“About?” He dug through the pockets of his jeans, which were sinfully, delightfully tight, and finally emerged with a crumpled pack of watermelon-flavored gum. “Want a piece?”
What she wanted was a piece of chocolate cake. No, screw that. She’d take the whole damned thing. Unfortunately, the only available option on the plane was a Hostess Cupcake and that wouldn’t work.
She took a stick of gum and methodically unwrapped it while she considered her answer. “The meeting. Do you think I’m a loser?”
He shook his head, took a piece for himself, and thrust the pack back in his pocket. “Of course not. I’d think you were nuts if you weren’t nervous. You’ve been hiding from monsters your entire life and by going to Giles, you’re deliberately walking up to one. You volunteered to turn yourself into bait and you’re depending on a bunch of mostly strangers to keep you safe.”
What little confidence she had popped like a balloon snuggling with a cactus. “You don’t do much motivational speaking, I hope.”
Cal snorted and cast a surreptitious glance around the cabin before trailing his finger down her leg. Rose sucked in a quick breath and did her own survey of the area. Thankfully the three Sentinels were busy playing poker and the gargoyles were arguing over a game of chess. The two of them were as close to alone as they were likely to get.
“Nah. I leave that to Lucas. Given your distrust of the Protectorate, why’d you suggest this plan?”
She chewed on the stick of gum for a moment, the sickly sweet taste coating the inside of her mouth and chasing away some of the vile sour bubbling up from her belly. She rested her fingers over his and squeezed gently. Such simple contact and it felt really good to her right then. “I trust you, Cal. I was wrong to judge all of you for so long. I sure as hell don’t trust your boss much yet, or the Sentinels, but I trust Dennis and his sister, and I believe you’ll do whatever it takes to keep me safe.”
A brief smile flitted across his face before he rested his head back against the bulkhead. “I’m flattered.”
“And, if push comes to shove, I know how to take down a vampire. If Giles tries launching them at me, I’ll kick their asses.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Have you ever fought vampires, other than yesterday at the house”
“Of course. I’ve hunted vampires off and on through the years.”
That sent him rocketing upright again and he stared at her. “They’re dangerous. You’ve been alone. What the hell were you thinking? You could get hurt.”
“A woman has to protect herself, and I believe in being proactive. Given that I kicked your ass, and then dealt with the T’chan last night, do you really think I’m some fainting flower?”
“I don’t like hitting women,” he said, a cross expression flitting over his face.
She had to stifle a giggle at his ire. So he had some pride in there, did he? “Uh huh, keep telling yourself that, Cal.”
He was pretty damned cute when he tried to deny she could take him in a fight. Okay, he was pretty damned hot no matter what. Especially when he was wearing battle leather around that sweet backside of his.
He grunted and leaned back in his chair.
“Anyway, I don’t like vamps. Never have, never will. Anyuka and Gwen both told me freaky stories and, let’s face it—they’re not exactly attractive creatures.” She would never understand why humans found the undead so fascinating, much less devoted large sections of movies and literature to the creatures, even before they started the sparkly vampire obsession.
“Which is why you’re diving into this.”
“If capturing Giles helps defang some of the bastards, I’m willing to take a few chances.” And then there was Gwen’s soul-stone. “I don’t deal much with Twisted Ones. Caution and all.”
The plane banked and began a swift descent. She bit hard on her gum and her ears popped obligingly.
“So, if you’re used to hunting and dealing with vampires, and you know I’ll have your back, why are you nervous?”
“What if Gwen’s soul-stone isn’t there?” Talk about a stupid question and equally stupid response. “What are we going to do if we go through all of this and the stone’s not there?”
He shrugged, though the tense set of his shoulders told her he wasn’t nearly as nonchalant as he tried to appear. “Then we’ll come up with another plan.” He curled his fingers around hers and squeezed her hand. The flesh-to-flesh contact felt so good. “And if we don’t manage to stop the Twisted Ones from finding out about you, we’ll deal with that too.”
She glanced at the others, who didn’t seem to be paying any attention to them, and said screw it, resting her head against Cal’s shoulder. It chased some of the cold away and she was so very, very cold with fear. Waiting had never been a strength of hers, and right now all she could do was wait.
“You seem so calm about this. Why?”
His cheek touched her hair as his arm came around her and he held her closer. His scent surrounded her, cologne and all. Not overpowering, just steady, stable. Like he was.
“I’ve had a lot more practice trying to keep my cool. I wasn’t always this even-keeled.”
She tilted her face upward to sneak a peek at him. His gaze had gone distant, and a little despondent.
Without prompting, he began speaking again, though his voice was so soft she wasn’t sure she heard him right. Certainly, no one but she would be able to hear the quiet words. “Grief makes people do funny things. I thought I’d go insane after I buried your mother. If hadn’t been for Mr. Ray and Lucas, I’d have lost it, maybe even killed myself. I didn’t want to keep going, because I blamed myself for not being there.”
She nodded and tightened her grip where their fingers linked them. Such confessions probably didn’t come easily. Men tended to ignore all the emotional BS, and, to some degree, so did she. It touched her that he’d come clean like this with her, especially now, when they were about to take a big chance.
“Rose?”
“Hm?”
“I’m glad that they did. If Lucas hadn’t pulled my head out of my ass, I wouldn’t be here now. I would never have been able to admire the woman you have become out of the little hellion you used to be.”
Her heart thudded against her chest. “You…admire me?” Yeah, he’d admitted he was attracted to her, but that and admiration were two entirely different things. Weren’t they?
Cal looked directly at her, the pain dissipating in the wake of his deadly serious expression. “Immeasurably. I’m not acting as your guardian just because Lucas told me to, or because you asked me to come along. I want to be here to protect you.” Her mouth opened to protest his word choice, but his finger touched her lips. “No arguing. You do need protection, and it’s my honor to be able to provide it.”
“Oh, Cal.”
“I haven’t wanted to be a guardian of any particular gargoyle since Hungary, and then you came along. You make me feel alive again. That’s a gift I never thought I’d get.”
Despite the fact that there were observers in the cabin, Rose closed the gap between them and kissed him firmly on the lips. “Thank you, Cal. I, well, I don’t know if admire is the right word.”
Unless they were talking about his ass. Then “admire” definitely fit.
No one seemed to be paying any attention to them as he cuddled her close. “No matter what it takes, we’re going to get some answers. I promise, it’s going to happen.”
Even though his hold was gentle as could be, his face hardened into a pitiless mask. If there was any chance that Gwen might just be the horror the Sentinels were making her out to be, Rose almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
“How can you be so sure she’ll tell you the truth about Reny now? If she went so long without talking…”
“My gift does more than let me see and talk to random Caspers.”
“Oh?”
Cal nodded, but didn’t explain. As the plane hit the runway, he straightened in his chair
and glanced out the window. Following his gaze, she saw a single gray minivan sitting by the hangar they were coasting toward.
He raised his voice and called out, “Our ride’s already here, guys. Playtime’s over.”
Cal’s words spurred her into action and she pulled her purse from where she’d stowed it under her seat so she could check for messages.
Her phone powered up and her heart gave a nervous flutter. A text message from Giles popped up on the screen.
Licking her lips, she looked at Cal, her eyes wide. “He’ll meet me.”
Chapter Twelve
Gargoyle Madra on Skyscrapers: Word of warning, never spend a day at the top of a building in New York City. The pigeons will find you, no matter how hard you try to hide.
Rose was eager to face Giles, even though he’d insisted their getting together sooner was better than later. That meant meeting during the evening. Evil bastard. This was the first time she’d been the one to contact him, so she hadn’t wanted to argue too hard about the hour.
They’d agreed to meet in a Wal-Mart parking lot, so in theory they should be safe from an ambush. Not that she was certain she bought into Cal’s whole story about both sides trying to remain out of the public eye.
She wasn’t sure Giles would show, despite his confirmation text. Hopefully the fact that she’d contacted him, instead of going through Gwen, didn’t tip him off that all wasn’t cool.
Gwen.
God, she was beginning to think she’d been the stupidest, blindest fool on the planet. Giles was evil. He was a necromancer and she’d never thought twice about Gwen working with him.
Cal pulled into a spot at the mostly deserted parking lot. Rose sat in the passenger seat of their rented sedan. There was no way she could have even pretended to be calm if Cal weren’t there. She just hoped that no one Giles might have scoping out the location would recognize him.
Glancing around the parking lot, she saw a few cars here and there, and a drunkard staggering toward the store entrance.
“Rose, you hear me?”
Dennis’s voice came through the little chip inserted inside her ear canal. She whispered, “All clear.” Two of the gargoyles were camped out in the surveillance van parked by an all-night diner. If the shit went flying, and she and Cal couldn’t handle Giles, the gargoyles would know immediately and come running. Plus, supposedly Cal’s ghost Tom was with them.
“Ready?” Cal asked, offering a brief smile.
“Yeah.” Thus far, everything had gone according to their hastily prepared plan. Giles seemed to buy that she’d hired a temporary bodyguard to get her to California, thus explaining Cal’s presence.
Giles’s easy agreement to seeing her without question had all the Sentinels and gargoyles nervous. It didn’t do good things for her confidence going into this meeting either, but she was going to keep her trust in Cal.
“Let’s meet the big bad and see if we can get something useful from him.”
She climbed out of the car and flexed her fingers. It might have been nice to meet at a bar where she could get a Long Island Iced Tea to ease her nerves, but then there would have been a crowd. Humans on hand could spell disaster.
No, a parking lot at a Wal-Mart was about as open as they would go.
Cal hopped out and strode around the car. His normal walk was somehow amplified, more businesslike or aggressive. A gun rested in a holster at his side. Twisted Ones might be half-demon, but bullets would slow them down. Their demon blood didn’t grant them immunity from a bullet to the head any more than angel blood did the Sentinels, but they healed a heck of a lot faster than pure humans did.
She rubbed her arms against the slight chill in the March night. No, it definitely wasn’t Alaska, but the situation was giving her the heebie-jeebies. Rose scoured the parking lot for some glimpse of Giles’ the lanky figure.
No one even glanced in their direction.
Cal paced, his turns quick and clean. He wore black jeans, boots, and a leather jacket. It totally worked for him. Now was still not a good time to notice, but she did. Memory of their kiss back in Atlanta warmed her up, at least temporarily.
Another quick glance around the parking lot showed her the Sentinels making their slow circuits. Two posed as drunks, a third dressed skimpily as a prostitute. None of them appeared to be looking in her direction, but she sure as hell hoped they were.
Self-consciously, she pulled at the hem of her tank top and rolled her shoulders.
A woman with pigtails and a Catholic schoolgirl uniform strutted their way.
Cal noticed her at the same time Dennis’s voice came over the transmitter again. “Eyes in the sky say there’s an incoming bogey. Definitely not Giles, but woman looks to be on a mission and left a car behind the store.”
Cal stopped pacing, having heard the same info from Dennis in his own earpiece, and stood a half a foot away.
Miss Innocent sauntered up to them. Rose felt like a giant. Her three-inch heels kicked her height up to six feet while the girl in front of her stood a mere five in her patent leather Mary Jane shoes.
“Rose Johnson?” Miss Innocent’s voice matched the appearance, all golden blonde and sweet.
“That’s me.”
She dug in her pocket and then pulled out a box of Tic Tacs, popping one into her mouth. “Want one?”
Rose shook her head, unwilling to take anything by a woman associated with Giles.
Dennis spoke in her ear. “Caution, Rose Johnson. I ran the plates on her car and recognized the name of local Twisted One. Victoria Reiner, gift unknown. Keep your guard up.”
“I’m Vicky. Our mutual friend sent me,” said the girl and held out her hand. Rose took it.
“Where’s Giles? Why didn’t he come himself?” She didn’t think Gwen had known she was aware of Giles’s tendencies, so she could play dumb.
“He wanted me to check you and your buddy out. He’s got some not-so-nice people after him.” She shrugged, chomping another Tic Tac and sticking the box back in her pocket before she eyeballed Cal. Her eyes gleamed appreciatively in the halogen streetlamp above them. “I run his security.”
“You’re what, a hundred pounds soaking wet?” Rose allowed her voice to demonstrate skepticism at the same moment she snorted in disbelief. All an act of course, because she knew full well how deceptive appearances could be.
Vicky’s teeth snapped together and just a hint of red glinted in her eyes. But then she smiled sweetly and regained her Miss Innocent persona. “Like a Transformer, there’s more to me than meets the eye. The tough stays here. You’re safe with me and we’ll keep any bad guys away from you. Giles is good at keeping them off his tail.”
Rose tittered nervously, the little tremor in her laugh not faked. They’d expected Giles wouldn’t want to stay in the parking lot, but they’d hadn’t counted on an intermediary. “So, will Giles come here now that you can see everything’s good?”
Her phone dinged at that precise moment. Vicky’s eyebrows lifted. “Go ahead, Rose. Check your phone. He’ll confirm who I am.”
Unwillingly, she glanced down at her phone, saw a new message and picture from Giles. Vicky’s a pal. Gwen trusted her too. She’ll get you to me safe. Picture follows.
“Why all the secrecy about his whereabouts? Is someone trying to kill him like they killed Gwen?”
Vicky shrugged and tossed her hair back over her shoulders. “Honey, someone’s always trying to kill Giles. He’s strong, and you don’t get that way without making enemies. There are always power struggles. So, you coming or not? I certainly don’t care. I’m just doing my job here.” She affected an extremely bored look and Rose swallowed hard.
“Miss Johnson,” Cal said, his voice as nasally Northeastern as she’d ever heard it, “I don’t advise you go with her. We’re safe ‘nuff here. This guy can come to you.”
Vicky’s jaw hardened. “Be a good brick, tough guy, and stay put. I’m not going to hurt your girl. She called us.”
Ro
se licked her lips and made a quick judgment call. With the gargoyles in the air, she’d never be alone even if Cal had to stay behind. They were reliable. Though she’d prefer Cal by her side, the reward was worth a bit more risk.
“Yeah, okay. Giles sent a picture.” She waggled the phone and shot Cal a quick look. He didn’t look pleased. Not at all, especially when she continued. “My friend will stay here. We aren’t going to go far, right?”
Vicky nodded agreeably enough. “Mm-hm. He just wanted me to get the lay of the land and take you to him. He’s behind the store waiting for us.”
God, do people really fall for this shit? Granted, she was giving the impression of falling for it, but what sort of an idiot trusted a total stranger and walked behind a building in the middle of the night? She sure wouldn’t if she didn’t have the winged ones in the air watching out for her.
“Let’s go then.”
Vicky’s eyes glittered triumphantly and she saluted Cal. “I’ll bring her back in one piece, big boy. Go wait in the car.”
Cal growled but nodded curtly. “Yes’m. I’ll update Tom with the deets.”
In other words, Cal was telling the ghost to go with her. Rose felt a little better with that information, though she wasn’t entirely sure she believed there really was a ghost wandering with them.
The Twisted One linked arms with her and they strode away. The cool California air wrapped around them as they crossed the parking lot. The brilliant front lights faded from view as they rounded the side of the store.
One thing didn’t make sense. If Giles really did want to meet with her, and felt that he was in danger, wouldn’t he have been safer staying in the open, too, where no one could jump him rather than behind the Wal-Mart?
She found out the reason a second later when Vicky stumbled, crashed into her, and the whole world flashed white.
…
“Awww, that’s not good.”
Cal didn’t want to hear that from Dennis less than a minute after Rose walked off with Vicky. He bolted in the direction they’d gone without even waiting for more information. The other Sentinels camped out around the lot did likewise, the four of them nearly colliding as they reached the corner.
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