“Sweetheart?” Jared called over his shoulder.
I glared at the girl behind the desk. Her blonde spiral curls bounced against her full, pink cheeks. Her warm brown eyes were glazed over with the absolute captivation she felt standing before Jared. I remembered that feeling. Jared was ridiculously beautiful, and his looks and confidence alone must have made them think he was famous in some way. Okay, maybe they weren’t demons with skin, but that girl was still looking at my husband as if she wanted to eat him.
“Just fine,” I said with my best fake smile. Other than watching a colleague I’d known for three years turn into toast before my eyes, I wasn’t sure why I was in such a foul mood. Girls like that behaving in a completely understandable way hadn’t affected me in years. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d rolled my eyes at waitresses or coeds nearly slobbering over Jared. It could be several things, but I was sure my rounding form was the culprit.
Jared returned to me and the luggage. Inside the room, Jared placed our luggage on the mattress, and looked around. The room was spacious and light, not unlike any other hotel room I’d spent time in.
“This is nice,” Jared said.
“Have I ever told you that you suck at small talk?” I smiled. I walked the few steps to reach him, and then pressed my forehead against his chest.
Jared laughed and kissed my cheek. “Yes.”
I went tot he bathroom and splashed water on my face. The puffy towels smelled sterile and flowery, a quick giveaway that we weren’t at home. I groaned and stretched. A belly nearly in full bloom and a long road trip didn’t mesh well together. I felt stiff and groggy.
“Nap or beach?” Jared said. He pulled off his boots and slipped his bare feet into a pair of leather sandals.
“Both sound equally appealing, but a walk on the beach after being stuck in the car is the better option.”
“Agreed,” he said, holding his hand out to me.
We lazily walked to the near-private beach of the Grande Dunes, letting the new summer wind whip around us. The scene looked like a postcard; everything I imagine the perfect beach to be. Jared picked a spot and unfolded a blanket. He sat with his elbows resting on his knees as he looked out toward the ocean.
“It’s almost like being back in Little Corn.”
“Almost.”
Jared peered up at me. “Sit with me.”
I fidgeted, knowing I was about to play into my childish insecurities. “They were attractive.”
“Who?”
“The girls behind the desk.”
Jared laughed once, and then crawled onto his knees. He leaned toward me and placed his hands on each side of my belly. “Nina, there has always been something about you that I couldn’t shake. Even when I didn’t want to love you, I was drawn to you. I couldn’t think of anything else. Now you’re my wife, and you are carrying our child. There is nothing more beautiful than that. When you’re sweaty and exhausted holding Bean, then that will be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. When I see tears fall from your eyes when we send Bean off to the first day of kindergarten…that will the most be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. When you comfort me each time we send our kids to training; on every one of our anniversaries; and when you’re hair turns gray. Every one of those moments will be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
He nuzzled his nose into my belly, and then wrapped his arms around my middle. “You always say the right thing,” I whispered, touching his ears.
He looked up at me. “If the impossible happened, and something more beautiful existed, I wouldn’t notice. You have my constant, undivided attention. You always have.”
I smiled. “Only because I pay you.”
Jared’s white, wide grin was a contrast against the tan tone of his face. “Not any more. When you marry your boss, you can pay yourself.”
I playfully nudged him in the ribs, still he hugged me to him. Resting on the blanket, we watched the sun slowly melt into oranges and purples until it sizzled against the ocean. I wondered if the sky looked the same on the other side of the world. If once we arrived in Jerusalem, if we would see the sun again until the baby was born.
I relaxed back against the blanket, looking up at the sky. The stars were visible on the eastern half of the sky, but they were still burned out by the sun in the West. Jared grabbed my arm, and I froze.
“What is it?”
Jared smiled and pulled out his Glock. “You almost laid on my sidearm.”
“You brought your gun? Worried the grains of sand would shell?” I smiled.
“When the others start shelling, it’s impossible to know who’s a threat and who’s not. That’s why we can’t get to the Sepulchre fast enough as far as I’m concerned. I almost wonder if they didn’t blow the Beemer on purpose. If they knew our plan — and I’m sure they did — if they didn’t kill you in the process, they thought it would keep us from leaving. Bex has a harder time sensing them, so I know with my…distraction, it could be dangerous.”
I nodded. “It’s not fair that with everything else we’re dealing with, your senses are overwhelmed, too.” I frowned. “Now that I think about it, none of this is very fair.”
“Considering the circumstances, I think it’s clear we have some fans up there. We have Eli and Samuel vying for us. That’s a huge advantage in and of itself.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” I grumbled.
My cell phone rang. It was Beth again. I closed my eyes tight while Jared took the phone and pushed the silence button. He buried it into the tote I had carried with me to the beach and then pulled me against his chest.
“You can tell her goodbye before we leave. She’ll only feel this way for a few days and then you can comfort her. She’ll probably tackle you and forget all about it.”
“No, she won’t.”
Jared took in a deep breath and wrapped his arms tighter around me. “I’m just trying to help.”
“I know. I know you are. It’s just that I feel I’m hurting her intentionally. It’s not fair that she is the only close friend that isn’t in the loop.”
“Do you really want to expose her to all of this? More importantly, do you think she can handle it?”
I shook my head. “No. I know you’re right. I don’t want to tell her, I just feel like a jerk. ‘Jerk’ doesn’t even cover it. I’m a bad friend — a bad person.”
“She’ll be able to close her eyes every night not wondering what’s with her in the dark, Nina. I’d say you’re being kind.”
“Maybe. Can you imagine her reaction when she finds out we’re leaving for Israel in a few days? She’s going to freak out. I don’t even know how to explain it to her.”
“Then don’t. It’s not a necessity to tell her we’re going to Jerusalem. Just say the West Coast or something.”
I pressed my lips together in a hard line. “I’m tired of lying to her, Jared.”
“I know.”
The stars had crowded out the last colors left behind by the setting sun, and the ocean was as black as the sky above. I might have been chilly at night by the water a few months before, but being wrapped in Jared’s arms coupled with my own elevated temperature, the sun might as well have been bearing down on my skin.
The wind rolling off the water blew my hair into Jared’s face, and he turned his head, blowing the strands from his mouth.
I smiled, but my amusement quickly faded. “Speaking of Jerusalem….”
“Yes?”
“If they know we’re going, won’t they try to stop us? If it gets worse than a car bomb we’re going to be busy. What if they wire the plane?” I laughed once without humor. “What if they shoot us down?”
“That is a possibility. But we’re prepared.”
Dread settled over me. We were vulnerable on the plane, and it was a ten-hour flight.
“We’ll land, get you and the book to the Sepulchre, and wait it out underground until you deliver.”
“You make it sound
simple, but you forget demons will do everything they can to stop us.”
“We just have to get you there. It’s smooth sailing after that.”
“You hope.”
The skin around Jared’s eyes tightened. “I’m going to stop by the warehouse before we leave. Talk to Eli.”
“I thought he said to come to him when we only had one question to ask?”
Jared kept his eyes on the ocean. “I don’t think the question is ours to ask.”
Chapter Thirteen
The Road Home
We revisited that spot on the beach many times over the next two days. Jared sat with me and watched the waves roll onto the sand, and the water carry distant ship slowly across the horizon. We discussed our upcoming trip to Jerusalem, but Jared kept most of the details to himself. He didn’t want to worry me with the truth of what he saw coming. Although I was much stronger than I used to be, that didn’t change the fact that I was carrying our child.
The only sound was the wind and the intermittent waves sizzling against the sand, but my mind was crowded and loud. Sometimes I would close my eyes tight and try to push out the hundreds of frightening thoughts in my head, but then I would see Sasha. No matter how tight Jared wrapped his eyes around me, or how hard I tried to pretend we were in Little Corn, thoughts of demons, and Sasha, and bombs plagued me.
My cell phone rang several times. Beth’s phone number dominated the call log, and my voicemail, with her frantic pleas. Sasha hadn’t come to work, and it was clear she was also missing. Before long, other people began to call. Even Cynthia, although I assumed it was just to keep up pretenses for the police. As far as they knew, she was afraid I was dead or missing.
By the evening of the second day, Jared’s phone buzzed. “Ryel.” Jared listened for a moment, gave a quick affirmation, and then hung up. “The investigators expect the results of the dental records any minute. It won’t be long.”
“Well, that’s good news, I guess.”
Sasha’s family learning that it was her remains the police had found inside of my vehicle wasn’t a good thing, but it was a means to an end. It all was. The true good news was that I could finally call Beth.
Claire was right, within the hour, she texted a confirmation. When Jared gave me the go ahead, I dialed Beth’s number.
“Where in the hell have you been?” she wailed. “I thought you were dead!” Her breathing quickened until sobs developed in her throat, followed by a pause in the form of muffled noises before Chad came on the line.
“Uh…hello?”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I left a note. I thought everyone knew I was gone. Jared and I needed some time away, so I turned off my phone. I feel awful.”
The last bit was true. I could hear Beth sobbing in the background; hearing Chad try to comfort her only made me feel worse. Between consoling her, he tried to fill me in on what had happened. He described the scene at Titan, the police tape, the lines of employees waiting to be questioned, and the blackened asphalt where my BMW burned into the night.
Before long Beth took the phone back and put it to her ear. “My life has been miserable. Everyone at Titan either spread rumors, or spontaneously burst into tears, or alternating between irritated and hateful. Did you know Sasha is missing, too? It’s insane!”
“Missing?” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. The guilt weighed on me with every lie I told.
“Oh my…oh my God, Nina. The last person to speak to Sasha was her mother. She said Sasha was working late at Titan the night she went missing. Do you think it was her in your car? I mean…if it wasn’t you, then who?”
“I…I don’t know. Maybe you should say something to the investigators.”
Beth began to cry again. “That poor girl. You should call your mother, and then call Providence PD and tell them you’re okay. You’ll probably have to come back right away.” She sniffed again. “I’m sorry in advance if I smack you upside your head for scaring the beejeezus outta me.”
I laughed once. “You’re forgiven.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay. As much as I loathed that woman, I hope it wasn’t Sasha, either. That’s an awful way to die…Nina?”
“Yes?”
“Someone put a bomb on your car.”
“It certainly appears that way.”
“But…doesn’t that…doesn’t that bother you?”
I sighed, resolved to tell her at least some of the truth. “I’m used to it, Beth. Why do you think my father hired Jared?”
Beth didn’t speak for a long while, and then finally managed a whisper. “I guess I didn’t think about it. I’m sorry. I remember Mr. Dawson, but I…I didn’t know things were so frightening for you.”
“I’m at the beach, Beth, and I’m married to my bodyguard. Don’t worry for me, okay? We’ll talk when I get back.”
Beth blew a deep breath of relief into the phone. “Please hurry. I need to see you.”
“Jared is already packing.”
I sat in the truck, dreading the long car ride home while Jared checked out at the front desk. He jogged to the Tundra, and slid into the driver’s seat, leaning in to kiss me. “I know it was stressful, but I cherished these last three days with you. When we go away, it’s easy to forget about the rest of the world.”
I grabbed his hand, holding it tight. He knew as well as I did that our return would stir a hornet’s nest. We had just enjoyed our last few days of peace, and now we would be fighting for our lives. I touched my stomach, and Jared reached over to touch the same spot with his free hand.
His blue-gray eyes darkened, and his brows pulled in. I nodded, knowing exactly what was on his mind. He leaned in for a kiss, soft and slow. His lips pulled at mine the way they did when we first met, as if it could be the last time. He pulled away, and then pressed his forehead against mine. We sat there in silence, in our emotional embrace. Neither one having the courage to cry or speak, just in case it became overwhelming.
Jared put one hand back and wheel and shoved the gear in drive. “Okay,” he sighed. “Back to Providence.”
The drive home seemed to take less time. Jared made me repeat the story we would tell the police over and over. I had recited the words dozens of times when the twinge hit.
Jared immediately looked down to my stomach, and then his eyes met mine. “Are you okay?”
I grimaced. “Maybe we could pull over for a moment. I should walk, I think.”
The Tundra made a gentle turn to the left, pulling into the gas station we had stopped at on the way to Virginia Beach. A familiar group of transients idled in the parking lot. Jared opened my door, and kept close as we made our way into the store. To escape the eyes of the quiet group as we walked past, I kept my eyes on the asphalt, noting the grease spots and wads of old gum. I wasn’t sure if it was their presence, but something seemed off, and I could tell that Jared felt it, too.
Jared held the door open for me, and even though I let out the breath I’d been holding, the heavy feeling only became worse. Apart from the cashier, we were the only ones in the store, but I still couldn’t
Meandering in the aisles with no real goal, I stretched my back and neck, picking up a package of something and then setting it back onto the shelf. A roach crawled from behind bags of crackers and then disappeared. I lurched back my hand, and glanced around. I didn’t recall the store being quite so filthy the last time we were in, but my memory consisted of a quick trip to the bathroom.
One of the fluorescent lights blinked and buzzed overhead. From my peripheral vision, I could see that the man behind the counter was staring at me. He was of small build, and dark-complexioned. His lack of expression made me instantly nervous. I’d seen that look before.
I heard the cooler doors shut, and then Jared rounded the corner with two large bottles of water and a forced smile. He held out his hand, pulling in his fingers twice to signal me to come to him. The air around us felt stale, and my heart began to thump loudly against my chest.
/> “You don’t have long,” the man behind the counter said, glancing to my protruding belly.
I instinctively touched my stomach with my free hand.
Jared cautiously approached the cash register, keeping me a safe distance behind him. He took another step and paused. “Are you okay?”
The man was panting, his body swaying in a rhythmic movement. Sweat glistened across his face and neck, and dampened his white polo shirt. The darkened circles under his eyes made his sunken eyes seem even more alarming.
When offered no response, Jared took a step back and threw a ten-dollar bill onto the counter. “That should cover it.”
The man looked down at the folded bill before him, and then closed his eyes. He pressed his fingertips onto the counter, and then his body vibrated for a few moments before he snapped straight. He peered up at Jared. His eyes had changed; now obsidian orbs bulging from their sockets.
Jared put his hand on my chest and nudged me toward the door. “It’s time to go.”
I stumbled back, reaching blindly for the glass door behind me. The small man jumped into the air and landed in a crouch on the counter. “I’m going to gut her like a fish.” The sound of his voice was terrifying; a combination of a small child and the hiss of a snake.
I pushed open the door and ran head first into one of the large men that belonged to the group of bikers in the parking lot. He had a long, gray beard, and wore riding leathers. Forgetting my new strength, I plowed over him, knocking him to the ground. The man looked up at me with shock and confusion. Within seconds, all expression left his face, and the blackness of his pupils spilled into his irises, and then to the whites of his eyes.
I scrambled away from him, and then Jared grabbed my arm, pulling me to the Tundra at full speed. The passenger door slammed in my face, and then Jared was next to me.
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