Midnight Starling: An Urban Fantasy Romance Series

by Rhiannon Lee

  I let Victor explain everything this time. When he was done, Thain peered at both of us.

  "I don't like it."

  I rolled my eyes. "What is it with you guys? If you're catching a spy like Franklin, you don't send in an entire group of men because there's a chance one of them will betray you and notify him that we're on our way."

  "She has a point," Victor pointed out to Thain.

  Thain stood quietly for a few moments while gazing off toward Poppy's bedroom door.

  "Okay," he said finally.

  "Okay?" I asked disbelievingly.

  "Let's do it. I'm tired of seeing Poppy being afraid of her shadow," Thain said.

  "We still have to get past your guards outside without them knowing something is up," I pointed out.

  "I'll just tell them to stay here. Easy."

  "No, we need a story. Let me do the talking," I said.

  Thain didn't look convinced, but he didn't argue.

  I got up and grabbed my keys. Once I made it to the door, I stopped, turned around, and headed back to Poppy's room. Before I opened her door, I signaled for the guys to be quiet.

  The sight of her resting peacefully calmed my nerves and rising adrenaline. I could hear her breath coming in even patterns. She would be worried to death if she knew what I was planning. That thought hung heavy in my heart as I backed out and closed her door again.

  "She's fine," I assured Thain.

  He nodded and mouthed, thank you.

  The second I stepped out into the cool night, I made eye contact with one of the men guarding the building. I made my way over to him and smiled. Thain and Victor followed closely behind.

  "We're going out for a bit. I need a drink, and these two are my designated drivers. You got things covered here?" I said rhetorically.

  He didn't smile back, but looked past me to Thain. I assume Thain nodded to him because he looked back and me and said, "Yes ma'am. All good." I appreciated his seriousness, but it still didn't feel like enough. I waited till I was beside my car to pull my phone out and dial Isaac's number.

  "Do you have any idea what time it is?" he complained.

  "Yeah, sorry. I'm going out for a drink; can you keep an eye on Poppy while I'm gone?"

  "A drink? At this hour? Why are you lying to me, Bea?" he demanded.

  "Damn it, Isaac. Will you just monitor Poppy? I won't be gone long."

  "You are going to have some explaining to do tomorrow, but sure. I'll crash on your couch."

  I said thank you and hung up.

  Once I put my phone away, I gave the guys a thumbs up and got in. They both climbed in after me as I fired up the engine. I wanted to peel out and race to the address, but I was worried that would alert the men standing guard that something was going on, so I drove out of the parking lot at normal person speed.

  I kept it under control the entire way there. The last thing we needed was to be pulled over and delayed even more. I had wasted enough time gathering backup. Finally, we pulled up to the street in the address. I drove past the house once to check it out, being careful not to slow or draw attention.

  "Okay, that was it. Did you guys see anyone?"

  "No, the entire house was dark. Whoever is in there is asleep," Thain observed.

  It was a guess, one that would be in our favor if it was true, but there was no way to know what we were walking into until we actually went inside.

  I found a spot at the end of the street and parked. It was far enough away; I hoped. Then, getting out as quietly as possible, I waved to Victor as he went to shut the passenger side door. I shook my head. Motioning to my door, I set it against the body of the car without closing it all the way. Just enough for the latch to barely catch. He nodded and did the same.

  We headed up the sidewalk and toward the row of townhouses with their two-story brick fronts and small white roofed porches. The spaces were more like single spots to put a chair and maybe a cafe table for sitting outside to watch the foot traffic pass by, but not enough to do much else with. It also didn't give us much cover.

  When we were a few houses down, I slowed my step and peered around. There was no one else out tonight, which was a small blessing. The lights in all the homes on this strip were out besides the exception of a nightlight or two gleaming dully from some living room window. The set up made it hard to creep around since there were no yards or spaces in between that gave us the cover in darkness.

  I also had to wonder what this fool was doing in the middle of the city because it seemed counterproductive for staying out of sight. Maybe he hoped to blend in with the crowd Once we were nearly to the house, I tiptoed over to its side wall before creeping around and up the narrow steps onto its small porch. From there, I peered into the main window. It was built into the wall right beside the door. Heavy curtains obstructed me from seeing anything inside.

  Disappointed, I snuck back down the same way I came and leaned into Victor.

  "We're going to have to go in blind," I whispered as softly as I could.

  Thain must have heard me too, because he nodded. Victor pulled his gun from his holster and Thain did the same. I reach down to my thigh but hesitated. I didn't want to use it unless I really needed to, so I left it where it was for the moment. Instead, I turned back around and crept to the door. I already figured it would be locked, but I went to try the handle, anyway. A hand on my shoulder stopped me, and I let go of the shiny metal knob.

  "Let me try," Victor said, plucking a little leather case from his back pocket. I thanked the gods above for small blessings and moved aside. He momentarily shoved his gun back in his waistband and knelt to get to work. In less than a minute, he had the door open and his weapon back in his hand.

  If we weren't in the middle of a midnight break-in, I would have kissed him for being so helpful. He moved back and let me take point, but I made the mistake of looking at Thain, whose expression was grim. He shook his head no. I nodded at him and held up a hand to show I had this. He reluctantly submitted, but not before mouthing for me to be careful. Turning my attention back to the task at hand, I pushed the door open gently. Just a crack at first, followed by a pause. I stood silently, waiting to see if our entry was loud enough to disturb any occupants inside.

  Confident that we hadn't, I swung the door open a little wider and stepped inside. Victor was right against my back and I held up one hand to let him know I was stopping. This time, I counted to twenty in my head.

  Once my eyes were semi-adjusted to the dark, I drew in a brave breath to steady myself and looked around. We were in an entryway that opened to a staircase to one side and a door-less archway into the kitchen where I could see a refrigerator standing against the nearest wall.

  Victor tapped my shoulder and when I turned around, he started making hand gestures I couldn't understand. Thain had moved himself against a wall, waiting for us to proceed.

  I mouthed what, and Victor sighed. He tried again, this time he simply pointed at me, himself, then Thain, waved his hand to the entire bottom floor, then held up one finger and used it to point to the kitchen. I took it to mean that he wanted to check out the bottom floor together, starting with the kitchen.

  I nodded, hoping I had understood him, and took off as quietly as I could. The kitchen was empty, so we cleared the hallway that ran past it next. When we reached the end, we found a living room with couches and rows of bookshelves. My eyes were still adjusting, but the outside streetlights helped illuminate, at least partially. As I crept through, I nearly caught my leg on a protruding corner of a television stand sticking out from the wall. I mentally cursed and stopped so I could look around for any other danger zones. I noticed a set of French doors leading outside. A second means of escape made me feel a little better, but I was still so on edge it made little difference to the overwhelming knot of anxiety in my belly.

  The rest of the floor took only a few moments to inspect. A bathroom and laundry room were the only things left. We quickly stepped through and headed towar
d the stairs.

  Victor stepped in front of me at the last moment and flashed his gun. He wanted to go first this time. I nodded and followed behind him as closely as I could without being so near that we'd cause a collision of bodies if he paused. Thain followed behind me.

  We made it to the top and I silently let out the breath I was holding, relieved that the stairs hadn't creaked and given us away. Victor headed for the first door closest to us and my muscles tensed as he swept in with his gun at the ready.

  There was a lump in the middle of a bed that looked like a sleeping person. I blinked, trying to better understand what I was seeing and confirm if it was a person or a pile of blankets. The blob moved, erasing all doubt.

  Victor crept toward the bed, and the figure must have seen him because it started moving more rapidly. I was expecting it to jump up, but it didn't. Then I heard muffled cries. Victor knelt and pulled the blankets from the form and threw them onto the floor out of the way. Then he grabbed ahold of them and heaved them up into a sitting position. I could make out its unnaturally shaped body. It didn't seem to have any arms, and it took a moment for my brain to catch up. They were tied and gagged.

  "Shhhh, we're here to help you," he whispered.

  I remembered my flashlight but was hesitant to turn it on. I finally gave in and pulled it out of my pocket. Moving down beside Victor and the figure, I clicked the switch and accidentally blinded all of us. I clicked it off again.

  "Here, throw the blanket over it so it's not so bright," Victor whispered, retrieving the one he had thrown on the floor.

  As the light illuminated the thin blanket, Victor worked at their hand bindings.

  The person was a woman, but her face was badly beaten. She was nearly unrecognizable in any sense of the word, bless her.

  "What's your name?" I asked.

  She blinked rapidly before her eyes settled on my face. She tried to speak, but the only thing that came out was a horse scratchy sound. I couldn't understand what she was trying to say. The poor woman, I wondered how long she had been left here without food or water.

  "We're going to get you out of here, okay?"

  She nodded again.

  "I need you to stay as quiet as possible," I whispered.

  She tried to say something again, but I still couldn't understand her. Giving up, she instead pointed toward the hallway.

  "Someone is here?" Victor asked. I did not know how he understood that.

  She nodded frantically.

  Thain was still in the doorway, but his back was facing the room. I was glad he was keeping watch while we got her up and moving.

  "Can you walk?" I asked.

  She placed her hands on the mattress and pushed herself up onto shaky legs. I tried to grab her arm before she could fall back, but she recoiled from my touch and landed hard. My eyes went wide, and I jerked toward the doorway just in time to see Thain take off out of sight.

  "Stay here!" I hissed.

  Victor was already out of the room before I could follow. When I made it to the hall, both men were gone, and I had no idea where they went.

  I was standing completely in the open as the second bedroom door flew open. I turned toward it, expecting one of them, but the figure who came through didn't match the height of either one. I had no time to hide. I froze and raised my hands.

  "Don't move or you're dead!" the man yelled. In one fluid motion, he swung a gun toward me.

  It was Franklin. I'd know the sound of that man's voice anywhere.

  My brain was screaming at me to move, but my body wouldn't obey. I was going to die. I squeezed my eyes shut as the sound of gunfire assaulted my ears and I waited for the impact of pain. Another shot rang out and this time my entire body was clenched as tightly as my eyelids.

  I still couldn't feel anything. The sound of something hitting the floor made my eyes shoot open just as a third shot erupted.

  There was Victor, gun and flashlight pointed down at Franklin's body on the ground. He lifted the light up at me, searching my face while he kept his gun trained on the unmoving figure.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  His question unlocked my limbs, and I ran my hands down my torso and thighs. "Yes," I breathed. "I think so."

  Thain came around him from behind. He flipped a switch on the wall and light flooded the space. I blinked a few times to adjust my eyes. He pushed the unmoving body with his boot, then raced over to me and patted me down. His hands were quick and thorough, searching for signs of damage. Once he was satisfied, his eyes drifted over to the wall beside me. He pushed a finger into a bullet hole and then locked his gaze back onto mine.

  "That was close. Poppy would never have forgiven me if something happened to you."

  My mouth hung open as I moved my hand to copy him, pressing a fingertip into the hole. By the time I turned my attention back to him, he was gone, but Victor was now standing near me, waiting for me to gather my wits.

  "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

  "Yes," I answered breathily.

  "We searched the rest of the floor, there is no one else here," he said in his usual volume, no longer whispering.

  I stared back at the lifeless form, now in vivid color. Franklin's eyes were still open and there was blood streaming out onto the carpet from multiple locations. I had never seen a dead person in real life before. I should hate him for what he did to Poppy, but I couldn't. My throat closed, a wave of nausea threatening to make me be sick. My heart was heavy with sorrow over a lost life.

  By the time I could pull my feet from the spot they were stuck to and process the events of the night, Thain returned to the hall. The battered woman was gathered up in his arms and they were heading toward the stairs.

  Victor stepped into my space and pulled me close just before he scooped me up too.

  "Bea, you're probably in shock, and we need to get out of here before the police come," he whispered gently against my hair when I tried to struggle.

  I stilled myself and hung limply in his arms while he climbed gingerly down the stairs and outside into the cover of the night.

  My insides were still numb as I let him guide me into the passenger seat of my car. He asked for my keys, and I fumbled around in my pocket until I finally found them and handed them to him. The woman and Thain were already in the back seat. She laid against Thain with her eyes closed. He had an arm wrapped around her to hold her steady. My eyes wandered from the dash to my hands and back again as I listened to her soft but ragged breaths.

  "She'll be okay, but we have to get her to Thain's office. He has doctors that specialize in the care of our kind. A hospital wouldn't know what to do," Victor said, and pulled out onto the road.

  I wondered how he knew she wasn't human, but I didn't ask. Instead, I simply nodded, closed my own eyes, and sank into the motions of the car as Victor drove us to safety.

  Chapter 23

  Poppy

  "Where is she?" I yelled into the phone as I pushed myself up and swung my feet off the side of the bed. My head was clearer than it was yesterday thanks to Bea, but it still throbbed. Moving was making it worse.

  "She's safe and asleep on my couch," Thain answered.

  I woke up to Isaac and a guard in my apartment with Bea nowhere to be found and neither of them willing nor able to tell me where she was. I knew she wouldn't have run off while I was recovering. Something had to be wrong. I initially tried to call Victor, but he hadn't answered. Luckily, Thain had picked right up.

  "Why?"

  "What do you mean, why?" he asked.

  "Why would she be asleep on your couch?"

  The silence made my gut clench. "Damn it Thain, tell me what's going on!" I yelled while trying to stand. My vision swam momentarily, and I grabbed the edge of my dresser to steady myself.

  "Are you trying to get out of bed?" Thain asked with a sudden panic in his own voice.

  "Try? No, I'm up and I'm coming over there since you won't tell me what's happening."

&n
bsp; "There was a bit of a situation last night, and Victor and I went along so she wouldn't go alone."

  I took a few steps toward my bedroom door but had to stop when the pain in my ribs nearly doubled me over. "You're still being vague," I said with a grunt.

  "Damn it, Poppy. She's fine, I promise. Please get back in your bed," Thain begged.

  I ignored him and hung up the phone.

  "Isaac!"

  Within a few seconds, my door burst open. "Oh my god, why are you up?" he asked as he rushed to my side. He put an arm around me to help support my weight, but the pain made me cry out. He removed his hold on me in a rush and settled for supporting my forearm. My breath was coming out in pants now.

  "Something happened and Bea is at Thain's."

  "Is she okay?" he asked.

  "I don't know. I mean, Thain says she is, but I have a nagging in my gut that she needs us."

  He tried to turn me. "I'll go, you come back to bed."

  "No. I'm going one way or another and I'd rather you take me," I argued.

  He silently begged me to see reason with his eyes.

  "Please, Isaac. I won't be able to rest until I see that she's okay with my own eyes, anyway."

  He hesitantly nodded and helped me out into the living room. The guard hopped to attention as soon as he saw us. "Ma'am," he said with a nod. He swiftly walked to my other side and grabbed my free arm.

  "We're going out," Isaac informed him.

  "I'll inform the men outside so they can get a car ready. May I ask where we're headed?"

  I almost told him not to bother, but it would be easier if they took us. Especially since their orders were not to leave me on my own, and I did not know where Thain lived.

  "Just to Thain's house."

  "Yes, ma'am. No problem," the guard said, unclipping his walkie talkie. I let him hand out orders while I found my way to the bathroom. Isaac led me in and hovered, waiting on me.

  "Can you get me a washcloth, please?" I asked. He searched the bathroom until his eyes settled on the toilet, then he looked back to my face. I nodded and let him help me down on the closed lid.