by Aleah Raynes
Cal would do it for me.
“I didn’t see the whole vision. But it’s not good. We need to arrive before the guests and search the house.” Cal fumbled for his phone in his front pocket, which was underneath me. I stood so he could get it and was instantly pulled into a hug.
Kent buried his nose into my neck. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head. “If we don’t find the bomb before it goes off, so many will die. Including me.”
“You’re not going.” Sawyer’s stern voice caught my attention.
His brown eyes stared at me and the muscle twitching in his temples said he wasn’t going to give in. Well, he would stop me. “We have to do something. I’m not sitting by while other people are killed or harmed because of me.”
He hardened his glare on me. “You…are not going.”
Chapter 13
I thought it was 2:00 a.m. before Peyton dragged me to bed, insisting I needed sleep. Ha. She needed more sleep than me.
After several minutes of arguing, I finally convinced her to go to sleep too, saying I’d sleep when she did. That got Dalton’s attention and he demanded both of us to go to bed right before he left on whatever secret mission my cousin gave him at the gun range.
Plus, arguing with Sawyer and the others about the dinner party was exhausting. Somehow I think Peyton had a plan, because she would meet me or the others in the eye.
It was now past noon and I stared at Peyton beside me. Her dark brown hair fanned out over the pillow. She looked so peaceful, different from the energetic, ass kicker while awake. However, I knew she wasn’t sleeping. “Did you know you snore?”
A smile lifted her lips. “Do not.”
“You do.” I laughed when she opened her gray eyes to glare at me. “How did you sleep?”
She sighed and rolled to her back, stretching. “Like a rock. Thanks. I didn’t know how much I needed sleep.” Suddenly she sat straight up. “What time is it?”
“A little past noon.”
“Crap on Satan, we need to get going.” Peyton flew out of bed, stumbling when the sheet caught her foot.
“Going for what?”
She glanced at me over her shoulder, a wicked smile forming. “We have to get ready for the dinner party.”
I tried to hide my smile but failed. I climbed out of bed when she disappeared into the bathroom.
Voices came from the living room, drawing me in that direction. When I got closer, I heard the guys mention my name. I stopped at the end of the hall and listened while out of sight.
“When did you form a psychic bond with Rylee?” I recognized Sawyer’s growly tone. I guessed he hadn’t had much sleep.
Cal replied with annoyance. “We didn’t do it on purpose. It must have happened when I helped her build shields. The bond already in place came to life.”
Thinking back to that first day, the acknowledgment had been there, but I didn’t understand it then. Knowing that the six of us were bound as kids helped me understand why I could be at ease around them, trust them without really knowing them.
“Maybe,” Sawyer replied in a clipped tone. Then he added, “We were supposed to take it slow with her. Since two of us have already kissed her, the plan has gone ignored.”
Kent spoke next. “We can’t hide things from her. One, she’s too intuitive. Two, she made us promise no more secrets.”
“What about Dalton?”
I perked up at Reed’s question. I knew Dalton was keeping something from me, and had guessed it had something to do with the mission he was on.
“Dalton is different. The leak of his secret would put all of us in danger. I don’t even know the details.” Sawyer let out a low growl of frustration.
Cal brought the conversation back to me. “Anyway, we knew our feelings would only grow for Ry. And hers would grow for us. I’m not pushing her, if that’s what you think.”
Sawyer snorted. “I didn’t say that. I just don’t want to scare her off. Our world is new to her.”
There was a pause then Cal said, “She’s planning on going to the party with or without our support.”
I peeked around the corner to see Sawyer fist his hands on the arms of the recliner. “I know. Fuck. How are we supposed to keep her safe if she’ll do what we advise her not to?”
Just then Peyton bounced up behind me. I placed a finger over my lips to shush her. “They’re talking about me.”
She grinned. “Oh, we’re spying.”
Rolling my eyes, I asked, “Do you know what Dalton’s secret mission is?”
“No.” She met my stare. “Honest. All I know is it’s classified Order business.”
Umm. I turned my ear to the living room in time to hear Reed ask, “We can make the plan work. Besides visions aren’t set in stone. They can be changed.”
“Rylee, come out here. Bring Peyton with you.” The command came from Sawyer.
I sucked in my bottom lip and grabbed Peyton’s hand, dragging her into the open with me. The guys glared at us. I straightened my spine and moved to the sofa, but I didn’t make it. Sawyer grabbed me by the waist as I passed him and pulled me to sit in his lap.
Peyton smirked as she jumped up to sit at the countertop that separated the kitchen from the living room.
I met Reed’s stare and frowned. Dark circle appeared under his eyes and his blond hair looked like he raked his hands through it. Some strands stood on end while others just lay in an unruly mess.
Had they all been up all night plotting out whatever plan Reed mentioned?
I sighed. We were all stressed over my vision. However, I couldn’t let it unnerve me to the point I couldn’t think. “What’s the plan?”
Reed pointed to Sawyer, then Kent. “Sawyer, Kent, and I will leave here in about an hour. Tyler and Drew will meet us there with their team. Ben has some kind of gadget to sniff out magical energies. We will comb the house before guest start arriving.”
As cool as that sounded, it didn’t reassure me we’d come home alive. “What if the bomb wasn’t created by magic?”
Sawyer answered. “Ben has all kinds of toys.”
Still, I wasn’t convinced. I folded my arms and leaned back into Sawyer’s chest. I should be comforted that they’d be there with me instead of my plan of going in alone. Yet, I was scared. “Have you tried to call my uncle and cancel the whole thing? Or move it to a new location?”
“We did. He told us we were being overly paranoid.” Cal gripped the armchair and his upper lip curled. “He even said your powers can’t be trusted right now because...”
I studied him, waiting for him to continue. “Because, why?”
Kent answered for him. “Joel said our powers could be influencing yours, making them more unpredictable.”
Joel just moved up on my suspect list of people who didn’t want me around. “My visions have never been wrong.”
Taking deep breaths, I tried to calm myself. A lot had happened since I arrived. If anything, my powers were getting stronger, just as the guys said they would. They’d also said my magic would be limitless.
My thoughts went to my conjuring, and how I used Reed’s psychovector to create a shield. Maybe that power was already limitless. I just needed to stretch it.
To test the theory, I scooted off Sawyer’s lap to sit on my knees on the floor. Then I cleared the coffee table. Tyler had once told me about the Thornehart school library and how it housed more than just books, including records of everyone who went there. I was four, but I remembered every word.
Now, I believed he didn’t mean just the students, but the whole Capissian race. If that was true, then the blueprints for the Thornehart mansion would be there. Which would help me conjure them easier.
Taking a deep breath, I held my hands out over the coffee table and asked for the plans. A twelve-inch electronic tablet appeared on the table. “That’s not what I wanted.”
“What were you conjuring?” Kent asked sliding down to the floor beside me.
�
��The blueprints for Joel’s mansion.”
Kent picked up the tablet and smiled. “That’s what you got and then some. They digitized everything a few years ago.” He turned the device over and pointed at an engraved word.
Thornehart.
After turning it on, Kent scrolled through the files until he found one that was marked “Estate.” He clicked on it and shook his head. “Reed, turn on the TV.”
Reed did as Kent asked and I watched Kent set up the tablet to play off the sixty-inch flat screen.
Within minutes, the blueprints were displayed for all of use to see. Sawyer stood and motioned for me to sit in his chair. When I did, he said, “We’ll run through where everyone will be. And form an exit plan. Will that make you feel better, Rylee?”
I shrugged. “A little. I’ll let you know after I hear the rest of the plan.”
“Stop staring at me.” I fought a fit of nervous giggles while regretting allowing Peyton to dress me.
The outfit she picked was comfy, stylish, and I loved it. But she didn’t stop there. She did my makeup, which I’d never worn before, and put my hair up in a loose bun with ringlets spiraling around it. The guys acted like they didn’t want me to leave the apartment.
Cal and Kent sat on either side of me in the car. They hadn’t stopped staring at me since leaving.
“You don’t look like you.” Kent shifted in his seat. “I’m afraid to touch you.”
I rolled my eyes, then gave a pointed stare at Peyton in the front passenger seat. “I think it’s ridiculous to wear this much makeup.”
Peyton waved a hand. “You’re their princess. You should look like it.”
“She looks it,” Cal said.
“And y’all are trying to keep my mind off blowing up.”
Cal covered my hand in his and gently squeezed. “We are not blowing up tonight, or any night.”
I leaned into him, wanting to believe his words.
The car came to a stop. “Everyone wired?” Sawyer asked.
I nodded, knowing he meant the ear pieces. “Got mine in.”
He gave a short nod and we filed out of the car. I breathed in the summer mountain air, relishing in the clean, natural smells. The Thornehart mansion sat on a peak overlooking a valley. I bet it was beautiful in the fall.
Scanning the spacious front yard that melted into the forest, I noted there were way too many cars for this to be a dinner party. So much for low key. But the guys had warned me. Just more people to kill…
Cal nudged me and we fell into step with the others. “Don’t forget to breathe. I don’t need you passing out.”
“If I did, we could leave, right?” I smiled wide at him.
“We’d only have to do this again in a few days.” He hugged me close and kissed my temple as we walked. “Besides, I already thought of that.”
I laughed weakly.
When we reached the door, it opened to Joel’s smiling face. He gave a short bow. “You look lovely, Rylee.”
“Thank you. So do you.”
He frowned and stepped aside for us to enter. A wave of deja vu hit me as we moved into the great room. My heart pounded and I clung to Cal, trying like hell not to tremble.
Sawyer and Kent broke off from us to check in with the rest of the bomb-sniffing team. We’d gotten word moments before leaving the apartment that nothing was found. “Can the bomb be small enough for someone to bring in?”
Cal pried my fingers from their death grip on his jacket sleeve, then held both my hands between his. Facing me, he demanded my attention. “We’ve been over this. You need to act like nothing is wrong. The other guests will pick up on your nervousness. You will look like the suspect.”
“I know.” I leaned into him and breathed him in. Vanilla and spice.
Just then Kyle came up to us with a woman on his arm. She was beautiful with long, curly blond hair and pale blue eyes. Her smile seemed forced. “This must be Rylee. Your cousin has told me so much about you.”
I wish I could say the same. I kept that snooty comment to myself. “And you are?”
Her smile faltered a little. “Oh, how rude of me. I’m Ellie Thornehart.”
Was I supposed to be impressed? “Are you another cousin?”
Her smiled faded completely and her eyes darkened. Kyle spoke up while wrapping his arm around her. “Ellie is my beautiful wife.”
I figured as much, but it was too fun taunting the snobbish woman.
Cal stood stiffened beside me and glared at them. “How long is this thing supposed to last?”
Kyle shrugged. “Knowing Joel, all night.”
Ben’s voice came over my ear piece. “Tell Kyle to go eat worms.”
I snickered and Cal elbowed me, clearly hearing what Ben said.
Kyle eyed us suspiciously and I decided to test my cousin. I could usually tell when someone was lying. It was the empathy side of me. “What if I told you I had a vision that we all die tonight?”
Cal cleared his throat and tugged at my hand. I ignored him to watch Kyle’s expression. My cousin jerked back a step. Real, cold fear clouded his eyes. His face paled. “When? How?”
The tremble in his voice confirmed he didn’t plant the bomb, nor did he know about it. I stepped closer and kept my voice low. “We are looking for a bomb.”
Kyle snapped his head up and I grabbed the lapels of his jacket to bring him back down to me. “Don’t make a scene! We don’t need a panic started. Do you know how someone could sneak a bomb in and where they could hide it? My vision wasn’t very detailed, but everyone in the great room dies. Unless we find it.”
I glanced up and met my dad’s stare. The muscle in his jaw flexed. Did he hear me? I tapped my ear piece. “Is my dad wired?”
“Yes, I am. Do you think I’d let you be here without aiding in your protection?” Dad’s clipped tone told me not to argue. It wasn’t the time for him to be my parent. He should be home, safe and alive!
Kyle shook his head. “Rumors had floated around that Lucia would find a way to kill you, but I didn’t think she’d take the chance to kill the whole family. Then again, that sounds crazy enough for her to do.”
Just then Dalton stepped behind me. I knew it was him from his smoky, cedar scent. He snaked his arms around me and kissed my cheek. I instantly sank into him. I feared he wouldn’t make it and didn’t realize until that moment how much it meant to me that my whole team was there. Supporting me, caring for me.
Kyle lifted his lips in disgust. “I’ll see if I can convince Joel to help in the search.” Then excused himself.
Cal stepped into my line of sight. “I’m going to nose around where I’m not supposed to.”
He kissed my forehead before vanishing into the crowd. Dalton turned me to face him. His lips lifted. “Finally, I got you all to myself.”
“I didn’t think you’d make it. But I know what you’re doing right now.”
One dark brow lifted. “Oh? What’s that?”
“Distracting me.”
He chuckled. “Is it working?”
“It’s in the cake.” Tyler’s voice sounded over the ear piece, breaking into my blissful distraction. What was in the cake?
The bomb. My heart pounded and Dalton held on to me, pulling me onto the dance floor. Panic started to rise. I couldn’t see my guys or Dad or Tyler. Where was Peyton? “What are you doing?”
“My job.” Dalton started swaying to the music. “They get the bomb and take it outside to disarm it. You are to act normal.”
What! “How am I? We have to help.”
He framed my face in his hands when Cal’s voice came over the coms. “On it.” There was a pause, then he spoke again. “Shit. How did John find out?”
I pressed my com. “Don’t let Dad near that cake.” I started to move toward the kitchens, but Dalton tightened his hold on me.
Shouting started from the kitchen, then someone brushed against me. I didn’t see who, but heard a voice in my thoughts. “Can’t be disarmed. Say good-
bye, princess.”
I gasped and covered my mouth, my heart beat widely as fear fueled my panic once more. I repeated what I heard to Dalton. That set him into motion. With his arm around me, he rushed to the front door while barking orders. “Everyone out!”
I glanced back in time to see Dad with a black box the size of a small tablet in his hand. The party guests started scattering at the sight the bomb. No. “Dad!”
Dad rushed to the balcony. He threw the bomb, but he was too late. As soon as the device left his hand, it exploded. The fiery blast shattered the French doors and windows. Glass scattered across the room. Dad was thrown to the other side of the balcony. When he didn’t get back up, my world stopped spinning. Breathing hurt and I screamed. Screamed for my dad. For someone to get him.
“No! Dad!” Tears flowed down my cheeks. My heart broke into a million pieces. Pain like I’d never dreamed of washed over me. “No.”
I sobbed as Dalton lifted me in his arms and carried me out of the mansion.
Chapter 14
Numbness settled over me. The sensation of being lifted out of the truck didn’t bring me out of the place in my head I had escaped to. It was like my brain shut down.
I didn’t ask about Dad, because I knew. Deep inside me, the threads that bound us were severed. He was gone.
Squeezing my eyes, I willed sleep to take me. The grief was too much. The pain too sharp.
The coolness of the sheets made me shiver. Then Dalton settled in the bed behind me, pulling the blanket over us. He held me while I broke.
We should have never gone there. We should have stayed hidden and ran. I couldn’t stay. Everyone around me was in danger. My visions told me that.
Dalton massaged my head. “Sleep, my angel.”
Like the words were a spell to ease my pain, I felt the heaviness of sleep overtake me.