Love's Cruel Redemption (The Ghost Bird Series)

by C. L. Stone

  But I eased closer. On the way down the drive, he put an arm around my shoulders.

  By the time we were on the highway heading west, I had my head in his lap and he had a couple of fingers circling my earlobe.

  Within moments, I was dozing.

  I didn’t wake up until we got back to Sunnyvale. I was surprised we were there. The lights from the diner woke me and the turn onto the street had me sitting up.

  Nathan brushed hair away from my face. “You don’t have to wake up,” he said.

  “Where are we going?”

  “My house,” he said. “But a quick stop at Kota’s for me. I just want to check in with Erica.”

  “Is she up?”

  “I think so.”

  He parked Kota’s car in the Lee’s driveway. We got out, the moon above our heads was full and bright, lighting up the street better than the street lamps.

  Victor headed for Nathan’s house.

  Nathan waited for me as I circled around the car. He put an arm around me and kissed the side of my head close to my ear while we were walking.

  “Let’s not kiss in front of the others,” I said. “Kota doesn’t like seeing it.”

  “I know,” he said. “There’s a lot to talk about.” He sighed. “Does Erica know?”

  “Yes. She knows about you. Not the others.”

  He quieted. He stopped walking and we stood in the garage in Kota’s house. Erica’s car was parked in its spot. He was looking at it absently.

  “What?” I asked, realizing my voice echoed in the space. I quieted.

  “I don’t know if we should tell her about the others,” he said. “I don’t know how to tell her.”

  “I think we need to give her time with just the three of us.”

  “I don’t want to lie to her, though.”

  I didn’t disagree with this. Would it be worse letting us continue to carry this forward? But tonight wasn’t the night. “I think we’ll have a bit to explain anyway after Jessica saw you and Danielle.”

  I didn’t mean to bring it up but he grumbled and shook his head. “That should never have happened. I’m sorry.”

  “I know what happened,” I said softly. “We all know her well enough to know she’d do some horrible trick. Victor told me in the car what it was about. For the most part, they’ll get what they wanted out of it.”

  The corner of his mouth perked up. “Not really. Marie, sure. She can get out of school. Danielle? She’ll have to explain to her mom. And why not let a letter from the school get to her parents so they find out?”

  My eyes widened. “You’ll do that?”

  “She might get it, if her parents approve. She’d have to convince them. Marie’s out. She could have gotten out when she wanted. But we’ll help her graduate. In the least, we’ll get her to take the GED so she’ll have that.”

  So they were just waiting long enough for them to cough up the secret they were holding on to.

  He tilted his head, still kind of seeming off. His eyes were dark, and his expression tired. I thought he was going to say something.

  He moved away from me, stepping close to Erica’s car, looking into the back seat.

  He opened the door quickly.

  A waft of air hit my nose, from inside the car, the scent catching me off guard.

  Jasmine...

  Before I could say anything, Nathan pulled out a white mask that had been tucked under the seat. Only it wasn’t just the mask. It had a modulator attached to it.

  I said nothing. I didn’t know what to think. Volto often left masks as his calling card. He didn’t leave his actual mask.

  He looked at it and then put it back closing the door, keeping his hand on the car for a minute, before looking at me. “Don’t say anything. Not yet.”

  I didn’t know what he meant at first. His grim face, however, told me his thoughts were much more serious than worrying about Volto leaving things behind to spook us.

  She was the right height.

  She had access to our homes.

  Max wouldn’t bark for her if she were around the house.

  Volto sometimes wasn’t around for stretches of time. She kept odd enough hours, we wouldn’t know when her schedule started and when it ended.

  She might have had access to viruses that made us sick last fall.

  So many things. So many reasons why it could be her...

  Maybe she wasn’t as ignorant of the Academy as we all thought she was.

  I didn’t want to go there with my thoughts, but I agreed with Nathan.

  We needed to look into this.

  Thank you!

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  Books by C. L. Stone

  The Academy Ghost Bird Series:

  Introductions

  First Days

  Friends vs. Family

  Forgiveness and Permission

  Drop of Doubt

  Push and Shove

  House of Korba

  The Other Side of Envy

  The Healing Power of Sugar

  First Kiss

  Black and Green

  Love’s Cruel Redemption

  Unsung Requiem (Coming Soon!)– Turn the page for a sneak peek!

  The Academy Scarab Beetle Series

  Thief

  Liar

  Fake

  Accessory

  Hoax

  Tempest (Coming Soon!)

  Other C. L. Stone Books:

  Favored

  Spice God

  Smoking Gun

  READ AN EXCERPT FROM THE NEXT BOOK IN THE ACADEMY GHOST BIRD SERIES

  The Academy

  The Ghost Bird Series

  Unsung Requiem

  ♥

  Book Thirteen

  ♥

  Written by C. L. Stone

  Published by

  Arcato Publishing

  Prelude

  VICTOR

  The rear gardens of the Morgan estate in downtown Charleston had been transformed for that evening’s outdoor banquet. Large white tents went up near the pool. The yellow three story building had party prep set up crews streaming in and out. A stage had been set up with a large grand piano taking center stage. Large tables were being rolled in on carts from a truck. All of it was rented for this one night.

  The noise starting up so early in the house would have woken anyone up, including the neighbors.

  Victor Morgan stood by, trying to avoid looking at anyone directly. His fingers fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeves. It was still early, and with it being late January, the air was cool. Being inside was awkward with people streaming in and out, even if he hid himself away upstairs. Out here, it was just as awkward.

  He wanted to help out, but his mother was watching. She’d scold him for not letting people do their jobs and being in the way. What she wouldn’t say is don’t let anyone see you doing that. You’re a Morgan.

  Standing around was irritating, though. He didn’t need to be here. Everything was taken care of.

  He’d attended dozens of these sorts of events before, some in tribute to himself, like this one.

  So why was this one more annoying than the others?

  Because it was his birthday.

  Although it felt more like he was the bystander, because all this wasn’t for him, really. It was for his parents. Their friends. The press popping by on the sidewalk trying to take photos of the event.

  It wasn’t for him. Not now and never had been. It was a photo op for anyone involved.

  “Victor?”

  The sound of Sang’s voice calling his
name lifted him out of bitter thoughts. She was here early.

  He turned as she was finishing following the walkway from the rear of the house to the edge of the gardens where he’d stood.

  Nathan and Silas followed behind her. He couldn’t see what vehicle they’d brought with them. With the driveway taken up by set up crew vehicles, they must have parked along the street and gone around. He hoped there weren’t any press by the gate they entered from.

  Nathan and Silas wore similar dark slacks with light sweaters, Nathan’s in a deep burgundy, and Silas with a dark blue.

  Sang wore a short but lovely gray skirt and a long sleeved white sweater. Together with the boots, it was elegant. Her lovely hair spilled out of a clip in a different way, with loose curls added to the locks framing her face. Did Gabriel add those in or did she do that? Those were nice.

  The ensemble was missing something though. He couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

  He smiled as she approached, reaching for her hand. “You’re early,” Victor said.

  Her fingers interlocked with his. Her hands were warm. And soft. “We’re not in the way, are we?” she asked.

  He shook his head vigorously. “No, stay. But we don’t need to be out here.”

  Silas scanned the people moving around, the security guards standing by. “If we don’t need to help.”

  “Nothing for us to do,” Victor said with confidence. “Too many cooks, you know.” He motioned to the house. With the others there and upstairs with him, it might not be so awkward. Before it had felt like the lone prince in the tower, too good to come down. His mother would want him out of the way at some point anyway, so he could make a grand entrance right when she wanted.

  He ushered them toward the house. Before they made it to the porch, someone called for him from the drive.

  “Victor!”

  It was more like a summon than just getting his attention. His spine prickled. He turned, finding his mother looking at him from across the walkway. She was standing by a couple of party coordinators, but she wasn’t speaking to them.

  Her tone and dead stare was obvious, she wanted him immediately.

  Victor tried to hide his wincing. “Let me see what she wants. You three go ahead in.”

  Nathan remained on the porch. “We’ll wait.”

  He wasn’t sure if this made him feel better. His mother had been particularly colder by the day, making demands he stay near the house, rehearsing, being outfitted with a new suit he didn’t need since he had dozens.

  She got that way when she was getting ready for a big event that he was involved in. He was treated barely better than the workers involved. Just another piece to set up so everything can be perfect.

  While the others remained on the porch, he crossed the small back yard to where she was standing, acknowledging the coordinators with a nod.

  Jasmine Morgan was regal perfection, wearing a bold red dress, accenting her slim body. Her gold and diamond necklace Victor knew to be made of paste. She’d wear real items tonight, but wouldn’t wear such expensive jewels throughout the day. Like most others in her status, she had copies made for daily wear.

  Trying not to show his annoyance, he spoke, “Good morning. Did you need something?”

  “Where are the keys to your car?” she asked pointedly.

  Victor arched an eyebrow. “Did you need me to move it?”

  The moment the words passed his lips, her eyes flared wide. He’d answered her demand with a question. And that was not something she wanted. She held out her hand. “Please hand the key over. We’ll take care of it.”

  He hesitated. Technically the car parked nearby wasn’t his. It was Mr. Blackbourne’s with his own plate added to the back. She never asked for the key to it before, and her sudden asking for it now made him nervous to just simply hand it over. “It’s... I don’t...”

  Again her eyes flared but her hand remained. She was going to hold her position until she gave them over.

  This was serious. She wasn’t going to just move it. She would have allowed him to do so.

  A raspy yet too familiar deep voice came from behind him. “Victor, don’t be a brat about it today. It’s unbecoming.”

  Victor closed his eyes, his spine tingling but he bit his tongue before responding with what he wanted to say.

  He turned as his father, dressed in a Kiton blue dress suit, a red tie at his neck. His hair was neatly trimmed and brushed back to perfection. In a way George Morgan was the perfect decedent match for his wife. He carried a tumbler with a Bloody Mary concoction.

  “I was just offering to move it if that’s what you need,” Victor said.

  “She doesn’t want you driving off with it before the party and then leaving it somewhere else,” he said. “As you tend to do.”

  “It’s never mattered before,” Victor said, again cocking a brow. “I’d thought you’d want me out of the way until tonight anyway.”

  Jasmine had retreated her hand and yet remained looking pointedly at him. “Please don’t go anywhere today. We’ve a long day and I don’t want you late for your own party.”

  Your party, Victor wanted to mutter but restrained himself. He needed to get away before...

  George leaned into him, an arm wrapping around his shoulder and he held tight. He spoke into Victor’s ear and pretended to whisper, but his breath smelled of vodka and he spoke loud enough for anyone standing nearby to hear anyway. “Don’t embarrass yourself in front of your little girlfriend.”

  His mention had Victor turning his head, finding Sang had stepped off the porch. Concern etched into her face, a fingertip floated up to her lip, something she did when she was nervous. Silas and Nathan stood by, carrying similar expressions.

  Victor wasn’t the one embarrassing himself. George Morgan attracted his own sort of attention. Half he got away with only because he was wealthy and the Morgan name still meant something in Charleston.

  When Victor didn’t respond right away, George continued. “We can’t give you the new Zenvo tonight if you’re...”

  “George!” Jasmine said sharply. “Don’t spoil it.” She looked to the coordinators and waved dismissively to them. “Allow me a minute, please.”

  The coordinators seemed to disappear instantly.

  Victor paled. He knew it had to be something. He hadn’t expected this.

  A new car. Not just any car. A Zenvo. A high performance might-as-well-be a race car. Bright. Fins everywhere. It’d be too obvious, too much to drive anywhere in Charleston without drawing loads of attention.

  If they were going to give him a new one, it was the worst one. He could never drive it. He’d be expected to. Not to mention he didn’t have his own car here. It was still in repair after it landed in a lake after an Academy job. What was he going to tell them?

  Suddenly he felt a hand at his lower back, small and warm. Sang’s voice floated, polite, small and disarming.

  “Victor,” she said. “Don’t we have a hair appointment in a little bit at the spa before tonight?”

  Escape. That’s what he needed. “You’re right,” he said, taking her lead. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to just not hand it over. But I wanted to get this done this morning and would have asked for it back anyway in just a few minutes.”

  Jasmine relaxed her stance and George backed away to stand closer to his wife. “I wish you would have thought to schedule it yesterday,” Jasmine said.

  “I didn’t have time,” Victor said.

  George wasn’t looking at him anymore. He was looking a little too closely at Sang for Victor to be comfortable. “Take her for a last spin,” he said. “A little morning tryst, right?” He winked for a good long second.

  “Stop,” Victor said.

  Sang stood by still, now blushing. Without makeup to mask it, it was too obvious she was completely embarrassed.

  George looked ready to say more and Jasmine nudged George just slightly by stepping closer to him. It appeared to others she was just get
ting close to her husband but it was more akin to stepping on his foot to tell him silently to shut up. “Go but be back early. Forget what your father said. Try to look surprised. Be ready to dress by three.”

  He started away from his parents. Silas and Nathan joined Victor and Sang as they headed to Mr. Blackbourne’s car parked near the garage doors.

  Sang leaned into him as they walked. “What are we going to do?” she asked. “The car...”

  “I don’t know,” Victor said. He glanced back at Silas and Nathan, both stern faced.

  “Can we repair it within a couple of hours?” Silas murmured, but with his deep voice, it carried.

  Nathan was slowly shaking his head, unsure. North could perform miracles with cars, but the damage from being in the lake was unclear.

  Before they reached the car, Victor stop. A man in a dark suit with his back turned to them stood by the vehicle. At first Victor thought he was one of the workers perhaps admiring the car or ordered to wash it.

  “Pardon us,” Victor said.

  The man turn, and the familiar face surprised him.

  Mr. Buble wore dark rimmed glasses, and had dark hair combed back neatly, still appearing damp after a morning shower. His suit was perfect, with a thin dark tie and the front button secure. His gaze instantly went from Victor, to Sang, to the others and then back to Sang.

  “Good morning,” he said. Every syllable clear and direct. He looked to Victor. “It’s your birthday, isn’t it Mr. Morgan? A very nice occasion indeed.”

  Victor’s nerves shook. He was Academy but he wasn’t someone he’d spent a lot of time with. Was he here to monitor on behalf of the Academy for some security reason? He hadn’t been informed of it. Surely all of his own team being in attendance and helping with the security would be enough. “Mr. Buble,” Victor said, taking on a more formal tone, matching Mr. Buble’s. “Were you going to be attending the party? You’re very much invited of course.”

  “I learned from Mr. Blackbourne that Miss Sorenson was here. I wished to come by in person. I didn’t realize there was an event taking place. I didn’t mean to interfere.”

  “You’re here for Sang?” Nathan asked.

  Mr. Buble redirected his attention to him. “In a way I’m here for all of you, but for her especially.”