“Mitch,” I called, then spun to find him standing behind me.
“You love it, don’t you?” Sadness slowed his words.
The pain in his eyes tore at my heart. I immediately understood, because although the condo had two bedrooms, it wasn’t big enough for both of us. Not to live full time. “Yeah, I do. You can visit while we decide what to do. The thing is, I want to live alone for a while. We’ll work on it, Mitch. I promise to try and find a way for us to heal, but we need a new place. One that doesn’t hold any memories, isn’t in someone else’s house, and doesn’t come equipped with listening devices. Could you give me a minute? I want to explore and touch things—just to be sure this is right place.”
He ruffled my hair, his dimple flashing for a second, and then he headed for the kitchen and tucked his arm through the realtor’s. “How about I walk you to the office while we can discuss which home inspectors you’d recommend.”
When he turned to wink at me, I mouthed a thank you then turned to face my new home, inhaling the fragrances of belonging and infinite possibilities. It was time to become acquainted with the walls. Since I was most comfortable in the great room, I started there, running my hands over the surface closest to the sliding doors. A tremor of delight ran up my arm. Happy people had lived here. I skipped into the bedroom, literally skipped.
It was small, but not cramped. When I touched the wall, peace settled into my chest and I released a sigh from deep in my heart. It was all good, except why wasn’t I getting any images or voices?
I made my way upstairs to the loft and trailed my fingertips over the railing. Grandfather! This time it was an image, a detailed and clear picture of Kahuna Aukele leaning over the railing, looking down into the great room. How could he possibly have been here? Stupid question. He seemed to have a way of floating through walls and showing up in the most unexpected places. I should be getting used to it, but the why and how of it nagged at me.
I ran downstairs, and slapped my hand against the kitchen wall. Words flared in my mind. Aukele had to meet with me. Millie had created a vial of the antidote for my mother’s poison, and I’d need it. Desperately. Images of Maddie sick, unable to breathe—my healing gift by itself not strong enough to heal her—flooded my brain.
The barrage of words stopped and I jerked my hand away from the wall, desperation squeezing the breath from my lungs. How was I going to get that antidote? My legs quivered so badly, I had to lean against the counter to support myself.
Find Aukele. Now, Everly.
Okay. I could do this. Grandfather was here, and had left a clear message for me. I’d deal with the weirdness of how he did it after I got my hands on that vial of medicine for Maddie. I couldn’t let anything happen to Annie’s daughter, not ever. I’d met her while she was still an embryo. It was one of the most profound moments of my life, working to rid Annie of the poison threatening her survival, and discovering the first signs of a new life tucked safely in her womb. Madigan and I had a connection that couldn’t be broken, and I would protect her until my dying breath.
I turned, heading toward the patio.
I’d been so wrong.
There was no reason to search for Kahuna Aukele. He waited for me outside, his living, breathing presence standing on the patio.
It was his way to surprise the hell out of me, throw me a bucketful of curve balls, and then stand back and see how I handled the shock. Could this be part of my Huna training? Surely he wouldn’t use Maddie’s life as a training exercise.
I brought my hands to my abdomen, and breathed into the hara, the site of my soul power. I would need every ounce of strength I had to face whatever message my grandfather had come to deliver.
When I stepped onto the patio, he greeted me with a gentle smile and open arms. I leaned into his hug, absorbing the power and peacefulness of his energy. How could he be so calm when Maddie’s life might be at stake? How would I tell Annie?
Panic burned in my gut. I’d fix this. Had to fix it before Annie found out her daughter could be in danger.
I backed away from my grandfather, looking into his eyes. “How do I prevent this?”
His response was clear, and devastating. “You cannot prevent it, but you will be given an opportunity to assist in young Madigan’s choice whether to stay among us, or to pass on to another form of energy.”
My mind screamed No! Grandfather paled. He must have tapped into my thoughts and somehow been trampled with my internal scream, but I couldn’t stop it. Every cell in my body was in full rebellion at the injustice of being put in such a terrifying position.
Grandfather took my hand in both of his, and pressed a small vial into my palm. “As I showed in the messages I left inside, this is a gift from Millie. It will help Madigan, but the healing must pass from your heart to hers. There is no other way. And Granddaughter, you must understand and accept that healing is not always defined by life as we know it. Healing can come through death as well.”
TWENTY-SIX
Mitch and the real estate agent were coming down the path toward us. It took every ounce of courage and determination I had to wipe the emotion from my face and shower them with an I-just-bought-a-house smile, and—most important—I tucked the vial of antidote into my bra. I’d know exactly where it was at all times, and no one would notice it and ask questions. Considering my lack of a sex life, it should be safer than a chastity belt without a key.
When I turned to introduce the realtor to Kahuna Aukele, I faced empty space. He’d disappeared again. It didn’t faze me. Holy Mamma Mia, was I ready to accept that humans could fade through walls and disappear into nothingness? I shook my head, grasping for some semblance of lucid reasoning.
Mitch rested his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. His touch soothed my scattered thoughts enough that I managed to string some words together. “I’ve been having so much fun roaming around the new house.” It was the best I could think of with visions of Maddie sick, possibly fatally, hovering on my internal monitor.
“Closing is set for two weeks from today,” the realtor said, handing me a sheet of paper. “This is a list of our local property attorneys. I suggest you meet with a few before you decide who you’d like to work with. We sell quite a few condos, so they’re all familiar with our contract and how we do business. You shouldn’t have a problem retaining someone to represent you.”
She had a way with words, making it easy for me to nod, and pretend like my world hadn’t erupted into a pile of crazy, unbelievable rubble.
Except I’d apparently failed, because her smile wobbled, then faltered. “If you’re finished inside, I’ll just lock up and we can be on our way.”
A response. I had to say something. “Everly?” Mitch’s breath was warm, close against my ear. I startled. “Sorry, I must have been caught in visions of decorating and hiring an exterminator.”
I jammed my hand in my pocket, yanked my cell out, and stopped just before I hit speed dial for Annie. What had just come out of my mouth?
The real estate agent blinked, eyes wide, but recuperated quickly and edged toward the parking lot. “The resort has an excellent service. As I’m sure you know, everyone living in the islands has an insect control service on retainer. The business office here would be happy to give you whatever maintenance information you might require to get settled in.” She grinned at us. “And you are such an adorable couple. You’re going to love living here at Turtle Bay.”
I nodded, hustling to keep up with her. A true saleswoman, she’d glossed over my peculiar segue between decorating and bugs with both ease and charm. Thank goodness she didn’t realize her observations about Mitch and me had slashed a deeper groove in my already-gaping wound.
And she’d been astute enough to overlook my unnatural grip on the phone. Mitch wasn’t ignoring it, however. His hand rested at the small of my back, protective, and his forehead had creased into a half dozen worry lines.
“Thanks. I’m ready to go.” I glanced at Mitch. “We can sta
rt making plans as soon as we get to Annie’s.” I was desperate to check on Madigan. Hold her. Cuddle her. I hadn’t done anywhere near enough of that this trip.
Crazy, unrelated thoughts wouldn’t stop careening around in my mind.
When we got to her car, the realtor held the passenger door open for me. I motioned Mitch inside. “I’m going to take the back because I’d like to make a phone call. Sorry, I know it’s rude, but I can’t wait to tell my friends about the house.” Another blatant lie. If I didn’t hear Annie’s voice within seconds, and know without a doubt that Maddie was okay, I’d pop a blood vessel, or maybe just go straight for a full-out stroke.
Annie answered before the first ring. “What the hell is the matter with you? You’ve been blathering since you told that woman you wanted to buy the condo.”
Oh, sweet Pele, I’d forgotten my phone was bugged and Annie had heard everything.
She was still talking. “Sounds very nice. We can make a trip over—”
“I just signed a contract, Annie,” I said, hurrying to stop her in mid-sentence. “I’m trying to act normal, but it’s so exciting. In a few weeks, I’ll be an official Hawaiian resident.”
Had she heard Grandfather talking to me? No. She couldn’t have or she’d be hysterical. Apparently, his voice was as elusive as his physical body. My phone had been buried in my pocket, and there’d been a strong breeze outside. Sometimes that interfered with reception.
Stop babbling and ask about Maddie, Everly.
“How’s my favorite surrogate niece?”
“She’s fine.”
Silence.
I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs for the first time since Aukele’s pronouncement. “Good. I was just thinking how great it will be to have her visit me. We can have sleepovers when you and Sean want a date night.”
Let me save her life. Please, please let me save her life.
I rang off, and contemplated how much, if anything, I should share with the home team about Aukele’s visit. Would it do anyone any good to know that my shaman grandfather had predicted Maddie would fall ill with the poison? There was no way to stop it if she’d been born with the toxin in her cells. And if it had been there for almost a year, what was the trigger that would activate it? I desperately needed to talk to my grandfather again, but there was no way to find him. Opening to heavenly suggestions, I rolled my eyes up, contemplated the roof of the car, and desperately prayed for Divine inspiration.
No celestial voices penetrated my confused thoughts. I was on my own with this one, and of course it was one of those horrible life conundrums when revealing information would devastate the recipient of the news. But keeping it inside was guaranteed to detonate my internal organs.
I was first out of the car when the realtor parked at her office, did the best I could to make appropriate parting comments, and then ran for Mitch’s truck. “Ready to go?” I asked, hurling myself into the passenger seat.
“Un-huh.” Mitch started the engine then merged onto the two-lane highway. He wouldn’t ask any questions since the truck was bugged, but his frown told me we were in for a major discussion as soon as we got back to Annie’s.
“Too much excitement, I think. With the new condo and all, you know?” My heart pounded in a stuttering gallop. I had to touch Maddie. Now.
Mitch glanced in the rearview mirror. His frown deepened. “Don’t like the looks of that truck behind us.”
I stopped myself from turning around, and caught a glimpse in the side mirror of a newish, low-slung car, weathered from ocean spray and sand. There was an eagle decal on the hood. Two guys occupied the front seat, and there were possibly four in the back. Hard to count with the sun bouncing off the windshield. I ground my teeth to stop panic from spreading through my veins. “How long have they been following us?”
“About five minutes. They’ve been holding back, keeping a few vehicles between us. Could be nothing.” The bite in his words told me different.
I slipped my hand into the top pocket of my cargo pants and touched the metal surface of the .9mm. “Good thing I wore my cargos today.”
His gaze skimmed my ankle, and I nodded. I’d strapped both knives on at the last minute. Not that I’d been expecting trouble, but having Mitch’s truck bugged with both video and audio had put my nerves on high alert.
I shuddered. Violence had become part of my life.
“You cold?” Mitch asked. “You’re wearing that long-sleeved shirt and it’s hotter ’n blazes, but I can cut the air.”
“No. I’m comfortable.” It was such a lie. The vial of antidote weighed heavy against my breast. “I wanted to protect the bandage, you know, from when I cut myself this morning.” I smiled for the hidden camera.
So did Mitch. “Got to watch the sharp edges on those shower doors.”
I nodded. Talk about stilted conversations. My palms were sweaty, and I wanted to rub them on my cargos in the worst way, but figured it might make Chad the Demon suspicious.
“Maybe we should stop for a soda when we get to Haleiwa,” Mitch said, his gaze darting between the road ahead and the car following us.
“Okay. Yeah, we can do that.” My mind screamed at the delay, but no way could I tell him about Aukele’s visit, not with an indeterminate number of rogue spy types listening in, one of them Maddie’s mother.
Mitch blew out a sigh as we hit a deserted patch of highway. “They turned off. Don’t know why it freaked me.”
I started to breathe, stopped mid-inhale.
It happened so fast that my brain processed it in slow motion.
A red truck sped up next to us and nudged the driver’s side, herding us onto an adjacent dirt road. Mitch battled the steering wheel, speeding up, slowing down, trying to shake it off.
“Damn it all to hell, that’s Burr,” I yelled, palming my weapon and flicking off the safety.
“Get down. Stay in the car no matter what happens.” The precision in Mitch’s voice sent a frisson of terror cascading down my back.
Burr picked up speed, rammed Mitch’s truck, and knocked us off the dirt road into a ditch. Pain shot through my right shoulder where the seatbelt cut in, but it wasn’t a hard enough jolt to deploy the airbag. The weapon firmly in my right hand, I dug in my left cargo pocket for my cell. “Annie? Are you getting this? Burr ran us off the road, and, oh shit, he’s out of his truck and pointing a gun at Mitch!”
I aimed my .9mm at Burr, but he’d ducked behind the front end of his truck and I couldn’t get a clear shot.
Burr leaned out, fired. The windshield shattered.
Then he shifted position, sidling toward a mound of rocks. I fired. Missed, and he took off at a run, skidding behind a huge boulder about twenty feet to our left.
My ears vibrated, ringing with the echo of the reports. I’d forgotten what it sounded like without ear protection.
Mitch’s mouth was moving, and a trickle of blood dripped from his ear. “He hit you.” I couldn’t hear my shriek through the ear-ringing.
I leaned toward him, wiping the blood off his face.
“I’m okay.” He brushed me away, prying the .9mm from my hand, checking it. “Glove box. My gun,” he shouted.
And then he ducked, hauling me with him.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Mitch pushed my head into his thigh, leaning over me, protecting me. Chad The Demon Burr edged from behind the boulder and fired at the truck again, shattering what was left of the windshield. My ears throbbed.
I struggled from under Mitch, tossed my cell on the floor, and tried to pry the glove box open with both hands. He’d swiped my gun. It was my turn to tag his.
Quiet. Too quiet.
A strange calm spread through my body and my mind cleared. “I want that gun back after you’ve killed him,” I yelled. “Don’t miss. That bastard is connected to my parents’ murders.”
He palmed my weapon and smiled, his dimple winking at me. “Stay in the truck, Sunshine.” And then his face went stone cold. A shield spread ov
er his eyes, turning them dark and completely blank. I’d never seen that happen before, had never faced Mitch in warrior mode.
It scared me. But no way in hell was I staying in the truck. I worked on the glove box with both hands, broke two nails, but it cracked open. Two inches. Not far enough to get the gun out.
Shots exploded in the silence, echoing loud in the still air. I jolted upright. It made me a target, but I had to see, to make sure Mitch was okay and holding his own. He’d crouched behind Burr’s truck, and was firing a carefully aimed series of shots. The man had control under fire. Pride surged in my chest.
I ducked back down to work on the glove box. A series of shots battered against metal. Had to be Burr, losing patience. I sucked in a frantic breath, hauled back and kicked at the stuck compartment. It flew open with a clatter, and I grabbed Mitch’s gun. Another .9mm. I checked it, clicked the safety off, and scooted over the center console, my butt catching on the gearshift. I tore free, keeping my focus steady on Mitch.
Still okay. I scanned the area for Burr. Caught sight of his brown wing tip sticking out from behind the boulder. Not a good enough target for me to waste a bullet.
I tugged the vial of antidote out of my bra, pushed it into the seam between the seat bottom and back, and then snagged my cell off the floor. I held it near my mouth, and prayed Annie was listening. Hopefully, Pierce and Adam as well. Maddie’s life might depend on it. “This is important. There’s a vial of healing antidote for my mother’s formula. I shoved it between the seat cushions on the driver’s side. Get it if I don’t survive this. Then find Aukele.”
There was no response. I thumped the phone, shook it. Still nothing. Panic shot through me. If I died no one would know about the antidote. No. Grandfather would feel my death. He’d fix it. I repeated my message. There. Voices in the background. Someone had heard. Maybe. It was the best I could do without yelling.
Touch of Betrayal, A Page 19