by Casey Wyatt
“Are you whoring around again?” another suggested with the rudeness of a skilled member of the paparazzi. “Who’s your latest boy toy?”
Luca growled behind me as we entered the narrow galley kitchen. Mikey stood with his back to the door, blocking the view inside the kitchen.
I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. “Thank you! I owe you big time.”
He waved me off. “You best get moving.”
“Why? You in a hurry?” I joked.
Luca took my hand and tugged me toward the back door, grumbling about making it outside before the “parasites” found me.
“Nah. I got a date tonight.” He smiled, then casually flipped the bird at the photographers trying to take pictures through the door’s porthole.
“I hope she’s hot!” I yelled before I was yanked outside and into the waiting car.
“You don’t have to enjoy being right so much,” I said to Luca once we were safely ensconced in the limo. I was guessing he’d sent for it before we’d arrived, knowing full well we wouldn’t be able to disappear in front of everyone, especially with cameras everywhere.
“Allow me one little pleasure.” He purred the last word, sending a furious blush onto my cheeks. He stared at me expectantly, the “I told you so” clear on his face.
“Fine,” I huffed. “You were right. I can’t parade around as freely as I used to.” I hated the tiny sob that wanted to escape my throat.
Luca must have noticed, because he dropped the smile and took my hand. “I am truly sorry.”
“I know this all seems silly to you, but it’s important to me to not feel like a sideshow attraction.” Or caught like an animal in a leg hold trap, ready to bite off a foot in desperation.
“No. I do not think you are silly or that your feelings are inconsequential.” He raised my chin and leveled his stare on me. “Never think that.”
“I can’t spend my life hiding behind the mansion’s walls.” I’d been there, done that in my wilder days. And this time, it wasn’t even my own actions that caused all the media interest in me.
“You won’t have to. We’ll figure out a compromise,” he soothed.
“Like what? Reconstructive surgery? Do you have necklace that can magically change my appearance?” I fingered the heavy silver pendant around my neck. Since Luca had given it to me, I felt more secure. Too bad it didn’t work as tabloid journalist repellent.
“I might know where to find one of those,” he said. When he didn’t smile, I realized he meant it. “It is my desire to make you happy.” He turned his seductive gaze on me and I could swear he was undressing me with his eyes. At that thought, my body ignited, delivering delicious pulses in all my intimate places.
“Do we have anything else on the agenda today?” I kept my voice cool and steady, even though I considered a psych evaluation. What kind of sick person is sexually turned on by the same man who shot her? To be fair, I’d felt insane lust for Luca from the first moment I saw him. And I hadn’t forgotten that hot kiss we’d exchanged before the draugr showed up to ruin the night.
Yup. I was a candidate for the loony bin. Or a support group for victims of Stockholm Syndrome.
After an amused stare, which made me suspicious that he could read my mind despite his earlier denials, Luca said, “As a matter of fact, we do. Try not to protest as a matter of principle.”
My hackles rose. It’s never good when someone tries to forewarn you. It means that whatever suggestion that followed would probably suck.
Luca smirked. “It’s time for you, as Americans like to say, to put on your big girl panties. Do I have that right?”
“Yes,” I grumbled.
“We will train. Every day, until you can hold your own in battle.”
“Super. Who is going to teach me?” As if I didn’t already know the answer. Hope springs eternal, right?
“Me, darling.”
“Concentrate!” Luca swept my legs out from under me, dumping me on my ass.
“I’m trying!” We’d been training for a week. I quickly learned that super healing had a major downside. Luca could make me train for much longer than any normal person could last. I had to give credit where credit was due. My improved skills made soul captures go a lot smoother. I’d learned how to get close enough to zap escapees without being ghost-handled too roughly.
He bounced on his heels, fists up in a fighting stance. “Again.”
We sparred for another hour, until Mr. Meadows insisted we eat something. I could grow to like the man for that alone. He brought me food and managed to derail Luca’s single-minded focus for at least an hour.
“So is there some kind of rotation for Redeemers?” I forked a plump tomato from my salad. The produce came from my gardens. Part of Sebastian’s security was to make the estate as self-sufficient as possible. Eventually I might find the time to learn more about the legacy. Even if I didn’t want it, I could at least make the best of the situation. That day in the coffee shop had been the wake-up call that I needed to remember the bad old days. I’d rather deal with the spirit world than human greed and avarice.
“There is, but I don’t know the details. It is all determined by the Powers That Be.”
“Do you have job title? Maybe Head Ass Kicker?” Or Super Vortex Man. I’d learned that Luca didn’t like to discuss how he created a portal in his chest.
“I’m an Advocate.” He cut up a chicken breast with precise motions. “I carry out the sentence of the Redeemer.”
“And being a body guard is part of your normal duties.”
“In your case, yes. Normally, souls aren’t so hands on.”
“Have there been others before me?” Too late I realized how that question could be interpreted.
Luca smiled slowly. “No. You are the only one for me.”
Awareness buzzed in my skull. My fork clattered onto my plate as what I now recognized as “the tug” pulled at me. Tamzin’s yellow gaze peered at me when I closed my eyes.
Without comment, Luca dropped his napkin onto the table and circled around to join me. He closed his eyes and frowned. “Curious” was all he said before he transported us to our assigned location.
“Downtown?”
We stood in the alley across from one of the most exclusive luxury condos—The Stirling—home to some of the city’s most prominent movers and shakers. Bad vibes shook through me. Like we should run in the other direction. Acid burned my throat as I fought to keep lunch down. “Do you—?”
“Yes, I feel it too. Be alert. I fear this may not be what we usually deal with.” Luca pushed through the revolving door. The concierge seemed to take no notice of us. Then I realized we had already crossed to the other realm. Dark red auras stained the lobby. The elevator, enveloped in black smut, appeared sinister.
“Is it safe to travel in that thing?” I hesitated.
“Yes.” Luca handed me the stun gun, secreted from his handy dandy pocket dimension. The shiny chrome doors slid open in welcome. He stepped inside, finger on the door open button.
I took the weapon and checked the power supply.
Luca arched an eyebrow at my pathetic attempts to stall.
“Just double-checking. I believe you beat that into me.” Literally. He’d zapped me enough times with the thing so I would know what it felt like. And, more importantly, he attempted to train me how to overcome the shock in case anyone ever turned the weapon on me. We were still working on that one.
I stepped inside, my body screaming for me to run before the doors closed, trapping us inside. As the elevator ascended, knots twisted my stomach along with the dread that something unpleasant waited for us.
Luca touched my shoulder.
I jumped, fingers twitching, ready to discharge my weapon.
�
��Breathe. Do not let your training go to waste.”
“I’m fine,” I snapped.
He inclined his head, but said nothing.
The elevator stopped, doors gliding open. Luca peered out, checking both directions. He motioned to the left. Tamzin waited, resting on an overturned service cart. Without a word, she drifted down the hall, stopping at the suite at the hall’s end.
Be careful, Redeemer. The same dirty blackness coated the door. I really, really didn’t want to see what was on the other side, but I knew I had to. With a deep fortifying breath, I turned the knob. The door opened easily, revealing an open floor plan. The loft-type layout provided a clear view of the kitchen, living room, and dining area. To the right, mock walls that must have led to the more private areas like bedrooms and bathrooms.
The first thing that struck me, aside from the obvious wealth of the person who lived there, was the pair of twisted legs jutting from behind a sleek leather sofa. I aimed the stun gun and approached the body.
“He is dead.” Luca sniffed the air. “Do you sense the spirit?”
I shook my head. “I don’t feel anything.” I looked at my left palm. The brand was inactive. “Could this be a mistake?”
I circled around the couch. Cartons of Chinese take-out were strewn across the clear glass coffee table. Two sets of plates had been set out. I stepped around the pool of blood surrounding the victim’s head. Neck at an odd angle, arms and wrists broken and twisted, he’d been wrecked like a child’s plaything.
Cold sweat coated my forehead and back. In the months since I’d inherited this nightmare, I hadn’t gotten used to the carnage. “Wait a minute. Did this person just die?”
Luca responded from across the room. I hadn’t even noticed him move. “I believe so.”
“Why are we here?” We only caught souls who’d escaped the Hereafter. “This guy is too new to have escaped.”
“We’re not here for him.” Luca’s gaze hardened before he stalked down a hallway.
I glanced again at the victim and saw his face. Oh God. I stifled a cry. Kneeling down, I touched the tousled, blood-soaked hair. “Mikey? No! Luca, it’s —”
Sharp pain split my skull and stars bloomed across my vision. I dropped to my knees, hands automatically clutching my head as warm blood coursed over my fingertips, coating my palms.
Luca barreled toward me, mouth open as if calling my name. A blur zipped across the living room and collided with him. I faded in and out of consciousness, fighting to stay alert.
Double images of the ghost and Luca wrestled on the ground. I fumbled for the stun gun, willing my fingers to pull the trigger. They moved too fast. With my shaky aim and wonky vision, I could hit Luca instead. The room faded . . .
. . . and then it was back. The throbbing wound lessened to a dull roar. Furniture lay broken and smashed around me.
Pots and pans clattered to the kitchen floor. Mikey’s ghost stood on the stone countertop.
“Stay back! Don’t let it hurt me!” he half yelled, half sobbed.
Poor Mikey. The kind, convivial man I knew was now a terrified spirit. He probably had no idea what was happening. I’d fuck up whoever did this to him.
A sinuous blot appeared on the ceiling above Luca’s shoulder. Snake-like, its shadowy form slithered overhead, forked tongue flicking in and out, attention focused on Luca. He appeared to be unaware of the threat hunting him from above.
No way was I allowing that thing to hurt my partner. It was bad enough that it’d probably killed Mikey and caved in the back of my skull. With my remaining strength, I raised my weapon and fired. At the last moment, Luca and Mikey shifted into the probe’s path. Blue lightning raced through Mikey’s torso, immobilizing him. I swear I heard a low, hissing chuckle. When I glanced over, the ceiling was empty, the real monster vanished.
I dropped my arm. So tired. I closed my eyes. The brands burned, as if trying to rouse me.
When I opened my eyes again, Luca approached, dragging the ghost to me. I held out my palms. They connected with Mikey’s soul. Whorls of memories, snippets of life flashed before me. I held on long enough to see my palms glow with white light. He’d led a good life. Relief washed over me. Mikey wouldn’t be sentenced to whatever nasty place bad spirits went. Duty discharged, I willed the mental rollercoaster to end so I could pass out.
Seconds, maybe minutes, later, I re-opened my eyes, gaze latching onto Mikey’s corpse. Energy pulsed over my skin. Luca had opened the gate to the Hereafter. I blinked. Something had caught my attention. An unwrapped fortune cookie had been knocked under the couch. Red paper. Not white.
I stretched my arm, fingers extended. Luca’s footsteps echoed across the floor. I hooked the cookie, grabbing it before Luca lifted me. The sudden motion made the room spin and my stomach lurched. Tucking the cookie into my pocket, I rested my head against his chest. Blood soaked into his shirt.
Luca swore under his breath, “Motherfucker. Who did this to you?”
“Not Mikey,” I mumbled. “Snake thing.”
“Hush, cariad.” His voice vibrated next to my ear. “We need to go. The human authorities must have been alerted by now.”
I managed a strangled, “Mmm …” then passed out.
Chapter 5
Let nothing distract you from your goals.
“How could you let this happen? You’re supposed to be protecting her.”
“Get off my back. Don’t you dare lecture me, Julian.”
Just what a girl wants to wake up and hear after major head trauma. Two alpha males fighting over her. Even though they were arguing in angry whispers, pain pinged around my head every time one of them spoke. Like a massive hangover minus the cottonmouth and booze-soaked skin.
“You aren’t good enough for her,” Julian said. “If you fail to safeguard her again. I’ll—”
“You’ll what, ghost?” Luca snarled. “I don’t need you spitting my failures back in my face. You know I will die for her.”
“A lot of good that’ll do her. Who will protect her then?”
The conversation switched from English to what I presumed was Welsh.
I fisted the bedcovers and groaned. “Please stop. You’re hurting my head. It wasn’t Luca’s fault. The capture was different.” Very different. I know what I saw. There was something else in that penthouse with us.
Warm fingertips brushed my cheek then Luca came into my line of sight. “We’ve been worried about you.”
“Yes. You had a nice dent in your skull,” Julian added.
Luca speared him with an angry glare. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” Returning his attention to me, worry lines creased his forehead. His ruffled hair, disheveled clothes, and blood-stained shirt told me he’d stayed by my bedside.
“How long have I been out?” Weak sunlight strained across the sheer curtains. Hard to tell if the day was beginning or ending.
“Almost eight hours. How do you feel?” Luca smoothed my hair off my forehead.
“Like someone bashed in my skull.” I gingerly probed the back of my head, relieved to find it intact. The bone had fully healed, but the skin remained tender. “There was something else with us.”
Julian grunted a vague curse in the background. “Some guardian you are.”
“Stop it, Julian!” I tried to sit up. The room lurched sideways. Okay, no more of that. I massaged my temples until the dizziness passed. “You weren’t there. Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t an escaped soul.”
“Shhh. We can talk about it later. Drink this.” Luca helped me into an upright position, then held a straw to my lips.
The drink was cool, fruity. “Sports drink?” A few sips more and the residual hangover had disappeared.
“You’ve lost a lot of fluid.” He made me drink to the last drop b
efore I could settle against the pillows. Against sheets that I didn’t recognize. When I’d woken up the morning before, I was pretty sure the bedding was white, not black.
Oh man. I groaned at the memory of me waking up, my stomach in turmoil.
“I barfed on you, didn’t I?” I wouldn’t have complained if the earth opened and swallowed me then and there.
“Not exactly. But you gave the staff something to do.” Luca’s smile warmed me in other places. Without thinking, I ran my fingers down his stubbled cheek. Suddenly, I was feeling much better.
He leaned into my touch, eyes closed. “Don’t stop,” he murmured.
There was a soft knock at the door.
Luca swore, then barked, “What?”
Meadows poked his head in. “Sorry to disturb you sir, but there is a guest here to see Ms. Ashworth and you.”
“Who’s here?” I had to ask, it was my house after all.
“Ms. Joanna Evans.”
“We’ll be down when we’re ready,” I groused. “Her timing sucks.” I wondered if I could beg off the visit on account of my head. She didn’t know I was fully healed.
Luca gave me a lingering look then stood and faced Meadows. “Please ask Ms. Evans to join us for dinner.”
Or not. So much for sick time.
“We cannot refuse,” Luca said. He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “I don’t like it any better than you do.”
Duty called. No rest for the wicked and all that crap. “I need to bathe.”
“Let me help you.” He slung my arm around his neck and helped steady me on my feet. Once he was sure, I wouldn’t collapse in the shower, he returned to his room to change. He didn’t need to tell me that it was probably a good idea not to meet the boss looking like holy Hell.
I tried not to panic at the volume of blood pouring down the drain from my hair. Or at the white flecks that I feared were bits of skull. Insane laughter bubbled from my chest. It was all so damn crazy. Sebastian, you shit. Giddiness morphed into anger and I banged the shower tiles with my fist. Clearly, I needed to work through the stages of grief. To properly mourn my lost future.