Tessa didn’t have to be an empath to recognize the warning growl in her brother’s voice. “The usual smoke and mirrors.” She pulled out her cell phone and checked the time. “They called from the gate, right? How long is this driveway anyhow?”
“They have to go slowly because of Rigo’s condition. And don’t change the subject. What happened?”
“Nothing happened.”
“Not buying it, sis. Something happened. You can’t lie to an empath.”
“Just once, I wish you’d mind your own business.” The ambulance came into view. “There they are.”
“You are my business, Tess.” Darius touched her arm, his blue eyes soft with concern. “Ever since what happened with that bastard Luke—”
She pulled away. “I don’t want to talk about him.”
“Okay. But just let me say this: I wasn’t able to be there for you then. Rafe had taken off, I was laid up and paralyzed … we couldn’t help when you needed us. But we’re here now. So if you need anything—”
“I know.” This time she reached out for him, sliding her arm around his waist in a half hug. “I’m twenty-six years old, Dar. I have to learn how to handle stuff on my own.”
“My brain knows that, but my heart tells me to kick the ass of any guy who so much as looks at you wrong.”
“Or just looks at me, period.” She stuck her tongue out and gave him a punch in the arm, then stepped forward as the ambulance glided to a stop in front of the house. “Hey guys,” she called to the EMTs who hopped out of the vehicle. “We have a ramp over here.” She pointed to the concrete ramp that had been installed when Darius had been confined to a wheelchair.
In seconds, the EMTs had the rear doors of the ambulance open and the gurney on the ground. Rigo reclined against his pillow, a weak smile on his face. He looked pale under his olive complexion, but his dark eyes shone with good humor. “Hey, there.”
Darius came over as the EMTs checked Rigo’s IV and shut the doors to the vehicle. “How are you feeling, Rigo?”
“Like I was stabbed in the gut.” The feeble attempt at humor eased Tessa’s worry a little.
“Well, you look a damned sight better than the last time I saw you,” Darius said.
“We have a nice room set up for you on the first floor,” Tessa said.
“That guest room with the awesome view of the pool?” Rigo asked.
“That’s the one.” Tessa walked alongside the gurney as the EMTs pushed it along the curving ramp, which was strategically concealed by shrubbery, leaving Darius with his cane to climb the three shallow steps back onto the front porch and meet them at the door.
“We’ve even got a nurse for you, buddy,” Darius said.
“Is she hot?” Rigo asked. “The upside of getting injured is the hot nurses.”
“Well, I think he’s hot,” Tessa teased. “Not sure if he’s your type though.”
“He?” Rigo’s face fell. “Damn. Just tell me his name’s not Olaf.”
“It’s not,” Tessa assured him.
They wheeled Rigo down the hall to the guest room, where a tall, muscled guy dressed in dark blue scrubs and a blond buzz cut waited. Rigo’s face lit as he saw him. “Carter! I haven’t seen you since I left the Corps.”
Carter shook Rigo’s hand. “You look like shit, Mendez.”
Rigo barked a laugh, then winced and grabbed his wounded side. “Yeah, thanks.”
“We wanted someone you could trust implicitly,” Darius said. “Carter fit the bill.”
“He’ll help you heal and keep you safe, all at the same time,” Tessa added.
“This is great,” Mendez said.
“Let’s get you situated in your new room.” Carter turned steely gray eyes on the EMTs. “This way, guys.”
Faith is preparing some healing stones, Darius told Tessa telepathically, as Carter directed the EMTs. We’ll place them around the room to help him heal faster.
Good idea. I assume you and Rafe grilled this Carter guy before hiring him?
We did, and Dad, too. He didn’t lie to us, not once. And his emotions are all aboveboard.
His thoughts are all for Rigo. He’s worried for him and determined to get him back on his feet again. She glanced at her brother. Why didn’t you include me in the interview? I could have helped.
He hesitated before replying. You probably could have.
So why didn’t you ask me?
He gave her a chagrined smile and shrugged. “Habit.”
She scowled. “Break it.” With a last glance at Rigo, she left the room.
She ran into Rafe and Cara in the foyer and socked her brother in the arm, scowling at him.
“Uh-oh,” Cara said. “What did you do, Rafe?”
“Beats me.” Rafe rubbed his arm. “What’s got you in a twist, Tess?”
“You. And Dar. And Dad. You all interviewed this Carter guy without me. I only found out he existed when he showed up at the door an hour ago.”
“Oh, that.” He shrugged. “If it’s any consolation, they called me in at the last minute to sit in, too.”
“No one called me at all.” She put her hands on her hips. “This good ole boys club has got to stop.”
“Oh, Rafe, you didn’t.” Cara shook her head and sent Tessa a sympathetic glance.
“There’s no good ole boys club,” Rafe protested.
“Then why didn’t you include me?” Tessa challenged. “What, I’m good enough to hire temps at Dad’s company, but not to interview someone as important as Rigo’s care provider? A guy who’s going to live in our house? With everything that’s going on, you’d think you guys would utilize every advantage you have.”
“She’s right,” Cara said. “Isn’t Tessa a True Seer? The most powerful of all of you?”
“Supposedly,” Rafe said. “But I haven’t seen much more than typical annoying little sister stuff from Miss Purple Eyes here. Still waiting for this True Seer to wow us all.”
“At least I didn’t abandon my family when they really needed me,” Tessa snapped. Ignoring the hurt look on her brother’s face, and the moisture stinging her own eyes, she stormed from the room.
She’d reached the patio near the pool by the time Cara caught up with her.
“Tess. Hey, Tess.” Cara snagged her arm and pulled her to a stop. “Men are jerks,” she said.
The matter-of-fact tone startled a laugh from Tessa. “Yeah, they are.”
“They’re especially jerky when they’re in protective mode,” Cara added. “You know everyone is on red alert around here, especially with what happened in Belize.”
“I know, I know.” Tessa sat on the edge of a lounge chair and swiped her hands over her face. “I’ve been stressed out, too, and being cut out of things doesn’t help.”
“I agree.” Cara perched on the chair next to Tessa’s. “There’s a lot going on, life and death stuff. I can’t imagine how you’re dealing with it, any of you.”
“I hate secrets.” Tessa combed both hands through her long, fair hair, scraping it back from her face. “I especially hate secrets when I can’t read the people keeping them.”
“I got that from your attitude toward Faith when she first got here.”
“Yeah, I admit I was a first-class bitch. But put yourself in my shoes. She used to be with the Mendukati, even though she wasn’t really into it, from what Dar has told me. And she was living in my house and messing with my brother.”
“Faith was a young newlywed who was following her husband,” Cara said. “And who hasn’t done stupid stuff for a guy?” Cara narrowed her eyes. “I should hate you as it is for those gorgeous movie star good looks of yours. If you tell me you’ve lived a perfect life, that you never did anything boneheaded when you were young and in love, then that’s the last straw.”
Tessa shook her head. “No, I can’t tell you that.”
“Okay, then we can still be friends.” She took Tessa’s hands in hers. “I’m on your side in this, Tess, and I bet Faith and Maria will be, too.”
She means it, Tessa realized. Being human, Cara’s thoughts were an open book to her. The compassion and camaraderie were real, as was the affection her future sister-in-law felt for her.
“Thanks.” Tessa took a deep breath and pulled herself together. “I think I’ve just had it with men lately, Dad and brothers included. Sometimes I think we’re not even the same species.”
“I suspect it’s a particular man who has you tied in knots,” Cara said, her honey-brown eyes glinting with humor. “A certain Warrior, perhaps?”
“Oh man, is it that obvious?” Tessa stared into the distance for a moment, then looked back again. “The guy drives me nuts. Most of the time I want to smack that know-it-all, too-white-for-words smile right off his face.”
“And the rest of the time?” Cara prompted.
Her cheeks warmed. “Never mind that.”
Cara laughed. “Been there, done that.”
Tessa groaned as one of Cara’s memories drifted through her mind. “Great, thanks for the visual. I so did not need to see my brother that way!”
“Then don’t peek,” Cara teased.
“Sometimes I have no choice. Sometimes these things are forced on me. Like my reaction to Adrian. I don’t want to feel this way about him, but my body just doesn’t listen.”
“Speaking of,” Cara said, jerking her chin toward the house.
Tessa knew before she turned her head. She always knew when he was around, that potent male energy connecting to her in a way she’d never felt before. Normally Atlantean powers did not work on other Atlanteans. There were one or two exceptions, but last she’d heard, Warriors weren’t one of them. So what was this weird connection between them?
Adrian stood on the patio just outside the sliding door to the kitchen, dressed in the same dark blue polo shirt and khakis he’d worn that morning. She knew he was a kick-ass fighter, but the guy dressed like he was in a photo shoot for a fashion magazine for young businessmen. Their gazes locked and held. Heat curled in her belly.
“I’m going to find Rafe,” Cara said. She got up and hustled past Adrian into the house, calling a breezy greeting to him as she went.
Tessa stood as he approached her, folding her arms across her chest. “You’re back.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I had to take care of something.”
“Oh, yeah, sure.” She nodded. “More mysteries.”
“Not for long. I came back to finish the meeting.”
“So you’re going to actually tell us things this time? Fill us in on this big plan of yours?” She walked a couple of paces away, just far enough to escape the enticing scent of him. “That’s new for you.”
“Tessa…” He came over to her, his energy vibrating along with hers like a tuning fork that had just been struck. Her normal defenses wanted to crumble; she wanted to surrender to whatever this was between them. But she held fast. “Come inside. There’s a lot I need to tell you. All of you.”
“I’ve got stuff to tell you, too.” She turned to face him. “While you were gone, Rigo was transported here from the hospital to recover.”
“I know. Your father thought he’d be safer here, and I agree. How’s Carter working out?”
“Hold on. You know about Carter, too?”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “I recommended him. Ex-Marine medic. I thought Mendez might like having a familiar face around.”
“Why am I always the last to know anything?” she muttered.
“Tessa.” He spread his hands. “I wanted to apologize for how I left things earlier.”
“Which part? Leaving with no explanation, or almost kissing me?”
“The second part.” He took her hand. “I had no right to say any of that. Not now, anyway.”
“What do you mean, not now?” Tessa pulled her hand away. “Either you meant the stuff you said, or you didn’t. I’m getting tired of this on-again, off-again game of yours. You either want me or you don’t. Decide.”
“It’s not that easy, Tessa. There’s a lot you don’t know.”
“So fill me in. Where’s that golden tongue of yours now, Mr. Invincible?” She folded her arms, tapped her foot. When he remained silent, she scoffed. “Ha, that’s what I thought.” She came up on tiptoe. “Let me know when you’ve made your decision,” she whispered.
His dark-eyed gaze seared into hers, dropped to her mouth. Her breath caught as he touched her lips with his fingertip. “You’ll be the first to know, princess.”
“Yo, A! You coming?”
The unfamiliar female voice shattered the moment. Tessa dropped from her toes and jerked her head around to behold the stunning brunette in the camo pants and skintight black tank who stood half in, half out of the sliding glass doors. The woman even had a tattoo peeking out from under one strap of the tank.
“Yeah,” Adrian said. “I’m coming.”
I’ll let you know about that decision, princess, he sent telepathically as he turned and jogged over to the woman.
The woman stood aside to let him through the doors, then looked back at Tessa. “You Tessa?”
“Yes.”
“You come, too.” The mysterious brunette disappeared into the house.
Tessa stared, openmouthed. Who was this woman to be ordering her around in her own house? And what was she to Adrian? After a moment, she slowly started walking toward the doors.
Maybe he’d already made his decision, after all.
CHAPTER FOUR
As they had earlier that day, everyone crowded into the dining room. Tessa snagged a chair near the end of the table, the better to keep her eyes on the mystery woman. The female Warrior stood beside Adrian near the head of the table, close to Tessa’s father’s chair.
“Now that we’re all here,” Adrian said, “I’d like to apologize for leaving so abruptly earlier.”
“Yeah, what was that all about?” Rafe asked.
“I’m getting to that,” Adrian replied and gestured toward the woman. “This is Larina Zarnakis. We were both sent by the Warrior Temple of Mneseus to help protect the stone.”
“So that’s what you’ve been doing here all this time,” Rafe mused. “Secret mission.”
“You might have told us,” Maria said.
“I couldn’t,” Adrian replied, looking at Tessa.
“Warrior temple, huh?” John asked. “That seems a bit of an oxymoron.”
Larina laughed. “I see why you might believe so, but the best warriors are trained both physically and spiritually. After all, every battle might be a warrior’s last.”
“I was sent to follow the lost stone when it reemerged into public view a few months ago,” Adrian said. “My mission was to prevent the stone from falling into Mendukati hands. When I realized the Seers had reacquired the stone, that mission expanded to include protecting you as well.”
“And you’ve been very helpful in that regard,” Maria said.
“Thank you,” Adrian said with a nod.
“And you, Larina. Why are you here, when we already have Adrian?” Darius asked. “Why now?”
Larina gave him a smile that reminded Tessa of a politician—or a beauty queen. “I was only recently assigned to this mission.”
“That’s probably the truth,” Darius continued. “But are you really here to watch over us, or is it the stone you want?”
Dar, what’s going on? Tessa sent to her brother. Unlike her abilities, Darius’s empathic gift worked on everyone, human and Atlantean alike.
Something’s not right. She’s hiding something.
Larina’s pageant contestant smile didn’t falter. “The Stones of Ekhia belong to the Seers; we know this. But the Mendukati are ruthless and have many Warriors among their ranks. We thought to even the odds.”
“So you sent Adrian,” John said, “and we’re grateful. But why did the temple wait until now to announce themselves? And why didn’t you send more troops after Jain Criten broke into my home and nearly killed us all?”
“I did re
quest—” Adrian began.
“We didn’t want to alert Criten to our presence,” Larina interrupted. “Our temple separated from our homeland decades ago. The Mendukati are our enemies, as well as yours.”
“So—what? You left us out there like bait?” Darius said. “Because you didn’t want to attract the attention of the Mendukati yourselves?”
Larina stiffened. “We were being cautious.”
“My ass,” Darius said. “We were being used as cannon fodder.”
“Adrian,” John said, “is this true?”
“No,” Adrian said. “You were never intended to be targets. I was assigned to follow the stone when it first came up for sale online. Artie Bartow of the Mesopotamian Resort in Vegas had purchased it. I got a job there as Bartow’s head of security to verify if the stone was real, which is when I met Rafe. But the stone was stolen by Cara’s stepbrother before I could examine it.”
“That’s when all hell broke loose,” Rafe said. “Cara and I met when we were both tracking her brother, and you know the rest.”
“That’s when Jain Criten attacked us,” John said.
“Criten had been tracking the stone, too,” Adrian said. “We knew he was the leader of the Mendukati, not just the president of our homeland. At least we were able to defeat him here, and save the stone.”
“Then you somehow found the third one in Belize,” Larina said.
“Yes, we did,” Faith replied. For once, Tessa didn’t take exception to Faith’s brusque tone. Faith had tracked the third stone to its resting place in an underwater cave in Belize and had nearly died in a cave-in to retrieve it.
“But Belize didn’t work out as planned,” Larina said. “Azotay managed to escape with the stone.”
“And when he did,” Adrian said, smoothly taking back control of the discussion, “our temple realized they had to step up their game. The Mendukati now have two of the three stones. Strategically, their next move should be to try and acquire the last one.”
“And it won’t be long before they come,” Larina said. “Our people tell us Azotay has already returned to Santutegi to present the stone to President Criten himself.”
“Peachy,” Faith muttered. “How are we supposed to get it back now?”
Warrior of Fate Page 4
