THIRTY-THREE
Leila shivered and wrapped her arms around her torso as she watched Pearce at the console.
He cast a look over his shoulder. “Sorry, it has to be cold in here because of the computers. Why don’t you get yourself a jacket from Aiden’s room?”
“I think I’ll do that.” She walked toward the door when she heard Pearce’s chair scrape along the floor.
“But come right back. I’ve promised Aiden I’d watch out for you.”
She hesitated, wondering whether to ask the question that was bothering her. Curiosity won out. “When I arrived here, Enya said I shouldn’t be here. But isn’t this the safest place to hide your charges from the demons?”
She turned halfway and noticed how he watched her. “It is. But no humans are allowed here, because they can betray us to the demons. And if they ever find the location of our portals, they can destroy us. It was foolish for Aiden to have brought you here, I won’t deny that . . . ”
Leila sensed a hesitation in him. “There’s a ‘but,’ isn’t there?”
“There’s always a ‘but.’ The rest of us here at the compound discussed this while you were in his quarters with him. We know that Aiden will hesitate to kill you should you be influenced by the demons, but let me make it perfectly clear to you: the rest of us won’t.”
Her breath hitched at the unveiled threat. It shouldn’t surprise her, however, she had not sensed any hostility from Pearce before.
“Don’t get me wrong, we all want Aiden to be happy and you seem a nice enough woman, but if you betray our race, there’s only one course of action.”
She nodded, her vocal cords freezing. She might be a coward, but she wouldn’t betray Aiden again. After the trust he’d shown her, she knew she’d rather die than do anything to hurt him. “I understand, but I won’t betray any of you.”
“Good.”
Pearce turned back to his console, and Leila exited the room. As she walked through the silent hallways that were adorned with strange symbols and artwork, she suppressed the sense of foreboding that crept up her spine. She was worried about Aiden. What if this time Zoltan came back with more than just two other demons to finish them off? Already, the first time they’d attacked, they had been so strong that Hamish and Aiden had barely been able to defeat them.
Biting her fingernails, she entered Aiden’s rooms. In his closet she found a bomber jacket. She slipped into it and inhaled. A faint smell of Aiden hung in the air, helping calm her nerves. When she closed the closet, her eyes fell onto her handbag, which lay on the dresser where she’d left it hours earlier. It was all she possessed now. Even the clothes on her body weren’t hers.
Enya had lent her a pair of jeans with plenty of metal buttons and clasps on it that weren’t really to her taste. But, she figured, beggars couldn’t be choosers. At least she was glad that Enya’s clothing size was identical to hers, so the jeans fit like a second skin. She’d been surprised that the female Stealth Guardian had lent her anything at all, considering the hostility with which she’d treated Leila. While the men in the compound had been polite enough, Enya had not made it a secret that she wanted her gone.
Leila opened her handbag and peered inside. She realized immediately that her cell phone was missing. Her wallet was there, together with a pair of sunglasses, a notebook, and her can of mace. She reached for it, remembering the evening she’d met Aiden and how he’d told her at the Irish bar that anybody who knew what he was doing could easily wrestle the can out of her grip. He’d proven that he could. She sighed. So much had happened since then. The things she’d been afraid of then had blended into the distance and become insignificant. There were greater dangers in this world than a few muggers who wanted her money.
And she’d thought that she could never date a policeman or a military guy because of the danger they faced every day. Funny, how she now considered these choices to be safer than losing her heart to a Stealth Guardian who battled demons on a daily basis. And she was in danger of losing her heart to Aiden, even though she knew there could be no future for them. He was an immortal. She wasn’t. End of story.
Leila shoved the can of mace into her jacket pocket, not really knowing why. Stupidly enough, it made her feel safer in Aiden’s absence, even though she knew that the can could never defeat a demon. She’d felt Zoltan’s strength, and had she not at the time had Aiden’s power in her, he would have overwhelmed her.
She shuddered at the recollection of Zoltan’s face so close to hers, of his green eyes boring into her, his hands on her throat, and his thoughts in her head. Instinctively, her hand went to her neck, rubbing it, trying to wipe away the gruesome memory.
Not wanting to remain alone any longer, she made for the exit and rushed back along the corridor. As she turned a corner, she spotted the door to the command room. It was ajar.
Then everything went dark.
“F*ck!” she heard Pearce curse.
Fear gave her wings, propelling her toward the room. “Pearce!” she screamed.
“Power failure. Leila! Get in here, now!”
She ran, then stumbled, her hands flailing, gripping something.
***
Enya peered through the drapes, watching the street below where the hookers plied their trade. Behind her in the dark room, Logan slouched in one of the comfy chairs, his long legs resting on the coffee table.
“Anything?” he asked, bored.
“All clear so far. Not that I think that our suspect will arrive uncloaked.” She turned to him. “I could have bet that by now one of the council members would be on the move. Are you sure your cell phone has reception?”
He glanced at the phone in his hands, then waved it at her. “Yep. Still no message from Pearce.”
It bothered her. Her instincts were never wrong. And she knew that Aiden’s plan was solid. The council member who had tried to kill Leila would assume that their last hiding place was the Thai massage parlor—unaware of the farmhouse in California—and therefore return to it to finish Leila off.
Turning away from the window, she crouched down and stroked the head of the dog who lay next to Logan’s chair. The German shepherd looked up at her. “Good dog,” she murmured.
The room was shrouded in darkness. On the nightstand next to the bed lay Leila’s cell phone. Enya had taken it from her bag, figuring if their suspect had a way of tracing it, it would be best to bring it to the massage parlor. Pearce had pronounced the phone clear of any bugs, but she’d brought it nevertheless and even switched it on.
“What do you think of her?” Logan suddenly asked.
“Of who?”
“The human, of course. Don’t tell me you haven’t formed an opinion about her yet.”
In the dark, she noticed how one side of Logan’s mouth curled up in a mocking grin.
“What do you care?”
“Just asking. Does it bother you that you’re not the only female at the compound anymore?” he needled her.
“She won’t be staying.” She was a mere interloper, a human. She didn’t belong there.
“Are you so sure about that?”
“I know Aiden. Do you really think he can be with a human after what happened to his sister?” Aiden wasn’t the forgiving sort. He could hold a grudge longer than anybody she knew.
“His little friend doesn’t seem to think so,” Logan chuckled.
“His little what?” Then she suddenly realized what he meant. “Oh, you’re so gross, Logan!”
“Nothing gross about sex.” He seemed to enjoy her discomfort.
But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of backing down now. “Just because he’s stuck his dick in her, doesn’t mean he’s keeping her. I know how you guys work. Or why do you think I have no intention of ever spreading my legs for any of you?” There, he could chew on that.
“Spoken like a truly unsatisfied woman.”
“Am not!” Enya snapped.
“Trust me, you so need to get laid.”
“Oh, please, as if everything can be—”
The soft growling of the dog interrupted her. The animal got onto its feet, its ears standing up, its snout trained in the direction of the door.
Jumping up, Logan stared down at his phone, then shook his head ‘no,’ indicating that he hadn’t received any message from Pearce.
Enya held her breath and cloaked herself, noticing Logan doing the same. She waited, watching the dog. It was trained to keep quiet, but his body language indicated that somebody had just entered the room.
The soft rustling of a dress or a coat disturbed the silence.
“Attack!” Enya ordered the dog.
A loud shriek came from the intruder as the dog’s teeth dug into the invisible person, who fell to the floor in a reverberating thump. In the same instant, Enya launched herself onto the intruder, uncloaking herself in mid-movement. Logan simultaneously appeared to her left.
Her hand connected with an arm. She grabbed it and wrenched it. Enya could see that the dog was still tugging at something, digging its teeth deeper into the suspect.
Another scream filled the room.
“Uncloak yourself, or I’ll have the dog bite your f*cking leg off.”
An instant later, a figure dressed in a long cloak, a hood over the head, showed itself.
“Tell the dog to stop,” she yelped. A woman’s voice!
Logan grabbed the woman and pulled her up.
“Rex, release.” The dog let go of the woman’s leg. “Good dog,” Enya praised and patted its head.
“And who have we here?” Logan asked calmly.
Enya snatched the hood and pulled it off the woman’s face. Blond curls tumbled down.
“Deirdre!” She knew the headstrong council member. She’d looked up to her. “How disappointing.”
Deirdre knew she was caught. Her facial expression said as much. “It had be to done. The council was foolish to let her live.”
“They voted,” Logan said. “It’s not for you to change the outcome.”
“I tried to do what’s best for our society.”
Enya shook her head. “You can’t change the rules just because they don’t suit you.”
“Don’t think you’re any better than I! If you were privy to the information the council got, you would have done the same,” Deirdre hissed.
“Everyone on the council had the same information you did; you were outvoted.” Enya replied.
“Let’s go. I’m sure the council is interested in knowing who’s been going against their orders,” Logan remarked. Then he grinned. “I think the council might soon have a vacancy to fill.”
Deirdre stared at them with wide eyes. “They can’t do that!”
Enya bent closer to her, moving her mouth to the woman’s ear. “They can, and they will. Hope you’ll enjoy your lead prison.”
She took a step when her foot hit something on the floor. She bent down and picked it up. It was a cell phone. “Yours?” she asked Deirdre curiously.
“Yes.”
She exchanged a quick look with Logan. “If she had her phone with her, why didn’t Pearce warn us?”
“Call him. Now.” Logan’s voice sounded tense.
Enya dialed the compound’s number and let it ring. There was no reply. Panicked, she disconnected.
“His cell,” Logan urged.
She speed dialed Pearce’s cell phone, but after three rings it went to his voicemail. She pressed the disconnect button.
Her pulse raced. “We have to get to the compound.”
“We have to deliver Deirdre to the council first. Call Aiden,” Logan ordered and for once, Enya didn’t mind his commanding tone.