by Anya Bast
Mira could practically feel the stone wall go up between them. He didn't answer her. He only turned his head and stared out the window.
Fine. He could keep his secrets. For now.
The limo turned down a small road marked Private Property. They drove through a set of towering metal gates and past the little sentry building that stood there. The long, twisting road they traveled after that must have been a couple of miles long. Tall trees shaded the way and beautiful, parklike grounds stretched off on both sides.
They finally breached the canopy of trees and pulled through yet another set of gates, into a circular driveway in front of a monstrously huge mansion.
"Welcome to the Coven, Mira," said Jack before he got out of the limo.
The driver came around the side and helped her from the car. She refused to look at Jack as she climbed out.
She tried to take her bags from the limo's trunk, but the driver wouldn't let her, saying he'd bring them to her rooms. Feeling like minor royalty all of a sudden, she followed Jack up the stone stairs and into the house.
Mira couldn't quite suppress her gasp of surprise as they entered the gleaming marble foyer. Apparently, the Coven had done fairly well for itself. This place was like something out of Architectural Digest, all vaulted ceilings, marble, and glass.
A tall man in his midforties with premature salt-and-pepper hair emerged through the doorway on her right and walked toward them. "Jack," he greeted warmly. The man's smile faded the closer he got. "What happened to you?”
"I got the bad end of a fight this morning." Jack shook his hand and turned to Mira. "Mira, this is Douglas. He manages the house. Douglas, this is the witch causing all the activity lately.”
"Nice to meet you, Mira. I've heard much about you. We all have.”
Oh, good. She managed to smile and shake his hand. It seemed she tasted salt for a moment when their hands touched. Warm salty water, like the sea. Was Douglas a water witch, perhaps? Interesting. She'd always had a little ESP, was it growing stronger now that she'd tapped her magick?
"Thomas said to meet him in the library," said Douglas. "Then he'll let you get some rest. I hear you've both had a busy morning.”
"What kind of a mood is he in?" asked Jack.
Douglas smiled. "Impatient. Grouchy. Opinionated.”
"What's new?" Jack glanced toward the door.
Douglas gave a short laugh. "Well, I'll leave you two to it then." He gave Mira a little salute and a wink and then strolled out the other door.
What was with this guy, Thomas? Was he some kind of ogre or what? It seemed like everyone, even big bad Jack, was wary of this guy. Although Mira supposed a man didn't get to head the Coven without being somewhat the alpha dog on the block.
Jack walked toward the door he'd glanced at a moment ago. Mira followed him.
New books, old books, books of every conceivable shape and size were stacked to the tops of shelves that stretched as high as the vaulted ceiling. The far wall was a mass of floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the landscaped grounds. Several desks stood in the room with computer equipment.
The rest of the room was decorated in leather and expensive wood furniture. A wet bar stood along the wall to her left, in between the bookshelves. A library with a bar. Well, perhaps one needed a drink now and again while perusing the stacks.
The room was empty save for one man. He stood at the far end of the room, looking out the window. He wore a gorgeous gray suit. Mira didn't know a whole lot about men's clothing, but it looked expensive. His shoulders were broad, powerful, and his long, silky black hair was tied at his nape.
The man turned and walked toward them. This was Thomas Monahan? She'd been expecting someone much older... and much less attractive. Mira stared because, damn, he was worth staring at.
He was built like Jack—powerful—and he and Jack were both good-looking enough to make Mira's tongue tie itself into a knot, but that was where the similarities ended.
Jack was the type to work independently, someone who didn't play well with others, but Thomas moved with the presence of a man who knew how to lead. Or that's the impression Mira had, anyway, while watching him walk toward them. He seemed to exude the perfect qualities—strength and charisma—to govern people.
"Welcome back," Thomas said to Jack as he approached.
"Glad to be here." They shook hands and Monahan pulled him into one of those manly back-clapping embraces that always made Mira snicker.
Monahan turned to her. "Mira, it's so nice to finally meet you. My name is Thomas Monahan.”
She took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, too." She paused. "Thank you for all you've done for me.”
"I think Jack has done far more. He's the one who's risked his life.”
"Yes, I—you're right." Perhaps for the first time Mira truly realized that. She turned to him. "Thank you, Jack," she said with sincerity in her voice. Even though it seemed so paltry to just say thanks.
A muscle in Jack's jaw locked. He didn't look at her. "Don't give me your gratitude. Please.”
Mira winced at the cold tone of Jack's voice and the way he rebuffed her. She couldn't quite mask her expression. Too much had happened that day, and she had no energy left for dissembling. She wasn't very good at it anyway.
"In any case, you saved my ass this morning. Not the other way around," Jack ground out without looking at her.
Yes, but were it not for Jack, her ass would have been grass on the night the Duskoff broke her door in. Why couldn't he take a simple thank you from her? She couldn't keep the hurt and confusion from her face.
Thomas looked from Jack to Mira, his mouth tightening into a displeased line. "Jack, you look like you might need a few stitches. I know Doctor Oliver is in the house. Why don't you go find her? I need to talk with Mira alone anyway.”
Jack nodded, glanced at Mira, and left the room, closing the large wooden doors on his way out. Mira shivered, feeling a tingle of dread at his absence. He was well and truly gone now. She felt that. Mira drew her arms over her chest, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat.
"Are you hungry, Mira? Thirsty?”
"I'm fine. Just a little tired.”
"I'm sure you are." He motioned for her to sit down in a nearby chair. He lowered himself into the opposite one. "Ingrid called and filled me in on what happened this morning. There have been lots of changes for you lately.”
That was an understatement. "Considering I didn't believe in magick a week and a half ago, I'd say so.”
His full mouth twisted into a smile. "You seem to have come to it very well. You just need some instruction so you can harness it and use it effectively, responsibly. Annie was loyal to your parents, and it's not for us to say whether they were right or wrong in their decision to keep you from us.”
"You mean to keep my magick from me." She couldn't help the note of bitterness in her voice.
He shrugged. "If she hadn't been so loyal, you would have been trained from childhood. You have much catching up to do, but from what I've heard so far you're a fast learner.”
"I'm worried about Annie, Thomas. Jack said you were taking care of her?”
"I asked her to come to live at the Coven for awhile as our guest, but she refused. She told me she won't let those 'barbarian warlocks' make her change her life and that she has a store to run.”
Mira smiled. That sounded like Annie. "That craft store is her world.”
"Because she refused our protection here at the Coven, we sent a couple of witches to guard her for awhile, and we sent some excellent wardweavers to bind her home and business against the Duskoff.”
Mira nodded, feeling somewhat better. She would give Annie a call later.
He regarded her with eyes that seemed as black as his hair. They were beautiful in a wicked, obsidian kind of way. The man truly did look like a witch. Mira wondered if there was any hint of color in those dark orbs anywhere. Jack had said he was an earth witch, but she wasn't quite sure
what the magick of earth entailed.
"I have one more change for you, Mira," he went on.
She tipped her head to the side, letting her gaze travel over the handsome, yet rough-hewn lines of his face. Aside from his carriage, which was the most arresting thing about him, Thomas possessed a unique masculine beauty with his dusky skin, long black hair, and dark eyes. She loved his wide cheekbones and full, sensual-looking mouth. His mouth seemed at odds with the rest of the impression he made, something soft and lush on a man carved from granite.
Were all witches gorgeous? Was it some prerequisite for a male to have magick that he also be sexual-fantasy inducing? She wasn't as attracted to Thomas as she'd been to Jack—that had been knee-meltingly strong, and yet...
"I'm your first cousin."
FOURTEEN
Every thought Mira had crashed to the floor like a stack of china plates. She blinked. "Uh, excuse me?”
Thomas leaned forward, threading his fingers together in front of him. "Your mother, Eva Monahan, was my father's sister. That makes us first cousins.”
Suddenly, she felt light-headed. It was almost noon, and she'd had nothing to eat. That meant on an empty stomach she'd nearly killed six men while misusing her magick and then found out she had a long-lost cousin. No wonder she felt a little woozy. She glanced at the bar. "I think I might have that drink now.”
He laughed and stood. "What would you like?”
"An orange juice, if you have it"—with half a bottle of vodka in it—"That would be great.”
Thomas came back with her orange juice and she took a sip, letting it steady her and calm her nerves. After a moment of digesting both liquid and new information, she spoke. "I noted right away that Monahan was also my mother's maiden name, but I just thought it was coincidence. I, uh, didn't even know my mother or father had any siblings.”
Her chest and stomach were heavy with sadness. Annie had kept all her parent's secrets from her, everything. Even though Mira knew she'd done it to honor their wishes, it stung. Hadn't she understood how alone Mira had felt in the world? She felt betrayed.
And weary of secrets.
"I imagine they didn't want you to track down your family and discover you were a witch, Mira. They were trying to protect you because they loved you." He paused and studied the look on her face. "What do you want to know?”
Mira sighed. "Everything.”
"We'll have time to catch you up. I'm sure you'll meet some of the rest of the family while you're here too.”
"Rest of the family?”
"The Monahan family is directly involved with the Coven. My father, Richard, led it before control was handed to me by the council. You have a bunch of cousins who hang around here pretty often. In fact, my sister Serena should be here later today. I'm going to see if she wants to take your training over. She's an earth witch, like me.”
She blinked. "Not that I'm objecting, but why Serena?”
"I only want people around you that I trust implicitly.”
"Jack's been doing my training so far. You don't trust him?”
Thomas took a moment to answer. "I wouldn't have allowed Jack to be your personal bodyguard if I didn't trust him, and I still think he's the best man for that particular job, but let's try someone new for your training.”
His tone seemed to prohibit any disagreement. Mira suspected not many people tried to argue with Thomas. In any case, she wanted to get to know Serena.
"All right," she said with an easy shrug. "I'm looking forward to meeting your sister... my cousin." She rolled the word cousin around in her mouth, trying to get used to the feeling of it.
"Your mom had two brothers," Thomas said, "my dad and Uncle Andrew. They both married and had kids. You have four other cousins, all around our age. There's Serena, Kathryn, Phillip, and Micah. I know you have cousins on the Hoskins side, too.”
Mira couldn't even answer. She set her glass of orange juice on the table beside her.
"I'll let you rest. I can tell you're exhausted and overwhelmed. Just let me know if you need anything. You're family, Mira, and I'm happy you've found your way back to us.”
Family. Wow.
Feeling a little shell-shocked, Mira watched Thomas take a photo album from one of the bookshelves. He walked over and handed it to her. "I'll take you up to your room," he continued. "You can settle in, get something to eat, maybe take a nap. That's an album filled with family pictures. They're all labeled so you'll know who is who.”
She ran her finger over the leather-bound cover and smiled. "Thank you.”
He led her through the huge house, past corridors tastefully decorated in neutral shades. Hardwood floors with long burgundy and gold rugs abounded. Small tables filled with vases of fresh flowers stood in corners and against walls. Beautiful artwork hung everywhere. They passed sitting areas scattered here and there, all sporting comfortable-looking furniture that invited people to relax.
As Thomas gave her the tour, he explained that the house had two large kitchens with cook staffs, a conservatory, a ballroom, a gym, and an indoor/outdoor pool.
"Who owns all this?" she asked him as they turned down a corridor on the third floor. She was well and truly lost by that point.
"The Coven is supported by donations from the wealthiest magickal families and is run through a system a little like a board of directors. The Hoskins and Monahan families both have seats on the Coven council. The council employs financial advisors who make investments that yield nice returns. We also get income from the people who keep quarters here and don't work directly for the Coven. Lastly, the Coven owns a few profitable businesses.”
"So the council is the governing body, then?”
"In as much as we have one, yes. The council decides who runs the Coven and makes major decisions that affect witches in a general way.”
"Sounds complicated.”
He gave her a rueful smile. "It's a big job, but I love it." Thomas took a keychain from his pocket and unlocked one of the doors. "Here's your room.”
The door opened into a sitting room decorated in shades of creams and gold. There was a TV, a desk with a computer, a couch and chair, and a small refrigerator. French doors led into a large, well-appointed bedroom with a king-size bed. The bathroom was enormous, with a spa tub that she couldn't wait to try out. Someone had placed her bags on the bed already.
"It's far more than I need, Thomas," she said, returning from her walk-through. "I think I could fit my apartment in here about three times.”
"These are your rooms here at the Coven. Forever.”
"No, Thomas—”
He held up a hand to cease her protest. "The Hoskins and Monahan families contribute a lot of money to the Coven, and you are both. Don't say another word. These are your rooms whether you decide to stay here or not. Forever." Again with the tone that said don't argue.
Mira opened and closed her mouth, but didn't know what to say in response to any of this.
He turned and walked to the door, but paused before he left. "If you need anything else, let me know. You're family, Mira, and we'll do anything for you.”
She flopped down on the bed the moment Thomas was gone and opened the photo album. Within were page after page of glossy photographs of people she didn't know. Strangers who didn't have to be strangers but for the overprotectiveness of her parents. They'd traded her life away in an effort to shield her, yet the danger had still found her. Indeed, the danger was double as a result of her parents' attempt to keep her safe.
Wouldn't it have been better for her to grow up knowing what she was and becoming stronger in her abilities, so strong that Crane and the Duskoff never would've even thought about coming after her?
She shook her head. She didn't know what her parents' reasoning had been because she'd never known her parents.
Mira flipped through the pages, once in awhile coming across a woman who looked a lot like her—a cousin? Sometimes she'd find a picture of a younger Thomas.
Then
she turned a page and found photos of her parents. The entire back half of the album was filled with them— when they were young and laughing and surrounded by people who loved them.
Tears plopped on the plastic-protected pages before Mira even realized she was crying.
THOMAS WAS AT HIS MOST DANGEROUS WHEN HE was calm. He always went quiet and subdued when exceptionally pissed off.
Two years Jack's senior, Thomas had always been like a big brother to him, and, like a younger brother, Jack danced on the edge of his temper often.
Wincing at the soreness of his face, Jack rubbed his cleanly shaven jawline and watched Thomas pace in front of a bank of windows in his office.
Thomas never seemed to wear anything but hand-tailored suits and Italian shoes and never seemed to let his guard down. The man was wound too tight, had far too many barriers erected. He needed to lighten up a little, maybe even get laid once in a while.
The doctor had seen to Jack's injuries, stitched up the cut near his hairline, and salved the rest. He'd given himself what healing he could, which would mean his wounds would mend faster.
He'd relinquished his hold on Mira with far more pain than what he'd endured physically that morning. Letting her go had kicked his ass worse than anything he could remember.
Mira had been ensconced in her quarters, handpicked by her cousin Thomas, and was resting there now. Jack hadn't seen her all day. He missed her already, and that meant he needed to get the hell out of the Coven, needed to get far away from Mira so he couldn't hurt her anymore than he already had.
"Got any jobs for me, Monahan?" Jack prompted, since Thomas wasn't talking and he didn't want to stand there all day. "I can fly back to Minneapolis, help Ingrid bring the Duskoff hostages back down." Just give me something to do.
Thomas rounded on him. "You slept with her, didn't you?”
Oh, hell.
Jack didn't answer, but his silence told Thomas everything.
Thomas swore under his breath. "I could see it almost the moment you stepped into the library, the way you stood and the way you two looked at each other." Thomas swore again and showed Jack his back. He shook his head. "You thought to hide it from me, maybe, Jack, but it was all there in your body language.”