Time Thief (The Anomaly Trilogy)

by Hackett, Anna

He was still working through the dizziness as they jogged toward the house. They passed a guard frozen in time, a semi-automatic snug in his holster. Two Dobermans stood in the snow nearby, still as garden statuary.

  Bay and Sean paused at the double front doors. She turned the handle. The doors opened without a whisper of sound.

  “I’m upstairs.” She scanned the entry. It was covered in natural stone and a carved wooden chandelier hung from the ceiling. “Once we have the book, we’ll meet back here.”

  He was the one used to giving orders, but this was her op. “Got it.”

  She slipped up the large staircase and he wasted no time. He veered through the entry, past a large gleaming kitchen and into the great room.

  Huge wooden beams crossed the high roof space. He scanned the tables, cabinets and bookcases.

  No manuscript.

  He thought about searching the cupboards, but he doubted Leven would hide the manuscript away. No, he’d have the thing on blatant display.

  Sean turned, hands on his hips. Massive walls of glass framed the rays of the dying sun over the snowy valley below. Gorgeous. He stopped for a second, caught by the beauty.

  When had he last let himself enjoy such a small moment?

  Only in Bay’s arms.

  Had she watched the sun set lately? He stared out the window. Would destroying Leven’s book really make up for the loss of McNeil and the guys? Sean grabbed the back of the leather couch. When did it end? A necklace, a manuscript, a building, money, Leven’s life…none of it would mean anything to the men he’d called friends.

  They wouldn’t want this.

  They wouldn’t want Sean poisoned with grief and hatred.

  He felt like his world was spinning, upending him. Oh, he still felt the burn. He doubted it would ever truly disappear, the warrior in him would never rest easy knowing the man responsible for his team’s slaughter lived.

  But alongside the emotion was something else. Something newly born that would grow in time.

  The need to let go.

  He wanted to remember his friends with a smile. To celebrate their lives, their achievements, their sacrifice.

  All of them had joined the Navy because they believed in something bigger than themselves. Something they’d fight for and die to protect.

  Sean closed his eyes and pulled in a long breath. How could he convince Bay to abandon revenge?

  Leven had stolen everything from her, but she could still have a life. She could have that place on the beach and Sean damn well wanted her to wake every morning in his arms.

  He wanted that tough woman in his life, to watch her soften over time. To dismantle the walls she’d erected around herself.

  An image flashed into his head. It made him stagger. An image of Bay rounded with child, her body lush and her smile serene.

  He wanted to see that. But the path she was on led nowhere near his desires. She’d survived on vengeance far longer than Sean, was honed in it.

  If she kept to her plan, there’d be nothing left of the vulnerable woman under her armor. Instead, she’d turn harder, more bitter as the years passed.

  It would kill her. If Leven didn’t kill her first.

  Sean released a breath. He knew if Bay killed Leven, she’d destroy herself.

  Okay, time to go and convince a deadly lioness to abandon the only food source she’d known for fifteen years. As he turned, he noted a splash of dark out of the corner of his eye.

  A long woolen coat tossed over the back of the couch.

  With a frown, he moved closer and fingered the dark blue fabric. Fine, fine quality. Nothing a guard or housekeeper would wear.

  An empty wineglass sat on the side table along with a half-finished bottle of Petrus merlot.

  A fifteen-hundred-dollar bottle favored by Gabriel Leven.

  Heart in his throat, Sean sprinted for the stairs.

  ***

  Bay moved fast through the big house. Checking bedroom after bedroom. Palatial bathroom after palatial bathroom.

  She fingered the thick brocade bedcover in one room, a bitter taste in her mouth. Nice what blood-tainted money could buy.

  Toward the end of a long hall, she found Leven’s office.

  It was all dark wood and leather, and lined with bookcases. They were filled with books, all neatly placed. It looked like a designer showroom. The sleek laptop and empty brandy snifter on the glossy desk belied that feeling.

  She strode in and ran a hand over the burgundy leather chair. Yeah, she could imagine Leven in here. Smile in place as he gave orders to ruin someone else’s life. She scanned the desk. A framed photo of a woman with a small dark-haired boy sat in the corner. It looked old. Bay stared at the young boy, her stomach curdling at what he’d suffered and worse yet, what he’d become.

  She glanced at the laptop screen and sucked in a breath. A document was open and the word anomaly leapt out at her. She read it, her chest tightening.

  He wanted to create an army of anomalies. Weapons that would belong to him and secure his power.

  Then she spied the glass cabinet to the left of the desk.

  The manuscript was spotlighted by warm lights under glass.

  It wasn’t pretty. Black ink on paper yellowed with age. There were illustrations, but they were arcane diagrams and images scratched within the text.

  Still, she felt a sense of power from the book. A sense of history, no matter how dark and twisted the content. For a second, she wondered if it did hold the secrets of her kind.

  With an unsteady hand, she opened the cabinet. There was quiet whoosh of air.

  She lifted the manuscript. Felt the roughness of the old paper under her fingers. She didn’t care what was in it, she’d still destroy it.

  Fireplace. She turned then stopped. The manuscript dropped to the floor.

  Leven stood beside the fireplace.

  Frozen in time and at her mercy.

  The roaring in her head was so loud she couldn’t think.

  He’d not long showered, his dark hair—with the slightest hint of gray at the temples—was still damp. Dark trousers and a white silk shirt draped his lean frame. That handsome face was smooth and relaxed. Like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Blood surged through her veins, propelled by her wildly beating heart. She scooped up a letter opener off the desk. She felt the sharp bite of its edge on her palm.

  She stopped in front of the man who’d taken everything from her. The man who’d shattered her life with his rabid drive for power.

  “Bastard.” A savage whisper.

  This man had left a gaping hole inside her. Now she was going to ruin him.

  She lifted the blade. He was just standing there. Unmoving. It was too easy. Too…clean.

  This wasn’t how she’d imagined it.

  Just do it. She pressed the point to his chest. Bile rose, burning her throat.

  Her hand shook. She wanted to see pain and despair in his eyes. She wanted him to know she was exacting her revenge. She wanted to taste his fear.

  The thought made her stomach turn.

  She could do this. A sob escaped her tight throat. Anger followed, hot and scalding. How could she hesitate?

  With renewed purpose, she forced the point of the opener into his skin. Just a fraction of an inch. A tiny patch of blood welled on the pristine white.

  She caught the sob this time, swallowing it down with the force of her will. She made herself think of her mother, her father, Lily. They deserved justice. She had to find it for them.

  Because it was her fault they were dead. Because she’d been born a goddamn time thief.

  She forced herself to push the blade deeper. She looked into Leven’s face, but of course there was no reaction. No pain, no shock. It was like cutting a piece of wood.

  Bay felt something on her face and realized she was crying.

  “Bay.”

  Sean’s quiet voice made her tremble. She didn’t—couldn’t—look at him. “I have to do this
.”

  “Will it bring them back?”

  His voice was so steady, so calm. Nothing in her was calm at the moment. “Of course not. But it’ll help.”

  “How?”

  She turned her head, incredulous. “This is the man who ordered your team killed! You want him dead.”

  “I thought I did.”

  Righteous fury stormed through her. “You hunted me for months. Wanted to kill all time thieves. Now you know he’s behind it—” she stabbed a finger toward Leven “—you’ve changed your mind?”

  Sean sighed, his eyes solemn. “Killing him won’t help, Bay. It’ll damage something inside you. Obliterate any chance of having your own life, away from this.”

  Her vision blurred, the fury leaving as quickly as it had come. Tears turned into a steady stream down her cheeks. “I’ve already lost that chance.”

  “No, you haven’t.” Sean moved now, one hand outstretched. “Together we can have more than revenge and blood and killing.”

  Oh, he tempted her with her deepest, darkest desires. But the part of her born in the blood of her sister railed against it. Demanded Leven’s blood.

  She lifted the blade again. Held it to the crime lord’s bloodstained shirt.

  She felt Sean behind her. That big, solid presence she’d grown to need so quickly. He didn’t try to stop her or help her. He just stood there, silent support whatever her decision.

  Staring into Leven’s hated face, she willed herself to plunge it through his black heart.

  “What would Lily think if she were here now?”

  Sean’s quiet words wrenched at Bay’s heart. She wouldn’t let her baby sister anywhere near a killer like Leven.

  Are you any better? The cutting voice was sly and cunning. It whispered in Bay’s head with the power of a shout. Would you want Lily anywhere near the woman you’ve become?

  With a cry, the blade fell from Bay’s hands. Her knees gave way.

  Sean caught her. Hauling her back against his strength. He pressed warm lips to her temple. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

  She turned into him and shed the tears she’d never allowed. For her parents, for her sister and for herself. For the girl with simple dreams who’d been damaged so long ago. Her body shook and the tears scalded her cheeks.

  The wrenching sobs slowly died away. Bay felt empty. Purged.

  She looked into Sean’s face. The one person who’d ever battled past her defenses. Who’d reached the outer barriers of her withered heart.

  He looked at her with such hope. Such longing. It frightened her.

  She wanted to be the woman she saw reflected in his eyes, but she didn’t know if she had it in her. Wasn’t sure there was enough left inside her.

  Tearing pain rippled through her and she grimaced.

  “Bay?” His arms tightened. “What’s wrong?”

  Another spasm. Stupid. All the emotional upheaval. “I’m…losing control of time.”

  Sean cursed. He hauled her up and dragged her to the door.

  They stumbled through the hall and down the stairs. She worked to hold her ability. Perspiration broke out on her forehead.

  Just a little farther. They needed to get past the guards and their guns.

  “Hang on a bit longer, Bay.”

  At the front door, she lost her grip. “I’m sorry.”

  He hitched her closer. “Bay—”

  Time snapped back into place.

  Upstairs, they heard Leven bellow for his guards.

  Chapter Ten

  Sean drew his SIG and kept Bay close to his side.

  “Get to the truck.” He waited until she nodded. “I’ll keep the guards off us until we make it to the trees.”

  “Okay.” Her face was pale but her red-rimmed eyes determined.

  They had no time, but Sean pressed his lips to hers. It was too quick. He suspected he’d never get enough of this woman.

  He yanked open the door. Night had fallen like a cold, thick blanket.

  As Bay darted out into the yard, Sean fired. One guard went down. No sign of the other two. Sean sprinted after Bay.

  He heard her cry out.

  Ahead, a Doberman had latched onto the bottom of her jeans. He didn’t want to hurt the dog, but raised his gun.

  Bay kicked the dog off and ran. Another snarling Doberman darted in front of her but she leaped over him, arms windmilling, in a breathtaking display of athleticism.

  Sean followed. He fired a shot into the ground near the dog. It shocked the animal enough for Sean to get past.

  He and Bay raced through the trees. The truck appeared from the shadows, nestled in the stand of trees where they’d left it.

  As Bay yanked open the passenger side door, Sean shoved his gun back in his jeans and skirted the hood.

  He started the vehicle, headlights spearing into the night. He shoved the Ford into gear.

  A flash of white in the darkness. He stomped on the brakes.

  Gabriel Leven stood in front of the truck.

  A shotgun aimed at the windshield.

  Directly at Sean.

  The crime boss looked disheveled. His normally perfect hair was tousled, his white shirt creased and stained with his blood.

  “Get out of the truck, Ms. North.”

  Sean rapidly weighed the options. He could floor the truck, but Leven might get a shot off. Hit him or Bay. Keeping his gaze on Leven, Sean slowly reached for his gun.

  “Now, Ms. North, or I’ll splatter Archer’s brain all over the cab.”

  She opened her door.

  “Bay, no.” Sean grabbed her wrist.

  “I’m not letting him take anyone else.” Her eyes were steady. “I won’t lose someone else I care about.”

  His gut clenched. God, he wanted her. All of her. “I don’t want to lose you either.”

  “I’ll be fine.” A smile so brief it was gone in a second. “Remember, I’ve been taking care of myself a long time.”

  “You aren’t alone anymore.”

  “I know.” She pulled away and mouthed something at him.

  Her too-quiet words registered. It took all his willpower not to leap from the truck and unload his gun into the bastard outside.

  In the gleam of the headlights, he watched her stride up to Leven.

  “Good decision.” Leven’s smile was wide. “I’ve been waiting a very long time to pay you back for all the trouble you’ve caused me.” He shook his head. “You should have killed me when you had the chance.”

  Bay just stared at him. Sean’s fingers curled into tight fists, praying she’d be all right.

  “I’ve wanted you dead for a long time,” Bay said. “Dreamed of it.”

  “But you didn’t have the guts to do it.”

  She shook her head. “No, Sean helped me realize I’m not like you.”

  “You’re afraid.” Those white teeth flashed again and Sean wanted to punch the bastard.

  “I’m not afraid of you anymore.” She struck. Fast and silent. She wrenched the shotgun from Leven. Then swung it like a baseball bat, without hesitation.

  Leven went down. He groaned, clutching his head. Blood poured from his broken nose.

  “You always underestimated me. You’re nothing, Leven. I’m done letting you rule my life.” She smacked him again. Hard.

  She opened the gun, emptied out the shells and shoved them in her pocket. She dropped the empty weapon on Leven’s writhing body.

  Sean gunned the truck.

  “I’ll never stop searching for you,” Leven yelled, his voice thick, choked. “I want your power.”

  As soon as she was inside, Sean put his foot down. The truck roared out of the trees and soon they were headed down the winding mountain road.

  Bay sat in silence, her arms wrapped around her middle. She stared straight ahead but Sean knew she wasn’t seeing the road.

  “You did good back there,” he said.

  She didn’t look at him, just curled in tighter on herself. “I wanted to kil
l him. I wanted to press that gun to his chest and pull the trigger.”

  “No one blames you for that. I felt the same way.” A part of him still did.

  “But I thought of Lily. What would she have thought of me?”

  “I bet she’d have loved her big sister.”

  Bay’s smile was heartbreaking. Then it disappeared. “He’ll never stop.”

  “You’re smart. Resourceful. Put all you’ve learned the last fifteen years into staying out of Leven’s reach.” Sean would make sure Leven never came near her ever again.

  “He’ll just keep coming.” She closed her eyes, her head against the headrest. “He wants to learn how to create anomalies, to build an army.”

  “Bay—” Sean gripped her arm. For all her toughness, she was still that traumatized teenager underneath. “I’ll never let him get near you.”

  She turned her head, her gaze roving over him. “He’ll use everything he can to hurt me. Control me.”

  “Hey.” A trickle of unease wound through Sean. Ahead he saw a sign for a lookout. “We’ll find a way to make him stop.”

  “There is no ‘we,’ Sean.”

  ***

  Bay knew Sean wouldn’t let her go.

  She pressed a hand to the door as he yanked the wheel and pulled into a scenic lookout. He was out of the car in an instant. He opened her door and pulled her out. God, he was going to make this hard for her.

  “How many times do I need to repeat the word ‘together’ until you get the picture?” He yanked her close to his chest.

  How this man made her want. Want things she’d always known would never be hers. The cool late-night darkness wrapped around them, made her feel like they were the only people in existence.

  For a little while, she’d hoped they could find a way to be together. But Leven had reminded her why she’d never have that. She couldn’t bear to ever see Sean hurt. At someone’s mercy the way he had been in that desert.

  She pressed a hand to his cheek. “You’re a good man.”

  He scowled and she couldn’t stop the urge to run a finger over the groove in his forehead. Then she leaned up and kissed him.

  It started out soft, a teasing caress, but she wasn’t sure who deepened it. Didn’t care. It turned into a wild, ravaging exploration. She wanted more, all he had to give her.