“May I touch you?” she asked, holding out a palm to me.
I laid my own on hers.
She smiled again before speaking, “Yes, it was you.”
“What was?”
“A short time ago, maybe a few centuries back, I started feeling the presence of another energy. It was you I felt. I thought I recognized it the moment you stepped into our home but I wanted to be sure.”
“Sorry?”
“No, don’t be. You see, I’m the most sensitive of us all to fluctuations. The other two here didn’t think anything of it but I felt you. I just don’t understand how you came to be like this. Do you know?” She leaned in closer like I could offer her answers.
“You mean how Paddy did his thing to me? I was there but I’m not sure exactly how it went down, but it wasn’t that long ago.”
“But how did you come to be this way?” Her eyes searched my face as if I were being obtuse.
“Because of what’s happening?” I had no idea what Farrah was saying, and I started to wonder if she were even sane in the sense of how I’d think of it. Maybe there was a reason she stayed quiet.
“You lied!” Paddy’s voice boomed from where he was standing across the expanse, bringing everyone to silence. “You never had any intention!”
He and Fia were staring at each other in a way that made me want to back up and make a hasty exit. I had enough problems. I didn’t want to get involved in their domestic dispute. Unfortunately, the old guy that looked like he was going to go nuclear was my only exit.
“This needs to end and right now!” Fia screamed at an inhuman pitch and thunder rang out like I was standing right beside a bolt of lightning.
“You can’t! I’m not sure I can anymore,” Paddy lashed out, no longer sounding like Paddy at all; the voice was of a younger form that I was certain lay beneath.
Yeah, definitely time for my exit. This was the last time I was accepting one of his invites.
I looked over at Farrah. “Is there any way you could give me a lift?”
“Certainly.”
Chapter Eighteen
Farrah popped me into Fate’s garage alone. I didn’t want to broadcast where I’d been to the occupants of the house and doubted I’d be so lucky as to find the living room empty again.
I cracked the door open as quietly as possible, hoping to situate myself out on the deck like I’d been reading all morning. I tiptoed into the hall and the first thing I noticed was it was dark out. How long had I been gone?
There was still hope. The house sounded quiet, the only noise was the AC kicking on.
I took another step in and saw why. Everyone in the house was sitting either on the dining room chairs or the couch. No one was speaking or so much as moving in their seat. Alarm bells rang. They all were transfixed on a spot I couldn’t see. Was Malokin there? Had he breached the wards? My adrenaline cranked into full output. I needed a gun.
I turned, planning on going back to the makeshift armory in the garage, when I heard Fate’s voice, “And no one saw anything?” Indignation, impatience, agitation and anger were all neatly packed into his tone. It wasn’t Malokin; it was even worse. It was a furious Fate and I knew what had pissed him off. I’d been gone way longer than a few minutes this time and hadn’t left word with anyone, which were the house rules.
One by one, their heads turned towards me as I entered the room. I saw eyes widen as their gaze split between the two of us.
“What’s going on?” I asked in a light, hey, everything’s good here voice.
I could see Fate’s chest rise and fall as he looked at me. Oh boy, this was definitely about me going missing. “Murphy? You turn the AC up again? It’s freezing in here. Going to go grab a sweater,” I said, looking for any excuse to move the brawl, which was sure to come, out of the gladiator arena and away from the spectators.
No one said anything as I walked past, not even a stutter of a reply from Murphy. But I had everyone’s rapt attention as I moved toward the hallway that led to the bedroom.
I hadn’t taken more than two steps down the hall before I felt Fate breathing down my neck behind me. His hand landed on my back, hurrying my step as I walked into the bedroom. He shut the door firmly but I didn’t care how upset he was. I had my own issues.
“Where have you been?” He crossed the room and was in my personal space, hands on my arms, pulling me to my toes.
I looked directly into his eyes, wanting to make sure I didn’t miss even the tiniest part of his reaction. “I’ve been visiting with your relatives. Who, by the way, seem to live a few miles short of Sanityville.”
“You went to see them without me?” he asked. His words were softly quiet but not what I’d describe as a gentle whisper. It was more along the lines of let me get this straight before I really lose my shit.
“Yes. You don’t deny that you’re somehow related? Were you ever going to let me in on that?” Looking at him now, I was positive I was right. There was a connection, whether he admitted it or not. Maybe not enough to make him a glow stick on the inside, but it was there.
“Do you realize what could’ve happened?”
I didn’t think he realized but his fingers dug into me as he said it.
“I had Paddy’s word.” I pushed off of him with my palms on his chest and he released me, both of us going to opposite corners, not sure who’d won the first round.
“Because he’s been so reliable in the past?” he threw back at me, gearing up for round two as he stood beside the dresser.
I swallowed as he threw my own fear back at me but decided that I wasn’t going to let that divert me from the subject of his deception so easily. “What about the fact that you never told me you’re somehow like them?”
I was across the room, arms folded over my chest as I stared him down.
His jaw tensed; one hand was on his hip and the other lay fisted on the top of the dresser. The air in the room seemed to be filling with his anger.
He finally looked at me again, and I saw in his eyes the same thing I’d seen at the convenience store, the same thing that had probably made Gun Guy call him a scary fuck. Knowing with surety that he wouldn’t hurt me was the only thing that kept me in place when that stare was leveled at me.
He finally spoke. “Do you know that just going there could’ve killed you?”
“And you know that because you’ve been there how many times?” I pointed my finger in the biggest aha movement ever, refusing to bow down to him.
He scowled and shook his head. “You know nothing.”
“Then you’re denying it?” I asked as we officially entered round two.
“No, I’m not. It doesn’t matter. What matters is you could’ve died.”
“And all that pretending you didn’t know anything.”
“When did I ever pretend?”
I squinted my eyes in disbelief. “Who’s the old man? Remember saying that?”
He leaned forward. “Because the man I knew wasn’t called Paddy and he didn’t look old.”
“You’ve held out.”
“And you haven’t?” He crossed the room again, stopping just shy of literally stepping on me. “Don’t go off like that again.”
My hands instinctively went to my hips. “Or. What.”
“I’m telling you, don’t.”
“Telling me? And when I do ‘do that again’ what are you going to do?” It was complete bullshit on my part. I had no desire to see those crazy Universe people again, and certainly not without backup, but his words hit the one button that could make me willingly self-destruct. I’d sworn to myself that Malokin’s had been the last orders I’d ever take again. I didn’t care if it was an angel from God asking me to do something. Never again.
He didn’t speak the words but his face said you’ll see.
“This conversation is over.” I walked out of the room, knowing I was about to snap. It was too much stress in too short of a time, and I wasn’t thinking clearly anymore.
/> I’d expected him to try and stop me but he didn’t.
He did follow me.
I’d barely made it into the hall before Knox was there, completing our happy trio. “I was just coming to make sure everything was okay,” he said as I was forced to stop where he stood in front of me in the hall, Fate at my back.
“It’s fine,” I said, trying to keep my agitation from leaking out into my words.
Fate also answered the question directed at me. “Mind your own business.”
Knox’s eyes shot to Fate. “Everything that happens is my business.”
“Nothing here is your business. You’re here because I allow you to be. Go back to the office if you want to play at boss. As long as I let you, that is.” Fate stepped around me then and literally bumped into Knox as he walked, adding, “Don’t piss me off,” as he passed.
I shook my head and went straight for the bar myself, praying to the god of booze there was a bottle of Maker’s Mark there. I really needed to have that chat about playing nice that I hadn’t gotten around to yet but I needed a shot of something strong first.
No Maker’s Mark? Last time I’d had some, the bottle had been half full. How could it be gone? My eyes searched the still occupied living room for the Jinxes, who were cleaning their guns on the dining room table.
“I’m sorry, was the case of scotch not enough?” I asked, ready to bang their little skulls together.
“Oh, that? We decided to add it to emergency booze fund,” Bobby graciously explained and put his head back down to oiling and cleaning.
Mother came sweeping by, making tsking noises as she did. “Ladies don’t overly imbibe,” she said as she passed.
She was lucky she was quick on those skinny little legs of hers or I might have grabbed a piece of that fabric floating behind her and strangled her in her own frills.
Fate stepped forward and silly me assumed he was going to make amends for being such an overbearing ass by pulling out a hidden bottle from somewhere I hadn’t seen. Then we could pretend that we weren’t in the middle of a drag out and dirty fight and all was good again.
He stepped close but offered no bottle. “I asked you a question that you haven’t answered.”
And typical Fate, he wasn’t going to play the game that said you didn’t fight in front of a room of onlookers. Why would he? He didn’t follow any rules he hadn’t made up.
It took me a half a second to comprehend that he really was going to do this—make this an issue when he knew everyone was listening to every word. He’d force my hand and I hadn’t come this far to take orders from anyone. And if I knew his ego like I thought I did, it would become an all-out brawl because neither of us were going to back down.
Fine. He wanted to do it here? So be it.
“I answered you loud and clear.” I grabbed a bottle of Grey Goose from the ones left. I guess the Jinxes didn’t like vodka but it would do just fine for me. I’d probably do a straight shot of gasoline right now.
“You don’t have to answer to him.” Knox’s voice came from right behind me and I dropped my face so no one could see me roll my eyes. Fate wouldn’t kill me. It might get ugly, and we might put a loud enough show on for the whole neighborhood, but I’d make it. Knox, I wasn’t so sure.
I appreciated the support, but oh God was his timing complete shit. Now instead of handling my own issues, I had to handle his. I wanted to smack my hand onto my forehead and ask the Universe what the hell it was doing but I’d come to the conclusion, after that last meeting, it had no real idea either.
I didn’t even have to look at Fate to know he was now in full fight mode with a vengeance and a new target. I wasn’t sure any pleading on my part would keep those two from going at it now. There was some instinctual dislike there, which baffled me. Fate hadn’t seemed to particularly care for Harold either but yet he’d managed to get along with him just fine. Not so with Knox. And now we were all living together like a big dysfunctional family.
“I warned you to stay out of my business.” Fate started closing the already small distance between him and Knox, and I tried to keep pace, getting sandwiched between the two of them. Advice my mother had given me years ago chimed in my head; a woman stepping in between two fighting men sometimes adds gas to their engines.
Usually, I agreed.
Not with these two. They came fully loaded already. If I stepped out of the way, their egos weren’t going to calm down and they weren’t going to magically hug it out. They’d brawl.
“Why? So you can try and tell her what to do?” Knox’s chest was puffed out.
“I can. She’s mine.”
Mine? He said I was his? It was all sorts of cave man but it sent the most delicious tingle down my spine. I really wanted to wallow in that feeling but they were going to beat each other up in about two seconds. And it wasn’t like it was a declaration of love, you sappy girl. He thought he owned everything, and now that included you. Snap out of it!
I pushed the soft fuzzy feelings from my psyche and focused on Fate and Knox. The only thing they seemed to agree upon was that they didn’t want me in between them. They moved left, I went left. They dodged right and so did I. This went on until a large pair of hands lifted me up and placed me slightly to the side and partially behind Knox.
“What. Did. You. Just. Do?” Each word out of Fate’s mouth was like a bullet into the air. Since the first time I’d met him, he looked like he was on the brink of losing control. I’d seen him mad. I’d seen him threatening. Hell, I’d seen him look like the Devil, fresh with burn marks on his clothes. But never had I seen him about to lose his shit.
Without my soft padding in the center, their chests were almost touching, they were so close.
“You don’t own her,” Knox replied.
“I’m going to warn you once. And you don’t know how lucky you are to get that. Do not touch her again. The last people who did lost their heads.” Fate’s voice seemed to get deeper and quieter with each word.
“And you think you can do that to me?” Knox asked, still hanging in there with equal bravado.
Had to hand it to Knox; he was the only person I’d ever seen stand up to Fate. The new guy had some balls for sure—or perhaps he wasn’t as bright as I’d thought. I just hoped he had some spares because Fate looked like he was going to rip them from his body at any second. The tides had turned and it was time to edge back, wanting to get out of the line of fire in case there was an accidental discharge in my direction while I debated different tactics to calm this down.
Suddenly, they both turned their gazes to me like two Rottweilers about to go after a favorite chew toy.
I threw up both my hands to fend off a possible grab as I took several more steps backward. I’d decided today, this minute, that I wouldn’t allow anymore grabbing to occur. This one pulling me here, that one picking me up and moving me there, the manhandling had officially come to an end. “I don’t know what your problem is with each other but leave me out of it.”
The room was so quiet that I could hear some shifting on the couch behind us before Murphy, who must have been speaking to Luck, said, “Did she really say she didn’t know what their problem was? I know she’s a transfer but isn’t that a little slow even for a human?”
Murphy’s words, although aggravating me more, seemed to have the opposite effect on Knox. He looked up and over like he was surprised we had an audience. I watched as the fight drained from him, and he made some excuse about having to go in the office for something or other.
Fate watched him leave, looking satisfied enough with the departure to not pursue him. He pulled out his phone, which part of my brain had realized had been ringing for quite some time, then shoved it back in his pocket.
He looked at me, all our unresolved issues hanging in the air between us. “I have to go.”
I shrugged. “So go.”
He stood there for a couple more seconds before he finally turned and left without saying another word to any of
us.
The living room emptied out pretty quickly now that the show was over, leaving only Luck, Murphy and me.
Luck punched Murphy in the arm. “Murphy, I can’t believe you said that before. They all heard you and it was so uncomfortable they left.”
“You’re right, Luck.” Murphy cleared his throat and his next words came out considerably louder. “Karma, I’m sorry I said that. It’s not your fault you’re stupid sometimes. You can’t help it.”
She sighed loudly at him. “No, you’re the stupid one. What are we supposed to do now? There’s nothing on TV.”
There they sat on the couch, each with a cup of tea in their hands and some cookies on the table in front of them.
“What is going on here?” I said, motioning to the snacks. No TV playing in the background, just the two of them sitting and waiting for a show that didn’t air on cable.
“I know,” Luck said, making me think that she felt some shame about them using my life as a spectator sport, until she continued. “But whoever went shopping bought the wrong popcorn.” She shrugged.
Murphy nodded his head as he tapped his watch. “I have to agree. Even when the world is falling apart, you need to have standards to live by.”
“Get up,” I said to the two of them.
“Why? Are we going to go follow him into the office?” Luck asked, clearly intrigued by the possibility of more show time. Murphy’s animated head nodded vigorously in encouragement.
I sighed but didn’t bother to correct them. That was who they were and, as much as it annoyed me at times, they were my family. “No. We’re going out.”
Two disappointed ohs came out in unison.
“I guess if the show’s over,” Luck said. “Plus she’s upstairs in my room.”
Murphy let out a prolonged sigh. “I didn’t have any other plans, did you?”
Luck shook her head. “No. I guess we should go.”
Chapter Nineteen
It was after midnight when we got back from the dive bar Luck, Murphy and I went to. I’d chosen to frequent many of them in the recent past but it hadn’t been a deliberate choice this time around. There hadn’t been much of a selection of places to pick from. Most of the respectable establishments had shut down or were only opening during the daylight hours, when things were a notch calmer. The places open at night catered to the seediest crowds and you paid a premium to be in such esteemed company.
Fated: Karma Series, Book Three Page 14