Chapter Sixteen #2
It hadn’t been his intention to hurt her, but once again that had been the result. He hadn’t meant to sleep with her again either, but the yearning inside him had been too great. The sense of something special slipping through his fingers haunted him.
“You have a slim chance to save Alex and Sam, if you don’t blow it. You can’t save Georgia.” His father’s messenger had made it abundantly clear. This was his final chance. There would be no other. Other than doing his father’s bidding, there were no real options.
At full strength, Kieran was arguably one of the most dangerous and feared beings in existence.
There was no one like his father, but even the deadliest paranormal beings walked softly around the Blackwell brothers.
For all that, he was powerless to stop the unfolding of Georgia’s destiny. Not even the Grim Reaper could do that.
Or could he? He sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his clasped hands.
Adrianne and Cilla were alive and happy.
The big question was why? His brothers had been sent to reap their souls.
Even if they’d failed in their task, it shouldn’t have made a difference to the final fate of the women.
Destiny should have intervened in order to maintain the timeline.
Change one tiny thing, change a million.
He’d heard cautionary tales over and over growing up.
The universe existed in a delicate balance.
A whisper in one place could result in a tsunami in another.
It was Death’s sworn duty to make sure everyone ended up where they needed to be when they needed to be there.
He directed an army of reapers to ensure things ran smoothly.
When they didn’t, he stepped in and righted them.
But not this time. At least not yet. Maybe there was some leeway in the timeline.
If Kieran failed, would all three women end up dead anyway?
He scrubbed his hands through his hair and leaned back in the chair.
The entire situation made no sense—including his immediate attraction to Georgia.
He tried not to remember how her body felt under his, the way she cradled his large form, clutching his shoulders, encouraging his thrusts.
“Fuck!” Jumping to his feet, he began to pace around the small space.
He wasn’t sure what was worse: going round and round with his assignment trying to find a way out and getting nowhere or remembering each second he’d spent with her.
He’d hurt Georgia when all he’d wanted to do was protect her. The closer they became, the harder it would be on her in the end. “Coward,” he muttered. He was protecting himself as much as he was protecting her.
She expected him to leave tomorrow. It had shocked him when she’d tucked the money into his pocket. If she kicked him out of the apartment, it would make his job more difficult than it already was, but he was here until the bitter end.
Who’ll protect her if I’m not here?
He shook his head and threw himself back down into the chair.
“I can’t protect her.” Saying the words out loud was like stabbing himself in the chest. He’d saved her life twice.
All had been forgiven by his father, and he’d been offered another chance to correct his mistake.
There wouldn’t be another. If he interfered a third time…
“I should have told the old man no.” He gave a bitter laugh. It had been presented as a choice, but Kieran didn’t believe for one second he wouldn’t be here even if he’d refused the assignment. His father had wanted him here, so here he was.
Every minute he wasn’t with Georgia was interminable. Every second that ticked by brought her end closer. Was this what his brothers had experienced, what had driven them over the edge and made them defy their father? He didn’t have that luxury. It wasn’t only his life hanging in the balance.
He should be trying to grab some sleep. His body was being pushed to the limit, and it was starting to catch up to him, but he was unable to end his vigil.
A few minutes later, the muscles in his shoulders and neck constricted, and a sense that something wasn’t right began to creep over him.
He gripped the arms of the chair and leaned forward.
His breathing was coming faster and heavier, his heart thumping hard against his chest. He swallowed back the dread threatening to strangle him.
A light flashed in Georgia’s bedroom window and disappeared.
Frowning, he slowly got to his feet. What was that?
A minute later, the light flickered in the kitchen.
It finally registered that he was seeing a flashlight.
There was no need for Georgia to use one in her own home. Someone was in her house.
He bolted for the door, then stopped with his hand on the knob, frozen in place with every muscle tense. Sweat rolled down his temples. “Can’t interfere,” he ground out from between clenched teeth. Everything was riding on his actions.
An unknown person was inside the house with her.
Was it David or a random break-in? She hadn’t been harmed, not yet.
Otherwise, he’d have been called to finish his task.
Every reaper was familiar with the call of a newly passed soul.
It was a cool breath in his ear, a tug in the chest that couldn’t be ignored.
There was nothing to prevent him from viewing events, as long as he didn’t obstruct them. He’d been set down smack in the middle of Georgia’s life. It had never been his father’s intention for him to watch from a distance.
He opened the door and silently hurried down the stairs.
Staying low, he raced across the yard and flattened himself against the back of the house, all the while cursing the current loss of his abilities.
Being able to meld with the shadows and move around undetected would be handy right about now.
The cover from the fence and trees would keep a neighbor from spotting him and calling the cops. That was the last thing he needed.
The light was in the kitchen area, but he went straight for Georgia’s bedroom window. The room was dark, and he strained to see the outline of the furniture. The bed was empty. Heart pounding, he scanned the floor, expecting to see her limp body sprawled across the hardwood. Nothing.
Something heavy thumped in the living room area. Swearing under his breath, he charged around the side of the house and peeked in the corner of the window. A dark shadow was pulling books off the shelves and shaking them. What the hell? What was he looking for? And where was Georgia?
The light crossed in front of the window. It was second nature for Kieran to pull on the shadows. They didn’t rush to him as quickly as they normally did, but they did embrace him enough to shield him from the intruder.
The only thing keeping him from busting inside was knowing that Georgia was alive.
As he’d suspected, he wasn’t going to be allowed to hide in his apartment and wait for it to happen.
No, his father was going to force him to have an up-close-and-personal encounter, make him watch her die.
Even as he wanted to roar at the unfairness of it, he understood it to be the truth.
Caw! Malaki flew across the lawn and settled on a nearby branch, as if to confirm this new understanding.
Hanging his head, Kieran pressed his hands against his thighs and took a deep breath. “Why is he torturing me? Does he enjoy the pain he’s caused his sons?” Malaki—as his father’s messenger—would ensure they remained unseen and unheard.
The bird blinked, offering no further insight. Not that he’d expected it. This entire fiasco was skewed in one direction—his father’s.
The front door eased open, and David Petras slipped out.
His scowl and his angry mutters as he fled down the walkway indicated he’d failed to find what he’d been searching for.
He’d come to Redemption for something, and it wasn’t Georgia.
It had to be tied to the business proposition he’d mentioned wanting to discuss with her.
Was he responsible for the carbon monoxide incident, or was that nothing more than an accident?
There was no way to know without questioning him.
Okay, interrogating him and scaring him within an inch of his life—something he was forbidden to do.
Obviously, the police had found no reason to detain him.
He watched until the man vanished from sight before slipping in the front door.
He didn’t worry about leaving fingerprints.
He’d been inside legitimately several times.
Using only the light from over the stove to guide him, he walked through the living area.
While David had attempted to put things back into place, several drawers weren’t closed all the way in the kitchen, and some books were askew on the bookshelf.
They were little things, but they were ones Georgia would notice.
Steeling himself, he checked the bedroom.
His gaze went straight to the bed. The covers were rumpled from where they’d made love but showed no sign she’d actually slept in them.
He forced himself to look away, smothering the memories wanting to pierce his tenuous control.
The dresser drawers were all shut. Using the tip of his finger, he eased one open.
Anger burned hot in his gut. David, the bastard, had rifled through her underwear drawer, touching her panties and bras.
The neat stacks he’d seen earlier when Georgia had pulled out clothing to dress were now in disarray.
He crossed the hall and opened the door of a room he’d never been in.
It was a small bedroom that had been converted into an office and catchall space.
Her laptop sat on her desk. He opened the lid, and it came to life.
It was password-protected. David obviously couldn’t risk stealing it and having suspicion fall on him.
At this point, he was trying to keep things low-key.
That wouldn’t last if he didn’t get what he wanted.
As he finished looking around, Kieran allowed himself to accept the even larger issue at hand.
Georgia had snuck out of the house. He’d been watching the backyard.
Her car was parked in the driveway. That meant she’d purposely gone out the front and walked to her destination.
She hadn’t wanted him to know, hadn’t wanted him to stop her, hadn’t wanted his company.
It was to be expected and no less than he deserved. She was right to accuse him of running hot one minute and cold the next, putting distance between them every time they got close. She was following his lead and protecting herself.
He rubbed his chest. His throat tightened.
He’d been alone almost all his existence.
He interacted with humans daily, but he was always set apart by what and who he was.
Even his brothers had gone their own way for millennia.
He’d accepted his lot in life, had done the best he could to find moments of contentment.
Then his father had sent him to Redemption and blown that life to bits.
There was no going back, no way to pick up the pieces, not after experiencing the intimate connection with Georgia.
When they were together, the loneliness ceased to plague him.
He’d laughed and smiled more since he’d met her than he had since he was a boy.
He’d also been angrier and more frustrated.
His emotions were full-blown, not muted and contained.
Was this love? If so, he wasn’t sure he wanted anything to do with it, but there seemed to be little choice. Like Pandora’s box, once it was opened, there was no way to stuff everything back inside.
Leaving everything as he found it, he let himself out. Malaki was waiting. “Whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it.” The damn bird never had useful advice, always showing up as more of a reminder, a warning.
Maybe Georgia was right. Maybe they could both use some space. There was no doubt in his mind where she was. Instead of taking care of herself and getting the rest her body needed, she was hard at work at the bakery.
He took one step toward the garage, then stopped and spun around.
“Damn it.” He stalked down the sidewalk and turned at the corner, his strides lengthening.
While he doubted David would confront her at the bakery, there was always a chance.
He picked up the pace until he was running, the soles of his boots pounding against the concrete.
When he reached the back door, he hammered on it.
Seconds later, the curtain shifted to one side. Catching sight of him, her eyes widened. The locks turned and the door opened. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
All his intentions to remain calm and controlled fled. She was safe, but for how much longer? Ignoring the questions, he yanked her into his arms and slammed his mouth down on hers.