Prism (Awakened Chronicles Book 3)

by Harley Austin

  “Those are illegal, guys. My sister who hates guns had a gun, and one with an illegal silencer.” Jeff shook his head. “It’s like we’re talking about two different people.”

  “I don’t think you know your little sister as well as you think you do.” Parker leveled.

  “Maybe not. But I’m also having a really hard time with your story as well, Parker. Swimming a half-mile in frigid waters? That’s pushing my limits of believability as well.”

  Both nodded.

  “What do you want us to do, Jeff?” Brayden asked.

  “Well. I don’t know. Christie wants to hire a lawyer and have the both of you arrested.”

  “That’s not going to happen.” Brayden assured.

  “I told her that.”

  “We’re not trying to steal your family’s company, Jeff. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to allow Mauri’s killer to take it over.”

  “No. I get it. I’m obviously not going to be able to change your minds about her.”

  “We’ll keep Signature running, Jeff. I’ll even grow it. And as soon as Christie is behind bars, I’ll give you the keys. You have my word,” Parker offered.

  Jeff looked him in the eyes. The guy was dead serious.

  “Alright.” Jeff nodded. “I’ll sit back and see what happens with probate. But, I have to tell you, gentlemen, I can’t control what Christie does. When she hears I’m sitting back, she’ll come unglued and probably lawyer up. In fact, I’d be surprised if she isn’t doing that already.”

  19

  T he door of Parker’s office opened. Kerrie the receptionist entered. “Mr. Parker, there are two police officers outside. They want to talk to you.”

  “Oh?” Parker got up from his chair and followed her out to the reception area.

  “Can I help you, officers?”

  “Are you Winter Parker?” one of them asked looking at a piece of paper.

  “I am.”

  “I have a warrant for your arrest, Mr. Parker.”

  “Arrest? Arrest for what?”

  “The murders of Mauri Carlivati and Jack Stevens.”

  “I was the one who filed the police report on Mauri’s and Jack’s murder, officers. This has to be some kind of clerical error.”

  “We’re aware of the police report, Mr. Parker. This isn’t coming from the DA. It’s federal; an extradition order. You’ve been indicted by Canadian authorities for murder.”

  “Oh, good God.” He rolled his eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Parker. Truth be told, the DA was on the phone all morning with the RCMP in Vancouver trying to clear this up.”

  “I know, I was in depositions all week over it.”

  “The DA filled us in. There’s nothing she can do at the moment. I’m sorry. You’ll need to come with us.”

  “Can I get my things?”

  The officer nodded. He hated doing what he was doing. He’d been working with the DA since day one after this investigation had begun. The Parker guy seemed on the up and up. “We’ll wait.”

  The receptionist followed Parker back to his office as he gathered just a few things, leaving his wallet and ID’s behind. He didn’t need all of his belongings getting confiscated by the police. He took off Carissa’s ring and set it into the drawer next to his wallet.

  “Kerrie, call Brayden. Tell him what’s going on.”

  “Yes. Mr. Parker. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t worry. It’ll sort itself out.”

  She left his office.

  Suddenly Parker felt alone. It was an odd feeling. He opened the desk drawer again, looking at the ring. That was strange. It was like he didn’t really want to part with it. He reached into the drawer and picked it up. There was something calming about having it in his hand again. The feeling felt odd, but nice. Parker slipped it back over his finger as he headed out the door.

  * * * * *

  “Last name?” the processing officer, a middle-aged shorter, uniformed black lady who looked like she wished she could be anywhere else but doing what she was doing, asked.

  “Parker.”

  “Any ID?”

  “No.”

  “Wallet.”

  “No.”

  “Jewelry.”

  “No.”

  “You’re wearing a ring, Mr. Parker. That’s called jewelry.”

  “Oh. Sorry. It won’t come off.”

  “Sure it won’t. You know how many times I’ve heard that one?”

  He offered her his hand.

  The officer tugged and twisted. It looked big enough to come off. It wasn’t that tight around his finger, but the band wouldn’t budge past his knuckle.

  “That’s one stuck band.” She eyed him.

  “I’ve tried taking it off before.” He lied.

  “We’ll need to send someone in to cut it off once you’re in your cell. Did you call your attorney?” she continued droning down her checklist …

  * * * * *

  “Bray! Man am I glad to see you!” Both embraced as the attorney who’d followed Brayden into the small room closed the door.

  “You look terrible in orange,” Brayden scanned his partner from head to toe.

  “I’m sure these would look better on you than me.”

  “Mr. Parker, I’m Corry Longwell, a personal friend of your company’s law firm. Since they only do business law, they called me to get you out of this mess.”

  “Can you?” Parker shook his hand.

  “Yes and no. The extradition order may be unavoidable, I’m afraid. You might need to take a short trip to Vancouver, unfortunately.”

  “How can they pin a murder on me I reported and didn’t commit?”

  “Murders, Mr. Parker. You’re being charged with two murders—Mauri Carlivati and Jack Stevens. I already talked with the DA. He tried to get the extradition dropped under the circumstances, but the Crown Attorney in B.C. is digging in. They say they have evidence of you killing both people and motive.”

  “What kind of evidence?”

  “They haven’t said yet.”

  “Mr. Longwell, both Mauri and Jack were American citizens. Why is the Crown even involved?”

  “It doesn’t matter who the people were, Mr. Michaels, the deed or event as we like to say, was committed on Canadian soil.”

  “We were in Alaska.” Brayden reminded.

  “But on a Canadian registered vessel, gentlemen. I agree, it’s a little strange. Normally the Crown just sends these kinds of things right back to the States, but for some reason, Mr. Parker, the authorities in Canada want you in custody.”

  “Can we fight it?”

  “I already am. I’ve filed an emergency motion with the court to halt extradition until we learn the nature of the evidence our counterparts in Vancouver have. We’ve also filed for your release and transfer back to Seattle based on the evidence we know, citizenship and the venue of the crime happening in U.S. territory. This should be a no-brainer, but, it will be up to the local judge and the Crown as to what happens at this point. I’d say it’s fifty-fifty whether you stay in Seattle or have to travel to Vancouver.”

  * * * * *

  Parker lifted his head from his pillow hearing the door of his holding cell open. It was late. He wasn’t tired and sleep hadn’t paid him any attention at all.

  Four armed officers entered his cell. “Rise and shine, Parker. Looks like you’re heading for Canada.”

  “WHAT?! The judge halted the extradition yesterday. You know that!”

  “We never got no paperwork about that. All we got is a travel order. Get up.”

  “You can’t do this!”

  “Just following orders, Parker.”

  “It’s a mistake, you know it’s a mistake!”

  “Shut up.” One of the other officers moved up and grabbed him, jerking him off his bunk.

  20

  B rayden sat alone by himself. The small Seattle pub was a familiar vibe for him. It seemed to give him some comfort watching the people while nursi
ng a short bourbon for the past two hours. It would be closing time in a few minutes. He’d not been able to sleep. He was nervous about what had happened to Winter. The Crown had him now and he was just days away from the cruise line reporting his own crime to the Canadian authorities. There was plenty of money in Signature now. He could borrow it and write a check to his former employers, but it wasn’t his money. He’d promised Parker he wouldn’t steal from him. Dammit, he was going to keep that promise, even if it meant going to jail himself.

  Someone took the seat next to his. Good God. The bar was practically empty and they had to take—huh?! Brayden’s eyes moved over the curves of someone wearing a fine little black dress. Either she was nicely framed or the LBD was a half size too small. Maybe a little of both.

  Brayden went back to studying his drink. But it didn’t take long for him to meet eyes with her sitting right next to him again. The LBD wore the tall blonde like a wet swimsuit. She looked familiar somehow. But he was pretty sure he’d never seen her before.

  “You look like you need a friend,” she smiled.

  “I have a friend, thanks.” Great. The last thing he needed right now was someone hitting on him.

  “Winter’s in a lot danger right now, Brayden.”

  He shot another glance at her, his eyes widening. He had seen her before! A lot of her before in fact. All over Parker’s apartment. “Carissa?”

  21

  Y ou’re supposed to be dead!” Brayden gaped at the beautiful woman as he let her into Parker’s and his apartment that wasn’t all that far from the bar, closing the door.

  “I am dead. You wouldn’t believe the protocols I’m breaking just showing up here.”

  Carissa was easily six feet tall, tightly packaged with unbelievable curves, almost white, thick blonde hair and a gorgeous face that totally reminded Brayden of a Marilyn Monroe look-alike contest. Only Brayden was pretty sure Monroe never looked this beautiful even on her best day. Damn, Carissa looked hot.

  She seemed to be checking him out as well. She smiled warmly at him. “I see now why Winter and you are dating. Nice catch.”

  “Um, what?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “What’s happened to Winter?”

  “He’s caught in a sting, Brayden.”

  “What kind of sting?”

  “I’m not going to go into the details right now. Suffice to say that certain people the government doesn’t like, tend to get arrested. That’s all you need to know.”

  “What did he do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “But the government doesn’t like him.”

  “No, they don’t. And if you don’t start playing your cards a little closer to the vest they’re not going to like you very much either.”

  Brayden raised his brow. “What are you, actually? You obviously faked your death for a reason and then left Winter swinging in the wind.”

  “I didn’t leave him swinging and I’m not leaving you swinging either.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “And I’m not going to. The less you know the better off you’ll be at this point.”

  “FBI? Homeland? RCMP maybe?” Brayden fished.

  “None of those. Sorry.”

  He moved up closer to her. “Carissa, I’m just trying to get some answers, to help Parker out of the mess he’s in.”

  “That’s why I’m here.”

  “Well, you’re not being all that helpful at the moment.”

  “Don’t feel that way, Brayden. I’m here. I can only do so much. My hands are a little tied. If I could rescue Winter right now I would in a heartbeat. But that would jeopardize years of work and the lives of millions of people.”

  “Millions?”

  “Yes. Millions. I’m not exaggerating.”

  “Jesus, you’re more like CIA.”

  “You’re getting closer. You’ve never heard of the organization I’m a part of. And you never will.”

  Brayden nodded. He stepped a little closer to her. He’d never stood eye level with a woman before; especially never one this beautiful. Did his pulse just skip up a notch?

  “What do we need to do?”

  “Not we—you.”

  “Me?! You’re the spook here.”

  “I can’t help you. Not the way I’d like to.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Find where they’ve taken Winter. I’ll follow from the shadows. It’s the best I can do.”

  “He still has your magic ring, you know.”

  “It’s not magic and no, he doesn’t. Someone took it from him. I lost his location in Vancouver last night. That’s why I’m here.”

  “You’ve been following him?”

  “Everyday of my life.”

  “Wow. So, you’re still in love with him.”

  “More than he knows at the moment.”

  “I’m kind of in love with him too now.”

  She smiled. “I know you are. Winter’s an easy man to fall in love with.”

  “Then why did you leave him?”

  “I didn’t have a choice. I was being followed and I needed deep cover.”

  Brayden sort of understood what she was telling him.

  “I guess we’ll have to share him now.” Her face took on a demure look.

  “Share? How is that going to work? He’ll forget me like a wet dream the moment he knows you’re actually still alive.”

  “That’s not Winter. He won’t do that to you, or to me. Trust me, I know him. Better than you do.”

  Brayden nodded. He moved past Carissa, deliberately touching her as he passed by. Her skin felt warm against his fingers. And her scent. Wow. God who smelled that good?!

  He undid his tie and tossed his jacket along with it onto the sofa of the front room. “So how do I find him?”

  “The government’s already suspicious about you. You’re sleeping with Winter. That’s a huge warning flag in their minds.”

  “You were sleeping with Winter.”

  “Of course.”

  “Is that why they went after him? Because of you?” Brayden leveled eyes with her.

  “You’re too smart for your own good, Brayden. I can’t tell you anymore.”

  Brayden moved into her personal space. “I could just fuck it out of you—” God! What was he saying! Was he really being that forward with Winter’s fiancé?

  “Or die trying,” she warned, the edge of her full lips tipping a smile.

  “I’m sorry. I—I, shouldn’t have said that. I just—God you smell nice.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself, Brayden. Trust me.”

  “This must be how Winter felt around you.”

  “Yea—” she loosed a soft breath. “I’d almost forgotten.”

  Brayden didn’t know what kind of spell she’d cast over him but somehow Carissa’s lips were warmly parting his. He wasn’t backing down and neither was she. His hands slid down the LBD and found her perfect ass; it took only another minute before he lifted the dress to her back until he could feel her skin and the sheer thong panty she wore underneath.

  22

  S till awake?” Carissa asked Brayden in the dim light of Parker’s room. She already knew he was.

  “Yea,” Brayden snuggled close to her. He was no longer hard, but he had no question that Carissa could have him standing thick, long and at full attention if she just moved the wrong way, wrapped around him like she was.

  “Thinking about Winter?”

  “Yea. And you.”

  “He won’t be offended, Brayden. None of us are.”

  “Us?”

  She said nothing.

  “I’ve never felt like this around anyone before.”

  “Not even Winter?”

  “No. I think I feel like this around him, just like you.”

  “It’s natural, Brayden. Nothing to worry about.”

  “Well I am worried about it. I just fucked my partner’s fiancé.”

  �
��Partner? Is that what the two of you are?”

  “We sleep together, Carissa. We have for weeks.”

  “I know. I don’t ever remember hearing the two of you talk about being partners. I’m not always listening.”

  “Listening?” Brayden lifted his head off the pillow to look at her. God she was beautiful even with messy hair. She smiled and laid her head back onto his bare pec.

  “Is that what the magic ring does?”

  She giggled.

  “God!” he groaned lifting his eyes to the ceiling.

  “I like watching you guys make love. Winter really likes watching you.”

  “Maybe we could not talk about Parker and I doing it?”

  “It’s going to happen, Brayden, at some point.”

  “What is?”

  “The three of us; in one place; at the same time.”

  “I don’t think Winter would be game for—”

  “You don’t know him, Bray. Just let Winter be Winter.”

  He nodded.

  It’ll be light soon. You should get some sleep.

  “I can’t sleep. Too worried about Parker.”

  “You’ll find him.”

  “How?”

  “With this—” she took his hand and slipped a ring over his finger. It looked just like Parker’s. It illuminated the room softly with its subtle glow.

  “Lovely. Another of your magic rings.”

  “Don’t take it off.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they’ll kill you the moment you do.”

  “Who will?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “Parker took his off. Is he—”

  “No. I don’t think so. At least I hope not.”

  “Carissa, you’ve got to give me something more here. I’m flying blind.”

  “You need to be blind, Brayden. The less you know, the safer you’ll be. They know if you’re lying, trust me. It’s just easier not knowing.”

  “So you think I’ll be arrested next?”

  “As soon as the cruise line files the report with the police about your embezzlement, you’ll be arrested.”

  “You think they’ll send me to the same place they sent Parker.”