Kincaid led us to a large room with wide windows on both sides. We had views of the outside street and the lobby. She closed the door with a thump, her attempt to slam it, I suspected.
“My office is too small, and this way we can see if anything is coming toward us.” She was tense as she paced the room, her dislike at having to wait obvious. We needed Sinclair to come to us, so we could move forward with finding Quinn. We all felt like time was running out.
I moved toward Kincaid to comfort her, but wound up tripping over Kai.
“Hey, watch it.”
“Kinda hard to do when I can’t see you,” I groaned, rubbing my shin where it had hit the chair when I’d caught myself. She drifted over to me and reached for my hand. Heat flared, as our hands met, but with it came an immediate calm. When we touched, it felt like we could conquer the world.
The door opening drew our attention, and I felt her hand slide from mine as her ex-fiancé walked in with a tray. Amusement at his task warred with irritation at him. He’d disappeared last night, and yeah, getting dumped sucked, but I was suspicious of him. He’d been with Kincaid for years, and he had to know what she was capable of. For him to just walk away after her calling it off was odd. I never doubted my instincts, and they were telling me to watch him.
“Mr. Marshall, it’s good to see you, sir.” He attempted to be upbeat, but we could all see the lingering effects of his hangover. Maybe he had found a bar to drown his sorrows in, after he’d disappeared from the apartment.
“Guinea.” He spoke her name quietly as he set the tray down on the table and met her eyes.
“Scott, glad you’re okay.” The words were stilted as she shifted uncomfortably. I guess when you worked with the guy you broke things off with, it could be a bit awkward. I kept my place next to Kincaid. I could admit I was jealous of Scott. He’d been there for her when I hadn’t been. He’d proposed, and she’d accepted, even if she’d never actually intended to marry him. I knew what they’d had was nothing compared to our bond, but I didn’t have to like her seeing him.
His gaze flickered to me, and I watched his eyes narrow. He suspected something was between us, and the less he knew the better, in my opinion.
“Thank you, Scott, for the coffee. You may go.” Evan’s command pulled him from our staring match, but I caught the considering look he gave me. Something about him didn’t sit right. He didn’t act heartbroken in the least. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to crawl out of bed if Kincaid left me, and this guy was more concerned about making a good impression with Evan.
“Sinclair.” I heard her breathe the name, and then she was racing past me. I followed her; concerned their reunion would not go as planned. Kai must have felt the same, because I tripped over him again as we both tried to squeeze through the door.
“Dude, seriously are you trying to trip me?” I grumbled, stumbling my way through the door. Evan was right behind me, and even Scott trailed along. I couldn’t take my eyes off Kincaid, as she slowed to a walk, as she approached her sister. Those eyes were unmistakable. If I’d never known anything else about either of them, I’d know they belonged to one another with those blue eyes. The room seemed to hold its breath as they whispered each other’s names, and tears spilled down their cheeks as they threw their arms around each other. A charge went through the room as they embraced for the first time. We all felt the jolt as their magic reconnected. The power they could wield together boggled my mind. The stories I’d heard over the years were all true. The trinity possessed magic far outside of anything I’d ever known, and I was bound to one of them, heart and soul.
“Milo?” Her voice was tiny as she whispered my name disbelievingly. I turned, finally noticing the group of people that had accompanied Sinclair and shock held me in place at the sight of her.
“Portia.”
“Milo!” She ran to me, and I automatically opened my arms as she jumped me in excitement. She squeezed my neck, a small hiccup in my ear told me tears were imminent, and I patted her back. “Portia.” Disbelief had me tightening my grip, and as she whispered, “I missed you, Milo,” I saw him, standing next to a tall black man wearing lime green pants and a neon pink shirt. The sight was painful for multiple reasons, but my instinctive protectiveness for Kincaid had me moving closer.
“Dad.”
Chapter Eleven
Kincaid
The word was barely a whisper, but I heard it. I loosened the tight grip I had on my sister and swung around. Milo had a woman wrapped around him, and if I hadn’t already recognized her from the flashes of his past, I would have been insanely jealous. She was adorable, and there was no mistaking their connection. But it was the other word that had me ready to fight.
“Where?”
Milo glanced at me in surprise as he pointed to a thin man standing next to an obviously color blind black man. I ignored the shocking color combination of his friend, and marched over to the father of my mate. He didn’t resemble Milo at all, which made it really easy for me to slam my fist in his face.
His head snapped back, and I heard a satisfying crunch when his nose broke.
“Ooooh, damn girl. I thought your sister was something, but you’re something else.” The black dude next to me held up his hand for a high five, so I gave him one. “You’re not going to hit me now, are you?” He stepped back gingerly, eyeing me, and I gave him a quick once-over.
“You trying to kill me?”
“Oh, no. I know better.” He pointed to Sinclair. “I’ve been hanging around her for a few years. I wouldn’t mess with a Davis girl.”
“No worries then.” I held my hand out to him. “Kincaid.”
“Garvin. Like Marvin Gaye.”
“Marvin?”
“Garvin. G.A.R.V.I.N. Garvin.”
“Got it.” I nodded sharply, releasing his hand. He might be the worst dressed man I’d ever seen in my life, but he was cool. I knew that instantly. The man next to him holding his gushing nose, however, was not on my list of friendlies.
“She punched Dad in the nose.” The woman clinging to my boyfriend … mate ... protector … whatever the hell he was, gave me an awed look.
“Never a dull moment around you.” The man who said it had his hand on Sinclair’s back, and I realized she had found her protector too. He noticed my scrutiny and held out his hand. I grasped it, feeling the familiar tingle of kinship as I did.
“Luke. I’m with her.” He jerked his head to Sinclair, and she gave him a soft smile.
Sinclair said to me, “His sister is the one who led us to you. She recognized you from your sorority.” My eyebrows arched at her explanation, but she stared at me with so much pride, I couldn’t say anything. “I was so happy to find out you graduated from college. You’ve done well.”
“Thank you.” My own response was quiet, as I felt her joy and pride in me. She took my hand, and with a quick brush of her fingers over mine, healed the split on my knuckles.
“Perhaps, we should move this to a more private area.” Evan had hovered in the background as we greeted one another, but I could feel his anxiousness to meet his other granddaughter. Milo’s hand brushed mine, and our fingers curled together. He kept his sister, Portia, tucked under his other arm as we walked back to the conference room. He hadn’t spared a glance for his father since I punched him, and a quick peek up at him revealed a proud smile on his face. I didn’t know why his dad was with my sister, but I didn’t regret breaking his nose. He deserved it for the childhood he’d subjected Milo too.
When we opened the door to the conference room, we could hear barking. There was a beautiful black cat lounging on the conference room table, and my invisible wolf was insanely barking at it.
“Where did the cat come from?”
“What is barking?”
“Serafin!”
“Kai! Shut up!”
I groaned at Kai’s insistence on barking at the cat. You’d think he’d be past that behavior, since he was a guardian, but no. He barked at ca
ts, and this cat didn’t seem concerned at all. I noticed Sinclair had called her Serafin, so she must be her familiar. I released the cloaking spell on Kai, just as Garvin walked past him.
“Holy Jesus! There’s a hellhound in here.” He made the sign of the cross madly, his back pressed to the wall as he stared at my wolf with terrorized eyes.
“It’s okay, it’s just Kai.” I thumped Kai on the head to make him settle down.
“Do you see the cat? How can I not bark? She’s staring at me with those evil cat eyes,” Kai said, before growling at the cat again. I rolled my eyes.
“The cat is not evil. She’s probably as smart as you.”
“Bite your tongue, woman. You’ll encourage it.” Kai kept his eyes locked on the relaxed cat, and I noticed Garvin inching down the wall. He shook his head as he muttered, “Surrounded by crazies.”
Sinclair grinned at me, and I felt a laugh bubble up. Crazy was an accurate enough explanation for us. My gaze flickered over the people in the room. I felt overwhelmed at the realization that these people were here for me and Sinclair. I’d spent years determined to find my sister, believing she was the only person in the world who cared about me. The people in this room proved me wrong. We’d created our own families it seemed, a tribe of crazies who fought for one another. I still couldn’t figure out how my sister had joined forces with Milo’s dad, but here he was, and observing Portia with Milo, I was grateful they were. He’d missed his family; the flashes I’d seen of his past when we kissed had made it clear to me. Even when he hadn’t agreed with them, he’d stuck by them, and he’d never given up the hope that he would take his sister from the life they’d lived. I knew now he’d sacrificed a lot to keep me safe and protected.
Perhaps, I should have been creeped out that he’d watched me from afar the last couple years, but the knowledge that I would have done the same wouldn’t leave me. We were kindred spirts, in fact, everyone in the room was. I’d never seen a true coven, but as I scanned the room, I knew I was in the midst of one.
“Perhaps we should introduce ourselves. Have a seat.” Evan was our voice of reason, and an elder, so we all found a seat at the table. “I’m Evan Marshall Davis.” There were a couple gasps, and Garvin wagged a finger at him.
“Let me guess. You’re their granddaddy.” He shot a look toward Sinclair as her wide eyes took in the sight of her grandfather. “Girl, I’m telling you right now, this has movie written all over it. Your family is a damn soap opera. You better make sure they cast someone good to play me. I’m just saying.” A toss of his head and he sat back, a small moue on his lips.
Evan smiled faintly. “You would be correct, young man. I am their grandfather. Mitchell Davis is my son.”
“You’re not evil,” Sinclair declared abruptly. She gave a sideways glance to Luke and whispered, “No shadows.”
The words triggered a memory inside of me. Fear trickled through me as her words reminded me of our father, and seeing who he truly was the first time.
Sinclair had warned Mommy that he was surrounded by shadows, which snaked around him and made her scared. The harsh scent of sulfur always announced his presence to me, the smell triggering a choking fear inside me. He was the first person in my life who was evil. I’d come across others over the years, the men who’d kidnapped Evan the most recent, but I’d forgotten the memory of our father, or perhaps I’d just driven it deep down, so it couldn’t hurt me.
“No, I’ve made mistakes, but I’d like to believe nothing I’ve done has been evil.” The weariness he carried was apparent at his admission. The actions of the son weighed on the father, as well as the child.
“I’m Luke. I’m with Sin. I’m a police detective that pulled her over for speeding and found the love of my life.” He smiled, clearly smitten and open-minded, since he was surrounded by the supernatural.
“You’re her protector, but you have no magic.” I propped my head on my hand, studying him. I’d felt a sense of kinship to him, and according to my story, protectors’ magic complemented ours, but he wasn’t magical.
“Protector? Is that part of the prophecy? I knew the moment we touched, we were meant to be together, but you sound like it’s something more.” Sinclair’s questions buzzed around in my head, and I realized she didn’t know what I knew, none of them did.
“Perhaps you should tell them the story of the three sisters. And they can tell us what they know.”
“I know what Portia told us. I’m afraid I’ve spent most of my life in the dark about all of this.” Sinclair’s admission was rueful, and she strummed her fingers on the table, until Luke captured them. “I’m Sinclair Davis, by the way. I was abandoned at six, grew up in foster care until twelve. My power came in then, and I ran away, spending the next few years surviving on the streets. At least, until I met Garvin.” She nodded at him, and he picked up.
“I’m Garvin, like Marvin Gaye.” I shook my head, still confused by that, but a warning look from Luke kept my mouth shut. Apparently, I didn’t want to know. “Roe saved me from some hoodlums years ago, and we’ve been besties ever since. She’ll tell you, BESTIES.” He stressed the word, and ‘Roe’ flipped him the bird.
“Yes, besties. Will you freaking let that go already?” Her grumble was put upon at best, the affection they had for one another obvious. “The cat on the table is Serafin. She showed up along with my magic, and she’s been with me ever since. She has her own method of travel.” The magically appearing cat blinked huge green eyes at us and resumed grooming.
“I’m Portia. I grew up hunting you with my dad and brother. But I didn’t agree and tried to warn Sinclair … Roe … Sin … the woman of many names. I really want to see the prophecy come true. The good part … the light, not the dark.” Her nervousness was apparent, as she admitted she used to be against us, but I could see the strength underneath the nerves. It took guts to stand up against your family and warn the ‘enemy’.
“I’b …” The man I’d punched attempted to introduce himself, but his broken nose made it difficult. Sinclair gave me a questioning look as she gestured toward him. “Do you mind if I …?”
“I’ll do it.” I walked over to him and watched him shift away from me. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I told him, exasperated. “I broke it, I’ll fix it.” He stopped moving then, trusting me, and I felt a grudging respect. He wasn’t a coward. He might have some stupid ideas where my family was concerned, but he wasn’t a coward. A moment later, the bleeding stopped, and his nose was straight.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But let’s be clear. You go after my family again, and the only thing that’ll fix you is a body bag.”
He nodded warily as I sat back down next to Milo. He spared a small smile for his son before introducing himself.
“I’m Patrick Sullivan. I’ve spent years attempting to find the Davis girls and evidence of their father’s crimes. I’ve studied everything I could about the prophecy and made some erroneous assumptions along the way. I accidentally shot Luke, but Sinclair was able to save him and myself. I owe my life to her and to this family. I only want to protect it the same way it’s protected me.”
Tension radiated from the man next to me at his father’s words. A quick glance showed clenched fists and a tight jaw. I curled my hand around his fist, and felt it loosen. He let out a breath and attempted to relax. His father had been his enemy these last few years. He’d had a constant fear that he would have to kill his father, to keep me safe, a knowledge I’d gleaned from our kiss. To hear his father openly support my family, our family, was a relief to both of us.
“I’m Milo Winchester.” Patrick’s eyes shot to his in surprise, and Milo explained. “I took my mother’s name when I left.” He held his father’s eyes. “I didn’t want to remind people of what I’d represented for so long. A man that hunted children for their father’s dirty deeds.” A look of shame crossed his father’s face, giving Milo pause. “I understand. I do. I always did, but I couldn’t do
it anymore. We shouldn’t have lived that life.”
“You’re right.” Patrick cleared his throat. “Milo, I made mistakes, and I can only hope you’ll forgive me; that I haven’t screwed up so badly it’s irreparable.”
“There’s nothing between us that can’t be fixed.” Patrick’s eyes glistened at his words, and I squeezed the hand I held. “I’m with Kincaid. Her protector, her mate, her match.” He finished the introduction, claiming me in front of everyone like a Neanderthal.
“For any of you who haven’t figured it out, I’m Kincaid. The middle sister. The seer. I was adopted by witches when I was eight. They taught me what they could, until they died when I was sixteen by someone attempting to take me. I survived on my own, until a few months ago, when these guys showed up in my life, reminding me of the prophecy and that you were coming.” My gaze skimmed over Evan and Milo before landing on Sinclair. “Now, we need to find Quinn.”
The Trinity Sisters Page 27