Man (Seven Forbidden Arts Book 9)

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Man (Seven Forbidden Arts Book 9) Page 23

by Charmaine Pauls


  “You could have told me,” she said softly.

  Crossing the floor, he stopped short of her. “You would’ve fought me on it.”

  “Damn right.”

  His eyes roamed over her, drinking her in.

  “What now?” she asked, staring up at him like she had at the carnival street bar.

  He put his arms around her. “Now, I take you home.”

  She leaned against him. “I’d like that.”

  Stress radiated from her tense body. The last twenty-four hours had taken its toll on everyone. Now that the threat was over, it would be good for her to be back in her own environment.

  “The child is having something to eat,” she said.

  “I’ll go see if he’s finished.”

  After finding the boy in the kitchen, Cain took one of the cars and drove them to Olivia’s house. The old mansion was basked in dusk when they arrived. Mist rolled in from the sea, diluting the stark blue mosaic of the walls to a watercolor picture. At the creak of the garden gate, a flock of wild parrots rose with shrieks from the tree next to the porch. With a hand on her lower back, Cain ushered Olivia up the steps. Unattended for only a day, the scattered leaves littering the porch made it seem much longer. The child followed silently, his face unreadable.

  Cain deactivated the alarm and opened the door with the code. Just in case, he entered first. The house was gloomy, the interior huddled in shadows. Olivia rubbed her arms despite the heat. He flipped the light switch to dispel the semi-darkness. The child went past them and headed for the stairs. As Olivia made to go after him, Cain held her back.

  “Give him some space,” he said. “We’ll go check on him in a minute.”

  She seemed indecisive, but after a moment her posture relaxed. “I need coffee. Would you like some?”

  “I’ll make it.”

  Halfway to the kitchen, Olivia’s distressed cry stopped him in his tracks. He turned on his heels, his body tensing in alarm. She stood in the middle of the lounge, staring at her laptop on the coffee table. The light of the open screen illuminated her face, accentuating her shocked expression.

  In a few strides, he was at her side, peering over her shoulder to see what had caused her distress. What he saw made him go even more rigid. One sentence was typed over and over, filling the screen. The blue glow of the television drew his attention. The same line ran over the flat screen. From the alarm panel mounted against the wall, the sentence flashed in square letters. He turned in a slow circle. The message was repeated on the sound system and the digital thermometer on the bookshelf. It screamed at them from every electronic device.

  I’m watching you.

  Chapter 16

  Olivia pressed a hand over her mouth. “What kind of sick joke is this?”

  Activating the wrist pad, Cain dialed Josselin. “I need you at Olivia’s house.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Olivia glanced at the stairs. “The boy,” she whispered. “What if he saw it? He’ll be scared.”

  “Stay here. I’ll go.”

  Cain made his way to the upper level, taking the steps two by two. Upstairs, he found the same as in the lounge. Every apparatus from the air conditioning panels to the answering machine carried the sinister message. At least the child seemed unaffected. He was sitting on his bed, his palms pressed between his knees and his face blank.

  “Come with me,” Cain said.

  The boy followed Cain through the bedrooms to the gym level. Satisfied that no one was hiding in the house, Cain made the child and Olivia sit by the island counter in the kitchen while he brewed a pot of coffee. He was pouring Olivia a cup when Josselin notified him of his arrival.

  Cain met him at the door and led him to the lounge. “Take a look.”

  Josselin turned in a slow circle, regarding the words that blinked at them.

  “What do you make of it?” Cain asked.

  Josselin studied the laptop with a frown. “Either someone broke into the house to stage the warning, or he sent it remotely.”

  “For both he’d need access to passwords. It’s possible that one password could’ve been hacked, but hacking every single device’s password is highly unlikely.”

  “I’m not an expert. We need to get Maya here. Is the house secure?”

  “Yes. Bring her in if she’s still up and not too tired.”

  Josselin left promptly to execute the command. When Cain returned to the kitchen, Olivia was alone.

  “Where’s the child?” he asked.

  “I put him to bed. He’s been through a lot.”

  He walked to her chair and took her hands. “We’ll figure this out.”

  “I just want those words gone. I can’t look at it, any longer.”

  “I know.”

  “Who would do something like this?”

  “I have no idea,” he said honestly, “but I’ll find the bastard.” He cupped her face and brushed his thumbs over her cheeks. “Whoever is terrorizing you, I’ll make it stop.”

  She sighed and leaned her cheek against his chest. “I know you will. I trust you.”

  The words made him still. He gripped her chin and tilted her face up to him. “Do you?”

  “Just don’t lie to me again, however well intended.”

  He brushed his lips over hers. “I promise.”

  The smile she offered him was faint, but there was hope behind it.

  Josselin arrived shortly with Maya, their best electronics expert by far. She walked through the whole house, inspecting each room, before joining Cain, Olivia, and Josselin in the lounge.

  “I already checked the infrared and heat sensor recordings when Josselin first called,” Maya said, looking at them with her hands on her hips. “The house is clean. There are no signs of entry. As for all of this,” she waved a hand at the television and the laptop, “I don’t have an explanation. All I can tell you is that your computer hasn’t been hacked.”

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Olivia said, glancing at Cain.

  “It doesn’t,” Maya agreed, “at least not in the logical sense.”

  Olivia stared at her with big eyes. “What are you saying?”

  “She’s saying it has a ring of paranormal to it,” Cain said.

  Maya nodded. “Exactly.”

  Olivia looked between the three people. “Who has the power to manipulate electronic devices?”

  “I don’t know,” Maya said. “I’ve never heard of or seen anything like this.”

  Cain took Olivia’s hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “Can you clear the text, Maya?”

  “Sure. I’ll reset the devices. That should do the trick.”

  “I’ll help,” Olivia offered.

  Josselin turned to Cain. “What do you suggest? Where we do start looking for the culprit?”

  “It’s late.” Cain got to his feet. “For now, we call it a night.” He shot a worried glance at Olivia’s back as she left with Maya. She’d been up since the previous night. She needed rest. “We’ll continue the investigation tomorrow.”

  “I’ll drop in after breakfast,” Maya called from over her shoulder.

  When Josselin and Maya left, Cain fixed an omelet and made Olivia eat, despite her protest that she wasn’t hungry. After dinner, he took her to bed. Too exhausted to have a shower, they fell asleep fully clothed. There was comfort in holding her, knowing he finally had her right where he wanted her. In his arms.

  At sunrise, Cain woke to an empty bed. Sticking his head around the child’s doorframe, he confirmed the boy was still asleep. He found Olivia in the gym where she was lifting weights. Her back turned to him, she was unaware of his presence. He leaned against the doorframe to observe her. The muscles in her arms and shoulders flexed. Perspiration coated her skin. She was perfect. In every physical and mental way. When she’d finished the exercise cycle, he walked to the bench and dragged a finger down her arm, eliciting a trail of goose bumps.

  “You’re up early.”

 
“Habit.” She wiped her face with a towel. “Exercise is a way of channeling my stress.”

  “Is that why you started weight training?”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged. “I like to push my body to the limits.”

  He checked his watch. “I’d like to see Alice. We left on…” he searched for a word, “strained terms.”

  “Of course.” She got to her feet. “You don’t have to babysit me. I can take care of myself.”

  “I know you can.” An image of her attacking him with a knife went through his mind. He couldn’t help but smile. “Until we figure out this message, I’m putting the house back under surveillance. I’ll have a team outside before I go.” He stole a quick kiss when he wanted so much more. “I’ll be back when Maya gets here after breakfast.”

  “Good.” Then she kissed him right back.

  There was lots to iron out with the child, for starters how he felt about losing the man who’d given him life. There was also his future to consider and what would become of him. They had to talk about where he’d stay, if he’d be happy to live with her, and if he’d be happy for her to apply for adoption. Did he even have a birth certificate? According to official records, he might not exist. Knowing Godfrey, keeping the child’s existence a secret is something he’d have done. They had to find a school or a homeschooling program and discuss a curriculum, but for now there were more immediate matters to consider, such as clothes and food. And they had to choose a name. She couldn’t refer to him as the child or boy any longer. It was too cold and impersonal.

  Olivia prepared a full breakfast and set it out on the balcony before going in search of him. He was standing under the skylight on the upstairs landing, studying the light that fell over an ornate vase filled with glass beads.

  “Do you like them?” she asked as she approached. She motioned at the beads. “I bought them in Venice.”

  “Are they special?”

  “Yes. My first husband and I spent our honeymoon there. They were a memento.”

  “Where is he now, your first husband?”

  “He passed away.” She lifted one of the beads from the vase, rolling it between her fingers. They always brought back happy memories. When they’d gotten home after their holiday, she’d discovered she was pregnant with Adam. Their honeymoon baby. Dropping the bead back in the vase, she asked, “Are you hungry? I made breakfast.”

  She installed him by the balcony table and sipped her coffee, watching him while he ate. At least he had an appetite. He cleaned everything on his plate. When he served himself a second helping, she excused herself to have a shower.

  Her thoughts drifted to Cain and what the future held. She’d been a distraction, a means to an end, and finally a temptation. Could she be more? Could he ever look at her and not see the face of his enemy? What were his plans now that Godfrey had been defeated? Did they involve her? Now that she was free, what did she want to do with her life? Did she want to carry on painting? A lot depended on the child, if he’d stay on with her. That was the first issue she needed to raise.

  She closed the tap and squeezed the water from her hair. As she stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel, she came to an abrupt halt. The boy was standing in the middle of the bathroom, staring at her with an expressionless face. She covered her body with the towel.

  “What are you doing?” she exclaimed. “You gave me a fright.”

  He didn’t answer.

  “How long have you been standing there?” she asked.

  “I know what my name should be.”

  “That’s great,” she approached him slowly, “but you didn’t honor our rule. No entering without knocking. Remember?” When he said nothing, she repeated, “Understood?”

  “I want to tell you what you should call me.”

  “Go wait for me in the kitchen. I’ll be down when I’ve dressed and then we can talk about it.”

  After another second, he turned and left. She closed the bathroom door and locked it. An uneasy feeling settled over her, but she shook it off. If the child had no concept of privacy it was because Godfrey had never taught him what acceptable behavior was. She brushed her hair and pulled on a robe. When she opened the door, she jerked to a standstill for a second time. The child was sitting on her bed, his knees pressed together and his hands folded in his lap.

  She knotted the belt of her robe. “Sweetheart, I told you to wait downstairs.”

  His usual stoic gaze moved over her with a lively spark. “Don’t you want to know, Olivia?”

  “Of course I do. There are many things we have to talk about, so why don’t you––”

  “Adam. I want you to call me Adam.”

  It was like a punch in the stomach. It hurt. More than she’d ever imagined. Throwing the name at her was like waving Adam’s death in her face, and what made it worse was the smile of satisfaction that transformed the child’s face. The malice in his grin had to be her imagination. If not, it meant his cruelty was intentional. Worse, that he was enjoying the cruelty.

  “What’s the matter, Olivia?”

  She moved to the bed and sat down next to him. “Why this name?”

  “What’s wrong with Adam? Don’t you like it?”

  “Godfrey told you about him, didn’t he?”

  “About who?”

  She clutched the edges of the robe together at her chest. “Let me get dressed, and then we’ll talk about it.”

  “You want me to leave your room?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ask nicely.”

  She gave him a startled look. “Excuse me?”

  “Say Please, Adam and I’ll leave.”

  Getting up, she pulled her spine straight. “Rule number two, you shall show respect while living under my roof. We haven’t talked about punishment, yet, and I’d hate to ground you after the trauma you’d been through, so do as I ask.”

  His shoulders lifted with an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. I’ll be a good boy for you.” With a wink, he left.

  She stared after him, the uneasiness of earlier flaring into full-blown concern. What had caused the sudden change in behavior? She was going to have to give Marcia a call and get a first-hand account of what had upset her, yesterday.

  After dressing quickly, she headed for the kitchen. She disliked conflict, but she couldn’t leave his behavior unaddressed. About to descend the stairs, her foot slipped on something. She grabbed the rail for support, but it was too late. She’d lost her balance. Her feet slid from under her. She reached for the wall in another effort to right herself, but she couldn’t get traction as more objects rolled under her feet. A sharp pain shot into her hip as her body hit the step. The momentum twisted her sideways and the gravity pulled her down. In a flurry of arms and legs, she rolled down the steps, her wind knocked out when she hit the bottom. Her head landed with a thud on the edge of the last step. Ache lanced into her skull. The objects that had caused her fall hopped down the stairs and scattered in all directions.

  Blind with pain and struggling for breath, she couldn’t speak or move. She blinked up at the ceiling, trying to stay calm. Carefully, in case she’d broken something, she turned her head toward the open door of the kitchen. She didn’t want to alarm the child, but she needed help. Her gaze fixed on one of the balls as it rolled into her line of vision. Her eyes widened. Shock rushed through her body, leaving her skin cold and her palms tingling. The glass beads from Venice. A shadow fell over her face. She lifted her eyes slowly to the figure standing over her.

  The boy.

  In his hand, he clutched Adam’s cricket bat.

  Chapter 17

  Premonition prickled under Cain’s skin. Getting out of the car, he planted his feet wide and looked up at the imposing shape of Olivia’s house. The Portuguese style with its arched windows had always seemed romantic, but now it had a subtle air of doom. The decorative turrets broke the flat line of the roof like the spikes of a terrified heartbeat. In the sky glowing with the aftermath of sunrise, a single
cloud threw a shadow over the dwelling, coating the house in somberness. Beyond the sharp angles of the house, the sun hung red in the bloody sky. Every bad feeling coursing through his veins pulled toward the front door. Whatever had him on edge was inside.

  Adrenaline flooded his body. He charged toward the door, registering in the back of his mind that Maya and Ivan were pulling up in the street. All his energy was focused on that door and getting through it as quickly as his legs could carry him. He deactivated the alarm and crashed through the door, out of breath not as much from the running as from the stammering beat of his heart. In the entrance, he skidded to a halt. The sight that greeted him made his blood chill. Olivia lay at the bottom of the stairs, her head resting on the last step, and the child hovered over her with a cricket bat.

  The vague feelings that had ensnared him outside burst into a sharp flare of black certainty. The boy’s intention came to him like a falling axe, the evilness of the thought splitting his mind in two.

  “Put down the bat,” he said in a calm, authoritative voice.

  The situation was volatile. If he stormed, he’d coax the child into action.

  The child turned his head to look at him, a mocking smile tainting his mouth. Maya and Ivan came to a stop behind Cain. He could feel them at his back in the same moment he knew what the child was going to do.

  His instruction came short and strained. “Ivan.”

  In a second, the boy’s fingers started lifting from the handle. The child flexed his muscles not to lose his grip, his lips curling back from the strain of the effort. He groaned and grunted, but his body obeyed Ivan’s unspoken command as Ivan manipulated his spirit with his art. The bat fell to the floor with a clunk. Cain rushed forward, crouching down next to Olivia. Her eyes were closed and her body motionless. He pushed two fingers on a jugular vein in her neck. Thank God. She was alive.

  He turned his attention to the boy, not displaying the fury in his heart. “What have you done?”

 

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