Protector: The Flawed Series Book Three

by Becca J. Campbell

  “So…” She hesitated. “What did you mean you were going through stuff?”

  He took a deep breath. “I’ve been experiencing some extreme emotions lately. Geez, talking about this out loud makes it sound like I have PMS or something.” He gave a nervous chuckle.

  “What sort of—”

  “Weird feelings, really strong ones, but mostly my control hasn’t been like it used to. I thought it was just me, but…” He hesitated. “It’s been happening whenever I’m with you.”

  Her brows knit together. “I haven’t noticed anything weird from you.”

  “That’s the thing.” He paused. “I think it might be coming from you.” And this whole time he’d thought it had been connected to his hair.

  Her eyes went wide.

  He jabbed a thumb toward the party. “Maybe that’s also why you can’t sense individual emotions in that room. Maybe your own are sort of…escaping?”

  She considered his words for a moment before answering. “It has been easier to handle emotions lately. I thought I was getting more resilient.”

  “Maybe that’s part of it. Or maybe in doing that you’ve been influencing them without realizing it.” Logan thought of all the arguments they’d had lately. How his anger and frustration had been heightened when they were together and his lack of control had been unprecedented. “I’m pretty sure I’ve felt your emotions lately. Remember our last several arguments?”

  She nodded.

  “And just now I felt this bizarre burst of…well, happiness, I guess. When you were talking about enjoying yourself at the party.”

  “Wow,” she breathed. “Well, I guess it’s something to consider.” Her eyes trailed away from him and onto something unseen.

  There was a long moment of silence between them.

  “Didn’t mean to freak you out.” Logan adjusted his stance. “So, uh, want to see about getting me into the gala?”

  That brought her attention back. “So the guard wouldn’t let you in?”

  “Nope. No reservation, no ticket. And to top that off, security seemed to think I was the dangerous criminal.”

  “What?”

  “I’ll tell you the story later.”

  “Well, you’re with me now. Should be no problem.” They walked back to the entrance, and with Logan on her arm, Jade attempted to waltz past the guard, but the mighty, bearded Schultz stepped to block their way. She put on a forced smile. “I was just here—remember? Jade Edwards?”

  “You’re on the list, but he’s not,” Schultz said.

  Jade frowned. “Because I didn’t know he was coming. But he’s my date—I’m sure Kelsey won’t care—he’s not here to eat the food or anythi—”

  “He’s not on the list.”

  “But surely you can—”

  “No one gets in without permission. Period.”

  “Okay, okay. We get it.” Jade frowned at the man. “Can I at least go in by myself?”

  He gave a curt nod.

  Jade glanced at Logan. “Wait here, and I’ll go find Kelsey. I’m sure she can get you in.”

  Logan walked her just shy of the door. The burly man let her pass but gave a cold stare as if to ask why he was still here. Logan turned his back to the man and rolled his eyes.

  ~

  The artwork had been removed, and a band had taken the stage, cranking up something barely more than noise that made Ethan’s ears ring. There was something wrong about all that whining electric guitar, like nails on a chalkboard. Tables were pushed out of the way and people started dancing. The tip bar provided alcoholic beverages, and the lights were finally dimmed, allowing Ethan a better visual on the room.

  Gone were the solemnity of the auction and the distinguished voices discussing art. Now the sounds of the crowd ebbed and flowed in tides: one minute he couldn’t hear them over the loud music, the next raucous laughter burst forth. A handful of the older guests had left, but the majority of the people stayed. Those who weren’t dancing grouped near the edges of the room or sat at tables talking and drinking.

  Ethan let his eager eyes roam the room, searching for Kelsey. Nicodemus was supposed to be keeping an eye on her, but he’d run off again. Supposedly to use the restroom, but it shouldn’t have taken twenty minutes.

  Deciding a change of viewpoint would aid his search, Ethan stood and took his cane, remembering to use a slightly hobbling, slower gait than his normal confident stride. Success was in the details.

  He veered around the dance floor, heading to the opposite wall from where Kelsey’s male coworker stood. He hadn’t really been paying attention to the dancers, figuring she would be too busy to be among them. But as he stood searching, a flash of long, dark hair drew his attention. His eyes widened in surprise, first at the woman dancing, then at whom she was dancing with.

  The trademark fro of a haircut bobbed along with her, a self-important look plastered on the man’s pale face. Rage surged in Ethan. How dare Nicodemus dance with Kelsey? How dare he ruin the low profile Ethan strove for? A powerful urge to stride out there, yank the fool off the floor, and bash his brains in took hold of Ethan. He squeezed hot fists and somehow managed to keep his feet rooted. He tried to get calm by telling himself the jig wasn’t up yet. There was still time. Maybe this impromptu connection between her and Nicodemus could actually help them somehow—though the thought of her alone with Nicodemus made Ethan’s stomach turn.

  He watched them dance, his insides boiling. They spun, swapping places, and now he could see the woman’s face. It wasn’t Kelsey after all. He blinked and checked again to be sure.

  No, it wasn’t Kelsey, but he knew that face.

  What was the Kelsey impostor from Carlsbad doing here? And why was Nicodemus was dancing with her?

  It took Ethan a second to put together the details. Panic made him wonder momentarily if Kelsey had ever been here and whether it had been this girl the whole time. How much trust had he put in his partner? But Ethan remembered hearing Kelsey on the newscast and then in the waiting room earlier that day. He knew the inflections of her voice, and the woman making the speech tonight had not been the impostor—he was certain of it.

  So why was the impostor here, a good hour’s drive away from her hometown? Did she know who Kelsey was, or was that just his mind connecting imaginary dots?

  He shoved the questions and confusion aside and focused on something he was more comfortable with—his anger. The reason she was here didn’t matter, but now that she was, he couldn’t let her escape again. Not because her presence tempted or threatened him, but because she deserved it. No woman had toyed with him the way she had and gotten away with it—not even the real Kelsey. This time, he wouldn’t let either of the women escape.

  Still scanning, Ethan spotted Kelsey’s coworker—the one with the glasses. The man stood near one of the walls, his focus on two figures huddled near the floor. The two stood, and Ethan saw Kelsey escort a tall boy out of the room. She must be taking him back to his ward. He filed this away in his mind before turning back to watch Nicodemus.

  The song ended, and the band started a new tune. Without a breather, Nicodemus broke apart from the brunette and grabbed another woman. This one had lighter, curly hair and was shorter. Ethan headed straight for them. He purposely bumped Nicodemus with his shoulder, jostling his drink and sloshing it over the carpet. Nicodemus swiveled, a low growl revving up in his throat, but he cut the engine when he saw who it was. The woman stared, but Ethan couldn’t care less at the moment. Out of character or not, he grabbed Nicodemus roughly by the elbow and yanked him away.

  “Come with me.”

  Nicodemus glanced at his dance partner then back at Ethan. “Hold on—what’s—”

  “I need to speak with you—alone.”

  “Be right back,” Nicodemus called to the woman. “Bathroom break.”

  Ethan dragged his accomplice out of the room, past the guard, and down the hall near the restrooms. The lights were brighter out here, and his vision was toas
t, but he didn’t care.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Dancing. What’s the big deal?”

  “Do you know who you were dancing with?” Ethan shot the words at him as an accusation.

  “Name’s Nancy. Pretty thing, huh?”

  “Not the blonde. The girl before her.”

  There was a pause while Nicodemus seemed to search his limited memory banks. That wasn’t the only thing limited up there, Ethan thought.

  “Who?” Nicodemus asked. “The dark-headed girl?”

  “Yes. The one who looks incredibly similar to Kelsey.”

  “So?”

  “So that’s the same girl I took last summer.”

  Nicodemus was silent for a moment, and Ethan suddenly remembered he hadn’t told him about Carlsbad. Why would he? It was none of his business. He sighed and tightened his jaw. “Never mind. The point is, she knows who I am.”

  “You didn’t finish her off afterward?”

  “She got away before I had a chance.”

  “What?” Nicodemus groaned. “Great. This is gonna screw things up, bad. What’s she doing here?”

  “Doesn’t matter. We have to get rid of her.”

  Nicodemus whistled. “That gonna put a crimp in the plan?”

  “It doesn’t have to. We’ll take care of her before we get Kelsey.” Ethan felt for Nicodemus’s shoulder. He grabbed it tight and let his nails dig in. “What you need to do is—”

  “Who are you going to take care of?”

  The high voice stopped Ethan cold. He couldn’t see, but his ears told him a woman stood directly behind Nicodemus.

  He forced his voice level and his tone pleasant, but his teeth gritted tightly together. “Nicodemus, will you please turn and look our guest in the eye?” He released his grip on Nicodemus’s shoulder enough to let him swivel to face her then planted his hand firmly back in place on Nicodemus’s other side.

  “What’s this about?” The woman—Ethan guessed it was the dance partner—sounded bewildered but not yet suspecting. “I don’t under—” She cut off abruptly, and Ethan knew Nicodemus’s power had kicked in.

  “Nicodemus, will you please tell your friend to be quiet?”

  “Don’t speak,” he instructed.

  She didn’t.

  Ethan let a silent breath escape. “You know this is all your fault, don’t you?”

  “I was just having some fun. Getting into character, like you said. Most people our age were dancing.”

  “Like this has anything to do with that. You screwed up, and now you’re going to have to take care of the problem. You can handle that, can’t you?”

  Nicodemus didn’t answer immediately, but Ethan felt his shoulder tense up.

  This was getting out of hand. Within the last ten minutes two new complications had arisen, making his road to Kelsey that much rockier. He clenched and unclenched his empty fist. “You are going to handle it, because if you don’t, it’s your neck that I’ll break.”

  “How’m I gonna take care of her without anybody hearing or finding the body?”

  Ethan smiled humorlessly. “I know the perfect place.” He pointed down the hall. Though he couldn’t see, he visualized the old, empty wing of the hospital. It was dark and vacant and wonderful. And beyond it was a truck, conveniently waiting for them.

  “Take her to the truck. Go that way to avoid the guard.”

  “What about the dark? That hall’s gonna jack up my powers.”

  “Don’t you still have a flashlight?”

  “In my pocket.”

  “Use that. Keep it on your face. Can you do this without screwing things up again?”

  Nicodemus grunted his assent and spoke to his woman friend. “Follow me.”

  Once they left, Ethan made his way back toward the main event room. The bouncer at the door had seen him exit and gave him no trouble getting back in.

  Ethan hovered near a corner and watched for the two women he would soon capture. His nerves tingled with a mixture of pent up anger and anticipation.

  Jade was gone longer than Logan had expected. He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and wandered down the corridor, wondering where in the world Kelsey was hiding. He idly memorized the carpet pattern then eyed a wall sconce that was slightly crooked. As he roamed the halls, his gaze wandered to the double doors with the construction tape blocking the entrance. He narrowed his eyes at the strip of yellow tape that had fallen to the floor. He could’ve sworn it hadn’t been that way earlier. The tape crossed the wide corridor in a large X. Now half the X draped across the floor.

  A faint scream echoed from somewhere far off.

  Logan blinked.

  The soft beat of music thudded to his left back toward the party, but he could have sworn the scream came from his right, beyond the double doors.

  He heard it again. A chill raced down his spine.

  The sound was distant, as if contained somewhere deeper into the building or muffled by something.

  Damn his short hair, and damn not wanting to play hero. He was going in anyway. Resisting the fear that prickled his nerves, he ducked under the construction tape. With a push he was through the swinging doors and into the darkness. The blackness enveloped him.

  He tugged the cell phone out of his pocket, thinking how he’d explored a similar dark cavern with this very phone. It still wasn’t a smart phone, and it still wasn’t bright enough to serve him well. He thought of the flashlight he kept in the truck, but turning back for it—or to find Schultz, the guard—would waste time. If someone was in trouble, he couldn’t spare a minute.

  Placing each foot inside the small glow of light, he made his way deeper into the abandoned wing. It felt ancient. He passed an open area like a waiting room, then the corridor narrowed and doors appeared on either side of the hall: probably patient rooms. The darkness pressed down on him, keeping him in a cowering gait. Again he was reminded of going through Carlsbad Caverns with Cam, searching for the two girls.

  The hall was long, and Logan lost track of the distance his tentative strides had covered. The stillness of the wing felt loud in his ears, as if he’d entered another realm.

  Suddenly, he saw light. It was only a flash, and dim at that—somewhere far down the hallway. He immediately doused his phone and slunk against a wall, hoping the old plumbing fixtures and other building remnants would camouflage his shape. Shadows from somewhere beyond a corner crashed across the walls, skewed and indistinct.

  There was a muffled thump. Logan strained to hear more. Something rubbing? No…dragging. Who would be dragging something back here? It brought a wave of fear.

  The dragging sound grew softer as if going away from him. His legs felt heavy, but he forced them silently forward.

  As he neared the corner of the hall, a distant thud echoed. The light vanished. He gripped the edge and peeked around, but couldn’t see anything until he shone his phone again. Logan spotted a door at the end of the corridor that seemed to lead outside. He crept forward.

  Logan’s heart hammered when he arrived at the door. He held out a sweaty palm but hesitated. The fear of what might await him was intense. Still, the protector inside him refused to back down. He couldn’t turn back if someone needed his help. He took a deep breath and quietly pushed the door open.

  Stepping outdoors revealed the backside of the building. No one was in sight. Dumpsters lined one wall to his right, and on his left stood an eight-foot wood privacy fence. On his right, a loading dock had a lone truck backed up to it. The truck was smaller than a semi, like a moving truck, and Logan couldn’t see the cab. The back of the truck had two doors, and near the handle on the right door was a splash of red in what looked like a smeared handprint.

  His blood turned to ice.

  He stared at that print, easing closer without a sound. With his face only inches from the truck doors, he listened. He heard nothing, but the blood was glossy and looked wet. He didn’t dare touch it. Logan circled the truck, st
opping to glance inside the cab. It was unoccupied.

  He briefly considered trying the back door of the vehicle, but that blood stopped him. He wasn’t dumb enough to walk into the lion’s den without backup. Instead, he slipped back inside the building and ran back to the banquet hall. He skidded to a halt when he came face to face with Schultz, who was slouched in his chair at the gala entry.

  “I think there’s a killer here,” Logan blurted out, and the guard looked up from his phone with an irritated glare.

  “You again?”

  “I heard someone scream. In the vacant hall. I went down there and—”

  “That wing’s off limits.”

  “Yeah, well, I followed the sound—there was someone back there. I think they went out the back door, because when I got out there I found…” He swallowed, inwardly cringing at the thought.

  Schultz frowned. “What?”

  “Blood. It looks fresh. On the delivery truck back there.”

  The guard stared at him. Logan couldn’t tell if he was perturbed or disbelieving, but he didn’t look happy.

  “Someone needs to go back there and check it out.”

  Finally Schultz pocketed his phone. “I’ll talk to Jones about this. Come back to the office with me.”

  Logan nodded and followed. He never thought he’d willingly go back there.

  ~

  “What took you so long?” Ethan hissed when Nicodemus finally made it back to the ballroom. He pulled him over to an empty corner. More people were dancing now, and a lot of the others had gone home. The crowd was thinning out, and the party would probably be over in an hour or so. They were running out of time.

  “There were some…” Nicodemus darted a glance around the room, but no one was nearby and no one else was paying them any attention. “…complications.”

  “What complications?” Ethan kept his voice cool, but he felt that prickling irritation again. What else had the idiot screwed up?

  “There was a bit of a struggle. I took care of it but had to do a little cleanup.”