“Impeccable timing, Darcy.” Glancing between us, a look of relief crossed his face. “I see the outdoors did you good. I trust you didn’t run into any problems while you were gone?” I caught the motion of Mason shaking his head, and I broke into a smile.
“It was fabulous. Just what the doctor ordered.” I moved deeper into the room, and sat in the chair Devlin had previously been sitting in earlier that afternoon. “My heart will always belong to the woodlands surrounding the Mason’s home, but the property just outside Whiskey Flats was amazing. My wolf was in heaven out there.”
Daniel took the seat opposite me, and placing his boots on the coffee table, leaned back with his hands behind his head. “It was alright,” he teased. I threw him a glare, and looked for something to throw at him. Mason grinned, and with a friendly shove, knocked his best friend’s feet back to the floor.
“Remember your manners,” he said good-naturedly.
“So, now you’re all in high spirits, ready to get down to business again?” Devlin moved around the desk and sat on the armrest of the sofa. “I just got an interesting phone call. Seems Morgan has heard we’re looking for her, so she’s willing to come in to provide information, with a few stipulations of her own.”
“Really?” I glanced at Mason and Daniel. “This is good news, right? If she implicates Amber, we’ll be able to submit the findings to the Council and revoke the asylum petition.”
“That’s if she points the finger at Amber, though,” Devlin added. “She may just want to give us the run around.”
“Come on, let’s not kid ourselves. This has Amber written all over it. She shows up out of the blue, gives some crazy story that we can’t verify without her father … who just happens to be out of town, and then Darcy gets sick from a gift that shows up. When it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck ….” Daniel leaned forward, adding his two cents to the conversation.
“It could be a Vlad?” I joked, thinking again about the poor vampire with an identity crisis. Mason gazed at me curiously, not sure what I meant, but Devlin burst into laughter, and I grinned at him.
“So what are the conditions Morgan is asking for so she’ll talk?” Returning to the heart of the matter, Mason moved his arm around my shoulder and began to softly stroke my skin.
“She wants full immunity. She doesn’t want to go down and face the wrath of the Council,” Devlin answered. “She claims she didn’t know what her services were being hired for, but I know her, she’s just trying to cover her butt because she knows her cover is blown.”
“Why would she even use her power for something like this?” I was totally bewildered.
“You’ll get your chance to ask her tomorrow. I’m meeting her in the morning, and she wants you to be there. That was the other condition—she expects to see Darcy.”
“Absolutely not. How do we know this isn’t just a chance for her to finish whatever task she was hired for in person?” Mason wasn’t happy with hearing the terms the renegade witch had demanded. “Surely there’s something else you can offer her to get what we need.”
“There are steps we can take to ensure Darcy’s safety at the meeting. I wouldn’t blindly risk her life,” Devlin said. “I need to make another phone call to the Council, and let them know about my conversation with Morgan. I really think she realizes she made a bad business deal, and she’s trying to remove herself from it. If I can guarantee she won’t face charges for aiding and abetting in a crime, then I’m confident we can finally resolve all this.”
“What’s to stop her from leaving town? Or being attacked? She heard we were looking for her, what if word has gotten back to whoever hired her?” It was Mason who spoke up.
“I have a team of Enforcers staking out where she’s been staying. No one goes in or out without us knowing. They’ll also be there to keep Morgan safe.”
“So there’s nothing more we can do tonight then?” Daniel asked, sitting forward.
“No. We just need to sit tight, and hopefully tomorrow’s meeting will work out.”
“Then Daniel and I will head back to the Pack house,” Mason declared, standing. He pulled me up beside him. “Want to walk me out to the car?”
The four of us headed down the staircase—Mason and I holding hands, while Devlin and Daniel bantered back and forth behind us.
“Be careful tomorrow at this meeting,” Mason uttered softly.
“I will, and Devlin will be there so I’ll be safe. We won’t take any chances,” I replied. “Just think, if all goes well, I’ll be home tomorrow evening.”
“Back where you belong.”
Exiting the house, the coolness of the night air was refreshing. I raised myself up onto my tiptoes, and placed a kiss on Mason’s lips. “Love you,” I whispered.
We said our goodbyes—a sweet, tender moment, and I wrapped my arms around my body as Devlin came to stand beside me.
“I’m glad you were able to get out tonight. Spend some time together.”
“Me too,” I replied.
We headed back inside, Devlin still needing to make phone calls, and after a stifled yawn, I excused myself to my bedroom.
There was a gentle knock at the door, followed by a short pause. Knowing there was only one person left in the house, I hollered for Devlin to come in. Sure enough, he entered wearing sweats and a t-shirt, and he came to sit on the bed.
Sitting up, and placing the novel I was reading on the bedside table, I pushed my hair away from my face and smiled.
“Getting ready to work out?” I looked him over, and he nodded. “I should probably join you, but I’m exhausted. I think the last few days have finally caught up with me. After I finish this chapter, I’m going to try and sleep.”
Tucking a stray strand behind my ear, his finger hovered close to my cheek, before he lowered it back to his side. “Sounds like a good idea. I know we have a strong plan for tomorrow, but a lot can happen. The Council has agreed to give immunity to Morgan so depending on what she tells us, things could move pretty quickly, so it’s important for you to be fully rested and ready. I just came in to say good night and see if you needed anything. You know … play the perfect host.” His smile reached his eyes, causing them to twinkle from the lamp light.
“Thanks, Devlin, you too.” I let out a sigh, and pulled my knees toward my body underneath the blanket. “I know I haven’t said it, but I appreciate you for letting me come stay. It’s meant a lot knowing I had somewhere safe to live while we sorted this mess out. You’ve always been an amazing friend to me.” I took hold of his hand, and squeezed it.
“Always, never doubt that I’ll be there for you. I’m someone you can count on to be in your corner.”
I moved my legs, and threw my arms around his neck, physically showing him how I felt.
We sat there, his hand rubbing up and down my back, and I drew strength from our friendship. Something told me I would need it in the days, months, even years to come, and I was glad for it.
“Okay, time for bed.”
Kissing him lightly on the cheek, I scooted back, fluffing the pillow before laying my head on it.
“Love you.”
“Love you, too. Pleasant dreams.”
Closing the door, Devlin left me to sleep. I couldn’t rest though, it was like someone had thrown on a switch, and I couldn’t find a way to turn off the thoughts that seemed to be churning inside my head. Releasing a groan, I tossed, looking for a comfortable spot to settle down in.
I didn’t know how long I lay there sighing, but when my pitiful attempt to count sheep didn’t lead me into the land of Dreams, I reached for my phone. Whenever I suffered from bouts of insomnia, or I couldn’t silence my mind, I would sneak into Mason’s room and talk until I finally fell asleep. Dialing his number, I relaxed and smiled when I heard his voice.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t get my mind to relax.” I let out a frustrated sigh. “I tried counting sheep, but I kept eating them.” His throaty chuckl
e sounded like heaven, and I snuggled deeper under the covers.
“Hmmm, maybe I should’ve tucked you in before I left. Read you a bedtime story … or something.”
“The or something sounds pretty interesting. Care to elaborate?” I flirted, my voice soft.
“What? And make you blush? I only like to do that when I’m there to see how cute you look doing it,” Mason replied.
“Ahhhh, so I guess it must be something boring then. I think you should tell me because I bet it puts me to sleep. Gee, I already feel a snore coming on ... wait… there it is!” I laughed as I made a noise with the back of my throat.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, sweetheart.”
For the next ten minutes, I thought I was going to burst into flames as Mason described in excruciating—delicious—detail what he’d like to do if he was here with me. It was a competition between the heat of my cheeks, and the turmoil of my raging hormones, to see who won, and in the end I begged for him to stop. It was torture—pure and simple.
Of course he loved it. I could hear the longing in his voice as well as feel his hunger through our connection. Every now and then, I was blasted by an image that caused my mouth to go dry, and the temptation to drive home grew stronger. I tried reminding myself that three weeks wasn’t far away, but I couldn’t deny I wanted him then and there.
“You are dangerous, Mason O’Connor,” I stammered, placing my hand over my heated face.
“How red are you right now?” He chuckled, and I answered him with a groan. “I still can’t get over how you can be so incredibly sexy, but still blush at the drop of a hat. You’re irresistible.”
“Did you have to go into so much detail? You don’t fight fair.” I still felt flushed as my mind kept focusing on the erotic images his words roused.
“Of course, I’ve got a wonderful imagination. I’d hate to see it go to waste.”
“Well, it won’t be much longer.”
“Thank goodness.” I laughed as Mason’s comment mirrored my own thought.
“All teasing aside, what are you thinking about to keep you awake?”
“Nothing. Everything. Amber, the meeting tomorrow, missing you,” I paused before I added the final thing that had weighed on my mind. “Jasmine.”
There was a brief moment of silence on the other end of the call, but I knew he was still there. We hadn’t talked much about the death of his sister, and my best friend—there hadn’t been time. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d been on his mind as well.
“It’s strange, her not being here. I catch myself wanting to go talk to her, and then it hits me.” His voice was low, barely a whisper.
“I know.” It was all I could say, our grief hanging heavily between us.
“There was no way she would’ve tolerated Amber had she been here.” Mason let out a bitter chuckle. “She would’ve dragged her by the hair and kicked her out the first night. Jasmine was so excited about you and I mating. She wouldn’t have let anyone come between us.”
I smiled over the image of my sister and best friend getting rough. She was one of the sweetest people I knew, but she also had a fiery temper, and heaven help those who ever threatened her or the ones she loved.
“Do you know what’s weird?” I asked without thinking.
“What?”
“Saying was. She was excited. She was protective. She was amazing.” I felt the beginning of tears welling up in my eyes as a lump formed in my throat. “Mason, it hurts my heart.”
“Mine too, baby, mine too. We’ll get through this, it’ll just take time.”
“I’m sorry, Mason.” I cried softly.
“It’s not anyone’s fault.” I heard him release a slow breath. “Sometimes bad things happen to good people. It’s beyond our control, and all we can do is be grateful for the moments we had—for the memories we get to hold on to.”
“You know, this is my job.” Hearing the pause, I continued. “I’m meant to be comforting you, and making sure you’re okay.”
“We do that for each other. We’re a team.”
“I love you so much. I can’t imagine not having you in my life.” I knew I was beginning to sound sappy, and as I let out a small yawn, I knew a lot of it was due to being tired.
“Well, luckily, we’ll never need to find that out. I plan on being by your side forever. I love you, too. Now close your eyes.”
I instantly obeyed, and was grateful to feel the thin strands of sleep beginning to tug on me. Mason kept his voice low—the effects soothing—and I listened as he began to sing. It was something he liked to do as he held me on nights like this, and its familiarity was all I needed to gently fall asleep.
The last thing I remembered hearing was the beauty of the melody. For that moment, it was just him and I—the world melting away.
Chapter Twenty One
“You sure this is where we’re meant to meet her?” I looked up at the Starbucks sign. “Do we just go inside, or will she come outside for us?”
Devlin and I had arrived for our appointment with Morgan, and butterflies were flittering around in my stomach. I couldn’t help the way my gaze darted about, taking in the scenery, half-expecting someone, or something, to jump out of the shadows to attack us.
Pulling a small piece of paper from his pocket, he nodded. “This is the right address. I wanted it to be somewhere public and on neutral ground.” Looking over his shoulder, he bowed his head again, and I knew he was signaling the backup he’d brought just in case the situation became more dangerous than anticipated. I couldn’t see the other Enforcers, but I knew they were there. “Let’s go inside. Remember stick close to me, and if I tell you to run ….”
“I run. I got it. Trust me—I don’t want to be here any longer than we have to. Let’s see what she has to say and then leave.” I followed him into the establishment.
The aroma of assorted coffees filled my senses, and it caused my nose to crinkle. I didn’t really understand the fascination with the hot drink, the one time I’d tried it, the bitterness hadn’t appealed to me. The store was crowded with people trying to place their different orders, and glancing around at the tables as we walked through, Devlin lead us to a back table with a small framed woman sitting at it. There was an empty cup in front of her with a half-eaten pastry on the side plate.
“Devlin, right on time I see. It’s good to know I’m not the only one that values being punctual.” She didn’t bother standing to greet us, and pulling out a chair, I sat opposite the brown haired witch.
Sitting beside me, Devlin looked at Morgan before leaning forward to speak. “It’s been a while since we’ve met. I’ll admit it surprised me to find out you were involved with this.”
“Well, it was my fault for not researching the request fully. Had I known it would involve you and Vivien, I never would’ve accepted it. But times are tough, and the money was exceptionally good.” She shrugged. “So this is the infamous Darcy, is it?”
I felt myself come under scrutiny as Morgan stared at me, her glance studying my face before she looked me up and down.
“Yes, as part of our agreement, I brought her along. I also have permission from the Council to extend immunity to you for revealing the person who paid for your services and any other relevant information.”
Ignoring Devlin, Morgan waved her hand to dismiss him and focusing back on me, smiled. “You’re the one who’s captured the heart of the Mystic Wolves Alpha. You have no idea how much your existence infuriates the person who contacted me, and how desperately they want you out of the way. Personally, I don’t see the threat.”
I let out a chuckle, not buying the arrogant slouch of the witch. Just in the brief time we’d been sitting here, I could see this was an attempt to save face—a ploy to maintain control over the situation. She’d taken a job she shouldn’t have, one that had backfired and landed her into a whole lot of trouble.
“Whether she’s a threat or not, we’re here and you’ve seen her. Are you ready to revea
l who hired you?” Devlin was all business. Even though he appeared relaxed, I had no doubt he was aware of everything that was happening around us, ready to defend at a moment’s notice.
“You already know. Why do you need me to tell you? You’ve known since you discovered something was wrong. Don’t tell me you’re losing your touch, Enforcer,” Morgan mocked, and nonchalantly lifted her cup to her lips. Blowing on the liquid inside, she added a sigh when she realized Devlin wasn’t going to fall for her taunts. “Must we jump straight into business so soon? I thought we’d enjoy a nice coffee together first.”
“Don’t try my patience. I agreed to do this your way, but if you think you can play games and waste our time, I have no problem dragging you down to the Council dungeons and interrogating you there. The name, Morgan.”
It was interesting to watch the bravado deflate from her, as she listened to his threat. I’d never seen the dungeons before, but judging from the way the color drained from her face, and the slight tremble that shook her hands, it was effective.
“Amber Bracken approached me a few weeks ago. She said that someone had stolen something that belonged to her, and she wanted them permanently removed.”
“So you agreed to use magic to kill me?” I asked, unable to keep the incredulous tone from my voice. “Without a second thought, you just did it?”
“Like I said, the money was extremely good, and I figured it would set me up financially so I could retire. Plus, who are we kidding? I lost any morals I had years ago.” Tracing her finger around the rim of her cup, Morgan shook her head. “She had a need, and I had the power to provide it—a simple business transaction.”
I couldn’t believe how coldly she spoke of killing me, how it didn’t seem to register in her mind how wrong it was. The emptiness in her voice made it sound as though she’d agreed to go to the local store and buy a gallon of milk. It astounded me.
Not wanting to sit there any longer, I pushed my seat back and gestured for Devlin to leave with me. Shaking my head, I still couldn’t fathom what could turn a person into a blasé killer, but I knew I’d had enough.
Forget Me Not (#2, The Mystic Wolves) Page 14
