Fatal Dreams (COBRA Securities Book 17)

by Velvet Vaughn

  Chapter Four

  Lyra Kee polished the oval-shaped amethyst on the sterling silver necklace before arranging it on the black felt stand. She loved working with purple quartz, not only for the rich hue it added to her pieces, but for the calm, balance and peace it represented.

  As a first generation Korean American, Lyra was proud of her heritage. Both of her parents were born in Seoul and had come to the United States for college and stayed. They’d met here, married and had Lyra while working as music professors. They’d encouraged her to follow in their footsteps, enrolling her in every possible music class. She was proficient in a multitude of instruments including clarinet, flute and piano, but she’d dutifully followed their path, playing the violin professionally in orchestras.

  She enjoyed her career. Playing the violin came easily to her. But creating wearable works of art was her true passion. She’d only dabbled with the craft for several years, making necklaces and bracelets for herself. It wasn’t until the past year when both of her parents passed away two months apart when she was twenty-five, that she really began to chase her dream. She now had a nicely stocked studio in the second bedroom of her condo, and she could spend hours inside, manipulating wire and metal and stones into sophisticated, intricate pieces.

  She hoped her parents wouldn’t have been too upset that she’d put her music career on the backburner. She’d been left with a sizable inheritance from her paternal grandparents, and then more when her parents passed, so she didn’t need to play to pay the bills, which was a good thing since it might be some time before she saw a profit from her jewelry. The offer to showcase her pieces in Esme Jovanovich’s shop had been a dream come true.

  It’d taken some courage to sign up for the craft fair a few weeks ago. She’d worked for hours and hours to build up her inventory. She’d arranged the pieces just so and was satisfied with her products. She’d been staring at an ornate bracelet with clear quartz when she’d felt an energy that was hard to explain—it was if she could feel new opportunities coming her way. She glanced up to see a striking woman with long black hair enter the booth. The woman’s emerald eyes had ping-ponged around the displays, as if she didn’t know where to look first.

  “Your pieces are exquisite,” the woman murmured as she fingered a necklace with a royal blue lapis lazuli. They started to talk and soon, Esme was helping her with sales when her booth suddenly became inundated with customers. She ended up selling out of all her pieces.

  Esme was one of the nicest people Lyra had ever met. They clicked instantly, as if they’d been friends forever. Lyra discovered that she owned a gift shop in her aunt’s fortune-telling shop, and she’d developed a line of soaps and candles that had taken off. Soon Lyra was agreeing to provide designer pieces for the store. Since Lyra liked to work with stones and gems that contained healing properties, they fit with Esme’s products since she worked with scents that did the same thing. It was almost as if it was meant to be—fate had brought them together.

  Esme’s shop did well from walk-in customers, but the bulk of her sales came from online orders. Lyra hadn’t had time to establish an online presence yet, so this was perfect for her. She’d met Joelle Sims, the woman who designed and updated Esme’s website. She was talented and the site was professional, with well-lit photos showcasing the items for sale. Joelle had snapped pictures of Lyra’s items that were scheduled to go live the beginning of next week. If her pieces took off, she’d be one more step closer to her dream of a successful line of jewelry.

  The cases that Esme had custom-built for Lyra’s pieces were ready and today she was stocking the shelves. Excitement coursed through her to see her designs on display. It was a big step for her career. She couldn’t be happier.

  The only damper was the death of one of Esme’s coworkers. Lyra had met Femi a few times when she’d stopped by the shop. Her death came as a shock to everyone. Lyra felt guilty for being so excited about her future when Femi didn’t have one.

  When the last necklace was arranged just so, she stepped back to admire her work. Dreams really did come true.

  #

  Tyler Redmond couldn’t get over how exotic Esme was and how jealous he felt of his friend Ethan. Man, his coworkers snapped up all the dazzling ladies as soon as they appeared. There’d been no overt actions or words spoken, but Tyler could tell Ethan was smitten with the raven-haired beauty. And she was equally taken with his fair-haired friend. Man, he needed to get out of the compound more often. He wasn’t going to meet a woman when he spent twenty-two hours of the day in front of a computer screen…or several screens, as the case may be.

  He entered the Victorian house behind the two, keeping back a distance so the sparks flying between them didn’t singe off his eyebrows. Wowza. Talk about chemistry.

  He expected the interior to be old and creaky and a little scary. He pictured dark rooms, cobwebs, a skeleton or two hanging in the closets. Crystal balls. Maybe even a bubbling cauldron. He realized his thoughts were stereotypical and he didn’t necessarily believe in hocus pocus, but the idea fascinated him. He loved Halloween and the macabre. Instead, the inside was modern and updated. It looked more like a designer home.

  He stopped dead in his tracks when a woman squeaked. He’d almost plowed her over while studying the architecture. His arms shot out to steady her. “I’m so sorry.”

  Silky black hair swished from side to side, the front edges longer than the back. “It was my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  He thought Esme was stunning, but this woman made his heart race as if he’d just crossed the finish line of the Tour de France. On a tricycle. He wasn’t positive of her ethnicity, but he would guess it to be Korean. Damn, he couldn’t take his eyes from her. She was shy, her gaze barely meeting his before darting away. Tyler was the opposite. He was gregarious and outgoing and, okay, he’d been called mega annoying by more than one person. But he liked to have fun. The girls he’d dated in the past—and he emphasized girls because he’d been young and they’d been, too—had been inexperienced and awkward, much like himself.

  Working with some of the most hale, muscular, incredible people in the world, he’d felt like a ninety-eight-pound weakling around them. Though he wasn’t an agent, he wanted to blend in. He’d approached Dante Costa, the most fit person on the planet, in Tyler’s opinion, and asked him to mold him into a warrior. Dante hadn’t hesitated, and he hadn’t laughed, which Tyler secretly feared. Dante wasn’t mean, but Tyler thought it was akin to a Razor scooter asking to be molded into a Harley Hog. In other words, impossible. Dante coached, mentored, instructed and flat-out forced Tyler to become a better version of himself.

  Tyler could admit that many tears were shed. Mostly his. Building muscle was hard. And an obscene number of curse words had been spouted, again, mostly from him directed at his tormentor, Dante.

  When Tyler started, he could barely manage ten-pound barbells for ten reps. He was now easily repping fifties for five sets. He could run for over six miles without breaking a sweat, bench three times his body weight, and damn if he didn’t have a six pack that, okay, he’d admit to admiring in the mirror when he was alone. He’d trace the ridges, marveling that it was his body—Tyler, the super-nerd. The youngest kid in all his classes. The one the football team had duck taped to the goal post. In his underwear. The basketball team had somehow managed to wedge him ass-first into a hoop. In his underwear. That’d been fun trying to get down. At least when the hockey team tied him to the front of the Zamboni and driven him around the rink, they’d let him keep his clothes on. Otherwise, he’d have surely frozen to death.

  To be fair, it hadn’t been all the members of the three teams, just a select few bullies. The quarterback and wide receiver had cut the tape and freed him from the goal post. The center and one of the forwards had brought two ladders and climbed up to help him down from the hoop. The captain of the hockey team had stopped the goaltender driving the Zamboni, released Tyler and then chastised his enti
re team. Alcohol had played a factor in all the shenanigans. It didn’t when two members of the science team stuffed him into his locker. That one really stung.

  Tyler had an eidetic memory and he remembered every single person who wronged him. He thought about exacting revenge on each one, but the hockey Captain, Finnegan Bates, sat him down and told him to let the anger go and concentrate on moving forward. He told him that he was the smartest kid in school, maybe the entire state and that he’d make something of himself one day. He befriended the much-younger Tyler and from then on, bullies left him alone. He still kept in touch with Finn, who played professionally in the National Hockey League and boasted a couple of Stanley Cup wins and league MVP titles to his credit. Tyler considered him his best friend.

  If it hadn’t been for Finn, he might’ve accessed each of the bullies’ school records and changed their grades. As it was, they bragged about what they’d done to him, taken pictures and posted them online, proving that they were not only bullies, but also idiots. It got back to the school officials and they’d all been punished. Though he’d wanted to humiliate them like they’d done to him, it had to be enough. He only wished each of those guys could see him now. Thanks to his awesome job and the side programs he worked on, he had more money in the bank than he’d be able to spend in a lifetime.

  He felt strong, confident, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. Before, he’d dyed his hair crazy colors to stand out. He didn’t need to do that any longer. He let his body do the talking. He was still a work in progress, but Dante had created a beast. Maybe he’d go to the next reunion and walk around in his underwear since they’d been so keen on exposing his tighty whities before. Let them see him now!

  “Are you okay?”

  The soft voice yanked him from his memories. He smiled down at the fetching woman. “Couldn’t be better.” He held out a hand. “Tyler Redmond.”

  Her small hand fitted into his and a calm settled over him that he’d never felt before.

  “Lyra Kee.”

  “Lyra’s a beautiful name,” he murmured, staring into her dark, mysterious eyes, for how long, he had no idea.

  “Hey, bud, she probably wants her hand back,” Ethan drawled, slapping him on the back. At one time, a smack like that would’ve sent him stumbling forward. Now he didn’t so much as budge.

  “Oh, right.” He let go, noticing a pretty red blush staining her pale cheeks. Maybe it was the aura of the shop where fortunes were told, but he was seriously enraptured.

  “It was nice to meet you. If you’ll excuse me.” She brushed past him and he almost reached out and stopped her. He didn’t want her to leave. Without realizing his intent, he did grab her arm. Startled eyes met his questioningly.

  “Dinner. Eat. Me.” He slammed his lids shut. Oh God, did he just tell a gorgeous woman to eat him? He wondered if he grabbed one of those faux magic wands off the shelf, he could make himself disappear. “What I meant to say is, would you have dinner with me?”

  Her pink lips rounded into an O. “Are you asking me out for a date?”

  If she had to ask, he wasn’t doing it right. He nodded.

  She placed a hand against her chest. “You want to go out with me?”

  He narrowed his eyes when she emphasized the “you.” Young, insecure Tyler almost surfaced, but he’d worked long and hard to beat that weaselly wimp into submission. He was a far cry from vain, but he was relatively certain he wasn’t ugly. Maybe he was overreaching asking such a pretty woman out to dinner. He hadn’t planned on it…his mouth opened, and the words spewed out before he could stop them, and not very eloquently, either. He cleared his throat. “Yes.”

  “But you’re…” She stopped and waved a hand at him. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  “I’m what?” He looked down at his outfit of bike shirt and shorts. The shirt hugged his muscular—if he did say so himself—torso. Hopefully the black shorts hid his body’s reaction to her. If she said a nerd or any variation thereof, he’d revert to young, insecure Tyler and he really hated that simpering bastard.

  “Gorgeous,” she breathed. “Why would someone as handsome as you want to go out with me? You could go out with any woman on the planet.”

  Gorgeous? Tyler Redmond? He was positive those words had never been spoken in the same sentence. Okay, that was it. Tyler was moving into this house of magic. That’s all there was to it.

  Chapter Five

  Ethan glanced around Esme’s shop located inside her aunt’s house, a little surprised it was modern and trendy, with strategic lighting, artful displays and soft music playing in the background. Granted, he knew squat about the fortune-telling business except what he’d seen on television and the in movies, which was lots of heavy curtains and eerie darkness. There were the obvious chachkas like crystal balls and magic wands on the shelves, but also a display of candles, jewelry and other assorted items. He picked up a purple candle and sniffed the warm, floral scent before reading the attached tag that explained the relaxing, calming effects of lavender and jasmine. Celestial Scents by Esme. Maggie would love this. He hadn’t bought his sister a gift for no reason in forever.

  He glanced over at Tyler and hid a smile. The kid was enraptured by a dark-haired Asian beauty. If his tongue hung out any further, it’d be dragging the floor. He was surprised fat red hearts weren’t popping from his eyes. The kid was a goner.

  “Ethan, this is my aunt, Luminitsa Cosmescu,” Esme introduced. He turned to see a woman a few inches taller than Esme, her hair a luxurious red that would reach down her back if it wasn’t tied up with scarves in an intricate knot on her head. Skin like porcelain, green eyes much like Esme’s studied him intently.

  He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  The woman didn’t take his hand, nor did she speak. Ethan fought a shiver as his arm dropped to his side. He felt as if this woman was looking directly into his soul.

  “You are him.”

  He shot a quick glance at Esme, who looked panicked. He refocused on her aunt. “Him who?”

  “Oh, ah, um, the man who came to my rescue, right Lumi?” Esme’s voice was tight as she stared purposefully at her aunt, who ignored her niece. Her eyes were laser-focused on him. Then a smile broke across her face.

  Ethan didn’t fight the shiver this time. It racked his entire body. Man, what the hell was that? He nearly opened his mouth and confessed every bad thing he’d done in his life including the time he’d put a frog down his little sister’s shirt. He’d been prepared for her to scream bloody murder, but Maggie was tough. She’d fished the thing from her blouse and kept it as a pet. This woman was unsettling him something fierce. He had the overwhelming urge to call his brother to come help him out…only Noah was attending funerals right now with his girlfriend. His fight or flight instinct kicked in. Since he’d never hit a woman for any reason whatsoever, flight took precedence.

  “It was nice to meet you,” he lied. With a nod to Esme, he latched onto Tyler’s arm. “We’ve got to be going.”

  “But you just got here,” Esme argued.

  Lumi just smiled. Damn, that woman was creeping him the hell out.

  “Wait—what?” Tyler staggered and stumbled after him. Ethan didn’t let go, even when Tyler almost took them both down descending the steps. With a wave, he muscled Tyler across the alley and into the Escalade.

  “Dude?”

  Ethan glanced over with one brow raised in question, trying to look nonchalant.

  “What the hell was that?”

  Ethan played dumb. “What was what?”

  Tyler’s arms flailed. “The whole dragging me out of there routine. I’m not a sack of potatoes you can toss around. I asked Lyra out to dinner, but you yanked me out before I secured her digits! Dude!”

  “Sorry, but I needed air.” And wasn’t that an understatement. Esme’s aunt gave him the unmitigated creeps. “Besides, I haven’t been home in days, I’m recently concussed and I’m tired.” He wasn’t too proud
to play the pity card.

  Tyler frowned. “Okay, I can buy that. I didn’t mean to snap. But did you see how hot she was? I need to go back and talk to her.”

  “It’s a free country,” Ethan responded. He didn’t plan on going back, especially if the aunt was around. In his haste to get the hell out of there, he’d forgotten the candle for his sister, but too bad. He’d pick her one up at the drug store. Except, someone had tampered with Esme’s vehicle. The flat tire might be random, but the fact that the sensor didn’t work told him that there might be more at play. He didn’t like the thought of her in trouble. Which meant, dammit, he would have to go back.

  #

  Esme gaped at Ethan’s quickly retreating backside. One minute, she was introducing him to her aunt, the next thing she knew, he flew out of the house like a bat out of hell. She didn’t even get the chance to pay him back for arranging both cars to be fixed. And she wasn’t done talking to him, either. She wanted to get to know him, find out what made him tick. He fascinated her.

  Lumi threw her arms around her, catching her off-guard. “What was that for?” she asked once Lumi stepped back.

  Lumi’s smile was wide. “I’m so happy for you, Esmerelda Sabine. Meeting your soul mate is a momentous occasion. We should celebrate.”

  Esme’s mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding?” She threw a hand towards the door. “Did you see what just happened? He couldn’t get out of here fast enough.”

  Lumi waved that away. “That’s because I unsettled him.” She grabbed Esme’s hands. “He’s a good man, Esme. He’s honest and noble and brave. He’ll take care of you and keep you safe. You’ll have a very happy life together.”

  Esme watched as her aunt fluttered away like a colorful, energetic butterfly. It was disconcerting when she talked so surely of the future. Esme knew better than to question her, but she didn’t just blindly follow what she said, either. She was smart enough to know things happened for which you couldn’t prepare. Plus, Ethan had something to say about the situation, too. She’d never tell him what her aunt said for fear he would disappear and never return. She had to make sure Lumi kept her mouth shut—assuming Ethan ever came back.