Okay, so who was he trying to convince now? Himself, certainly, but he needed Rafferty to believe he could do his job. Otherwise he’d have to resign as head of security. He’d come to enjoy living on the estate, but he couldn’t stay if Rafferty got it into his head that Conlan wasn’t up to the job.
“I’ll get the story out of her one way or another after she’s had a chance to rest.” He drained his beer. “For now, I’ll go do some hunting online to see if I can figure out the connection between her case and Eddington.”
The vampire stared at him long and hard for several seconds before slowly nodding. “Tread carefully if you go poking around in Cyrus Eddington’s personal files. I don’t know what his connection is to Kat’s case or what happened three years ago, but that guy has powerful allies on the Council. I’d rather not run afoul of them if it can be avoided.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Rafferty started flipping through the stack of papers Seamus had set in front of him. “Have you called Ambrose yet?”
“No, that was next on my agenda after the beer.” He’d needed the jolt of alcohol before hammering that last nail into Kat’s fate, not that he’d admit that to Rafferty.
The vampire scrawled his signature at the bottom of a page. “Hold off on making that call until we get all this paperwork finished and filed. I want to make sure claiming the girls as my wards is registered and legal before we get him involved. I don’t anticipate any problems from Ambrose himself, but we clearly don’t know what other players might have a stake in this game.”
“Just let me know when.”
Conlan snagged another beer on his way out of the office. Rather than returning to Kat’s room, he hung a left turn and walked straight out the front door of the infirmary. He needed to put some space between himself and the rest of the world for a little while. Granted, it came as no surprise that Kat’s reappearance in his life had his emotions running high. But that didn’t account for the sudden urge to punch his boss for describing her situation as a game.
For Kat and her nieces, the stakes were too high for this to be anything but deadly serious. Not for one second did he doubt that both Seamus and Rafferty were doing their damnedest to make sure that Rose and Maggie ended up as permanent members of the O’Day Clan. However, that didn’t mean that someone else might not swoop in and make just as strong a case for their custody. Kat had lost all legal rights under Coalition law when she’d bolted from his custody three years ago. Her desires for her nieces’ future might not be taken into consideration if the custody case came up in front of the wrong judge.
Especially if she were no longer alive to testify.
Son of a bitch, he hated this whole effing situation! No matter how often he told himself that he wouldn’t let himself get ensnared by Kat’s pretty face or her sad story, it was already too late. They had unfinished business, the two of them, and her big-eyed nieces only complicated things.
Speaking of which, a familiar transport was pulling up to the curb. Joss slid out of the driver’s seat and came around to help Maggie and Rose out of the other side. The smaller girl had a bedraggled bouquet of flowers clutched in her hand as she skipped up the path to the infirmary door. Her older sister followed at a slower pace, acting more like a miniature adult than a child.
It made his head hurt to see Rose robbed of her childhood by circumstances beyond her control. Even if Kat got her wish and someone here on the estate adopted the girls, that wouldn’t erase Rose’s memories of the past three years. She was old enough to remember what she’d had and exactly what she’d lost.
Not for the first time, Conlan really missed being a Coalition chancellor, one who meted out justice for the citizens of the North American Coalition. It had been his job to wade through the lies and the bullshit to find the truth. Even when his investigation had substantiated the court’s ruling, he’d taken pride in a job well done and the knowledge that justice was being carried out.
Kat was his one failure. Even before they’d first met over that scarred table in the prison’s interview room, he’d sensed something was wrong about her case, that someone was lying even if Conlan didn’t yet know who or why. The desperation in Kat’s shaking hands and terrified eyes hadn’t swayed his opinion one way or the other.
What had convinced him were the two rumored attempts on her life since she’d been incarcerated. There hadn’t been enough evidence to press charges; it had all boiled down to one prisoner’s word against another’s. However, a prison contact had reluctantly admitted that it had appeared Kat had been the real target both times.
Centuries of fighting between humans and vampires had only ended when the Coalition had established a harsh code of criminal justice that was ruthless in both its intent and its execution. While a chancellor was allowed to take the accused out of prison to assist with an investigation, it was rarely done. Tough sanctions had been built into the law if things went wrong. So if the prisoner escaped, the chancellor paid a heavy price for his lack of judgment. In a case like Kat’s, it could have even meant that Conlan would be executed in her place.
Back then, Conlan had been convinced that Kat wouldn’t survive in prison long enough for him to either clear her name or confirm her conviction. He’d taken her into his personal custody, confident in his ability to keep her safe. What he hadn’t counted on was falling fast and hard in love with her or that the minute he dropped his guard, she’d take off, leaving him to serve out her sentence. Now she was back in his life and screwing with his mind all over again.
The clinic door swung open again. Just as he expected, Joss was headed his way. He’d really hoped she hadn’t spotted him standing in the shadows under the trees, but he should’ve known better. The woman’s instincts were positively uncanny when it came to the people she cared about. He fell into that category, although he’d never quite figured out why.
It wouldn’t do him any good to try to avoid her,
either. She’d track him all night long if that’s what it took to have her say. He surrendered peacefully and stayed where he was.
“Got something on your mind, Joss?”
She moved up beside him, joining him in staring up at the stars. It wasn’t like her to hold back, which meant he wasn’t going to like whatever it was she had to say.
“Joss, just spit it out.”
“I’m your boss, not just your friend.”
Okay, worse and worse. “No arguments on either count.”
She finally turned to face him. “So which one would you rather hear this from?”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I’m guessing I’m not going to like it either way, so let me have it with both barrels.”
“Fine, I will. When it comes to you, Kat is toxic. Poison, in fact.”
Joss’s eyes glittered in the darkness. “As your friend, I want you to stay away from that woman until she’s taken into custody. Rafferty told me about Eddington’s interest in her and that Ambrose still hasn’t been notified. I’ll be taking care of that little chore as soon as I go back inside.”
He didn’t need this from Joss or anyone else. “Damn it, don’t coddle me. I said I’d handle contacting Ambrose, and I will. Rafferty asked me to hold off long enough for him to process the paperwork on Kat’s nieces. When the time comes, I’ll call Ambrose and oversee the transfer of the prisoner to his custody.”
Joss curled her hands into fists. “I wouldn’t think of coddling you, Conlan, but that woman almost killed you three years ago. If Ambrose hadn’t scrambled to call in every favor he could, you could’ve been executed in Kat’s place instead of serving just two years.”
Yeah, and he hated knowing that he’d put his friend in that position. “But I wasn’t, and furthermore—”
Joss stuck her hand in front of his face to shut him up. “I don’t want to hear it, Conlan. We almost lost you—period. We both know you were dying by inches in that cell. Right up until the day of your release, I wasn’t sure whether you’d walk out
of that hellhole on your own or if they’d carry you out in a coffin.”
Damn it. Big, tough Joss O’Day was crying. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Joss, I survived. I won’t make the same mistakes again.”
Which wasn’t to say he wouldn’t make a whole bunch of new ones, given the chance.
His friend was definitely wound up tight. “I’m telling you, Conlan, I can’t watch you go through that again. As your employer, I’m ordering you to return to your headquarters and monitor the situation from a distance.”
She sighed heavily. “I’m guessing it will be a close race between Ambrose’s chancellors and Eddington’s men to see which group gets here first. At least this should all be over in the next twenty-four hours.”
She wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. It was even tempting to take the out she was offering him, to go hide in his office on the periphery of the estate. However, while he might not be the same man he was three years ago, he’d like to believe that he wasn’t a coward, either. One way or another, he’d see this through to its resolution.
Time to lay it all on the line.
He dropped his arm back down to his side and stepped back. “Let me do my job, Joss, or accept my resignation. One or the other.”
He hated hurting her like this. The past had been hard on them both. When Conlan had been in prison, she’d come close to losing Rafferty, too, when he’d also been accused of a crime he hadn’t committed. No doubt this was all bringing back a flood of bad memories for her.
She swiped at the tearstains on her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Fine, tough guy. Have it your way, but go contact Ambrose now. Rafferty doesn’t trust whatever Eddington is up to, and neither do I.”
“I will.”
Joss headed back to the clinic, but then she stopped to look back at him. “I hate what this is doing to you, but dragging this out will only make it worse for everybody.”
There was nothing he could say to that. Instead, he waited long enough to finish his beer and then followed Joss back inside.
Chapter 5
Kat wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to be able to put up a brave front for her nieces. She’d managed to make room for both of the girls to snuggle beside her in the narrow hospital bed. It wasn’t comfortable, but right now she needed the close contact as much as they did. Maggie was busy sucking her thumb, a habit she’d only recently resumed. Being on the run and then shot at certainly hadn’t helped.
Rose, always on the solemn side, had grown even more withdrawn since arriving on Rafferty’s doorstep. Kat would give anything to wave a magic wand and whisk the two girls back in time to when they still had their mother and life was happier. God knows, Kat wanted that for herself, but the realist in her knew that wasn’t going to happen.
Maggie shifted so that her head landed right on Kat’s incision. Kat winced but did her best to ignore the dull throb of pain. Instead, she pressed a kiss to the little girl’s forehead, soaking up these precious few minutes alone, just the three of them.
Or not. A movement at the door caught her attention. She’d hoped it was Joss or even Seamus, but no such luck. She should’ve known that Conlan wouldn’t stay gone long. He wanted his questions answered.
Kat gave the girls a quick squeeze. “Girls, it’s time for you to go.”
Maggie immediately frowned, but it was Rose who asked, “Why can’t we stay here with you?”
Kat closed her eyes and licked her lips, trying to buy herself a little time to answer. How could she explain to two little girls that their last living relative was a prisoner? That sometime in the next couple of days they’d lose her, too?
To her surprise, Conlan answered for her. “Right now your aunt is doing her best to be brave, but I suspect she’s still hurting from her surgery. She needs her sleep.”
Then he winked at Maggie. “Besides, I think I heard Joss say she was looking for a couple of hard workers to help her bake cookies for Rafferty. Know anybody like that?”
Out popped the thumb. “Us! We can help!”
Bless the man, even Rose perked up at that idea, and both girls scrambled off the bed. He offered them each a hand to hold and led them off down the hall. Joss had already done so much. Kat hoped she didn’t mind Conlan volunteering her services.
It must have all worked out because he was back all too quickly without her nieces. “Are you sure Joss won’t mind her kitchen getting trashed?”
For a brief second, his expression softened. “Joss loves to bake, and Rafferty loves cookies, so it’s all good. Besides, since the girls are going to be living with her and Rafferty for a while, I figure doing something fun with Joss might help them settle in.”
Tears pricked her eyes. Maybe it was selfish of her, but it was hard letting go of the girls even though she had no choice. “Thank you, Conlan. That was nice of you to distract them for me.”
Just that quickly, the hint of humor and humanity disappeared from his expression. “I didn’t do it for you, Kat.”
No, of course he hadn’t. He’d done it for the girls, but she still owed him. “Regardless, I appreciate it. Now go away so I can get that rest you mentioned.”
He ignored her, instead settling in the same corner where he’d been the night before. This time he’d brought a laptop computer. She might not be able to see him, but she was painfully aware of each move he made, each breath he took and every click of a key. At this rate, she’d never fall asleep.
A few seconds later, he was pacing the floor as he talked on the phone. She could only hear one side of the conversation, but that was enough. The minute he said Ambrose’s name, she knew the countdown had officially started. Minute by minute, her life was ticking away. Still, she listened as Conlan exchanged pleasantries with his old boss.
Finally, the conversation turned to her. “Yeah, she’s improving. At Miss Karr’s request, Rafferty has already filed papers declaring the two girls wards of the O’Day Clan. It should all be pretty cut-and-dried, but Rafferty did get an interesting call from Cyrus Eddington.” There were several seconds of silence while Conlan listened to whatever Ambrose was saying. “We agree that you have clear jurisdiction in this case. No arguments from me on that issue, but I’d still like to know why Eddington is sticking his nose in chancellor-Coalition business. We told him that Kat was too weak to travel, hoping to buy you enough time to get one of your men here. If Eddington is the one funding those mercenaries, he won’t hesitate to come after her again.”
Again silence as Ambrose spoke, making Kat wish she had a vampire’s enhanced hearing. As a human, all she could pick up was the sound of a lot of frustration and anger coming from the other end of the call. Some humans resented the gifts the other two species shared, but she’d never felt that way. She’d always believed that being human had its own advantages.
“Fine, Ambrose. Get back to me after you’ve had a chance to talk to him.”
Then Conlan glanced in Kat’s direction, his gaze predatory. “You might want to let it slip that I’ve doubled the guard around the estate. If Eddington or his henchmen make a try for her, I won’t hesitate to use lethal force.”
Holding his back ramrod straight, he continued to speak with quiet authority. “Make it clear that Kat’s nieces are under the protection of the O’Day Clan. For that matter, so is the prisoner until we transfer her custody to you and your men.”
Conlan listened for a few more seconds before finally disconnecting the call. He stared at her in grim silence for several seconds. “Just so you understand, I meant what I said. We will protect your nieces.”
It was hard to force words around the lump in her throat, but she finally managed to whisper, “I know.”
Conlan didn’t respond, instead turning his attention back to his computer. Whatever he was searching for had him muttering obscenities under his breath as he pounded on the keys. As hard as she tried to ignore him, she couldn’t. Not for long anyway. She’d felt the same
pull, the same attraction to him from the first. Three years ago, just sitting in the interrogation room with him had calmed her shaking hands and her racing heart. Granted, he’d been her last chance to convince the law that she was innocent. Her need to impress him with her sincerity was a given, but there’d been more to it than that.
When he’d first looked up from reading her file, it had been clear that he saw her as more than just another in a long line of prisoners claiming they’d been wrongly convicted. He’d stared at her in silence for the longest time before he spoke a single word. None of that had mattered, because those sharp blue eyes had seen her as a person. Then before interrogating her, he’d ordered the guards to bring them both a decent meal.
Once she’d devoured her sandwich and half of his, he’d begun questioning her, starting with the easy questions and working his way up to the point where her whole life had been derailed. Pouring it all out to him had been like lancing a wound, leaving her exhausted but unburdened.
That first hint of hope had tasted sweet.
Conlan had believed her then. He wouldn’t now, and she couldn’t blame him for that. Even so, she had one more favor to ask of him.
“Conlan?”
The typing continued but then slowed. “What now, Kat?”
She dug her fingernails into her palms, praying hard he’d at least listen. “When Ambrose comes, I don’t want the girls to see me being led away in chains. I can’t stand the thought of that being their last memory of me. I promise to go peaceably.”
He snorted. “Like your word means anything.”
“I’m asking for their sake, not mine.”
His chair scraped across the floor, signaling he was up and headed straight for her. Even with her eyes closed she felt the cold wave of his shadow falling across her bed.
“For their sake,” he said, echoing her, “we’ll make the exchange out at the entrance to the estate. I’ll make sure the girls stay here with Dr. Fitzhugh and his wife.”
Savage Redemption Page 6
