by Lexi Post
“Take it.” The leader nodded to one of his muscle men.
The big guy grabbed at his wallet, but he pulled it back. “You said you wanted the bills.”
The little guy sneered. “Just need to make sure we get all of them.”
Schitz, this wasn’t good.
The big guy pulled it out of his hand.
Stealthily, Malcolm reached behind his back to take Blair’s hand and started moving away.
“Stop.”
He halted as the leader trained the gun on him. He quickly put himself between his soulmate and the weapon. “What? You have what you wanted.”
“What’s the rush? I need to make sure it’s enough.”
Malcolm waited until the man’s gaze moved to investigate the wallet. Then he pushed Blair behind a commercial trash receptacle.
“What the fux?” The leader looked up at him and glared. “You’re a fuxing Watchman.”
The two other miscreants’ eyes widened before a growl issued from one and a yell from the other.
He dropped to the ground and rolled to grab up a metal pipe that had missed getting into the trash. As he rose, the first man was on him. He let the pipe precede him straight into the big man’s jaw, sending him flying backwards to land flat on his back.
But the other muscle man swung, so he ducked. Unfortunately, wrestling must have been the criminal’s pastime if the strength of his choke hold was any indication. As a Watchman, Malcolm had been assigned to end the underground fighting ring, which no doubt had this muscle man as a member.
But he wasn’t a Watchman in just looks. Grasping the big man’s arm around his throat, he bent forward, dropping to his knees, and sent the man over him, the arm loosening enough for him to twist the wrist and escape the hold. He slammed his elbow into the man’s face before jumping up to defend against the kick of the first man.
He grabbed the booted foot heading for his mouth and twisted hard. The man fell to the ground moaning.
With the two biggest threats reduced, he turned to find the leader.
“Malcolm!”
Blair’s scream chilled his heart. He raced toward the sound to find the leader dragging her toward the end of the alley almost to the opening to street above. If the man reached the main road, Malcolm would lose her. He raced toward them.
He couldn’t lose her. She was his life.
His heart squeezed at the realization he wouldn’t reach her in time. With nothing to lose, he yelled. “Halt or be eliminated!”
The Watchman cry had the desired effect. The leader stopped, losing his advantage.
Malcolm caught up.
The leader’s furtive movements made it clear that without his muscle, he was like a cornered rat. “Stop or I’ll kill her.” The gun in his hand, pointed at Blair, shook.
Malcolm slowed to a stop. A hostage situation he could handle. “Let her go, and I’ll let you go.”
The fearful chuckle the man gave was telling. “I’m not stupid.” He nodded toward the alley where the two other men still lay. “I know what a Watchman can do. I let her go and I end up with a slow death. Uh-uh, no thanks. She’s my lifeline.”
He’d just have to sweeten the pot. “You’re smarter than I thought. I should have known the way you set up that ambush. I’ll not only agree to let you go if you return her to me, but I’ll never bring you in, even if I see you again. You’ll look pretty impressive to your competition then.”
Malcolm paused, watching the play of emotion on the man’s face. He was definitely interested. “In fact, if you want to eliminate some of your competition, you can find me and give me their whereabouts. That way we both win. All you have to do is let her go.”
The small man’s face took on a clever gleam. “She must mean a lot to you.”
Schitz. He’d made the deal too good. He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s more that I’m supposed to be protecting her, and it won’t look good on my record if I lose her.”
“Aw, poor Watchman screwed up, out gunned by a criminal. That does sound sweet.” The man’s excitement at that prospect was too real.
“As good as that would feel for you, think of all the territory and followers you could gain if you take my deal.”
The small man wiggled his brows. “That would be nice.”
“Hand her over and it’s all yours.”
The man licked his lips. “It’s tempting. Almost as tempting as she is.” He looked at Blair, the gleam in his eye telling Malcolm a second too late that it wasn’t going to work.
The gun went off and the man shoved Blair at him.
He caught her as his breath clogged in his lungs.
“Malcolm?” Her soft voice tore at his heart.
Laying her down as he sunk to the ground, he stared at the blood soaking her pretty silver dress, turning it a rusty brown. It was a fatal shot. Tearing his gaze from the sight, he looked Blair in her beautiful brown eyes. “It will be okay. We’ll get you to hospital. I already hear the ambulance siren.”
“I love you, Malcolm.”
“I know. Tha gaol agam ort, leannan. Just hold on.”
Her fingers found his and she squeezed. “I’ll always be your sweetheart now.”
He nodded, his throat too tight to say anything, but he didn’t have to. Blair’s eyes closed as she took her final, shuddering breath. His chest filled with pain as he lifted his face to the dark arched ceiling above and yelled out his anguish.
“Malcolm, where are you? Do you hear me?”
He didn’t understand why he could hear the female voice in his head. Blair’s lips didn’t move. She was dead because of him.
“Malcolm.” The hand on his shoulder squeezed, and he looked up to find a woman with auburn hair and exquisite upturned eyes. The scene behind her was a home with an old-fashioned Southwest American look.
He blinked. Schitz, he hadn’t had that strong a memory since he first transitioned.
“Malcolm, are you all right?” Joy looked at him with honest concern.
He waved his hand. “I’m fine.”
She squeezed his shoulder again. “You’re not fine. You were in some kind of trance.”
“It was just a memory.” He shrugged to dislodge her hand, the comfort reminding him that nothing ever positive came from getting involved with a woman. Then why did you choose her as your partner?
He shook off his own question. Joy was the best spirit guide there was, as simple as that. Plus, he needed to prove to her the future wasn’t as rosy as she hoped. Both were perfectly legitimate reasons.
She sat next to him on the couch. “Memory, my ass. You wouldn’t answer me for at least twenty-minutes of living time.”
He rubbed his forehead. “That wasn’t just a memory then.” Which meant he was being manipulated and he didn’t like it. The last thing he needed was to feel that way again. Last time, he’d been manipulated, it had sent him into a tailspin that eventually ended in his own death.
Someone wanted him to remember the night Blair was killed. The question was how was he supposed to react to it. The feelings churning in his gut had nothing to do with the case, at least he hoped not.
Joy shook her head. “What was the memory? It must be important to our assignment.” Her gaze held fear, not that much different from Blair’s.
He stood and walked to the short, stone fireplace to look down at the cold hearth. What was he supposed to share? He didn’t want to share any of it. No one in the spirit realm knew about his past while alive.
Cameron did. And probably his superiors. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that the higher-ups were pulling the strings, which meant he had to reveal the truth to Joy.
Every fiber of his being rebelled, but he also didn’t want to lose his job. He’d never admit it to anyone, but his job made him feel like he was making a difference, even more than what he’d done after resigning his post as a Watchman.
“Malcolm, if it will make you feel better, I promise not to share anything with a
nyone…that is, if we succeed.” Joy tucked a stray hair behind her ear, another behavior to watch on her. She may appear all together, but there were clues to the woman inside and she wasn’t as sure they’d be successful as she pretended to be.
He leaned his elbow on the mantle. “The memory that flooded my mind was of the one woman I loved being shot and killed by a criminal. She died in my arms. I’m assuming I’m supposed to have some kind of emotional response to that, but it was so long ago.” He couldn’t quite bring himself to reveal the pain of having that old wound reopened and the self-doubt and guilt that permeated his psyche because of it.
Joy thankfully remained quiet, not offering any platitudes. He would have expected a bus load of sympathy or a polite recognition of his loss. That neither came gratified and disappointed him.
Finally, she looked at him. “No doubt the impending death of Thea sparked the memory, but I can’t help but wonder at the connection to you. Could it have to do with your inability to prevent the death? Maybe it’s a warning to allow Holly to interfere.”
He raised his lip in disgust. “I’d agree, but the relationship is wrong. Holly doesn’t even know Thea. Blair was my consummate.”
The sympathy his pathetic soul needed finally showed in Joy’s eyes. “Consummate? Is that a future word for wife?”
It was far more than that, but close enough. He nodded.
“I’m so sorry. That had to be devastating.” Something in the tone of her voice had him studying her.
Her remarks were the very platitudes he expected. There was no deeper emotion behind them. Of course, how could there be? She didn’t know him. She had no idea what he’d been through. What he’d done. How he’d died. He was like a hospice patient’s family member. Someone to show sympathy toward, but not someone who meant something to her.
Her brow lowered in confusion as if she sensed his thoughts.
He looked away. “We may never know the reason for my memory, but it’s another piece of evidence in this assignment.”
Joy stood and walked toward him. It wasn’t a saunter like Blair had, yet it was still purposeful. She took his hand in both of hers. “I’m very sorry you lost the woman you loved. I can’t imagine what that must feel like.”
There. There it was. The honest caring he’d hoped for…and despised. “No, you can’t.”
Joy flinched before she nodded and let go, turning away from him.
His gut tightened. It bothered him that he hurt her somehow, but wasn’t it his goal to show her everything wasn’t happy endings?
As a Watchman, he’d been given the authority to shoot if he encountered any resistance and if he killed the suspect, it was simply one extra sheet of paperwork. In the future, they didn’t play around with criminals anymore, not since the bombings nine years before he died.
But with Joy, he was missing things. For every nuance he understood and cataloged, there were other actions that didn’t conform to his template. Maybe because she’s not a suspect. He ignored his inner voice. More likely it was because she was a woman. He’d proven he wasn’t as good with female suspects, even after he’d gone rogue. “Let’s get back to Holly. We have a lot yet to cover.”
“Yes, we do.” Joy took a sip of bottled water, her graceful neck attracting his gaze as she swallowed. She put the empty down on her coffee table. “But we aren’t returning until we’re agreed that she can change the future. I know you would have if you’d had the choice.”
Aye! He would have and her words were like a kick to his gut. She was spot on. He’d go back now if he was allowed and save Blair, even if he had to die in her stead. It wasn’t as if his death had amounted to anything anyway.
“Are we agreed?” At Joy’s question, he returned his gaze to her. She couldn’t have stood any straighter, her chin lifted slightly in her determination.
Now that he hadn’t expected. “We’re agreed.” There was more to Joy than was at first obvious. She definitely had his attention.
Chapter Four
Joy held Malcolm’s hand as they sped through space and time back to Holly. There had been devastating sorrow in his eyes when she’d finally gone to him, yet he’d pushed her comfort away.
She’d always thought of him as a bad boy, the type of man her mom had warned her about getting involved with, but the more time she spent with him, the more she doubted that first impression. He was mysterious because she didn’t know much about him and his dark skin, swarthy looks and broad stature made her libido go into a flamenco dance. The man oozed sensuality.
To find out he’d loved a woman and lost her and barely remembered how he felt about it had made her jealous and peeved that he could be so callous. Now she knew better.
He was more like herself than she’d thought. He hid his pain and portrayed a serious, somewhat depressing and flippant attitude, while she hid behind her kindness and happy outlook. With just one real conversation with him, she already felt better about their mission.
When they floated down into the hospital to stand next to Holly, she was loath to let go of his hand, but she did. “We are agreed. You can befriend Sophia if you like and try to change her future.”
Holly spun around in surprise. “Wait a minute. You two weren’t gone more than thirty seconds. How could you have discussed it? Not that I’m complaining or anything.”
Malcolm gave Holly a smirk. “As spirits, we can travel through time, obviously, which includes going backward to when we left you.”
Holly shook her head. “I can’t quite wrap my head around that, so I’ll just accept your explanation.” She glanced down the hall where Sophia stopped a nurse to talk in whispers. “Thank you for showing me Thea. I’m going to be a good friend to Sophia because she needs one. Maybe between the two of us, we can keep this from happening.” She turned back to face them. “Will Thea survive if she gets the bone marrow transplant?”
Joy raised one shoulder. “I can’t tell you. I haven’t looked into her alternate futures. Malcolm said this one has the highest probability…unless your friendship changes it. I honestly can’t tell you what will happen.”
Holly nodded as if she understood the concept. “I can’t believe any possible future could be worse than this one, so I’m going to get involved.”
Malcolm touched Holly’s shoulder. “You must understand that everything we show you tonight can change whether from your influence or another. We will only show you the most probable future. There may be many you want to change, but you are only one person and nothing guarantees you won't make a situation worse.”
“I understand.” Holly looked to her. “Where to next? This place is getting a bit depressing.”
Joy smothered a triumphant smile that Holly would ask her for a happier environment. “I agree. Let’s look in on some people you have helped and see what they’re up to tonight.”
Holly held out her hand and she grasped it. Looking at Malcolm, who appeared to be staring off into space again, she forced a smile, hoping he wasn’t in another trance already. “Malcolm, will you be joining us?”
He redirected his gaze to her and nodded. As soon as he took Holly’s hand, Joy flew them through the roof of the hospital toward Deervale.
As they drew closer, a long line of cars could be seen on Main Street, the red brake lights adding color to the newly fallen snow.
“Well, what’s going on down there? Is the light in front of the church broken?”
Joy grinned and kept them hovering above the two-lane road. On one side was a long white-washed building connected to a row of stone buildings, typical in Deervale. Across the street was the Parish Church which made the snow even more colorful with its lit stained-glass windows.
The double doors of the church were thrown wide as people filed in by the pairs and in groups, all chatting and obviously in a good mood. “I believe the cause of this minor traffic congestion is the church, not the light.”
Holly pulled her hands from both of them and floated closer to the building.
“Is it midnight? Maybe midnight services on Christmas Eve.”
Joy laughed. She loved happy occasions. “Oh, this has nothing to do with Christmas. Not really. It’s only half past seven as they say in this town.”
Holly looked back at her in confusion. “Are you going to tell me, or let me figure it out for myself?”
Malcolm answered for her. “You’ll figure it out.”
Joy touched his shoulder. “If you don’t want to watch this, I understand.”
“Why? Our ceremonies in the future are a lot less involved. It’s not like I’ve something else I need to do.” The irritation in his tone told her a lot more about how he felt than his words.
Maybe this would be helpful for him to see. They floated closer to the doors of the church where Holly was.
“Look at everyone. I think the whole town is here and then some.” Holly pointed to the long line of people walking quickly toward the steps.
“You’re probably right.” Joy grinned. “And if I’m not mistaken, you’ve already arrived.”
“Me? Now this will be interesting. How many years in the future are we?”
Malcolm frowned. “Only four.”
Joy rolled her eyes at Holly. “He doesn’t consider this the future compared to his time period.”
“Well, Malcolm, exactly how many years ahead of us are you, anyw—Oh, look.” Holly pointed behind them.
Joy turned around. It appeared Milly Bryden was getting married in style.
“It’s farmer Campbell’s sleigh! It’s beautiful!” Holly floated out to the street as the brown sleigh covered in white bunting was pulled into the church drive by two matched draft horses.
Malcolm leaned into her. “Good thing they didn’t clear the streets well or those blades would be ruined.”
Joy snapped her head around. “Try not to be a scrooge.”
He raised both his eyebrows in surprise. “I’m not a scrooge.”
“Then enjoy the happiness here. Let it fill your heart and seep into your bones.” At his perplexed expression, she turned back to watch Holly. Had the man forgotten how to be happy? Her irritation dissolved at that sad thought.