But the letters with the weird threats, those were different. He couldn't leave Evergreen until he was confident she was dealing with the situation appropriately. He couldn't leave until he felt sure she was safe.
It was a purely altruistic, good Samaritan kind of impulse, the kind of thing instilled in him during his service. Protect the innocent.
Then again, based on that lethal move she'd executed, maybe Carolyn Moore wasn't as innocent as she appeared. For sure, he intended to find out. He crossed to the jacket he'd tossed on the back of a chair and rummaged through the inner pocket. It was an envelope snagged from the wastepaper basket in Carolyn's office—an electric bill. With an address. Maybe he'd swing by there after dinner and pool with Aiden.
5
Since Carolyn's guest lecture gig would only last one semester, she'd sublet a house from a math professor on sabbatical. He lived in a large two-story Colonial made of brick, with a glossy black door. He'd offered her a break on the rent in exchange for taking care of his gigantic Newfoundland. She'd eagerly agreed, with no clue what she was getting into.
The professor had an obsession with Hong Kong martial arts movies, so every time she walked through the door, a life-size cardboard cutout of Jet Li greeted her. Not that she was complaining. Jet made an attractive and uncomplaining housemate. Especially compared to the Newfie, Dragon.
Dragon had a habit of leaving pools of slobber on the gleaming wood floors. Whenever she got home, her first act, after giving Dragon some affection, was to crawl around the floor on her knees wiping up drool.
As soon as that was done, she poured a mammoth pile of dog food into Dragon's bowl. While he was consuming his mountain of dinner, Carolyn unzipped her boots and wriggled her toes in relief. If she could teach barefoot, she would. She changed into comfy yoga pants and a tank top, then checked on Dragon again.
Still eating.
She pulled a box of crackers from a cupboard, some cheddar cheese from the fridge, and a jar of pickles. Standing at the kitchen island, she munched her way through a satisfying number of salty, crunchy cracker sandwiches. She'd been raised on a strict diet prescribed by the Light Keepers, so the act of eating whatever the hell she wanted at any given moment always felt like sweet rebellion.
She checked Dragon again. Still eating. Even while he gobbled down food, the big Newfie was flinging slobber in all directions. She sighed and got a wash towel from the drawer. Ten minutes later, Dragon finally finished his meal. He looked up at her, his droopy, wise eyes weeping as if in gratitude.
"I know. I know," she murmured to him. "I'm the queen of the world, the bringer of food, the slayer of hunger. Want to go for a walk? Will that make you love me even more?"
Dragon's ears twitched at the word "walk." She pulled on her cross-trainers, found his leash and some plastic poop bags, and together they trotted into the crisp, starry night.
She jogged down the quiet street, Dragon keeping pace at her side. He was such a big, comfortable presence that she often found herself talking to him as she jogged.
"I nearly injured a man tonight, Dragon. Can you believe it? I mean, he had it coming, but you know me. I'm all about peace and harmony. I'm not exactly sure what came over me. Would you still love me if I beat someone up?"
Dragon panted, a stream of drool flying into the breeze.
"Don't bother trying to deny it. You'd still love me because I've got the keys to the dog food bag. And because you're a lovey-dovey-sweetie-patootie, yes, you are, aren't you?"
The big dog sensibly ignored her.
"Fine, be that way." Carolyn jogged in silence for a moment, finding her groove with a long, easy stride. The gracious homes of professors and other upscale members of the Evergreen community slid past. While she loved this neighborhood, she often felt like an imposter here. How many of these residents would be able to recite the complete Old Testament? How many would be able to break down an M-15 in under thirty seconds? How many would be able to disable an attacker in one move?
Of course, that was all in the past. She'd renounced that part of her life when she’d defied her father and the Light Keepers and left for college. She had no family anymore. She was alone.
Which made her think of Tobias and the way he'd shown up to defend his little brother. It was sweet, really. Way off base, but sweet.
That name, Knight…
She settled her Bluetooth in her ear and clicked the speed dial button on her phone to call Merry.
"Hey, girl," her friend answered. "You aren't dialing and running again, are you?"
"How else am I supposed to pass the time? Dragon and I already ran out of topics of conversation."
"Listen to music like a normal person. Didn't I make that playlist for you? My Power Play Workout, have you tried it?"
"Yes. It's definitely energizing. It makes me want to punch random things like every telephone pole I pass. Can you make me something more Zen-like next time? And less deafening? I like to remain aware of my surroundings."
"Picky, picky," Merry grumbled. "And you know I don't do Zen unless it comes with a disco ball."
"Funny. So listen. I remember you mentioned once that Will has a couple of brothers."
"Yup. Three."
"Any of them named Tobias?"
"Yes, he's the second in line after Will. Tobias, Ben and Aiden. They have a sister, too, but I've never met her. Why do you ask?"
Carolyn turned the corner onto a street that circled a city park. Floodlights lit up a basketball court at one end. Well-lit pathways wound through the park, but she stayed on the perimeter street. She knew from experience that a jogger accompanied by a dog the size of Dragon was better off away from other dog-walkers.
"I just met Tobias. And it turns out that Aiden is in one of my classes."
Merry didn't answer for a second, then a peal of laughter rang into Caro's Bluetooth receiver. She winced.
"Wait a second. You're the golden goddess?"
"Excuse me?"
"Aiden's crush, the one they're all freaked out about. Oh my gosh, this is hilarious. I have to tell Will right away."
"Wait! Please don't go yet. And please don't say anything to Will. What makes them think Aiden has a crush on me? And why is this such a big deal?"
"Because Aiden's talking about following you back to Jupiter Point when you leave Evergreen. He's saying he wants to use his trust fund to, I don't know, set up house or something. The boy's in over his head. Personally, I think it's a reaction to being away from home for the first time. Also, his mother basically abandoned him. He probably needs counseling. But the brothers are all at DEFCON five trying to keep him from going off the rails."
Carolyn sidestepped a pile of dog poop no one had cleaned up. "That's crazy! Aiden Knight has barely ever spoken to me. I had no idea about any of this."
"Of course you didn't. And I had no idea you were his mystery crush! I could have saved Tobias a lot of trouble. He went there to find you and make sure you didn't have designs on Aiden's money."
"Oh my God. This is so insane." Carolyn's breath was coming faster now, a combination of exertion and indignation making her heart pound. "I didn't know Aiden had any money, and I definitely don't care. He's a student, for Pete's sake. I let Tobias off easy with that kick."
"Excuse me? You kicked Tobias?"
"No! I didn't kick him. I just knocked him on the ground."
"Tobias? Are we talking about the same guy? Big, lots of muscles, kind of intense, extremely attractive to most women?"
"Most? Really? I don't know about that." A weird feeling of jealousy snuck through her. Apparently she wasn't the only one to have noticed Tobias’s sexual charisma. "But yes, in other respects your description rings true. I'm sure it's the same person. Lots of muscles is all you needed to say."
"Don't be fooled, though, babe. Tobias is a lot more than muscles. Will says he's super-smart, that he never studied in school but aced the SATs. Will said that once he brought home one of his law books and Tobias r
ead the whole thing in one weekend. He won several service awards in the Army, too. I think he did a bunch of counterintelligence ops. He's brawn and brains. Don't underestimate him."
Carolyn checked on Dragon, then slowed her pace when she saw the dog was starting to lag. "So he went from counterintelligence to tracking down a college professor? Seems like a big downgrade." On the other hand, the thought that he might be some kind of super-spy made her a little uncomfortable. What if in his zeal to help Aiden he uncovered things about her, about her past?
She needed to get him off her back as soon as could be.
"Listen, Merry. Now that you know it's a big fuss about nothing, can you let Will know there's no reason to worry? I have no designs on Aiden or his trust fund. I would never get involved with a student under any circumstances. I shouldn't even have to say it, but I understand their concern. Can you relay that to the whole Knight family? They have nothing to fear from me."
"Of course. I'll definitely do that. I got your back, Caro. But it sounds like you're handling Tobias just fine on your own." The teasing laughter in Merry's voice made her smile. "For the record, Tobias looks intimidating, but he's got a soft heart. Will says he spent most of his school years protecting kids from bullies. And he did something for me I'll never forget."
"What's that?"
"Remember when I got fired from the Gazette? The Knight brothers more or less got my job back by giving me the exclusive about their father's cold case murder. But it was hardest for Tobias because he's the one who found his body. It was a very bloody and horrible crime scene and Will said Tobias still has nightmares about it. But he let me ask him as many questions as I needed. I could tell it was tough because his knuckles were pure white, he was clenching his fists so hard. But he wanted to help me out. So go easy on him. No more beating his ass, okay?"
"All right. Anything for you, Merry."
They hung up. Carolyn reached the far end of the park and made the turn toward home. Her friendship with Merry was so precious to her, but it wouldn't have been possible if she hadn't left home. The Light Keepers didn't allow non-Caucasians. Someone like Merry, who'd grown up biracial in Brooklyn, would be horrified by the belief system Carolyn had lived with from age ten to eighteen. Would she still be her friend if she knew? Would anyone?
"Ready for the final sprint, big guy?" she asked Dragon. He'd recovered his energy and was now trotting briskly next to her. He was such a smart dog, he knew the drill. She liked to leave it all on the field during the last hundred yards.
As she pounded toward her sublet house, she picked up the pace. Her breath sawed through her lungs and sweat dripped into her eyes.
Which was why she almost didn't see the figure kneeling surreptitiously at her door.
She wiped the sweat away to see better—sure enough, someone was crouched on the top step of her front stoop, barely illuminated by the porch light.
"Hey!" she called as she sprinted closer. "What are you doing?"
But then she saw exactly what he was doing. Using a can of orange spray paint, he was painting something on the black front door of the house. A circle with five rays radiating from it and a triangle within. The logo of the Light Keepers.
The vandal jolted around and sprang to his feet. She saw he was a young man wearing a hoodie. He bolted down the front steps, stumbling as he hit the sidewalk. She nearly caught up to him then, but he scrambled upright and launched himself down the street. She followed, panting, but her energy reserves were used up and she couldn't summon enough extra speed to catch up.
She stopped, breath coming in ragged pants, watching the fleeing figure. Another man was approaching with long, confident strides, his broad shoulders momentarily blocking out the light from someone's street lamp.
Tobias. The Man in Black.
She didn't stop to wonder what he was doing here. It was almost as if she knew she could trust him. "Hey, Knight!" she wheezed as loud as she could. "Stop him!"
Tobias didn't hesitate. He grabbed for the runaway, who tried to veer past him. But Tobias was too quick for him. Even though he was wily and tried to wriggle out of his hoodie, which Tobias had snagged, he didn't stand a chance against the bigger man's superior strength and skill.
With the boy in a firm arm-lock, Tobias marched him toward Carolyn. "What's going on here? I assume he did something wrong and that I haven't just manhandled an innocent passing stranger."
Carolyn looked closely at the sullen young man. Blond and wiry, unfamiliar to her. Maybe he was one of her students, but she didn't think so. "Are you the one sending me those letters?" she asked him.
He stared at her defiantly and didn't answer.
"Why did you paint that on my front door?"
"Wasn't me," he mumbled.
"Of course it was you. I saw you. Look, there's orange paint on your hand and you smell like fluorocarbons. What is this all about?"
He cast a look in Tobias’s direction. Tobias still held him confined in a tight lock. "Tell him to let me go. If he leaves, I'll talk."
Carolyn considered. She had complete confidence in her ability to handle a college student with a grudge and a spray can. But a little backup wouldn't hurt. She shook her head. "No, sorry. He's staying put. And I don't mind calling the police. You vandalized private property. If you're a student at Evergreen, that's grounds for expulsion. Your best option right now is to tell me what you're up to. You aren't in any of my classes, are you?"
"No. I'd never take a class from a pariah."
She snapped her mouth shut. If this youth was a member of the Light Keepers, what the heck was he doing at Evergreen? Maybe he was one of the few young people—always male—who were allowed to attend college and remain part of the group. But how would he know about her? And why would he care? As he'd said, she was officially dead to them. A "pariah."
The bigger question right now was whether or not she wanted Tobias Knight to be part of this conversation. Could she trust him?
She met his impassive gaze. He was watching her with those deep dark-as-night eyes, waiting for her next move. He had the air of someone who'd seen a thousand terrible things, who shouldered burdens most people would shy away from. She thought about what Merry had told her—that he spent his school years fighting bullies. He'd come here to protect his brother. Granted, she was the one he wanted to protect Aiden from. But that was beside the point. He was most likely a trustworthy person.
Besides, if she let this young man slip away, she might not get another chance to pin down what was going on.
She took a deep breath and spoke the name that hadn't left her lips in years.
"Are you from the Light Keepers?"
6
Tobias had no clue what was going on, but he paid extra close attention as Carolyn spoke to the runaway he held pinned in an arm-twist lock. Her giant dog, who had to be the worst guard dog ever, slouched to the grass and collapsed on a long, snuffling exhale.
"I don't talk to traitors," the vandal snarled.
"Hey. Show a little respect here," he told his prisoner. "She's giving you a break. My advice would be to call the cops, and I will if you don't behave yourself."
He felt the guy deflate, as often happened once you called a hyped-up kid on their bluster. In his experience, very few bullies actually had the guts to follow through if you isolated them and confronted them. And anyone who left anonymous letters and vandalized doors fell into the category of a bully, in his opinion.
"What's your name?" Carolyn asked him.
Tobias tried to keep his focus on her sweat-dampened face rather than the gleaming upper curve of her breasts revealed by her tank top. Her chest was still rising and falling from her run, which made it even harder to ignore. Damn. She was really something.
"Joseph," the vandal mumbled. "Joseph Brown."
"Is your father Ethan Brown?"
He nodded. Tobias’s curiosity intensified. What was going on here? Carolyn seemed to know all about this person. And who were the Light Ke
epers?
"You know I'm not part of that anymore," Carolyn said. "So why are you harassing me? What's with the letters?"
"It doesn't matter anymore. It's over. Done."
"Did someone ask you to give me those letters, or are you doing that all on your own? I'm not sure what their purpose is, but you're welcome to explain it to me."
"You want me to tell the whole college where you came from?"
Carolyn's eyes lifted to meet Tobias’s. In them he saw a kind of shame, as if she was embarrassed that he was witnessing this. He schooled his expression to show nothing but neutral support. Whatever was going on here, he was in no position to judge. He sure was curious, though.
"Look, I'm not going to say any more, so you might as well let me go. It's not going to happen again." Joseph struggled to free himself. Tobias loosened his grip. He didn't have any right to detain him if he wanted to leave, unless Carolyn wanted to call the police.
He shot her a questioning look, and she gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Fine, you can go. Just tell me what you were after in the first place."
"It was dumb," Joseph muttered. "I thought you could get Coach Driscoll to let me on the track team."
"Seriously? That's what this is all about? I don't even know Coach Driscoll."
"No, but he thinks you're hot. I heard him say so one time when you were running around the track at school."
The color rose in Carolyn's face. "Oh for heaven's sake. This is ridiculous. I couldn't help you if I wanted, and it's not something I would do in any case. If you want to make the track team, I suggest you practice running. Right now might be a good time."
She nodded to Tobias. He released Joseph, who quickly stepped away from them. But he didn't take off right away, his gaze darting from the sidewalk to Carolyn's shoes.
"Listen, Joseph. I know how it is there. If you ever want to talk, I mean, really talk, my door is open to you," she said gently.
Coming In Hot (Jupiter Point Book 6) Page 4