Protector Unmatched, page 16
It was close to midnight when he heard the sound of a key in the lock. About time!
The light came on, followed by footsteps, then the sound of a door closing. Zoltan rose from the armchair that had hidden his entire body and turned. Vasili, white as a sheet, froze instantly.
“What the fuck?” Vasili said, but the big man didn’t sound as mean and forceful as usual. Something had shaken him.
“You’re late.” Zoltan narrowed his eyes. “Where’s my stuff?”
Vasili’s eyes fell on the opened closet and the footlocker with the cash in front of it. “You broke in.”
“No shit, Sherlock! I asked, where’s my stuff? The dagger!” Zoltan took several steps toward him, and Vasili backed away. But he had nowhere to go. The door stopped him.
“My guys, they backed out,” Vasili said, and motioned to the footlocker. “Take your deposit and leave.”
“I’m not leaving without what you promised me.” Zoltan snatched Vasili by the lapels of his coat. “Where the fuck is my dagger?”
“I told you—”
A punch to his face stopped him from completing the sentence.
“Where is my dagger?” Zoltan repeated.
“They couldn’t break in. The security system… it was too sophisticated. They chickened out,” Vasili mumbled, fear now shining from his eyes. Something had spooked him, but Zoltan was pretty sure it wasn’t his presence.
“Where is it?” He slammed Vasili against the door. “Where—”
“Stop, please, stop! I’ll tell you. There’s a safe. In the study of a mansion. Behind the painting. But the codes we had for it, they didn’t work. I can’t get to it. I’ll hire another crew.”
Vasili was almost shitting in his pants. Zoltan had never seen him like this. It didn’t matter. A scared Vasili was a compliant Vasili.
“I’ll do it myself. The address! Now!” Zoltan let go of him.
Vasili almost fell over his own feet when he walked toward the small desk and reached for a pen and a piece of paper. Zoltan stood over him while he wrote the address with a shaking hand. When Vasili was done, Zoltan snatched the piece of paper from him and put it in his inside pocket.
“I think it goes without saying that from now on you’ll provide me with any information I seek without delay. I won’t tolerate you and your games anymore. Do we understand each other?”
Trembling, Vasili nodded.
“I’m sick of you hiding your valuable contacts from me and stringing me along. And if you gave me the wrong address, I’m going to be back. And I won’t be as friendly as I am now. You get that?”
Cold fear shone from Vasili’s eyes. He muttered something Zoltan didn’t understand, and Zoltan snatched his chin and made Vasili face him. “What did you say?”
“I’m as good as dead.”
Zoltan smiled. Vasili was right about that, because one wrong move, and Zoltan would snuff out his life and have fun doing so.
25
Pearce stopped in front of an empty lot toward the end of an alley. They’d parked the car two blocks away in a small parking garage and walked for only a few minutes.
“We’re here,” Pearce said, and glanced around.
Daphne turned toward the other side of the alley, where several one-story buildings that looked like abandoned warehouses and workshops sat in darkness.
“Which one is it?”
Pearce put his hands on her shoulder and turned her back to face the empty lot that was strewn with tumbleweeds and trash. “This one.”
She shook her head and stepped back, feeling uncomfortable going any closer. As if something bad was emanating from it.
“What you feel is natural,” Pearce said, and clasped her hand.
“How would you know what I feel?”
“It’s the wards that surround our compound that make a human want to turn away from it. It helps us keep our location secret.”
Daphne shook her head and pointed toward the empty lot. “But there’s nothing here. Is it underground?”
Pearce smiled. “Come.”
He stepped closer and left the cobblestone pavement of the alley, setting a foot on the abandoned lot. Then he reached out a hand and seemed to touch something. A moment later, it looked like he was gripping a handle, and despite the darkness, Daphne realized that whatever he was touching wasn’t visible.
Hinges creaked, and Pearce pushed something heavy away from him. Suddenly, a faint sliver of light appeared. The sliver grew broader as Pearce continued to push. A foyer opened up in front of them, where before, there’d been nothing.
Her breath hitched, and her pulse raced.
“Quickly, go inside,” Pearce demanded, and ushered her in. He followed her, and she heard the closing of a door.
Daphne whirled around. The alley was gone. In its place was a heavy oak door with iron ornaments.
“Welcome to my home.”
“But… how?” She looked around. They were inside a small foyer with one other door. There was a ceiling, from which a single light hung to illuminate the place. Next to the second door was a keypad. Pearce typed in a code, and a faint beep sounded.
He pushed the second door open and looked over his shoulder. “The building is invisible to anybody but a Stealth Guardian. It ensures that we’re safe from detection.” He tugged at her hand and pulled her through the door into a hallway.
Flabbergasted, she let him lead her inside. The hallway was made of thick stone walls, as were the floor and the ceiling. Along the walls there were embellishments, too, carved symbols that seemed to repeat.
“Are those runes?” she asked.
“Yes, they are part of the magic that keeps this place hidden.”
“This is amazing. I can’t believe this exists, and nobody’s ever found it.”
He smiled at her. “It’s been here for a very long time, long before Baltimore was built.”
“But—”
Her question was interrupted by a man who charged around the corner. She’d seen him before. When the man saw them, he came to an abrupt stop.
“Hey, Grayson,” Pearce said. “What’s going on?”
Grayson gave her a stunned look, then asked Pearce, “You think that’s wise?”
Apparently Pearce knew what Grayson was referring to, and she suspected it had something to do with her, because Pearce said tightly, “My business.”
“I guess.”
“So what’s the big news?”
“They’re waiting for you in the command center. I’ll let them explain. I’m on my way to the safe house to relieve Ryder.”
“Where my brother is?” Daphne asked. “Is he okay? Is he healing?”
Grayson nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Ryder said he’s already looking better.” Then he walked past them toward the door that led into the lobby. “See you later.”
“See you,” Pearce called after him.
The moment Grayson closed the door behind him, Daphne looked at Pearce. “So, he’s a vampire?”
“A hybrid vampire, just like Ryder. Both are good guys. You won’t have to worry about your brother.”
To her surprise, she hadn’t even thought about her brother until now. Guilt rose to the surface. She was a bad sister, leaving the care for her brother to two strangers, two vampires. “Maybe I should check on Tim.”
“He’s probably sleeping right now. We can go see him tomorrow, okay?”
She contemplated a protest, but Pearce was probably right. There was no use in going to the safe house now and waking Tim. He needed his sleep to heal from the wounds the two thugs had inflicted.
“Okay.”
They continued walking along several long hallways, passing doors and stairs.
“How big is this place?”
“Big. Several stories, both above and below ground.”
“It looks like an old castle.”
“It kind of is.”
“And you really live here?”
“I’ll show you my private quarters later. You can shower there and get some rest, but I’ve gotta see the guys first to find out what’s so urgent.”
Footsteps suddenly came from a corridor to their left. Daphne glanced toward it and saw a woman with flaming red hair walk toward them. When their gazes met, the woman gasped and stopped in her tracks. She looked as if she’d seen a ghost.
“You,” the redhead said.
“Winter,” Pearce called out to her.
Slowly, she approached, her gaze not wavering, still fixed on Daphne. “You brought her.”
Something in her tone of voice sounded like an accusation. Just like Grayson hadn’t been pleased to find Daphne here in the compound. And one other thing was evident: Winter recognized her. How or why was unclear.
Pearce nodded. “Something is up. I couldn’t leave her out there unprotected.”
Winter didn’t immediately answer; instead she ran her eyes over Daphne, until they fixed on the messenger bag she’d slung across her torso.
“Any weapons in there?” she asked.
“Weapons?” Daphne asked, stunned. “Just my computer and a change of clothes.”
Winter looked at Pearce, but said nothing.
“She’s not armed, Winter. Relax.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.” Then she sighed. “They’re all in the command center, waiting for you. But you can’t bring her.”
“I know that. So, why don’t you show Daphne to the kitchen and see if she wants something to eat or drink?” He turned to Daphne. “I won’t be long. I’ll meet you there when I’m done, and then I’ll show you my private quarters.”
Despite Pearce’s reassuring words, Daphne felt uneasy about leaving with the redhead, who clearly didn’t like her, or at the very least, didn’t want her to be here. But Pearce was already walking down another corridor, and Winter stood there, waiting.
“This way.”
“Thanks.”
While they walked in silence, Daphne wondered how much Winter knew about her. Had Enya told her what had happened the previous night and earlier today? Perhaps that was why Winter had been so startled. It had to be the reason.
At a nondescript door, Winter stopped. She opened it and motioned Daphne to walk inside ahead of her. The room was huge: an open-plan kitchen with a massive island. Adjacent to it was a large living room with a TV mounted on one wall, and a sectional that could seat at least ten. Several armchairs completed the seating arrangement.
When Daphne entered followed by Winter, they weren’t alone. Two women sat at the island, nursing a bottle of wine and chatting. They turned their heads and fell silent. To Daphne’s surprise, she recognized one of the women. She looked like the mayor of Baltimore. But that wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. Maybe the woman was just her doppelgänger.
“This is Daphne,” Winter said, and pointed to the two women at the island. “That’s Kim, and that’s Tessa.”
Tessa. Same first name as the mayor. It had to be her. “Tessa? As in the mayor of Baltimore?”
“That’s right,” the woman said.
“Wow…” Daphne was speechless.
“So you’re Pearce’s Daphne,” Tessa said.
“We heard about you,” Kim, the woman with the long black hair, added.
Apparently, Enya had told everybody about Daphne and Pearce. Had she told them that she’d caught them having sex at the safe house? Daphne felt heat rise to her cheeks. She wanted to sink into a hole in the ground, embarrassed. But no convenient hole was available. She would just have to pretend that she didn’t know that these women knew pretty much everything about her sex life with Pearce. It wasn’t something she was used to. She didn’t even have a BFF with whom to share stories about her love life. And now three strangers—no, make that four with Enya—knew about her sleeping with Pearce a day after meeting him. No wonder they were scrutinizing her with eyes that seemed to escape nothing.
“Hi,” she said hesitantly. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I can just go to Pearce’s quarters…”
“No, no, stay,” Kim said. “We’re just winding down after a long day. Would you like a glass of wine?”
A glass of red wine sounded relaxing. “Actually, yes, that would be nice.”
Kim jumped off her barstool, opened one of the hanging cabinets, retrieved a glass, and poured the wine. “Here you go.”
Daphne took the glass and sat down on one of the barstools that Tessa pointed to.
“Winter, how about you? Wine?” Kim asked.
“I’ll make myself some tea.” Winter started getting busy with the kettle.
“So you’re Daphne,” Kim said.
Before Daphne could reply and ask what she meant by that, if she even had the courage to find out, the door opened again. A woman with long, dark brown hair entered, blowing out a breath.
“Finally, the twins are asleep. Thanks for reading to them earlier, Tessa.”
“Sure, you know I love them.”
Only now did the woman notice Daphne. “Oh, we have a visitor?”
“I’m Daphne. Pearce brought me—”
“Oh, you’re Daphne. I see.” She ran her eyes over Daphne, then came closer and stretched out her hand. “I’m Leila. I checked out your brother. He’s doing fine. No concussion. And Ryder’s blood is working wonders. He’ll be like new tomorrow.”
Daphne shook Leila’s hand. “I’m so grateful to you and to Ryder. To everybody who helped.” She let her gaze roam over the women and checked for their reactions. They seemed apprehensive, and Daphne couldn’t shake the feeling that they were prejudiced against her. Had Enya’s tale about the sexual encounter soured the women against Daphne? Did they see her as a hussy, as a woman not worthy of the affections of a Stealth Guardian?
“Well, we’re always glad to help,” Winter said as she poured water in her teapot and carried it to the island. “I hope you’ll remember that it was Pearce who saved your life.”
Daphne’s chin dropped. Was that a threat of some sort? Before she could formulate a reply, Leila put a hand on her forearm. “Oh, I’m sure Daphne knows what a wonderful guy Pearce is, so don’t you worry, Winter.” She smiled. “Now, who wants a midnight snack? I think we still have ice cream in the freezer.”
~ ~ ~
Pearce stared at the photo Hamish held up. He couldn’t believe his own eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“It’s the real thing. We compared the photo to the drawings and paintings in the archives,” Logan confirmed.
“The source dagger…” It was undoubtedly the dagger that had vanished hundreds of years earlier, the only dagger forged in the Dark Days that had the power to create portals that could transport a Stealth Guardian from one side of the world to the other within seconds.
“And you think that our dagger is in that safe, the one Daphne was supposed to rob?”
Hamish nodded. “Grayson is on his way to speak to Tim to see what he knows, and Enya left to interrogate Vasili about it. After all, he had the picture on him. If Grayson had shown it to Enya right away when he frisked the guy, she could have gotten more information out of him right away, but Grayson didn’t realize its significance.”
“We should ask Daphne too,” Manus suggested. “If she was tasked with breaking into the safe, she would have known what she was supposed to steal.”
Pearce shook his head. “She was told to empty the safe, no matter what was inside it.”
“What if she’s lying?” Manus asked.
“And why would she do that?” Pearce growled.
“Why would she want to kill you?” Logan said. “There could be plenty of reasons for either. I’ll accompany you to her place, and we’ll ask her.”
Pearce ran a hand through his hair. “That won’t be necessary.”
Logan went toe to toe with him. “I’m coming with you. End of discussion.”
“She’s not at home.”
“Then where…” Then something seemed to click. “Really? Are you fucking nuts? You brought her to the compound?”
Pearce shrugged. “Hamish told me over the phone that it had to do with the thugs that attacked Tim. Naturally, I figured it meant that Daphne could be in danger. So I, uh… Well, she’s here.”
“Guess there’s nothing we can do about that now,” Aiden said. “I’m assuming she’s not running around without supervision?”
“’Course not,” Pearce said. “Winter is with her.”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “You left her with Winter? What if she—”
“Daphne won’t hurt her. If she’s any danger at all, then she’s a danger to me, and me alone. Winter of all people knows that. Besides, I’m pretty sure she won’t harm me. The danger from Daphne is over.”
“Because you slept with her?” Hamish asked.
Pearce spun his head in Hamish’s direction. “Why is everybody so interested in my love life?”
“Oh, it’s love now,” Manus commented.
“Shut up, Manus!” Pearce pounded his fist on the desk. “Let’s stop discussing my sex life, and figure out what to do about the dagger. We have to secure it. Sooner rather than later. The longer it’s out there, unprotected, the more likely it is that the demons get wind of it. And with Zoltan knowing what it looks like…”
A few months earlier, Zoltan had managed to snatch a page from one of their books that depicted the source dagger and laid out its magical powers. Pearce was sure, just like his compound comrades, that Zoltan would try anything to get his hands on the dagger, because it meant he would be able to create a portal. A portal that was automatically connected to all portals within the Stealth Guardians’ world. It would allow him to attack from within and annihilate them.
“That goes without saying,” Aiden said.
Pearce nodded. “Then let’s work on a plan. I know about the two security systems at the house. They won’t be a problem, particularly since we’re not opening any windows or doors. We can bypass the motion detectors, which will trigger the silent alarm, by remaining invisible. The safe is another question. I didn’t get a good enough look at it to see what type it is, but maybe Daphne knows. She also had some possible combinations of codes that might work.”
