“Oh, please don’t,” Amethyst pleaded. “Really, I’m just tired, and I only plan to take one box up for now. No one needs to come at all. I have the directions I’ll be fine.”
“I’m coming,” Fallon smirked, “Brody will follow of course. I can’t stop the Sheriff, but the rest of you, just stay here.”
“This way, you won’t have to do it tomorrow,” Hayden murmured with a smile that she returned. It only lasted for a second before she frowned and shook her head. She pushed the stool back and started for the exit.
Fallon was right behind her, and before Hayden could take two steps Brody grabbed his arm. “You’ve spooked her. Back off.”
“I’m not doing a damned thing but trying to help. Simons was so pissed off about his home situation that he dragged her in, in cuffs. He didn’t even let her walk. I don’t want her to think we’re all a bunch of assholes.” Especially me.
Brody sighed. “Just don’t push her. I’m not going to stop you from helping. I know you two have something in common, but she’s not in a place where pushing will do a damned bit of good. Fallon told me part of what happened, why she moved, but she doesn’t strike me as someone who wants to share her problems.”
“I figured that out already.” Hayden sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. “Don’t worry. I’ll leave as soon as we have her boxes upstairs, in her apartment. Let’s go before Fallon and Amethyst try to do it all themselves. I know Fallon will, but something tells me Amethyst is every bit as stubborn in her own way.”
Brody chuckled. “So I’m told.”
“Any chance you’ll tell me what happened?” He asked quietly, knowing better.
“None. That’s hers to tell. Fallon doesn’t even know most of it.” He slapped Hayden on the back. “Just keep in mind that she’s been through hell in the last few weeks.”
* * * *
This time, Amethyst followed all the speed limits. She had already memorized the directions. She didn’t really want to talk, but also knew that Fallon wasn’t going to let her stay silent.
Fallon twisted in her seat, her hands knotted into fists in her lap. She practically vibrated with anger when she asked, “So what happened with Carl? Last I heard he was following you around. Then you drop that bombshell that the little bitch sent you to the council. Did you actually go through with sleeping with him to force the suggestion? If not, I’ll go down there and put a stop to it.”
Amethyst sighed, focusing on the road. “I went through with it. It was the only way. It just all went wrong.” She swallowed hard, squeezing the wheel so tight the leather groaned. “Until that day I called you a few weeks ago, he had only tried to get me to talk to him. I would ignore him, and just keep walking and he didn’t push, just said really stupid stuff.” She took a deep breath. “He was there when I got home. I kicked him out after he scared me.” She bit her lip. “I called shortly after. I was hoping I could get away without having to resort to sex and magic.”
“And when did the council come in?” Fallon’s eyes were narrowed in on her.
“Right after I hung up. It’s why I didn’t call you back. Why I haven’t talked about it.”
“What happened there? Did Jarvis…” Fallon was seething.
“Actually, Preston stepped in and stopped that from happening. He spelled the cell. The only one who could get in was Preston. He even got the Magister involved. So it wasn’t so bad.”
Fallon shook her head, but there was a touch of amusement in her expression. “He’s always been such a big brotherly type around you. It’s kind of sweet.”
“Oh my,” Amethyst gave Fallon wide eyes, “Did you just say something nice about the cocky mage?” That’s what Fallon always called him.
“I did.” Her mouth twisted in a smirk. “We’re past our issues. He’s been good to Jamie, he helped with the Dales, and he’s buddies with Brody. Plus, after protecting you, I can’t hold anything against him.”
“Good. I think you may have crushed his ego when you wouldn’t keep your fling going.”
“Whatever.” Fallon sat back and grinned. “Preston wasn’t mine. I found my mate, and I won’t trade him for anything. Besides, Preston is kind of cute with Jamie.”
“I could have told you that.”
“Wait, you knew?” Fallon demanded.
She nodded sheepishly. “Jamie was afraid you’d freak. She swore me to secrecy.”
“Jess freaked. Not me,” she grumbled, but then changed the subject. “So, you really slept with Carl after he had you locked up?”
“You guys didn’t leave me much choice. It was let you, Gabe or Preston kill him, or deal with him without violence.” A shiver travelled down her spine. “I screwed up though.” Tears blurred her vision but she blinked them back. “I didn’t want him dead, but I did something wrong.”
Fallon turned in her seat, her eyes wide in disbelief. “You killed him?”
“No,” she groaned. “He did it himself. Stabbed himself in the heart.”
“Fuck, hon. That wasn’t you at all. That was him. He was sick and wrong. You gave him plenty of opportunity to walk.” Fallon shook her head. Her mouth fell open as she stared. “Wait, you said he stabbed himself in the heart? How the hell did he manage that?”
“I don’t have a clue.” Amethyst took a deep breath. “I don’t want to think about it either. You didn’t see the look on his face he came, and then he ran out of there like I was some kind of monster. He killed himself that night.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Ame, it wasn’t you. You told him no more. I can’t see you ordering him to kill himself.” Fallon reached over to squeeze her shoulder. “You can’t carry the guilt around for his actions.”
“I know.” She just wasn’t sure she believed that. “Come on, we need to start before they get here.” She pulled into Fallon’s driveway.
“Over here, closest to the stairs.” Fallon chuckled. “We better hurry if we don’t want the guys to take over.”
Amethyst parked and hurried around to the back to grab one box, Fallon took two, and they started up the stairs. Just in time for Brody and Hayden to pull in.
With a sigh, Amethyst picked up her pace and unlocked the door. It was a nice apartment, totally livable. She had a feeling Fallon had added some decoration to the place. Little things that made Amethyst smile, like cute vases with hand cut flowers, and scenic paintings. Fallon told her it was pretty void of that kind of stuff when she originally moved in. Fallon wasn’t the type to care about her surroundings.
Amethyst sat her box in the corner of the living room and hurried back down to gather more.
Hayden had three boxes stacked, same with Brody. At least she managed to hold back her comment about showing off. She even gave them a slight smile on her way to grab another load.
They were done in just a few minutes and she insisted on carrying the last box herself. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.”
A warm smile graced Brody’s handsome face. “No problem, Amethyst. Here, you can have the last spot in the garage. Fallon and I keep our bikes in the same slot.” He glanced over at Fallon with a sweet little grin before handing Amethyst the garage door opener and an extra key.
“Thanks, I’ll move my Jeep tomorrow. Right now, I’m beat. I just want to sleep.” She yawned for effect, but she wasn’t ready to go to bed yet. She just needed a little alone time.
Brody gave her a quick friendly hug. “It was nice to finally meet you.”
“Thank you, and the same goes for you.” He kind of reminded her of a big teddy bear. Big, broad, but gentle, with that sweet smile he always wore. He really did make Fallon happy, which made her like him even more. It was no wonder they were getting married so soon after meeting. Then again, werewolves mate hard and for life.
Fallon hugged her too. “Good night, hon. Come down tomorrow around eight, and we’ll have breakfast ready.”
“All right.” They left her alone with Hayden, and she nearly jumped when the door shut. She squeez
ed her eyes shut for a second before turning to look up, way up, at Hayden. “Uh, I appreciate the help.”
“No problem. Don’t look so nervous. I just want to get to know you.” Her heart nearly stopped at that statement, but his eyes slid shut and he shook his head before adding, “As a friend. There aren’t many fae out here. It’s nice to know there is one right next door. It gets lonely.” He did look a little sad, but hearing that he wanted to be her friend was a blow to her ego.
Amethyst reminded herself that he wasn’t on her menu. He was a big powerful man and she knew he was used to getting his way. She didn’t want a man to take over, and she had a feeling he would.
“Sorry. It’s just that after everything… I don’t know what to think anymore.” Mostly about her own libido flaring to life just days after she mindraped her ex into leaving her alone, and then finding out he killed himself. She fought back the hysterical laugh. “You seem like a nice guy. It just takes some time for me to warm up.” Warmth flooded her face and she sputtered. “Not that way. Just, give me a little while to get used to you.”
“I can do that. Go get some sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” The corners of his mouth lifted, and heat infused his gaze as he backed toward the door with a little wave that made her heart flutter.
Then she realized he’d said tomorrow, and her mind started racing. “What? Why?”
“Brody invited me to breakfast. He’s a good cook. Trust me, you won’t have any complaints.”
“Oh.” She deflated a little. “Okay. Goodnight.” He stepped out and she locked the door behind him. She forced herself to turn around and go to work on putting things away.
* * * *
Everything in Hayden urged him to turn around and claim Amethyst. He wanted to chase, wanted to catch, needed to make her his.
First, he needed her to trust him, and she didn’t, not yet. Every time she was close, he wanted to reach out and touch her, pull her to him, and breathe in her savory sweet scent.
As he took the stairs two at a time, he told himself that it was just the fact that she reminded him of home. A home she had never visited, but she was so perfectly fae, even if she didn’t seem comfortable with that part of herself.
That little nymph was the first woman he craved in so long. He had almost forgotten what desire was. There was a time, years ago, when he enjoyed the chase. It was never anything more than that though. The women never kept his interest. Somewhere along the way, he stopped wanting to play games where everyone lost.
So, why now? Why did he want to chase, and capture this little nymph’s heart? It wasn’t just desire. He wanted to protect her, needed to. He wanted to drive the fear out of her beautiful lavender eyes. He needed to find a way gain her trust, so she didn’t distance herself. Then he would learn her secrets, like why she seemed to fear what she was and what she could do.
He really was tempted to call her brother and ask him, but he wouldn’t do that. This was a challenge he was going to see through himself. For now, he would give Amethyst her space, and build her trust. He was a hunter, he was patient, and he had a feeling that Amethyst was worth the wait. Besides, an old friend always told him that a slow seduction was always worth the wait.
Chapter 3
Preston’s stomach heaved as his feet hit the pavement. Robert had translocated them to the front steps of the hospital. At least he had the decency to give Preston a few minutes to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth.
“You okay?” Robert asked as he rubbed his eyes.
It was barely six in the morning when Preston got the call from Jarvis, telling him to go investigate the damned morgue because Carl’s corpse got up and walked away. Carl was the piece of shit warlock who nearly put sweet, innocent Amethyst in that sick fuck Jarvis’ hands. The urge to punch something ran deep but he bit back the snarl and narrowed his eyes.
“Fine,” Preston grumbled. “I want to find out what in the hell is going on.”
“What did Jarvis say?”
“That Carl’s body is gone. That his corpse got up and left. It’s on the damned camera, but I don’t understand how that is even possible, or why the bastard waited three days to tell me.” Preston shoved the door open and headed for the elevator to take him down to the morgue.
Robert grabbed Preston’s arm to pull him to a stop. “Wait. The body is gone? Video caught it?” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “That’s not even possible.”
“No shit. Now let’s go.” Preston jerked his arm away and decided to take the stairs to blow off some steam. Amethyst didn’t deserve any of this mess. He had a really bad feeling about whatever was coming. It was deep in his gut, and he’d had it ever since he first saw Carl’s corpse.
Robert hurried after him. “Okay, I understand that this is bad news, but why the rush?”
Preston shoved his hands through his hair. “I’m worried. I felt something at Carl’s place, but it was just out of reach, and something I couldn’t put my finger on. I thought the fact that he stabbed himself through the heart was wrong, but there was no struggle, nothing. So, what if I missed something?”
He pushed through the doors, and before he could open his mouth to talk to the technician, Robert put the tech to sleep with a simple touch and started for the door.
“Well, that’s easier,” Preston grumbled.
Robert lifted his shoulder in a shrug. “I thought we were in a hurry. This is your case, though. What do you want from me?”
“Find the footage and get a copy. I know you can work your magic. I’ll go look for any clues.”
He stepped into the unnaturally cold room. The air grew denser, and something dark pressed in on him. It was the residual of something he had never felt.
“What the fuck?” he whispered as he went to the drawer Carl was supposed to be in. He took a deep breath and yanked it open. The body was certainly gone, but there were smudges of a dark substance on the sheet and slab.
Without thinking, he reached out to touch, but just the feel of the energy was enough for him to jerk his hand back before he came into contact with it. He fumbled with a vial and managed to scoop some into it and cap the container. The primordial presence vibrated its way up his arm and down his spine, leaving his teeth chattering as he rushed out of the room.
He ran straight into Robert who caught him by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”
Shaking his head, he held up the vial.
“What is that?”
“Don’t know,” Preston admitted. “Something bad, really fucking bad.”
“What’s your next move?” Robert asked, obviously not bailing. Not like Mr. Buzzkill had anywhere better to be.
“We visit Carl’s place. Then maybe visit the archives.”
* * * *
It was 8:30. Where in the Abyss was she? Hayden sat in the kitchen with Brody and Fallon. “Is Amethyst all right?” he finally asked as he scraped the chair back and stood to pace.
Amusement danced in Fallon’s green eyes as she swept her red hair up and twisted it into a knot. “She is. She was up late, unpacking. Probably couldn’t sleep. She’s sort of nervous if you haven’t noticed.” She gave him a knowing look. “Before you charge up there like a moron, what is it you want from her?”
His voice rumbled with his agitation. “What do you mean?”
“You’re obviously interested. I’ll tell you now she won’t deal well if you push. She’s dealing with enough. And just a warning, if you hurt her, I will twist your balls off and force feed them to you.”
Hayden knew she would. The woman wasn’t one to mess with, and after seeing a little of what she could do, he didn’t want to piss her off.
Brody closed his eyes, and shook his head with a chuckle. “What Fallon is trying to say, is that you should be careful with Amethyst and her heart. You might want to let Fallon go up there to check on her. About the only person Amethyst seems to trust is Fallon. She even seemed a bit nervous around Jess and Jamie.”
Fall
on rolled her eyes. “That has nothing to do with her comfort around them, and everything to do with the fact that she knows that too long around either of them and they are going to be asking her questions she doesn’t want to answer, or going prophet on her which she hates even worse than I do.” Fallon fixed Hayden with a look that made him sit back down. “I’m going to get her. Brody has a point; you’ll just spook her if you go up there. Whatever you did last night already did that, at the police station, before you got to the bar.” She didn’t wait, she turned on her heel and left.
The door slammed shut and Hayden looked to Brody, and tried to explain. “Yes, I’m curious about Amethyst. I am going to get answers out of her, eventually. I have to know what hurt her so bad that she’s so afraid. I swear, I only healed the burns from the cuffs, and the bruise Simons put on her arm.”
Brody stilled, but his eyes snapped up to meet Hayden’s gaze with silent fury. “What did Simons do, and how the hell did the cuffs burn her?”
“You could say she’s allergic to most anything with iron content. It’s the same way you all are allergic to silver. Simons held her arm too tightly. She says he didn’t do anything horrible to her, but he did drag her from the car into the station and forced her into the seat. She wasn’t fighting either. Probably trying not to cause trouble or stir up any suspicion.” Hayden sighed. “I just tried to make her feel welcome, and show her that we aren’t all assholes.”
Brody harrumphed. “I didn’t suspect you of any foul play, Hayden. I’ve never seen you disrespect anyone who didn’t deserve it.” Brody sighed as he fixed everyone a plate. “All I know is that her ex, who didn’t beat her or anything, did try to blackmail her into staying with him. Apparently he involved the Council. Preston proved her innocence and got them to release her. I just don’t trust the asshole that put her in their hands to begin with.”
That lit a spark of fury. Someone handed her to the Council? “I wouldn’t either. The council doesn’t like anyone who isn’t a mage. Her hair and eyes alone would raise suspicion. I don’t think that girl would do anything to hurt anyone. Not without a good reason.”
Shadows of the Past Page 5