“How certain are you that it will work?”
“Dead certain.”
There was a moment’s pause before she said, “How can you be so sure?”
“I have witnessed it myself.”
“How?” When he didn’t answer for several beats, she repeated, “How, Cain?”
“My son-in-law.”
“Ivan Kray?”
“Yes.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“Why is it so important that you know?” He checked his watch. Dammit. This wasn’t a discussion that could be rushed, and he needed to go.
The dark look on her face intensified. “I gave you something. Now give me something back. Trust me when I say I need to know.”
If he trusted her with the truth and she decided to go public with the secret, no one will believe her, anyway. Not until Godfrey has proven immortality to the world.
He blew out a breath. “You can just say a few months ago I saw Ivan die with my own eyes.”
She pressed her palms on the balcony rail and looked toward the sea. Her hands shook on the wood. “I see.”
“I have to go.” Even as he spoke the words, regret surged through him. He couldn’t go like this. He gripped her shoulders and turned her back to him. “Don’t send me away empty-handed.”
With a tremulous sigh, she closed her eyes and tilted her face up to his. Her mind opened for him. Like the flutter of wings, her thought gently floated into to his awareness.
Godfrey would never let her go. He monitored her movements. He’d find her, no matter how far she ran. No one was safe around her, especially not a man who touched her. Her husband was possessive, and he wasn’t the forgiving kind.
Cain planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Neither am I,” he murmured in her hair. “Go inside and lock the door behind me. Call me if you need me, no matter the hour. I’ll be here for you, day or night.”
“Thank you.” She buried deeper into his embrace for another second before pulling away.
At the door, he looked over his shoulder. The image of her standing on the balcony in the heat of the day shivering and hugging herself was imprinted on his mind. Her vulnerability hit him like a fist on the jaw. It punched the air from his lungs. Her life was fragile and uncertain. Most of the time, he walked the tightrope that balanced between ending and saving it, and she knew it. The knowledge was there in her eyes. Pushing the torturous thought from his mind, he did what he had to do to tear himself away before he did something unintelligent like take her with him. He turned his back on her and left.
The air was colder without Cain. Even in the humid heat Olivia felt his loss like a drop in temperature. After the way he’d touched her, he’d walked out without an explanation. All he’d given her was the awful truth of Godfrey’s true intention and that what her husband had promised her was possible. Godfrey could bring Adam back to life. She trembled uncontrollably. What was her husband’s plan for her? Would he make her immortal and submit her to the eternal fear that went hand-in-hand with living with him? Was immortality something she’d want?
She sank down into the nearest chair, looking unseeingly at the view. No, she didn’t want to live forever. In many ways, life on earth with its hardships and temptations were hell. Who wanted to endure that for eternity? Maybe Godfrey only had such plans for himself. What would become of Adam, should she agree to her husband’s dark terms? Would Adam be plunged into a never-ending existence because of her selfish need to see her son one more time? Hadn’t she done her best when he was alive? What would she have done differently if she could turn back time?
The answer came to her with startling clarity. Nothing. She’d raised him to the best of her ability, trying to install good values and respect for all living things. Adam had been born with a cruel side to him. She’d warned him about it when he was old enough to understand. Together, they’d look for healthier outlets for his cruel thirsts. Martial arts, painting, writing, boxing, and finally religion. It was as if the seeds of greed and sadism were always ingrained in him, and Godfrey was the one who watered the plant. Under her husband’s tutoring, the darkness in Adam grew like ivy, smothering whatever light she’d tried to maintain. She wasn’t making excuses or justifying Adam’s behavior. She was simply looking at the facts. It gave her the insight she needed to make her decision. Her answer was ready for Godfrey.
Clelia paced in front of the rooftop greenhouse when Cain got there.
“How’s she doing?” he asked tersely, stripping his jacket in the walk.
She wiped the hair from her forehead. Her brow was shiny with perspiration. “Everything looks normal. At least, that’s what Eve said the last time I dared to stick my head around the door.”
He unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them back. “It’s like an oven out here. Why don’t you wait inside?”
“I can’t stand the tension. I want to be here in case they need something.”
“Eve is well prepared, isn’t she?” he asked with a note of panic.
“Of course. She’s wonderful.” She laid a hand on his arm. “Don’t worry. She delivered Laudren without any issues.”
He wiped a hand over his face. “Yes, but he’s not a quantumancist.”
She didn’t reply. What was there to say? No one had experience of such a birth.
In no time, he was pacing with Clelia. “How’s Ivan doing?”
Clelia glanced at the door and grinned. “Not so well. He’s whiter than a ghost.”
Cain was about to say Ivan wouldn’t appreciate the comparison when the door opened. They both twirled in that direction.
Eve exited, her face drawn and pale. “I heard your voice, Cain.”
He hurried toward her. “What’s the status?”
“She’s doing fine. Her vitals are normal. So are the baby’s.” Eve gave a faint smile. “I’m more worried about Ivan. I swear he’s going to kill me before this baby is born. He’s shouting all kinds of threats if I don’t take away Alice’s pain.”
Cain winced at the thought that his daughter was suffering. “Why didn’t you do an epidural?”
“Alice didn’t want one. Said she wanted to do this naturally. She wanted her full wits about her.”
In case she was going to die. That was typical of Alice. She always wanted to be in control, lucid. Cain shook the thought of death, unwilling to bring fear into the place where a new life was about to become a gift.
Eve tilted her head to the door. “I’m going back inside. I just came to ask if we could have some more cold water and ice.”
“I’ll get it,” Clelia said, already on her way to the kitchen.
Cain took a chair under the covered part of the roof and waited. The sun sunk lower on the horizon as the hours dragged on. To prevent himself from going crazy, he tried to keep busy. He called Josselin at the base to check on the status of the investigation. There was still no sign of Godfrey and no new information on the Medusa Movement or the murders. He spoke to Lann, who was on the shift watching Olivia. Mrs. Reid hadn’t moved from her house since his visit. All the while, Clelia scurried between the kitchen and the rooftop with refreshments, caregiving being in her sweet nature.
At six minutes to seven the wail of a baby pierced the air. Cain jumped to his feet. In a wink, Clelia was at his side. She gripped his arm and squeezed in silent support. Both tense, they waited for word from inside the makeshift lab. It was Ivan who opened the door several minutes later. In his arms, he carried a baby swaddled in cotton blankets. His face was pale, the tiredness of his eyes emphasized by dark rings. Cain held his breath. Time stood still as Ivan took a step toward them. And then Ivan smiled.
Cain closed his eyes and raised his head to the heavens. “Thank God.” Alice was all right.
The stress of the last few hours lifted. Weak with relief, he faced his son-in-law and grandchild.
Ivan beamed. “It’s a girl.” He held the bundle to Cain. “Say hi to your grandfather, Clara.”
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His heart contracted. All his attention fixed on the perfect little being Ivan placed in his arms.
“Alice wanted to name her after her mother,” Ivan explained.
He nodded in thanks, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. In the back of his mind, he was aware of Clelia’s compliments and the questions she posed at Ivan, but everything ceased to exist as he stared into the face of the child who was part of Alice and Ivan, and equal parts of seven beautiful and forbidden arts. She was angelic. Her skin was like the fog over snowy mountaintops, pure and soft. She’d gotten Alice’s blonde hair and she’d have Ivan’s eyes. He could tell, even if the color was still the universal baby blue. They already had a dark hue in their depths.
He kissed her forehead. “Welcome to the world, Clara,” he whispered, then added with determination, “a world where your arts will be welcomed. No more seven forbidden arts. Only seven arts. That’s my promise to you.”
When Ivan cleared his throat, he looked up to see Clara’s father eagerly holding out his hands. “Can I have her back? I’m sure Alice would like to see you.”
“I’ll let the others know,” Clelia offered. “They’re all waiting for news.”
“Thank you,” Cain said as she turned for the house.
He handed Clara to her father and walked to the humble hothouse, Ivan on his heels. It didn’t feel right that Clara was born in a marijuana nursery turned research lab. He would’ve wanted a less contaminated and clinical environment for his grandchild’s birth, but the world was an upside-down place.
Alice sat in the daybed. Eve was fluffing out her pillow. For a moment, his step faltered. Alice looked surprisingly well, a lot better than Ivan. Her cheeks had a glow and her skin a healthy shine.
He walked to her side and took her hand. “How are you feeling?”
“Great.” Alice’s smile dimmed everything else in the room. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“A miracle,” he agreed. “You did wonderful. I’m proud of you.”
“Can I hold her?” She reached for the baby in Ivan’s arms. There was pride in her voice when she said, “She only cried when Eve lifted her to the light.”
Cain took a distance to watch Ivan and Alice coo over their long-awaited child. They deserved her. They deserved the happiness that came with sharing the beauty of new life. They’d make great parents.
His worry over Alice abated, he addressed Eve. “Thank you doesn’t nearly do it, but I’m at a loss for words.”
Taking his arm, Eve led him to the far side of the room.
“How is she really doing?” he asked.
“Remarkably well.” Eve’s face pulled into a mask of concern. “Too well. It was almost too easy.”
The earlier tension returned. “What are you saying?”
“Just that we shouldn’t get too excited too quickly. Alice and the baby are healthy. Everything looks normal. Let’s just not forget that this is a baby like no other.”
Cain looked toward his family, a new flash of unease taking root in his gut. “That’s the one thing impossible to forget.”
Alone in her bed, Olivia listened to the sound of the sea, hoping it would soothe her to sleep, but it was the noises in the house she returned to again and again. Every time a floorboard creaked, her hope ignited. It was shameful to long for her stalker’s presence. Even worse was admitting that she could no longer do without it.
Cain had opened a desire in her for things she couldn’t name. To feel wanted, adored, cherished, accepted, maybe. Safe. She’d lived in fear, guilt and shame for too long to remember how a normal life could be. And even as Cain gave her fleeting moments of protection in his arms, she wasn’t naïve enough not to realize that Cain came with his own measure of darkness. The storms that raged under his controlled demeanor were no less frightening than the madness in Godfrey’s soul. Her disposition had always been more peaceful than conflictive. She was a dreamer, not a fighter. She and Cain came from different tides and shores. What she should be looking for was a sea with water as warm as the air and a color as thin as the sky. Transparent, comfortable. Instead, what she wanted was the turbulent ocean that crashed foamy waves on calloused rocks, its riptide dark and its secrets dangerous. The calm in her was attracted to the danger in Cain, even if she knew that by immersing herself she’d drown.
The beep of the alarm brought her back to the present. Her body reacted immediately and completely. Her heart started beating an erratic rhythm while her lower body turned warm, heat spreading through her belly to the aching place between her thighs. He’d come. God forgave her the joy she felt instead of terror. She’d been more worried about him than what she cared to admit. Something had to be wrong for how he’d left.
Eager to see him, she threw the sheet off her body and sat up. “Cain?”
The only answer she got was the footsteps mounting the stairs.
Jumping from the bed, she pulled on a fluffy bathrobe and rushed through the door. She had the irresistible urge to jump into his arms, fold her arms around his neck, and beg him to bring her back to bed. Of course, her composure and pride would never allow her such a thing. A childish thing at her age. The most she would manage was to invite him for a nightcap. Anything to keep him out of her bedroom, because she wasn’t strong enough to resist him, tonight. Not after what had happened on her balcony, today.
In the hallway, she stopped in her tracks. The blood drained from her head, leaving her dizzy. She leaned a hand on the wall for support. Coming toward her with long, determined steps wasn’t Cain, but Godfrey. Her mouth went dry. She stood motionless, waiting for him to close the distance.
Godfrey stopped close to her and smiled the knowing smile that always had the hair rise on her arms.
“Hello, Olivia.”
She fought for calm, grabbing the first thought that entered her head. “I didn’t expect you home so soon or I would’ve prepared dinner.”
Inside, she trembled. If he’d heard her call out for Cain, he didn’t say so. He only swept his gaze over her, running it from her bare feet to her lips. Her mouth was too dry to swallow.
“I would’ve liked that,” he said, “for us to have dinner together, but I had to see to an urgent matter.”
It was after eleven. Cain usually showed up any time between now and midnight. If he walked in on Godfrey, Godfrey would kill him. Her husband would have the element of surprise on his side. Cain had the house watched, but Godfrey would use the same measure Cain used to go about the residence unnoticed. They were both blind to each other.
Feeling exposed, she pulled the edges of the robe tighter. It took all her courage to push past him for the stairs.
“How about a drink?” she said over her shoulder.
“Stop.”
The single word froze her in her steps. She turned back warily, uncertainty almost undoing the mask she only held in place by sheer willpower.
“What?” she asked, hoping to sound assertive. Irritated. A caring wife without fear would be irritated.
“I came for your answer.”
She sucked in a breath. One, two, three… She counted to five before letting it out. Lifting her chin, she said, “My answer is no. I don’t want Adam back.”
Disbelief raged in his eyes. For a minute, she thought he was going to lose it, but then a calculated look hardened his features.
“Why?”
“It’s immoral.”
He sneered. “Do you honestly believe in the religious bullshit you’re telling yourself?”
She pulled herself straight. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
“I came to offer you a second chance, a chance at happiness, at forever. Me, you, and Adam. Do you have any idea what this is costing me?”
She wavered under the sincerity of his injured tone. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think bringing back Adam is going to make anything right.”
He narrowed his eyes to slits. “You’re ungrateful. Together, we could’ve brought the man who murdered our chil
dren to justice.”
“Wait.” Her fingers dug into the fabric of her robe. “Are you saying the same man killed them all?”
“Lily, Nicolas, and your Adam. Why, you look like you don’t believe me.”
“You said a woman killed Adam.”
“I never said a woman killed him. I said a woman was responsible for killing him. She seduced him. As it happens, I know who she works for. It was all part of a ploy to kill me and steal my research. Do you know how much money that research is worth, how much power the man who holds it will yield?”
“I-I don’t understand anything.”
“The same man who hired a hitman to kill my daughter hired a sly whore to seduce Adam into giving up his life for her. He killed Adam as sure as if he’d pulled the trigger himself. It’s the same man who shot down my plane and killed Nicolas. He’s been telling the world he’s doing it to save them from me when all he wants is to steal the power for himself.”
Her mind worked overtime. Who would’ve killed Adam and an innocent Lily and Nicolas? The FBI agent Cain had mentioned? Did he turn rogue?
“Ask me his name,” he said through clenched teeth. “Ask me to tell you.”
“Tell me,” she said, forcing the words from her dry throat.
His lips thinned. “Cain. Cain Jones.”
Coldness enveloped her. Ice filled her veins. Her brain screamed that it wasn’t true, but her intuition already told her otherwise. Please, no. Not the man in whose arms she’d felt safe. Not the man who’d convinced her to help kill her husband. Her knees turned weak. If not for the hand on the wall that supported her weight, her legs would’ve caved in.
There was a cruel edge to Godfrey’s voice. “It stings, doesn’t it?”
“Why…?” She shook her head, trying to clear the dizziness threatening to overwhelm her. “Why are you telling me only now?”
“It didn’t matter before, but now it does, because you’re going to help me take revenge. You’re going to help me kill him.”
Chapter 9
The house was huddled in darkness. Olivia had to be asleep, already. Cain let himself in and headed for the stairs. He shouldn’t be here, but he couldn’t stay away. Tired to the bone after the stressful day, he needed Olivia’s soothing presence more than ever. Anticipation at the thought of being near her, being able to touch her, warmed him. Halfway through the lounge, a thought lashed at him.
Man (Seven Forbidden Arts Book 9) Page 13