by Lisa Kessler
And that would keep them both alive.
Then he could see a shrink.
Tera woke to the sun streaming through her window. One perk of running the dance studio was that she could make her own timetable. She never scheduled classes in the morning, so she could get up whenever her body was finished sleeping instead of with an alarm clock. She still counted every blessing of her new life in California to combat the whispers of the muse inside of her that tried to lure her back to the big stages in New York. Terpsichore inspired bodies to move, to tell stories that couldn’t be contained with words. But even before the muse had come alive inside of Tera, dance had been her life. Hers and her mother’s.
Nope. Tera threw back the covers. Not letting her mother creep into her head today. No way.
She showered and put on a pair of yoga pants and a dance tank top. She jogged down the stairs and froze when she noticed the sleeping body on her couch. Gods, she had forgotten about her bodyguard.
Gavin was on his back, one muscled arm up over his eyes. Her gaze traveled lower, and her breath hitched as she sank onto the stairs, sitting before she fell. With his arm raised, his T-shirt had lifted, exposing some impressive core muscles, and his sweatpants were low on his hips, revealing a birthmark just below his navel. A birthmark in the shape of a crescent moon…
The mark of a Guardian.
Her friend Clio, the Muse of History, had translated a Greek scroll about the muses a few months ago, and they had learned that the gods had marked a Guardian for every muse, to protect each daughter of Zeus. Five of Tera’s muse sisters had already found their Guardians, and each man had experienced some kind of awakening of a supernatural ability after meeting his muse.
Tera’s mind flashed back to barfing behind her dance studio, the motion sickness.
Gavin was impossibly fast. And he was marked for her, to be her Guardian. He had to be.
He lowered his arm, his green eyes blinking open sleepily and locking on hers. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t watching you… I…” She bolted to her feet. “I just forgot something in my room. Be right back.”
Taking the stairs two at a time, she was back in her bedroom with the door closed in all of five seconds. She rolled her eyes. She’d been worried he would be the creepy one, and then she ended up ogling him while he slept.
Ugh. So smooth.
She took her cell phone from her pocket and hit Callie’s number. Callie was the vessel for the Muse of Epic Poetry, and ever since the theater fire that had killed Polly, Callie had evolved into their leader. She’d know what to do.
“Tera?” Callie answered, her tone both questioning and concerned. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes.” She walked toward her bed, glancing back at the door. “No.” She sat on the mattress, tucking one foot under her. “I mean…” She groaned, struggling to put together a complete sentence. “Gavin, my bodyguard, is my Guardian.”
“What?” Callie paused. “How can you possibly know that already? None of us figured it out that fast.” She chuckled. “Did you walk in on him in the shower or something?”
“No.” Tera lowered her voice. “I went downstairs to make breakfast, and he was sleeping on my couch. His shirt rode up, and I saw the mark right below his belly button.”
Callie sobered. “Any idea what his gift might be?”
“He’s crazy fast. Like make-you-puke fast.”
“You’re kidding.” She chuffed. “You already know what his ability is, too? Did he tell you? Does he think he’s going nuts?”
Tera shrugged before remembering Callie couldn’t see her. “I don’t know what he thinks. We haven’t talked about any of this. That’s why I called you.”
“You want me to tell him?”
“Could you?” Tera looked over at the door again. “What am I supposed to say? Guess what? I’m a Greek muse and you’re my god-appointed Guardian?”
“Something like that.”
“I can’t do that.” Tera’s eyes widened, her voice dropping to a pointed whisper. “Maybe you could call a meeting and get everyone to your house. He’d come with me because he’s my hired shadow now.”
“And then we reveal everything for you?” The smile was plain in her voice. “You can do this, Tera. He’s going to think we’re some kind of bizarre cult if we all drop this bomb on him. Ease him into it.”
Tera flopped back on her bed. “Just thinking about it is giving me a panic attack.”
“Then wait a couple days.” Her tone took on the soothing calm of a well-trained counselor. “He doesn’t have to know everything today. Get to know him and it’ll be easier to talk.” Callie was a psychiatrist for the military, and she was damned good at her job. “You’ve got time.”
Tera knew it was good advice and took in a long, slow breath. “Okay… Doesn’t help that my mom showed up yesterday and then a stalker nosed around my apartment last night, though.”
“Shit.” Her calming tone went out the window. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Gavin was great. He even got a license plate on the stalker’s car for Nate.”
“Good.” Some papers shuffled on the other end of the line. “Sorry. My next patient is waiting. You can do this, Tera. Call me later if you need me.”
“Thanks, Callie.”
Tera ended the call and stared at her ceiling. She wished she were as confident in her abilities as Callie seemed to be.
Gavin brushed his teeth and hair. He needed a shower. When Tera came down again, he’d head up and grab a quick one. The image of her sitting on the stairs flashed in his mind. How long had she been sitting there while he’d slept?
Probably for the best he didn’t know. He checked his phone and found a text from Nate.
Call me.
Gavin pressed Nate’s number and waited.
“Detective Malone,” came the answer.
“Nate, it’s Gavin. What’s up?”
“Just a second.” His footsteps came through the receiver, followed by a door closing. “Thanks for calling me back. I got a lead on the plate. The car is registered to a guy we suspect is a member of the same group as the man who started the theater fire.”
“The firebug on TV babbling about Titans and muses?”
“That’s the one.”
Gavin stared at the empty staircase. “So, if this guy is his friend, do you think he’s watching Tera to get even?”
“Not sure yet but stay alert. My partner and I are going to try cornering him at work and ask him some questions. I’ll keep you posted. I just wanted to give you a heads-up. There are still a few more members of this group that are unaccounted for.”
“Anything else I should know?”
“Not at this point, but I’ll let you know if we find the guy in the Camaro.” Nate paused, and some papers shuffled in the background. “Till then, just keep Tera safe.”
Gavin nodded. “Will do.”
He ended the call, sliding the phone into his pocket. Still no sign of Tera. He went to the window and looked out at the courtyard. In the bright morning sun, the thought of him keeping up with a Camaro was laughable. Maybe the car hadn’t been going as fast as he’d thought.
There was only one way to know for sure.
He fired off a text to Tera.
Stay inside. I’m running to my car.
Her response came right back.
Okay.
He went out the door and through the security gate. In the parking lot, he stretched his legs, his knee making a familiar popping sound. This was nuts. No way he’d sprinted so fast he’d caught up with a car. He checked for any unwanted onlookers. Satisfied he was alone, Gavin jogged a few steps before pushing his body as fast as he could.
Each step jarred his knee until he slowed to a walk, wincing. He looked back at his car and let out a humorless, winded chuckle. Fuck. He was far from fast. But he’d gotten Tera around her building so quickly, she’d lost her lunch.
Or she’d been shaken up fr
om seeing her mom, just as he’d originally guessed.
He ran his fingers back through his hair. When he finished this job, he needed to get in to see the shrink again. He’d stopped going shortly after he’d retired from Special Forces. He had thought he was ready for civilian life. Instead, he traded one uniform for another. But he hadn’t worn his police officer’s badge for long.
He straightened, turning toward the condo, and his gaze locked on Tera’s. She was in the upstairs bedroom window. Or she had been… The woman was pretty fast herself.
How much had she seen?
He huffed out a frustrated breath and headed for the condo.
Ted knocked on Mikolas’s door and waited. The Greek billionaire had taken the reins of Belkin Oil after Ted’s father had passed away, and Ted had buried his grief and devoted all his energy to attacking Mikolas. He’d even framed the Greek businessman for attempted murder. But since they’d discovered the explosion on the offshore oil rig had opened the door to Tartarus and freed Kronos, the two men had become tenuous allies. Maybe even friends.
And Ted didn’t have many of those.
Mikolas stepped back so Ted could enter his home. “How did it go with Kevin?”
“He’s pissed about the muses killing his mistress.” Ted took a seat on the couch.
Mikolas paced the room. “I suppose he doesn’t care that his mistress was threatening the life of a mortal child at the time?”
“Not a bit.” Ted shook his head, raising his eyebrows. “He doesn’t see any value in the human race, young or old, so… His main goal appears to be finding Zeus, and if it takes torturing his daughters to lure him out, Kevin is more than willing to do that.”
“Fuck.” Mikolas resumed his pacing. “Did you at least convince him that he needs you? If we can’t stay on the inside, we won’t have any chance to stop him.”
“Yeah. I’m his new errand boy.” Ted crossed his arms. He wasn’t happy about his place in Kevin’s inner circle, but he’d bide his time. Maybe he could keep the immortal’s attention off Trinity somehow. “And if Kevin decides to go full Kronos on us, how exactly are you planning on stopping him?”
“We can’t fight Kronos, but there’s someone in town who can.” Mikolas glanced Ted’s way. “We’re meeting with his wife. Rhea is expecting us.”
“Now?”
Mikolas nodded. “I’ll drive.”
CHAPTER 5
Tera pulled her mostly dry hair up into a ponytail. Anything to keep from having to go back downstairs and face her bodyguard. She hadn’t meant to spy on him. Again. She’d noticed him in the parking lot and thought maybe the Order of the Titans was back for more. Then he’d started running and she hadn’t been able to look away.
He hadn’t been running at a superhuman speed the way he had been when he’d spirited her behind the studio, but his stride had been determined and strong. And in that moment, she realized he’d been testing a theory. Even though he hadn’t said as much out loud, the superspeed must’ve been freaking him out.
Poor guy had to be partnered with the one muse who excelled at not talking.
She puffed out a frustrated breath and headed for the door. She could hear Gavin in the kitchen, and whatever he was cooking had her stomach growling like a bear.
“Hope you don’t mind me using your stove.” He turned around as she entered the room, a spark of mischief in his eyes. “I was betting food might lure you down here.”
She smiled despite her nerves. “Smells amazing.”
“It’s my famous cinnamon French toast.” He waved the spatula in her direction. “And before you go thinking I’m some kind of prize, this is the only recipe I’ve ever mastered.”
Oh, he was definitely a prize, but that had nothing to do with his cooking. She wandered in and took out a couple of plates and glasses. “Do you want some orange juice?”
He flipped the battered bread and turned her way. He was much closer than she’d expected, but instead of a jolt of panic, heat curled low in her belly. “Sounds great, thanks.”
She gripped the OJ tightly and focused on filling the glasses. “I saw you running this morning.”
“I noticed.” He placed the last piece of French toast on the plate and then twisted the knob on the stove, turning the burner off.
Her stomach twisted. “It wasn’t on purpose… I mean, I thought… Sorry.”
He caught her hand, and she looked up at him before she could stop herself. His smile was gentle, a silent understanding. “I’m not upset. Was just stretching my legs. No biggie.”
She nodded as some of the tension faded from her muscles. “If we get over to the studio early enough, I can show you some exercises that might help.”
He filled his plate and took his glass over to the table. “I blew out my knee during a game in college. It still gets tight sometimes.” He shrugged. “It’s not that bad though. I still passed my physicals and got a waiver to enter Special Forces.”
She took a seat beside him, risking a glance in his direction. “Is that why you joined the military?”
“Yeah.” He poked at his food. “I lost my basketball scholarship and I couldn’t afford tuition, so I took a detour: Special Forces, then the police department. Once I had enough saved, I opened my security business.”
“I’m sorry you had to give up basketball.” She sipped her orange juice. “You loved it.”
“I did.” He met her eyes. “I still do.”
“You still play?”
“I grab a pickup game here and there when I can.” He swallowed a bite of French toast and grinned at her. “I’ll have to take you with me sometime. I bet you play a mean H-O-R-S-E.”
“What’s H-O-R-S-E?” She popped a piece of French toast into her mouth and moaned. “Oh my god. This is amazing.”
“Glad you like it.” He laughed, and her pulse fluttered. “Tell you what, if I learn to dance while we’re working together, then you get to learn to play some basketball. Deal?”
“Deal.” She grinned, anticipation thrumming in her veins.
Her mother had homeschooled her to make more time for dance. It still seemed like yesterday when she’d sneak into the high school gym and hear the crowd cheer for Gavin Thompson hitting another three-pointer. Although dance was her life and her first love, a tiny part of her always wished she could have learned to shoot a basketball or hit a baseball.
Maybe it wasn’t too late.
After he showered, Gavin pulled on a pair of shorts and a polo. While keeping an eye on Tera at the dance studio, he’d also be adding a few security cameras to the building. When he came downstairs, Tera already had her dance bag on her shoulder.
He smirked. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”
“Nah. I forgot I can’t just run to the studio anytime I want to anymore.” She shrugged. “Are you ready?”
“Yep.” He nodded and opened the door for her. “My tools and ladders are in the SUV.”
She passed by him, and he locked up, trying to pretend he hadn’t just breathed her scent into his lungs. This attraction was getting out of hand. He needed to focus. Between wanting to make her smile and starting to believe his birthmark really could sense danger, concentrating on his job was becoming more difficult by the second.
As he made the turn into the dance studio parking lot, his birthmark began throbbing again. He frowned, tightening his grip on the wheel.
“You’re kidding me.” Tera clutched her dance bag to her chest. “It’s her again.”
Doris Muldoon puffed a cigarette in front of the door to Tera’s building.
Gavin had always been one to trust his gut, but the burning birthmark took the meaning to a whole new level. “I’ll handle this. You stay in the car.”
“Happy to.” She pushed her sunglasses higher on her nose as if that would disguise her.
Gavin parked and got out of the SUV, scanning the lot for anyone else. As he approached Doris, she dropped the cigarette butt and ground it into the pavement with he
r Nike running shoe. “I’m here to see my daughter.”
He crossed his arms. “And she made it clear that you should call me.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I know important people. I can make your life hell.”
“Are you threatening me, Ms. Muldoon?” He raised a brow. “If you have trouble respecting your daughter’s wishes, I can help her get another restraining order, no problem.”
She balled her hands into fists. “Did she tell you that?” She stared past him to the SUV, lowering her voice, a mask of concern quickly hiding her rage. “My poor baby. She’s a sick girl. So much talent in her body, but sadly her mind has never been as strong.” She met his eyes. “She needs her mother.”
His gut twisted. “What she needs is for you to leave the property, so she can work. If you won’t comply with that request, I can call my friends at Crystal City PD and they can escort you to the station.”
The mock concern drained from her face, her mouth twisting with venom as she charged him. He didn’t give an inch. She poked his chest with her finger, her voice more of a hiss than a growl. “You’re going to be sorry, Gavin. You’re going to wish you never laid eyes on my precious girl.” Tera’s mother spun on her heel and stormed to her car. Tires screeched as she cranked the wheel and drove away.
Gavin ground his teeth and turned around. Tera was already getting out. She stopped beside him. “She’s not going to leave me alone until I let her tell me about the networking she’s been doing. My dancing is my mother’s compulsion. She must be constantly having a conniption that I’m teaching now instead of performing in a dance company.”
He shrugged and glanced down at her. “If she shows up uninvited again, we’ll meet with Nate about getting another restraining order.”
“It’ll be faster to let her talk.” She turned to go to the studio, but he caught her hand.
“I’m serious. If you give her what she wants, she’ll never leave you alone.” He lowered his voice. “Did she ever follow through on her threats?”
Tera’s eyes shone, but that was the only outward sign he’d touched a nerve. “Always.”
