Falling Into Place (32 page)

“Sounds like you did a lot of running around
and fact checking.”

“It took a lot of power to sneak through
Draecyn’s defenses. I do think it would be good to involve him. I
believe we can trust him.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Robert said.

“We’ll talk with her.” Tremaine glanced up
the stairs. “I can’t imagine what she must be feeling right now.”
He started toward the basement.

Once they were downstairs, Preston turned to
Tremaine. “So, I have to ask.” Preston hesitated a moment. “The
three of you? Did this all happen last night?”

“Yeah. Look, I don’t have answers. I never
expected to wind up here, but I wouldn’t trade it.” Tremaine
scrubbed a hand over his face and took a deep breath.

“And Robert? Do you feel for Robert
too?”

“Yes. I always have. Just not like this.”
Tremaine opened the door to his old room. It was clean, he didn’t
like clutter or mess, so there was nothing to pick up. “Robert’s
been one of my closest friends since even before his father passed
away. There was always a deeper connection, but I never considered
this. They were always Robert and Liz until she left. Even after
that I knew she needed him, I never thought she needed me the same
way.”

“Yeah, but you’re the only one she trusted
all this time. She’s not going to let you go.” Preston smiled
sadly. “Trust it, that’s all you can do. And if we figure out how
to fix Emily, don’t let her fuck things up for all of you.”

“Trust me. I won’t. That spoiled brat won’t
stand between us and Liz. I won’t allow it. Neither will Robert,
for that matter.”

“We’ll stop James. We’ll figure something
out.”

“I fucking hope so. I just wonder what
happens when Robert has to go back to the Council. I know he’s
known about Liz, but he led everyone to believe she was truly dead.
He wanted to protect her from being forced to go back to them.”

“Hey, I remember what they labeled her as. I
remember how they thought she was a threat and told us to watch
over her, keep her from fucking up. I think they assumed Robert and
her were like family, until it was too late to change the
assignments.”

Tremaine nodded. “That’s why she fought her
attraction to him for so long. Why it took Robert forever to
convince her that he loved her.”

“Well, she seems to believe it now. Good
luck though, she’s not going to make it easy on either of you.”

“Oh, I never wanted easy.” Tremaine grinned
before letting himself out of the room. He wanted exactly what he
had, and he would do anything to keep it.

Just a normal day,
Liz kept telling herself. Except it was Monday
morning and half the town had filtered through her shop, A Good
Book, and all to check on her and the rumors about her two men. And
of course, there were questions if there was a third since a few
people saw Preston pulling into her driveway.

Clint had bounced up to the counter with a
wicked smirk. “Please do tell me why Preston stayed the night last
night.”

She groaned. “You are such a twit. He was
tired, and since Tremaine is staying with me, he slept in Trem’s
old room.”

“Oh, well that’s not nearly as much fun,”
Clint grumbled, his smile falling.

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll have you know,
two men are plenty, and that’s all I’ll say.”

His nostrils flared and she had a feeling
that he could smell her desire. Well damn, but the two of them knew
how to turn her into a quivering heap of satisfied woman. Thinking
about them had a way of getting her all hot and bothered.

“Good for you.” He smirked as his eyes
drifted to the hallway.

She turned to see them both. Tremaine was
rugged as always. And Robert was dressed and styled as usual. Yeah,
they had a way of making her weak in the knees, especially standing
there, so different from each other, but watching her with the same
deep love in their gaze.

“Catch you all later,” Clint said before
walking away, and through the door.

“What’s the smile for?” Tremaine purred as
he came closer, and then dipped his head for a little taste.

Robert wasn’t far behind him, stealing her
mouth for a deeper kiss. He took a step back with a satisfied
smile. “I could get used to this shop. Spending my day with my two
favorite people.”

“Ditto, but what about the Council? You’ll
have to go back eventually, won’t you?” she asked quietly.

“Maybe not. I’ve lost my faith in it. I
don’t see it changing as long as Jarvis holds his position, and the
corruption twists up through the ranks.”

She nodded.

Preston came through the door. “Robert,
Trem, Liz. I just got news of an attack in Montana. I still think
we should call Draecyn.”

Liz closed her eyes and leaned against the
desk. “Yeah, okay. I mean, if you think James is working with
Jarvis, which I don’t doubt, then you’re right.”

“You going to be okay now? With what you
know?” Preston gave Liz a soft smile.

She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’d rather we
deal with James and Jarvis now. I can worry about Draecyn being my
father later.”

Preston sighed. “Robert, as much as I hate
this, want to take me to him?”

“Sure,” Robert said and walked around the
counter. “Seems fitting that we bring him in on this case. I’ll
need to warn him about Liz being alive, though.”

“Please, don’t tell him we know he’s my
father. Let him decide what move to make,” Liz said. If he didn’t
want to tell her she was his, then she’d pretend like she wasn’t.
Two could play at that game.

“Love, he should know that you know,” Robert
said softly.

“Yeah, well he had years to admit he knew.
He didn’t. So it doesn’t really matter. I have the family I want.”
She looked at Robert, and then Tremaine. In reality, she included
Christian, and Old Lady Murdock, who was a strange old lady, but
really, the closest thing to a mother Liz ever had.

Robert closed his eyes and took a deep
breath. “And if he thought it’s better not saying because he thinks
you don’t know?”

“Go, and don’t bring it up, please. It
doesn’t matter. I’m old enough not to need a daddy just because I’m
supposed to have one.”

“Fine,” he growled. “We’ll talk later.” He
stepped up to Preston and grabbed his shoulder before disappearing
with a whoosh of air.

She turned to Tremaine. “What would you
do?”

“I’d tell him.”

She frowned, and he stepped close and took
her face in his big warm hands.

Tremaine murmured, “I promise you, Liz,
Draecyn only did what he thought was right. He was a mess for
months after you were taken from them. We searched for almost a
year, but he gave up hope soon after we found that child’s body.”
He took a deep breath and let it out. “Then when you came to the
academy, you were known for going on rants about parents who never
cared for you. I imagine he thought you would hate him for giving
up.”

“I didn’t know,” she whispered.

“I know, doll. So if you want a chance to
make things right, you have to be the one to talk to him.”

“I guess we’ll see how he takes me being
alive first.” She sighed and leaned into his hard body as his arms
wrapped around her. She smiled against his chest. “You know, I like
this better. Not having to hide loving you. It was getting really
exhausting.”

He chuckled low and soft. “Trust me, I know.
I like waking up with you curled around me.”

She smiled. “I like waking up between you
two. It’s the best sleep I’ve had in ages. I didn’t even wake up
with nightmares this morning.”

“I believe we properly wore you out,” he
murmured against her ear before he slid her hair over her shoulder
and nuzzled her neck.

* * * *

Robert and Preston appeared in Draecyn’s
office in Charleston. Draecyn looked up from his laptop with a
raised brow. “Robert, Preston, what brings you two by?”

Robert let out a frustrated sigh. “Well, a
few things actually, and Liz may hate me for this, but your
daughter is well and alive, and we believe Jarvis is helping my
brother James to go after her.”

Draecyn’s eyes rounded and his mouth opened
and closed like he couldn’t quite formulate a response to that.

Preston gaped at Robert, and then smacked
him upside the head. “You could have let me do that instead of
landing your ass in the doghouse for doing exactly what she told
you not to do, dumbass.”

Robert scowled at him. “You could have
opened your mouth first.”

“I had to force my lunch to stay down,” he
scoffed.

“Elizandra is alive?” Draecyn said in
astonishment as he put his hands on his desk and pushed himself to
a standing position. “And you know she’s my daughter?” He asked
hesitantly.

Preston sighed. “She doesn’t think you want
her. So if you mention the fact that anyone told you anything, let
me take the blame. She’s honestly happy with her choice in men, so
don’t judge her on that either.”

“I always thought Robert was the perfect
choice for her.” He smiled fondly. Robert knew he was probably
thinking back.

“Look, it’s a little more complicated than
that,” Robert said simply. “There are bigger things to deal with.
Like the fact that my brother, who is supposed to be dead, cursed
my sister, and now he’s on a trip with Jarvis. James is draining
mages on his way to drain Liz.”

Draecyn’s brows arched. “James is alive and
a dark mage now?”

Robert shook his head. “Liz says he was
before his supposed death, and I swear I thought we had killed
him.”

“Slow down. All I know is that he supposedly
died in a fire, and that Liz died in a crash. What really
happened?”

“We don’t have time to discuss it all.”
Robert slammed his hand down on the desk. “Just know that he
attacked her, and we went after him the next day. I knew she was
alive but she needed to be away from the council, so I let her go.
My sister kept James alive. He’s out for vengeance, and to rip
Elizandra’s very essence from her body.”

Draecyn nodded slowly. “Sorry, I’m catching
up here. You’re telling me that my daughter is in trouble. I take
it this means you want my help?”

Robert let out a frustrated growl and paced
away.

Preston said, “Yeah. Jarvis was the
assignment you gave us. James is with Jarvis. We may as well nail
both of them at once. They are both sick fucks, and both mean Liz
harm.”

“Then let’s go,” Draecyn said as he stepped
around the desk and held out his hand for Robert.

* *
*
*

“A Good Book?” James glared at Jarvis, who
shrugged back. “You believe Liz owns a book store named A Good
Book?”

“Tremaine runs the store. The names are both
fake, but I have eye witness accounts of Tremaine running the store
with a woman who looks an awful lot like Liz,” Jarvis insisted.

“I’m warning you, if you are wrong, I will
not take kindly to being played a fool.”

“Of course not, James. I am telling you that
this is the place,” he whispered angrily.

“Why does the sign say ‘open’ when there is
no one inside?” James shook his head.

“Liz was always talented at creating wards
no one else can. It’s probably something like that. Stop being a
pussy and go in there.”

Jarvis was right, he was being a pussy.
James closed his eyes, and willed his brother’s visage, hoping
Robert wasn’t already in there. So far, he couldn’t sense his
brother’s presence. He’d always been able to feel his blood
relatives when they were close.

If he were there, it would throw the whole
plan out the window. James snarled at Jarvis. “You stay here.”

Jarvis glared back. “No shit. I can’t very
well walk in there.”

He took a deep breath and strode across the
street, but ducked behind a car as a stunning brunette ducked into
the shop. Interesting. And as soon as the door was closed, he
couldn’t see her, or anyone else in the store.

Waiting, he stayed crouched, hiding. James
didn’t want a witness when he went in.

* * * *

The door opened and in walked Dacia.
Tremaine dipped his head as he backed toward the hall. “I told
Christian I would help unpack the shipment. Be back in a few.”

Liz’s brow arched. “Oh fine.”

Dacia walked up to the counter. She almost
looked like herself, all except the dull look in her eyes as she
said, “Sorry about last night.”

Liz nodded. “Don’t worry about it. I get it.
Believe it or not, I’ve been there.”

“You’re not the type to lie and try to make
it better. Damn, you didn’t even really try to make it better. You
told me like it was.”

“Well, I like the truth better than
lies.”

“I appreciate that. Hey, can I get a dry
cappuccino?”

“Sure.” Liz grabbed the milk and made the
coffee. Dacia said nothing else, and Liz wasn’t sure what else to
tell her.

She slid the cup to Dacia. “It’s on me
today.”

“Thanks.” Dacia smiled a little before
leaving.

Liz leaned against the counter. Her thoughts
went to Robert and Preston, and what they might be telling Draecyn.
She was willing to bet that Robert did exactly what he said he
wouldn’t. Which should tick her off, but she knew she wouldn’t tell
Draecyn herself, so it was probably for the best.

She heard the storage room door open the
same time someone walked through the front door. She recognized
James’ yellow brown eyes. His face was stretched and scarred as if
the flesh had melted and slid before freezing. There was no hair
left on his face, but she knew it was him.

Her reaction was instant. Liz darted around
the counter and caught him around the middle. She drove him to the
ground, making sure her knee was in his groin.