by Jami Gray
“Mr. Aslanov,” I returned as I took my place next to Sabella, and together we watched him walk away.
“If I was a younger woman…”
Sabella’s low, appreciative comment surprised a laugh out of me. “I don’t think he’d know what to do with a woman like you, Sabella.”
She laughed as she touched her shoulder to mine with a gentle nudge. “Don’t underestimate him.”
Yeah, there was no danger of doing that.
Simple curiosity replaced her amusement. “How do you know Zev?”
For a moment, my brain stalled over an explanation that wouldn’t require painful details. “We’ve crossed paths during a past assignment.”
My casual response didn’t discourage Sabella. “Sounds like there’s a story there.”
I managed a dismissive smile even as my heart rate ticked up. “Nope, no story.”
She made a tching sound as she started walking. “You know, Rory, you really should indulge your elders when they’re looking for juicy gossip.”
I couldn’t suppress my amused snort as I followed her. We wove our way through the diners. I swore I could feel eyes on me. Zev’s or someone else’s, I didn’t know, but I refused to give in to the urge to turn and find out. We exited the restaurant and headed to the car. I offered to bring it around if she wanted to wait up front, but she brushed my suggestion aside with “My legs work just fine.”
Remembering Sabella’s earlier comment about trouble, I took comfort in the weight of my gun tucked against the small of my back and prodded my magic awake. It remained blessedly placid as we closed in on the sedan. The lack of reaction from my ability wasn’t a foolproof warning system, but it eased my mind. It helped that the car’s security ward appeared undisturbed. Deactivating the security, I opened the back door so Sabella could get in. I closed the door behind her and turned to the driver’s door when a ripple whispered over my magic, like a phantom touch on a lake, causing me to pause. It was the same faint sensation I encountered when brushing against a lingering magical echo. Not unusual, just unexpected. It could easily be the remains of an old spell or simply an exceptionally strong magic user passing nearby. Regardless, I took a moment to scan my surroundings, just in case. Under the amber lights, the lot was quiet, with the exception of a man assisting a woman into a low-slung sportster. No lurking shadows or menacing cars lying in wait. On top of that, my magic was back to its unruffled normality.
Maybe I was just jumpy. I shook my head, opened my door, and got in the car.
“Is something wrong?”
At Sabella’s unanticipated question, my gaze went to the rearview mirror to find her studying me. “No, why?”
She motioned with her hand toward the door. “You looked worried for a minute there.”
I gave her a reassuring smile and thought fast. “Oh, I thought I saw something and wanted to ensure it wasn’t the trouble you mentioned earlier.” It was difficult to tell if she believed me or not. Her expression was hard to read, so I tacked on, “It was just another couple getting into their car.”
She held my gaze for an interminable moment then looked away with a small, secretive smile. “You’re extremely observant.”
“Comes with the job.” I started the car.
Within minutes, I was following the GPS directions back to Sabella’s home. A comfortable quiet had settled in the car. Unable to shake off my earlier unease, I held my magic in place, just in case. Even though I kept my attention on the road and surrounding traffic, that part of my mind not involved with my job churned over Lena’s situation. Knowing there was no way I was getting sleep tonight without some answers, I seriously considered taking the BMW back to the Guild just so I could pester Evan. I had a feeling he wouldn’t be leaving his office anytime soon, either.
“You know you can’t leave me dangling in curiosity.”
Sabella’s weird statement snapped my eyes up to the rearview mirror to find her watching me with an unsettling intensity. Unsure of what she wanted, I asked, “Excuse me?”
“About what’s between you and Zev.”
Unable to hold her gaze, I turned my attention back to the road, hoping the heat rising under my skin wasn’t noticeable in the dark confines of the car. “There’s nothing between us.”
“I may be old, but I’m not blind, dear. Whatever you two were discussing appeared intense.”
“Not intense, just frustrating.”
Sabella’s burst of laughter surprised me. “Yes, I can see how Zev could frustrate a woman.”
My face burned at her unmistakable, teasing implication, but I would have been stupid to deny the obvious impact he had on me. “Yeah, no doubt he’s used to beating them off with sticks. Luckily for me, I’m not keen on being another notch for his ego.”
“Then you’re one of the few.”
At her sardonic reply, my lips curved up in a grim smile. “I’m good with that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Definitely.” I was smart enough to understand how dangerous it would be to venture into Zev’s world on either a personal or a professional level. As the Cordova Arbiter, he was the scarily efficient hunter feared by the other predators gliding through the unforgiving depths of the powerful. Personally, I would happily steer clear of him and his shark-infested waters. Unfortunately, professionally, I needed his help. Not just for cultivating those all-important allies to help secure my financial future, but because it looked as if I would have to wade into the blood-filled waters to save Lena. Better to do that with someone who knew what lay in wait than blundering around on my own.
“Would you mind some advice?” Sabella’s question broke through my grim thoughts.
“Not at all.”
“You may want to reconsider your current strategy.”
Despite the lightness of her tone, her underlying warning had my fingers tightening on the wheel. “How so?”
There were sounds of her shifting in her seat, and I glanced in the mirror to see her looking out the passenger window. “If you present too much of a challenge, you’ll become irresistible.”
Amused by her assumption, I said, “I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that.”
“Why’s that?”
“Zev’s made it clear that he considers me…” I searched for a polite way to rephrase “a pain in the ass” and came up with “An inconvenient obstacle.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?”
“Not in the slightest.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. “Trust me, the extent of our ‘relationship’ is strictly professional, something I don’t see changing anytime soon.”
The weight of her stare threatened to set my hair on fire, but I managed to keep my attention on the road. It was a relief when she spoke. “You know, I’m not sure if I should be happy at your obvious practicality or miffed that I don’t get a chance to indulge in my maternal side by offering unsolicited advice.”
I checked my mirrors as a small smile escaped. “If it makes you feel better, advise away.” I hit the turn signal and shifted lanes to pass a delivery truck.
“I think I will.”
I laughed.
She kept up her light-hearted tone. “If you weren’t so reasonable, I’d try to spare your feelings as I pointed out that Zev would be an exciting diversion for most, but a smart woman wouldn’t get her expectations up for anything beyond that.”
Playing along, I ignored the pinch in my chest. “And why’s that?”
“Because no woman will ever replace his first love.”
I hid my flinch at the unexpected hit. Thankfully, my voice remained steady. “Whoever that is must be someone special to deserve that kind of devotion.”
“Oh, it’s not a woman, dear.” Sabella’s voice lost its teasing hint and turned serious. “It’s his family or, more to the point, the Cordova Family.” Her sudden shift from teasing to serious had me glancing in the mirror. Her gaze caught mine, and the lingering traces of my humor disappeared under her steady gaze. �
�They will always come first.” There was an unmistakable weight to her words.
“That’s not news.” I looked back to the road and swallowed against the sudden lump in my throat. “Zev’s been very clear about his priorities.”
“Interesting,” she murmured, then continued before I could respond, although I wasn’t exactly sure what to say. “Loyalty, much like alliances, are the core of Family relationships. It’s not given lightly.”
There was a patronizing edge to her comments that rubbed me the wrong way. “I don’t believe that trait is specific to the Families, Sabella.” It came out unintentionally sharp, but Families weren’t the only ones who understood loyalty and commitment.
For a moment, I wondered if I’d gone too far, but a soft sigh preceded her apologetic “You’re absolutely right, Rory. I’m sorry. That came out decidedly arrogant, and that was not my intent.”
“Apology accepted.” With our exit coming up quickly, I switched lanes. “There’s nothing wrong with putting your family first.” I hit the off ramp and began to slow, absently noting the headlights behind us. I gauged my speed as the driver following us seemed inclined to ride my bumper. I split my attention between the light at the end of the ramp and the headlights. Instincts blared in warning, igniting my magic. My power rose with anticipatory glee as adrenaline zipped through my veins, snapping my attention into sharp focus. Despite my spiking anxiety, my hands stayed rock steady on the wheel. “Sabella, are you belted in?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” Praying that I gauged the light change correctly, I hit the gas. At my unexpected move, the headlights behind me fell back. As we hit the top of the ramp, I angled the BMW into a smooth but fast left, blowing through the light just as it changed from red to green. In its holder on the dash, my phone rattled with an incoming text. Busy trying to avoid whoever was behind us, I ignored it.
“Rory?” Sabella’s voice was tight with tension.
“It seems that your trouble has finally arrived.” I kept my voice calm and level.
I could sense her moving and figured she was probably trying to see who was behind us. I did the same, using the rearview mirror. The streetlights pooled along the road and spilled over the dark sedan behind us. The light wasn’t enough to tell if it was deep blue or black, but the light bounced off the tinted windows. There was no way to identify the driver or tell if there was more than one person inside. I looked back to the road ahead. At this time of night, traffic was quiet, which was both good and bad. Good, because it meant there weren’t as many innocent bystanders to worry about. Bad, because shaking our tail would be difficult.
I increased our speed and began weaving in and out of the other cars. The last thing I wanted was to let them get close enough to be a real threat. Not to mention the insurance paperwork would be a massive bitch. Trying to figure out what exactly was breathing down our necks, I asked, “Does your trouble come with a name, Sabella?”
“Honestly, no. I’m as surprised as you that it showed up. I truly wasn’t expecting it. The comment was just that—a comment.”
Sure it was. Instead of calling her out, I snaked in and out of the cars, scanning for options. “We have two decisions. We can either lose them or find out who they are.”
“How are those our choices?”
I swore there was amusement in her question, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off the road to check. Instead, I explained, “As your driver, my goal is to ensure your safety. However, I’m also aware that someone in your position may prefer to discover who’s decided to target them.” Sabella was a power in her own right, and if someone was stupid enough to target her, I was sure she would be perfectly capable of handling it. Even though it wasn’t my first option, I didn’t want to continue to evade if she preferred an alternate option. That just wasn’t good customer service. “What would you like to do?”
“If I said I wanted to confront them, would you really make that happen?”
“You are the customer.” The sedan sped up, and I lowered my foot yet again. The BMW glided forward. The needle on the speedometer inched well into speeding-ticket territory. “However, I would point out that I may not be able to keep you safe should you choose to do so.”
“Good to know.”
Yep, that was definitely laughter in her voice.
“As I’d like to make it home in one piece, please feel free to evade,” she said.
“Thank you.” Permission granted, I muted the GPS and settled in for the best part of my job. Driving.
There was something exhilarating about being behind the wheel of a high-performance vehicle, especially one built for speed and so beautifully responsive. My world narrowed down to the feel of the steering wheel in my hands, the pedals under my feet, and the road under the wheels. I relaxed into my seat and, with a light touch, let the BMW fly. The streetlights blurred as we arrowed around the other cars. Soon, the street emptied and darkened as we sped into an unpopulated area that sat between Scottsdale and Fountain Hills—the perfect spot to lose our tailgaters. The street uncurled in front of me like a ribbon, stretching into the night, my headlights illuminating the reflective paint on the road. I checked my mirrors and smiled when the sedan’s headlights appeared well behind us.
Good enough. I checked the GPS one last time, cementing the road’s path in my mind, and flicked off the BMW’s lights, including the running lights. For anyone else, that would be an insanely dangerous move. For a Transporter, not so much.
I heard Sabella’s quick inhale.
“We’re fine,” I reassured her as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I brought up the mental image from the GPS and kept our speed steady. Transporters were a specialized Guild group for a reason. They were uniquely qualified for their job, thanks to an innate navigation ability that was paired with a preternatural reaction time. Much like any other mages, Transporters honed their skills through a mix of practical and magical training, but we also had a strangely symbiotic relationship with vehicles. Lena laughingly called me a speed demon, and in a way, she was spot on.
Another check in the mirror showed the road behind us empty. Instead of letting up on the gas, I held steady and considered my mental map. The turn ahead would intersect with the road leading into Fountain Hills and should cut about ten minutes off our route. It had the added benefit of crossing through a subdivision. Headlights appeared ahead, and I shifted my gaze to avoid being blinded by the approaching car as they didn’t have a chance to switch off their brights before we blew past them. I eased off the gas, knowing I needed to slow to take the turn without fishtailing or hitting the brakes. The road’s incline helped, naturally decreasing the car’s speed.
My world narrowed to the upcoming turn and the instinctual calculations whizzing through my brain. I let out a slow breath, relaxed my hands on the wheel as if gentling reins, and my motorized steed responded to my touch, gliding smoothly into the heart-stopping turn. As soon as the road straightened, so did we, our speed increasing as we put even more distance between us and our pursuers. When I was sure we couldn’t be seen, I flicked on the headlights and eased off the gas, dropping to a more acceptable speed. As we slowed, the hypersensitive state that helped me navigate began to drift away.
“Well, that was exciting.” Sabella’s wry comment brushed aside the last clinging threads.
My lips twitched. “We should be clear, but I’m going to take an alternate return route, if you don’t mind. It’s a bit longer.”
“Please, do whatever you feel necessary. I’m looking forward to a nice calming drink before bed.”
In the dash holder, my phone rattled again. This time, I glanced at the screen and caught Evan’s name as I unmuted the GPS. Damn. I wanted to see what he’d found, but it would have to wait until I got Sabella home. A loud sigh echoed through the car, and I shifted my attention to the mirror. “What?”
Sabella caught my eyes and gave a wry grimace. “I think I know who was chasing us.” She lifted her phone. “It se
ems the local papers have caught wind I’m in town.”
I went back to scanning our surroundings and followed the GPS directions as it led us into a winding path home. “You’re thinking it was the paparazzi?”
“Possibly.”
I wasn’t sure I agreed, but it wasn’t like I had any proof otherwise. Instead, I said soothingly, “Well, hopefully, they won’t be camping out in front of your house.”
That got a derisive snort from Sabella. “They won’t make it past the gate, and those that try are in for a rather unpleasant surprise.”
Since I had a good imagination, she didn’t need to elaborate. It wouldn’t do for anyone to forget this woman belonged to one of the oldest Arcane Families, including me. “I’ll let you know if they decide to rejoin us.”
She sat back with a quiet “Thanks.”
I stayed alert for any more unwanted followers during the rest of our uneventful drive. When we pulled up to Sabella’s gate, I was extremely grateful to find no one lying in wait. Though the oddity of it made me question, yet again, Sabella’s assumption about our followers. I headed up the drive and watched my mirrors as the gate slid closed behind us. I parked, turned off the car, and got out to hold open Sabella’s door.
Sabella stepped out and waited as I closed the door. Her hand curled around my arm, holding me in place. “Thank you, Rory.”
I wasn’t expecting her touch, and it sparked against my active magic, causing a small jerk. I covered my reaction with a smile. “My pleasure.”
It must have worked, because her expression didn’t change. She squeezed gently and let me go. “Perhaps Sylvia mentioned that I’m looking for a driver while I’m in town.”
Excitement had my pulse leaping as I followed her to the front door. I held it back as I confirmed in an even tone, “She did.”
“Good.” She unlocked her door and pushed it open. “I like you.”
Instead of puzzling out why that simple statement sounded profound, I returned an honest “The feeling’s mutual.”
She stepped inside and turned around. It was hard to read her expression through the shadows thrown by the overhead porch, but I could feel her studying me. “Good.” She gave a slight pause. “If I have my lawyer send over a contract, would you be willing to review it?”