by Lauren Dane
Chapter 12
MOLLY had just managed to escape the lovely and earnest college students who’d thrown a reception for her after her afternoon speech about Others in Seattle, when Faine materialized like the ghost he sometimes seemed to be.
He escorted her to the car and she began to check on her messages to see what she’d missed while she was speaking.
“Before you do that, Molly, I’ve got some bad news.”
She turned to him as he ably drove them through the U District and back south toward downtown Seattle. “Oh god. What?”
“A family was driving home from an afternoon soccer practice. Witches. Mom, dad, two kids. They were run off the road. The car was set on fire after the father was beat nearly to death. He’s in intensive care right now. If the beatings don’t kill him, the burns just might. The daughter is also in intensive care with several broken limbs, a collapsed lung and smoke inhalation. Son, who is eight . . .” His voice choked up for a moment and she reached out to squeeze his hand.
Her heart ached. She hadn’t even heard the whole story yet and her heart ached anyway. What was the world coming to?
“The son is dead.”
That aching heart leapt to her throat as she gasped, her hand over her mouth. “No.”
“I wish to God you were right. But you’re not. He’s dead. Gunshot wound to the head. The mother is missing. The cops are playing this very close to the vest. They won’t tell us anything more right now.”
“Jesus. Oh my god. They shot an eight-year-old boy in the head?” She reeled, trying to understand, but she just couldn’t wrap her head around it. “So are they out looking for the mother? What’s going on with that?”
“Authorities won’t give us any information. It was actually a big deal that Alder called to tip us off at all. But Gage and Meriel are on it now. They’ll find out who these witches are.”
Her head spun. “All right. I’ll have Rita get working on media contacts so we can get this info out there. See if we can’t find out who did this.”
Faine drove up the block toward the office and she groaned when she caught sight of the picket in front of their building. PURITY people had found out where they were and each day they now had to run the gauntlet of protesters to get to the doors. Luckily, Owen owned the building so they didn’t have to worry about landlords getting annoyed. But some didn’t have that luxury.
“I’m going to use the garage entrance on Third.” Faine pulled into the parking garage and her head seemed to hum the entire time.
It just kept getting worse. When would it stop? She wasn’t even sure she was doing any good. Not if families were . . . god, it didn’t bear thinking about but she had to. It was unavoidable, this new, horrible situation.
He escorted her back upstairs and she went her own way and he the other.
“Rita, can we talk, please?”
Rita looked up from her computer screen, grabbed a pad and followed Molly into her office.
“Are you all right? Can I get you something? You look pale. Too pale. You need more sleep. You work all the time.”
Molly smiled. She knew people were afraid of Rita, but Molly thought she was awesome. Sure, she was crusty and no doubt scary, but she’d been so much help and support to Molly and beneath that exterior there was one hell of a big heart.
“I take it you haven’t heard yet.” She filled Rita in on the news and then asked her to see if she couldn’t set up an interview or two for that evening’s news cycle.
“I’m going to do a press release with what we have. Rumors aren’t going to help. Can we get a tip line started I wonder?”
“I’ll touch base with Gage or Lark on that one. If we can, I’ll get it to you as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.”
Rita stood, pausing for a moment. She closed Molly’s door and turned back to her. “I know it’s been . . . hard for you. You’re so far away from home and your mothers. If you need a shoulder, a lecture, whatever, just know I’m here. All right?”
Molly choked back her emotion. “That means a lot to me, Rita. You’ve already been wonderful to me. You’ve helped me so much with all this stuff I didn’t know. I appreciate it more than I can say.”
Rita left her alone, closing Molly’s door in her wake. She put her head down and closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing. Things were spinning out of control. Molly was a fan of control. It gave her a sense of surety and security. But none of that existed anymore and she didn’t quite know what to do.
First things first. She sat back up and sucked the emotions back, putting them in the box that already strained at the corners. Time to get working on the press release.
* * *
GAGE found her at her desk, hair back from her face, a pen between her teeth.
“Hey.”
Molly started, looking up. She warmed, her smile, though ragged at the edges, revealed that hidden Molly so rarely seen. He’d come to her when he hadn’t needed to. But he wanted to. Wanted to see her. She’d ask a million questions anyway so it was best.
This is the lie he kept telling himself instead of admitting he’d just wanted to see her.
“Any news?” She looked tired and he wanted to make it better.
He sat and put a file on her desk. “I forwarded it all to your email but I thought you might want an update in person. The little girl is in intensive care, as you know. The father is in recovery from his second surgery. She’s stable, the father is more touch and go.”
She blew out a breath. “All right. I’m scheduled to go on camera in an hour. I’ll leave for the studio in forty-five.” She made notes absently in her ever-present pad.
“I’ll take you. Faine is off doing something else just now.” Or he would be when Gage went to him and sent him off.
“You’re a busy person, Gage. Someone else can give me a ride. People offer to help me all the time. I’m fine.”
“This is dangerous. You’re a public face now. I’m better than Faine is so I’m taking you. I’ll be back here in half an hour.” He got up. “The police have no suspects. At first no one would even talk to me, but Meriel did something, faxed something, I don’t know, shook her legal stick at them and they shared some. We have an ID on them now so Dominic is in touch with their family as well.”
“Any news on the mother?”
“Still missing. But they haven’t ruled out a nonviolent cause.”
She burst from her chair, her fist coming down on the edge of the desk. “Are you kidding me? The woman’s car is run off the road, her son is murdered, the father and daughter have burns and gunshot wounds! We know the father wasn’t in the driver’s seat, the mother’s blood is there and they’re not going to rule out what? That she got out of the car and decided to shoe shop? What the hell else could it be? They’ve taken her. Or she’s in a ditch somewhere dying.”
Molly when she was being smooth and elegant was a sight to behold. A sight he’d taken to reimagining every time he closed his eyes. But this Molly, eyes ablaze with anger, mouth a hard line, well, this furious woman was beautiful and terrible at the same time and the sight of it shocked through his system like a drop of water in a hot skillet.
“We’re in agreement. Lark and I have sent a group of our people out to look for her.”
“Good. If we can’t get the help we need from the authorities, we need to do it ourselves. I can bring it up, if you like, when I address the press later. You know, a call for volunteers.”
She stopped ranting for a moment and took him in suspiciously. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I guess I just expected you to insist the human authorities would help.”
But that was the wrong thing to say. He knew it right after he said it. He hadn’t even meant it the way it came out. But it was too late; the damage had been done.
Her eyes, full of the heat of passion, went flat and cold. “Thank you for the update. I’ll see you in half an hour.”
“I’
m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
“Please go. I don’t want to talk about this. I have to finish a dozen things before I leave.” She turned her back, dismissing him.
He sighed heavily, feeling like a dick, and left.
* * *
OUT of camera range, Gage put the phone into his back pocket and looked straight at her. She knew, before she even heard the words, that they’d found the mother and the news wasn’t good.
So she finished her spot and gave the information out to anyone interested in volunteering in any way with Clan Owen. The cameras turned off along with the lights once she’d finished.
“Thank you for allowing me to come and speak today.” Molly appreciated the kindness of the news staff at the station. Briggs was at the rival network just across the street and two blocks down. From what she’d been given to understand, he’d used his muscle there to veto Molly or anyone from Owen being allowed to speak there on this issue. Their news coverage had said it had been an accident and was under investigation.
Bitterness washed through her as she took her bag from Gage and allowed him to lead her out. He’d tell her once he felt it was safe.
“We found her. She’d made it to a nearby business. From the looks of it, she pounded on the back door but no one answered. When someone arrived for a later shift they found her unconscious. She’s in a coma. They don’t know if she’ll make it or not. Her family has given the cops permission to speak to us and give us details.”
“When they can, obviously.”
He paused as he opened her door. There was an angry crowd just beyond the gates they were parked behind. A constant these days. She could pretend it was so rote she didn’t even notice. Sometimes anyway.
“What do you mean by that?” His tone was sharp. Suspicious.
She mentally counted to ten. “I mean they’re going to obviously keep some things close to the vest. They don’t know if we’re part of it or not. I imagine once they figure out we aren’t we’ll hear more. At least from Alder.”
“Yes, we’re obviously so guilty in this situation.”
She sighed, so tired, pushing past him to get in the car. She’d have preferred to have walked at that point. It would have really only taken about ten minutes. But the damned protesters . . . dangerous obviously. Hemmed in.
Damn it.
Still, she had shit to do and it didn’t include playing this same old tired game with Gage and his anger. Like she wasn’t angry? Like he was the only one who got to be mad at stuff?
He kept quiet until it was obvious she wasn’t going to speak either. As he got her to the elevator of the hotel he punched a button a little harder than he needed to. “You could talk to me instead of glaring.”
She gave him a look from the side of her eye. “I could. If I wanted to.” She got in and allowed the doors to close.
“Just tell me I’m a dick and I can say I’m sorry and we can get back to being friends.”
“You know you’re a dick. You don’t need me to tell you that.” She unlocked her door and stepped aside to let him check the room. She took a call as she waited, not trusting herself to tell him just exactly why she was mad right then.
He did the check and stayed in her living room.
“All clear?”
“Yes.”
She stood at her door. “Okay then. Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He walked around her, closed and locked the door and turned her to face him.
“Talk to me.”
“You’ve said enough today, Gage.”
The emotion was clear in his eyes and she may have felt bad for a few moments.
“I know I hurt your feelings. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was a dick.”
“What exactly are you sorry about?”
“Oh god, really?” He shifted from foot to foot, looking exactly like a man who is so pretty and beloved by the women in his life that he probably always got off with just an I’m sorry and never had to truly apologize.
Well, she wasn’t his mother or his aunt. And while he was undoubtedly hot, he was also a jerk. So if he wanted her to accept his apology, he really had to make one first.
“You surprise me.” He licked his lips and she raised a brow. “At least let me have a drink first.”
“Are you kidding me? You need a drink to truly apologize to someone you call a friend? You have been dreadful to me on this issue. I have never done a thing to make you believe I’d do anything but my very best for my people and yet you treat me like those humans protesting outside. You suck.”
He hung his head for a moment and when he looked to her again, it shot straight to her toes. He placed warm hands on her shoulders. “You’re right. I’m . . . I’m so damned mad and sometimes you get in the way of that. But you absolutely have never done anything but your very best for our people. I do suck.”
“I’m not the enemy.”
His gaze sharpened at the wobble in her voice and she wished she could take that moment of weakness back.
“I’m so sorry I made you feel that way. I am. I was a dick and I took out all this rage on you. It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”
And then his mouth was on hers and he was kissing her. Not a friend kiss. Not at all.
He pulled back and her mouth tingled. She licked her lips and tasted him, having to gulp at how good it was.
“I can’t apologize for that. For the kiss I mean. I’ve wanted to kiss you for . . . well, since the first moment I clapped eyes on you.”
She tipped her head, ready to ask him something, and he moved in again. Her words were lost as his tongue slipped into her mouth and she didn’t care to do anything but wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him right back.
* * *
HEAT raced through him at her taste. Like everything else about Molly Ryan, it was sweet, but then spicy. She knew her way around a kiss, that was for damned sure. He had to lock his knees to keep them from buckling when she sucked on his tongue before releasing it to nip his bottom lip. Her body, strong and soft in all the right places, pressed against his. His thoughts scattered to the four winds and all he felt, smelled and tasted was Molly. And that was more than all right.
He spun her, backing her against a nearby wall where he could ease into another level of the kiss. He slowed it down, kissing her deeply until he felt her spine ease as she gave in and let him taste.
She smelled so good. Her perfume was one thing, but as they kissed and her skin heated, her magick began to warm as well, scenting the air between them. His rose to respond, swirling around them, making him dizzy.
The phone in her pocket began to buzz and she sighed softly, breaking the kiss.
He was unable to tear his gaze from her mouth as she answered, his body still caging hers to keep her in place. Once she finished that call he had some more smooching in mind.
“Yes, yes. I’m going to look now. Thanks for the heads-up. He’s here with me. I’ll tell him.” She hung up and looked up, her lips swollen from his kisses. Christ.
“You’re going to tell me something that’s totally going to kill the mood, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “Several windows in the lobby of the building have been broken. The protesters. They discovered the back exit too and are now blocking the driveway. Meriel’s car was damaged. That was her calling. I need to update the website. We’ve already been urging people to travel in pairs. I’ll have to reiterate that.”
His phone started buzzing too. Lark, he realized when he pulled it from his back pocket. He answered and slid into hunter mode as she began to give him details.
Molly’s hands shook a little as she fixed her hair and got her makeup reapplied.
Holy hell, Gage Garrity was an Olympic-class kisser.
She was a sucker for a good, slow kiss. It was like he read her mind as he’d crowded her against that wall and his mouth had found hers. His arms around her were tight but not restrictive. And he meandered. Tasting. Teasing. Seducing. He eve
n made several deep moans of appreciation as she’d held on tight, giving as good as he gave.
He’d also apologized. Genuinely. Shown her a bit of the man behind all that anger. Something else she was a sucker for.
And really, she realized as she blotted her lipstick, she was apparently a sucker for Gage.
She sighed.
Her computer was booted up and she issued a brief statement about the new information about the Borache family’s condition and also the recent violence and vandalism at the Owen building, urging all of Clan Owen to remain vigilant and to travel in groups. She then called Gennessee to let them know. They didn’t really have their own media person so she’d done some stuff for them as well. She had an assistant of sorts down there so Molly gave her the URL for the update she’d just given.
The news from Los Angeles wasn’t any better. There’d been a record number of assaults and harassment complaints that week. Since PURITY had started outing Others, they’d also created a gallery of sorts on their websites and had joined with multiple affiliates. And now they were including information like home addresses and work information. Two Gennessee members were currently in jail for a fight they’d gotten into outside a popular nightclub. At least the humans involved were also in jail.
Small things. She needed to hold on to the small things.
* * *
HE came to her as she was finishing up.
“I’m sorry for the interruption. I have to go. We’re going to help the cops canvas the area around the crash to see what we can find out.”
“Of course. I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but did you hear about the stuff in Los Angeles?”
He blew out a breath. “Yes. I checked in with Lark and she told me.”
He paused and she realized that if he apologized for the kiss, she would have to kick him in the shin.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“No. I’m flying to Sacramento tomorrow. I’m going to a luncheon and then testifying at the state house. There’s a dinner reception deal that night so I’ll be back day after tomorrow. I’ll check in with you then.”