurant in it. They got out and Kenra headed straight for the restroom. As she was washing her hands, she gazed into the mirror. She attempted to smooth away her disheveled appearance. Her dark hair was in tangles, falling to just below her shoulders. She grabbed a rubber band out of her purse and hand-brushed it into place; the green eyes of her reflection stared back at her with a longing that she felt deep in her soul.
She freshened up her makeup while giving herself a pep talk. This was the moment she had been waiting for. She always felt the threat would catch up to her eventually, but it didn’t seem so bad anymore. She wasn’t so sure it was even a legitimate threat anymore. She was going to meet her father, a man her mother loved and adored and even though she had run from him, the fact that she still loved him gave Kenra assurance that he wasn’t a complete monster. Her mother had even said in her last words that he was a good man—if the words had really been about him. It had been seventeen years. People can change in seventeen years.
And then there was Luke. She felt a strange but comforting camaraderie with him. His presence made her feel protected; he made her feel safe with a simple touch. He was strong but more than that, he seemed to understand her. She determined that from this moment on she would suppress the worries and face this next phase of her life with her head held high. She was determined that she could get through this.
She made her way through the gas station and looked around for the postcards. She scribbled a note to Tara on one with a scene of the Chicago skyline, telling her that she was sorry for not saying goodbye in person and thanking her for being a friend. She paid the guy at the counter for the postcard and for him to mail it on her behalf. He promised he would and she could only hope he’d follow through. She couldn’t bare the thought that Tara would think she had abandoned her.
She met Luke up at the fast food counter and they ordered a meal.
“For here or to go?” the cashier asked. She looked back at Luke.
“For here is fine,” he replied. She turned back to the cashier to pay, but Luke stepped up beside her, placed his order, and paid for them both. They took their meals to an orange vinyl-covered booth and sat down. They ate in silence, both lost in thought. Kenra peered up and caught him studying her face. There had never been anyone she could open up to and now, here was a man who knew what awaited her. She could talk to him, but she had no idea where to start.
“So Luke, how long have you known my father?” she asked, hoping this was a good place to begin.
“Um… all my life, I think… He kind of took me in after my parents died when I was young. He’s been like a father to me.” He looked embarrassed at the declaration.
“Really?” She was kind of shocked that her father would have raised another child instead of his own. “I’m sorry about your parents. I lost my mother about a year back. Yesterday was her birthday actually…” Her voice trailed off.
“I know.” Seeing her surprise, he rushed on. “Jim—your father—he was so upset when he found out about her death. I think he still grieves for her, even now.”
Tears threatened, but she recalled her resolve in the restroom and changed the subject. “So where is my father?”
He stared at her for a moment. She thought he was about to answer when he suddenly tensed up. His stormy eyes hardened as he looked past her. “We need to go.” He picked up the last of his sandwich in one hand and his tray in the other.
She looked around. There was no one she could see except the cashiers and she hadn’t felt the tingling she normally felt when it was time to flee. She wondered why he had decided it was time to go, annoyed that perhaps he was avoiding her question.
He threw his trash out, put the tray up and went to the counter, asking for a bag. Coming back, he quickly scooped her food up, put it in the bag and handed it to her all in the space of a few seconds.
“Hey!” she cried, annoyance creeping into her. “I was still eating.”
He looked at her, his face masked from any emotion. “We have to go. Now.” He spoke firmly and though she didn’t feel a threat, he must. She quickly followed him, searching for whatever he saw.
“Are you going to tell me where we are going?” she asked.
“I told you,” he said, not looking back. “We’re going to your father’s house.”
“And where is that?” she asked through gritted teeth. His bossy silence was grating on her nerves.
He turned back to her. “I’ll tell you when we get in the car. Please just come on.” He turned and opened the door for her to go outside. She bristled at how he seemed to call the shots without ever asking her. She was still running even if it was to somewhere instead of from someone. This was her father, who wanted to reappear in her life. She should get to decide whether or not he got back in and to do that, she needed answers.