He had to hire almost an entire new staff. Silas had gotten careless when it had come to hiring the last group, letting someone else do it instead of overseeing all the candidates. He wouldn't let that happen again. A few of his trusted men were kept around, mainly to train the rest but also to give proper warning of the things they didn't do and the consequences if they tried. Intimidation and fear only went so far. Silas found word of mouth horrors and firsthand accounts to be very effective. He knew the video of what he had done to Lucas after he tortured Hailey had been seen by everyone he hired. He was only sorry he couldn't have seen their faces when they watched.
The door opened. Silas grabbed his leather gloves off of the seat beside him and slipped them on as he stepped from the car.
"She's not home, Sir."
"Good. Call me if that changes. I'll be back."
The driver nodded and got back into the car. Her apartment was the second floor of a two story row home in Fishtown, one of Philly’s northeast neighborhoods. The door remained unlocked from when his driver took a look. After entering, Silas flipped the lock and took to the stairs.
Charlotte was the daughter of Lou, the one who he had the most faith in gaining information from. Besides being a hermit and keeping to himself, Lou was somewhat of a rebel. He hated what the Council had become but was not in a position to speak his mind. So instead of standing up, he fell back into the shadows and distanced himself from others. His interest in Charlotte would probably not be needed but was always good to have on hand in case the dragon found a sense of Council pride and decided not to talk.
The stairway was cramped going up to the second floor. It was about half the size of a normal one with steps that were more steep than deep. Silas fit fine but had he been broader like many of his men, he would have had to twist to accommodate. Her door was open and awaited him.
Her place surprised him. It didn't have the usual prints on the wall, plants on the windowsill or blanket over the couch. No mementos of friends or family. The girly touches he called them. If he didn't know better, he would have thought she had just moved in. The place was bare. Only the necessities graced the apartment of Charlotte Morgan.
One set of dishes, one mug, one cup, one bottle of tequila. Silas was sensing a pattern. She was a loner, much like her father and not sentimental. This was a place she came to rest and refuel, nothing more. It was simple, clean and in no way a home.
He made his way into her bedroom. Again, it was nothing more than what was needed: a bed, a nightstand, a light and a small dresser with no spattering of makeup tubes or discarded jewelry.
He wasn't going to learn anything from her things. Mainly because she didn’t have things. Silas needed to find her hidey hole. The place she went to be Charlotte and not whoever this bland person was she was trying to pretend to be. There had to be somewhere that she hides herself in this apartment. It could be a journal, a box of photos, or something bigger like a hidden room. People were never this bland without a purpose.
He went to her closet. "Well at least your attire has more color in it," he mused as he flipped through her hangers of varying dresses and suits. "Well, hello there." At the back of the closet he pulled out a black leather jacket. It was well worn with traces of blood in the seams. He held the soft leather up to his nose and took a whiff. "Who have you been hanging around and why is their blood on your jacket?" There were blood droplets and scents from dozens of creatures. "Ms. Morgan, you've just gotten infinitely more interesting."
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Silas put the jacket back in its place and barked out an answer into his phone, "What?"
"She's coming down the street."
"In a car?" He was already swiftly making his way out of the apartment.
"On foot."
"Good."
Silas hung up and jogged down the steps. His driver already had the car running. He slipped in the back seat and grabbed the camera that was sitting beside him. Through the viewfinder he found the woman who was quickly becoming an interesting puzzle with every speck of information he found. She had hair like a strawberry. It was pulled back into a ponytail and swung lazily as she walked. She was short; his guess was just over five foot. The messenger bag that hung from her shoulder was bigger than she was as it bounced off her hip. Charlotte was cute, but from the jacket he found he knew there was something of a badass hidden under the wide eyed freckled look.
He snapped a few photos as they drove past. She didn't glance in his direction but once they had passed, Charlotte looked over her shoulder and glared at the car. Silas caught the look with his Cannon.
"Yeah," he thought out loud, "you've got some fire in you."
Chapter Six
"No, I'm fine. It's just annoying right now but in 20 minutes I won't be able to think straight. I just want to lie down before the migraine really kicks in." Hailey didn't look at him as she took a can of Coke from the fridge.
"Anything I can do?" he asked while squeezing her shoulders and beginning to rub the tension from her neck.
Not lie to me about your ex-Mate would be nice. "Nope."
"I can come by later with some dinner and keep you company."
"Don't bother, I'll just be sleeping."
His hands paused then slowly lifted off her shoulders like she burned him. "You'll call me if you need anything?" She knew he was frowning, could hear it in his voice. Dak's caution would either work for her or against.
"Yep." She really needed to get away from him before he caught on.
"Feel better, Céile." Dak kissed the side of her head and let her go. She all but ran from the house. Hailey didn't have a migraine, but she couldn't be in the same room with him either. She was still too pissed after finding the emails and letters from Katherine. Dak knew her well and if he had gotten a look at her face he would have seen that the impending migraine was a hoax. Then he would have pried the truth from her and all would be lost.
Her conscious wanted to point out that she was mad at him for lying when she herself was doing the same.
"It's different though," she told herself as she walked along the cobblestone path to her house. There was a bitter chill that blew right through her coat. She shoved her hands into the deep pockets and picked up her pace. "I'm lying so I don't accidentally kill him in a blind rage. He lied because he's an asshole. And yes I know that makes no sense but dammit you're supposed to be on my side!"
"Everything ok over there?" At the sound of Dane's voice Hailey stopped mid-step and snapped her head up. He was on the same path about ten yards ahead of her heading toward the house she had just left.
Crap. "Yep. Just arguing with myself."
"Anything you need help with?" He eyed her suspiciously. Stupid super awesome dragon hearing probably heard everything she had just said.
"Nope. About to be incapacitated for the next 12 hours. My mind goes a little loopy in the minutes before it starts." In other words, nothing to see here, move along. "Migraine." She pointed to her head in explanation as he continued to watch her.
"I don't believe you," he stated, "but it is also not my business."
And hallelujah for that. "Darn, does this mean no interrogation?"
"I'm afraid not," he smiled. "Go on. I'm next door if you need me."
Hailey rolled her eyes. "I know." He told her that five times a day.
"Goodnight Hailey."
She saluted and passed by him on the path. Dane was a good guy but sometimes got too nosey. It was the detective in him. He wouldn't tell Dak, but even if he did, Dak knew how she got with a migraine and would chalk it up to that. She also had a track record for talking to herself. Most of the guards didn't bat an eye when she did it anymore.
Her little house sat on the far edge of Dak's property. It was a guest house turned sanctuary. She loved her house, but had been spending more and more time at the main house with Dak. It was dark when she entered but warm compared to the December chill she had just come out of. Tonight would be perfect for a f
ire. She flicked on a few lights and groaned. The place was a mess, just as she had left it. Hailey had been in the middle of wrapping presents yesterday when Dak showed up. She couldn't let him in since they were all his, so she grabbed her coat and met him outside.
"Crap." She had no desire to wrap boxes tonight but Christmas was a week away. "Nope. Not doing it," she told the half wrapped disaster on the coffee table. "Besides, I have a migraine." Or at least, she was supposed to have a migraine.
Hailey took off her coat and tossed it over the couch. The fireplace was button activated. Dak had gotten tired of being called at all hours to come light her fire with his flamethrower breath. So he installed one that, "even a monkey could do." Hailey had asked him to prove it, only because she wanted to play with a monkey.
The fire lit the room in a soft glow. Hailey changed into sweats and grabbed her book. She needed a distraction or she would be thinking about the meeting tomorrow with him and Katherine. Her only hope at not going insane that night was getting lost in someone else's life and drama.
He had visited her in her dreams or had tried to at least. There were perks to being Mates; dream walking was one of them. She had slept in a fit, constantly tossing and turning. She could feel him on the edge of the fog. Wanting to reach out to her but instead hung back cautiously. Thankfully, her migraine dreams were very much the same as pissed off anxiety dreams. So she doubted he thought any differently.
Hailey wanted his comfort but denied herself the pleasure. He had screwed up and she was in too deep to back out of her plan now. So she ignored his presence in her dream and sank deeper into angst that rolled over the landscape like fog.
In the morning she did her best to stick to routine. Roll out of bed, check phone, coffee, shower, get dressed, coffee. She had no appetite. Just the sight of her bagel was making her queasy. Two tasteless bites and it was in the trash.
Time passed slowly as it does when there is something important to be done. Her foot bounced and fingers tapped against the counter. Three of her nails had already been chewed down. She hated feeling like this, nervous and jittery. She couldn't just wait there until he left and then wait some more for him to come back. Hailey had to move.
With a mug of coffee in hand she headed to the main house. The false energy of the caffeine was probably the last thing she needed, but just holding the cup seemed to help. She looked up at the big house after locking up her own. His drapes were open letting in the dreary overcast light of the waking day. It meant he was awake, probably getting ready for his secret meeting.
Her feet couldn't move off of her front step. Hailey was still too agitated to face him. Her unsettled body and mind were already geared for battle and seeing him now would only set the spark. "I can't face him yet," she told the morning. Her foot began its tapping again. Hailey was stuck. She couldn't go back inside or she'd drive herself nuts, but she couldn't go to him in case of the homicidal part of her came out and started stabbing.
She sat. Knowing there were no other choices, she planted her butt on the step of her small porch and drank her coffee. The morning was cold, but that was just a fact of life when living in Pennsylvania during December. It would continue to get colder as the months wore on until warm was just a fantasy word.
But the peacefulness of the morning settled her some. The persistently tapping foot slowed and then stopped altogether. Without the tapping, the world seemed to fall away. The birds didn't chirp this late in the year and most of the squirrels were packed away for the winter. Hailey let the quiet into her mind. With closed eyes she breathed deep, allowing all the anxiety to calm.
Five, ten, maybe thirty minutes had passed when she heard the familiar sound of footsteps. It was Dane; she knew by the way he marched along with purpose. No matter where the man was going, he always had an air of authority with him.
"Before you ask, I'm ok. Just needed a breather." Hailey opened her eyes and smiled at the head of security and her neighbor.
"I was going to go over to the garage," he said watching her through suspicious eyes. "I forgot something in one of the cars yesterday. Care to join me?"
That was a big load of crap but Hailey agreed anyway. They walked around the big house. Dane was curiously silent as they went. Dak didn't have the fleet of cars that Silas had. He had three cars in various sizes. Her heap of metal that had only seen one week of road time had mysteriously disappeared when he moved her in. Instead she was supposed to use one of these.
The giant black Mercedes SUV was first in the lineup. This was what she called the Inspector Gadget car. It was bulletproof and equipped with every doodad and thingamajig known to man. Then came the black Mercedes sedan. This was what they drove most of the time. The last car in the garage was a silver convertible Audi.
Dak didn't believe he needed to be driving the most expensive car. He felt it set him apart from the rest of the dragons. As long as it passed his safety standards any car was acceptable. Unlike Silas who had no qualms over being seen as better than everyone else.
Dane headed toward the sedan that they had been in yesterday when they met with Antonius. Something strange hit her about the cars. They were all here. If Dak had been planning on going somewhere then one of them would be parked out front. She had a bubble of hope and latched onto it. Maybe he never planned on meeting Katherine, just agreed to go so she would stop bothering him.
"Dane?"
"Yeah?" She couldn't see him but heard him well enough.
Alright, nonchalantly now, don't want to raise suspicion. "Is Dak going anywhere today?"
The car door closed and he came around the side to meet her. "Not that I know of."
"Oh, for some reason I thought...never mind." Inside she was singing like a southern gospel choir. Halle-fucking-lujah.
"Ready?" he asked and led them out of the garage.
As they began to walk back to the main house she asked, "Find what you needed?"
"Yeah," he said with a sly smile and pulled a box of orange tic tacs from his pocket. "This was my last pack. I've been going nuts looking for it."
"Tic tacs?" She looked up at him and snorted.
"We all have our vices Miss Gummy Bear."
Hailey laughed. It felt good to smile again. "You got me there." They had reached the front door, which Dane opened for her. Hailey had learned never to open a door herself when she was around a dragon. They got fussy when she did.
"Thank you for accompanying me."
"No probs."
"Where did you come from?" came Dak's voice from behind her. She smiled and allowed herself to be wrapped in his arms. He was dressed for a day at home in jeans and a t-shirt. Usually if he was leaving the house he'd dress up in a suit.
"Just helping Dane find his missing addiction."
"Ah, he told you about the tic tacs?"
"Yep." His beard had a bit of a scruff to it. It was rough across her neck as he nuzzled her close.
"I missed you last night. Feeling any better?"
She nodded. She had missed him too. They spent the night apart because she was making up worst case scenarios in her head. Stupid, she chided herself.
"Want to make up for it by pretending to be sick and stay in bed all day?" Rising on her tip toes to get a better angle, Hailey kissed his neck then gave a little nip with her teeth.
"Mmmmm," his chest rumbled in a low growling purr. Dak slid his hands down her back and cupped her ass. "I'd love nothing more than to play doctor with you, but I have to run over to Silas's this morning. He has something I need to look at."
"What?" Hailey stiffened. "Why?" No no no no no.
"It's nothing important, I'll be back in an hour or so then we can play sick and ignore everyone all day. Why don't you head up in a while?" She had slowly and deliberately pulled herself out of his arms. He was going to meet Katherine and lied to her. Again. She had been so sure after the garage that he wasn't going. How could he go? How could he lie to her so easily and then meet with his Ex behind her back?
/>
He kissed her forehead. "Don't look so sad Céile, I'll be back soon."
He left her standing there, shocked to the bone. Dak had actually gone through with it. He was meeting Katherine.
"Where is he off too?" Dane asked coming from the kitchen, peeling a banana.
"To ruin everything,” she said softly.
Chapter Seven
She had looked crushed when he left her standing in the hallway. Dacea felt the tension in her, saw the distance that had been formed overnight. Hailey had something on her mind but he couldn't be there for her, not right now at least. He needed space from her to be able to do what was needed with Katherine. After this nuisance was resolved he would care for her. Migraine or not, he wasn't spending the night alone again.
At this rate, Katherine's path of destruction would only gain strength and speed if he didn't intercept now. In hindsight he should have done something about it earlier. In the past two days alone the amount of letters and emails had doubled. She was becoming more daring with her stalking. He was worried, if left alone, Katherine would have another audacious bout of stupidity and act on Hailey. It was the only reason he met with her now. His Mate's safety came above all else.
The Starbucks they met at was like every other one in the city, packed full with people getting their mid-morning caffeine high. Katherine sat at the center table by the wall of windows. Her face reflected thoughts of sorrow as she gazed outside. He could almost hear the dejected sigh as her lips parted. It was an act. A bullshit emotion through well practiced eyes and skilled body language. Everything Katherine did was done with precision. From the color lipstick she wore down to the drink she would order—it was laid out ahead of time. His plan of attack was simple; stay on course, don't get sidetracked, say his peace and leave.
She turned and caught him looking at her. That glower turned into a radiant smile. There was no return on his part. Dacea was here as a courtesy. Already he was annoyed and he hadn't even talked to her yet. He needed to find out what exactly Katherine wanted in order to stop the harassment, to get the hell out of there and home to Hailey.
The Hailey Holloway Complete Series Page 39