Esperance: (New Adult Paranormal Romance) (Heart Lines Series Book 3)

by Heather Hildenbrand

  Breck broke into a smile of his own and suddenly, the lines and weariness was transformed. He slid out of his chair and onto his knees, leaning over my bedside, and hugged me tight until I had to tap out for fear I’d go into another coughing fit.

  “Sorry,” he muttered, finally letting me go. “It’s really good to see you, Samantha.”

  “Sam,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “Everyone calls me Sam now.”

  “Sam,” he repeated, still smiling. “I like it. Sounds tougher.” But then his smile died and the lines around his mouth reappeared. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better,” I said. “The nap helped.”

  He didn’t say anything as he slid back into the chair beside my bed. I wondered where everyone else was and figured there must be a lot going on if Brittany and RJ had both relinquished their post to keep one set of eyes on me at all times.

  I bit my lip, hoping nothing too serious was keeping them away. The sound of water running and then pots and pans banging made me sit up straighter and I realized they probably hadn’t gone far.

  With that in mind, I relaxed and focused on the impossible sight right in front of me.

  “Breck,” I said, growing serious. “What are you doing here? I mean, Mom and Dad think you’re in the Marines. What the heck?”

  “I was,” he says with a sigh that leaves his shoulders sagging. “For a bit. But then… it’s complicated.”

  “Fancy words for ‘I lied’,” I said.

  He let out a heavy breath. “I only lied to protect them. And you,” he said and his voice was earnest now. Tugging at me and ruining the indignation I’d planned to rain down on him. “Look around, Sam.” He gestured to the bedroom, but I knew what he meant. “It’s not exactly work I can talk about over Christmas dinner.”

  He had a point. But only one. There were a hundred more questions though. My eyes narrowed. “How can you …?” I began, unsure how to ask what I was thinking. “You’re working with hunters,” I tried again. “Only hunters work with hunters.”

  He looked down at his hands hanging in his lap. With his head bowed and his shoulders slumped, I knew another revelation was coming. I braced for it but I still wasn’t prepared when he said, “I’m half-hunter, Sam.”

  My jaw fell open.

  The silence between us lengthened as I struggled to find my voice.

  “How?” I finally managed.

  He raised his head and met my eyes with a tortured look. “My mother. Apparently.”

  “Shit,” I said finally and he grunted an agreement.

  More silence.

  This was not how I pictured our family reunion going down.

  “You didn’t know before…?” I asked. He shook his head. “Dad doesn’t know,” I said and it wasn’t even a question.

  Breck snorted. “No. You?”

  I shook my head. “Hell no,” I said and we shared a quick smile. “So, what brought you to Half Moon Bay?” I asked.

  Breck’s eyes widened and his brows shot up. “You,” he said as if that should have been obvious.

  “But how did you know what was—”

  “CHAS has been after me for a while to sign on with them. I’ve been with a private contractor for a few years now and we do a lot of side business for CHAS. Off the books stuff.”

  “Sounds…great,” I said flatly.

  But he shrugged. “Honestly, it was. They recruited me out of the Marines and helped train me. But more importantly, they answered all my questions and filled me in on what it meant to be a hunter. Anyway, CHAS has contacts at my firm and they’ve apparently heard some of the work I’ve done. They wanted me for some deep undercover work, and I had almost decided to accept. But when I went in for the final meeting in San Francisco, I overheard some chatter about Half Moon being a hot zone for the infected so I asked about getting stationed here.” He pinned me with a look that was all fire and rage. “When I heard your name come up, I told them the only way I would come work for them was if they sent me here first.”

  “How long ago was that?” I asked.

  He hesitated, clearly thrown off by my question.

  “How long?” I repeated.

  “Almost three weeks,” he said quietly.

  “You’ve been here for three weeks and you just now made contact?” I asked, my voice rising as my temper flared. Mostly, I was hurt, but the anger was easier.

  “I didn’t know how much you knew about this world,” he said. “And until I knew whether you could handle it, I wasn’t going to be the one to bring you in. I didn’t want to expose you and put you in more danger.”

  I huffed out a breath, unable to help the eye roll. “Or,” I said pointedly, “You just didn’t have the balls to tell me the truth after all these years of lying to me.”

  Breck’s lips twitched and he rubbed his hands together thoughtfully. “Or that,” he said and some of my anger died off.

  At least he was being honest now. Sort of.

  “Listen, I appreciate that you came here to protect me,” I said. “I really do. But a lot has happened to me over the last few months just as I’m sure a lot has happened to you in the last few years. And I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m grown, and I know a hell of a lot about this supernatural world that it seems we’re both destined to be a part of. So before we go any further, I want to make an agreement that we’ll both be honest with each other going forward. No more lies. Okay?”

  Breck frowned. “Sam, there are a lot of things in my past that I can’t tell you.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  “Both,” he admitted. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of and I’ve seen a lot of shit that I’m just not ready to talk about with anyone.” When my gaze flickered to the scar on his jawline, he tensed. “But I can agree to your terms. I won’t lie. I’d also like to stick around for a while if that’s okay. This thing is pretty fucked up and you’re in a lot of danger. I’d like to help.”

  “As my brother or as an agent for CHAS?” I asked.

  “Both,” he said again and I found myself nodding, the tension between us easing up.

  “I would really like that. But before I agree, I have one more request,” I said.

  “Name it,” he said, spreading his hands open in invitation.

  “Don’t try to kill Alex again,” I said.

  Breck winced but he didn’t look nearly guilty enough. “Channing was warned,” he said darkly.

  “Warned?” I repeated, shaking my head in confusion. “What does that mean?”

  “It means I told him to stay away from you or else I’d kill him,” he said as if saying so meant the whole thing was on Alex’s shoulders.

  I stared at him, my eyes narrowing. “You two already knew each other?”

  “We met in Alaska a couple of months back,” he said. “He stayed with me, helped on a mission, but I knew he was only there to escape some relationship gone bad.” Breck’s expression darkened and he looked positively violent as he said, “Imagine my surprise to find out that bad relationship was you.”

  “Breck.” I sighed. “Alex and I are complicated.”

  “I do not want to hear the details,” he said.

  I snorted. “Trust me, I do not want to share them with you.”

  His lips twitched. I waited in silence.

  “Fine,” he said finally. “I won’t try to kill him again.” But there was a note of smug certainty in his words that put me on edge.

  Breck was usually much more stubborn than that. I didn’t imagine that part of him had changed that much. The whole thing was almost too easy.

  “Where is Alex?” I asked sharply.

  Breck’s expression morphed to one of guilt. Shit. I threw back the covers and got to my feet, ignoring Breck’s protests and insistence that I stay in bed longer. “Sam, the doctor said you shouldn’t get up yet. And you’re not dressed.”

  I looked down. It dawned on me that I wasn’t wearing the same clothes as when Alex had tucked me in. In fac
t, all I was wearing consisted of an oversized tee for CCU’s cheerleading championships last year and a pair of very small shorts. Hopefully, Brittany had changed me, though I couldn’t be sure. Nor did I have any clue how much time had passed since then. But none of that mattered until I knew Alex was safe.

  “Where is Alex?” I asked again.

  Still, no answer.

  Fear gnawed at me, along with doubt. My memory of healing Alex had felt so sharp and certain. I’d been sure from the moment I woke that he’d been fine before I passed out. I could still remember the tenderness he’d shown when he’d tucked me in here. But what if he wasn’t healed? What if he was still sick? Or worse? That stab wound Breck had given him had looked pretty bad before I’d worked my magic on him.

  Suddenly frantic, I threw my bedroom door opened and scurried out, dodging Breck’s attempt to grab me as I slipped past.

  RJ was in the kitchen, standing over a pan of what smelled like eggs and bacon. Brittany was on the couch and an old horror movie was on the TV.

  “Sam,” Brittany said, craning her neck from her place on the couch. “You’re awake.” Her relief faded fast as she took in my expression.

  “The doctor says you shouldn’t be up yet,” RJ said.

  “Where is he?” I demanded, looking back and forth between a bewildered Brittany and suddenly silent RJ.

  Breck came up behind me. I didn’t bother to turn, but I also didn’t miss the uneasy look RJ shot him over my shoulder.

  “Tell me where Alex is right now,” I said.

  “Sam—” RJ began.

  “Now,” I said again through clenched teeth. My heart felt like it might beat right out of my chest; my ribs ached with the force of it drumming inside me. “If he’s hurt or—”

  “He’s not hurt,” RJ said, cutting me off. He wore a tight frown and I hated the unease that crept up my spine at the way he avoided my gaze.

  RJ was always straight with me.

  I took a step forward and then stopped, unable to move through the fear that gripped me. If they couldn’t bring themselves to use words, it must be bad. My head spun, my imagination forming the worst possible outcomes…

  “Tell me,” I whispered, my voice cracking.

  Brittany was the one who answered. And her voice held a decided lack of compassion as she said the words, “Alex isn’t hurt but he also isn’t here. After you… collapsed, he was asked to step out so the doctor could come in. Simon Brooks the Third showed up with orders from the director and…” Brittany trailed off, biting her lip and looking like she was bracing herself for violence.

  “Where is he?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  I watched her gaze flick to the kitchen cabinet where I now knew she kept her gun. “He’s in jail, Sam.”

  The relief I felt at knowing he was safe was overshadowed by the insanity of her words. “In… what?” I stared at her, uncomprehending.

  Neither of the guys said a word. In fact, I had the sense they were both barely breathing while they waited for Brittany’s words to sink in. Or, more importantly, for me to react accordingly.

  Brittany rose from the couch but she didn’t approach. I wondered if she was just as nervous as RJ and Breck about what I’d say or do next. But I was still having trouble understanding what she was saying.

  I whirled, my gaze wild and a little unsteady as I looked up at Breck. “Is this true?” I demanded, hoping he’d taken his oath of honesty seriously back there.

  He shifted away from me guiltily. Not for what he’d done to Alex but because he clearly did not want to have this conversation with me. “Alex has been detained by CHAS,” he confirmed.

  “Well, this is insane,” I said, the words bubbling up and out of me right alongside vicious irritation. “We have a lot of work to do and Alex is healed now—”

  “We do have a lot of work to do,” Breck said, stepping closer. He didn’t touch me, though, and that was probably for the best. “Indra’s still out there and she’s gunning for you. Even if Alex is healed. Until we figure out how to take her down, Alex is safer locked up. You are safer with Alex locked up,” he added.

  Slowly, the meaning behind his words sunk in. “You’re afraid she’ll use him against me again.”

  Breck nodded.

  No one else said a word.

  My palms went clammy and started to itch.

  Alex was arrested? Was it only for my safety and his? Or had he actually been charged with something? Was it temporary until they could find a way to better protect him? Was he really completely healed? Were they worried he’d relapse?

  Too many thoughts tumbled in at once. Instead of asking any of the million questions I had about Alex, I blurted, “But you’re my brother. Aren’t you worried Indra will find out and use you too?”

  Breck didn’t answer.

  I flinched and my shoulders slumped. “You’re leaving again too.”

  “I’m going to lay low. Stay in the shadows so Indra doesn’t notice me and I can keep a clean eye on you.” Breck’s gaze flicked to RJ.

  I remembered what Mirabelle had said about teams being in the background. I’d never even know they were there, she’d said. Shit. Had that been Breck all along?

  “But you just got here,” I whispered, hating how abandoned I felt at the idea of him leaving already. Especially with Alex gone.

  “If something happens to either Brittany or myself,” RJ said, “Breck can step in and keep you safe. Indra won’t know him if he stays out of sight and we need every advantage we can get right now.”

  Suddenly, the adrenaline that had fueled my frantic search for Alex waned. Exhaustion set in and I sagged under the effort of being on my feet while taking in my new reality.

  I thought when I’d healed Alex that I’d somehow won. Maybe not the war but a battle at least. And now, everything actually seemed worse for it. My life was a mess. And so were the lives of my friends and now family. I’d dragged Breck right into the middle of this with me.

  Tears welled and threatened to break through. I blinked them back but I could feel my chin wobbling and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep them at bay for long.

  Brittany rushed forward and I was actually glad when she reached a hand out to smooth my hair in a comforting gesture. “Look, I know this is a lot and you’re not happy, but can we argue about this from the couch or your bed?” she asked. “Because you’re not the only one who is in full-on crazy bitch mode worrying about someone.”

  I blinked, a little startled, until I realized what she meant. My shoulders slumped. “Britt, I’m sorry,” I said.

  “You should be,” she said and I was shocked to see tears brimming in her eyes. “Remember how I told you not to die? Well, I meant it. I like it here. I like you. Most of the time. We had a deal,” she said as if I’d done it on purpose.

  I smiled. “I didn’t die. I’m right here.”

  She snorted. “A scare like the one you just gave me violates the terms of our agreement. Don’t do that shit again. Okay?”

  “Okay.” I nodded, still sniffling, and let her lead me toward my room.

  Breck practically jumped out of the way, clearly at a loss. I couldn’t blame him. The last time I’d cried had probably been when we were kids and he’d stolen my Barbie’s dream car and ran over it with his RC monster truck. Back then, a simple apology and consolation ice cream cone had made everything right again. This was obviously a slightly different scenario.

  This time, an apology wasn’t going to do it. Neither was ice cream. In fact, the way I saw it, Indra had a lot to answer for. If we were both really descendants from the original village of the goddess, chances were we had the same kind of old magic. Powerful magic. Bigger than anything CHAS or the hunters could bring against her. And if it wasn’t gifted from Hina, that only left one other supernatural force.

  Ea.

  Indra worked for Ea.

  And if her magic was from him and mine was from Hina that meant it was up to me to stop her. In fac
t, I was probably the only one that could. But first, I needed to rest.

  Brittany was right. I wasn’t the only one involved anymore. I had all of my friends and family to think about. And not just the three in this room. I had Mason and Aunt Kiwi and Mirabelle and the wolves. And I had Alex.

  Even with the world waiting to be saved, he was my first thought—and my last as I settled back into my bed and let my lids flutter closed. Brittany and RJ had told me I had a certain standing with CHAS. I hoped that was true. Because as soon as I could leave this house, I was going to get Alex.

  I didn’t disagree that Alex needed to be held accountable. I only wanted to be there when he was. Simon Brooks the Third could either agree to my demands to release him—or they could get out of my way as I broke him out. Either way, Alex and I were going to chat. And afterward, I could decide what to do with him. But whatever it was didn’t involve a cell. Alex had already been held captive too often and by too many. I knew the ultimate punishment for someone like him lay in setting him free.

  Did you enjoy this book?

  Please consider leaving a review before you go!

  Stay tuned for Imbalance, book 4,

  coming May 30, 2017!

  ~Pre-order now~

  Hey Love Bird,

  Witches, werewolves, and WTF <- this is has been my unofficial tagline for the series for a while and I think it definitely fits here, yeah? Alex is a mess. Sam is a mess. Everyone’s a mess here. We can only hope they get their shit together eventually. ☺

  And you won’t have long to wait. Book 5 is on its way!

  If you want to be the first to hear about when the next book is coming, and get access to our exclusive Facebook group, where we all talk about our serious love/hate with Alex Channing, click here to subscribe to email updates or find our group on Facebook. Our Facebook group does weekly giveaways and I chat in there a lot more casually than I do anywhere else so you get a direct line to me (when I’m avoiding work).