Silent now, she pointed to a spot on the tree, turned her back and glided away, disappearing behind another bush.
“Hey!” I shouted, pursuing her. “I’m not done with you.” But when I crossed the bush, she wasn’t there. In fact, there was no sign of her. No footprints. No lingering scent in the breeze.
I searched...and searched...but came up with nothing.
Frustrated, I returned to the tree, to where she’d pointed. Several vines ran down the side and—
I frowned, moved closer and ran my fingers through them. They weren’t vines. They were too firm, too warm.
Cords? Wires?
“What are you doing?”
The voice came from behind me.
I spun and met Cole’s gaze. What progress! He was already out of the sling and clearly ready for action.
“Come here,” I said.
He moved to my side. His heat instantly enveloped me, sweet tingles pricking at me. I ignored them and pointed to the wires.
He went from zero to sixty in less than a second, his calm shattered. “Those aren’t Ankh’s, but I bet they’re hooked into his system, which would explain how Anima was able to get inside his house.” He confiscated my knife, sliced through each one. “How did you find them?”
“A woman,” I admitted, saying nothing of the burn she’d caused in me. No reason to alarm him when I wasn’t clear about what had been done.
“What woman?”
“Her name may or may not have been Sami. Or Samantha.” And she gave me a gift. Said she wanted to “help” me.
“She called and told you about the wires? Or she was actually here?”
“Here.”
Violet eyes narrowed on me with laser-sharp focus. “You saw a stranger on this land, a day after we endured a massive attack that led to the deaths of three of our friends, and rather than shouting for help, you thought you’d follow her?”
Ugh. Put that way, I sounded like the world’s biggest idiot. I felt like the world’s biggest idiot. Still, I said, “That about sums it up, yes.”
His eyes narrowed further. “Where is she now?”
“Don’t know. She got away.”
He took my hand and dragged me back to the house. “We’ll watch camera footage and track her down. I’d like to chat with her.”
No one waited in the foyer, saving us from having to answer any questions about where we’d been or what we’d been doing. Cole shut us inside Mr. Ankh’s office and claimed the desk chair. Clearly, he knew all the computer codes, because his fingers danced over the keyboard without hesitation. I stood over his shoulder, suitably impressed.
The front porch appeared on screen, Mr. Ankh, Kat and Reeve there and waiting. The SUV Frosty had temporarily borrowed pulled up, and everything played out like I remembered. Bronx leading the way. Frosty carrying Mackenzie. My little conversation with Mr. Ankh. My hug session with Kat. My stopping and looking around.
When I leaped into motion, Cole pressed a few more keys, and the entire front lawn came into view.
Only, there was no sign of the mystery blonde.
“But...she was there,” I said, confused. “I saw her.”
Cole leaned back in the chair and ran two fingers along his jaw. “Ali-gator. You’re tired, stressed. Maybe you—”
“I did not hallucinate. How could I? She showed me the wires. Which I previously knew nothing about! Consciously or subconsciously.”
He thought for a moment. “I’ll tell Mr. Ankh about the wires, but for now, we’ll keep quiet about the woman.”
“But you believe me, right?”
“Of course,” he said, as if the answer had never been in doubt. “Weird stuff happens to you. It’s part of the package. I’ve accepted it.” He stood and gathered me in his arms, and I leaned my head against his shoulder, taking comfort in the racing beat of his heart.
“Thank you.”
“Save your thanks, because I’m about to start yelling.”
Uh-oh.
“Do not ever—ever—follow after a stranger like that. Do you hear me?” He wasn’t actually yelling, but it was pretty darn close. “She could have led you into an ambush.”
“Duh. I had the same thought.”
He stiffened, saying softly but menacingly, “You had the same thought, and yet you trailed her anyway?”
Had to learn when to zip my lips. “Don’t forget number seven. I’m such a good fighter, you could stand back and watch while I take care of business.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re invincible.” His sigh caused several strands of hair to dance over my forehead. “I’m going to regret number seven for the rest of my life, aren’t I?”
“And probably part of your afterlife, too.”
He snorted. “Come on. It’s my turn to show something to you.” He led me upstairs and into the first room on the left.
A lump on the mattress shifted, and I paused. Who—