“Because they ignored the rumors about Parris?”
He nodded. “They didn’t take it seriously, and now look at what has happened. They may argue that the PCA made an underhanded move by sending me and you in as undercover rats, but that won’t stick for long. Not when you had good cause to do so after Romeo’s escape. Cole has plenty to play with to make sure you come out of this as someone who only followed orders and who was caught in the crossfire.”
“And you?”
“My reputation in Darkwood is no doubt down the pan. But it was fragile to begin with. No one will trust me now. But that’s no different to how it was before. Now they’ll just have cause not to do so. Other than that, my job won’t be affected, and Ramses will forgive me over time.”
“I’m sorry, Bernard.”
“No need to be sorry. He’s hurt that I didn’t confide in him with this but he’ll get over it. He always does.”
“Is Vienna okay?” I dared to ask. My coffee became very interesting all of a sudden. “Florin tortured her pretty badly.”
“She’s more than okay. She’s healed, and relieved that Florin is now gone forever.” He hesitated. “I told Cole and Ramses this morning about the vision you had of Daia. They’ve agreed to dig up her remains tomorrow to confirm it. She was a very young vampire, so her body would have decomposed like a human’s would have done. Cole’s going to send two agents to oversee it. Vienna is also applying to move house.”
“Can she do that?”
“Sure. She can put the application in anyway. She’s applied for the House of Atlantis.”
“What?” I demanded, spilling some coffee down me as I sat up in shock. “Why that house?”
“The law keepers of Darkwood got the charges dropped against Marco early hours of this morning. When he got back, he apparently had one of his people approach Vienna to ask her if she would like to switch after everything that had gone on. He said he would sponsor her and speak to Donn about it. He also told her he’d done it as a favor to you, knowing that Donn and many who liked Florin may not be so forgiving toward Vienna after all this. The application is in process. She told me before I headed over here. She also wanted me to thank you on her behalf. For everything.”
Damn it. She shouldn’t be thankful. I hadn’t thought of the aftermath for Vienna. Me and my stupid, narrow-minded decisions. I’d thrown her in the deep end, not worrying about whether she could swim or not. I was lucky she hadn’t wound up dead because of it.
“I take it you protected the part she played in my vision?” I asked, not liking the guilt that gnawed at me.
“Of course I did. Cole wants you to write a report on it when you’re back at work, and that will be the end of the matter. Daia’s death will be treated as a murder committed by Florin. Considering Florin is now dead, the vampires will also have to take the hit regarding that matter, too. Like I said, Cole has ample to use against them to brush our actions under the carpet. Also, on top of that, you caught one of the escaped prisoners. This is a big coup, Terra.”
“I can’t believe it’s all played out this way,” I admitted to him, my head still spinning from it all. Then there was my gift and how it had acted back at the barn. Not forgetting what Marco had said. I pushed it all away, just like I had every other time it threatened to rear up and worry me.
“Why would Marco be doing you so large a favor?” Bernard asked me out of the blue, and he studied me over the rim of his cup.
“I have some information on him,” I admitted. “Some information on his connection to Romeo. But let’s just leave it at that, for now. Okay?”
He studied me for a while, a worried expression on his face. “Terra …”
“It’s all good. Nothing bad. But I’ve written it all out and left it in a sealed envelope for you to exploit should anything ever happen to me. Outside of that, it’s best you don’t know.”
“Then it’s big?”
“Pretty damn big. And Marco is happy I’m keeping quiet about it. It’s nothing anyone needs to know. Not really.”
“Alright then,” he said on a sigh, not happy with my response, but respectful enough not to push any harder.
“I’m just sick of walking into these situations,” I told him, diverting him away from Marco. “I mean, honestly, a cheetah shifter who tied me up and set his rogues on me. And now a Head of House who was on a power trip and wanted to keep me on tap as one of his five-a-day. What is it with these so-called powerful species?”
“It’s you, my darling,” Bernard said to me with laughter betraying his voice. “Things never work out the way you plan them to. But for some reason, they always work out the way they should. You may have rocked Darkwood, and your name will be dirt over there for a while, but you ended up playing a key role in the recovery of an escaped convict. A murderous vampire was also brought to justice due to your vision, and the body of the vampire he killed can now be laid to rest properly. Vienna can start forgiving herself and stop living in the shadows. And you’ve stopped a future attack against the Consilium if Parris’ rantings were anything to go by. You’re famous!”
“More like infamous,” I muttered, and he laughed.
“Trouble really does follow you wherever you go, doesn’t it? That’s why I’m staying for a while.”
“You’re staying? But why?”
“Don’t sound too excited,” he quipped. “Cole told me that they’d found nothing at the portal and the trail has fizzled out. That means your lead on who attacked Kaleb, and who killed this Dill Hemingway fellow, has come to a standstill. They found a few scents though, and it was enough for Cole to place Immigration Control on high alert. He also told me that Dill’s background will need to be investigated, and we need to try to understand why no one reported him missing these past couple of weeks. But that’s going to have to wait while Cole smooths things over with the vampires.”
“We?” I asked, picking up on the word.
“Cole’s asked if he can employ my services for the unforeseeable future, and have me work on this escaped prisoner detail with you and Kaleb. If that’s okay with the two of you, of course?”
“But that’s great news! We need all the help we can get. And I know Kaleb won’t mind. I also know Cole’s worried about him as he’s not out of the woods yet, and we’ve hit another brick wall on the prisoners. Your help is very welcome.” I hesitated. “Are you okay with it? I know how you feel about being over here and—”
“I’m not leaving your side until you catch these bastards. So don’t even ask.”
“It’s my job,” I told him, baffled by his sudden worry over me.
“It’s your job to do when you have the numbers at your back. And right now, you don’t. I know Cole’s hands are tied by the Consilium, but to have only two agents on this when those prisoners—dangerous prisoners—are on the loose; it’s madness.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” I told him in understanding. I didn’t want him to stay behind because of some deluded sense of loyalty toward me. And neither because he blamed himself for all that had happened.
“I know that.” He blew a fallen tendril of hair away from his face. “But I’m not leaving you in the shit either. Just like you wouldn’t do so with me. So deal with it.”
“Wow. You’re bossy.” I thumbed my ring finger where my wedding ring used to be. I’d put it away, ready to give back to Mayra. “You’re not even my fake husband anymore. I think we need to assess the dynamics of our relationship.”
His laughter was loud as he shook his head in surrender. “I feel sorry for the man who ends up married to you. And who knows, if you play your cards right with Cole …”
“Shut up.” I pushed at his arm. “Cole is the least of my problems.”
“Yeah, sure.” He put his coffee down on my nightstand and made himself more comfortable. “I’ll remind you of that when you’re kissing his face off again.”
“Forget husband. You’re not even my friend anymore. I release you from
your friendly duties.”
He smiled and patted the space next to him. “Shut up and come lie here with me. I’ll let you pretend that I’m Cole while we watch a movie.”
“You’re such an asshole,” I told him, reluctantly lying down next to him.
“Yeah, I know. I’ll let you fake divorce me tomorrow.”
And with that, we watched a movie, From Dusk Till Dawn, of all things.
My eye roll was surely deserved.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“OH, BEFORE I go …,” Bernard said as he hovered by my door. Dusk had hit and he’d decided to take advantage of the night to head back over to Earthside to collect more of his belongings. He always preferred the shadows when he was over there.
"What is it?" I asked, and he handed me a sealed envelope.
“Cole asked me to give you this. He said you needed to be free from nine tonight, if possible, for some transmission or other that he needs to have with you. The details are in there.” He waggled his eyebrows so I gently pushed him out of the door.
“Thank you,” I looked at the clock. It was just after eight now. “Be off with you.”
“I’m going.” He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Cole has offered me a temporary residence that his father owns while I’m over here. That means I’m going to be stuck in the Indicium Quarter for a while.”
“Yay, house party,” I told him, raising my hands in the air, mimicking my usual dance moves.
“I don’t think so. I know I love you drunk, but not in any house I’m living in. Stay safe, and I’ll check in with you when I return tomorrow.”
“Alright. Thanks for snoring during the movie.”
“You’re so welcome. See you soon.”
Once he was gone, I closed my door and ripped open the envelope. Knowing Cole, it was a note saying I needed to write up my report because he couldn’t wait another twenty-four hours to have it in his hands. But I had to read the note twice before I believed its words. It read:
Meet me on the edge of the Moors, by the Cherry Orchard, at Nine.
Why would Cole send me a note like that? It couldn’t be real. Could it? After all, I’d been taken in by a note before—one that ended up with me getting kidnapped. But then Cole had personally handed this to Bernard and asked me to be free by nine. There’s no way that could be a trap to lure me into the darkness. What was going on?
Too intrigued to ignore it, I went and got dressed in my usual—very lovely and comfortable attire—and made sure to add the belt my pulsar weapon slid into. I wasn’t stupid enough to walk into the Moors without my weapon, and it was still raw that I’d been taken by Florin and harmed so much by Parris. My brain didn’t want to revisit the memories of what I’d experienced when I’d been charmed by him. But I'd handle it. Our clothes had remained on, thank goodness, and his hands had been too busy holding my head in place to have done anything worse. But he could have done. And I wouldn’t have been able to stop him. He’d had the power to give me pain or pleasure, and where he’d chosen pleasure, I still wasn’t sure what to think or feel about that.
Throwing on my leather jacket, I headed out into the night. I wasn’t sure why Cole had set up the meeting with stealth, but curiosity got the better of me. And so did my excitement. Part of me felt like an eager puppy, the hope simmering inside at the thoughts of what this could mean. But my cynicism kept it at bay. This was Cole after all. He lived and breathed serious.
Crystal lanterns lit my way through the quarter’s streets, and then I saw him, waiting on the edge by the Cherry Orchard.
Damn. He looked good. He was dressed differently to what he wore at the office, and he looked good enough to eat. Too good.
He had on a shirt, but no tie. And he was wearing jeans of all things. I was shocked that he even owned a pair.
“I’m glad you came,” he told me as I approached. But he said nothing more as he held out his hand for me to take. I took it. How could I not? But confusion still clouded my senses. What was he up to?
He led me along the path, through the orchard, saying nothing as he held onto my hand. And then what I saw next took my breath away.
In front of me was a table and chairs, surrounded by pretty crystal lanterns. There was a candle on the center of the table, and a picnic basket filled with food and wine waiting on the ground.
“I figured we could try the getting to know each other part,” he told me with a smile, and I struggled to shut my mouth as the emotion of such a gesture rose up. “Like a date.”
“A date?” I asked, unable to say much more.
“We might not be able to do it out in the open, but we can still do it. If you want to?”
Aware I was about to step into dangerous waters, I couldn’t have stopped myself if I tried. Laughter of disbelief escaped my lips, and I nodded. “I would love to go on a date with you.”
“Then here we are.” He led me to one of the chairs and pulled it out for me. A little unsettled by such a move, I sat down and let him shuffle me in. Not the easiest thing to do on grass, but we managed it. He sat opposite me and poured us both a glass of wine.
“Kaleb mentioned that you love cheese. So I’ve brought cheese sandwiches and some other stuff I’ve seen you eat in the office. You can take your pick.”
“Thank you,” I told him, humbled almost into a sense of uncomfortableness. This was so unlike Cole that I couldn’t quite believe it all.
“You’re welcome.” He handed me my glass then lifted his own. “Here’s to getting to know each other.”
“What about everything that’s gone on, Cole?” I couldn’t help but ask. "The vampires, the escaped prisoners …” I hesitated, my glass hovering in the air.
“We’ll deal with that tomorrow. Tonight, it’s just us. Cole and Terra. That's all we need to worry about right now. Tomorrow we’ll don the badge once more and worry about the rest. Until then …” He waved his glass and I laughed, clinking my glass against his.
“Here’s to getting to know each other,” I said, and then I took a sip of my drink. I may have been sealing my fate by uttering those innocent words. But as both Mayra and Bernard had told me in essence, I wouldn’t know the answer until I traveled down that road. Now all I could do was hope I had the strength to get through this, whichever way the wind blew, and to enjoy the journey on the way.
Life, as Cole had said, would continue tomorrow.
THE END
***
Book Three DEATH BE RAVEN will be coming soon!
Keep Reading for a Sneak Preview …
DEATH BE RAVEN
The frost was a rude awakening, indicating how cold the Moors were this morning.
The crisp leaves crunched beneath my feet and my breath fogged before my eyes as I pushed on with my morning jog. I was grateful that I’d thrown on my sweater at the last minute, the sleeves curled around my hands to keep them warm.
With my two-toned dark and purple hair pulled up into a pony tail, I felt the swing of it as I pushed through the burn of a three mile run. I ran at pace, needing to blow away the cobwebs that had settled into the recess of my mind. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, trying to process everything that had happened lately.
Brewing corruption in the Consilium, a prison break, and the death of a Head of House vampire on my hands.
I would say that was the worst of it, but then there was the secret date I’d had with my boss the night before. Only that wasn’t really the worst thing since it had been one of the most beautiful evenings I’d ever experienced. But it was the worst in the sense that my date should be off limits in real-life terms.
I was playing with fire, and my heart knew it. But I couldn’t help myself. When Cole had sent me that note to meet him by the orchard on the border of the quarter where I lived, I’d gone without hesitation. And when he’d told me that he wanted us to get to know each other—to date … Well, hell. What could I have said when every part of me jumped at the chance? I’d gone with him, deep into th
e trees, and dined with him under the stars.
Cole had been a complete gentleman—or if we’re being specific, a gentle wolf shifter—all evening. He’d taken work completely off the table. Nothing was mentioned about the Heads of Houses who’d been stirred up after I’d shaken the vampire corruption tree. Or about the escaped prisoners who were still on the loose. All he’d done was ask me questions about myself, and answered those I’d thrown back at him. We’d laughed, flirted, and done everything you should do on a date. But that wasn’t a good thing. Deep down, part of me wished that he’d been horrible. That way I could see him for the out of league boss he was, and everything would return to normal. Normal for me anyway.
But no. That hadn’t happened. Instead, he’d reached out and touched me as often as he could. Subtle touches. The odd stroke of my hand here and there. But behind the reserved touches lay fire. A fire that threatened to burn so hot inside me, I thought at one point I was going to pounce over the small table he’d laid out among the greenery. Lucky for me, I’d refrained and my dignity was still intact.
My patience had finally paid off if the sweet kiss he’d given me at the end of our time together was anything to go by.
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