King Series Box Set

by Kandle, Tawdra

  The others were not so easily pegged, but I figured them out by listening to their minds. The tall dark-haired man sitting at Mr. Cummings right was his attorney, who had hired us for this job. The younger blonde was the nephew, but I couldn’t place the man muttering into his ear. I was pretty sure the gray haired short guy was the nephew’s lawyer.

  “Well, let’s get started, folks.” Mr. Cummings’ lawyer raised his voice to be heard over the chatter. “Thanks for being here today, and on such short notice. I’m Gil Robins, as most of you know...” He grinned, glancing around the table. “My client, the seller, Mr. Cummings. The buyer, Patrick Holmes--” The blonde man raised his hand and beamed a smile. “His attorney, Mr. Elkins. And Patrick, I’m sorry, your business partner’s name is...?”

  “Brice Donavan.” The man spoke for himself and nodded around the table.

  “Donavan, yes. And down at the end of the table is the team from Trust Title.” They spared us barely a glance; from their thoughts, I gleaned that we were of little more importance than the table or chairs. That was fine. I was being paid to be inconspicuous, after all.

  The meeting began, with Mr. Robins leading the discussion on various boring topics. I tried to focus on Patrick Holmes’ thoughts, but he was just listening to the droning voices. I was struggling to keep my eyes open when there was a sudden surge of interest in the nephew’s mind. His uncle had just spoken.

  “Patrick, I want to put a clause in the contract of sale that requires you to keep this land within our family, to keep farming the land. Rent it out if you want to, you don’t have to be the one to do the work. But this farm has been in our family for generations and--”

  “Uncle Matt, don’t you trust me?” Patrick’s voice was kind. I tuned into his deeper thoughts, but all I heard was one word.

  Convince. Convince. Convince.

  I frowned and suppressed a sigh. That could go either way. Even if he were being honest about his intentions, he would want his uncle to believe him.

  Matthew Cummings didn’t answer directly; he just pursed his lips and looked at his nephew.

  Just get the old man to sign it over. Then we’re free and clear. Can do whatever we want.

  It wasn’t Patrick I heard, but his partner, the man who sat back in his chair, a pleasant smile on his face. His thoughts weren’t a confession or a slam-dunk indictment, but they were suspect enough in my book.

  I slid my eyes toward Cathryn. She didn’t move but I felt the slight lowering of her block as she thought, I heard it.

  “Patrick, I don’t think it’s a matter of trust. If you can assure your uncle that you will do all in your power to follow his wishes concerning this property, we can proceed.” Mr. Robins smiled genially at both men, and I picked up his concern that a big fee was potentially slipping through his fingers.

  My glance ping-ponged back and forth between the two men. Patrick’s mind was in turmoil, but I finally heard him think, Tell him what he wants to hear.

  This time Cathryn’s head moved in a barely perceptible nod and I heard Fee think, Got him. I can see it now.

  “Uncle Matt, I promise you, I will honor the farm just as you have. I won’t let you down.”

  There was a pause, and then Mr. Cummings nodded to his attorney. The rest of the meeting proceeded smoothly, and pretty soon everyone was gathering their papers, preparing to leave.

  I leaned up to Cathryn. “That’s it? Shouldn’t we say anything?” I murmured.

  She looked back to me, a slight warning in her eyes. “Yes, thanks, Tasmyn. You can take everything out to the car. I’ll be along shortly.” She handed me the keys and turned away.

  Rebuked, I pressed my lips in a firm line and grabbed the handle of her wheeled bag, Fee held the door for me as we walked out in silence. At the car, she helped me load the bag into Cathryn’s miniscule trunk.

  “You did great,” she whispered behind the cover of the raised trunk. “How do you feel?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted, as quietly as I could. “It was okay, I guess. I don’t feel like I did anything, though.”

  “I know, it seems that way at first.” She patted my arm. “But you did make a difference. You just might not know about it right away.”

  Cathryn didn’t say much at first on our drive back to Perriman. When she did speak, it was in a measured tone.

  “That went well, Tasmyn. You handled your first assignment without any problem.”

  “Did you tell the lawyer? About the nephew, I mean?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll send him my report tonight, including our findings along with Fiona’s. From there, it’ll be up to him.”

  I felt a growing unease. “But they’ll tell Mr. Cummings, right? So he won’t sell the farm to his nephew?” I wrinkled my nose and shuddered. “He gave me the creeps.”

  “That’s up to the attorney. We just report what we hear, what Fiona sees. We can’t make their decisions for them.”

  I folded my arms across my chest. “So it might not have done any good at all. It might have been a waste of time.”

  Cathryn shot me a reproving glance. “We did what we were paid to do, Tas. A good day of work. The next job will be easier for you, now that you’ve gotten past the first one.”

  I looked out into the growing shadows and didn’t reply.

  The assignments did get easier, I found. After that first one, I began receiving the encrypted emails about twice a week, always giving me a location and the part I was to play. Cathryn went along with me for several weeks, but once it became clear that I could handle myself, I tackled a few easy missions without her. Fiona or Emma were usually along with me, and I liked having them there.

  “It’s kind of cool,” I admitted to Aline at our regular Friday session. “I mean, it’s pretty mundane. It’s not all the cloak and dagger stuff I imagined. I’m usually in a lawyer’s office or something like that. But at the same time, I’m always playing a part, and I feel like I’m helping people. Well...most of the time.”

  Aline raised her eyebrows. “Most of the time?”

  I smothered a sigh. “Yeah. Sometimes I’m not sure what happens with the information I hear. I hope it helps, but Carruthers won’t tell me, and they don’t like me to ask.”

  “Like the farmer?”

  I nodded. “Exactly. I wanted to know what happened. Did he get mad at his nephew? What’s he going to do with the farm now? I don’t expect a reward or anything for helping. I just want to know.”

  Aline looked thoughtful. “You could probably find that yourself. There are records of sales.”

  “I know. But I don’t think Carruthers wants me to dig, and I don’t want to rock the boat. So far, so good. They’ve done what they promised up to this point, with Zoe helping me control my powers and now letting me use my gifts to help others. So maybe I just need to trust them.”

  “Trust doesn’t come easily to you, Tasmyn, and for good reason. If you’re sensing anything off, you should pay heed to your intuition.”

  I didn’t answer, and Aline, never one to push, tactfully changed the subject. “How are you and Michael doing with all these changes? Are you still sensing some worry from him, the insecurity about Rafe?”

  I smiled, something I couldn’t help doing when I thought of Michael. “Everything is pretty wonderful with us. Michael still worries a little about Carruthers, I think, but he trusts me to make the right decision. I check in with him whenever I have an assignment, and I tell what I can. They’re big on secrecy, you know. Or discretion, as Cathryn says.”

  “And Cathryn isn’t bothering you so much anymore?”

  Laughing, I shook my head. “No, not so much. Now that I can talk to her without bringing down the walls, I don’t think it’s as much fun for her to torment me. And if nothing else, Cathryn is always professional. She’s not Marica, and she’s not Nell.”

  Aline nodded. “Speaking of which...you’ve been visiting Nell. How’s that going?”

  “Always the same. She
looks just as she did the first time I went up there. No change at all. I talk to her, I tell her what I’m doing. Michael went with me one time. I thought maybe all three of us together again...but nothing.”

  “Does that disappoint you?”

  “Maybe a little. Michael teased me once that I have a superhero complex, that I want to save everyone. He might be onto something.”

  Laughing, Aline leaned back in her chair. “I don’t think you have a complex, Tasmyn. I think you’re just a decent person, and you want to do the right thing for everyone. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you don’t let it consume you. Remember, you’re not responsible for the happiness of the world at large.”

  I thought about that as I made my way back to campus to meet Michael. I still had quite a bit of regret about Nell and her current state, and I had more than a little guilt and shame over Rafe. Being able to visit Nell helped me feel a little better; at least I knew I was doing everything I could for her. But seeing Rafe was not an option. I wondered, as I did from time to time, where he was and if he had moved on. I hoped so.

  “Penny for your thoughts, pretty lady?” Michael slid his arms around me from behind me as soon as I stepped out of the Mustang.

  “Where did you come from?” I asked, slamming the door and turning in his embrace.

  “I got out early and decided to wait for you here so we could walk to dinner together.” He dropped a light kiss on my lips. “How did it go with Aline?”

  “Good. Nothing deep today, just a check-in.” I wove my fingers between Michael’s as we headed to the dining hall. “Do you think that means I’m getting better? Almost normal, maybe?”

  Michael laughed and squeezed my hand. “Honey, you don’t need to get any better. And normal is way overrated.” I leaned into him, nuzzling his shoulder in both gratitude and affection.

  “But it probably means you’re healing,” he went on. “And that is a wonderful thing.”

  We went through the food line separately since Michael hit just about every station while I grabbed a salad and a slice of pizza. I was already settled at our table by the time he made it there carrying two trays.

  “Chocolate cake for dessert. I got you a slice, too.”

  “Yum.” We ate in silence for a few minutes before I spoke again.

  “Remember the first assignment I had with Carruthers? With the farmer?” I spoke low and leaned into Michael, which was really ridiculous; if Cathryn were monitoring us tonight, she’d be able to hear Michael’s thoughts no matter how quiet we were.

  “Sure,” Michael nodded. “What about it?”

  “I want to know what happened. I know it’s not a big deal, and it’s none of my business, but I just wondered. If he sold the farm anyway, I mean. I want to make sure he got the information.”

  Michael shrugged. “Okay. And Cathryn won’t tell you, right? Did you ask Fiona?”

  “They all tell me to let it go. Fee says it nicer, but basically the same thing. And I’m afraid if I dig into it, they’ll be mad. But you could find out for me.”

  He finished his taco and took a swig of sweet tea. “Sure. Remind me of the name, and I’ll check it out.”

  “I’ll give it to you when we’re alone. And remember not to think about it around Cathryn.”

  Michael rolled his eyes. “Oh, great. Now that’s all I’ll be able to think about. Lucky thing I don’t see her very often.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Lucky thing for more than one reason, buddy! Cathryn might be backing off a little, but she’d still jump at the chance to get her manicured hands on you.”

  Michael grabbed my fingers and kissed them. “Only one set of hands I want on me, and you know that.” When I blushed and shook my head, he just laughed.

  “Speaking of hands on me, I have the suite to myself again tonight. Want to chance another overnight visit?”

  I slid over the plate with my pizza crust so that Michael could finish it. “By ‘chance’, do you mean the risk of you having another bad dream or of me self-combusting?” Zoe had been trying to help me learn how to re-direct my energy so that I didn’t start a fire or burn up myself, but it wasn’t easy. When I was with Michael, it was nearly impossible for me to focus on anything but him. Even thinking about it...

  “You’re getting all red.” Michael stared at me as I pushed back from the table and fanned myself with a napkin. “What were you thinking about?”

  I shot him what I hoped was a smoldering look. Since I was almost literally doing just that, it should’ve been easy. “Your fault. I need some air. Are you just about done?”

  He stacked the trays with trash. “We didn’t eat our cake, though.”

  “Get a box for it. I’ll meet you outside. I think we need to work on some of Zoe’s anti-combustion ideas.”

  “Let’s check on that farm sale while you’re here and we’re alone,” Michael suggested as we climbed the stairs to his dorm. “You’ll feel better once you know.”

  “Probably,” I agreed. Michael unlocked the door and pulled his laptop out of its bag while I headed for his room. I’d begun leaving a few things in his room , and I was glad to change into sweats and a t-shirt.

  “What’s the name?” Michael called from the living room. I padded into him, pulling on socks as I went.

  “Cummings. Matthew Cummings. And the farm was in Westboro Township.” I watched over his shoulder as he navigated through a few different searches.

  “Ah. Hmm. There it is.” Michael tilted the screen so that I had better view. “Sale went through last week. Matthew Cummings to Patrick Holmes and Brice Donavan.”

  I dropped heavily onto the sofa next to him. “I was afraid of that. I can’t believe that he went through with the sale even after we told him--” My voice trailed off.

  “But you said Cathryn was going to give a report to the attorney, not to the farmer. Is it possible the attorney didn’t tell his client what you found out?”

  “Not only possible. I think it’s also probable.” I rubbed my hand across my forehead, suddenly weary. “I hate this. Here I’m trying to do something good and it doesn’t make any difference at all in the long run.”

  “Could it be that he decided to sell anyway? Even with the information you gave him?”

  I shook my head. “I doubt it. He seemed pretty set on keeping it a farm.”

  Michael wrapped me in his arms. “I know this bothers you. But I don’t think there’s anything you can do about it. Try not to let it get under your skin. You can leave Carruthers any time you want, if they’re not who you hoped they were.”

  I laid my head on his shoulder. “It’s not that simple. I don’t think I’m ready to just give up so easily. Maybe there’s an explanation.”

  Michael trailed fingers across my cheek. “Whatever you do, I’m behind you. Always.”

  “Thanks.” I snuggled down and let the worry and niggling annoyance over Matthew Cummings and everyone at Carruthers slide off me.

  Michael tilted my chin up and kissed me softly. I felt him straining to keep everything in check, holding back, and despite the heat that was building deep within me, I upped the ante, straining to get closer to him, and opening my mouth beneath his. I slid my hands up under his shirt, catching my breath at the feel of his muscles tightening at my touch.

  Without breaking the kiss, he eased his hands beneath my legs and lifted me closer so that I lay across his lap, trapped between his body and the arm of the sofa. His hands moved back up my body, and even with the fever rising, goose bumps rose in his wake. I tightened my grip around his neck, intent on pulling him as close to me as possible.

  Michael plunged his hands under my t-shirt, rubbing my back. He groaned and pulled his mouth from mine. “Tas, you’re burning up again. We need to...ahhh.” I pulled him flush against me and took his mouth again. The heat was there, but nothing existed for me in that moment but Michael and me. Some small part of my mind tried to remember Zoe’s suggestions for re-channeling energy, but nothing made sense.r />
  Michael broke away from kissing me again, but this time it was only to run his lips down my neck to my collarbone. His fingers teased around my waist and skimmed my stomach so that I sucked in a sharp breath.

  And then abruptly he sat up, dropping me unceremoniously onto the sofa. I started up in alarm, not sure what had made him stop, but he pushed me gently back and lifted my t-shirt up away from stomach. I heard his thoughts at the same time that he drew in a hissing breath.

  Blisters. All over you.

  “Blisters? Are you sure?” I peered around his hands, but he carefully laid the shirt back on me and ran his hands over my neck.

  “And here, too. Tas.” Dropping back on the sofa—this time a safe distance away from me—Michael groaned. “You’re on fire from the inside. I can still feel the heat from you all the way over here. Go get a cold shower. You’ve got to bring your temp down.” He ventured close enough to touch my forehead and swore under his breath. “Or I’m going to have to take you to the emergency room. That would be interesting.”

  I tried to get up, but the room was spinning around me. Clutching the side of the couch, I dropped my head down onto my knees. I was dimly aware of Michel going into the kitchen, and a moment later I felt the cold washcloth on the back of my neck.

  “Take it easy,” he murmured. “Let’s get you steady, then we’ll cool you down.” He replaced the washcloth several times, patting it gently on my face and murmuring comfortingly. When I began to shake as the fever broke, he wrapped a light blanket around me and held me tight.

  “What am I going to do with you?” he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

  I lifted my eyes just enough to see him. “Move to Alaska?” I suggested. “We could live in an igloo.”

  Michael laughed softly. “And have you melt the house every time I kiss you? No, thanks. I think we need to come up with another solution. I’m not willing to give up kissing you, but I can’t have you burning up, either.”