Fallen (The Guardian Series Book 2)

by A. J. Messenger

  “Not a chance,” I say after a brief moment of considering how best to reply. “The way you came at me like a thief in the night? I don’t think I can ever let you live that down.”

  His blue eyes flash utter surprise for a split second and then he laughs out loud. “You’re back to your insults. Now I know we’re good.”

  I smile back, relieved the gambit worked. “I’m sorry I ran off,” I say. “That must have seemed awfully weird.”

  “No more weird than me coming at you like a thief in the night.”

  I laugh, relieved I don’t have to explain.

  “Thanks again, by the way, for throwing wads of packing paper all over my kitchen,” he says.

  “All in a day’s work,” I chuckle. I sit down at my computer, happy we’re back to normal, and get ready to start scanning.

  The door to the conference room opens and we both look up. “Declan,” Mr. Fields says when he sees me. “You’re here. I have a question about some files you scanned.”

  “Yes?” I answer.

  “You put a flag on some old files in the database,” he says. “The Winchester estate … why is it flagged?”

  “Oh, that,” I say, remembering. “I started scanning a box with the Winchester files in it and then I had to deliver some documents to the court in San Jose—that day that you asked me to—and when I got back the box was gone. I flagged it to remind me to look for it because it isn’t complete.”

  “Oh,” he says, nodding. “Forget about it. Take the flag off. Unimportant.”

  I nod. “Sure, okay.”

  “When you flag things,” he explains with a smile, “they show as urgent, and that case closed out a long time ago.”

  “Okay,” I say, “no problem. By the way, I think I may have found those files you were asking for, of my dad’s. They were in the attic. One of them was related to the Winchester estate. Do you still want me to bring them in?”

  He looks surprised. “Yes,” he says, “that would be helpful.”

  After Mr. Fields leaves I turn to Justin. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. Did you move that box I was scanning that day? It was the day you left early to pack for your move.”

  He shakes his head. “Have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t mess with your work area. You’ve got some system going on over there and I’m afraid if I touch anything I’ll knock a paper out of 90 degree alignment and the whole thing will blow to hell.”

  “Very funny,” I say, tossing a wad of paper at his head. “I didn’t see you mocking my organizational skills when I planned your kitchen for maximum efficiency.”

  “Was that before or after you threw paper wads everywhere?” he asks. “Like you’re doing now.”

  I crumple up another piece of paper and toss it at him and he chuckles and then we settle in to get back to work.

  Soon after I hear my phone chime and I pick it up to see a text from Alenna.

  I’ll pick u up today. For safety. U off at 5?

  What a strange message. I tap out my reply and press send.

  Yes. I get off at 5. What do you mean for safety? Is something wrong?

  The typing indicator bubble pops up and then I see her response.

  Just being cautious. See u out front.

  I go out to the parking lot at five o’clock and I see Alenna standing by her Mercedes. I unlock my bike and wheel it over. “Will this fit?” I say.

  She nods. “Let’s get it in the trunk.”

  She opens the trunk and we lift it and I see her looking past me, over my shoulder.

  “Is that the guy that kissed you? Justin?” she asks.

  I turn to see Justin walking across the parking lot towards us, with Mr. Fields.

  “Yes,” I say with a nod. “He’s a nice guy. He just misread my intentions.”

  She meets my eyes. “For what it’s worth, I’m not mad at you, Declan. Like I said, I don’t get involved in mortal drama. My main priority is protecting you and that’s what I’m focused on. I know you love Alexander … and he loves you. That’s very clear.”

  “Thanks, Alenna,” I say, glad we’re back on semi-normal terms.

  Justin and Mr. Fields reach us. “I was just telling Justin here that I had a client cancel last minute on a whale watching tour I had planned,” says Mr. Fields. “I asked around the office and most everyone is busy so I wanted to know if you and Justin would like to join me? Your friend here can come, too,” he says, nodding to Alenna. “If you’ve never been whale watching, it’s amazing to see.”

  Alenna looks at me and shrugs. “You up for it?” she asks.

  “This is my friend Alenna, by the way,” I say to Mr. Fields and Justin. “Alenna, this is Mr. Fields, my boss, and Justin, my co-worker.”

  Alenna nods and they all shake hands.

  “What do you think,” Mr. Fields asks again, “do you want to go?”

  “Sure,” I say, looking over at Alenna who’s nodding her head in agreement. “Thanks, Mr. Fields.”

  “Great,” he says. “Let’s skip the formalities, you can call me Burt. We’re scheduled to push off at six, so if you’re all game, why don’t you follow me over to the marina?”

  I nod. I’ve never been whale watching before. “How long is the tour?” I ask.

  “It’ll be late. We can make a night of it and have dinner afterwards on the wharf.”

  I nod. As long as I’m home at midnight to feel Alexander’s energy when he sends it to me, I’ll be happy. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it all day—along with his letter and the picture. I’m feeling hopeful again.

  “Sounds great,” Justin and Alenna say, and we all climb into our respective cars and head to the marina.

  The firm’s yacht is large and luxurious. Mr. Fields (Burt, I guess I should call him), shows us a deck box full of rain ponchos for protection if the ocean spray gets heavy and life jackets if we want them.

  “I’ll go up to see the captain and tell him we’re all aboard,” says Burt. “We want as much time to see the whales as possible before we head back for dinner.”

  I nod. I’m actually kind of excited. This is going to be fun.

  We travel far out into Monterey Bay, and the sea life is incredible. In addition to at least five gray whales, we see dolphins, sea lions, otters, and even a sea turtle and jellyfish. As our time is ending I spot a shark cutting smoothly through the water and it reminds me how vast and lawless the ocean is. Way out here in these depths it’s just a giant food chain. Survival of the fittest.

  “Are we ready to head back?” I ask as we sit on deck, looking out to sea.

  “Why don’t we wait and watch the sunset?” Burt says. “We don’t have to head back just yet.”

  Justin and Alenna both nod. “It’s beautiful out here,” she says.

  I nod, too, agreeable to whatever they suggest. It’s nice to be out in the open ocean, away from the world. I try to tap into the energy that Alexander says he feels out on the ocean but I’m having a little trouble. In the outer reaches of my mind something doesn’t feel quite right, but I push those thoughts aside. Alenna’s here to protect me.

  The sunset is more than worth the wait and as it dips below the horizon, I turn to Burt to thank him once again for asking us to join him. It turned out be a nice day all around, and when I get home I have one more thing to look forward to—Alexander’s energy at midnight. I’ve missed how it feels when we’re together.

  When it’s time to head back, Justin and Alenna head down into the cabin to throw away our empty drink cans and Burt asks me to help him secure the deck. I do as he asks but I’m looking forward to joining Alenna and Justin down in the cabin. It’s windy and colder now that it’s dark.

  “Did you show those files to your mom, Declan?” asks Burt from behind me.

  I turn around. “What?”

  “Those files you said you found in your attic,” he asks.

  “Oh,” I say, finally understanding what he means. “They’re just a bunch of files, an
d some spreadsheets … oh, and a ledger, too. I haven’t had a chance to look at them in detail yet. I will, though, before I bring them in so I can scan and file them properly.”

  “Has anyone else seen them?” he asks.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Why is he asking me this? “No,” I say. “Just me.”

  He nods. “That’s good. We had some trouble with Marty a while back. Some of the estates he handled. We sorted it out though.”

  He must mean Martin Morris, his old partner. “I don’t think the files I have are what you’re looking for then,” I say. “I looked through them a bit, and all of the estates in my dad’s files were ones you handled.”

  Burt’s expression changes and immediately I feel the energy shift between us. Something in his eyes makes me realize my folly almost the second the words are out my mouth. “I’ll just throw them out,” I say quickly, swallowing hard. “I’m sure they’re unimportant.”

  Burt stares at me for a long beat and I can see he’s deliberating. I can also see in his eyes when he’s made his decision. He releases a heavy sigh.

  “I think it’s too late for that now, Declan,” he says.

  His voice is hard, with a hint of reluctance.

  But perhaps it’s not reluctance. Something in his eyes is making my blood run cold because I sense annoyance—annoyance at having to tie up a very unfortunate loose end.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  “What do you mean?” I ask Burt, swallowing nervously.

  “You’re smart, Declan, and detail oriented, just like Frank was,” he says with irritation. “I should have known the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

  I glance over at the closed door to the cabin below. I need to get Alenna’s attention.

  “You’ll figure it out eventually, the same way your father did,” he says with disdain. “Your father … with his perfect morals. I’m going to take a wild guess and say the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in that respect, either.”

  I stare at him with mounting horror and disbelief.

  “He was going to tell Marty that I’d been skimming from the estates we managed,” he continues. “It started with small amounts, on estates with distant heirs who didn’t know any better. And then, as we got a reputation for estate planning and management, I realized no one was looking, why not go for more? How do you think I saved the firm? I had no other choice. I had to do it.”

  “You stole the money to save the firm?”

  “I tried to explain it to your father,” Burt says. “I told him that with all the pro bono work he insisted on doing I was just taking my fair share of the extra profits we should have been making. But, unfortunately, he didn’t choose to understand.”

  “My dad went without a salary for a year!” I say with disgust as the realization sinks in. “And you were embezzling money from the clients the whole time?”

  “I couldn’t very well make the problems disappear overnight,” he says. “That would have raised suspicions.”

  “Is that how you paid for all your houses?” I spit out. “And your cars? And all those vacations?”

  “Declan,” he says, “you’re not factoring in that the scandal would have hurt the firm. It wasn’t just me I was protecting. It was everyone who works there. All of our employees.” He pauses, his words dripping with condescension. “You’re young and you probably don’t understand, but you have to be practical about these things.”

  I stare at him, incredulous. “How long has this been going on?”

  He shakes his head. “We don’t need to go into any more details. I honestly regret, Declan, that it’s come to this.” He takes a deep breath. “But I just don’t see any other way.” He pauses and his expression changes. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Frank, though: It’s nothing personal.”

  The enormity of what he just said hits me with physical force. My knees start to buckle and I grab onto the edge of the deck to remain standing. “What did you say?” I ask with mounting horror.

  “We fought,” Burt says. “I could tell you it was an accident, but I’m not entirely sure that’s true … it actually feels good to finally tell the truth, believe it or not.”

  “Alenna!” I yell out in horror and panic, but the sound is lost to the gusts of wind ramping up all around us. “Justin!” I cry out, trying again.

  “Frank hit his head,” Burt continues, “and I had a decision to make …. Ultimately, I decided it was best for everyone if he took his secrets with him into the ocean.”

  “You threw him overboard?” the words emerge in a croaked whisper as the mounting horror of what he said sinks in. “You’re a monster,” I manage to say, still in a whisper, as the repugnance of his confession raises bile into my throat. I try to sidle closer to the cabin as I keep him in my line of sight.

  “Actually,” he says, “someone wise once told me there are no monsters. There are just two ways of looking at every situation, and what you see depends on which side you’re standing.”

  I make a dash for the cabin and yell for Alenna at the top of my lungs. He lunges and knocks me down, causing me to hit my head on the deck box. I’m stunned for a second and when I come to, his arms are under my armpits, lifting me up and trying to throw me overboard. I scream for Alenna again and manage to throw my head back and connect with his chin. His grip weakens and I pull free and turn around. He lunges forward to knock me overboard and in that moment I remember a move we learned in aikido. Use your opponent’s energy against them. I twist my upper body to the side at the last moment and use my planted foot and my lower center of gravity to guide his momentum past me with my arms. He tumbles face first over the side and into the open water. In that moment, the cabin door opens and Alenna pokes her head out. “You guys coming in or what?” she asks.

  “Alenna!” I say, chest heaving with adrenaline, “Burt just attacked me! He confessed that he killed my dad! I pushed him overboard.”

  “What?” she says, running up to the deck. “Where is he?”

  I point to the water where I can hear him yelling for help as he dips below the cresting waves. “Where are the life preservers?” I ask as I search around the deck in a panic.

  She grabs a life preserver from the deck box and throws it out to him and when Burt swims to it, she starts to pull him in.

  Just then I see a figure in a captain’s hat emerge from the direction of the bridge. He must have heard the commotion and he’s coming to help. As he gets closer, my relief turns to horror. All the air rushes from my lungs as I realize now why we haven’t seen the captain our entire trip.

  Because he’s not a captain. Not really.

  He’s Avestan.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  The look of horror and surprise on my face must be thoroughly amusing to him. He saunters towards us with the same satisfied smile he flashed when he saw me tending Zeno in the street.

  I need to warn Alenna.

  “It’s Avestan!” I shout. “Behind you!”

  She turns her head just as Avestan reaches her and I freeze in terror. What happens next makes my blood pool and I can’t feel my extremities.

  Avestan wraps his arms around Alenna’s waist from behind and kisses her neck. “Hey, baby,” he purrs, his voice deep and silky.

  As I try to grasp what my oxygen-starved brain is telling me I’m seeing, Alenna turns in his arms and kisses him back. Passionately.

  When they finish Alenna turns to me. “Surprise,” she says mockingly.

  “I don’t understand …” I say, stuttering to get the words out.

  “I began to see things clearly after you came along,” she says bitterly. “Little by little I realized what was in front of me. Avestan is the one who always loved me. Before and now. Not like Alexander who changed his mind.”

  I hear her words but I can’t believe them. She’s with Avestan? For how long? Has she been fooling me, and hating me, from the start?

  “I loved you enough to kill for you,”
Avestan says as he tugs her close with his arm around her waist. “And I’ll do it again,” he says.

  “But he killed you, Alenna,” I shout over the wind.

  “I couldn’t let anyone else have her,” Avestan says to me. Then he turns to Alenna and kisses her again. “That’s how much I loved you.”

  “I became a guardian, Declan,” Alenna says to me dismissively. “That’s hardly killing me.”

  “And now we can be together forever,” says Avestan, pulling her close against him.

  I’m sickened by their twisted logic. “He didn’t know you’d be a guardian when he killed you, Alenna. And now you’re a fallen guardian. The worst kind.”

  “Is it?” says Avestan. “I personally think they’re the most interesting kind of guardian. And it’s amusing you feel that way, considering.”

  Alenna lowers the ladder to Burt in the ocean and he climbs back into the boat. I assume they’re going to let him at me all over again but Avestan does something unexpected. He ties Burt’s hands behind him with a rope. Then he ties his ankles together, too. When Burt starts to complain Avestan raises his hand and a bolt of black light hits Burt in the chest, shocking him into submission. “You’re useless,” Avestan says to him with contempt as he kicks Burt’s legs out from under him, causing him to land on the deck at Avestan’s feet.

  “Alenna,” Avestan calls out to her. “Bring out Justin now. Let’s make this interesting.”

  Alenna goes into the cabin and emerges carrying Justin’s limp body. My heart sinks to the ground. Justin.

  She tosses him onto the deck and Avestan turns to me. “He’s not dead,” Avestan says. “Not yet, anyway.”

  “Justin!” I call to him but he lays still, lifeless.

  “I’m going to give you a choice,” Avestan says. “To show you how malleable the concepts of right and wrong are. Even for someone like yourself. You have a choice to save one life and one life only. If you push Burt overboard,” he says, lifting Burt to a standing position and propping him up against the edge of the deck, “with his hands and feet tied, you save Justin. If you choose not to push Burt over, I kill Justin. It’s that simple.”