Court the Fire (Son of Rain #3)

by Michelle Irwin

  “After what you did to liberate those artifacts, I fear the world still owes you a number of favors. As the keeper of your secrets, I feel it’s my duty to help repay them.”

  “Nonsense,” I said. The thought of my time in Europe had me itching to check that Evie was still okay. Part of me waited with baited breath for the moment she’d sneak out and leave me alone again, even though I was certain this time would be different. When I pushed the door open, Evie was still peacefully asleep on the bed.

  “I owe you so much more,” I said to Zarita as I watched the rise and fall of Evie’s steady breath. Satisfied that Evie was all right, I slipped back outside to finish the conversation. “I owe you everything.”

  “Let’s not debate that now. What do you need?”

  I read our expected arrival in France from Eth’s itinerary and asked whether she could be there to collect us from the airport. If she could take us even as far as Marseille, it would mean we could avoid having to hire—or steal—a car from Paris.

  “You don’t mind, do you?” I finished.

  She was silent for so long that I was certain she was trying to think of a way to politely say no. When she finally spoke again to say that she would, her voice held barely contained excitement. It took me a moment to understand why. She would be reuniting with the daughter of a long-lost friend.

  For the next few minutes, we spoke about her latest discoveries from the artifacts, and I explained that it was unlikely I could continue to distribute the information, but that she shouldn’t change anything because I would try to find a replacement. Once I’d confirmed again that she really didn’t mind collecting us from the airport, we said our good-byes.

  After I’d finished with Zarita, I checked in on Evie again. There were still a couple of phone calls I had to make before I could join her on her small hospital bed for some well-deserved rest.

  I dialed the next number with my heart lodged in my throat. When I heard the familiar Australian accent of Johno, the bartender at the Flying Dove, I tried to change my own voice and asked for Toni, praying that she was having a day around the office. Johno asked who I was and I responded simply with the codename Toni and I had agreed on the last time we saw each other.

  A moment later, I was put on hold before being transferred to her cell phone.

  “Well, if it isn’t the ghost himself. How the hell are you, Monty?”

  “I can honestly say that I’ve never been better.” I was certain my smile was evident in my voice.

  “Huh. Sounds like I missed something huge. Spill.”

  With the smile still lighting up my face, I told her about my reunion and my brother’s gift. “I’m doing what you said I should have in the first place. I’m whisking her the hell out of the States.”

  “But can you trust him?”

  “I’ve been asking myself that over and over, and I think the answer is yes. She took out a wendigo to save his life.” I gave a brief description of the wendigo fight.

  “I told you that some of these others have abilities that can help us. If only we can get more people to listen.”

  “That’s actually what I’m calling about,” I said, unsure how she might feel about the next part of my admission. “I need to go deep. I’m not going to be able to get anything else out.”

  “What? But what you’ve got barely scratches the surface.”

  “I know, and it sucks, but I’m not going to do anything that will risk Evie’s life. Not again. I can’t, Toni. You saw what I was like. I can’t do it.”

  “Yeah, I understand.” She still sounded annoyed, which I hoped I could help alleviate.

  “Will you take over?” I asked. “I can e-mail you instructions about uploading the items. I haven’t exactly been doing the translations myself, so things will still be moving. I just won’t be able to risk logging in to the Rain systems.”

  “It’ll be risky doing it from the Dove, won’t it?”

  “It will, but if you cover your tracks, it should be okay. I haven’t been discovered yet, and I’ve had to log in remotely via unsecured networks.”

  Her uncertainty was clear in her silence.

  “You don’t have to if you don’t think it’s worth the risk, I just thought—”

  “Slow down, cowboy. I never said it wasn’t worth it, just that I didn’t want to get caught red-handed. I’ve been working the inside track in other areas long enough to have some idea about not exposing myself.”

  “Will you do it then?”

  “Wow, I left a comment about exposing myself wide open, and you didn’t bite back with a smartarse remark. It must be love.”

  “Must be.” I laughed. “So you’ll do it?”

  “Yeah, sure. Why not? Maybe I can get the fae to help.”

  Much to her disappointment, I chose not to bite back at her teasing with the fae. Instead, I confirmed I’d e-mail her the information as soon I could. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Toni.”

  “Yeah, well, if the two of you are ever in the neighborhood, stop in for a drink at the Dove, won’t you?”

  We both knew it was impossible. There was every chance that my e-mail to her would be the last communication we’d ever share, but neither of us were willing to say that final good-bye. “Definitely. Take care.”

  “You too, and remember, always look on the bright side of life.” She sang the last line before giving me a final chuckle and hanging up.

  Finally, I called the other person I needed to talk to. “Okay, what didn’t you want to tell Evie?” I asked when Eth picked up.

  “Bad timing, bro. I’m on a date.” There was a girlish giggle in the background, and I figured he was playing patient for the pretty nurse.

  “Too bad. Tuck it away and tell me your plan. This might be the only chance you get.”

  After a lot of cussing, he moved away from his date and then spent the next little while explaining his ideas for getting Evie out of the country and then through airport security in Mexico. I had to admit that his ideas had some definite merit and took them on board. He sounded almost excited about testing his plans, which worried me a little—I didn’t want Evie to become a guinea pig.

  “You’re sure she’ll be safe?” I asked.

  “There're no guarantees, but I’ll make the passage as easy as I can.” It was obvious he meant bribes, so I didn’t push him for more information there. “And if you can get her to play the part, it’ll be easy.”

  “I appreciate it. I can’t lo—”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. ‘I can’t lose her.’” He pushed his voice through his nose and made it sound extra whiney as he imitated me.

  “Eth?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Go fuck yourself.”

  “Tempting, but I’ve got someone else here who’s eager to help me out with that instead.” He laughed before his voice grew somber. “Hey, Clay? Don’t get dead, okay? And call me when you land.”

  “Yeah.”

  Satisfied that I’d done what I could to free up my time and dedicate the rest of my life to keeping Evie safe, I found my way back into her hospital room.

  A whimper was on her lips when I walked in, so I raced straight to her side before climbing carefully onto the bed beside her and drawing her into my arms.

  “Clay?” she murmured, her voice groggy with sleep.

  Resting my chin on the top of her head and pulling her against my chest, I said, “I’m here, Evie. It’s okay. Everything’s perfect.”

  And for that moment, it was.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  AS THE TIME for our departure from the hospital drew closer, it became clear that both Evie’s and my wardrobes were severely lacking. We both needed new sets of just about everything to get us through to our arrival in Europe.

  I didn’t want to delay the plans Eth had set for us once we’d left the hospital, so I used one of Evie’s check-up times to slip out of the hospital for a quick shopping trip. While there, I raced through the men’s section, grabbing
everything I thought I might need as well as a new backpack.

  Satisfied I had enough for me, I hunted through the ladies’ wear for items for Evie. Within minutes, it was pretty damn evident I had no idea what I was doing. I’d shopped for day-to-day clothes for her after her father’s death, but never with the plan of actually getting to see her in any of the outfits. Knowing I’d benefit from my choices, I took a little more time on this occasion.

  The first few items I grabbed were similar to stuff I’d seen her in often enough: T-shirts, jeans, hoodies, and the like. I tried to get pieces that would blend in rather than stand out, just like she usually wore. Then my gaze was drawn to a set of mannequins wearing clothes that Evie would probably never pick for herself, but that I would give my right arm to see her in. Well, maybe my left. My right might be needed to indulge in some fantasies about her dressed in the low-cut tops, matching bra and panty sets, and skin-tight jeans that I’d selected for her.

  If only I could convince her to wear them.

  When I moved to the checkout to ring up the items, I saw a stand filled with baseball caps. One cap in particular caught my eye. It was white with a small embroidered fire and the words “I put out” stitched just about the visor. I smirked at the thought of the look on Evie’s face when I gave it to her and added it to the pile of items to charge to Eth’s credit card.

  Once all the purchases were made, I carried them back to the hospital with a smile on my face. When I arrived at Evie’s room, she wore a frown and then growled in frustration when I asked what was wrong.

  “I’m sick of this place. I’m sick of the nurses poking me with a hundred needles a day. I’m sick of being on antibiotics for no good reason, and I’m extra sick of the goddamn awful food.” She crossed her arms and pouted like a petulant child.

  I held back the chuckle that rose to my lips. It was hard not to find her frustration amusing when it wasn’t aimed at me.

  “Well, we’ll be leaving soon.”

  She shook her head. “The doctor came to see me, and apparently my fever”—she made air quotes as she said the word—“is causing concerns. They’re not going to sign a release form until it comes down to within a normal range. I told them I’d leave anyway, but then they said I needed to fill out that stack of forms there.” She nodded toward a small pile of paperwork on the small cabinet beside her bed. Tears sprung to her eyes. “I hate it here. Who would’ve thought, after everything we’ve been through, it would be hospital red tape that would keep me trapped.”

  I dropped the bags in my arms before rushing over to her and gathering her up against my chest. “We’ll get you out of here soon, even if I have to break you out myself.”

  “Promise?”

  I nodded. “We have a boat to catch, remember?”

  A watery smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Where were you?”

  “I was shopping.” I let go of her and retrieved the bags I’d dropped.

  She tilted her head in confusion.

  “I thought some new outfits were in order. Both of our wardrobes are a little worse for wear.”

  She looked down at the threadbare tee I had on and laughed. “Very true. Well, go on then. Show me what you got.”

  “It’s all functional rather than fashionable.”

  “I expected nothing less.”

  “Except for this,” I said, drawing the hat I’d bought her out of the bag.

  For a moment, she was expressionless as she looked at the cap, and I worried I’d offended her. She dropped her eyes away.

  God, she hates it. Before I knew it, my palm was against the back of my neck. I’d thought she’d appreciate the humor in it—that she’d understand I didn’t mean any real offense. The hand that held the cap dropped away so she wouldn’t see the upsetting item any longer. “Evie, I’m sor—”

  She held up a hand to silence me, and I closed my mouth immediately. Her hand twisted, and then she twitched her finger to call me over to her.

  I crawled onto her bed. “Evie, I—”

  She pressed her finger to my lips to stop me from saying anything else. Leaning forward so that her lips were against my ear, she whispered, “Get me the hell out of here, and I so will.”

  DESPITE THE fact that getting a doctor to sign Evie’s release forms was impossible, we made it out of the hospital and were on the way to our escape from the country on time.

  It was an almost seven-hour drive to get to the marina where Eth had arranged a private charter, but we were careful not to draw attention in the stolen car as we made our way down to Savannah where the yacht was moored. When we arrived, I was more than ready to keep moving immediately because it already felt like we’d been stalled for too long.

  When we were at the marina, I pointed out the yacht we’d be traveling on, and Evie stood staring at the sleek hull in awe.

  “But who’s going to drive it?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know how to use one of those things.” She pointed to the yacht, and her worried gaze darted between it and the harbor patrol boats moored nearby. “Do you?”

  I fought back a laugh. “Yes.”

  “See, what I m—” Her gaze swung toward me with almost comical speed. “Wait, you do?”

  The laugh I’d fought down bubbled to the surface. “Yeah. Is it really that unbelievable?”

  “No, yes, it’s just . . . there’s so much I don’t know about you.” Her expression fell as she sighed. “I should know things like that about you, shouldn’t I?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” I pulled her into my side to reassure her that I wasn’t upset.

  In fact, I was the opposite. There were very few times in my life when I’d felt so free and loved.

  “We have all the time in the world to get properly acquainted. That’s what this trip is all about after all, right?” I reached for her hand and helped her into the yacht.

  After getting our bags settled in the main cabin and giving Evie—and myself—a quick tour, I performed the necessary safety checks and ensured we had sufficient provisions for our voyage.

  At first, she seemed a little upset at the time I was “wasting,” but I refused to gamble with her safety if we weren’t going to be near land for the next week. When it came to water safety, there was definitely a case for taking the time to be careful.

  Once we were underway, Evie sat in the cockpit across from me. Her eyes were eager; taking in all the sights as I negotiated a path out of the mouth of the Savannah River and into the open ocean. It was only when we were well underway that it hit me that the simple action of heading out into international waters held so many firsts for her. The first time she’d been on a yacht; the first time she’d left the country. The first time she had to put her trust completely in me for her survival. It was a huge deal and one that I didn’t take lightly.

  Within a few hours, we were clear of all traffic and on our own. I called her over to join me at the helm, dragging her into my lap before kissing a path along the back of her neck.

  She gave a moan of delight, which left me with a very strong urge to anchor the boat and take her downstairs to the cabin. Instead, I pulled her tighter against me, letting her feel how hard her noises—her very presence—made me. She hummed and wiggled her ass against me in response.

  “Stop that, or we will never get to Mexico,” I murmured as I kissed her shoulder again.

  “Stop what?” She giggled as she shifted on my lap again, settling herself against my growing hard-on.

  I wrapped my arm around her hips and slid her pelvis over mine once more.

  “That,” I groaned.

  “You started it.” She laughed harder.

  “No, I didn’t,” I argued when she shifted again. It was hard keeping any attention at all on the instruments or the windows. “You absolutely started it.”

  She turned in my lap, straddling my hips before pressing kisses just below my jaw. I lifted my chin to give her better access. As my bre
athing sped, she kissed my pulse points, driving me insane.

  “How do you figure?” she murmured against my skin. “You were the one who dragged me onto your lap.”

  “Yeah, but only because you’ve been tempting me for days.”

  “Days?”

  “Well, years,” I admitted as I trailed a hand along her spine, pressing her tight against my chest.

  She hummed, and the vibration reverberated through me. A moan of need slipped from my lips in response.

  “I know the feeling,” she murmured. “I want you so badly right now.”

  “Soon,” I promised—myself as much as her. “Let’s just get a good distance away from the coast today. We’ll stop somewhere tonight.”

  She curled around me and held on tightly. “That sounds perfect.”

  “There’s not much to see now,” I told her. “You can go down to the cabin if you like? Try to get some rest.”

  She snorted. “I’ve been resting for too long already in that damn hospital bed. Now, it’s more important that I spend time with you.”

  While I pushed the boat to go as close to the limit as I dared without burning through too much fuel, she shifted in the seat so that she was sitting in my lap with her head on my shoulder. It made it a little harder to reach the wheel, but I wasn’t going to ask her to move for all the world.

  “It’s faster than I’d thought it would be,” she said.

  “It’s quite a nice boat.” I thought about the other boats I’d traveled on and chuckled. I couldn’t remember a time I’d felt so carefree than I was with Evie by my side and the open air around us. “Much nicer than the ones I’m used to.”

  “When did you learn?”

  “We’ve had a couple of cases that required us to be on boats for long periods of time, so I’ve been around them almost as long as I’ve been an operative. On and off, of course. But if you mean how long have I been licensed. Well, just before we moved to Ohio, we lived in Alaska.”