by Holly Kelly
“What about you, zombie?” Lafayette snarled. “You still want to take a bite out of me?”
Theon gave him a quick glance and then turned back to drool over the head. The eyes were blinking as her mouth gaped open. The witch’s head was still alive!
“No, not me. I’m totally on board. If…” Theon paused as if fearful of Lafayette’s response.
“If what?” Lafayette said, astonished.
“You let me have it,” he gestured to the severed head, “I’ll do whatever you ask.” The witch’s eyes widened in horror.
Lafayette blew out a breath in equal parts relief and disgust. “Like I care.”
Chapter 29
Nick approached FBI headquarters with Conall at his side. “Are you sure this is going to work?” Nick asked.
Conall smiled. “Of course I am.”
Gaping mouths and wide eyes greeted his arrival. Don paled when he looked up.
ASAC Young poked her head out of her office. A big smile spread across her face. “It’s you.”
“In the flesh,” Nick said.
“You do realize we have a warrant for your arrest, don’t you?” Young said, sauntering up to him.
“Not anymore,” Conall said, stepping forward. “The charges have been dropped, and Agent Chase has been cleared of all wrongdoing.”
“And you are…?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Executive Assistant Director John Jones.”
Young swallowed a gasp. “I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t recognize you at first.”
“Obviously.” He turned to Nick. “I’ll be waiting out here when you’re ready.”
“Yes, sir,” Nick said, suppressing a smile. He stepped into his office with Don at his back, pulling the door shut.
“Okay, Nick,” Don said, “you’ve got some explaining to do.”
Nick sank into his chair and leaned back. “Division X has friends in high places.”
“This is all completely insane.” Don’s brows pressed together as he shook his head. “You have to tell me; how did they fool everyone with the letter from the director? I’ve gone over it a million times in my mind. I saw the note. I remember clearly what it said. How in the world did they do it?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Don huffed. “I guess that’s all the answer I expected.” He stepped over and sat down on Nick’s desk. “Listen, I’ve been blaming you for shutting me out.”
“I kind of figured as much,” Nick said.
“But I was wrong,” Don said. “I’d do the exact same thing in your shoes. I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting.”
“Hey, I really wish I could include you in this. But I can’t.”
“I understand,” Don said. “I don’t like it, but I understand.”
“There is something I would like to include you in.”
“And what’s that?”
“My wedding. I need a best man.”
Don’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding me.”
“I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t been the one to propose.”
“I’m guessing you’re talking about Fae. What about your class? I thought you weren’t supposed to date—much less marry—your students.”
“The semester is almost over. We’re waiting until it ends. That’ll give us a couple weeks for our honeymoon.”
Don narrowed his eyes as he studied Nick. A slow smile crept across his face. “She’s making you wait, isn’t she?”
Nick pressed his lips together into a fine line.
“She is! I’ve heard there were girls like that. So, you’re getting married just so you can—”
“I’m getting married because I love her,” Nick interrupted. He could see a million questions, comments, and smart remarks in Don’s expression, but he simply shook his head in disbelief. “Well, I guess all I can say is congratulations, then.”
“Thanks,” Nick said, wishing he didn’t have to break the other news he had to Don. “And…”
“You’re leaving,” Don said.
Nick nodded.
“I figured as much when Agent Thomas said he’d wait here till you’re ready. And I can’t say I’m surprised. I am glad you’re leaving for another position and not for prison time.”
“Yeah, me too,” Nick said.
“You need some help packing up?” Don asked.
“Sure,” Nick said.
“I’ll grab some boxes.”
It took all of fifteen minutes for them to gather Nick’s possessions and pack them into two large boxes. Nick never was one for collecting stuff. They picked up the packages, and Don opened the door for them to leave.
“And the police are doing nothing!” A young attractive woman spoke to a very irritated ASAC Young. Conall, on the other hand, had a clear expression of pity.
Young turned to the closest agent. “Sanchez, can you handle this?”
Sanchez looked at the woman, raised his eyebrow, and said, “Sure.”
Nick approached.
“Like I told your boss, my sister has been kidnapped.” The woman was clearly upset as she spoke to Sanchez. “I have a name: Marcus. He’s about six-foot-three inches, a hundred and eighty pounds, in his early twenties, with a crew cut. He drove a black 1966 Chrysler Windsor. I didn’t see the license plate, but how many ’66 Windsors can there be in Jacksonville?” Sanchez led the woman away.
Nick smiled at Young. “I guess this is goodbye, sweetheart.” He got the exact reaction he’d expected from the endearment—contempt.
“I’d say it’s been a pleasure working with you, Chase. But,” Young looked over at Conall and bit off her retort. “Well, anyway, good luck.”
Nick huffed. “Thanks.” Less than a minute later, he was a free man.
* * * * *
“They even went through my underwear drawer!”
Fae listened attentively. Morgan sat cross-legged on her bed in their dorm room. “I mean, did they really think they’d find clues of where to find you among my bras and panties? I know you want to be one of them someday, so I hope you won’t be offended by me saying, the FBI are total idiots!”
Fae opened her mouth to speak, but Morgan went on.
“They said Nick was a wanted man and probably kidnapped you. I was like, no! He would never do that. But they didn’t listen to me. Why does no one ever listen to me?”
Morgan didn’t pause for a response but continued to talk. “They interrogated me for two hours and they still didn’t hear a word I said. I mean, I had plenty of arguments proving that Nick was innocent. I guess they believe me now, but I doubt I’ll get an apology from—”
Morgan gasped and Fae jumped in response. “What in the world is that?” Morgan asked. Her gaze locked on Fae’s hand. Morgan scrambled off the bed and took Fae’s hand in hers to lift it up and inspect it. Her eyes rose from the icy diamond on Fae’s finger to her face. “You didn’t…”
“Didn’t what?” Fae asked.
“Get engaged, of course! You and Agent Chase?”
Heat rose in Fae’s cheeks as she nodded. “Yeah, he proposed.”
“I can’t believe it!” Morgan said. “Why didn’t you tell me? When’s the day?”
“Three days after finals.”
“No kidding!” Morgan said. “And how are you going to plan a wedding during finals?”
“Nick’s sister is handling everything,” Fae said.
“I thought she was dying,” Morgan said.
“They found out she really didn’t have Muscular Dystrophy. What she had is treatable, and now she’s pretty much fully recovered.” Fae spoke the lie convincingly—though Morgan was easy to fool. Fae was only slightly saddened that she could no longer keep the promise she’d made to herself. Lies would be a big part of her life from now on. But at least these lies were meant to protect instead of deceive.
“Oh, my gosh, that’s freakin’ amazing!” She dropped Fae’s hand and plopped back down on the bed. “So how did he propose?”
Fae smiled at the memory. “He didn’t plan it ahead of time, it just sort of happened. I fell into a fountain and he had to fish me out. I guess that kind of scared him, and that’s when he did it. He asked me then and there to marry him.”
“So, he saved your life and then popped the question?” Morgan’s face lit up.
“I guess you could say it that way.”
“That’s holy freakin’ awesome!”
Fae completely agreed with Morgan.
“So, you went ring shopping after?” Morgan once again got off the bed and took her hand to look more closely at the ring. “That’s a big diamond. I know I’m not supposed to ask, but I have to know. How much did it cost?”
“I don’t know. The place we went to didn’t have price tags, and Nick wouldn’t say. He just told me to pick out the ring I liked. I tried to pick something more conservative, but he could see right through me. He wouldn’t let me settle for something just because it looked less expensive. Somehow he could tell this was the ring I liked.”
“Wow it really is gorgeous. The diamond isn’t so big that it’s gaudy, but it’s definitely got some karats to it. And the setting is stunning! The pillow cut is my favorite and with all those little diamonds around it.… It’s perfect!”
“That’s what I thought,” Fae said with a smile. She glanced up at the clock and sighed. “I’m sorry. I wish I didn’t have to go, but my boss is expecting me. I’ll have to tell her I’ve decided to quit.”
“Oh, good,” Morgan said. “You looked like you were going to have a nervous breakdown every time you went into work. I guess you aren’t the bare-it-all-to-the-world kind of girl.”
Fae shook her head and smiled. “No, I guess I’m not.” She stood to leave. “I’ll be back after I talk to Ms. Kline. I have a lot of work to make up.”
“I’m surprised you can keep up. It seems like you’ve missed more school than you’ve attended.”
“Yeah, well,” Fae said. “I can’t say it’s been easy.”
“I do have to say,” Morgan said. “I’m going to miss having you as a roomie.”
“Me too.”
“Yeah, right.” Morgan smirked. “You’ll be married to Mr. Hottie. You’re not going to give me a second thought. At least I wouldn’t. Not if I had someone with that much raw sex appeal in my bed. That reminds me. Have you two…?” Morgan wiggled her eyebrows.
Fae’s face burned as she shook her head.
“Seriously?” Morgan’s eyes were wide. “I may have to rethink my strategy.”
Fae was chuckling when she stepped out the door. The two Division X agents that had been shadowing her all day turned at her approach. The taller of the two—the one with fangs—eyed her curiously. Had they been listening?
“I don’t know why you two are following me around,” Fae said. “I can’t very well be bait when there are two sharks hovering close by, ready to defend me.”
“Agent Jones said we’re to guard you until you’ve spoken your vows,” the taller agent said.
“Yeah, I guess me getting kidnapped would throw a wrench in the wedding plans.”
He nodded.
Curious eyes were on her as she walked across campus with the two big men in her wake. She swallowed down the lump in her throat when she saw the dean. She’d heard he kept his job but received a stern reprimand and a warning to leave her alone. He glared at her for a moment, and then turned his eyes down to the ground, spun around, and walked away.
Turning toward the arts building, she felt a jolt when she saw a young man, probably a student, with dark hair on the greasy side. But there was something off about him; something she couldn’t quite place. She glanced back at the two agents at her sides. They didn’t seem to notice him.
Maybe she was overreacting.
The kids blew by her without pause and headed in the opposite direction.
She was definitely overreacting.
Stepping into the arts building, she was greeted by Ms. Kline’s apologetic expression. “Fae, I’m so glad to see you’re all right.”
“I’m fine,” Fae answered. “Really, I am.”
Ms. Kline looked briefly at the two agents and then turned back to Fae with a sigh. “I just need to say it outright. I’m sorry to say, we’ve had to replace you. I just couldn’t leave my students hanging. You’ve missed so much work.”
“No,” Fae said. “It’s okay. I was coming in to tell you I needed to quit. I was willing to work until you could replace me, but I’m relieved that you’ve got things covered.”
The relief in Ms. Kline’s face was apparent. “I’m so glad. I didn’t want to be the one to make your life any worse than it has been. I swear I’ve never seen anyone with more atrocious luck.”
“It’s okay,” Fae said. “You’ve been more than accommodating to me. I couldn’t have asked for a better boss.”
Ms. Kline smiled. “You really are a sweetheart. I wish you all the happiness you deserve. And once things are settled down in your life, I’d be happy to rehire you.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think modeling is for me.”
“Modeling may not be for you,” Ms. Kline said, “but you are exceptionally good at it.”
Fae thanked her again and left. The relief she felt overwhelmed her. No nude posing for her—ever.
Chapter 30
Fae stepped back into her dorm room. Morgan was nowhere to be seen.
Fae sat down at her desk and pulled out a stack of assignments. Hours later, she was nearly done. She glanced up at the clock. 11:39 PM. Where was Morgan?
She probably met up with a boy. If Morgan was anything, she was predictably boy-crazed. She’d just better be safe. Some of the boys on campus didn’t play nice.
Fae texted Nick. I got nearly all my work done. I’m dead tired, so I’ll finish the rest tomorrow.
His return text came seconds later. Good night, Princess. I’ll see you in the morning. Love you.
Love you, too, she replied with a smile.
The next morning Morgan still hadn’t gotten back.
Fae sent off a text to check in on her. Are you okay? You didn’t come back to the room last night.
Her text came several minutes later. Spent the night with a boy named Theon. I’ll give you details later.
Theon? Who was Theon? And she slept with him already? Even Morgan wasn’t usually that quick to hop in bed with someone. Theon must be something special.
Fae showered and took her time with her makeup. She wanted to make an impression on Nick when she walked into class. They’d agreed to play it cool. Nick didn’t want any trouble for her, and being engaged to the professor might make the administration think he could possibly be showing favoritism. She just had to get through this semester, and then she’d be done with this school.
Conall had worked fast with Harvard. She was already admitted and ready to start class next semester. She wouldn’t have to worry about squeezing into their dorms, she’d be living off-campus—with her husband. That freaked her out just thinking about it. She and Nick still had to find a place, but that should be easy enough. Fae had discovered something not completely surprising.
Nick was loaded.
His father had been the CEO of some big international corporation. And when he and his wife died, they left Nick and Becca with equal shares of tens of millions of dollars. Fae knew she should be ecstatic about it, but truly it made her feel less than adequate. She had nothing to contribute but the clothes on her back.
Of course, she provided eternal life to him and his sister. So maybe it did balance out.
Fae walked down the familiar hallway to her Criminology class and got a lump in her throat. She’d only been there one semester, but she felt nostalgic. This would be the last time she walked through this hall. Stepping over to the vending machine, she got her daily Coke.
Nick’s eyes rose to her as she walked into class. A hint of a smile lit his face, but he kept his composure—just like he said he wo
uld. The two agents melted into the background.
Fae sat at her desk, took a long drink of the fizzy cola, set it at the edge of her desk, and took out her notebook.
“Well, class,” Nick said. “I have to say you’ve made this semester much better than I expected. I’m truly impressed by the caliber of students this college has. I swear Harvard has nothing on you.”
A figure brushed by her desk, knocking a paper of hers on the floor. She leaned down as he mumbled an, “Excuse me.”
Fae wondered briefly if Nick were reading her thoughts. No. Probably not. He said he’d gotten much better at blocking her, and he’d probably find it too distracting during a lecture to listen to her idle thoughts.
Fae took another drink and coughed. Was it her, or did the drink taste a little off?
She listened to Nick’s lecture and tried to be attentive. She focused on his mouth. He sure was smart, and the things he said were brilliant. But the way he kissed… that was magical!
His eyes briefly met hers, and she could feel her face heat. Did he hear me?
Fae’s phone vibrated. She shouldn’t look at it, but she was beginning to worry about Morgan. She still hadn’t seen her.
Fae pulled out the phone and discreetly looked down at the screen. It was from Morgan. She opened the message.
Hello, Fae. This is Lafayette.
Fae’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. This was the man who killed women. He’d killed two already. What was he doing with Morgan’s phone? Fae began to shake as she read the rest of the message.
I have Morgan. If you want to see her again, you need to lose the agents. I have people watching you. If you so much as try anything funny, I will know. And then I’ll return Morgan to you in pieces. Understand?
She replied. Yes. But if I come to you, do you promise to return Morgan unharmed?
I give you my word, was his reply.
She had no doubt Lafayette would make good on this threat. She really hoped she could trust his word. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t trust the word of a murderer.
She wanted to look around for the face of a stranger, but she didn’t want to make the agents suspicious. Nick already had to know. He would have picked up on her distress. She hoped he wouldn’t interfere. Still, she needed to lose the agents. But how? They stuck to her like glue. They even waited outside the hall when she went to the bathroom. Her best bet would be to wait until class was out and the halls were packed. She could possibly lose them in the crowd.