Legend of Love

by Kessler, Lisa

  Callie sighed. “Are you going to be my bathroom buddy, too?”

  He finally looked at her. “You don’t have to like this, but you were the one who told me I’m your Guardian. Let me do my job.” He gestured toward the parking lot. “They could be in any one of those cars. If they made a grab for you, we’d never find you.” He cupped her cheek. “Not going to happen. Not on my watch.”

  The intensity in his eyes cut her frustration off at the knees. He was right. They could be anywhere. “Have you heard any of them thinking about me?”

  “Not today.” They headed for the deli. “I wish I understood how this ‘gift’ worked. I’m guessing it doesn’t work over long distances. I heard the guy watching us at the beach the other day, the asshole runners, other women on the beach this morning, and Curtis across the table last night.”

  “Women on the beach?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, they all thought they’d be able to surf, too, if I was teaching them.”

  She chuckled. “You didn’t say anything.”

  He shrugged, holding the door open for her. “I’m trying to get a hold on this. I figured you didn’t need to know everything I hear.”

  She hadn’t considered how crazy it must be to have other people’s thoughts echoing in his head without warning.

  After they ordered their sandwiches, she caught his hand; her fingers sliding between his was magnetic, instinctive. His gaze snapped to her face.

  “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just used to this madness by now.” She searched his eyes. “Sometimes I forget how insane I felt in the beginning.”

  He lifted their joined hands, pressing a kiss to the back of hers. “It helps that I’m not alone in this.”

  They took the sandwiches out to her favorite bench overlooking the beach and sat down. While she opened hers, Hunter took in their surroundings.

  “Everything okay?” She bit into her sandwich.

  “I don’t like being out in the open like this.” After a moment, he sighed and gave her his full attention. “The only thing I heard was a girl driving by who thought we were a cute couple.”

  He took a long drink of his water. She stared at his profile for a second. Her job was to help people communicate and talk about their feelings and fears, but sitting here with Hunter, she suddenly didn’t know where to begin.

  So she dove in headfirst. “Have you gotten your paperwork signed off yet? Are you fit for duty?”

  He glanced at her with a raised brow. “Subtle.”

  “Sorry.” She straightened up. “I get paid not to dance around issues.”

  He looked out at the ocean. “I’m not your patient anymore.”

  An emotional wall went up then, so thick she could almost see it. “If you were, I wouldn’t need to ask.”

  “I’ve got enough to worry about right now.” Another drink and no eye contact.

  Her lunch sat like a rock in her stomach. “When we first met, you couldn’t wait for me to sign that paperwork.”

  He shrugged without as much as a glance in her direction. “I’ll get to it.”

  “You haven’t even seen Dr. Long yet, have you?”

  He finally turned her way, a crease in his brow. “Why are you pushing this? Are you that eager to get me the hell away from you?”

  She frowned, but she didn’t back off. “This has nothing to do with me. I’m asking because I know you’re carrying a huge weight on your shoulders, and now you’re adding my safety onto your back, too. You’re only one man, Hunter.”

  “I told you, I’m fine.” He got up, running a hand down his face. “That hasn’t changed.”

  “You’re learning how to control this gift while you’re trying to avoid dealing with the baggage from your last mission, and now there are people in masks hunting me and you’re my shield.” She shook her head. “Even Superman wouldn’t be fine.”

  He crossed his arms, watching the surf hit the sand. Silent.

  Ugh. She tossed the rest of her sandwich in the bag and started walking back to her office.

  Within two steps, he caught her elbow. “Where are you going?”

  She looked at his hand and then up to his eyes. “You’re shutting me out like I’m your therapist, so I’m going back to my office where that’s who I am.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “Our paths crossed because you needed someone to talk to, someone to help ease the burden, and now, instead of doing my job, I’ve added to it.” She sighed. “You can tell yourself you’re fine all you want, but ignoring it isn’t going to make it go away.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “This coming from the woman who has blamed herself for not marrying a guy who wanted to cage her spirit.”

  “Screw you.” Her belly burned with fire as she poked a finger to his chest. “I’m human, just like you. I never claimed to be any better or worse. But you’re standing there pretending you’re some kind of superhero. What’s going to happen when Intelligence gets word that they found your friend over in Afghanistan?”

  His gaze shot to hers.

  “Yeah.” She nodded. “I read your file. You wanted me to sign that paperwork so you could get back to your base in Coronado and lead your team on a rescue mission to the desert to extricate him.”

  A muscle tensed in his cheek, but he didn’t speak.

  “And you probably think that will slay the demon weighing you down at night,” she went on, “but what if it doesn’t go the way you’re hoping? What will ease that torment, Hunter?”

  He turned toward the water again, but his tone softened a notch. “Why are you doing this?”

  The pain in his voice tugged at her heart. She stepped around so she was in front of him, but he kept his attention locked on the waves right over her head. She reached out to touch his forearm, and he finally met her eyes.

  “I’m pushing you because I care. You know better than most that there are no guarantees. What if you don’t get the closure you think you need? They could kill your friend, or he could have died from his injuries, or the Order might figure out how to get to me. How will you cope?”

  He uncrossed his strong arms and wrapped them around her. She didn’t hesitate to cling to him, closing her eyes.

  His heart pounded out a steady rhythm in her ear, and she wished she could ease his pain. Anything to protect him.

  Gods, she was in way over her head.

  CHAPTER 12

  Hunter rested his chin on the top of her head, breathing in the salty ocean air. His head was spinning. She was right. He’d set aside everything to protect her without a second thought. Was it soley the danger, or had he been eager for the shift of focus?

  What if he got the call tomorrow? What if they located Briggs?

  For the first time in his career, he had a reason not to go. And he was holding her in his arms right now. Without moving, he said, “I want to ask you something.”

  She pulled back and looked up at him. “Okay.”

  He brought a hand up to caress her cheek. “When this threat passes, where will that leave us?”

  A flash of fear shone on her face before she lowered her gaze. “I don’t know.”

  He lifted her chin until she grudgingly met his eyes. “I’m not even a trained shrink, and I could almost hear you telling yourself how you’ll be bad for me.”

  A tiny smile curved at the corner of her mouth. “I thought you said you can’t hear my thoughts.”

  “Don’t have to.” He bent to claim her lips, slow and lingering. When she opened her eyes, he whispered, “If I go talk to Dr. Long, you need to do something for me.”

  “What?”

  “Trust me.”

  She raised a brow. “I told you things I haven’t even told my sisters. I do trust you.”

  “I don’t think so. You trusted me with your secrets, now trust me to be strong enough to handle whatever happens between us.”

  Her jaw went slack for a second before she shook her head. “I made a promise to myself never to hurt
another man like that again.”

  “And I’m not just ‘another man.’” He took off his Special Forces watch, exposing his birthmark. “I was marked by the gods to be your Guardian.”

  She stared at his wrist and finally up into his eyes. “But what if the muse…”

  “What if your muse was saving you, Callie? Your fiancé and your family were trying to make you be who they needed you to be. I’m coming into this embracing that wild spirit in you. I don’t want to clip your wings. I want to fly with you.”

  She rose up on her tiptoes, and he met her halfway, humming into the kiss as her lips parted for him. He straightened, lifting her feet off the ground.

  His phone chimed in his pocket.

  Callie broke the kiss. “Your phone.”

  “It can wait.” His lips caressed hers again.

  She surrendered for about two seconds. “What if it’s Nate or your commanding officer?”

  He groaned and lowered her to the ground. Tugging out his phone, he turned on the screen and frowned. “It’s Nate. I gave him Curtis’s last name this morning. Maybe he talked to him.”

  “All right.” Callie nodded. “I need to get back to the office anyway.”

  “I’ll walk with you.” He caught her hand. “I’ll call him once you’re inside.”

  They walked that way until they entered Callie’s office. Her office manager was at her post when Hunter and Callie walked in. Callie dropped his hand like a live grenade, but not before the older woman noticed and gave him a knowing smile.

  He grinned and tipped his head, then headed out. Once outside, he hit Nate’s number and waited.

  “Hunter?”

  “Yeah, I’m here. What’s up?”

  Papers shuffled on the other end of the line. “Not much yet. Curtis teaches history and Greek mythology at Crystal Community College. No infractions on his record. Not even an unpaid parking ticket.”

  “My sister said he attends a meeting with some Greek club once a month.”

  “That’s got to be the Order.” He sighed. “I have an idea, but I can’t get my partner involved. If I crash and burn, I don’t want to take him down with me.”

  Hunter squinted into the sun. “What did you have in mind?”

  Nate was waiting in the parking lot when Hunter pulled up. He didn’t like leaving Callie unguarded, but Reed’s shift was over, so he came over to watch Callie’s building in Hunter’s place. He’d told Reed she had a stalker, which wasn’t too far from the truth.

  Hunter got out, and Nate shook his hand. “According to the map, his lecture hall is in this building, and the admin office said his class is over at two thirty.”

  As long as everything went smoothly, Hunter figured he’d be back on base before Callie got off work.

  “I’ll handle the questioning,” Nate said, as they walked toward the campus. “Then I need you to listen for any stray thoughts that could give us a lead.”

  “Got it.”

  It was surreal that he was hearing thoughts in his head besides his own, but having a detective not only believe him, but want his help with an investigation pushed it to a whole new level.

  They maneuvered around the bustling river of college students flooding out to the parking lot. When they got to the door, Nate grabbed the handle and Hunter followed him inside.

  Curtis looked up from his lectern and smiled at Hunter. “Hi. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

  Hunter glanced at Nate and took the lead. “This is Callie’s friend, Nate. He’s a detective, and when he told me they were working a cold case that involved a Greek mask, I remembered you mentioning that Greek history was your specialty.”

  Nate stepped forward and opened a file folder. He took out a picture of a man lying on the ground in a golden mask with a bullet hole right between the eyes. Hunter had no idea where it came from or if it was even real. He kept his focus on Curtis.

  The thoughts came in loud, clear, and fast.

  Oh shit. It’s Ben. Can they trace him back to the Order? No. They would’ve already made arrests if they had any evidence. Stay calm. Breathe.

  Curtis lifted his head. “I’m not sure what you’re hoping I can tell you.”

  Nate pointed to the photo. “Do you recognize the mask?”

  “Sure.” Curtis shrugged. “That’s Kronos. He was the leader of the Titans, Zeus’s father.”

  Nate jotted a note on his pad. “Any idea why a man in a Kronos mask would be abducting high school English teachers?”

  The Muse of Tragic Poetry. Do they know? They couldn’t. Breathe.

  Curtis forced a laugh. “Sorry, no. Kronos wouldn’t have had any interest in a human schoolteacher. I wish I could be more help.”

  Nate leaned into Curtis’s personal space. “Any idea why there might be a group in Crystal City worshipping an old god like this?”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck. Calm down. They don’t know anything. Stay calm, then call Ted.

  “No. As far as I know, no one believes in the old gods anymore.”

  Hunter couldn’t remain silent any longer. He came a little closer. “Do you?”

  “What?” Curtis gasped before he could stop himself. He cleared his throat, shaking his head. “I’m not sure what my beliefs have to do with a cold case.”

  Hunter shrugged, doing his best to keep it casual. They needed Curtis to talk until he gave them the information they needed. “Just curious.”

  “I think all civilization as we know it now came from the Greeks,” Curtis said, “and all myths are born from man’s reality.”

  Nate popped his ballpoint pen. “So you do believe in this Kronos guy? You think he was real?”

  “Kronos guy”? Imbeciles. Soon they’ll be bowing to Kronos, and these two jocks can polish my boots.

  Curtis narrowed his eyes. “I believe the Golden Age of Man was real, and Kronos was responsible for protecting mankind, so he must’ve done a good job.”

  Nate glanced over at Hunter. “Sounds like a non-answer to me.”

  Hunter nodded. “What does my sister think?”

  “Leave Alicia out of this.” Curtis shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t have any more time to speak with you.” He reached for his briefcase and handed Nate a business card. “If you find any more Greek clues you need help identifying, I’m happy to help.”

  “I appreciate your time.” Nate tucked the card away.

  Hunter raised a brow as the professor hustled for the door. “See you soon, Curtis.”

  As soon as the door closed, Curtis’s thoughts pounded in Hunter’s mind, so rapid and jumbled that he had a hard time keeping up.

  The new enforcer needs to stop the detective. They’re getting too close. Alicia. I need to keep Alicia out of this. Her brother is going to be a problem. But maybe it’ll be okay. Maybe the family will pull together when Hunter is mourning Dr. O’Connor. It can all work. And when the Titans are free, everyone will understand our sacrifice was for the greater good.

  The farther away he got, the more fractured the thoughts, until Hunter finally had a clear head again. He sat down rubbing his temples. “Shit.” His head throbbed. “Can I borrow your pen? I want to get this down before it fades away.”

  Nate handed him the pad and pen, and Hunter wrote down all he could remember.

  When he set the pen down, he groaned. “Doesn’t make much sense.”

  Nate scanned the page, frowning. “When the Titans are free?”

  “That’s what he said. Any idea what he’s talking about?”

  Nate stared at the door, frowning. “If the muses are real, it’s not too big a leap to think the Titans might be, too.”

  Hunter shot up from his chair, wincing as the room spun. He needed some Tylenol. Damn. “So you think the Ted guy could have a Titan reborn in him like the muses?”

  Nate shook his head. “The Titans were immortal.” He turned toward Hunter, his voice dropping. “We have a working theory that if the Titans really were locked in the center of the
Earth, they could be freed by—”

  “Drilling oil,” Hunter finished, remembering his previous conversation with Callie.

  Nate nodded. “And the man who owns the oil company in Crystal City…?”

  He hadn’t lived in Crystal City since high school, but the name still came to him in a flash. “Ted Belkin.”

  Nate started for the door. “I need to get back to the precinct. Our other leads were pointing us toward Belkin Oil, but the trail went cold.”

  “I’m going back to the base.” One of Curtis’s thoughts kept taunting Hunter, repeating in his mind…When he’s mourning Dr. O’Connor…

  No fucking way was he going to let that happen.

  Bryce finished at the shooting range and checked his cell phone. Three missed calls from an unknown number. He swiped over to his voice mail and pressed play:

  “This is Curtis from the Order. I had a visit from Detective Nate Malone today. He’s still investigating Ben’s death, and he’s asking about Kronos worshippers. You need to stop him. If you eliminate the Muse of Epic Poetry right now, they’ll connect it to us. They’re too close. I’m calling Mr. Belkin.”

  Bryce frowned and started to put his phone away when it vibrated again. He accepted the call. “This is Bryce.”

  “Bryce, it’s Ted. I need you to come to my office. Now.”

  “Is this about some Curtis guy?” Bryce tucked his phone between his ear and shoulder, freeing up his hands.

  Ted cursed under his breath. “How did he get your number?”

  “Beats me. He left a voice mail.” He wiped down his pistol and slid it back into its case.

  “Get over here as soon as you can. My father is going to want an update.”

  “Twenty minutes.” Bryce ended the call and headed for his motorcycle.

  Things were about to get real.

  Callie finished her last session and pulled out her purse. No texts from Hunter. Not that she expected any. Not really.

  She’d probably pushed too hard this afternoon. Seeing him in pain, knowing she was the cause of it, sucked, but how much stress could one man take?

  One thought kept haunting her, though: he wanted her to trust him.

  She’d been through enough self-therapy to know the only person she’d ever truly trusted was her father. And when he hadn’t taken her side, when he’d turned his back on her…