Apostate

by Frankie Robertson

  “Stay close, okay?” Kellan repeated his instructions as they got out of the SUV.

  “Yeah, I got it the first three times you told me. But unless Landry is toting a rifle in his golf bag, I don’t think I’m in danger here.”

  “Probably not, but I don’t want to take any chances,” he said softly.

  His protectiveness reminded her a little too much of how Ana had treated her after their parents had died, but she couldn’t stay annoyed with the man when he’d lost so many people over the years. Somehow she’d joined the select number that he cared about. How could she resent that?

  “Don’t worry. I’m right beside you.”

  “Mr. Landry?” Kellan called out to the man as they drew closer.

  Landry finished loading his clubs into the trunk, then turned with his hand still on the lid. “Yes?”

  Kellan held out his hand as he approached. “I’m Kellan Matthews, vice-president of marketing for Jared Price.”

  “I told Price I’m not—,” Landry began as he grasped Kellan’s hand.

  Tasha waited until his face went blank as he slipped under Kellan’s control, then asked, “Why did you want to meet with Jasper Sorensen?”

  “I didn’t want to meet him.”

  The compulsion Kellan had laid on him meant Landry would tell the truth, but they had to ask the right questions. Kellan could have heard the other man’s answers silently, but by having him speak aloud Tasha could know what questions to ask and Kellan could focus deeper and see below the surface thoughts triggered by Tasha’s questions.

  “Why did you send Tupperman to meet with him?”

  “Conrad Altesse told me to bring him into the fold.” Landry spoke in a calm tone as if he were reading aloud his grocery list. Nothing in his voice suggested he was being compelled against his will to reveal things he didn’t want to talk about.

  “Who is Conrad Altesse?”

  “The owner of Le Premier Industries. It’s a family-owned conglomerate based in France.”

  “Why did Altesse want Jasper brought in?”

  “He got word that Jasper was ready to turn.”

  Beside her, Kellan stiffened but he remained focused and didn’t release Landry’s hand.

  “Why did Altesse want to recruit Jasper?”

  “Jasper was special. He had skills and knowledge that Conrad wants.”

  Special in what way? Did Conrad Altesse know that Jasper had been U’dahmi? She wasn’t going to introduce that thought into Landry’s mind. Tasha glanced at Kellan, but he was fixated on Landry. He wasn’t able to suggest questions to her. “What kind of skills?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “How did Altesse find out that Jasper’s loyalty might change?”

  “Someone told him.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Tasha clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms.

  “Who killed Jasper?”

  “I don’t know.”

  She wanted to groan in frustration. She hoped Kellan was getting more out of this guy’s deeper mind than he was saying. Tasha put a hand on Kellan’s shoulder to let him know she was done. She’d asked all the questions that they’d discussed ahead of time and a few more besides.

  Landry blinked as Kellan released his hand.

  “Thanks for your time, Mr. Landry. I’ll tell Mr. Price that your mind is made up.”

  Tasha wondered how Kellan could seem so friendly when this guy had intended to turn over his partner to someone who’d wanted to use him.

  Kellan opened the driver’s door for the other man and a second later his expression shifted from affable to alarmed. “Bomb!”

  Dave waited impatiently outside his sister’s door. He noted the shadow that obscured the peephole as she checked to see who had knocked. Good.

  When she opened the door, she greeted him with, “My boss said I’m fired if I don’t show up for work tomorrow.”

  He frowned. “He sounds like a dick. You should find a better job.”

  “Watch your language.” She tilted her head at Alex, who didn’t look up from the game he was playing on his phone.

  Jack bumped him with his shoulder. “Yeah, Dave. Watch your language.”

  “I already know all those words,” Alex said, without lifting his head.

  Melendez turned a laugh into a cough.

  “I’d better not hear you using any of them, young man,” Julie said in her mom voice.

  “Julie, these are friends of mine.” Dave drew her attention back to him. “I served with Jack and he served with Pete. They’re going to keep an eye on you and Alex while I take care of getting Chad’s money back to where it belongs. You can trust them.”

  Julie shook hands with each of the men.

  “We’ll take good care of you, ma’am,” Jack said, holding her hand a beat too long as far as Dave was concerned.

  “Please call me Julie. Ma’am sounds like I should be forty-five,” she said with a smile. She turned to Dave after another glance at Jack. “If they’re guarding us, does that mean we can go home?”

  “Not yet. While they could keep you safe, it’s better for you—and your neighbors—if the guys looking for you don’t find you at all.”

  “Looking for us? I thought all they wanted was the money.”

  “I think that’s true, but they might want to lure Chad back to, uh, educate him on how foolish he was to hold out on them. His boss might want to use you as leverage.”

  “What’s leverage?” Alex asked.

  Julie glared at Dave. “Nothing you need to worry about. Play your game.”

  Alex looked up, clearly curious.

  Jack nudged Pete, who strolled over to the boy. “What game are you playing?”

  In a few moments, Alex was distracted and Jack murmured, “Anything an adult doesn’t want you to know is supremely interesting.”

  Julie grimaced and put a hand to her forehead. “I know. I’m unsettled and not thinking.”

  “That’s understandable. Pete and I will keep you and your son safe, though, so you can relax. You’ll be back home in no time.”

  Jack’s reassuring tone was one Dave had heard him use before. It said, trust me, in a way women couldn’t resist. Dave wasn’t sure he liked Jack turning his charm on his sister, but he’d never known Jack to abuse the trust he inspired, so he let it go—for now.

  “I’m going to go take care of a few things. The room next door is yours.” Dave indicated the connecting door and handed two key cards to Jack. “I plan to be back before dawn, but I’ll call if I have to be later than that.” He hugged Julie and went over to ruffle Alex’s hair. “Be good to your mom, okay?”

  “Are you going to read to me tonight?” Alex’s tone was both eager and cautious, as he expected to be disappointed.

  Dave’s heart did a strange little twist. “You’ll be asleep before I get back. But I’ll be back in the Yukon with you tomorrow.”

  Jack followed Dave out into the corridor. “The Yukon?”

  “We’re reading White Fang.”

  Jack gave him a curious look, as if the idea of him reading to his eight-year-old nephew didn’t quite fit with his memories of Dave.

  Dave shrugged it off. He wasn’t the same guy Jack had last known him to be. “If I don’t check in, take Julie and Alex and bug out. She won’t like it, but get them to my boss in Tucson. I’ll text you his number.”

  “We’ll take care of them.” Jack clasped hands with Dave. “Stay sharp.”

  “Always.”

  Time slowed down. Kellan pulled Landry away from the car as fast as he could without wrenching the man’s arm out of its socket. Tasha was three steps away, taking a second to process the information that he’d just shouted at her. He’d sensed the bomb as soon as he’d touched the vehicle, but his body had carried through the intended action and opened the door wide. Most car bombs were pressure triggered when the target sat in the driver’s seat. This one had emitted a soft click o
f the bomb being primed.

  Alarm seared through his veins with lightning speed. He had to get Landry and Tasha out of the blast radius, but as he threw his arm around the other man he saw that Tasha hadn’t moved yet. He had to get to her, but Landry was slowing him down. He was faster and stronger than an ordinary human, but his body was made of flesh and blood, not Celestial Essence, and he had his limits. He couldn’t abandon Landry. He couldn’t let the man die through his inaction.

  Fear flared in Tasha’s eyes shredding his heart. She was only steps away. He’d scoop her up with his free arm and carry her to safety. He was almost to her, but in a fraction of a second she crumpled to the ground. He’d have to stop to pick her up, and those few seconds would cost too much time. He couldn’t save them both, he might not even be able to save Landry, but the man was already in his grasp.

  He should save Landry, but he couldn’t let her die. Not yet. He couldn’t bear losing another person he loved. He had to try, even if it cost him his life.

  He’d barely drawn even with her when she stood, her arms spread wide. A six-foot-wide section of asphalt and ten inches of the soil beneath it rose up to tower over them like a curling wave in front of Tasha’s hands. Kellan changed direction and pulled Landry in to shelter behind her in the shadow of the wall that she held up like a shield.

  Just in time.

  The bomb detonated with a gut shaking reverberation followed by a rush of heat. Parts of the Lexus flew past them on either side, and impacted on Tasha’s wall. All he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears. For several seconds nothing happened. Then the wall buckled and fell to the ground—and so did Tasha.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kellan released his hold on Landry to kneel beside Tasha. Landry took off in a dead run for the clubhouse while car alarms throughout the parking lot wailed, but Kellan didn’t care. His focus was solely on Tasha. Her dark lashes contrasted starkly with her too-pale skin and her breath came in quick shallow pants, as if she’d run up several flights of stairs. She’d used her Fey affinity for Earth in a massive effort to save them. She’d succeeded, but at what cost to herself?

  He pulled her head into his lap and patted her face. “Tasha? Tasha!”

  Her eyes fluttered open and she focused on his face. Relief flooded through him as she hauled in a deep breath and smiled. “You made it.” Then she winced and groaned.

  Kellan’s fear surged back. “What is it sweetheart? What hurts?”

  “Everything. But especially my head.”

  Sirens screeched in the distance. If the paramedics found them that close to the explosion they’d have a difficult time explaining why they weren’t dead. Kellan scooped her into his arms and carried her into the clubhouse. It alarmed him that she didn’t protest and claim she could walk. Several gawkers made way for him and one had the presence of mind to hold the door for him.

  He sat down on a leather couch in front of the massive stone fireplace with Tasha on his lap. She’d begun to shake as shock set in. Across the room, Landry was shouting at the manager about his lack of security.

  “I need a blanket and apple juice over here.” Kellan filled his voice with command. The manager nodded and left Landry standing alone in mid-rant. The astonished look on his face almost made Kellan laugh, but he had something more important to attend to. Someone. His healing skills were minimal, he’d been a Lightbringer before he’d turned U’dahmi, not a Guardian, but what ability he had he’d use to stabilize Tasha’s over-tasked system. With one hand on her forehead and another holding her hand, he gave her strength and slowed her racing heart.

  In less than a minute the manager was back with a bottle of juice and a fleecy blanket that he tucked around Tasha.

  Landry came over and Kellan braced for the very reasonable questions he would not answer truthfully, but before the man could get started a police officer and two paramedics zeroed in on them. The cop took Landry aside while the paramedics eased Tasha off his lap and checked her vital signs. Kellan told them she’d fainted when the blast knocked them back against their car, and assured them that she hadn’t hit her head when she’d passed out. She answered their questions accurately proving she was oriented, but her eyes still held a glaze.

  “Your vitals are within normal range, but since you lost consciousness, we’d like to take you to the hospital,” one paramedic said.

  Tasha shook her head and Kellan said he’d keep an eye on her and take her to the doctor if necessary. What he’d do was have Gideon evaluate her. The paramedics looked reluctant, but in the end, they had Tasha sign a refusal of transport form, packed up, and left.

  Finished with Landry, the police officer came over to get their version of events. He’d barely opened his mouth when Kellan asked, “Is Detective Morgan handling this investigation?” Morgan had been the lead investigator when Cassie had almost been blown up. He hoped that was true this time.

  The cop’s eyebrows rose. “He’s in charge. Why?”

  “He’s an acquaintance. Could we talk with him?”

  The policeman got their names then spoke into the two-way radio on his shoulder. It crackled back in a nearly unintelligible babble which the man apparently understood because he said, “He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  It didn’t take long before Detective Morgan was standing in front of them, hands on hips. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that one of you is involved in this. It wasn’t your car that was blown up this time, was it?”

  “It was mine!” Landry returned, apparently from the bar, since he had what smelled like a double shot of single malt whiskey in hand. “And this man probably saved my life.”

  Morgan glanced at Kellan, then refocused on Landry. “Oh?”

  Landry nodded. “Somehow he knew there was a bomb, and he pulled me away just in time. I’d have been in the car if he hadn’t acted so quickly.” He caught Kellan’s eye. “Tell your boss if he still wants that contract to call me.”

  “Your boss?” Morgan asked.

  “Jared Price. I think you know him? The owner of Price Security?”

  Morgan’s mouth curved in a wry smile. “Yes, I know him.” He turned to Landry. “I’ll have more questions for you later, but you can go now.”

  Landry nodded and left, but he headed for the bar instead of the exit.

  When they were alone, Morgan sat down on the coffee table facing them. “Do you know who tried to kill him?”

  How much should he tell Morgan? The detective knew Cassie and believed she was psychic, but he was mortal and didn’t know about Celestials and what they were capable of.

  “Do I know? No. But my best guess is Conrad Altesse. He owns Le Premier Industries. It’s an international conglomerate based out of France.”

  “A foreign national? Great. The FBI will probably want a piece of this.” Morgan narrowed his eyes at Kellan. “You have an accent. I meant to ask you before, are you French?”

  “Yes, I’ve been in the U.S. for fifteen years.”

  “How do you know about this Altesse guy?”

  “Landry mentioned Le Premier Industries was a client. I know Altesse is the owner because it’s my job to know such things.”

  Morgan pursed his lips. “Why does this guy want Landry dead?”

  Tasha shivered and Kellan pulled her close with an arm around her shoulders. He’d far rather have her back in his lap, but he suspected she might not appreciate that while being questioned by the police.

  “Because Le Premier hired Landry to persuade Jasper to do some work for them. Jasper apparently refused, and now he’s dead and the police are investigating his murder. People like Altesse don’t like being thwarted, and they especially don’t like police they don’t control poking into their business. Landry failed and exposed them to scrutiny.”

  “Trying to blow him up brought even more attention to them. That doesn’t seem very smart if they want to keep a low profile.”

  “If I hadn’t come here today to speak to Landry, the bomber wo
uld have succeeded, and we wouldn’t know about Altesse or his connection to Jasper.” Kellan shrugged with the shoulder Tasha wasn’t leaning on. “It’s hard to get good help these days.”

  Morgan snorted a quiet laugh. “What are they? Drug cartel? Crime syndicate?”

  “Yes—but only indirectly. They’re very careful to distance themselves from any actual criminal activity. They have their fingers in a lot of pies, but they’re mostly power brokers. You’ll be better off staying focused on whoever set the bomb. I doubt he’ll lead you back to Altesse but at least that’s a case you can close.”

  Morgan grimaced. “I don’t like closing a case prematurely.”

  “I respect that. But sometimes you have to choose your battles.”

  It was dark when Tasha awakened in their bed at Jared’s and Cassie’s house. Ana was sitting in a chair beside her reading on her phone. She looked up and smiled when Tasha stirred.

  “How do you feel?”

  Tasha took inventory. Her headache was gone and nothing else hurt either. “Surprisingly good.” She pushed herself up to lean against the headboard. Someone had stripped her down to her t-shirt and panties. “What did I miss?”

  “Not much. Kellan brought you back and Gideon looked you over. He healed a few broken blood vessels and said we should just let you sleep, so we did.”

  “That explains why you aren’t chanting healing spells over me like you did when I got the flu in tenth grade.”

  Ana chuckled. “Yeah, Gideon has a way of making that sort of thing redundant—at least on family. He can’t do his thing on everyone.” She paused and continued in a softer tone. “Kellan was in here most of the afternoon. He only left when I kicked him out and gave him orders to eat.”

  Tasha sat up straighter. “He’s okay?”

  “He’s fine. Just a few scratches.” Her sister paused and tone grew more tentative. “He really cares about you.”

  She felt herself blush. She and Ana hadn’t been close since they were young girls—partly because of the difference in their age, but mostly because of Tasha’s stubborn refusal to accept their magic and what they were. Her girl-talk muscles were rusty. “I care about him, too.”