by Siobhan Muir
“You love her with all your heart, don’t you, Michael?”
The very American response of “duh” came to mind, but I’d learned long ago that snark wasn’t the best approach with Mom. She usually did things like smite someone with that kind of attitude. It made mothers with wooden spoons look tame.
“Yes. She’s my One-and-Only. I told Luke about her, too.”
The Goddess nodded. “I know. I spoke to him earlier. He’s going to need your help and understanding in the coming months.”
I blinked. Luke would need my help, but not Mom’s? Or maybe She’d already given him the tools to deal with whatever was coming. Mom was frustrating like that. She’d give us everything we needed to figure shit out and wait for us to see it clearly. Sometimes She’d laugh when we took our time and made ourselves miserable over it, but mostly She did a lot of face-palming until we got it.
“Does this have to do with Angelina in Michigan?”
Mom gave me a look that said She was done speaking about Luke. I sighed and nodded. “Okay, I’ll do what I can.”
“Good, your brother’s very intuitive when it comes to the hearts of others, but his own heart remains a mystery to him.” She shook Her head. “Perhaps it’s because he has the biggest heart of all and he’s yet to explore all of it. I’m glad you’ll help him, Michael. You’re far more experienced in matters of the heart. So let’s talk about Haley.”
“All right. What do you want to know?” What doesn’t She already know?
“It’s not what I need to know, Michael, but what you’re willing to do if you choose to be with Haley long term.”
My gut froze. “What do you mean, choose to be with her? The tattoo showed up on my skin. Doesn’t that mean she’s my heartmate?”
Mom nodded slowly. “Yes, Dear One, but like the humans, you’re given free will as well. If you choose to stay with her, you’ll have many difficult trials. But if you choose to walk away, the pain will be immense. The choice is yours and no path is easier than any other.”
I sat back in my chair, my tea forgotten. No one liked to hear when their choices would kick their own asses, but having my Mother lay it out for me dampened my mood.
I raised my gaze to meet Hers. “I can’t walk away, Mom. She’s too important to me.”
The Goddess nodded, an approving smile curling her lips. “And can you let her do her job as an investigative reporter even if she puts herself into dangerous situations?”
I gasped as the fear stabbed me in the gut like a sword. I groaned and leaned forward, bracing my elbows on my knees. The idea damn near gutted me and I closed my eyes against the tears. I’d always been the warrior, the one fighting and protecting. I thought that was what it had meant to be strong. But trusting Haley to keep herself safe while courting danger made me weak in the knees.
“I don’t know.”
Mom sighed and patted my bowed head. “I know it’s hard, Michael. I know you’re used to being the one in charge. Even Loki, bless his heart, sees you as someone who has leadership qualities. But you must learn to trust Haley to know what she has to do and to ask for help when she needs it. You can’t control her every movement.”
“But she’s putting herself into a situation that is more dangerous than anything she’s done before.” I raised my head to plead with my Mother. “Backlog isn’t some art opening at the Denver museum or the latest celebrity’s fashion choices for the Met Gala. This organization kills to keep its secrets. It’s dangerous.”
“How do you think she’d feel when you go into dangerous battles?”
I sat up and scoffed. “But that’s my job. I have the skills for it.”
“And you need to trust that she has the skills for her job, too.”
“And if I don’t?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question.
Mom sighed again. “Then you’ll lose her in ways you can’t fix. You expect everyone to have faith in you. It’s who you are as the Archangel Michael. But now, you must have faith in the one person you care about most. And if you can’t, she’ll be lost to you forever.”
The news rocked me to my core as my Mom set aside Her teacup and rose. She patted my face and I wanted to crawl into Her lap like a little boy seeking comfort.
“I told you it was your choice, and none of the paths would be easy, but you have to decide what’s most important to you and what’s a dealbreaker. She loves you, Michael, but you have to have faith in her for it to last. And part of that faith is telling her who you really are.”
I reared back and swallowed hard. “How can I do that, Mom? She’s human and absolutely convinced that only humans live in this world. She’ll laugh at the thought that there’s more.”
“What’s wrong with her laughing?” The Goddess tilted Her head with a half-smile curling Her lips. “People only laugh until they believe. It doesn’t change the truth. You are who you are and nothing she says or does will change that. If you’re confident in yourself, she’ll understand once she’s had time to absorb the information. You want her in your life, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then you must have patience and faith, Michael. Both are things you’re known for. This is the first real trial of the heart you’ve ever faced. Don’t run away now.”
She leaned forward and kissed my brow, Her smile gentle. “Be clear in what you want and believe in achieving it. Have as much faith in Haley as you do in yourself. It’ll all work out, you’ll see.”
I nodded and in a flash, She was gone, leaving the scent of spring hyacinth in Her wake. I sighed and retrieved my tea, magically still hot despite my neglect. I let the heat from the tea and my Mother’s words seep into me, trying to sift through all the emotions when it came to Haley. Fear roared to the fore, but was it the fear of what would happen to Haley or the fear of what she’d do when she realized I wasn’t as human as she thought? I didn’t want to lose her, but I realized the situation had brought the true meaning to the humans’ phrase, “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” I had to pick the choice that would hurt less.
The question is, which one?
Chapter Fourteen
Haley
I arrived at the compound gates around six that evening, wondering if they’d even let me in. Michael had gone silent since before I learned what Mitchem was up to, and I hadn’t had the courage to text him to renew the conversation. I didn’t see any friendly faces when I rolled up to the gate, but I figured the bikers of the Concrete Angels MC had their reputation to uphold. No one ever expected bikers to be anything but scary.
Thanks, Hell’s Angels.
Once they figured out it was me, the stoic bald white guy nodded and motioned for the gates to be opened. I drove the little Datsun truck through and someone directed me to park behind the Barn next to a hot little sports car from the 1960s. Peacock green showed in the light gleaming from the edge of the Barn and I took a few moments to admire the little vehicle.
Or that was what I told myself. In reality, I was trying to figure out how to approach Michael after my dramatic disappearance earlier that day. I was still mad at him for doubting my ability to do my job and for having a pissing contest with Jeff over who needed to be more protective. Sweet glory, they were as bad a mother hens.
After I’d gotten away from Mr. Butler and the Thug-in-Charge, I’d driven around for a bit, trying to think about everything I’d learned and to whom I could entrust the information. But it wasn’t really Mitchem and Butler who worried me. It was Michael. Was I making a big mistake getting involved with him?
I’d wanted to talk to Tori about him, but we both agreed she was probably being watched by the people looking for me and it was best to minimize our communication. But I missed having a girlfriend to whom to vent. In the end, I texted Tori to meet me at the bakery two blocks down from Jitters. She hadn’t had any new information from her source so the meeting was necessarily brief, but before she went back to the office she peered at me from behind her chic
cat’s eye glasses and frowned.
“Are you okay, Hale?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Just running on adrenaline and caffeine. Breakfast of champions, right?”
She hadn’t looked convinced, but I promised to text her later when she got home so she wouldn’t be missed at the office. She still hesitated, her mouth tightening into a flat line until someone she knew called her name. I took advantage of her momentary distraction to slip out the service entrance in the rear of the bakery and hoof it back to the truck.
But standing in the overhead lights outside the Concrete Angels’ Barn, I wished I’d asked her to stick around longer to talk. I wanted her insight on what the hell to do about a hot biker dude who made my heart soar but didn’t trust me to be the person I wanted to be.
The scuff of boots on frozen gravel made me look up and I met the gaze of a wiry white woman with shoulder-length brown hair pulled back into a severe ponytail. Her startling gray eyes focused on me with razor-sharpness, but while the intensity rivaled that of the bald white guy at the gate, she wore calculation along with her camouflage cargo pants and military grade black sweater.
“So you’re the reporter.” The soft English accent thumped against my chest. Or maybe that was my heart from the woman appearing out of nowhere.
I cleared my throat. “That’s right. Who are you?”
She tilted her head. “Calhoun. I’m the Fixer.”
I swallowed hard but hid it by opening the truck’s door and manually locking it. The old Datsun didn’t have electric anything.
“What does the Fixer do?” I closed the door and resettled my purse over my shoulder.
“Fix things.”
I didn’t crack a smile though the answer was obvious. “Excellent. Totally clears up your role in the club.”
“Why are you here?”
I raised my eyebrows. “I came back for dinner.”
“Why are you really here?” Calhoun crossed her arms over her chest, the leather vest creaking under the pressure.
“I was invited. By VP Michael.” I wanted to give his last name but I’d never learned it.
“Who?”
I thought for a few moments. “Schnoz. And he’s expecting me.”
“Is he? How lovely for you.” Calhoun didn’t move.
I raised my own eyebrows. I’d dealt with belligerent and threatening women in my profession before, but this wasn’t my turf. I lifted my chin, pulled out my phone, and opened it up. She smirked at the flip phone as I scrolled through the contacts to find Michael’s number.
“You want me to call him to verify? Or maybe you’d prefer me to call Luke? Whichever. Quick click of the key for me.” I shrugged to show my nonchalance despite my heart thundering in my chest.
Calhoun lost her smirk and eyed the phone, still blocking my path. I shrugged again and clicked Michael’s name before holding the phone to my ear and meeting Calhoun’s gaze.
“Hello.”
No matter what I was doing, Michael’s deep voice soothed the fear right out of me and calmed me down. “Hey Michael, I have Calhoun here and she’s not convinced I’m allowed on site. You wanna give her the four-one-one?”
“If it’s necessary.”
I nodded and held out the phone to Calhoun with raised eyebrows. “He’ll talk to you.”
She took the phone while I checked to make sure I had all the things I wanted from the truck, including my purse and coat. I’d already gotten them out, but it gave me something to do while she was getting the third degree.
Finally she handed the phone back. “Guess he wants you to stay. But don’t think you have that much freedom. Watch your back, sister.”
“Number one: don’t call me sister, we don’t have that kind of relationship. Number two: everyone watches my back because I have a great ass.” I took the phone and strode past her, and I swear I heard her snort with amusement and grumble, “Damn, she does have a nice ass.”
“Thanks for that, Michael. Is Jeff there with you?”
“No, I believe he’s in the infirmary.”
“What? Why?” I immediately shifted my path to the clubhouse and increased my speed. “Is he all right?”
“He’s fine. That was the only computer available for him to do research.”
“Oh.” I blew out a relieved breath as I stepped inside the clubhouse. “Good. I’ll catch up with him there, then.”
“You’re coming back to the cabin tonight, though, right?”
I heard the hesitancy in his voice and some of my earlier concern came back.
“Yeah, I planned on that. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes. Text me before you leave the infirmary. I’ll have supper waiting.”
Relief and warmth filled my chest and I smiled despite my surroundings. “Okay, Michael. That sounds great. I’ll talk to you later.” I closed the phone and shoved it in my purse, the smile firmly in place until I stepped into the infirmary.
The tableau in front of me made me hold my breath. Panic surged from what it looked like on the outside. Jeff typed feverishly on the computer, sweat sliding down the sides of his face while a broad-shouldered tattooed man with Asian features and a thick beard with silver highlights stood over him. The biker’s intense gaze rested on Jeff despite the other man’s work on the keyboard.
Two other people worked in the room, both watching the situation at the computer. Both appeared to be of Native American heritage, though one looked like she hailed from the northern nations of Alaska. Both had their hair braided with colorful beads that glowed against their dark tresses, but the Alaskan woman wore a necklace of bear claws around her neck while the other woman wore turquoise jewelry.
Before I could ask what was going on, the man watching Jeff turned his gaze on me, and his eye’s glowed green like a cat’s when caught in headlights. I swallowed hard and cleared my throat.
“Hey, Jeff. How’s it going? Everything okay in here?”
Jeff looked up and his expression mellowed from the high intensity. “Hey, Haley. Yeah, it’s good, I’ve just been dodging tracking bots and malware. The folks on your list really don’t want to be researched beyond the surface.”
“Ah.” I nodded as I moved closer, keeping an eye on the bearded man. “That doesn’t surprise me, given the secrets I suspect they’re hiding. Everything all right? Did you piss someone off?”
“What?” Jeff raised his eyebrows and shot me a look until I gestured at his tattooed shadow. “Oh, no, this is Samurai. He was in the infirmary when I came in to use the computer. Dislocated his shoulder.”
I winced in sympathy. “Ouch. Very nice to meet you, Samurai.”
The bearded man nodded. “Nice to meet you, Michael’s.”
The way he said it suggested a possessive at the end, but I ignored the idea given my surname and smiled before turning back to Jeff.
“So have you found anything interesting?” I grabbed a rolling stool and settled beside the computer desk.
“Oh yeah. Actually, Sam has been really helpful in outfoxing the tracking bots, letting them chase their tails while I work.” Jeff shot Samurai a warm look and I blinked. Could Jeff be interested in the tattooed man?
“Whatcha got, Watson?”
“Sherlock never said that.” Jeff grimaced.
“I’m a twenty-first century Sherlock. You get what you pay for.” I snorted.
“I haven’t paid you anything.”
“Exactly. So what did you find?”
“Your list was pretty interesting. Most of the names on it were law enforcement of one kind or another—FBI, Marshals, NSA, police, county sheriffs—including people from the judicial branch. Lawyers and judges.” Jeff swiveled the monitor toward me. “But there are a few businessmen, some Canadian Mounties, doctors, and governmental solicitors that snuck in there, too. At first glance, none of these people seem to have much in common. They came from different walks of life, different cities and states. None of them went to the same colleges or academies. They see
m completely disparate from each other. Except for this.”
He pulled up a satellite photo of the Rocky Mountains west of Boulder, Colorado. A little town sat nestled between the higher peaks of the Rockies with its own airport. Granby Resort Town, or GRT, sat to the south of Lake Granby, a natural reservoir set up to keep the town hydrated and provide hydroelectric power through the Granby Dam.
“What is that and how does it fit with these names?”
“It’s a resort town, set up specifically for the wealthy and well-connected to get away without roughing it.” Jeff rolled his eyes. “From what I could dig up, every person on your list has either traveled to, paid for gas in, stayed at, or worked at Granby Resort Town since they’ve gained whatever position they have.”
“Wait. Every person on that list shows up at GRT?” I frowned. “Is it a tourist trap?”
“No, as far as I can tell it’s swanky as hell and twice as expensive. They have their own airport for glory’s sake. And if you zoom in on that lake, I count no less than three marinas with yachts galore.”
I rubbed my chin as I stared at the names on the list and the information about GRT. “But some of these people are living on police and county sheriff salaries. Hell, I think that guy there is a public defender. How are they spending time in GRT?”
“I dunno, but I’m not done digging. But one thing’s for sure. GRT is the link between all these people, particularly the local ones.” Jeff shook his head and frowned. “Even some of the people from out of state and Canada have come here, too.” He tapped his chin. “Do you think they have law enforcement seminars or meetings there?”
“That would make more sense, but again, why not do it in Denver? The flights would be cheaper and there are plenty of conference centers there. Why go to GRT?”
“Perhaps they were trying to find a place no one would see them all together.” Sam spoke into the frustrated silence and I shot a look at him, my mind turning over that piece of information.