“We could make it,” O’Malley answered with a shake of his head. “But we’ll wait.”
He let go of the door and it closed, blocking their exit. O’Malley didn’t look happy, but Kelos was convinced their best chance of getting out of the building undetected was to wait.
Waiting was hard. Both men stood in silence, hardly breathing as the elevator approached. Luckily, the stairwell was on the side of the building while the elevator ran straight up the center. If anyone got off on this floor, they could make a run for it up the stairs.
“It’s going to the next floor,” O’Malley pointed upwards. “I bet they’re going to fix the camera angle.”
“Then we’ll just knock it out of the way again.” Kelos stood patiently, while the cougar shifter shuffled on impatient feet.
“The elevator is going back down. We should go now.” O’Malley yanked the door open and sprinted for the stairs, with Kelos right behind him. They raced together, shoulder to shoulder, up the stairs and into the corridor beyond.
“We need to deal with the camera again.” Kelos dipped his hand in his pocket and drew out a coin.
“Be quick.” O’Malley looked up and down the corridor nervously. “The guy who went down on the elevator is on the floor below us.”
“I know,” Kelos ground out and then relaxed his arm, took aim, and threw the coin so hard it cracked the side of the camera casing. The fractured camera tilted to one side, the lens facing the wall at an odd angle. “I don’t know my own strength.”
“Let’s move.” O’Malley leaped forward and ran toward the exit. “I hope our friend didn’t go check the door to the roof and lock it.”
Kelos grabbed his coin as he raced for the stairwell. “I didn’t sense him go that way but then I was more focused on you and the vent. We need to hurry. The elevator is moving back up.”
“I think they know the camera is out again.” O’Malley shouldered the door open and held it for Kelos. “The elevator is opening.” He shoved the door closed but there was no time to lock it behind them.
Kelos raced to the center of the roof, the air shimmering around him as he shifted into his dragon. By the time the dragon was fully formed, O’Malley was leaping onto his back. Not waiting to check if the cougar shifter was secure in his seat, the dragon crouched low and took off into the air.
He pivoted, twisting his body to clear the raised door and flapped his wings hard to climb high in the sky before their pursuer burst through the door and began a security sweep of the building.
“We did it,” O’Malley leaned forward and whispered at the dragon.
Kelos just hoped that the break-in had been worth it, and they had the proof they needed to put Roman Ostabell in jail for a long time.
Chapter Twenty-Two – Amber
“He’ll be back soon. He’ll be back soon.” Amber walked to the door and rested her hand on the handle, fighting the urge to yank it open and go look for her mate. “He’ll be back soon.”
Amber turned away and went and sat down on the sofa where only an hour ago Kelos had been sipping his beer. Why had they agreed to this crazy plan?
For Fabian. Because if this worked, if they got the evidence against Ostabell, then they might finally be free of the nightmare they’d all been plunged into.
“Come on, Kelos.” She stood up and paced the room once more. They should be back by now. It was only a matter of time until someone knocked on the door and their alibi would be blown.
Amber stopped pacing and held her breath. Footsteps on the other side of the door coming this way. Was it Kelos and O’Malley?
Should they have even trusted O’Malley?
“Amber?” The door opened and Kelos filled the doorway.
“I’m here.” She rushed forward and threw herself into his arms. “What happened? Did you get the file?” Her voice was muffled as she pressed against his chest.
“We got it, although we haven’t had a chance to take a look at it yet.” He dropped a kiss on her head and walked into the room, half dragging, half carrying her as he made room for O’Malley.
“I should call Joanna first. Perhaps she should be here when we take a look at it,” O’Malley suggested.
“You might be right.” Kelos looked troubled as Amber finally relinquished her grip on him and stepped to one side.
“What if there’s something in the file about her dad?” Amber asked, eyeing the file as if it were a ticking bomb about to explode. “I mean a photo…or something.”
“You mean the kind of thing she might never be able to unsee?” Kelos nodded. “Amber might be right.”
“I think that should be Joanna’s choice.” O’Malley dragged his phone from his pocket and hit dial. “Want to come over for a nightcap?”
“Sure,” Joanna answered and then hung up.
“Did anyone see you?” Amber asked as she held onto Kelos.
“No.” He shook his head. “At least, not as far as we know.”
“And until anyone misses this file, it’ll be like we were never there.” O’Malley looked at the file as if it might burn his fingers if he held onto it much longer. Dropping it down on the small table next to the sofa, he headed for the door. “I’m going to go and get us some drinks. Want to give me a hand, Kelos?”
“Sure.” Kelos followed O’Malley out of the room.
“Hey, Amber,” O’Malley hissed as he was about to enter the bar area. “Did anyone come in?”
“No.” She gave a brief shake of her head.
“Great.” O’Malley entered the bar and left the door ajar so that people could see into the private room. Amber took a couple of steps forward, making sure she was visible to a couple of people at the bar before turning on her heel and going back into the room. She didn’t want to let the file out of sight.
“Wine?” Kelos asked from the bar.
“Whiskey. Make it a double.” Amber wouldn’t usually drink so much alcohol, but this had not been a usual evening.
She turned her back on the bar and went to the sofa. Sitting down slowly, she eyed the file, wishing she knew what was in it. And yet not wanting to know.
Until they opened the file, she could dream that the contents were enough to deflect attention from Fabian. After all, what was the point in trying to scare Fabian into not testifying if there was enough evidence to send Ostabell to jail anyway?
“Here.” Kelos handed her a glass of whiskey and she cradled it in her hands as he sat down next to her. “Are you okay?”
“Scared.” She leaned back and nestled into him. “Hopeful.”
“I don’t think someone would have gone to the trouble of hiding the file if there wasn’t something in it to hide.” Kelos looked toward the bar. “Joanna is here.”
“Then I guess we’re about to find out what is in it.” Amber took a gulp of whiskey, wincing when it burned the back of her throat. Fire spread out through her veins and the room became a little fuzzy, as if she were one step away from reality.
“Don’t pass out on me,” Kelos told her. “Since I’m still not sure where we’re going to sleep tonight.”
“You don’t want me falling off your back.” She took another swig of her drink regardless and then cupped her hands around the glass as they waited for Joanna and O’Malley.
“You’ve got it?” Joanna breezed in, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “I didn’t know if it would be there. Not for sure. People tell you all kinds of crap when they think it’ll make you go easy on them.”
“Okay, open it up.” O’Malley came into the room and closed the door behind him “We don’t want any prying eyes in here.”
“No, this has to stay between us for now.” Joanna looked at each of them in turn “You can’t tell your family or anyone.” Her gaze lingered on Amber as she spoke.
“I get it.” Amber nodded, although the actions seemed overexaggerated.
“None of us want to do anything that might jeopardize a case against Ostabell,” Kelos assured her
&
nbsp; “We are all for putting that bastard away for a very long time,” Amber agreed. “The longest time”
“Okay.” Joanna picked up the flimsy cardboard file and lifted the flap. Inserting her hand, she pulled out a sheaf of papers and placed them down on the table. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”
She picked up the piece of paper from the top of the pile and scanned it. Then she moved onto the next piece and then the next. As she picked up another sheet of paper, she revealed a photo.
“Oh. Is that…” Amber covered her mouth with her hands Was this the image that Joanna would never unsee? Was it a photo of her dad?
“It’s not my dad.” Relief and disappointment fought for control of Joanna’s expression as she picked up the photo and studied it closely. “It’s a professional hit. You can tell from the position of the body and the angle of the bullet…” She looked up. “Sorry, you don’t need to hear all that.”
“You mean from the photo, you would say it was a professional hit?” Amber’s voice shook and she took another sip of whiskey.
“Yes.” Joanna glanced down at the rest of the papers in her hand. “These are phone records along with bank details. Without going through them in detail, I don’t know what they refer to.”
“What’s the rest of this stuff?” O’Malley nodded toward the rest of the file.
“Let’s take a look.” Joanna’s hand shook as she resumed sorting through the information in the file and Amber’s heart ached for her. The police officer must be hoping for some proof that Ostabell was responsible for her dad’s murder but seeing something like that...
“Do you want us to look?” Amber asked gently.
“I’m okay.” Joanna’s jaw tightened and her eyes glistened as she nodded her thanks to Amber.
The other three people in the room stood by in silence as she slowly sifted through the paperwork. Joanna’s brows knitted together, her frustration growing until suddenly the air puffed out of her lungs and she took a step back as if she’d been punched in the gut.
“Why don’t you sit down?” O’Malley hooked his hand under Joanna’s elbow and directed her to the sofa where she sat down heavily, her eyes fixed on another photo.
“This is it.” She stared at it, her fingers gripping it tightly. “This is the proof.”
“What is it?” Amber could hardly breathe, she just wanted this all to be over. Ostabell had caused so much pain and suffering to so many people. People who didn’t deserve it.
“It’s a photo of Ostabell and another man in the alley where my father was shot.” She covered her mouth as she turned the photo around so the others could see. “The third man in the photo is my dad.”
“That’s it, you have what you need.” Amber wanted to say she was sorry, but this is what they all wanted, definitive proof that Ostabell was involved in far worse crimes than money laundering.
“Yes.” Joanna’s eyes glittered as she shuffled back through some of the papers. “I think these bank accounts are proof Ostabell paid people to do his dirty work.” She jabbed a line of numbers on one of the sheets of paper. “This. This is the payment the hitman received for killing my dad. I’m certain.”
“I’ll get you a drink.” O’Malley got up and headed toward the door.
“No.” Joanna got up abruptly and gathered the files. “Thank you.”
“Where are you going?” O’Malley asked.
“To the station. I want to move on this now. My boss has been waiting for a breakthrough and this is it. We need to act quickly before Ostabell weasels his way out of this. He’s good at nuking his past so the trail goes cold.” She headed for the door.
“I’ll come with you.” O’Malley glanced at Amber and Kelos. “Make yourselves at home.” He pointed toward the ceiling. “I have an apartment upstairs. There’s a guest room, it’s all yours if you want to stay.”
“What about Fabian?” Amber wasn’t sure if this new information would mean her brother might be free to leave the city.
Joanna shook her head, her eyes expressing her sympathy. “I’m sorry, Amber. I can’t answer that. Until we arrest Ostabell and the bastard knows what we have on him, I can’t say if he’ll be safe or not.”
“I understand.” There was no way Joanna could promise that Fabian would ever be safe or that he and Margie could go back to their old lives.
“Hey.” Kelos slid his arm around her shoulders and held her close. “It’ll all work out. One way or another, Fabian will be safe, even if I have to sell all my treasure and buy a remote island somewhere for us all to live.”
Amber chuckled despite herself. “I can always count on you.”
“You know it.” Kelos sighed heavily. “I hope this is what you were looking for, Joanna. I’m truly sorry about your dad.”
“It is what I was looking for.” Joanna glanced down at the file in her hand. “Nothing will ever bring him back. I know that. I just want to bring the person responsible to justice. It might give my family some closure.”
“Come on, the bar will be shutting soon, I’ll go and ask Eamon to lock up, and then we can get going.” O’Malley half turned as he reached the door. “You two aren’t going to fly away on me, are you?”
Kelos shook his head, his hand tightening around Amber’s shoulders. “I think we all need a good rest before we fly anywhere.”
O’Malley gave a sad smile and a brief nod. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Thank you,” Amber called out as Joanna and O’Malley left the room.
“Anytime.” O’Malley lifted his hand and waved before he entered the bar with Joanna following. As the door closed, they were left alone, a dragon and his mate.
“Let’s go to bed.” Kelos looked down at Amber. “Do you want me to carry you up the stairs?”
Amber swilled the last of her whiskey around in her glass before tipping her head back and drinking it down in one gulp. She winced and shuddered. “I think I can manage.”
“If you’re sure.” Kelos’s concern melted her heart.
“I’m sure. But if you want to hold my hand, that’s okay.” She slipped her hand into his and he led her out of the room. Taking a left, they headed down the corridor, past the kitchen, and another door that looked like a storeroom. At the end of the corridor was a flight of stairs. Kelos paused to check that she was okay before he began to climb.
Amber followed. At the halfway point, she regretted not allowing her mate to carry her. The events of the day, the dragon ride, and the fear for Kelos while he was gone, coupled with the double whiskey took its toll and she could barely lift one foot after the other.
Reaching the top of the stairs felt as if she’d conquered a mountain. Only without the breathtaking view.
“This room.” Kelos pushed open the door of a sparsely decorated room. There were no personal items, no photos, but the bed looked comfortable and the room was spotlessly clean.
“I think so.” Amber let go of his hand and went to the dresser positioned along the wall. Pulling open the drawer revealed an empty space, the same with the solid wood closet. “Empty.”
“Bathroom is down the hall.” Kelos pointed back out of the room. “Do you want to go first?”
Amber went to Kelos and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to go anywhere without you.” She tilted her head back and he kissed her mouth, his hands on the small of her back holding her close. So close it was as if they were forged as one.
“It will be okay,” Kelos murmured against her mouth.
“That remote desert island does sound tempting.” She tilted her chin up and locked eyes with him. “But I’d never ask you to part with your treasure.”
“I’d sell it all for you.” And when she looked into his eyes, Amber knew he meant it.
Chapter Twenty-Three – Kelos
“Morning.” Kelos kissed her cheek as her eyes fluttered open and blinked in response to the bright sunlight flooding the room.
“What time is it?” Amber sat up in bed,
disorientated until the memories of the night before flooded back. She looked adorable and he longed to kiss her mouth.
“It’s late o’clock.” A warm smile spread across Kelos’s face. “I always wanted to wake up next to my mate.”
“Urgh!” Amber flopped back down on the pillow and pulled the bed covers over her head. “I expect I look awful.”
Kelos curled his fingers around the edge of the sheet and inched it down. “I don’t care what you look like.”
“Wrong answer.” Amber lifted the sheets up and he ducked down under them. “You are supposed to tell me I look beautiful even though my hair is a tangled mess and my makeup is smudged.”
“Ahh, but I swore I’d never lie to you.” He chuckled and rubbed his ribs when she elbowed him. “Ouch.”
“I’m sorry.” She wriggled down the bed. “Shall I kiss it better?”
“I think it hurts here, too.” He pointed to a spot on his chest as Amber lightly pressed her lips to his skin. “And here.” He placed his fingers higher.
“What about here?” Amber circled her tongue around his nipple before sucking it into her mouth.
“Oh, yeah. Right there.” His breath hissed through his teeth as she grazed her tongue over the taut bud. “You can kiss me there all day long.”
She laughed, her body shaking as her hands caressed his skin. Kelos had no choice but to join in. Her laughter was as addictive as her scent, as her touch. He loved this woman. She filled his life with laughter and love all at the same time. Life with Amber would never be dull, and he looked forward to that life.
Releasing his nipple, she wriggled her way up the bed and rested her chin on her hand as she looked at him. “I love you.”
His eyes widened and he lifted his hand and stroked her cheek, her thumb brushing over her lips. “I love you. So very much, Amber.” Kelos’s eyes darkened. “Are you all right?”
A tear trickled down her cheek, but she nodded. “I am. As long as we are together, I think I’ll always be all right. Because we are right. I feel it, deep down in my soul.” The sudden realization hit her hard. “It’s like we’re connected. I get a glimpse, perhaps, of what you call your sixth sense when we’re together.”
Kelos: Spring (Shifter Seasons Book 4) Page 18
