by Lisa Kessler
His gut ached as he struggled to think straight through the haze of betrayal. “So who are these guys? He was pointing a gun at you.”
“We think they believe that the Titans are still imprisoned in the center of the Earth and want to free them to bring about another Golden Age of Man.”
It was like she was speaking another language. He shook his head. “What does that have to do with the muses?”
She plucked one of his hands from the steering wheel and traced her finger along the lines on his palm. Her simple touch soothed the tension building in his shoulders.
“We inspire mankind. Not just in the arts but the sciences, too. When we restore the theater, it won’t just be for plays and concerts. It’ll have meeting rooms and forums like the Les Neufs Soeurs in Paris back when Benjamin Franklin and Voltaire used to visit. They changed the world, Reed.” She lifted her eyes. “And we’re going to do that again.”
The determination on her face surprised him, cooling some of the bitterness brewing in his chest. “Why would anyone want to stop that?”
She shrugged. “We’re guessing that if the Titans really are trapped in Tartarus at the center of the Earth like the myths say, the only way you could get to them would be…?”
“Drilling.” He closed his hand, holding hers. “Oil. If the muses inspire new discoveries for clean energy and fuels the demand for oil would drop. They wouldn’t have the money to drill.”
She nodded. “That’s what we’re thinking.”
“So you’ve got a stalker with an arson fetish, and these whack jobs in robes and gold masks who want to make sure you never open your theater.” His gaze locked on hers. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“No.” She blinked and slowly pulled her hand back. “No, I think that’s everything.”
He frowned, but he didn’t push. He’d already had more dropped on him than he could take.
But it sure seemed as though she was leaving something out.
CHAPTER 10
Ted glared at Bryce. “You never should have pulled a gun, you idiot.”
Bryce cradled his hand. “I thought I had a clear shot at him!”
Ted tightened his grip on the wheel. “You’re not paid to think. We were only tailing them to get information right now.”
“I know the plan.” Bryce winced, tugging the glove off his right hand. “I think my thumb is broken.”
Ted rolled his eyes. “That’s impossible. He never touched you.”
At the light, Bryce held up his hand. His thumb was swollen, the knuckle already turning purple.
Ted frowned. “Maybe you tweaked it coming down the rope from the roof.”
“No.” Bryce shook his head. “It was like someone bent my thumb backward until it snapped.”
“From a few feet away?”
“I know it sounds crazy.” Bryce groaned. “But I didn’t break it myself.”
No, he didn’t. But if the firefighter had broken it, then he could move things with his mind. Could that be the gift that was unlocked when he found his muse? If so, he could become a problem.
Ted merged onto the highway. “Take your robe off. I’m driving you to the ER.” Through gritted teeth, he added, “In the future, try to remember that if I don’t give you the order to kill, you have no business pulling a weapon. Understand?”
He stared out the window. “I saw an opportunity, that’s all.” He tipped his head down, staring at his hand.
Ted saw an opportunity, too. He just had to get the firefighter out of the way.
Papers were spread all over the long table in Callie’s living room as Erica led Reed inside.
Clio popped up from her chair and tucked her hair behind her ear. Her dark eyes were bright behind the red horn-rimmed glasses, and a dimple formed in her cheek as she smiled and offered Reed her hand. “You must be Erica’s Guardian.”
“Reed,” he said with a forced smile.
“Reed.” Clio’s cheeks flushed with color as she shook his hand. “I’m Clio.”
“Let me guess, Muse of History?” he asked, retrieving his hand.
Erica raised a brow. He was good.
Clio gasped. “Did Erica tell you?”
He pointed to the scroll in her other hand. “Nah, the parchment and your name tipped me off.”
Clio grinned at Erica. “He’s good-looking and intelligent? Lucky!”
“And still standing right here.” He took Erica’s hand and squeezed it.
Erica laughed, bumping her hip into him. “His helmet at the firehouse isn’t going to fit anymore if you keep that up, Clio.”
Erica led him farther inside. Polly was at the head of the table with a calculator. She looked up as they approached and smiled. “Reed, right? I’m Polly.”
He tipped his head with a grin. “I didn’t realize there was a Muse of Accounting.”
Polly let out a rare laugh. “I wish. I’m actually the Muse of Hymns, but I’m also the keeper of the trust fund, so the budget and accounting dropped into my lap.” Her gaze shifted to Erica. “How are you holding up? Callie told me Jack might be back in the picture.”
“More like in the shadows. He sent me an e-mail, though, so we’re hoping the police can track him down. Speaking of…” Erica scanned the room. “Where are Nate and Mel?”
“Baby duty.” Thalia rounded the corner, a spark in her dark eyes. “Doody being the operative word here.”
A burst of giggles erupted behind her. “My baby brother messed up his clothes so they took him home to get changed,” Maggie explained.
Mel and Nate had adopted Maggie before Mel gave birth to little Noah. She had become a bright light in their dangerous world. She also thought Thalia was the funniest person on earth.
“Reed, this is Thalia.” Erica smiled up at him. “She’s the only one of us who is actually Greek.”
“Call me Lia.”
He shook her hand. “Great to meet you.”
“And I’m Maggie.” Her gap-toothed grin made it impossible not to smile.
“Hi, Maggie,” Reed said.
Erica poked him in the shoulder. “He’s a firefighter on the base.”
Maggie came closer, her eyes wide as saucers. “You ride in fire trucks?”
“I usually ride in the fire engine, not the ladder truck,” he whispered to her, as if telling her a secret.
Maggie’s strawberry-blond curls bounced as she hopped from one foot to the other. “Can I ride on the fire engine sometime?”
He nodded. “Sure. I’ll give you a tour of the station if your Mom and Dad say it’s all right.”
“You didn’t offer me a tour,” Erica huffed, then let out a chuckle.
Reed caressed her knuckles with his thumb as he met her eyes. “I didn’t know you wanted one.”
This was another line in the sand that was blurring. If she went to his station, she might meet some of his coworkers. Which meant more ties connecting them.
Like meeting her muse sisters…
But he was her Guardian. He was going to be around them eventually anyway. And sure, they’d love him. What wasn’t to love?
Her pulse raced at the thought.
Thankfully, Trinity came in from the backyard, saving Erica from herself. Trin wrapped her roommate in a tight hug. “Are you all right?”
Erica pulled back. “Yeah. A little shaken up, but I’m fine.”
Trin looked at Reed. “Good to see you again. Thanks for looking out for Erica.”
He shrugged. “Just doing my job.”
Something hitched in Erica’s heart. What else was he supposed to say? Of course he was doing his job. He was a firefighter and her Guardian. But her traitorous heart wasn’t happy with the answer. She didn’t want to be a job.
So what did she want to be?
She swallowed the unwelcome emotion as Tera walked up the hallway toward them. Unlike Erica’s other muse sisters, Tera remained a mystery. Although the Muse of Dance was drop-dead gorgeous, willowy, tall, and could ma
ke a pratfall look graceful, she was painfully shy.
Erica smiled and introduced her to Reed.
Tera was almost his height. “Good to meet you,” she said softly.
He nodded. “Likewise.”
Tera immediately excused herself to go sit with Polly, and Erica leaned in to whisper, “She likes you. She’s just shy.”
Reed nodded and glanced around the room. “Where are Callie and Hunter?”
Right on cue, Callie came out of the back hallway. “Sorry. I had a patient I needed to call back.” She embraced Erica, then Reed. “Great to see you guys.”
“Where’s Hunter?” Reed asked.
Callie pointed to the sliding glass door leading to the backyard. “He’s at the grill.”
Reed squeezed Erica’s hand. “I’m going to see if he needs any help.”
“Okay.” They stared at each other for a moment, and she wished the rest of the room would disappear so she could lose herself in his arms. Instead, his fingers slid away from hers and he walked out the door while she found a seat at the long table.
Time to focus. They had plenty of work to do.
Hunter looked up from the grill. “Hey, Reed. Good to see you.” He glanced at the house. “Did you meet everyone?”
Reed nodded. “Yeah.” He crossed his arms, staring at the back fence. “We need to talk.”
“Okay.” Hunter closed the lid on the grill. “What’s wrong?
“I want to know why you didn’t tell me what we were.”
Hunter frowned. “I did. We explained it the last time you came over.”
Reed rubbed his forehead and dropped his hand. “Months ago, you came to me worried about hearing people’s thoughts, and the birthmark on your wrist was bright red.” He took a slow breath, struggling to keep the frustration from his face. “But when you figured out what was happening with you, you didn’t tell me what we were.”
“I had my hands full at the time. Callie was in danger, and then I shipped out for my last mission with my team.” Hunter studied his face and added, “Would it have made any difference?”
“Hell if I know.” Reed crossed his arms. “But you didn’t even try.” He pointed toward the house. “A guy in a gold mask aimed a gun at us today, and I didn’t know what the fuck was going on until after I broke the bastard’s hand.”
“Shit.” Hunter glanced at the door and back to Reed. “The Order hasn’t made a move on the muses since the night they kidnapped Callie.”
“So I heard.” Reed took a step closer. “But I should have heard it from my best friend.”
“I don’t know what you want from me. I already told you I had a lot on my plate. I didn’t think about it.” Hunter shook his head and reached for the handle on the grill. “You wouldn’t have believed me anyway.”
“Bullshit.” A familiar bitterness swelled in Reed’s gut. “We’ve surfed and hung out plenty of times since you retired from the Navy. You had many opportunities to fill me in. You knew I was interested in Erica, and you still didn’t tell me about being a Guardian.”
Hunter sighed. “What do you want me to say?”
“How about the fucking truth?” Reed spat.
Hunter dropped the lid and got into Reed’s face. “I didn’t know Erica was your muse. And until you found your muse, whatever ‘gift’ you were going to have was going to be dormant. Callie, Erica, and the rest of them need to keep this part of themselves hidden. Callie could lose her job if someone caught wind she believed she had a Greek muse trapped inside her.”
“You chose to protect her instead of being honest with me.” Reed looked up at the sky. “You thought I’d blow their cover.”
Hunter shook his head. “It’s not like that.”
Reed’s gaze cut to his friend’s face. “I’m not stupid.”
“I didn’t say you were.” Hunter raised his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I figured we’d cross that bridge when you found your muse.”
Reed stared at Hunter and finally took a couple of steps away. “Seeing a gun pointed at Erica today scared the shit out of me.” He looked over his shoulder at Hunter. “I care about her more than I realized. But love fucked me over once, and I’m not sure I can go down that road again.”
Hunter came up beside him and clasped his shoulder, keeping his voice low. “Have you told her about Lila?”
“No. What’s the point? She thinks her muse made her ex into a stalker. If I let it slip that my attraction might be more than just physical, I’ll lose her.”
Hunter squeezed his shoulder. “If you don’t tell her how you feel, then you never had her to lose.” He went back to the grill and opened it, moving the meat onto the platter. “I haven’t known Erica very long, but I’ve never seen her be clingy or manipulative. And if you really care about her, one of you is going to have to have the balls to take a risk.”
Reed turned to look through the sliding glass door. Erica was seated at the long table with the other muses. Suddenly her eyes met his and she started to smile. His heart pounded as he nodded in her direction.
Hunter came up beside him with the tray of food. “You’re her Guardian no matter what, but if you want to be more, you’re going to have to jump into the fire.”
Reed chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “Fire doesn’t scare me like the thought of losing myself again does. Besides, she’s made it clear she doesn’t want more.”
“No.” Hunter shifted the platter to one hand and opened the door. “She’s afraid of more. Big difference.”
CHAPTER 11
As their meeting wrapped up, Erica knew she’d have to force out the words to tell her sisters what had happened at the car wash. “The Order of the Titans paid us a visit today.” She tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but under the table, her hands were trembling.
Callie frowned. “So are they the ones setting the fires?”
“Reed doesn’t think so,” Erica said.
His strong hands settled on her shoulders then, sending a surge of heat through her body.
“The cantina and the club were both started with Molotov cocktails,” he explained. “The guy in the gold mask had a gun.”
Hunter sat beside Callie. “But they’ve been quiet for almost three months,” he pointed out. “Why Erica and why now?”
That was the question that had been nagging her since they had left the car wash. Erica tipped her head back to look up at Reed, who was still standing behind her chair. “It didn’t seem important back in the truck, but after Ted Belkin, Sr. died, Belkin Oil got a new CEO, Mikolas Leandros. He’s an investor from Greece.” Erica met Callie’s eyes. “Maybe now that he’s settled into running the company, he’s in charge of the Order now, too.”
Callie rested her elbow on the table. “So maybe he’s regrouping? Trying to find a muse without a Guardian?”
Reed’s voice vibrated against her back. “Do they know about Guardians?”
“We didn’t think so,” Callie answered. “But anything’s possible.”
The front door opened, and Mel came in with a little baby sound asleep in a soft carrier strapped to her chest. Nate came through the door after her. Erica smiled, despite the topic of discussion. She still wasn’t used to seeing the detective carrying a diaper bag.
Nate dropped the bag on the couch and came over to the table. “You must be Reed.”
“Yeah.” Reed leaned forward to shake his hand. “You’re Nate?”
Nate nodded. “Yeah. My partner was called out about the…cow head, was it?”
“Courtesy of Jack.” Erica glanced around the table. “He sent me an e-mail from a random Gmail account with a picture. He signed it, so he’s pretty confident they won’t be able to trace the IP address.”
Nate pulled a chair over and took a seat at the end of the table. “Yeah, well, I’m hoping we’re going to prove him wrong, but I’m probably going to need access to your email account to see if we can track it.”
“No problem.” She reached up
to touch Reed’s fingers on her shoulder without realizing she needed the comfort. “Back to the Order…” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “What if they do know about Guardians?”
Callie glanced at Hunter, then met her eyes. “I don’t follow. What difference would it make?”
She tightened her hold on Reed’s hand. “They tried to kill Mel and Callie, and failed. Maybe they figured out they need to take out our Guardians first?”
Reed squeezed her shoulders. “We could all stand around and guess what these guys are up to all day. Now that I know they exist, we can be more careful.” He looked at Nate. “Let me know if you can get a lead on finding Jack. We’re pretty sure he’s the one setting the fires the past few days.”
Nate frowned. “John didn’t say anything about it.”
“We’re still piling up the arson evidence before the chief turns it over to the DA, but the sooner we get him put away, the better.”
The meeting devolved quickly into smaller groups. Reed and Nate got together to discuss the e-mail and the arson details, while Callie plotted out renovation plans with the muses. Erica tried to stay focused, but her gaze kept straying over to Reed.
Suddenly, his eyes met hers, and his lips curved into a smile that tugged at her heart. Heat flushed her cheeks when he caught her watching him. She tried not to laugh as she pulled her attention back to Callie and her muse sisters. Men didn’t make her blush.
But she’d never met a man like Reed McIntosh.
“None of the construction companies in town will touch us since Ted Belkin made this a personal vendetta against us, but I have a line on a freelance carpenter to work on the roof restoration.” Callie glanced at her Guardian. “Hunter also volunteered to help with the construction.”
“When I’m not on duty at the station, I’ll swing a hammer, too,” Reed offered.
Nate nodded. “Not sure how much help I’ll be between casework and the kids, but if you need extra hands, you know where to find me, as well.”
Callie smiled, scanning the table. “I might’ve been wrong about the no-dating pact. You guys make our team stronger.”