Treasure Tides

Chapter FIVE

Becki awoke to the smell of bacon-- bacon? Bacon equaled breakfast. Breakfast equaled morning. She didn’t do mornings. Pulling a pillow over her head, she closed her eyes and tried to convince herself that she was dreaming. It was working fabulously too, until a sexy, low voice called from the doorway.

“Wake up sleeping beauty. Breakfast is served.”

Becki forced one eye open to peek from under her pillow. She saw Royce leaning casually against the door frame with arms crossed and lips curved in a sexy smile. He made her heart race, and thinking of the past few hours spent wrapped in his arms made her tingle all over. Royce had spent the night with her, protected her throughout the storm, and behaved like a perfect gentleman. Darn it!

“Ugh, what time is it?” Becki grumbled, allowing the pillow to fall back down, covering her face again.

Becki felt the bed dip as Royce sat down beside her. He gently pried the pillow from her fingers and away from her face. Just her luck! Sexyas-sin was right there within reach, and she had puffy eyes, messy hair, and morning breath.

“Go away, Royce. I’m not a morning person, and I look like something the cat dragged in,” she said attempting to turn her back to him. As it turned out, she was unable to move as the blankets were wrapped tightly around her, and Royce was currently sitting on one end of them.

“You are starting to give me a complex,” he complained, “always telling me to go away. Besides, you look beautiful,” Royce said with a smile.

“Have you had your eyes tested lately?” Becki groused.

“My eye sight is perfect, thank you. Get a move on gorgeous. Breakfast is on the table. I have about twenty minutes before I have to meet Sean, Kurt, and Landon downtown.”

“Oh, I see! They can know all about your ‘super-secret’ business, but I can’t,” Becki pouted.

“It’s a guy thing,” Royce teased.

He lifted her hand to his lips for a quick kiss, and then tugged gently as he stood.

“Come on, lazybones,” he encouraged. “Have breakfast with me before I have to go.”

“Ok, give me just a minute.”

“The clock is ticking,” he said as he tapped his watch.

I’ll be right there,” Becki promised. After all, what girl in her right mind would rather sleep than spend time with a hardbody like Royce?

“I’ll make the coffee,” Royce added as he turned to make his way back to the kitchen.

“Oh, my God!” Becki caught sight of her reflection in the mirror hanging above her dresser.

Her hair stuck out in all directions, makeup streaks smeared her face, and she had a deep “sleep wrinkle” in her cheek.

Rolling her eyes, she “huffed” at the unfairness of it all. She stuck her feet in pink fuzzy slippers, slid her arms in a short pink terry-cloth robe, and sailed to the bathroom to repair as much of the damage as she could.

Moments later, morning breath effectively scrubbed and gargled away, hair tamed and piled in a messy bun on top of her head, Becki sashayed to the kitchen. Sitting in the middle of her kitchen table was a complete breakfast: a stack of golden pancakes, bacon, orange juice, and a vase of fresh flowers.

“Whew! Someone’s been busy this morning. I’m impressed,” Becki said as she breezed in struggling to act as if this were not the most romantic thing that had ever happened to her. Man-o-man, she could get used to this! Come to think of it, this was the second morning in a row she had been surprised by Royce. Of course, yesterday he had been wearing nothing but a miniscule towel.

“I ran to the grocery and checked on things outside,” Royce said as he pulled out a chair for her to sit in. “A few of the surrounding houses are missing shingles, but you seem to have pulled through with very little damage. The crash we heard last night was your neighbor’s carport blowing down. It landed on the fence between your two houses. I’ll let Ryker know when I talk to him. I’m sure it can be easily repaired.”

“Thank you, kind Sir,” Becki said batting her eyelashes playfully at Royce.

“You are most welcome, my Lady,” Royce said with a low bow. Straightening, he grabbed the coffee pot asking, “Black or candied?”

“I like lots of cream, tons of sugar, and whipped cream-- of course,” Becki said innocently. As the words left her mouth, her face flamed with color. Royce--and whipped cream-- together? The possibilities were endless. “Um-, never mind,” Becki amended quickly, wishing she could press a recall button on her last comment. “I think I’m out,” she mumbled, suddenly interested in the pancakes on her plate.

Royce cleared his throat and called her out, “You are lucky I only have about ten minutes before I need to leave, or I would prove you a liar.”

Becki snatched her glass of orange juice and took a big gulp, while she tried to think of a way to change the subject.

Her plan was a dismal failure the moment Royce added, “I guarantee you would enjoy it.”

Becki choked as orange juice went down the wrong pipe!

“I’m sorry,” Royce quickly apologized as he handed her a glass of water.

If the sparkle in his eyes was any indication, he didn’t seem too sorry. Thankfully, her coughing jag didn’t last long. After she settled back down, they were able to finish breakfast without further incident.

“Sorry to leave you with the mess,” he apologized, taking a long swallow of orange juice. “Next time you cook and I’ll clean up.”

Next time? Becki felt butterflies in her stomach and decided against eating that third pancake she had been eyeing.

“Mmmm that was delicious,” Becki said as she gathered her dishes and moved to the sink. She was rinsing the sticky syrup from her plate when Royce reached around her to do the same. Becki’s hands began to shake as she felt his warm breath caress the nape of her neck.

“Becki,” he whispered, his lips moving against the soft-spot just below her ear. “I loved waking up with you in my arms. I know there is a lot you don’t understand. There are things I can’t tell you. But I’m asking you to trust me. I feel happier when I’m with you than I’ve ever felt in my life. I want to be the man who makes you happy; the man who walks with you on the beach under the stars.” Becki heard a smile in his voice as he added, “I want to be the one to make-out with you under the pier, and anything else you can think of. I want you to be with me…only me.”

Becki closed her eyes as she leaned her head back letting it rest on Royce’s shoulder. “I would like that,” she admitted. “I would like that a lot.”

“Good,” Royce said grazing her ear with his teeth.

Becki caught her breath. She was assaulted with sensation as he followed the line of her neck with his lips.

“Perfect timing,” he said sarcastically when his cell started buzzing. He released her to answer the call.

“I’ll call you back in a minute!”

Reaching around Becki, he turned off the water that was still running in the sink. “I have to go. Walk me to the door, and kiss me goodbye,” he bossed, linking his fingers with hers to pull her toward the front door.

“Thanks for staying with me. I would have been a little scared to be here all by myself last night,” Becki admitted as she opened the front door.

“I know,” Royce said with a smile.

Becki stuck her tongue out imitating a bratty child. “How does it feel to always be right, O-Wise-One?” she asked.

“Good!” he joked, pulling her in close for a quick kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”

Becki couldn’t take her eyes off him as he sauntered down the steps and climbed into his red Corvette. That was one wicked-hot man in one wicked-hot car. She couldn’t wait to drive it! She also couldn’t wait for that walk on the beach he had promised!

Darn it! Why couldn’t Natie live closer? Becki felt like stomping her foot in frustration. She wanted to sit on her porch with her sister and talk about the sexy man who had just driven away.

Since Natie was on her way home to Indiana this morning, a phone conversation would have to suffice.

#

“What’s up, Becki? Is everything ok?” Natie answered her phone with panic in her voice.

“Yes. Everything’s fine…just fine,” Becki reassured her. “I wanted to make sure you and Jonah got started back home this morning as planned. The storm wasn’t much of a storm, was it? How were things downtown last night? Did you get much rain? You didn’t lose power at the hotel, did you? What time--”

“Becki!” Natie interrupted her sister mid-sentence. She could always tell when Becki was upset about something because she talked a-mile-aminute.

“What?!” Becki fired back.

“It’s eight o’clock- in the morning,” Natie said as if that explained everything.

“So? Your point?” Becki returned belligerently.

“Well, let me see…most days you are barely coherent at noon. Unless I missed something, I didn’t see anything in the headlines this morning about the end of the World, and I’m pretty sure you didn’t call me at this hour to discuss the weather. Now, what is going on?”

“It’s Royce,” Becki confided in a rush. “He spent the night.”

“Alright! You go girl!” Natie applauded.

“He slept on the couch,” Becki quickly clarified.

“The couch? What the hell--? Are you crazy?”

“Glad I called you for the pep talk,” Becki complained.

“Sorry. I’m--forget it. And--? You were saying?” Natie prompted.

“He fixed breakfast,” Becki continued, “and then-- he asked me out on a date,” she finished in a rush.

“That’s great!” Natie cheered. “He seems like a really nice guy, Becki. I’m happy for you, and he’s hot as hell. I think you should go for it--see where things lead. The flowers were beautiful, by the way. Didn’t you think?”

“I just don’t know if I’m up to going through all the motions only to get hurt again,” Becki confessed. “You know I have a hard time trusting men. I’m not interested in getting all tied in knots over someone who ends up being completely different than the person he seemed to be at the beginning of the relationship.”

“Oh, Becki, just take it slow,” Natie advised. She knew, better than anyone, how badly Becki had been hurt in the past. “Don’t over-think this. Have some fun and see where things go.”

“I guess,” Becki said with little-or-no conviction.

“If you never take a chance on anyone, you will be alone for the rest of your life.” Natie took the gloves off, so to speak. “Is that what you want?” Natie asked softly.

“Of course not,” Becki answered.

“Well, then--”

“I’ll think about it,” Becki agreed. “Did you and Sean go straight home last night?” she asked, changing the subject. “I kind of got the feeling he was interested in spending some ‘alone time’ with you.”

“Jonah and I have been on the road for about an hour,” Natie said quickly.

“O. K…I’ll take that as a no,” Becki said with a smile. The fact that Natie had not immediately answered “yes” gave Becki hope. “You had better call me the minute you get home,” Becki threatened. “I want the gory details.”

“Alright. Well, our exit is just ahead so I need to go. I’ll call you when we get home to let you know we made it safely.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Becki laughed. “You guys be careful.”

“We will,” Natie agreed. “Just relax, ok? Enjoy the unexpected…and keep me informed!” Natie insisted before she hung up.

Eight fifteen in the morning! Before today, Becki hadn’t even known those particular numbers were on her clock. She might as well get in the shower since she had promised to run downtown and pick up candy for the girls. Clarissa, Leann, and Mandy were planning a sleepover with friends tonight. They didn’t have school tomorrow because it was a “teacher workday”.

Becki yawned. Then again, maybe there was time for a quick nap before venturing downtown. Her shift started at six o’clock this evening, and she didn’t expect to get off until eleven o’clock at the very earliest. Yes, definitely time for a quick nap.

#

“Sean, where are we supposed to meet Kurt and Landon this morning?” Royce asked as he crested the top of the Cooper River Bridge. He had not called back immediately. After leaving Becki this morning, he needed a few minutes to let his mind clear before talking with Sean. Holding her while she slept had felt like coming home after a long journey: comfortable, natural, wonderful.

“Hi boss, I’ve been calling you for the last hour. I was starting to think you were going to be a no-show,” Sean teased.

“Bullshit, you know better--where and when?” Royce asked.

“Since they are meeting us here, I ran out and grabbed some doughnuts this morning. Kurt just called though and said he and Landon were running late. They wanted to stop somewhere to pick up some old maps of Charleston Harbor. We are going to compare the paper copies with the digital copies I have. From what they were telling me last night, we suspect the digital copies have been altered. Uh, how was Becki this morning?” Sean bravely asked.

“None of your damn business,” Royce said effectively shutting down the conversation before it began.

“Got it,” Sean backed off immediately but a grin covered his face.

“Have you heard from Joanna?” Royce asked. “She is supposed to be in this afternoon, right?”

His sister was going to have to remove the spell currently cloaking the coin if they wanted to get this mission wrapped up anytime soon. If what Sean said was true, the digital maps they had been using might have been previously altered. That could indicate someone had gone to great lengths to hide something. Sean’s computers and other techno gadgetry were vital to their mission, but sometimes you just couldn’t beat plain old paper and pencil.

Entering the condo a few minutes later, Royce announced, “I’m gonna hit the shower before Kurt and Landon get here. I need you to find that sister of mine,” he called to Sean as he crossed the living room, moving toward his bedroom.

“I’ll see what I can do, Boss. Kurt and London should be here in forty-five minutes,” Sean reminded Royce as he reached for his laptop.

With a few keystrokes, Sean activated Joanna’s microchip. Each team member had agreed to the implant for their safety as well as that of their team members. Sean could monitor their individual locations and route help quickly if a mission became compromised, or one of them needed assistance. The system had proved invaluable when coordinating the movement of team members during critical situations. He was always careful not to impose in personal space, so the chips were deactivated unless they were on a mission. The chip hadn’t seemed to work well if the host, or team member, was submerged underwater. Who would have thought? The tracking system obviously needed some modifications. However, Sean didn’t have time to work on that right now. The first item on his agenda was finding that coin!

Sean found himself thinking about Natie and her poor-excuse-for-aboy-friend. Jonah didn’t deserve her. Natie was the kind of girl most guys would kill for. Sean certainly would. He had instinctively pulled her close when she began crying on the way home, and she hadn’t pulled away. Natie had stayed right where she landed: at his side, their thighs touching and hands linked together like teenagers on their first date. He had been in Heaven.

They had discovered a quaint coffee shop where they enjoyed lattes and laughed about Royce and Becki, the cousins, Natie’s job, and her idiot boyfriend. Who would mess around on someone like Natie? If she belonged to Sean, he would appreciate her and spoil her as she deserved to be spoiled.

Sean was certain that Jonah had not been in their hotel room last night when he deposited Natie. He had escorted her to the door of her hotel room. With every step he took, he hated the fact that he had to walk away and leave her. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and--, but he couldn’t. So he had settled for brushing a silky strand of blond hair from her face and gently tucking it behind her ear.

Letting his fingers glide across her face as he withdrew, he whispered, “Take care of yourself, Natie Stephens. Don’t settle for less than you deserve.”

Natie nodded and then whispered, “I’d better go. I still have to pack tonight and try not to wake Jonah in the process. Thank you. Thank you for the latte and the conversation and for cheering me up.”

Looking deeply into her beautiful blue eyes he said, “You have my number. I’m just a phone call away if you ever want to talk.”

She sighed heavily then leaned forward to brush her lips across his cheek. “It was nice to meet you, Sean Jones.”

Natie placed her hand flat on his chest over his heart for a brief moment. Heaving another sigh, she turned and slipped into the room closing the door quietly behind her.

Sean had stood for a moment with his head leaning against the door feeling as if it had just closed on his heart. He heard a door slam inside the room and knew that Jonah hadn’t rushed home after all.

#

Kurt and Landon and crossed the Cooper River Bridge driving toward downtown. Sean had returned Kurt’s truck bright and early this morning. He and Landon were running late for their meeting because they had stopped to pick up some old maps along the way. They both agreed; Sean’s digital maps were incorrect. Kurt and Landon had logged numerous hours boating, diving, or treasure hunting in Charleston Harbor. Their intimate knowledge of the harbor would enable them to identify even the slightest differences between the maps.

“What is your opinion of this mission?” Kurt asked Landon. “And-why in the world do you think Witches would interfere with the recovery of this particular coin? Doesn’t it stand to reason they would want it to be secured with the Council?”

“Witches are funny creatures. They live by a secret Witchy code, and they look out for themselves first,” Landon explained. “You know I’m not overly fond of them.”

“Why is that?” Kurt asked with a frown.

“It’s been my experience that regardless of how beautiful they may seem on the outside, underneath that beauty is a black heart, bad teeth, and a crooked nose,” Landon said scowling, “with a big fat wart on the end of it!”

Kurt chuckled at Landon who normally had a pretty broad-minded view on everything.

“Never trust a Witch,” Landon warned gravely.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kurt promised.

“You do that,” Landon returned.

“We need to figure out this puzzle,” Kurt said, getting back on task. “The sooner that coin is recovered, the sooner they all leave, and the sooner we can get back to our oh-so-boring-yet- comfortable life style. I’m getting too old for this shit.”

As they passed through the streets of downtown nearing the team’s headquarters, Landon suddenly stiffened.

“Turn left, now!” he said tightly. His eyes began to glow an eerie golden-yellow.

“What’s up?” Kurt asked, reaching for the gun he always kept under his seat.

“We’ve got bigger problems than Witches, my friend,” Landon announced. His voice was filled with dread, which surprised Kurt. Landon Smith was normally unshakeable.

Kurt spotted them standing in front of a large home situated on Rutledge Avenue known as the Steinwick family home. The estate had been “passed down through several generations” of the Steinwick family heirs. Suspiciously enough, the “family resemblance” between generations was uncanny. However, the pair currently loitering in front of the stately mansion was not, in any way, related to the Steinwick family; who were all richly blessed with an abundance of red hair.

The truth of the matter was… the Steinwick brothers had been turned into Vampires centuries ago. Jeremy and Joshua returned to their home in Charleston every sixty years or so as the “new generation” of Steinwick heirs. They would settle into the community and live peacefully for an indefinite period of time. When they got bored or when townspeople began noticing their failure to age, it was time to move on. The Steinwick brothers would simply disappear from Charleston relocating to one of the many homes they had amassed through the centuries. Showing up there, too, as new heirs, they begin living the lie all over again.

The Steinwick brothers could never bring themselves to “feed from the vein” as other Vamps do. It was “terribly uncivilized” as far as Jeremy and Joshua were concerned. They “imported” their blood supply from England where a one-of-a-kind plasma center collected, processed, and bottled donated blood.

The Steinwick brothers were rumored to be heavy drinkers due to the inordinate amount of “wine” delivered to their home each month. However, they were never observed conducting themselves in a drunken or disorderly fashion. Their neighbors loved them through the centuries, and the children of each generation were always greatly saddened when the Steinwick brothers disappeared from their lives.

Since Jeremy and Joshua had relocated less than five years ago, they would not return to Charleston for at least another fifty-five years. Then one day when a new generation of mortals replaced the ones currently living in the great city, Jeremy and Joshua Steinwick would return once again to their beloved Charleston as Steinwick heirs and watch over their old friends great-great-great-great-great grandchildren for a short while.

“What the hell are they doing here?” Landon growled as he grabbed his cell phone and pushed the ICE (in case of emergency) button. He had set up that contact as a joke, but this situation was far from funny.

Kurt listened as Landon ordered, “Get the pack together!” Judging from this side of the conversation currently taking place, things were serious.

Kurt dug a little deeper under the seat and pulled out a black satchel, his little emergency supply kit of sorts. Wooden stakes, led bullets, a flare gun, and a collapsible cross-bow.

Landon’s eyes were glowing. His breathing was heavy as he struggled to restrain the Wolf pushing to escape.

“Yes,” Landon continued talking on the phone. “I’ve seen two of them. No, I don’t know yet.”

Kurt pulled a bundle of arrows out of the secret compartment under his dash.

Landon seemed more agitated, but Kurt didn’t know whether to stay close to the Steinwick mansion or high-tail it out of the area.

“I don’t know that yet either. I’m not sure how many are here. Send three delegates to my house. I’ll say they’re friends visiting from out of town. Tell them their priority is the safety of Kurt’s family. Tell the rest of the pack to stay out of sight until I figure out what is going on. Absolutely no Wolfing around, or they’ll have me to deal with, understood?” Landon barked, literally, and then disconnected the call.

When the conversation ended with a bark, Kurt knew the situation was even worse than his initial assessment.

“Vamps, I assume?” he asked already knowing the answer; it was the only reason Landon would be so worked up.

Uttering the word seemed to fire Landon’s Wolf up even more, and soon he was fighting a full shift with every ounce of his strength.

“Yes,” Landon snarled. His fangs began to descend. Shifting into a Werewolf was not something he wanted to happen in the middle of town, especially not in broad daylight.

“Get me away from here. Quickly!”

As Landon struggled to keep the Wolf at bay, Kurt sped down side streets and alleys to get his friend away from the hot-zone. Vamps in the city had taken them both by surprise, and Landon’s Wolf was not inclined to tolerate trespassers.

“We need to get this shit cleared up…and I mean fast,” Landon spoke as soon as he could. His breathing had returned to normal; his fangs retracted; and his eyes were returning to the blue pools of color that ladies seemed to find so mesmerizing.

“When will your friends be here?” Kurt asked tightly. He was mentally stepping through the girls’ schedule. He would most likely have to send them to his parents’ house in Indiana for a visit. He would like to send Becki as well, but she was a little more difficult to remove without suspicion. Becki would definitely be more difficult to remove without a fight.

“Everyone will be in place within the next two hours,” Landon assured him.

#

Sean answered the door as Kurt and Landon arrived for their scheduled meeting even later than expected.

“Hi Sean,” Kurt said. “Are you ready to get down to business?”

“Yes, Sir, Royce is just finishing up on a phone call. He’ll be out shortly.”

As the men moved into the living room where Sean had set up his computers, they tried not to listen to Royce’s private conversation.

“Ok, babe, I’ll see you soon. I know, it’s been too long. Yes, two years too long. Be safe. We’ll catch up as soon as you get in town, maybe over lunch. I love you too, sweetheart… can’t wait to see you,” Royce said with a smile as he entered the living room. “Hey, I need to go,” Royce said as soon as he spotted Kurt and Landon. “We’ll talk later.”

“Could I interest you in doughnuts or coffee?” Sean offered, oblivious to the fact that Kurt and Landon had just heard Royce speaking words of love to someone on the phone. It was obvious that “someone” had not been Becki.

“Good morning, Gentlemen,” Royce said offering a handshake to his guests.

Both men stood glaring. Neither made a move to accept his hand. They looked as if they would tear him apart within the next few seconds.

Sean noticed the body language of their visitors and suddenly realized what they had overheard.

“Royce was just talking to his sister, who is on her way here to help with the mission.”

Both men relaxed simultaneously, and Kurt accepted Royce’s outstretched hand. As Royce turned to shake hands with Landon, he saw remnants of yellow specks in Landon’s eyes.

“We all ok here?” he asked cautiously.

“Yes,” Landon reassured him, “we ran into some trouble on the way here. Do you know why Vamps would be showing up in town?”

Royce stiffened and bellowed, “Sean, is there something you’d like to tell me?”

“I’ve got it, Boss. The indicators report two new Vamps have entered the city, but nothing is showing up on V-Scan. They don’t have even a trace of unprocessed human blood in them. For all we know, they could be vacationing.”

“Vamps don’t ‘vacation’ in Charleston, Sean; this is Moultrie Pack territory,” Royce said tightly. “Landon, have you notified the Pack?”

“Yes, I called it in on the way here. Everyone is on high alert, and backup is in route.”

“Have you considered getting the girls out of the city until this is over?” Royce asked Kurt.

“Yes, I’ll send them to Indiana for a while. They’re overdue for a visit with the Grandparents anyway.”

“Let’s take a look at these maps,” Landon suggested moving towards the couch and large coffee table littered with pens and drawings.

Sean quickly swept the clutter aside and settled down to compare the paper maps to his digital copies.

“Right here,” Landon said pointing to an area of the harbor on his maps. “This area has been altered in your digital copies.”

Sure enough, there it was! It was a more significant alteration than the men had initially assumed.

“If you ask me, there’s something down there that someone’s trying to hide,” Landon grinned. “Damn, we’re good.”

“I see a diving trip in our near future,” Kurt said. “I’ll get the equipment together and tanks aired up. Tomorrow should be a good day to go out, but we need to keep this low key. It needs to look like we are just out enjoying the harbor. I’ll bring some poles, and maybe we’ll catch dinner while we’re at it.”

“Sounds good,” Royce said, looking at his watch. “Sean, what is Joanna’s ETA?

“I just got a text saying she’s in town and waiting for you at the market. She said she needs new shoes,” Sean grinned. “Good luck with that.”

Royce groaned. Joanna could shop for hours. She made him crazy… picking up things to purchase, carrying them around, and then putting them back for one reason or another.

The other men shook their head in sympathy.

“Can you leave these with me, Landon?” Sean asked. “I want to memorize the details before we go out into the harbor tomorrow.”

“Sure, I had copies made this morning, and we’ve actually had one permanently mounted so we can hang it in Kurt’s shop.”

“Ok, we need to get started gathering enough gear for tomorrow. Let’s plan to leave from Shem Creek at nine o’clock in the morning,” Kurt said as he headed toward the door.

“Kurt,” Royce said, looking rather serious, “You may want to get the kids out of town, sooner-rather-than-later. I’d like to see Becki leave as well. It could get rough around here.”

“Agreed, I’m not sure I can get Becki to go, but I’ll do my best,” Kurt assured Royce.

“Maybe we should take the decision out of her hands,” Royce suggested.

“Right, have you ever seen a tiger caught by its tail?” Landon asked. “That’s one fight none of us can win.”

Royce grimaced, “Stubborn, woman.”

“Yes, and that’s putting it mildly,” Landon agreed. “But, she’s our stubborn woman, and if you are just looking for a diversion, you need to look elsewhere,” he warned as yellow specks flashed in his eyes.

Royce got the message loud and clear.

“That’s not the case, trust me,” he assured her champions.

“We are,” Kurt said. “Make sure we don’t end up regretting it.”

With that final warning, the two men took their leave.

Royce didn’t blame Kurt and Landon for being cautious. In fact, he was glad Becki had the two men to watch over her. But, she was his responsibility now, and he didn’t want her around with Vamps, Witches, and Werewolves converging on the City.

ART would soon wrap up their mission in Charleston. The team would then relocate to the next projected recovery site, and then the next. The missing collection was assumed to be comprised of seven coins. According to the latest intelligence reports; Rome, Las Vegas, and Kentucky were being considered as possible sites.

If Royce’s team didn’t get this situation under control soon, the council would be sending someone to watch over their shoulders. Royce hoped the Council would keep their distance for the time being.

Royce grabbed his shades and cell phone off the desk. It was time to go meet Joanna. Damn he had missed her. Hopefully, she had finished with her shopping because Royce definitely needed a drink.

* * * *