by Susan Harris
He shouldn’t be enjoying himself as much as he was.
But soon, Derek Doyle would know what it was like to lose everything he held dear, even if it cost him his own life in the process.
Derek’s good mood lasted for all of five minutes. It was as if a switch had been flipped, and the man who had teased her and laughed with her had been replaced by a tension-laced man. He now paced the floorboards, staring out the double-glazed window at the clear blue sky. Ever leaned against the doorframe, coffee cup in hand, and watched him, her own mood dampening and a fresh wave of anger pulsing in her veins. Derek had shut down the mating bond, and only the barest of whisperings in her mind assured her it was still intact. She longed for him to glance at her with the lopsided smile she loved so much, just to reassure her that everything would be okay.
And she hated herself just a little for being needy enough to want it.
Gum smacked behind her, and Ever turned to see Erika striding down the hall with a holdall in hand.
“I thought Boyband might like his own clothes to wear. Make him less Oscar the Grouch.”
Taking a sip from her lukewarm coffee, Ever paused before questioning Erika. “How did you manage to get in, get clothes, and zip back out without being seen by the masses outside his house? And, by the way, how the hell did you get out the front door when it’s still locked from the inside?”
The grin that spread across the woman’s face reminded Ever of the smile she had seen in her madness; the memory of a blood-smeared grin was enough to turn her stomach.
“Would you believe me if I simply said magic?”
“Only if you tell me what you are.”
Erika popped a bright green bubble. “Hopefully soon you’ll figure it out all by yourself.”
Nudging past her, Erika went to Derek and tossed the holdall at his feet. His head shifted slightly as he halted his pacing, giving Ever a breathtaking side profile. Stubble hugged his rugged chin, stretching up to feather a thin line on his cheek. The stubble also framed lips too sensuous to be on any man—lips that had kissed her and teased her. Heat flushed her cheeks as she stood mesmerized by him.
A hazelnut eye laced with the barest hint of amber twitched in her direction. She watched them, Erika and Derek, while they spoke, sound drifting away, and her eyes closed of their own volition.
A river of blood pooled at her feet, and she dropped to her knees, a sound of pure grief and sorrow escaping from her throat, her keening floating across the winds. She pulled the slain body into her arms, placing kisses on the girl’s brow, whispering the warrior’s prayer to usher her soul into the afterlife.
“Ever.”
The voice wasn’t enough to drag her from the grief that threated to enslave her, the darkness that seeped into her veins seeking vengeance, seeking bloodshed, and praying for the pain to stop.
“Ever.”
The tone was stronger now, harsher even, but Ever did not care as she cradled the broken body of her sister in her arms. Her skin remained warm to the touch, that rosy tint on her lips still casting doubt on her sister’s death. But the carnage done to the remnants of her torso made Ever want to be sick on the sand.
A familiar aura came to kneel beside her, and a hand grasped her shoulder. “We must take her now, Ever. Let us take our sister so her soul can be free and go to Fólkvangr. Almira will look after her.”
“Just one more moment.”
Erika squeezed her shoulder, rising to leave Ever in her misery.
Tears trickled down Ever’s face as she placed her lips to her forehead one last time. “I will avenge you, Joslyn. I will make Odin bleed for what his berserkers have done to you. I will ensure that the one who slayed you suffers the fire of a thousand deaths before his last breath flees his body. I vow it, systir mine. By my blood, by my word, it shall be done.”
With a glance over her shoulder, she spied Erika and her champion standing face to face, his golden-brown eye watching her from the side as she beckoned her sisters forward. They came forward, five now instead of six, and gently lifted Joslyn’s limp body from her arms and proceeded across the sand in slow, deliberate motions.
A horn sounded continuously in the distance as Ever watched the silhouettes vanish over a sand dune. Then, as Ever pounded her fists against the sand still stained with Joslyn’s blood, the horn cut out, and she released the scream of rage, grief, and loss that had threatened to slip free of her composure before he sisters had exited the beach.
Strong arms encircled her from behind. No reassurance, no comforting words; simply a presence to ground her to reality, keep her feet on solid ground. She knew not how long they knelt in the pool of her sister’s blood as day cast a shadow into night and her screams rang hoarse in her throat.
Her eyes sprang open, blurry, and it took Ever a second to realize tears were trickling down her cheeks. Thankfully, Derek had gone back to staring off into space, but Erika held her gaze with the same look of sorrow that Ever felt in her bones.
Can Erika read my mind like Donnie?
Striding away from Derek, Erika made to pass her by, then stopped and leaned in. “Nope, can’t read your thoughts. But when you’re ready to talk about what’s going on in your head, you know where I’m at.”
Ever opened her mouth to respond, when Erika’s face tensed as if she were in pain. With a growl, she stormed off down the hall, calling over her shoulder for Ever to let her know when ‘Boyband’ was ready to head out.
There and then, Ever resolved to discover exactly what secrets her new friend was hiding.
Setting her coffee cup down on the coffee table, she carefully walked over to Derek. “Are you ready to go?” she asked, chewing on her bottom lip while she waited for him to answer.
He scrubbed a hand down his face before he cupped her cheek. “I just need to check on Donnie, tell him where we are going. Head out to the Jeep; I won’t be long.”
And then he was gone, stalking past her and out of the room before she could utter a simple syllable. Insecurities played through her mind as Samhain’s words came back to her.
“You made your decision, Ever, even if it is the wrong one. When you come crawling back to me, which you will, then we can speak. I can’t sit by and watch you make the biggest mistake of your life.”
Had she made the biggest mistake of her life?
The unease, this sense that something was wrong, plagued her. It twisted a knot in her stomach and made her heart thud a tad harder against her chest. Not only did she feel like she was losing her mind, but she was also terrified that she had jumped into a relationship with Derek to fill some hole in her life—and admitting it scared her even more.
“When this starts to crumble, and crumble it will…”
Shaking her mother’s words from her head, Ever called out for Erika as she unlocked the front door, slipping outside and breathing in some air. The scent of rain hung in the air, but it was a familiar scent any time of year in Ireland. She cast a thought back to her visions, and an odd sense of longing to feel sand between her toes or the sun shining down on her face filled her mind. She knew if she closed her eyes that the scent of rain would dissipate, and the smell of the ocean would capture her senses instead.
“You ready to go?”
Erika’s voice startled her, and she jumped. If the girl knew she had interrupted Ever’s thoughts, she made no indication of it. Erika slipped on some sunglasses and walked around to the driver’s door. Ever contemplated waiting until Derek came out the door, but the voice in her head had other ideas.
Don’t stand there waiting for him. He should be waiting on you; he chose to serve you. Get in the damn car, Ever Chace. Get in the damn car.
Limbs moving of their own accord, Ever opened the passenger door and slid in beside Erika, the girl blinking in surprise as she did.
“If he wants to be a broody asshat, then so be it. Doesn’t mean I have to wait around for him to crack a smile.”
A light giggle sounded. “Right on, siste
r. Right fucking on.”
That word again—sister. It was a word that knocked around in her head whenever she was near Erika, like a psychic shock to her system. Ever strapped herself in as Erika started the car, Fall Out Boy’s “Immortals” pumping from the speakers. Ever spared a sideways glance at Erika, who simply tapped away on her steering wheel, a stupid grin plastered on her face.
The back door opened, and Derek slid into the seat behind her. Sneaking a peek in the mirror, she spied that Derek had changed into jeans and a fresh T-shirt. The blueness of the tee made her think of the shores of Valhalla… wait, what?
“We good?” Erika queried, shifting into first gear.
“We’re good. Donnie’s gonna freshen up, then meet us at the station.”
“Roger that.”
They travelled in silence; well, apart from the songs that pounded from Erika’s speakers. For the first time, Ever felt Derek tweaking on the bond, trying to reach inside her mind, and she wanted to clamp down, shut him out. Right now, all she needed—all she wanted—was to have her mind to herself.
She recited the lyrics to the song playing from the speakers, “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” until the presence of Derek in her mind dulled to a mere hum. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
“Ever… c’mon, wake up. We’re here.”
Erika nudged her to consciousness. Stretching out her limbs, Ever looked over her shoulder, disappointment flickering when she discovered the back seat was empty.
“He didn’t want to wake you since you seemed to be sleeping so peacefully. Ricky was waiting when we arrived, and Derek went in to chat with him. He told me to let you sleep for a while, but I think you would prefer to be in there.”
Ever rubbed her eyes, grateful for the dreamless nap. “Yeah, cheers, Erika. Derek thinks he’s protecting me—that I’m fragile and likely to get hurt by his past. I can look after myself.”
Erika removed her sunglasses, her honey-kissed eyes sparkling. “If Boyband thinks you are fragile, then he doesn’t know who he mated. If he thinks you can’t protect yourself, then he didn’t look too closely at the bruises on Donnelly’s body. If Boyband thinks that you will be happy to walk around his house, pregnant and barefooted for the remainder of your days, then he’s stupider than he looks.”
The serious look on Erika’s face dragged a smile to Ever’s. She patted the girl on her shoulder. “Thanks. I appreciate the fact that someone has my back.”
Ever laughed, her tone teasing, but Erika had yet to lose the grimness of her gaze.
“I have always had your back. I always will… until my heart no longer beats and the blood in my veins stills. I vow it.”
I vow it. Ever had said those very words in her daydream, speaking to a slain girl in the sand. Erika held her gaze for a moment, then scooted from the car. Her thoughts stilled as she exited the car and strode after Erika into the station. Neither of them spoke again; they simply slipped into the crowded room where a very different conversation was happening.
“I called Chloe this morning, and she’s on her way,” Tom said as Ever embraced him for a moment and then perched on the edge of his desk.
Her eyes studied the group. Caitlyn and Donnie stood at opposite sides of the room. Donnie was wearing dark glasses, and his face was schooled. Caitlyn wore the same expression she always wore—that mask of calmness—although she was a little paler than usual, even for vampire.
Ricky leaned back in his chair, his boots atop his desk, and Derek leaned against the wall behind him. The all looked like someone had kicked a puppy. And the tension in the room was almost combustible.
“They can’t seriously think I had anything to do with taking a shot at Arthur, right? I mean, I’m tagged like some common mutt.”
Tom replied to Derek’s question, his own lips tight as he spoke. “I’m not sure, Derek,” he sighed. “All I know is that they requested to see you again, and for you to bring your lawyer.”
Derek rubbed the back of his neck. “Caitlyn, can you get Melanie over here? We need our own lie detector on this.”
The dark-haired vampire shook her head. “She’s had enough excitement for the time being. Perhaps she may be willing to listen in by phone. You say she can detect it despite not being present?”
“She did once,” Derek replied with a shrug. “Might be worth a shot.”
“Do the griffins really think Derek shot Caitlyn? Why would he shoot at his own people?”
A sharp tap came on the door before anyone could answer her. Chloe popped her head in the door. “Derek, they’re ready for us.”
Derek left the room, and Ever released the breath she’d been holding. Everyone made to leave at the same time, but Ever hung back, trying to quash down the jumble of emotions that spun in her head, making her dizzy. Only when the room was still did she realize Ricky was waiting for her.
“I suppose, in his defense, he is really old and hasn’t yet updated to current-day thinking.”
Giving him a small smile, Ever said, “I’m not sure if I can put up with it.”
“Then don’t.”
Ever blinked in surprise, supposing Ricky would have backed Derek to a fault.
“I see what you’re thinking, girlfriend,” Ricky said with a chuckle. “I love D, I really do. But sometimes he still thinks it’s the 1900’s and doesn’t know what to make of things. If he lets you see a different side to him, then you’re doing something right. Stick with him… give him time. It took you a few days to bring a smile to his face. I waited a year before he laughed at any of my jokes. In the end,” he said with a shrug, “it works itself out.”
She scolded herself for being so damn insecure.
“You know, Ricky, you are not as shallow or stupid as you like to appear.”
“Shh, babe. Don’t ruin the façade. I’ve spent years perfecting it.”
With a lazy grin, Ricky slung an arm over her shoulders and escorted her to the viewing room. The tension in the room returned as Ever slipped free of Ricky’s grasp and went to stand by an isolated Donnie. Caitlyn eyed her suspiciously but was holding out her phone to the speaker.
“How’s the head?”
“Like a marching band has taken up residence. Sorry ‘bout this morning.”
Eve reached out, giving his elbow a squeeze. “Nothing to be sorry for. You’re welcome to crash at mine for as long as you want.”
Donnie didn’t reply, maybe because he didn’t have a chance. Ever sucked in a breath as the griffins strode into the room. They unnerved her—those birdlike creatures with yellow eyes and sharp teeth.
“I don’t understand why my client is being implicated in this. Surely the data from his tracker clarifies his whereabouts?” Chloe said as she leaned forward in her chair.
Derek sat beside her, his own face a mask of calm stillness, that of a predator waiting to pounce on his prey.
“It appears,” Agent Knight drawled, “that the data was tampered with.”
“Bullshit,” Derek snapped, ceasing only when Chloe covered his hand with hers.
Agent Gober placed a sheet of paper down on the table in front of them.
Chloe lifted it, scanned it, and frowned. “That’s impossible.”
“Not entirely impossible,” Agent Knight began. “It appears a virus infected the storage system and wiped the data clear. I wonder who on your team is proficient enough with technology to create a virus to erase sensitive data?”
Not that that was a question. They all knew of only one particular person.
“That’s bullshit! I did nothing of the sort. Code like that takes time to come up with, and I had other bloody things on my mind than trying to set Derek up! If they actually thought about it, they would realize just how fu—”
“Hush, Melanie. We need to listen,” Caitlyn chastised, but there was no hint of malice or anger in her voice.
“So, that’s your plan now, is it? Melanie Newton is smart enough not to do something that in fact implicat
es Derek further in this crime. If she were skilled enough to erase the data, then would she not have been smart enough to upload replacement data? I seriously doubt that if Derek had, hypothetically, asked her to do so, the girl would not have had the brains to not frame him for attempted murder.”
“You go, Chloe girl!”
Donnie snickered as Ever herself bit back a laugh.
“Or they played it exactly like it appears to throw us off the scent.”
A growl rumbled in Derek’s chest as his lips snarled. The griffin hissed at him. Chloe held up hand to stop them.
“Why have you not asked my client where he was? If the data was corrupted, then the next logical question should be whether someone can vouch for his presence at the time of the shooting.”
“Can they?” Agent Gober asked, turning away and facing the window to the viewing room.
“I was with Ever Chace last night. And Erika Sands was in the house as well.”
Agent Knight sneered. “Your lover and your new teammate? As if they are viable witnesses.”
Derek edged back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “Samhain Chace can vouch for my whereabouts. She happened to come by last night.”
The two griffins glanced at each other, and Agent Gober slipped from the room. Silence deafened them, and Ever tapped her foot against the floor. After a few minutes, Gober came back in, her mouth tight.
“Samhain Chace is unavailable for comment at this time. Her assistant confirms she did indeed visit her daughter’s home yesterday evening, but unfortunately, without speaking to Ms. Chace, she cannot confirm what time that was.”
The griffin turned and peered in the direction of Ever through the glass. “It would seem your mate’s mother doesn’t like you very much, Doyle.”
“It’s not her mother’s affections I care about, Beckie.”
The griffin hissed at Derek for using her nickname.
“What about the blood test results? Surely you have them back now?”