by Lisa Cardiff
“That’s some inflated ego you have. How do you know Avery isn’t asleep next to me right now?”
The phone was silent, and Peter wished Avery were with him, if only to piss off Flannigan a little more.
“You’re full of shit. You were supposed to meet her hours ago, and I just saw her in the last thirty minutes. If you had her, you wouldn’t answer your phone.”
Regretting answering his phone, he contemplated hanging up, but he knew that wouldn’t help him now. “She said she couldn’t make it to our meeting place because of a change of plans. She claimed she was staying the night with Dierdre’s friend.”
“Sounds as though she doesn’t trust you either. She went back to her old hotel to retrieve Dierdre’s car.”
Peter gritted his teeth to keep from lashing out at Flannigan because he knew Flannigan was right. Avery said that she was tired and turning off her phone to go to bed. Sure, her plans could’ve changed, but it wasn’t likely. She had second thoughts about meeting him, and she didn’t trust him enough to tell him anything. Keeping his voice flat, he responded. “So what’s the plan now?”
“She’s alone for the time being, which means she ran from the Fae too. She hasn’t made up her mind to trust anyone yet, so we still have a shot to get her before they do.”
When Peter heard Avery was alone, the tightness in his chest relaxed. He could do this. He wouldn’t give up yet. He didn’t have to follow Flannigan.
“She promised to call me in the morning for breakfast, so hopefully you didn’t push her too far into hiding.”
“I checked my leads. She was definitely at a safe house outside of Tuam for a while. She might try to go back there. The place is being watched so I’ll know if she shows up there.”
“Did she see you when she went back for Dierdre’s car?”
“You could say that.”
Frustrated, he nearly growled. “What did you do now?”
“It isn’t important. You follow your leads, and I’ll follow mine. Call me before noon tomorrow.”
Before Peter could object, the line went dead. Based on everything he knew about Flannigan, his cryptic response meant his encounter with Avery wasn’t good news.
Chapter 13
Before turning onto the safe house driveway, Kalen saw a car partially hidden in the hedges. Kalen continued down the nearly deserted country road without stopping, his mind already occupied with finding a new location to hide Avery. If the Foundation already located the safe house where he previously took Avery, he had no intention of using any of the other Tuatha Dé safe houses. It was possible that Avery tipped someone off when she set up the meeting earlier near the Temple, but he suspected someone was leaking information to the Foundation. He glanced at Avery and saw her comfortably curled up in the passenger seat with his jacket wrapped around her body. Watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, he smiled, satisfied that she hadn’t moved since he placed her there. He needed to get her someplace safe before she woke up and started screaming.
He found the house he was looking for easy enough, though he hadn’t been there for years. He spent a good fifteen minutes circling the place, making sure there wasn’t a car concealed in the bushes again. Cian used the house near Tuam as a home base when he courted Dierdre. Conveniently, it was only a ten-minute walk to the window to the Faerie Realm.
After everything had fallen apart, it remained vacant, but he knew Cian visited it every couple months. Cian tried to keep his attachment to this house secret, but in a world filled with intrigue and power struggles, Kalen made it his business to know everyone’s secrets. Sure the Foundation knew this house existed and so did all those at Court, but with so many Fae safehouses, it would take the Foundation a long time to search each one. Hopefully, the enormity of the search would give him enough time to wait for the window to open to the Faerie Realm.
Cian might check in on the place or suddenly become nostalgic while anticipating his daughter’s return, which wouldn’t be bad. It would save him the energy of getting her to the compound alone. Still, he liked the idea of being alone with Avery for a few days. He knew the two emotions were contradictory, but he refused to analyze that right now because like Avery, he had been operating on a few hours of sleep over the past couple days. He needed to rest before he could function enough to sort out this mess with Avery and the Foundation. He hoped those few hours would eradicate his messy feelings for Avery.
Circling around the house one more time, he turned onto a narrow driveway leading to a small cottage. Once Kalen was in the driveway, he put the car in park and slid out of the driver’s seat, looking back at Avery again to make sure she was still sleeping. After closing the sagging wood gates near the entrance to the driveway with a weathered rope, he found the front door key hidden under a rock near the front stoop. Without delay, he opened the door, turned on a couple of lights, and then searched the house.
Confident the house was empty, he went into the larger bedroom, pulled the blankets down on the bed, and then returned to the car to get Avery. He opened the passenger door and slid his hands under her knees and neck to lift her out of the car, stopping only to push the passenger door shut with his left foot. He carried her through the empty house and into the larger bedroom then placed her on her side in the bed. He studied her face then pulled off each of her shoes. Afraid she would get cold in the damp air of the house, he pulled up the blankets to cover her limp body.
Sitting down in a chair in the corner of the room, he took off his black boots and his shirt. He checked his watch and noted the time. Two o’clock in the morning and he couldn’t imagine staying awake for another minute. The only other bedroom was a nursery Cian and Dierdre had prepared together in anticipation of Avery’s birth. Avery barely used it before she and Dierdre disappeared. There was always the couch, but he didn’t want to sleep there because he suspected Avery would try to escape again when she woke up. No, leaving her alone in the room wasn’t an option.
He pulled the covers of the bed back again, and the bed dipped under his weight. Rolling to his side so they were facing each other, he watched Avery sleep. He reached out, touching her face lightly. He caressed the side of her body, finally resting his arm around her waist. He leaned in and kissed Avery’s bare neck. He froze when he saw her shiver. Without explanation, she shifted toward him. He traced circles with his thumb on her back, and before he knew it, he was sleeping too.
Avery felt trapped and overheated. Thomas Flannigan hovered over her with a crooked grin on his face and a gun in his hand. He bent over and whispered, “You can’t escape me.” His hand pressed firmly into her chest, and his gun pointed at the side of her head. She wouldn’t let him kill her, but her body refused to move. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Any sound she tried to push out of her lungs died before it left her mouth.
Awakened by Avery’s frantic thrashing, Kalen sat up in bed, his arms immediately embracing her before she flung herself off the bed. She struggled to free herself, but Kalen’s unyielding grasp was much stronger. Finally, the screams that previously had died on her lips freed themselves, and her eyes popped open, wide with fear. Shaking his head, he placed his hand over her mouth and willed her to calm down.
Calm down. It’s me, Kalen. I’m not going to hurt you. Just relax.
His unsaid words echoed in her head and rather than having the effect Kalen intended, his invasion into her mind frightened her even more. She bit down hard on the hand covering her mouth until the metallic taste of blood hit her tongue. Kalen didn’t flinch or pull back his hand.
He pulled her firmly against his chest. “You’re safe. I’m not trying to hurt you.”
She squirmed in his grasp, but not as much as before. In response, he pulled his hand away from her mouth just a few inches, so she could speak. Her voice was hoarse and choked with fear.
“I… I can’t breathe,” she murmured. “I was so afraid. He was here. I couldn’t stand it. Please…” Her
voice trailed off, and she didn’t even understand what she was asking him to do.
Kalen turned her around so she faced him then he slowly ran his hands up and down her back. “It’s okay, Avery. It’s just the two of us here. Nobody knows where we are. You’re safe.”
Burying her head in Kalen’s chest, inhaling his clean scent, she whispered, “Where are we? Why are you here… with me?”
“Shh. Don’t talk. Take deep breaths.”
She leaned further into Kalen, letting all her tension fall away and her racing heart quiet. The minutes stretched as she sat quietly in Kalen’s embrace, feeling safe in his comforting heat for the first time in days. No, when she thought about it, it was the first time she felt safe and protected since she was a child.
“The last thing I remember is being in Dierdre’s car trying to figure out a place to hide.”
He didn’t answer. He shifted her body so she was firmly ensconced in his lap. He placed his hand on the crown of her head and repeatedly ran his hand down her tangled tresses. “Why did you leave the safe house while I was gone?” he asked. “I was coming back. If you haven’t already figured it out, you aren’t safe wandering around the streets alone.”
She sucked in a breath while she contemplated how to answer his question. “I… I don’t know why I ran.”
He reached down, gently lifting her chin forcing her to look in his eyes. “No, don’t lie to me. Tell me why you left.”
Shocked by the intimacy of his stare, she grabbed his hand, trying to pull it off her chin so she could look away. He merely tightened his grip. Her lips tightened into a firm, narrowed line, giving him a visible reminder of her stubbornness and her growing frustration.
“Does it matter why I left?”
He said nothing, but his hand dropped from her chin. The air in the room was damp and cold. Orange haze peeked through the lace curtains of the bedroom window, signifying the arrival of a new day. Avery turned her head to watch dust particles dance in the steadily increasing morning light.
Releasing a frustrated sigh, he lifted her off his lap and walked to the end of the bed. Without preamble, he said, “of course it matters why you left. I need to know if you were just scared and confused or if you’re already working for the Foundation.”
“You know I work for the Foundation. Well, I don’t know if I work for the Foundation anymore. It’s probably a strong indication that I am no longer employed by the Foundation when one of the Board members killed my mother and is threatening me.”
“That’s not what I meant. The Foundation isn’t always unified in its methods, so you might be working for another member, which would cause Thomas Flannigan to lash out at you and Dierdre.” Kalen paused in thought. “He’s not the most even tempered man even under the best of circumstances, you know.”
“I think I gathered that Thomas Flannigan is not a nice person the first time I met him. There was something I didn’t like about him, even before he opened his mouth.”
“Yes, he has that effect on people. So which is it, Avery? Are you working for another member of the Foundation or were you just scared when you ran away yesterday?”
“I was looking around the house, and I noticed you left my cell phone. I wanted to listen to my messages and check in with my friend Grace and my aunt to tell them that I was okay, so I turned on my phone—”
“I told you not to use the phone and not to contact anyone until we could get you to safety,” he said, interrupting her explanation.
“I know, but you weren’t there. I wasn’t sure I could trust what you told me.” Her eyes shifted to his then immediately returned to the lace bedding she moved between her fingers. “I still don’t know if I can trust you.”
“Okay. Go on with your explanation.”
“When I turned on my phone, I had a couple messages.” She paused, not sure what she was comfortable saying about Peter. Her mind went through a couple different explanations, trying to figure out how not to incriminate herself or Peter.
“Just the truth, Avery. I can’t help you if you lie. If he truly is your friend, then he’s not in danger or at least not by me.”
“How did you know I was trying to protect him?”
“Avery, look at me.” When their eyes met, he continued talking. “I can read what you’re thinking, and it was obvious you were trying to protect someone. I knew the person you were meeting was a man because I don’t think Grace would travel here and you only mentioned one other friend, Peter. Right?”
“I had a voicemail from Peter. He said something to the effect that Thomas Flannigan was a rogue member of the Foundation and he was flying to Galway to help me because he’s my friend.”
“Okay. What exactly is your understanding of the nature or purpose of the Foundation?”
“It’s a research organization, a nonprofit that seeks to better understand Irish history and to educate the public. That’s not their entire mission statement, but that about sums it up.”
“And why would a nonprofit research organization have a so-called rogue board member roaming around harassing and killing people?”
“I didn’t think about it at the time. I was just scared and unsure whom I should trust. When I heard Peter’s explanation, I wanted to believe it. I thought if I met him and went with him, somehow everything would be back to normal, and I could have my old life back in New York. If Thomas Flannigan was just some crazed board member that had suddenly become unhinged, I could fly home with Peter and resume my life as though nothing extraordinary happened. There wouldn’t be any mysteries to uncover. I could forget about you and my father. Thomas Flannigan would go to jail, and I would be free of this mess.” She was talking too much, but she couldn’t stop herself. Once the floodgates opened, she was incapable of doing anything but spilling all her thoughts.
“Alright. I can understand that thought process to some extent. So why did you change your mind? You were meeting Peter at the Temple, but you had left before he came.”
“How do you know I left before he showed up?”
Kalen shrugged then said, “You’re here, aren’t you? I don’t think you would have been wandering the streets of Galway last night alone if you met up with Peter.”
“But you knew I was meeting him at the Temple.”
“Not that it matters, but I was watching you.”
“Yeah, I think I felt you were there, as strange as that sounds. How did you find me?”
“I have my ways. We’ll discuss that later. That might be good so we know how to find each other if we are separated again.”
Stunned, Avery stared at him then shook her head. “As I said, I started thinking that Peter’s message didn’t make any sense, so I got nervous and took off before he showed up.”
Kalen walked back to the bed, sat next her, and held her hand in his. She leaned into him again, seeking out the comfort she felt in his arms earlier.
“Then I couldn’t get a hotel room because my credit cards were reported stolen and the hotel clerk wouldn’t give me a room with cash. I didn’t know what to do, so I took a taxi to Dierdre’s car, but Thomas Flannigan was waiting for me. I don’t know how I got away. I just did.”
He didn’t respond to her rambling confession. He had watched the whole thing anyway, so he didn’t need an explanation. Her strength and any remaining defiance left her body, and she sagged into him, wrapping her free arm around his waist and burying her face in his chest. He lowered her on the bed with finesse then grabbed the blankets and pulled them with him as he lay down beside her. After a few seconds, he turned onto his side and pulled her against his chest, keeping his arm firmly wrapped around her ribs.
“Don’t you think we should get up now? It’s morning already,” she questioned in a feather-light whisper. Snuggling in his arms made her nervous, no matter how much her body craved his warmth and comfort.
“It’s still early. We both need to sleep for a few more hours.” His breath caressed her neck, sending chil
ls down her spine.
“What if I’m not here again when you wake up?”
“You will be. I’m a light sleeper and I have no intention of losing you. I’ll find you again. We’re connected. Now be quiet. Let’s sleep.” To emphasize his point, he moved his hand underneath the hem of her shirt and pulled her closer to his bare chest.
She startled in response to his contact with her bare skin. She wasn’t going to dissuade him from holding her, so she willed her body to relax by focusing on the light peeking through the curtains and the steady beat of his heart. If she let her mind roam, she would be in hysterics. She concentrated on the warmth of Kalen’s body pressed into hers, the light blue of the walls, a cobweb nestled in the far right corner where the wall met the ceiling, and the frayed end of the curtains.
Taking another deep breath to release all her tensions, an image of Dierdre’s dead body sprawled on the floor of her aunt’s house crept into her mind. Dierdre’s deeply shadowed eyes had been open and unblinking. Avery had done nothing to stop it. When she heard Thomas Flannigan in the house, she and her aunt had cowered in the corner of the attic. They could have stopped Flannigan. There were two of them there to help Dierdre, and they did absolutely nothing. Her aunt was old, but Avery wasn’t. Maybe if she had shown herself and went with Flannigan, he would have left Dierdre alone. This was her fault. Somehow she had brought Thomas Flannigan to her mother’s door and now she was dead.
“Don’t talk yourself into believing that. Dierdre’s death wasn’t about you.” Kalen’s voice was a whisper next to her ear, causing her to tremble. “Dierdre made her own choices, and she outlived her usefulness. That’s why she’s dead. He would have killed her whether or not you sacrificed yourself.”
“He killed her because he wanted me. She didn’t tell him that I was there. She sacrificed herself for… for… me.”