Hunted By The Others (9 page)

I printed out both e-mails and brought them downstairs, going straight to my purse and digging out my cell phone. Sara came into the doorway, leaning against the frame to watch what I was doing.

“Anything interesting in the mail?”

Punching in Arnold’s number, I listened to the other end ring while holding out the printouts for her to read. She sat down next to me on the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table while she read them.

Arnold picked up on the fifth ring.

“Arnold? It’s Shiarra.”

“Oh, thank God.” He sounded both rushed and relieved. “I was afraid you might be dead, too. Listen, if you’re at home, get out. Go somewhere safe, somewhere no one knows you. A hotel maybe, out of the county or even out of state would be best.”

“What?” I knew it sounded stupid, since I’d heard him clearly. I was just so incredulous.

He sighed into the phone, making me cringe at the crackling sound right in my ear. “Look, there’s some crazy stuff happening. Word must have gotten out that Royce has the focus. We were trying to keep it quiet, but somehow a couple of packs of Weres, another coven of magi, and a whole shitload of other vampires found out about it. Even some of the White Hats might know something about it by now. They’re all gunning for it, and him. I wasn’t expecting this or I would’ve given you more firepower when you came by.”

I propped my elbow on my knee and held my head up with that hand, closing my eyes as I tried to think of something useful to say. “What the hell did you guys drag me into?”

“Not ‘you guys,’” he said, annoyed. “Veronica hired you, not me. I never would’ve gone this route if I’d been in her shoes, but she thought she knew best. I tried to tell her the probability of success was less than thirteen percent doing it this way, but no, I’m just the Head of Security for the Arcane Division and she’s the Assistant VP of Purchasing and Acquisitions. Apparently I don’t know squat about these things.”

“Yeah, right, be quiet a sec. It’s a little late to hold a grudge. Not to sound like an unfeeling bitch, but she’s dead and I’m not. I’d like to stay alive. Can you help me?”

He took a deep breath and once again let it out right into my ear. I held the phone a few inches away until he started talking again.

“Yeah, sorry. Yeah.”

“Great. So what can you tell me about this thing?” I asked, trying to rein in my temper. A headache started pulsing right between my eyes, not improving my mood one bit.

“I can’t,” he said, sounding nervous now. “Not over the phone. Where are you now? I’ll come meet you.”

I thought about what I had to get done this morning and gauged the urgency of his tone and what I knew of the situation against the probable amount of hell I’d receive if I missed Damien’s birthday bash.

Sara took my moment of silence to interject a few words. “Hey, what’s he say? Is he going to talk?”

Arnold must have overheard her voice, because he spoke up immediately, his nervousness even more pronounced. “Who was that? Who’s with you?”

I waved at Sara to be quiet while trying to make my tone of voice reasonably soothing. I don’t think it worked. “Don’t worry about it, she’s on our side.” My side anyway. “I’m supposed to go see my family in just a couple of hours. How long do you think this will take?”

“Oh, geez, don’t let the possible end of the world as we know it get in the way of your family plans.” I could almost see him on the other end of the line waving his hands in the air dramatically to punctuate his words. “Your life is about to be taken and probably everyone you know is in danger, but hey, by all means go to the movies or whatever.”

“Are you finished?” I asked, more than a little annoyed. I didn’t ask to get dragged into this, and I was getting pissed off that everyone I dealt with the last couple of days assumed I’d do things their way. That or they bullied me into it.

He growled something harsh under his breath, but a second later he said calmly, “I’m done. But I’m thinking it would behoove me to stick with you for the next day or two, at least until this blows over. Especially after what happened to Veronica. I don’t want to see the same thing happen to you, and I feel partly responsible for putting you in this danger in the first place.”

“Uh, yeah, about that,” I started, suddenly remembering with crystal clarity and a sinking heart how Royce had laid down his terms. “I’m kind of in a tough spot at the moment. Royce found out what I was after, and he said he’s buying out The Circle’s contract. He wanted me to tell someone if there were questions, refer them back to him, but afterward cut all ties with The Circle.”

Arnold went quiet. I could have just about died of embarrassment, sure he must have figured out that I broke under pressure. When it came, his voice was low, even, and controlled, belying the near-panic of a few moments before and the geeky exterior he put on.

“What else did he say? Did he literally say ‘cut all ties with The Circle’ or how did he word it?”

My, he was taking this much better than I thought he would. I was starting to see why they chose him for the head of security.

“He actually said, ‘You are to end all contact with The Circle except to tell them that your contract with them is null.’ He also told me I need to turn the belt over to him, but I can keep the other stuff. I’m supposed to keep my mouth shut about that little statue thing. He also wants me to sign papers.”

“Good God, and you agreed to this? Willingly?”

“I had to!” I couldn’t keep from raising my voice, and I jumped when Sara put a hand on my shoulder in a silent attempt to calm me down. It didn’t work. “He’s threatened to bring my family into this. I didn’t want to do it, but I didn’t have much choice at the time. I’m trying to do the best I can with what I’ve been given, so at least give me some credit for that. Besides, I’ve got a plan to deal with him anyway.”

To his credit, he at least made an attempt at sounding sheepish. “Sorry. Under the circumstances, it just sounds a little extreme, even for a vamp. He must want something out of you to put you in that kind of position.”

“No kidding.”

“There’s a bright side to this, though, since he didn’t tell you to cut ties with all employees, just with ‘The Circle.’ That means I can still technically help you as long as I’m doing it as your friend instead of as part of the coven, under the corporation’s cover. I’ll waive any fees since I’ve got a personal stake in this anyway.”

Well, fancy that. I hadn’t even thought of Royce’s terms that way. Maybe I did have more slack to work with than I thought, and I was really lucky Arnold was going to help me get through this pro bono. Getting a professionally trained mage to act as your metaphysical bodyguard generally was something only the very well-to-do could afford.

“Thank you.” I felt like ten-pound weights had just lifted off my shoulders. “I’m really grateful for all your help. You’ve already done a lot for me.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Like I said, I’ve got personal reasons for doing this, it’s not all for your sake. Oh, and where is this thing with your family? Are you leaving now? I’ll just meet you there and stick with you until I can figure out a better solution to keep you safe.”

Recalling the dice, the coke-bottle glasses, and the weird T-shirt, I couldn’t help cringing at the idea of having him show up at my brother’s birthday party. They’d probably think I was dating him, and I’d have to go along with it since I couldn’t tell them what he was really doing there.

“This can’t wait just a few more hours?”

He sounded less enthusiastic than I felt. “No. I don’t want to take any chances at having another death hanging over my head. Especially a preventable one.”

“Great.” I sighed, steeling myself for the inevitable twenty questions from Sara, my brothers, and worst of all, my parents. What the heck could be so dangerous as to merit having a mage bodyguard at a family barbeque? “Then you’re going to have to keep quiet around my relatives about what’s going on. And be prepared to deal with my overprotective brothers.” And politically incorrect parents. I sincerely hoped they wouldn’t realize right off that he was a spark. And even more, that they wouldn’t say something offensive.

“No sweat. Give me the address.”

I did, feeling more and more uneasy by the minute. My family hated that I was a PI instead of doing something “safe” like nursing or waitressing or being a secretary somewhere and “letting a man take care of me.” I briefly thought about asking him to pretend to be human, then realized resignedly that would make me even worse than my family for trying to make him be something he wasn’t. Besides which, I doubt he had any way of tamping down the aura that followed in the wake of any actively practicing mage.

“Great, I’ll meet you there in about an hour?” he said.

“Yeah, maybe an hour and a half.” I made a face at Sara as she mimed being love-struck, clasping her hands over her heart and fluttering her lashes goofily. I smacked her in the arm, wincing when she hit me right back. “See you there.”

As I ended the call, Sara once again kicked back in the chair, examining her nails. “You really think your dad isn’t going to notice he’s a mage?”

I shrugged, staring at the phone in my hand. “Maybe not at first. Eventually he’ll figure it out.”

“Guess you better get ready to face the music then.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, rising with a groan to head to the shower. “I guess so.”

After I was ready, Sara and I drove to my parents’ place on Long Island, swinging by the mall so I could grab a latte and a gift. I felt especially cheesy for getting Damien a gift card and a movie, but I figured he’d get a laugh out of
Zombie Cheerleaders from Outer Space
and might forgive me if I gave him something cool later. Assuming I lived long enough to get the real gift I’d bought him, buried in a closet back at my apartment.

Though I wasn’t comfortable about it, I stuffed the belt and perfume into my duffel and put on the necklace before I left. The bag was perched in my back seat, and I felt a little better knowing I had some manner of weapon with me, even though I didn’t know how I’d ever bring myself to use it.

The street was shaded with old oaks and elms, the yards wide and deep, with lots of kids running around and riding bikes up and down the steep hill. I loved the view from up here; the balcony at the back of my parents’ house looked out on the water less than a mile away. The smell of salt was thick in the air and the sky faintly overcast, but it was clear and warm enough that it wouldn’t stop my dad from firing up the barbecue. It would probably rain tonight. Just what I needed to improve my mood.

Arnold was there already, though I almost overlooked him leaning against a high-end sports car, which probably had a monthly payment higher than most people’s mortgages. He hadn’t struck me as the type to drive something so flashy. Surprise, surprise, he was also wearing presentable jeans and a nicely unassuming black button-down shirt under a leather jacket, with the hint of a white T-shirt showing at his collar. Somewhere along the way he’d lost the glasses. He looked like a totally different person, and made me feel like a heel for thinking that someone that worked for a company as high profile as The Circle wouldn’t know how to dress.

“Hey, you made it,” I said. “How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long.” He turned to Sara, who was eyeing him from my side. He extended his hand to her in greeting. “Hi, I’m Arnold.”

“Sara.” She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Arnold.”

“She’s my partner.” I noted the strange look he was giving us and rolled my eyes. “My
business
partner.”

From the way his expression immediately cleared up, I knew he had been thinking Sara and I were an item. Ugh. Moving right along.

“Do you want to tell me now what you couldn’t say over the phone, or after you deal with my prying siblings?”

He frowned at me like I was foolish for asking. “I don’t think this is a good place for it. Why don’t we discuss it after we leave? In the car, maybe?”

“You planning on leaving your car here?” I asked, incredulous. I mean, not that there’s tons of crime in this neighborhood, but you don’t just leave a car like his sitting out in the middle of the street, even in suburbia.

He sighed, now obviously annoyed. “I thought I’d be driving, since I’m supposed to be watching over you, not the other way around. There are probably some people on the streets looking for you right now, which means they’re also going to be watching for your car.”

“Oh.” Brilliant. And here I thought I knew what I was doing, being Miss Bad Ass PI and all. “Okay, you’ve got a point. I’ll see if I can leave my car in my parents’ garage for the week, but I’ll need a cover story.”

“That’s easy enough,” Sara chimed in. “Just tell them that we’re all going to my place in the Hamptons for a week and you don’t want to leave your car in the garage at the apartment. Didn’t someone steal your radio a month ago?”

“More like three, but yeah. Good idea.”

With that settled, I headed toward my parents’ house. It was a fairly decent-sized two-story colonial with a vibrantly green front yard, whitewashed walls, and dark green trim. My mom likes traditional décor and my dad loves the rustic look, so along with antique furniture and plush carpeting, they have trophies and hunting equipment hung up all over the place.

Someone had left the front door open, and I could hear a football game on the big screen in the living room. The three of us walked up the wide steps and through the screen door. My mom, who was an older, shorter, curvier version of me, poked her head out of the kitchen to see who was in the hall. She brushed a few faded red curls out of her eyes and smiled, a reflection of my own amber eyes glinting back at me.

“Hey, honey, you’re just in time. The potato skins and hot wings will be done in about five minutes. Who’s this you’ve got with you?”

Arnold peered over my head, lifting his hand in a friendly wave and smiling. “Hi there, Mrs. Waynest. I’m Arnold, hope you don’t mind my dropping in with Shiarra.”

“Not at all.”

She stepped into the hall to usher us in and give Arnold a warm handshake and a once-over. Not to mention shoot me a questioning look. There was something close to guilt behind it that made me instantly suspicious, though I couldn’t exactly say anything about it in front of Arnold.

“Is Janine coming?” Mom asked.

“No, I’m afraid not,” Sara said, amused.

My mom loved Sara and had taken her under her wing and wanted desperately to do the same with Janine. She invited her to everything and Janine always said no, except once when she unexpectedly showed up at a Superbowl party. Mom took the opportunity to try to pair her up with Damien, but it was a disaster and Janine never accepted another invitation again. Though we never knew whether it was her general fear of men or something about my brother (his horrible taste in movies, perhaps) that drove her off, I couldn’t say I was sorry not to have her along today. My mom still persisted in cheerfully inviting her to every family shindig we had. She was nothing if not tenacious.

“I think she’s still in London, but I’ll tell her you asked after her the next time I see her.”

“Oh, that’s unfortunate. Well, the boys are all in the living room watching the game, why don’t you go on in there and relax? I’ll bring the finger food out in a few minutes, and I’m sure Rob will be firing up the barbecue soon.”

“Sounds great,” Arnold said, giving me a sidelong look and a smile that bordered on sly. I couldn’t imagine why, and it made me even more uneasy.

“Thanks, Carol. Do you need help in the kitchen?” Sara asked.

“No, everything is just about ready. Go on inside, I’ll join you kids in a few minutes.” She hurried off into the kitchen, almost like she was trying to avoid further conversation. Usually she’d ask Sara and me to help or at least stand around and talk for a few minutes to see how we were doing. Weird. Especially since I’d brought Arnold. Every other time I brought a boy to the house, it always started with twenty questions, usually ending up with me embarrassed, if not the guy, too, so this was a nice change of pace.

Glad that we’d passed the first hurdle smoothly, I sincerely hoped my dad and brothers would be equally easy to deal with as I led the way to the living room. Damien and Mikey were avidly watching the game on the TV, and it looked like Mikey’s girlfriend, Angela, had curled up on the couch next to him and fallen asleep on his shoulder. I glanced to the side as I walked in and almost tripped over my own feet at what I saw.

My dad was in the corner playing chess with my ex-boyfriend.