SPELL TO UNBIND, A

by Laurie, Victoria

  “This way,” Finn said, turning his back to me and walking toward the elevators.

  I was so grateful that he opted not to linger in the doorway of his SUV. If he touched me like that again, I’d rip off the charm myself and treat him like a bull in need of a ride at the rodeo. As it was, when I got out of the cab, I had to grip the door tightly before I felt my legs were sturdy enough to carry me. I wanted to blame it on the aftereffect of that knockout punch Finn had given me when he’d repurposed the crystal. But I’d be lying to myself if I did that.

  We rode the elevator up, and I made sure to stand against the far wall opposite Finn, eyeing him warily lest he attempt another move like the one he pulled a few moments before, but he stayed on his side, patently ignoring me.

  We got as far as the second floor when the left pocket in my jacket began to vibrate. Finn eyed me curiously as I dug out the phone.

  “Shit,” I said, when I looked at the display.

  “Trouble?”

  I held out the phone to him. “Probably. This is your brother’s phone. I forgot I still had it on me.”

  “Trish,” he said, grabbing the cell from my hand and swiping to answer the call. “Hey babe,” he said. “Sorry I didn’t call sooner. It’s been a hell of a day here. I’m knee-deep in a case. You okay?”

  I blinked. It was amazing how easily Finn slipped into the persona of his brother.

  “That’s great,” he continued, never making eye contact with me. He stared at the ground, as if he were self-conscious of the fact that I was listening. And I realized that I suddenly felt like a third wheel, and that tingle of jealousy that I’d had when I first saw Trish’s face appear on Kincaid’s phone reemerged.

  I stiffened my posture and focused on keeping a neutral face, but inside my chest a green-eyed monster was coming to life.

  Meanwhile Finn was speaking softly to Mrs. Kincaid—as if he were the one married to her. It upset me more than I could say, certainly more than it should’ve.

  “Yeah, I’ll have to pull an all-nighter, sorry,” he was saying. “No, don’t worry about bringing dinner to the station. I’ll grab a burger around the corner. You get some rest, and I’ll be in touch later, okay?” Then, “Great. Love you too.”

  Finn tapped at the screen and pocketed his brother’s phone just as the elevator stopped and the doors pinged open. “What?” he asked when he saw that I was staring at him.

  “You do that like you’ve had practice at it.” My tone was way more accusing than it should’ve been.

  Finn shrugged and moved out of the elevator. “I’ve been impersonating my brother for years,” he said casually. I followed right behind. As we entered the hallway leading to the kitchen and living room, he added, “Plus, it’s not like I can send him home looking like he does. He’ll need to heal here for the night before I can release him back to his wife.”

  “You say that like he’s your prisoner.”

  Finn paused to look at me over his shoulder. “Isn’t he?”

  A cold chill traveled down my spine. Shit, I thought. I’m his prisoner too.

  I said nothing and waited for Finn to take the lead again, which he did, and I followed, studying him the way I’d study a mark.

  Kincaid and the Flayer were identical in nearly every way, however, when Finn walked, it was with an air of confidence and authority that, frankly, his brother lacked. Finn moved through space with the stealth and grace of a panther, and his was the kind of stride that I would’ve noticed immediately if I were actually out in the world surveilling him. His was the kind of easy, nearly carefree gait that actually amplified rather than hid a person with immense skill and power. If he’d been on my list as a possible mark, one look at that walk of his and I would’ve scratched him from my list.

  I didn’t tango with men like Finn the Flayer. It’s how I stayed alive to thieve another day.

  We entered the living area, and I was thrilled to see the blinds open but shocked to see that early evening had fallen. I’d been sitting unconscious in Finn’s Escalade for longer than I’d thought. Still the view through his window told me all I needed to know about our location.

  Finn’s condo was only about a half-mile away from my warehouse, but in a much nicer ZIP code. Ember and I had even run past this place many a time when we were out for our runs and craved a jog along the scenic route. I suspected the penthouse, with its view of the Potomac, was worth more than my entire warehouse.

  I guess being Petra’s lieutenant paid well.

  I followed Finn to his bedroom—a room I hadn’t been allowed to explore on my previous visit, and which was absolutely gorgeous in its cool gray and white tones (with nary a spot of yellow in sight).

  Lying on his back against the European pillows was Gideon who was shivering so hard his teeth were rattling. He surprised me by being awake. This must’ve been a new development, because Finn paused midway into the room to consider his brother.

  He then walked to the headboard, rubbed Gideon’s forehead, and said, “You dumb bastard. What the hell were you thinking taking on Elric Ostergaard, of all mystics? He could’ve killed you, ya know.”

  “Ffffffuck yyyyou, Fffffffin,” Gideon snarled, and with great effort, he lifted his hand to slap Finn’s away.

  Finn seemed hardly insulted. Instead, he simply stared at his twin in a quizzical way and nodded, as if in silent agreement with Gideon’s rebuff.

  Still, Finn picked up a crystal wand lying on the bed next to Gideon that was maybe six inches in length, glowing a turquoise blue. Placing it on Gideon’s chest he said, “Don’t let this roll off again. You need to keep that close.”

  Gideon glared at his brother, and there was an anger in his eyes that was honestly surprising to see. With trembling fingers, he took hold of the crystal and flung it away. It hit the wall and shattered into several smaller pieces as the blue glow winked out.

  I held my breath waiting for Finn’s reaction, which I assumed was going to be fury, but he surprised me when he quite calmly said, “I’ve got a few other healing trinkets I can lend you, Gid, but that one was the best I had on hand. I’ll get you another if you promise not to break it.”

  “Ffffffuck yyyyou, Fffffffinn,” his brother replied.

  Even given Finn’s calm demeanor, or perhaps because of it, I was worried that the situation might escalate, and Gideon would be the worse for it. So I extracted the serpent and staff trinket from my pocket and stepped forward to place it in Gideon’s hand.

  “Here,” I said.

  Without turning his head, Gideon’s eyes roved to me. “Wwwwhat’re yyyyou doing here?”

  “Saving your ass. Again,” I said with a smile.

  Gideon looked at his brother, then back to me. “I ccccan take him.”

  “Of that, I have no doubt. But how about we get you feeling stronger first, eh?”

  Gideon lifted his hand to stare at the bronze trinket I’d placed there. “Wwwwhat’s this?”

  I closed his open palm around the trinket. “It has healing properties. Maybe not as strong as that wand you just smashed, but it should have you feeling back to about fifty percent normal by tomorrow. Which, by the looks of you, would be a forty-nine percent improvement.”

  A tiny hint of a smile crept to the edge of Gideon’s lips. “Dddon’t tttry to bbbbutter me up,” he said.

  “Pfffft. As if.”

  I started to take away my hand when Gideon caught me by the wrist and pulled my hand closer to look at the red marks still present from the golden cords his twin had bound me with.

  With an even more venomous look in his eye, he glared at his brother. “Sssstttop tttying her up!”

  Finn smirked. “Maybe she likes it.”

  A tiny, delicious shiver traveled down my spine. “Don’t flatter yourself, Flayer,” I snapped, covering my desire with a little sass.

  Finn merely shrugged, and sighed, “Desperate times …”

  Gideon tugged on my hand again. “Dddddon’t let himmm ppppush you arrrr
ound.”

  I smiled gamely at him. “I can take him.”

  Gideon twisted his mouth into something that was either a grimace or a smile, squeezed my hand, and let it go. Holding onto me looked like it’d taxed him significantly. “Wwwwhat abbbout the ccccase?” he asked next.

  “Esmé has agreed to work with me on that,” Finn said.

  I was about to protest when I remembered that I was now bound to cooperate with the lieutenant, and I’m pretty sure he’d led me to believe that he’d only meant coming up here without murdering him, not about working the case to retrieve Tic for Petra.

  Still, Finn had also agreed to cooperate with me, and Grigori’s murder and Tic’s abduction could well be the same case. As unappealing as it was, it made sense in a way to team up. Especially if I had a death wish, which, by the looks of the past three days, apparently I did.

  With a nod toward Finn, I said, “That’s true, Detective. You heal up, and your brother and I will solve Grigori’s murder.”

  Gideon’s gaze moved slowly but deliberately back to his brother, and the deep-seated anger returned to the cast of his eyes. “Nnnno,” he said defiantly, and the idiot actually tried to sit up.

  I pushed him gently back, which was easy because he was a mess. “I’d rather have you, Gideon, but you’re in no shape to help me right now, and as your mentor, it’s within my power to insist that you stay put.”

  Gideon’s gaze shifted to me again, and this time there was a crease of worry along his forehead. “Ellllric,” he said hoarsely.

  I knew what he meant. He was worried that if Elric knew I was working with Petra’s lieutenant that he’d definitely kill me, and he’d likely try to kill Finn.

  Nodding toward where Finn was standing on the opposite side of the bed, I said, “He looks just like you. In fact, he’ll need to pass as you to hunt down any leads we come across.”

  “Ah,” Gideon said, and I noticed he was trembling just a bit less, which was a very good sign that the serpent and staff trinket was working. “Yeah, Ffffinn’s good at passing as me. Ain’tcha, big bbbrother?”

  My brow furrowed and my gaze traveled to Finn, who had moved to a wing chair, where he sat casually, staring at Gideon, but I swore there was tension crackling in the air between these two.

  Still, Finn reached to the pin with Petra’s insignia attached to his shirt. “Here,” he said, removing it and laying it on the nightstand. “If anyone comes looking for me, you’re going to have to pass for me too. Show them that, tell them you’re working on a lead to find Marco and that you need some privacy. They should leave you alone as long as you flash that like you do your badge.”

  Gideon eyed the pin and curled his lip up in that snarl again. “I’ll nnnnever sssssay I’mmmm you.”

  Finn smiled, but no humor reached his eyes. “Never say never, Gid.”

  Knowing that if I didn’t separate the brothers there’d be trouble, I snapped my fingers a few times and said, “Gideon, get some rest. Finn, let’s go.”

  Walking out of the room without a word I headed straight to the elevator to wait for Finn, expecting it to be a few moments, but he surprised me by reaching over my shoulder to press the elevator button.

  Apparently he wasn’t big on long goodbyes.

  Which was telling.

  After the doors of the elevator closed and we were on our way down, I said, “What’s between you two, anyway?”

  Finn stared at the door. “I was Mom’s favorite.”

  I laughed but caught myself, unsure if he was actually making a joke or not. Finn wasn’t smiling, and there’d been no hint of humor in his reply. “Come on,” I said. “Seriously.”

  He turned a hard gaze toward me, but I wasn’t especially deterred.

  “Okay,” I said, my tone teasing. “I’ll just ask your brother later.”

  Finn’s expression changed in a nanosecond, and it was as if I was looking at Elric when he had me pinned to the chair. Reflexively I even braced for a punch.

  “Don’t you fucking dare,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

  I held his gaze but was worried I’d lit a fuse best left cold. “Fine,” I said. “But geez, Lieutenant, I’m not your enemy, okay?”

  The doors pinged and parted and I moved to walk out, but Finn stepped in front of me turning to face me and block my exit while also holding the doors open. “Let’s get one thing straight, Esmé Bellerose: As an employee of SPL, you are definitely my enemy, and I am currently under orders to kill you.”

  Standing so close in front of me was enough to reignite that deep lust between us. The charm around my neck immediately heated up again, but so did the desire to embrace Finn and kiss him until I lost myself. Still, the charm managed to quell the worst of the temptation, and with squared shoulders I met his gaze without blinking.

  “You can’t kill me, Finn,” I said with a snarl. “I’m your brother’s mentor, which, under the law, makes me a person you’re obligated to protect.”

  “Who’s gonna tell on me?” Finn asked. “You think my brother is gonna file a complaint with Ostergaard, who’s then gonna come looking for me? Get real. I could kill you and no one would give a shit. Least of all your boss.”

  He was absolutely right, of course, but I still wanted the feel of his naked skin against mine. I took another deep breath and focused on the heat coming off the charm, which helped keep my head clear. “Fine. I’ll leave it alone,” I said, if only to end the argument.

  The tension between us evaporated and, satisfied, Finn pushed away from the doors and rolled his arm in an “after you” gesture.

  I walked past him with my nose in the air. “Jesus, does everybody want to kill me this week?”

  Finn chuckled. “I hear Jacquelyn wants first crack.”

  I waved tauntingly over my shoulder. “She already had her turn. And I won.”

  We reached the SUV, and before I could lift the door handle, Finn reached around to do it for me. His whole body pressed close, and in an instant I was aflame with desire again. Even the heat of the charm wasn’t strong enough to quell that desire, and without thinking, I turned to face him, saw him looking down at me with those gorgeous hazel eyes, and the next thing I knew, I was pressing myself against him, my breath coming quick and my fingers curling around the sides of his jacket.

  Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind, I could hear myself screaming to let go, back away, and get into the car, but the desire for Finn was overwhelming. He flooded every sense I had and chased out all good reason and rationale.

  It even took me a moment to realize that he’d wrapped his arms tightly around me and was lowering his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and surrendered, overcome by the wanting desire of him.

  Just as his lips touched mine someone shouted, “Lieutenant!”

  We both jumped. Finn released me and I fell back against his car, breathing heavily. He quickly stepped away from me as well, looking over his shoulder for the source of the voice.

  A muscularly sculpted, young mystic stepped forward, wearing a sheepish grin. “Sorry, sir. I … didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  Finn squared his shoulders, his face a mask of granite. “Sipowicz,” he said. “What’re you doing here?”

  Sipowicz cleared his throat, glanced at me, turned red, then stared at his feet. “Petra sent me. She’s been trying to reach you, but you’re not answering your phone.”

  Finn stared at the young man like he wanted to punch him. “I’m busy.”

  Sipowicz gulped. “Yes, sir, but she wants to see you.”

  Finn sighed heavily, and a long silence filled the garage. At last he turned to me and held up his key fob. “I have to deal with this.”

  My eyes widened. “You’re … you’re going to meet Petra?”

  My concern wasn’t misplaced. If Petra got wind that I was not only still alive, but hanging out with her lieutenant as well, she’d likely give the order to have both of us executed, and while I kind of liked Finn’s chances, given
his reputation, I didn’t especially like mine.

  “I have to,” he whispered, his mouth set in a firm, grim line. “Sipowicz has already sent the message that you’re still alive, and that he caught the two of us …”

  He didn’t need to finish that sentence.

  “Will she punish you?” I said softly, trying not to let Sipowicz overhear.

  Finn reached for my wrist using two fingers and turned my hand palm-face-up. Dropping the key fob into my hand, he said, “She will. But that’s nothing new. I’ll meet you as soon as I can.”

  Finn then turned and held out his hand to Sipowicz.

  “What?” the junior mystic asked.

  “Keys.”

  Sipowicz’s expression registered surprise. “Uh …” he said. “Lieutenant, I just got this car. She doesn’t even have fifty miles on the odometer yet.”

  Finn waved his fingers in a come-on gesture. “Give ’em up, Sip.”

  Reluctantly the younger mystic dug into his pocket and offered Finn his key fob. Finn snatched it out of Sipowicz’s palm, and the pair moved toward a bright red Corvette.

  Knowing that I needed to check in with Dex and not wanting to wait around in the garage for any of Sipowicz’s pals, I hopped into the front seat of Finn’s Escalade and followed the pair around the cement pylons of the parking garage to the exit, which was up a ramp to the street.

  I had to wait for the gate to lift to follow the red Corvette up the ramp, but I was still fairly close when I saw something ejected out of the sports car. I gasped and barely had time to react, pulling hard on the wheel and narrowly avoiding hitting the body tumbling along the pavement.

  “What the fuck?” I exclaimed, focusing on the rear view mirror. I couldn’t tell if Sipowicz or Finn was the person who’d been knocked out of the car.

  If it was Finn, he was likely banged up and in need of help. If it was Sipowicz, he was likely dead and beyond any help.

  Right about then my phone rang. The caller ID said it was Gideon. “Hello?” I asked, picking up the call.