Apostate

by Frankie Robertson

  Kellan smiled down into Grace’s too-grave face. He couldn’t refuse an invitation from the queen without being churlish, so he dropped into his place at the table, bumping knees with both Jared and Gideon. He was rewarded with a wide smile from the pint-sized monarch who poured him some imaginary tea. Kellan stuck out his pinkie and sipped. Surprisingly, it did make him feel better.

  Forty-five minutes later Gideon lay on the sofa in the office while Jared typed the information Kellan had gathered from Jasper’s cell phone into his computer. He hit the last key with a flourish and leaned back in his ergonomic chair. “There.”

  Kellan slumped in a nearby club chair. “How long will it take for your people to get results?”

  “We’ll get basic info on the named contacts fairly quickly. The unidentified numbers will take a little longer. If one of them belongs to the killer, it’s probably a burner phone, and then we’ll have to get creative.”

  Cassie stopped in the doorway. “Dinner in five minutes. Will you get Grace to wash her hands?”

  Jared’s expression softened as he rose to give his wife a kiss on his way down the hall. “As my queen commands.”

  Kellan blinked away the moisture that sprang into his eyes when he realized the women had prepared French comfort food for dinner: boeuf bourguignon with crusty bread for catching every drop of gravy. Over the years, Kellan had eaten many different kinds of food from many different cultures. No one food was his favorite, but his body’s original owner had been from Marseilles. Between his motor memory and having lived in France for two centuries, he spoke English with a slight accent. Tasha and the other women had taken their cue from that and done what they could to make this day suck a little less.

  “Merci.” Kellan sat in a chair next to Tasha. “This brings back fond memories.”

  As much as he could, he tried to live in the moment, but this food, shared with people who were friendly, if not friends, reminded him of meals eaten at Antoine’s kitchen table with his sister after “his” miraculous recovery. It was as satisfying as any food he’d eaten. Conversation lagged for several minutes as everyone dug in. Even Grace enjoyed it after Jared cut up the chunks of beef and carrots into a size manageable for a three-year-old.

  After the dinner dishes had been cleared Gideon disappeared with Grace to read a bedtime story. As her godfather, he said it was his right to claim that privilege when he was present and no one argued with him.

  Jared opened another bottle of burgundy and refilled everyone’s glass, then disappeared down the hall.

  Tasha snuggled close on one side of Kellan while Cassie sat on the loveseat nearby. “I’m sorry for your loss,” she said. “We’ll help you arrange Jasper’s burial when the body is released. You don’t have to do it alone.”

  Her kindness surprised and touched him. “Thank you. I’ve made arrangements for the dead before, but this one—” Kellan cleared his throat. He’d said goodbye to wives and friends, lovers, and children over the years. “I’d appreciate your assistance.”

  Ana nodded her agreement. “Did Jasper have family? I mean, people who thought of him as family? People who need to be contacted?”

  Kellan shook his head. He’d have to contact the U’dahmi Council first, but that wasn’t what Ana was asking about. “Jasper has—had worn that body for a long time. The parents of his shell died many years ago. But some of our business associates and acquaintances would probably like to know. I’ll have to call them—but maybe that can wait until we know when a service can be arranged. I’d rather only have to make those calls once.”

  “I can help with that,” Tasha said.

  “We can talk tomorrow about what kind of memorial you want,” Cassie said. “As for tonight, will you be going home with Ana and Gideon or staying with us? We have plenty of room here, if you’d rather not share a room.”

  “Oh, I just assumed you’d be staying with us,” Ana said, then paused. “We only have one guest room.”

  Kellan stiffened and glanced quickly at Tasha.

  “One room is fine,” Tasha said, then a cautious expression filled her face. **Unless you’d rather not.**

  “One is fine,” Kellan agreed, squeezing her hand. “But is your security as good as Jared’s? Do you have garage parking that’s connected to the house?” He’d been to Ana’s house. He knew she didn’t—at least she hadn’t six months ago. “I don’t want to increase the risk to Tasha.”

  Ana looked stricken. “No. Jared upgraded the security on our house, but I still don’t have a garage you can hide your car in. Damn. I really wanted you to stay with us, but your safety has to come first.”

  “Is all this paranoia really necessary?” Tasha asked.

  “Yes, it probably is. Jared’s done a lot to disrupt the finances of the local members of the Golden Path.” Cassie set her wine on the side table. “He’s been very sneaky and disguised his tracks, but there’s always a chance they’ll discover who dismantled their finances.”

  “I am not sneaky. I am discreet.” Jared shared an amused glance with his wife. “And while the resources of the regional Path members are now limited, I’m sure none of us would like to find out the hard way that the broader organization is taking over for them and retaliating. In some ways, you’re safer than you were before, since multiple streams of income and business relationships have been disrupted. But my going after them pissed off a lot of people and if they ever find out it was me, I’ve potentially put a target on our backs.”

  Tasha’s fear drew Kellan into darkness as she flashed back to the room he’d found her in six months ago, and the terror that had whispered to her with sibilant voices. Her pulse sped and her hand tightened painfully on his. He sent as much soothing reassurance as he could back through their link. After a moment her tension eased but anger took its place.

  “How could you do that?” Tasha asked in a tight voice. “Your actions put Cassie and Grace in their cross-hairs.”

  “It was the right thing to do,” Cassie said. “We couldn’t allow them to continue kidnapping talented young psychics and doing who knows what with them. You were lucky that Ana reached out to Cam and got the rest of us on the hunt. How many others were there that we didn’t know about?”

  Kellan felt his admiration for Cassie’s grit reflected back from Tasha through their connection. Jared’s wife had been through an appalling experience and yet was still willing to step up.

  “I was lucky,” Tasha agreed. “But going back to the original question, is a connected garage really going to make me that much safer? Wouldn’t any threat come after Jared’s family first, not Ana and Gideon?”

  Deeply underlying her doubts was her desire that her life could go back to some semblance of normal. Kellan wished he could give that to her, but it wasn’t in his power. All he could do was protect her as best he could—as much as she’d allow him to.

  “The Golden Path knows Ana is your sister,” Kellan reminded her.

  “And she still goes to work every day!” Tasha dismissed his point.

  “You should stay wherever you prefer,” Jared said, “but you and Kellan are welcome here. However, I do think that since this house has more limited access, and all the neighbors have advanced security, it’s a safer place for you.”

  “Stay here,” Ana urged. “We’re over here all the time anyway. We’ll have lots of time to visit.”

  Kellan felt her resignation as she accepted the truth of her situation—again. He understood how hard it was to give up some of her freedom and choice at a time when she should be expanding her horizons, and why she kept pushing against the limits she faced. She was young, and there was no clear end game for this situation that had taken over her life.

  “Okay,” she said. “You all put yourselves at risk for me, and I’m grateful beyond words for that. I’m not so selfish that I’d ignore—”

  Cassie’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean to imply that—”

  Tasha put a hand to stop the other woman. “I know. I
know. Thank you, I accept your invitation.”

  “Okay, that’s settled. You’ll stay here tonight,” Cassie said.

  “Good.” Jared sipped his wine. “Because I have some preliminary feedback on the info you got from Jasper’s phone. We’ll have even more by tomorrow, and we can go over it first thing in the morning.”

  Kellan stood. “I’d like to see what you’ve got so far.”

  Jared shook his head. “It’ll wait. Get some rest. We’ll have more context in the morning.”

  Tasha found his hand again and he forced his fists to relax. She laced her fingers with his and her touch soothed some of the tightness in his soul. “Alright. Tomorrow.”

  Tasha sat cross-legged on the bed and leaned against the headboard while she watched Kellan pace from the door to the window and back.

  The room Cassie had put them in was decorated with a southwestern motif. Copper framed watercolors of saguaros and blooming barrel cactus decorated the walls and a predominantly turquoise and ochre comforter covered the queen-size bed in a Navajo rug pattern. The overall effect was calming, but clearly Kellan wasn’t soothed by the décor.

  “Aren’t you tired?” she asked. “You’ve had a rough day. Come sit with me.”

  “I can’t.” He didn’t meet her eyes. “I need to be doing something.”

  “There’s nothing to be done. Not yet, anyway.”

  Kellan went to his suitcase and pulled out a pair of shorts. “I’m going for a run.”

  “Now?” It was 9:30 at night. “I can think of better ways to burn off your excess energy.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smile, but his eyes were sad. “Can I take a rain-check on that offer? I’d love to be with you, but then I’d keep you awake tossing and turning. You deserve better than that. Get some rest.”

  Tasha understood. She really did. If someone had tortured and murdered Ana she wouldn’t be able to relax until she’d found them and torn them into tiny little pieces. But that didn’t stop her from feeling disappointed.

  Kellan changed and headed for the door.

  “Is that all you’re wearing?” He was bare-chested, and while she enjoyed the view, it was only about forty-five degrees outside.

  “I’ll be fine. I don’t feel the cold like you do.” He gave her a quick kiss.

  That brief contact didn’t allow for much mind-to-mind communication, but it was enough for her to sense the wall he was trying to build around himself.

  Tasha got ready for bed and turned out the light. He might try to protect her from the turmoil he was feeling, but she wasn’t going to let him isolate himself. He could kiss that idea goodbye.

  The glowing numerals on the clock declared the time was 3:18 when he slipped back into the room. He’d been gone long enough to run a marathon. He took a quick shower and then the bed dipped as Kellan carefully slid under the covers. Tasha waited half a minute to see if he would spoon her, but when he didn’t she rolled over and gently laid her hand over his.

  The distress that had churned his thoughts was under control now—or he’d locked it away from his surface thought, anyway. She wanted to comfort him. He wanted her, he’d been unequivocal about that, but his mental walls were old and strong. Protecting himself from intrusion was an ingrained habit.

  **Did you have a good run?**

  **Not really. I had a stone in my shoe. Its name was Tasha.**

  So she was an irritant?

  **Did you get rid of it?**

  **No. I was glad it was there. It reminded me that I wasn’t alone.** Kellan pulled her against his side so she could pillow her cheek in the dip between his shoulder and his lightly furred chest. He rubbed his hand slowly up and down her back. **I’m glad you’re here.**

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kellan leaned forward with his elbows braced on his knees while Jared reviewed the file his security team had emailed him. They’d identified all the named contacts in Jasper’s phone. Nearly all were business contacts that Kellan recognized. Three needed further research. Two were new clients that Jasper had interviewed without him, but only one stood out as highly questionable, and that number had been traced to a burner phone. Jasper’s phone showed that he’d received several calls from it, and returned one the day before he died.

  Kellan rubbed his eyes. He’d only had about three hours of sleep. He’d forgotten how early toddlers awakened, and apparently when Grace got up, the whole house did, too. He would have been better rested, but he’d made love to Tasha until they’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms. That was worth losing sleep for.

  Tasha perched on the arm of his chair, her fingers resting on the back of his neck. “So how are we going to find out who had the burner phone Jasper was talking to?”

  “We’re going to follow the phone,” Jared said. “My people are doing it right now.”

  “I thought only the police could do that.”

  “Anyone can pay certain services to trace a number,” Kellan said. “If it’s a regular contract phone we can get a name and address, too. With a burner, we’ll triangulate on his location and then get GPS coordinates when we’re close. Then we’ll ask him a few polite questions.” Kellan shot a serious look at Jared. “I need to be in on that.”

  “Of course.”

  Jared’s cell rang with Beethoven's “Ode to Joy.” He frowned when he saw the caller, then answered, “What’s up, Dave?” He listened for a few minutes, then said, “That’s not a name I recognize. He’s not one of Beelzebub’s or Lucifuge’s acolytes. Hold on.” He put the phone down, typed into his computer, and then tapped a button on the phone. “I’ve got you on speaker. Kellan and Tasha are here. Your guy isn’t a demon. He’s Hungarian and his name is actually two words; az oroszlan. It means The Lion.”

  “Any idea who this guy is? How worried do I need to be for my sister and her kid? Is he going to send a few guys or an army after her?” Dave’s voice spoke clearly through the phone’s speaker.

  “He’s primarily a drug trafficker though he diversifies into human trafficking when opportunity knocks. I don’t know how vindictive he is,” Jared said. “What’s a lot of money for one man is tipping money for another, but nobody tolerates betrayal in that world. Even if the money is negligible for him, he’ll be looking to make an example of someone. I’d err on the side of caution.”

  “Always. I plan to get this money back to The Lion ASAP so he’ll call off his dogs. With a little luck, I can drop it at Chad’s place, they’ll find it there, and this will all be over. Not for Chad, but that’s his problem. He brought this on himself.”

  “Do you have backup you can call? Cam is on a case up in Phoenix. Should I ask him to break it off and send him to you?”

  “I have people I can reach out to.”

  “Good. I’ll have some of my people dig into The Lion and find out what I can about him.”

  “Thanks. Later.” Dave ended the call.

  “Who are Julie and Alex?” Tasha asked. “Dave’s girlfriend?”

  “His sister and her son. He’s calling from California. It looks like her boyfriend stole some money from a crime boss.”

  Kellan winced and glanced up at Tasha. “Let that be a lesson to you. Never date a moron.”

  “No worries. I’m taken.”

  Her answer spread a pleasant warmth through him.

  “Breakfast should be ready soon. I’ll send a data request regarding The Lion to my team. You and I can track down Jasper’s mystery caller after that.”

  Kellan nodded and stood, pulling Tasha up with him. He’d been a private investigator for over ten years—this time. Finding Jasper’s killer probably wouldn’t be as easy as tracking down one guy.

  “I’ll be ready,” Tasha said.

  Kellan stiffened. “You’re not going.”

  Tasha just lifted a brow. “We’ll see.”

  Dave banged on Chad’s apartment door, but stood next to it with his back against the wall. It wasn’t yet dawn, and Chad didn’t strike him as an ea
rly-to-rise kind of guy. Some people woke up grumpy, so Dave was playing it safe and not standing in front of the door in case Chad objected to being rudely awakened. Especially since Dave had done his best the day before to put the fear of az oroszlan into him. He didn’t think the jerk had the smarts to take his advice to get out of town.

  He knocked a second time. There was still no answer or sound of movement inside, so Dave bumped the cheap lock and let himself in.

  Sweet baby Jesus.

  For half a second Dave wondered if Chad was an even worse slob than Julie, but then he realized that somebody had searched the studio with the same delicacy he’d shown Julie’s place. Apparently, Az Oroszlan wanted his money back, bad. The oven was open and so was the refrigerator. Melting ice cream dripped on the floor.

  Shit. Had Chad been home when these guys showed up? No. There was no smell of blood or death. Maybe Chad had been smart after all and taken his advice.

  Just to be sure the asshole wasn’t dying on the floor, Dave checked the closet and the bathroom. Clothing lay strewn everywhere, but no Chad.

  There was no point in leaving the money here, now. The Lion’s boys had already searched the place. They wouldn’t be back. But he might be able to find out who they were. He went out to his truck and returned with the fingerprint kit he’d learned how to use since he started working with Cam. He dusted the refrigerator, the dresser drawers, and the closet door. Then he emailed the prints to Jared. Low-level muscle like these guys probably had records. Jared’s people would get names and addresses for them in a few hours. It was nice not having to wait on a backlogged police forensics lab.

  Dave wiped up the residue of fingerprint dust then slipped out, quietly locking the door behind him with the hem of his shirt. He left no trace of having been there.

  Tasha fumed as Kellan, Jared, and Gideon discussed the technology and the process they’d use to locate and identify Jasper’s contact. She wasn’t sure which was more aggravating, Kellan’s dictatorial dismissal of her help, or their obliviousness to the stink-eye she was giving them. She’d tried to tell them that she could be an asset to their plans, but Kellan had shut her down with a shake of his head before she could describe her skills. Why keep them quiet?