“Dead? How?”
“Looks like the same person who killed Jess got him too. He was dead by the time my guy got in there.”
“Fuck.” Timothy pinched the bridge of his nose. Not only was the detective dead, which was a tragedy in itself, but they were going to be breathing down his neck now since he was directly involved in an investigation regarding a McGinley Antiquities employee. They were going to need to get back.
“Get me my plane. Paislee and I will head back tonight.”
“You got it, boss.”
Timothy hung up the phone and finished his walk up the stairs. He stopped in front of Paislee’s room, and lightly knocked on the wood.
Moments later, she pulled the door open looking sleepy-eyed and absolutely gorgeous.
“What is it?” she asked and rubbed her eyes.
“We need to head back tonight.”
“Tonight?”
Timothy nodded. “Some things have come up.” Since he hadn’t told her about Jess yet, he wasn’t sure this would be the best time to explain what those things were.
“Okay.” She looked disappointed but disappeared back into her room.
* * *
Timothy had just finished hauling his bags down when Myria approached him.
“Leaving?”
“We need to get back to Boston, something has come up.”
“Will we see you again?”
He straightened and focused on her. Her eyes were wide, her jaw set. He knew that look well, Myria was upset and didn’t want to show it.
He nodded. “I’m sure you will.”
She smiled. “Good.” Myria lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “Timothy, Paislee is not a typical witch.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Most witches have a specific set of magic inside them. Light, for instance, would give them the ability to control light and in some cases, heal.”
“Yes, I know that.”
“Paislee has both light and dark magic inside her. Which means not only can she heal, she can destroy. The only other person I knew to possess both, was Caipre.”
Timothy’s body went stiff. “She is nothing like that monster.”
“I know she’s not.” Myria gently touched his arm. “Paislee is a good person Timothy. I never said she wasn’t. I only mentioned Caipre so you would know what magic she is capable of. Caipre may have been a monster, but he was an incredibly powerful one.” She lifted a stack of books from a table and handed them to him. “She needs to study these. I’ve given her a baseline how to as far as using her magic, but she needs to learn to control it.”
“Thank you, Myria.”
She nodded. “It’s been so wonderful to see you again Timothy. I hope that one day you find what you’re looking for.”
Before he could ask what that meant, Paislee came down the stairs with her suitcase. It struck him then, how incredibly beautiful she was. Not just in looks, but in her spirit. The light within her seemed to call out to even the darkest corners of his soul, making it nearly impossible to resist her.
“Thank you for everything Myria.” Paislee hugged Myria, then Aengus, Abby, and Sheamus came into the room.
“You are more than welcome Paislee. Call me if you ever need anything.”
“Will do.”
They said the rest of their goodbyes and then climbed into the car. Timothy was silent for the duration of the drive to the private airport they had flown into only days before.
“Welcome, Mr. McGinley. Miss Adams,” the pilot and co-pilot greeted them as they came on board.
“Thanks,” she said and walked over to the couch. She was exhausted and ready for a nap.
“We’ll be taking off in just a few moments.” The captain told them and then disappeared into the cockpit.
“I need to tell you something.” Timothy decided to take her ‘honesty is the best policy’ approach and fill her in on what was going on.
He just hoped she wouldn’t be too pissed off at him.
“What is it?”
“Malcolm killed Jess.”
She sat up slowly and stared at him, “Jess?” she repeated, her eyes filling. “She’s dead?”
He nodded, and Paislee got to her feet. “When?”
“The day we rescued you.”
“Before you got me?” her voice shook.
“Yes.”
“I’m so sorry Timothy.” She touched his shoulder gently.
“It’s not your fault. I know you two had gotten close.”
“She is dead because you got involved with me.”
“I don’t think that’s it. I think he was coming for me anyway. I’m just sorry Jess got caught in the crosshairs.”
“Me too. She was so sweet, I was just getting to know her.”
“He will pay for what he’s done.” Paislee’s fingers began to spark, and Timothy took her hands to calm her and then he smiled, although there was no humor in it.
“I know he will. Oh, poor Ashton, how is he?”
“Holding up, I think he’s holding it together until he can get his revenge. It seems we’re all out for blood.”
“So, you knew then? That he had a thing for her?”
“I made it my mission to know about my employees, and I’ve known Ashton and Jess for quite a long time.” Knew Jess, he reminded himself. He still wasn’t used to the idea of his life without her in it. She had become a staple in McGinley Antiquities.
Chapter 20
Malcolm walked towards his house with a spring in his step. London had proved to be a completely beneficial trip. He hadn’t been able to get his hands on the exact item he’d been looking for, but he had been able to obtain some texts that should help to point him in the right direction. Plus, he had added another item to his collection, and he was sure it would prove to be quite useful in the coming weeks.
Either way, the country was beautiful, and he and Lindsay had enjoyed themselves for the week.
They pushed open the front door and immediately assaulted with the stench of death. His guards rushed around him and into the house and began clearing rooms leaving them in the foyer to assess the scene around them.
“What the hell happened? Did she get out?” Lindsay accused.
“These men were shot, Paislee would not have been able to take them all down with bullets alone. She must have had help.”
“McGinley.”
“Yes.” Malcolm felt the blinding rage digging its fingers into him. That man had been getting in his way entirely too often as of late.
“The witch is gone,” one of the guards announced as he made his way down the stairs.
“Would you mind explaining to me how my house was attacked when your men were on duty?” Malcolm turned to the now wide-eyed guard.
“Sir, I assure you they would have done all they could to keep your location secure.”
“It seems to me that if they had done all they could, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Sir-”
Malcolm held his hand up and allowed the power from the necklace to build in his body. He then released a blast of magic that turned the man before him into dust.
Lindsay laughed darkly.
Malcolm smiled.
Chapter 21
They exited the plane and were immediately greeted by Ashton. Paislee ran to him and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for saving me.”
Ashton grinned. “Anytime.”
“Anything new?” Timothy asked as he shook Ashton’s hand.
The guard shook his head. “My contact said the Gentry’s arrived back at the house today, but as far as the detective I haven’t heard anything.”
“Detective?” Paislee asked as they climbed into the SUV that had been waiting for them on the airstrip.
“The detective who had been looking into Jess’s murder was killed in a parking garage,” Timothy answered.
“Oh no.” She ground her teeth together, bodies were piling up, and
they all started with her.
“It’s not your fault,” Timothy reminded her and then turned back to Ashton.
She let them drone on as they drove, and it wasn’t until they were pulling into a parking garage she didn’t recognize, that she spoke up.
“Where are we?”
“My apartment.”
“Why are we here?”
“Because they found a way to get into my office and I really don’t want to risk you being there alone.”
“Oh.” What would his space be like? She wondered. Would it be just like his office? Filled with old antiques and completely organized?
“Garth is here too.”
She smiled and climbed out of the car after him.
They rode the elevator up with Ashton and then stepped onto a small entryway. There were only two doors, and Ashton headed for one.
“This is the back entrance,” Timothy explained. “Ashton has an office just over there.”
“Ashton,” she called just before he shut the door He leaned back out, and she could see the pain he was trying to hide in his eyes.
She walked over to him. “I’m so sorry about Jess. She cared for you deeply.”
He sighed. “I shouldn’t have waited as long as I did. If I had told her how I felt perhaps things would have turned out differently. I could have protected her.”
“It’s not your fault, you were both afraid of jeopardizing your work relationship.”
He smiled emptily. “Well, I suppose it’s jeopardized anyways, isn’t it?”
She wrapped her arms around him. “She loved you Ashton and hopefully knowing that will bring you some peace.”
“Thank you, Paislee.”
She nodded and walked back over to where Timothy waited for her.
“That was nice of you,” he said quietly.
“It was the truth, she loved him.”
He typed in a code, and they stepped into the large open space. The living area and kitchen were completely open and about triple the size of his office. It wasn’t decorated with antiques, but rather what looked to be incredibly expensive artwork. A grey couch sat in front of an impressive fireplace, and a large television hung on the wall next to it.
It was a place she could absolutely relax in.
She heard a meow and dropped to the ground to greet Garth, who was padding over to her. “Hey, buddy! I missed you!” She lifted him and carried him to the couch, before dropping down on the soft cushions and petting him. “Timothy, this is gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” He walked over to a set of monitors hanging on the wall near where they’d come in, and she him check through the footage from when they’d been gone. “If you like, I will show you to your room.”
“Yes, please. I’m exhausted.” And she hadn’t had the chance to cry about Jess, which was something she had no intention of doing in front of the steel backed man before her. “So how many bedrooms is this place?” she asked as they walked up a few stairs and down a hallway.
“Two.”
“Which one do I get? I’m exhausted.”
“The couch is incredibly comfortable.”
She eyed him, grateful for his attempt to lighten the mood. “Then I guess you will sleep well.” She followed him over to a door and gaped when he pushed it open revealing a large bedroom. “This is massive!”
A huge sleigh bed with an emerald green comforter sat against one wall, and directly across from that was a large armoire that after further inspection, Paislee saw it boasted a TV as well. Large doors opened to a balcony that looked over the harbor. She pulled them open and took a deep breath as the breeze lifted the hair from her neck. The salty air filled her lungs as she breathed deeply. Man, it felt good to be home. Boston would always be her home no matter what happened to her within its limits.
“This is the guest room, is it to your liking?”
She turned to see him leaning in the doorway, his mouth turned up in a lopsided grin. It made her heart stumble in her chest to see him standing there that way. What had changed between them? She wondered. Had it been the kiss? The tenderness he’d shown her the night he’d rescued her? Whatever it was, Paislee couldn’t help but wonder if he felt it too.
“Absolutely.” She grinned back.
“I figured.” He smiled. “I’ll be down the hall in my office if you need me.”
“Thank you.”
With a single nod, he disappeared out of the door leaving Paislee standing alone. She turned back towards the bed, aching to feel the softness of the sheets on her skin. She was exhausted and figured closing her eyes for only a few moments wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Once she was buried under the covers, she closed her eyes and drifted into the sweet abyss that accompanied sleep.
* * *
Timothy rubbed his eyes and stared at the computer screen that held the images of the items for their upcoming auction. It seemed wrong, planning something so scheduled for their monthly event without Jess to help him with the details. But the best thing they could do now was keep business as usual.
Malcolm would pay for what he’d done to her, Timothy would make sure of it, and the longer it took, the angrier he got. Ashton had taken care of finding homes for Jess’s animals and had carefully packaged her things. She’d had no family, but per her request, she would be cremated, and Timothy would make sure her ashes were spread over Lake Tahoe like she’d written in her will.
Just as soon as the damn investigation was over, they could lay her to rest. But who knew when that would be. With Detective Reilly’s murder, things would be taking another turn he was sure of it.
The phone rang, and Timothy lifted it to his ear.
“I’m here, got what you asked for.”
“Come on up.”
Minutes later, the elevator dinged, and Ashton stepped out. He handed Timothy a small black box, and Timothy opened it to reveal an iron cuff. His hope was that it would protect Paislee should Malcolm get close enough to use the amulet on her.
“Thanks, Ashton.”
“No problem.”
“Anything new?” Timothy set the box down and walked to his mini bar where he poured two fingers of whiskey into two glasses, then handed one of them to his friend.
“Not yet. We haven’t been contacted by the other detective yet, but I imagine it’s coming.” He took a drink.
Timothy nodded and walked to the window that faced the harbor. “We have to find a way to get to Malcolm. Part of me thinks we should just storm his house and take them all out.”
“Unlikely that would be a successful mission.”
“Especially not with the amulet. Our best bet is to wait it out until we have more information, but dammit if I’m impatient.”
Ashton let out a laugh that had Timothy turning towards him. “You are over two hundred years old, now is not the time to lose that patience you’ve acquired throughout those years.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Timothy smiled and downed the rest of his drink. “Send Jake over tomorrow, I don’t want to leave Paislee alone, but I need him to set up the rest of the items for the auction.”
“Will do.” Ashton walked towards the elevator. “We’ll get him, boss.”
“I know we will.” The doors closed, and Timothy turned to see Paislee standing in the doorway to the bedroom. Her red hair was loose around her face, but the curls were wild just as the eyes that were looking at him now.
His mouth watered as he took her in, she wore nothing but a tank top and shorts, and although he had done his best to not see her naked body when he’d helped her wash, he had still felt it pressed against him.
Blood pounding in his veins, Timothy forced himself to look away. “I’m calling out for dinner, I was thinking Chinese if you’re interested.”
“That sounds great.”
He nodded without looking back at her. “Get a good sleep in?”
“Yes, the bed is really comfortable.”
“Good.” He headed back down the
hall towards his office, needing to put as much distance between himself and the fiery redhead that was currently burrowing herself past his defenses.
Paislee watched him walk away, irritated at herself for believing, if even for a moment- that he was going to cross the distance between them. Then, she was angry at herself for not just doing it anyway.
She heard the door to his office shut, and it angered her further. The mixed signals he was giving off was giving her a headache especially when she knew exactly what she wanted- him.
Without putting too much thought into it, Paislee walked down the hall to his office, and after taking a deep breath pushed the door open. He turned away from the window he had been looking out of, and they stood staring at each other, the air pregnant with tension.
Her blood pounded in her ears, making it impossible to hear him when he said her name as she began moving towards him on legs that felt as if they might give out any second.
She stopped just on the other side of his desk, so they were so close she could all but feel his heart as it thundered in his chest.
“I’m not a good man, Paislee,” he reminded her.
“I don’t care.”
“You will.” He warned just before slamming his mouth down onto hers. Teeth nipped at her bottom lip begging to be allowed inside. She opened her mouth and buried her hands in his hair. She didn’t hear the items on his desk being thrown to the floor, all she could hear was her own heart pounding and her body begging for release.
His hands trailed down to her ass, and he lifted her onto his desk and pressed between her legs that wrapped around his waist. Fingers gripped the front of his shirt, and she ripped, sending buttons flying in all directions.
Paislee splayed her fingers on his hard chest, feeling the muscles below. Her heart skipped when she could feel them trembling underneath her palm, Timothy was a beast who had been kept chained, and she was finally setting him free.
He lifted the tank over her head and growled deep in his chest at the site of her bare breasts. A rough hand cupped her, and her head fell back on a moan when he pulled a taut nipple into his mouth.
Collateral Damage_A Tethered Novel Page 16