“I don’t believe in coincidences. We know someone is hunting you, but if they know where you live, why not take you? Why turn up when you’re not around and take your friend?” He stroked her hair. “Maybe she left for a while, forgot to mention it.”
Tara bit her lip. She was starting to feel very bad about this. “You don’t believe that, do you?”
“No, not really.”
“So, what do we do?”
“I’ll see if I can’t pick up any trace of anything unusual at your place. If we do, maybe we can borrow a couple of Piers’s hellhounds. Try and track her.”
“Hellhounds?”
“They’re the best creature for tracking. The Order keeps a pack, but hopefully we won’t need them.”
As Tara scrambled off his lap, he made no attempt to hold her. She sank in the corner of the sofa, hugging her knees to her chest and worrying her lower lip. She tried to give herself the courage to ask the question that had been haunting her since her return from Yorkshire.
“Why did my mother go to so much trouble to hide me? Who wants to find me? And why? What do they want me for?”
“I don’t know. I think our best lead will be finding the warlock who made your talisman. He may be able to identify your mother.”
“Your old girlfriend was looking into it wasn’t she? Have you heard anything?”
He shook his head. “I’ll get Piers to sort it out. Chase up Ella. Now, let’s go see if we can find your friend.”
“Okay, but maybe I’ll give Jamie a call first. Make sure he hasn’t found anything new.”
Jamie didn’t answer so she put the phone back in her bag.
“You can try again later. Come on.”
Five minutes later, she sat beside Christian in the black four-wheel drive in the underground garage. He reached forward to turn on the ignition when his cell phone rang.
He flipped it open. “Piers?”
He listened for a moment, a frown forming on his face.
“I’m just leaving,” he said. “I’ll wait ten minutes—give your guys time to get here. Tell them to make sure nothing follows us, and let me know how it goes.” He disconnected and spoke to Tara. “They’re picking up demon activity again, lots of it.”
“Where?”
“Right here.”
A shudder ran through her as she remembered the last time. “Are they coming after you?” He was silent for a moment, and Tara started to feel distinctly nervous. “What is it? What are you thinking?”
He appeared to come to a decision. “Actually, I think they may be coming after you.”
“What?”
“We know there have been demons watching this place, but they’ve been discreet, never staying long enough to get picked up and only one at a time, like they didn’t want to be noticed. The only times they’ve appeared in numbers is when you’re here.”
A ripple of unease ran through her. She’d tried to tell herself that as long as she wore the talisman she would be safe, hidden. That the people hunting for her wouldn’t find her. Unfortunately, it seemed like they already had.
“How would they have found me?” she whispered.
“I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe you were picked up by one of the demons watching this place.”
“How would they recognize me?”
“Perhaps the people in Yorkshire weren’t quite as silent on the subject as they made out. If they were offered enough money, one of them might have talked.”
“I just wish I knew why they wanted me.”
Christian put his hand on her arm. “Whatever the reason, I won’t let them get you.”
She believed he would do his best to protect her, but he couldn’t be there all the time. What kind of existence could she have always looking over her shoulder wondering when they might catch up? And then what?
She tried to keep the fear from spilling into her eyes, but Christian must have seen, because he pulled her to him and held her tight against the hard strength of his body. “We’ll find out and we’ll stop it. Whatever it takes.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Do we have to worry about these demons?” Tara asked as they drove out of the building.
“Piers will have people out there by now. He’s kept agents close since we found out that they’re targeting me. They’ll stop any demons from coming after us.” He put a hand on her thigh, squeezed. “I told you I’ll take care of you.”
“I don’t want you to have to take care of me. I’m never going to be normal—I’ve accepted that, but it doesn’t mean I’ve resigned myself to hiding for the rest of my life.” Something occurred to her. “Just how long will my life be? Presuming, that is, that I don’t come to a messy end in the next five minutes.”
“Have a little faith,” he murmured.
“You said demons don’t die. Will I?”
“I think it’s unlikely.”
“So, I’m what, like some sort of immortal being?”
“Probably.”
She frowned. “How will I know?”
“You won’t die.”