Ignited (15 page)

“What?”

“You all described the Morrisseys as brutal killers out to get me.”

“Right.”

“Did you recognize those Protectors in Muir Woods?”

He shook his head. “No. I’d never seen them before. Listen, I see where you’re going with this. Those men weren’t part of the Morrissey family, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t working with them.”

“Then why didn’t they attack us?”

“They did. I was there, remember?”

I thought back to the confrontation. “Not really. I attacked first when they wouldn’t let you go. Before that, the leader said he wasn’t there to hurt us. He wanted to talk. That doesn’t sound like the Morrisseys you described. If those men worked for them, they would have tried harder to take me out.” I leaned forward. “Asher, that man had me. Before Gabe showed, my heart blew. That man knew I was down, and he didn’t act on it.”

Asher looked up, lost in thought. “Come to think of it, I don’t think they meant to break my arm. I went after one of them, and he defended himself. I think he expected me to be using full strength.” His smile was wry. “I’m guessing he didn’t know what to make of the new, weaker version of me.”

I thought back to the group in the living room yesterday. “And besides you and a minor cut for Lucy, nobody was hurt, right? That doesn’t seem off to you, considering how vicious the Morrisseys are?”

His jaw tightened. “It does now.”

I tried to understand what this meant. If those men in the woods hadn’t been working with the Morrisseys, who were they? Was Franc working with different Protector factions now? To do that, he chanced bringing hell down upon his community. A few Protectors might be willing to deal with my grandfather for access to a limited supply of Healers. Add more Protectors into the mix, though, and the supply diminished. Simple economics. Franc would have a disaster on his hands working with different groups, not to mention his people would find out and hang him.

I glanced over at Erin, making out her blond ponytail over the seats. Suddenly, I was glad that she had decided to come with us. I didn’t trust her brother to look out for her if the Protectors got tired of scraps. And Franc was perfectly capable of feeding her to the Protectors when he decided she was no longer useful to catch me. Once we found my father, I’d have to help her find a safe place to stay. Then I’d have to find my own haven. I sighed, pushing thoughts of the future away.

“I hate this,” I said. “Not knowing who is after us. Are we going to be safe in London?”

“As much as we ever can be. We’ve never told anyone about this house. We wanted a little hideaway in case anything happened.”

I almost moaned at the word
little
. How were the six of us going to get along crammed into a tiny house?

C
HAPTER
T
WELVE

I
was going to have to talk to Asher about his sense of proportions. His family’s “little” hideaway turned out to be a huge terraced Victorian house on Chapel Street, situated at the heart of London in Knightsbridge. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the neighborhood was affluent. We passed exclusive shops that I would never dare to enter and fancy homes that looked more suited to the movies than real life. I didn’t know people who could afford to live like this. Except somehow I’d become part of this world when I’d met Asher.

He’d gone ahead in another car with Gabe so they could check things out in advance. Once they secured the house, they’d let Lottie know it was safe for us to approach. The house didn’t have a garage, so Lottie instructed our driver to pull over on the tree-lined street to let us out. One tall bricked home butted up against another here, giving the appearance of a solid wall of buildings. A black wrought-iron fence and gate lined the sidewalk, blocking off the front doors and what appeared to be a staircase that led to a basement-level courtyard.

I stared at the house in shock, counting four floors aboveground, plus the basement. The second floor up from ground level had balconies opening off floor-to-ceiling windows, and neat planters decorated every window. I had the absurd thought to wonder who looked after those plants when the Blackwells weren’t home. Geez. They probably had staff.

I followed the others into a bright entranceway. Morning sunlight lit the whole area, sending prisms of light through the giant chandelier hanging above us. We went up the staircase directly in front of us, and I peeked through a doorway into another room. Walnut floors shone from a recent waxing. Nutmeg brown walls blended well with expensive tan furniture that invited a person to sit by the fireplace. I took one step into the room and glimpsed a grand piano.

That was enough for me. I’d never felt so out of place, and I’d been comfortable at the Blackwells’ home in Blackwell Falls. If that place had seemed a mansion, this place was pure decadence. I wouldn’t be able to sit on the furniture without freaking out that I’d break something. Someone bumped into me.

Lucy stumbled to a stop beside me, her eyes bigger than mine. “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”

Our eyes met and we both giggled. Lucy sobered a second later and wandered away, and I was sorry the moment had ended. At least I wasn’t the only one feeling like I’d walked onto a movie set. Erin disappeared into the next room to explore, looking just as shell-shocked.

Lottie opened the curtains over the windows that faced the balconies. She’d never been more Queen of the Manor.

“How many rooms do you have here?” I asked.

“Well, you saw the entrance hall downstairs, but that’s not really a room. On the ground floor, we also have the dining room, kitchen, library, and toilet. This is the drawing room we’re in now, and back there is a conservatory and roof terrace. One floor up is Gabe’s room and his bathroom, and the top floor has two more bedrooms and a bathroom. There’s also a lower floor with a wine vault, family room, and another bedroom and bath.”

She moved about, describing corniced ceilings and marble bathrooms, but she’d lost me back at drawing room. I’d grown up in a five-room crappy apartment that could have fit onto one floor of this house. Twice.

I shook my head to clear it. I needed a nap before I tackled more of the house. “Lottie, where are we sleeping?”

“I thought the Healer and the mortal might want to share a room.”

“Gee, thanks,” Lucy said, with a wry twist of her mouth.

Lottie shrugged. “I thought the Healer girl might feel more comfortable in a room without a Protector.”

“The Healer girl has a name,” Erin snapped, returning to the room.

I winced. This was going to be fun if we couldn’t get along for five minutes.

Lottie simply shrugged again. “Whatever. You two will take Asher’s room on the top floor near mine. Gabe and Asher will share his room. And Remy will take the basement room.”

They were hiding me in the basement, with a whole floor separating me from the others. Awesome. Had that been Asher’s choice? When would his rejection lose its sting?

Lottie saw my expression and added, “It was Gabe’s idea. Yell at him.”

I held up both hands. “I’m too tired to argue. I think I’ll head down and take a nap. Where did Asher and Gabe go?”

“Not sure. I think they’re upstairs arranging rooms.”

Good answer,
I thought, dragging myself to the staircase with a wave at the others. I hadn’t slept at all on the flight, and I was so tired that I was stumbling into walls. Between the scene with Asher on the plane and the weird glances Gabe had tossed me at the airport, I couldn’t wait to be alone for a while.

I took myself down two flights of stairs, happy to let my mental walls relax once I was away from the others. Keeping my defenses constantly up took energy I didn’t have. At the bottom of the stairs, I hesitated, unsure which way to go. With a shrug, I went toward the direction that faced the street. I passed through the family room Lottie had mentioned and ended up in the wine vault. Dozens of bottles were slotted into the wall in front of me and lined the wooden counters on both sides.

“This place is like the Met,” I muttered. I’d once gotten lost in the huge New York museum, and I felt the same way now.

“It’s easy once you know your way around.”

I whipped around to find Gabe standing in the doorway blocking my exit. He didn’t seem inclined to move aside, either, crossing his ankles and bracing a lean hip against the doorjamb. He watched me, his mouth quirked with another of those odd smiles he’d worn on the plane and at the airport. He reminded me of a cat who had found a mouse to toy with.

“Oh, I think you’re more the cat than the mouse,” he said in a silky voice. “Like a cat, you’re crafty and hard to pin down.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Very funny. Does that make you the mouse?”

“Catch me and find out,” he challenged, his green eyes darkening.

I sucked in a breath as unwanted awareness scorched through me. Embarrassment burned my cheeks. He couldn’t have meant that how it sounded. Because it sounded like the kind of thing a guy told a girl he liked.

“In case you’re confused, Remington, that was me flirting with you. And I more than like you.”

My systems went on red alert, shrieking warnings to my brain. My hands went damp with nerves, and my heart raced like I’d chased a Red Bull with a gallon of espresso.

“Uh, Gabe. I don’t think . . .” I stumbled to a stop as realization hit. Gabe was flirting with me. If Gabe was flirting with me, then he knew . . .

His full lips curled into a satisfied smile, making them look more sensuous than usual. “That you and Asher broke up? Hell, yes.”

And damn it if he didn’t look happy about it.

“How?” I said, reduced to a one-word response.

“Lucy. She let it slip on the plane. And before you get angry at her, she had no clue that I didn’t know.” Gabe straightened, taller and bigger than I’d remembered. More everything than I’d remembered. I took a quick step back and he matched it with one forward. “What I find really interesting, Remington, is that you didn’t tell me in all the times we’ve talked.”

It was ridiculous to feel stalked, right? I knew Gabe. He was my friend. And yet I glanced both ways, looking for a way to escape. “Don’t read into it. Asher’s reasons for breaking up with me are tied to what’s happening to him. I thought it wasn’t my place to tell you about that.”

“No,” Gabe answered emphatically, taking another sure step when I stumbled back. “That’s not it.”

Affronted, I came to an abrupt halt. “Excuse me? Are you calling me a liar?”

“About this?” He stopped, too, and tilted his head to one side like he was considering it. Then he said, “Yes.” I gathered myself up to yell at him, but he stalled me by pressing a finger to my lips. “Before you argue, let me add that I don’t think you’re doing it intentionally.”

“What are you talking about?” I mumbled against his skin.

He dropped his arm. “I think maybe you know that you and I could have something, and it scares the hell out of you. You didn’t tell me about Asher ending things because you’re afraid to give us a chance.”

I glared at him. “Nice theory, but I’ve told you that we’re just friends. It’s been two weeks since Asher and I broke up, and my feelings haven’t suddenly changed because we’re not together.”

I thought maybe I’d gone too far, that maybe I’d hurt his feelings, but Gabe raised one brow and leaned forward to say, “I agree. You’ve had feelings for me since San Francisco.”

Denial rose up fast and furious, and I shook my head. He was insane. He’d gone completely mental. I opened my mouth to tell him, and that’s when he took two giant steps forward, invading my space with all his muscles. I tripped away until my back hit the wall. I had nowhere to go, and Gabe was practically plastered to my front. I threw a panicked gaze his way and slid to one side to duck past him. He planted a hand on the wall by my shoulder, ending that plan. He did the same on the other side, before the thought occurred to me to change direction.

I was caught between his body and the wall. I stared up at him, helplessly confused. “Gabe . . .”

“Have I ever told you what it was like when my parents died?” I shook my head, thrown by the non sequitur. The last thing I’d expected him to talk about was his parents. “Asher was eighteen and Lottie sixteen. We had suddenly become immortal in a battle that we didn’t intend to fight. Our parents and older brother were dead. And I’d become responsible for keeping my family together.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, trying to concentrate on his words. It became more difficult when our breaths synchronized and our bodies brushed with each inhalation.

“We got by. Everything I’ve done since that day has been about keeping my family safe. All of my choices have been about them. Where we lived. How we lived. What was best for them, even when it meant giving up what I wanted. Because I was the oldest. And I was okay with that.”

I got that. Hadn’t my life changed when Lucy had become my responsibility? Gabe’s breath brushed my face, and I trembled.
Duh, it’s cold in here,
I told myself.

“And then you came along. Tradition and history say the Healer bonds to the oldest brother, but then you’re not like other Healers.” He shook his head ruefully. “No, you fall for my brother and bond to him. I wanted you for myself, but I stepped aside. Because I love Asher. And I hated watching you together, but I tried to be okay with that, too.”

He took an extra deep breath, touching me from chest to waist in an action I suspected was deliberate. I held my breath for all of two seconds and then gasped for air.
Because I’m dying from lack of oxygen. Obviously.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, jumping when his hands landed on my shoulders.

“When you chose Asher in September, I left to give you both space. But now my brother has made his choice. I love him, but he had his chance, and I’m not leaving again.”

Gabe’s fingers traced my shoulders and stroked upward to cup my neck. His thumbs tipped my chin up. The heat in his eyes weakened my knees, and I would have fallen if my hands weren’t braced against the wall behind me.