Seer Protector

by Roxanne Witherell

  “Enough!” He swung out his hand again.

  This time, it was her being flung up against the wall. She dropped in a heap to the floor. Ignoring the pain shooting down her back, she stood up. If she was going down, she was going to make sure there was enough evidence to put his ass behind bars for life. Blood dripped onto the carpet from his leg. She wanted to smile, knowing that DNA would be left behind. Ready to go down swinging, she charged toward him. He raised his hand, and she felt each of his fingers pressed tightly against her throat, though he wasn’t physically touching her. She was pushed back against the wall. His grip loosened slightly.

  “You look so much like her.” His head cocked to the side as he examined her. “She had determination, too.”

  Ciara was able to get a good look at the man before her. He was dressed in black, but he wasn’t wearing a mask. She knew that could only mean one thing. He was going to kill her. His dark hair and oval face seemed familiar to her.

  “Do you not know who I am?” He released her throat but kept her pinned against the wall. “The betrayal continues even after death.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Your mother was some piece of work. I spent years wooing her. I was going to be the Priest of the coven. They would call me Master Murdock.”

  She knew she’d heard that name. It wasn’t a pleasant subject with her mother and grandmother, though they never said why. She stared into his brown eyes. A sickened feeling came over her.

  “I gave her everything. Anything she wanted, I gave it to her. I even gave her a little brat. Do you know how she repaid me? She runs out in the middle of the night!” he screamed and stepped closer to her. “Then the fuckin’ coven bound my powers. I showed them. With each death, I got my powers back, one by one. I thought the coven was obsolete until I saw Adelinda’s tattoo. I knew I had to get rid of them all.”

  “They’re gone now, so take your powers and go fuck yourself,” she managed to spit out from his loosened grip.

  “Ah, you see my dear daughter. While my partner is taking care of Amethyst, there’s still you.”

  “I’m no part of any coven.”

  “Your lineage puts you in the center of it. Your mother hid you, so I wouldn’t find you. The coven would live on as long as you were alive. Those other women aren’t the ones I was after. It was you. I thought for sure you would be one of the women in the group, starting your own coven. I just couldn’t find you. That is, not until you made contact with me. We had our first kill together.”

  “I had no part in that,” she gritted out.

  “You were there. It’s something daddy showed you that you’ll never forget. Too bad you won’t live long enough to appreciate it.”

  Her eyes widened as the blue orb formed in his hands. The blue shimmering substance was mesmerizing. She fought against the invisible hold he had over her, but she couldn’t break lose. The orb grew to the size of a volleyball. His grin turned sinister. She stared into his eyes and held her breath. This is it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Try it again,” Heath demanded as he flew past the grocery store, heading for Ciara’s.

  “I did, there’s still no answer.”

  “Shit, get Gunner on the phone.” If Melinda Harding was Ciara’s mother, there has to be a record of it somewhere.

  “Agent Gunner,” he answered on the second ring.

  “Gunner, I need you to tell me everything we know about Melinda Harding.”

  “Well, I continued to dig after we got off the phone earlier. Melinda Harding matches the missing original coven member, Catrina Wilkson. Melinda has no records before 1982. It’s like she never existed. Catrina Wilkson disappeared back in 1982.”

  “What do we know about Catrina Wilkson? Did she have a child?” Heath heard Gunner typing on his keyboard as he spoke.

  “She did have a baby girl a few months before she disappeared. Police investigated Murdock Bradshaw, but they didn’t have enough evidence to charge him with anything.”

  “Who’s Murdock Bradshaw?” Heath asked.

  “Bradshaw was Wilkson’s boyfriend. There were multiple domestic abuse charges, but they were all dropped.”

  “Is he the child’s father?”

  “Appears to be. I can’t find any records for Catherine Wilkson anywhere. Other than a birth certificate and a social security card that has never been used. She would be 37 now, but there’s nothing.”

  “She must have changed her child’s identity, too. Do me a favor. Run Ciara Carter for me.” The pieces began to fall into place. If he was right, then Ciara wouldn’t have a complete past.

  “She has a birth certificate, but it’s incomplete. It doesn’t match the state records. As far as the state is concerned, Ciara Carter was never born,” Gunner informed them.

  “Because she was born as Catherine Wilkson. Where is Murdock Bradshaw, now?”

  “No clue. He cleaned out his account over a month ago and that’s where the trail ends. He doesn’t have a job or an address on file.”

  “Thanks, Gunner.” Heath ended the call and placed Heather’s phone in the cup holder between them.

  “I bet you Murdock Bradshaw is the real killer, not Aiden Strider.”

  “What about the blue orb? Ciara said the killer used a blue orb.”

  “He could’ve picked up that skill from Murdock.” Heath shrugged. When he got close to Ciara’s house, he knew he was right. “Look at the shimmer. He’s here, I know it.”

  A shimmering barrier bubbled around Ciara’s house. It was the same kind that was around Tasha Sutton’s house. It was blocking any sounds from escaping the house. Heath jumped out of the SUV and quietly closed the door. He didn’t want to alert Murdock of their arrival. Sticking to the shadows, he ran up to the front door. It was locked tight. He motioned to Heather, that he was going around back and for her to check the rest of the perimeter. Quietly, he stepped off the porch. He stayed next to the house, peeking in the windows as he went. The alarm went off in his head when he spotted a large burnt mark on the wall. As he came around the back porch, a blue light flashed in the upstairs bedroom. The back door was left completely opened. At least it wouldn’t make a sound as he entered the house. He could hear voices upstairs, but he couldn’t make them out over the horror movie that was playing on the tv. Keeping his body low, he crept up the stairs. Drops of blood lead from the first room on the left to Ciara’s bedroom at the end of the hall. The bedroom door was no longer on the hinges, so there was no element of surprise. He stuck close to the wall and tried to focus on what they were saying.

  “We had our first kill together.” Murdock stood with his back to the wall.

  “I had no part in that.” He heard Ciara’s voice and relief flooded through him. She’s still alive.

  “You were there. It’s something daddy showed you that you’ll never forget. Too bad you won’t live long enough to appreciate it.”

  Heath could see a blue glow building in front of Murdock. There was no time to wait on Heather. It was now or risk losing Ciara forever. He didn’t know where she was in the room. He hoped she wasn’t near Murdock.

  Heath ran into the room, charging Murdock. He saw Ciara’s eyes widen as she was up against the wall, two feet off the floor. The second he tackled Murdock, she fell to the floor gasping for air. Murdock struggled underneath him and managed to flip over. Items from the room started to fly toward them. Heath blocked a lamp from hitting his head. Anger flowed through him as he punched Murdock in the face. He continued to punch even after Murdock was unconscious. He wanted to pay him back for everything he might have done to Ciara. He only stopped when Ciara started moving. Jumping off Murdock, he ran over to help her up.

  “I knew you’d come.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight.

  “How could I not? I’m your protector.” He pressed his lips against hers, showing her his need for her.

  Bang, a loud shot rang out behind him. Heath spun around just in time to see Murdock standing with a fading orb
in his hand. Blood was running down his chest. It seemed like a slow-motion film when Murdock fell to his knees, and landed face down on the bedroom floor. Heather was standing at the top of the stairs, gun still raised.

  “Please quit shooting people!” Heath smiled at Heather. “Thanks for saving my ass.”

  “Again.” She came into the room and checked Murdock’s pulse. She shook her head when none was found. “You were distracted. Why didn’t you secure him first?”

  “He was out.” Heath shrugged. “You realize this is the second man you’ve shot in just a couple of hours.”

  “Yeah, and both times I was saving another agent’s ass.” Heather placed her hand on her hip, daring him to challenge her.

  “Director Normandy will probably put you on desk duty. You can keep Gunner company.”

  “I’d rather get suspended then get stuck with that damn computer.”

  “He won’t really suspend you, will he?” Ciara looked at Heather. “I’ll vouch for you. It was necessary.”

  Heather shrugged. “I’ll deal with that when it comes. I’m going to wait for others to get here.”

  Heath watched Heather leave then turned his attention to Ciara. Looking at her hands, he checked to make sure all her fingers were in proper placement. He kissed each one of her delicate digits. Thankful that she was relatively unscathed.

  “Come on.” He held her hand and led her out of the bedroom. She stared at Murdock’s body on her way out. “Why don’t you come stay with me for a couple of days? Just until the cleaning crew is done here. Might do you some good.”

  “I’ll think about it. Did you catch Murdock’s partner?” she asked as they went downstairs.

  “Well, Heather shot him, too,” Heath admitted.

  “And he deserved it too!” Heather hollered from the open back door.

  “Good.” Ciara nodded.

  “At least someone sees it my way.” Heather came in through the kitchen. “Crime scene techs will be here in a few minutes. Do you have an overnight bag?” she asked Ciara.

  “Yeah, it’s under the bed upstairs.” She gave Heather a quizzical look.

  “I’m going to pack you enough clothes for a few days. It may take the techs some time in here and once they get here you won’t be able to remove anything. I’ll grab your stuff and you can stay at the hotel with us.”

  “Okay,” she agreed and leaned up against Heath.

  He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead. They went out through the kitchen. Ciara grabbed her purse on the way out the door.

  “I’m definitely changing locks when I come back.”

  “Why is that?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “If it wasn’t for that stupid keylock I could have been out the front door before he even made it to the living room. Instead, it was locked, and my damn keys were in my purse in the kitchen. I was a sitting duck.”

  “I think you did pretty good. I know Heather didn’t shoot him in the leg, the wound wasn’t big enough. I’m guessing that was all you?”

  “I stabbed him with a letter opener.” She shrugged and sat down on the step.

  “You got to use what you have.” He sat beside her and pulled her close. His heart was relieved she was safe now. He’d never let anything happen to her again.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was a couple of hours before they got to leave her house. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t sleep in her house. Just the thought of someone dying on her bedroom floor gave her chills. For a brief moment, she saw who her biological father was. Now, she understood why her mother gave her to a non-blood relative. Murdock was after them both from the moment she rejected him. Splitting up was the only option her mother had.

  “You’re grieving,” Heath commented as they pulled up to the hotel. “Is it about Murdock?”

  “No, I was just thinking about my mother. She sacrificed her relationship with me to keep me safe. I always thought she was being selfish and didn’t want the burden of a child. Instead, it was a completely selfless act for her to give me up.”

  “She protected you with everything she had. Even in the end, she didn’t give you up.”

  “Yeah, I just wish she would have told me.”

  “When you’re a parent maybe you’ll understand why.” He kissed her forehead and opened the door to the hotel.

  Her mind went back to the twins she had seen in her vision, their twins. Heath was loving to the children and a devoted father. She could definitely see taking walks with her badgers. Watching as they scurry along a beaten path.

  “Good thoughts?” Heath asked when they got onto the elevator.

  “Yeah, you could say that.” She smiled and leaned into him. “Remind me to tell you about some of my visions later.”

  “I want to hear about the one you had at the restaurant.” He winked as the elevator began to move.

  “That was a good one,” she teased. “Wait until we get to the room, and I’ll tell you about it.”

  The hall was empty when they stepped off the elevator. Though, she didn’t expect to see anyone up at one o’clock in the morning. Ciara couldn’t wait to take a hot shower to relieve her aching back. People on tv made it look easy but being slung against a wall hurt like hell. She stretched her back as Heath opened his hotel room door. He escorted her in and dropped her bag at the foot of the bed.

  “I thought you two were never going to get here.” Heather took the last bite of her burger and tossed the wrapper into the paper bag. “I got you both a burger. Ciara, I didn’t know if you’d be hungry, but I knew Heath was since we skipped out on dinner.”

  “Thanks, I’m starving actually.” Ciara sat down across the table from Heather as she passed her a burger.

  “Thanks.” Heath grabbed the last burger from the bag and sat down next to her. “Did you talk to Director Normandy? Are you on desk duty?”

  “I talked to him briefly. Of course, he yelled and ordered us to get our asses back there pronto. I told him we’d leave in the morning. I could practically feel him getting all twitchy.” She picked up the paper bag and crumbled it into a ball. Like a basketball player, she jumped when she tossed it into the trash can. “We’re leaving at eight o’clock. So, you have until then to play Mr. Romance. Good night, you two. I’ll see you in the morning.” She left the room through the adjoining door.

  “Eight o’clock? That’s only seven hours from now.” Then he’d leave.

  “Come with me,” he offered. “Take a few days off. I’ll bring you back on Friday. The cleaning crew will have your place spic and span by then.”

  She had to think about that for a minute. Could she run off with a man she’d just met? Even if it is only for a few days? She took the last bite of her burger and thought about it. Her visions weighed heavily on her decision. They hadn’t steered her wrong before, so why should she second guess them now?

  “Let me see your hand.” She held out her hand for his.

  “Are you going to give me a reading?” he asked with a grin and placed his hand in hers.

  “Something like that.” She placed her other hand on top of his, holding his between hers.

  It only took a second for her vision to blur and the scene changed in front of her. They were making love on a black suede leather couch. Instantly, her stomach fluttered with butterflies. He was gentle and tender as he caressed her body. Three little words were whispered into her ear, sending happy chills down her arms.

  “I think it’s good,” he spoke, bringing her out of her vision.

  “Awe, you should have left me there for a couple more minutes,” she whined as she let go of his hand.

  “What did you see?”

  “Do you have a black suede leather couch?” she asked with a grin.

  “Yeah, actually I bought it last week after a spring popped on my last one.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Did you see inside my house?”

  “Not really.” She shrugged. “Just the couch and how comfy it was being bent over the a
rm of it.”

  “If you come with me, we can make that happen.” Placing his hands on the arms of her chair, he pulled her chair toward him. “Come with me. Give us a chance. I’m telling you, we’re right for each other.” He gently pressed his lips against hers.

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because shifters know when they found their mate. I wouldn’t risk my job for a piece of ass, but I would for my one and only.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I will spend forever trying to convince you.”

  “Okay, I’ll go home with you. I need to be back Friday, though.”

  “Deal.” He kissed her lips. “You won’t regret it. I’ll cook you my famous pancakes.”

  “I want one that looks like Patrick Swayze,” she claimed with a grin. It was one of the faces she remembered from her vision.

  “Swayze is my favorite. How did you know I could make celebrity faces in pancakes?”

  With a smile she pointed at her forehead. “I see all.” Laughing, she stood and went over to her overnight bag. “Right now, I see me going and taking a shower.”

  She pulled her clothes from the bag and sashayed her way to the bathroom. Leaving the door open, she hoped he’d take the hint and join her in a few. After turning on the water, she adjusted it to the perfect temperature. As she stripped off her clothes, she tried to look sexier than normal. Her back arched as she pulled off her t-shirt. She turned to the side when she unsnapped her bra. As it dropped to the floor, Heath had a perfect side boob view. Stepping out of her panties and jeans, she pulled her hair into a messy bun. She stepped into the shower, letting the hot spray run down her body. The heat eased the soreness in her back. Resting her hands on the back of the shower, she arched her back letting the hot water spray down her back. She held her breath as she heard the shower curtain open. His warm breath was on the back of her neck as he moved closer.