Paul appeared at my side again. I hadn’t noticed him leave. He passed me a drink. I regarded its red and orange hues and bright pink umbrella dubiously. Raising an eyebrow at him brought a chuckle and flicker of his boyish smirk.
‘It’s a tequila sunrise.’ He slurped at his. ‘Dad’s own mix. Let’s have some fun.’
I hesitated then took a small sip. It was cool and refreshing but I wasn’t prepared to let my guard down, so one was the limit.
‘Ah, there you are.’ Michael’s cheerful voice drew my attention.
He and my mother joined us. We sat on white leather sofas around a pink marble coffee table. He gestured to a man standing discreetly a few feet away; a man who bore all the hallmarks of a paid security detail: the bulge under one arm of his tailored black suit; the watchful wariness. He handed Michael an attaché case. Michael rummaged inside it, then produced two small, giftwrapped packages and passed one to me and one to my mother.
‘But Mick,’ Anna protested, ‘it’s not my birthday yet and I’ve just told you I have to go! Please don’t.’
He laughed, white teeth flashing in the soft lighting. ‘Don’t be silly. I wanted to give you this at the party, so you could wear it. And Meghan’s getting one because I understand we already missed your birthday.’
Paul’s face lit up. He nodded at me and at the small, gold-wrapped parcel in my palm.
Having no idea how to politely refuse, I murmured a thank you, picking at the wrappings without enthusiasm.
Ever eager, my mother had hers open in a flurry of torn paper. She gasped, holding up a sparkling confectionery of diamonds, sapphires and gold.
‘Oh, Mick, I can’t accept this!’ Anna said, but her expression showed conflict.
Michael said nothing, he simply took it from her and clasped it onto her neck. The jewels lay against her white skin like a thousand tiny dewdrops, glistening with every movement. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered something in his ear that made him smile. I looked away, embarrassed.
‘Your turn.’ Anna fingered the jewels at her throat.
Apprehension twisted in my stomach as I pulled the wrapping paper off. My fingers shook as I opened the small jewellery box inside. I could only stare in horror at the exquisite bracelet, gleaming in the red velvet case.
Before I could close it, my mother plucked the bracelet free. She clasped it around my wrist and turned my arm to admire the green and gold shimmer of the emeralds. It was the bracelet from my vision.
‘I...I can’t...’ I stammered, trying to undo the clasp.
The parrot-clasp was too tiny and awkward to open left-handed. Michael’s warm fingers wrapped over mine, his blue eyes sympathetic and amused.
‘You’ll have to, my dear,’ he replied. ‘I won’t take No for an answer.’
I couldn’t break free without hurting him. Instead I nodded and murmured my reluctant thanks. He let go and returned my drink.
‘Drink up, ladies.’ He stood and twitched his jacket back into place. ‘Paul, please take care of them. I must check on something but I’ll be back to escort you both home. We’ll just have to have dinner when you get back from your trip, Anna.’ He bowed and she beamed at him as he strode away.
I shot to my feet and gave my empty glass to Paul. ‘I need to go to the ladies. Anna?’ I scowled at my mother. She got the message and joined me.
Once inside the ridiculously oversized, gilt-and-black marble restroom, Anna opened her mouth. I shook my head and tapped my ear. I had no idea how much of Michael’s house, if any, was bugged by whoever watched Anna. Somehow I had to get rid of this bracelet and convince my mother to leave immediately, all without saying anything meaningful.
I focussed on settling my raging heartbeat until my fingers were steady.
‘Anna.’ I searched for the right words, even as my nails worked at the clasp on the bracelet, ‘We need to go. Now.’
‘I know.’ Anna touched the necklace at her throat, her eyes troubled. ‘I’ve told Mick we’ve had a family emergency and we have to go back to Ireland. He won’t come away with me, though.’
I let go a frustrated breath, still scrabbling at the bracelet. Why wouldn’t it release? Dammit!
‘I’m sorry. Do what you can to convince him but we have to go even if he doesn’t. And soon.’
Anna nodded. ‘Just give me a minute to get my bag and a change of clothes. We’ll have to stop at the apartment for my passport.’
I hugged her and, after Anna left, turned my attention back to the bracelet. My vision showed me wearing this bracelet therefore without it the image of Logan’s death couldn’t possibly come true. I yanked at the gold chain. It didn’t break. I turned the chain over. Woven into the chain was a thin, silvery filament of something not gold. Something I couldn’t break, even though I pulled so hard the metal bit into my wrist.
Real worry crept into my enforced calm. I sought reassurance from my own reflection then closed my eyes when all I saw in myself was fear. Fear was just my imagination telling stories. I was anxious and my fingers weren’t working properly. I’d get it off later. Right now my focus had to be on getting Anna away. That was more important.
Leaving the bathroom, I emerged to an empty room. Where was Anna? Paul lounged against a nearby wall.
‘There you are! Thought you musta been sick or something.’ He held out a hand.
I took it, not knowing what else to do. ‘Where’s Anna?’
‘C’mon, they’re outside on the roof. Dinner’s on. You may as well eat here as at the airport. Food’ll be better here, I guarantee it.’ He towed me out through enormous concertina glass doors onto a massive rooftop garden and entertaining area.
Michael and Anna stood, with their arms around each other, near a buffet table laden with enough food for ten people. Behind that was a covered spa, a luxurious pagoda and daybed area, awash with shining silks and overlooked by an enormous statue of the Buddha. Surrounding it was a glorious tropical garden, rich with deep greens and vibrant reds, glistening in the spotlights.
I glanced down.
Fake grass.
Had I just walked into the very scene I’d forecast? No. Logan had no idea where I was. Yet my internal uneasiness ramped up. Sweat trickled down my spine. Darkness stirred. Dammit.
‘You look worried, my dear.’ Michael’s deep voice startled me and I backed involuntarily away from his closeness.
I stopped and faced him squarely. ‘Look, I…’
How did I say it without sounding ridiculous? I could hardly just come out with a wild story about being chased by anonymous badguys in black fourwheelers. It would sound insane.
‘I’m just not feeling all that well.’ I snatched at the excuse. ‘I thought I’d be ok but I think I’ll need to go home. We have to pack and catch a plane tonight anyway.’
‘Oh?’ He raised his brows at me. ‘I’m sorry to hear that. Can I get you something? A drink. What time does your plane leave?’ He waved the bartender over and plucked a softdrink off the tray.
‘Thankyou.’ I was hot so I took it and swallowed a big, cool mouthful, screwing up my nose at the over-sweetness of it. ‘I just need to go home and pack and lie down awhile. The flight goes just after midnight. I’m sorry to drag Anna away but it’s important.’
Michael quirked a charming grin. ‘Yes, that family emergency. I understand. This is a large house, you know. I’m quite sure the staff can find you an empty room. I can send my staff to pack for both of you.’ He winked conspiratorially. ‘Part of the perks of being rich. People at your beck and call.’
Taking my hand, he gazed earnestly into my eyes. I tightened my mental shields to prevent any visions bleeding through.
‘Please. I’ll only have this short evening with Anna and she’s not sure how long you’ll be away. She’s just gone to get her bag but I’m hoping I can convince you to stay a little longer. Don’t spoil this evening for us.’
I gave him a quick, troubled smile, torn between wanting Anna’s happiness and
wanting her safety. And what if he was still in danger even after we left? Could I get him out of the way as well, even if just for awhile?
‘How about we do this?’ I said brightly. ‘We’ll head over to our apartment and start packing. You and Paul join us at the airport for a drink in the lounge before we go. We’ve only got…’ I checked my watch. ‘…six hours until the flight goes anyway. We need to go.’
‘No, I think I insist you stay a little longer.’ His ice blue eyes held amused understanding. ‘Even just a few minutes. I have something special I’d like you to be part of. Please, it’s quite important to both Anna and me. After all, if you miss your flight, I’ve got a jet of my own.’
‘What?’ I stepped back, not wanting to absorb the implications of what he’d said.
Slack-jawed, I stood frozen as he walked away. Was he going to make some sort of announcement about him and my mother? Oh God. Could this get any worse? If that went public it would make him vulnerable as a hostage for Anna, and hence for me. Even Paul would be in danger. No amount of security could protect them well enough.
Then again... I put a lid on my spiralling fears. Maybe I was just being paranoid and nothing bad was going to happen. Michael would announce some important breakthrough at work. Maybe the bracelet was just simply a good quality bracelet I couldn’t get my clumsy fingers to open. Maybe I had just caught paranoia from Maeve and Logan and this whole thing was a figment of my imagination.
But the feeling of an impending storm built thunderheads in my body and the taste of lightning in my mouth. I took a long sip of my drink to steady myself then held the cool glass against my heated cheek. No, I wasn’t wrong. Something bad was coming. Soon. I had to get Anna out and had to warn Michael and Paul somehow.
23
Maeve, it’s time.
Unspecified urgency pushed my feet towards my mother when she reappeared in the doorway. Paul intercepted, sauntering over and wrapping an arm around my waist. Michael, with his arm firmly around Anna’s shoulders, smiled urbanely.
‘I know you need to go, Meghan, but there’s just one more thing to take care of first. John?’ He glanced over his shoulder at his security shadow, who nodded without speaking and vanished through a side door.
‘What is it, Mick? You’re being very mysterious.’ My mother laughed, but her blue eyes caught mine in mutual worry. ‘We have to get home and pack.’
He smiled down at her and squeezed her against his side. ‘Just one more gift for your daughter, my dear.’
Anna cast me a confused look. ‘A gift for Meghan? Why?’
Michael winked. ‘Because I know what a very special young lady she is.’ He turned and picked up a glass of champagne, handing it to my mother. ‘Let’s drink to our very special families, shall we?’ He clinked a glass with her and they both drank, Anna smiling faintly, him watching her.
All the vague uneasiness of the evening congealed into real, sharp fear in my gut. A thousand tiny pinpricks under my skin. Any second would bring the squeal of brakes and slam of doors at the front of the house. Paul shifted next to me, his grip on my shoulder relaxing. I tugged free, eyeing my surroundings with a view to escape routes and weapons. I palmed a throwing knife out of my bag.
Michael still held Anna under his arm and continued to watch both of us with amusement. Paul slouched over to the buffet and picked at the untouched array food.
‘I don’t...feel...’ Anna swayed on her feet.
Eisen curled an arm around her waist and she sagged against him. I ran to her side and helped him lay her down on a nearby couch.
‘What’s wrong with her?’ Anna’s pulse beat slow but steady. ‘She was ok a second ago.’
Michael lowered his voice. ‘She’ll be fine. Just a little too much to drink, I’m sure. She’d already had a couple before you got here. And she’s been working very long hours.’
His phone beeped. He read the screen, smiled and raised his voice. ‘Ah, good. Paul?’
‘Yep?’ Paul left the table and strolled over to his father’s side. ‘She ok?’
‘Would you please take Anna home to her place? She’s had a little too much. On your way out you’ll find a gentleman in the foyer. Please direct him up here. I’m expecting him. You can come back and escort Meghan home.’
‘Uh... you sure?’ Paul flicked a quick frown at me. ‘Now? You said she’s—’
‘Yes! Do as I ask,’ Eisen snapped, his urbanity slipping in the face of his son’s hesitation.
None of this made any sense. I needed to go with Anna; to get her away and out of the country. I rubbed at my forehead, struggling to hang onto a train of thought I knew was important somehow. My thinking blurred, like wet paint bleeding on a wet canvas: nothing sharp or coherent. What the hell was wrong with me? I needed to get out of here, that much was clear.
‘I’ll come with you, Paul.’
‘Unfortunately, there’s no room in Paul’s Porsche.’ Michael smiled regretfully. ‘You’d best wait here. He’ll be back soon.’
Paul, with an apologetic shrug and a quick, bewildered look at me, picked my mother up and carried her to the elevator. My heart leapt to my throat. No, this was wrong. I had to go with them. So why was I struggling to voice that opinion? Uncertainty wasn’t my thing. Somehow Michael had taken control and left me powerless to take it back.
The doors closed behind Paul and my mother.
Another door opened and two men entered.
‘Ah, John, you’re back. Please just put them down on the couch right behind me.’ Michael gestured to his men. They came in, baseball caps low over their faces, each carrying a large, blanket-wrapped item; one smaller than the other. The parcels looked like people, cocooned. But that was crazy.
A blanket slipped open, revealing Maeve’s serene countenance. Her long hair trailed to the ground.
I covered an involuntary gasp of horror. The men laid the two bundles down and pulled back the second blanket to show Jennifer’s beautiful young face, eyes closed and still. Were they dead? Horrified disbelief hijacked my sluggish thinking.
‘Where did you find them? Why did you bring them here? Are… are they...?’ I found my voice but it was shaky and broken.
‘They’re alive – for the moment. They’re here because I wanted them here.’ Michael dismissed my questions with a flick of his hand. ‘As to why, well, it doesn’t really matter, does it?’ He raised his glass to me and sipped.
The habit of running moved my feet towards the door. Movement of his other hand halted me. Shock congealed doubt into appalling certainty.
Michael held a gun, trained squarely on me. I was too far away to take it from him. The blade lay heavy in my palm but even I wasn’t fast enough to beat a bullet.
The last few days’ events snapped into bleak perspective.
How had I been so oblivious?
We stayed in that tableau for an uncountable time. My heart pounded blood into my ears, deafening me.
The door opened again.
Logan strode into the scene and, for me anyway, the dynamic changed. How had he found me? His fists were clenched, jaw sharp with tension. He walked in a lithe, controlled way that spoke of awareness. He knew exactly what was going on – more so than I did.
His steel eyes caught mine, fury in their icy depths. Hope crashed into despair. He’d come for his family, not me.
And everything was now set up for the vision of the future I had tried to avoid.
‘Now…’ Michael’s voice was cold.
This had never been some sort of pleasure party. The whole thing was a setup, using my mother as bait to get to me and then the Freysons all in one place. Michael Eisen had scoured the world to find my mother and had undoubtedly seduced her in order to get to me. He’d known who I was the whole time. I had walked right into it. Worse, I had dragged in Logan, Jennifer and Maeve.
Eisen had probably planned this for Wednesday night at Anna’s birthday party but had brought his plans forward when Paul invited me tonight.
He knew? Who was this about, me or them?
Or both?
Michael stepped behind the couches where Maeve and Jennifer lay. He pointed the pistol at Jennifer’s head.
‘No!’ I took a step and stopped when he cocked the pistol and pressed it against her temple.
I glanced helplessly at Logan who returned a long, steady look. He tilted his head slightly, his expression shifting to puzzled concentration.
He must be trying to contact me. Opening a ‘window’ in my mental shield, I reached out and encountered…nothing. Not just no connection to him, but none to the sianfath either. For the second time since I’d found out who I was, I was alone inside my own head; reduced, isolated and missing something vital to my very being.
What was wrong? Without telepathy there was no way of planning an escape.
We were at Michael’s mercy.
Panic shortened my breath.
Why hadn’t I seen any of this coming? If I hadn’t shielded myself from visions when Eisen held my hand tonight, I might have. Despair strangled hope in my heart and I turned my eyes away from Logan’s.
This was all my fault.
24
Rowan?
...
Shit.
‘Yes, I can see you’re starting to get the idea.’ Michael smiled.
One of his men moved behind and to one side of Logan, a gun in his hand; well out of reach.
Michael jerked his chin at me. ‘Throw your bag down and take the gun from Connor.’
I turned. Connor Blake stood behind me, a pistol in each hand. One barrel he pointed at me, the other he put on the ground and kicked across. His lips split into a mirthless, mocking smile. I shook my head. He clicked the safety off his gun and sharpened his focus to a point between my eyes.
Relics and Runes Anthology Page 81