Chapter 2
Carleigh’s eyes burned from staring at her screen.
Considering what she did for a living, that was saying a lot.
She was used to being at her computer sixteen, sometimes eighteen hours a day.
Only now she wasn’t coding. She wasn’t working on something for Steele Securities.
She wasn’t searching for a thief. No, Carleigh was trying to find the meaning to a drawing her cousin Connor had given her.
Connor’s pictures were usually omens. Hints of some future event.
It had been three months since Connor had a vision resulting in the depiction of a tiger constellation, and she was no closer to figuring out its meaning.
“Get your ass up.”
Carleigh jumped at her sister’s voice. “Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere in Africa?” Juniper was an award-winning photographer who was gone out of the country more often than she was home.
“I was, but I got in Saturday.” Juniper tossed her purse on the edge of Carleigh’s desk and leaned over, peering into Carleigh’s face. “Fuckin’ hell, Sis. You’re worse than Harlow said. When’s the last time you slept?”
“Last night?” Carleigh narrowed her eyes at the small date at the bottom of her screen. Well, shit. She wasn’t going to admit it had been much longer. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but why are you here?”
Juniper, who favored their mom, pointed a finger in Carleigh’s face. “I’m here to save you from yourself. Harlow couldn’t do it, so she sent me. For one thing, you stink. For another, you aren’t functioning on any cylinders, much less all eight. Now get up and come with me.”
“I can’t. I need to figure this out.”
“Fuck that, Sis. You are dead on your feet. You’re going to get some rest, then you can worry about that stupid drawing.”
“Connor’s drawing isn’t stupid. It means something, June. What if he’d given you a drawing pertaining to your future? Would you toss it in a drawer and forget about it?”
“No, but I also wouldn’t fixate on it to the detriment of my sanity.”
“I’m not—”
“You are, C. Don’t forget that Harlow has access to the cameras, and she told me how long it’s been since you left the office.”
Knowing resistance was futile, Carleigh didn’t argue as she shut down her system. “Where are we going?”
“My place. You’re going to shower, eat, and sleep. In that order because again, you stink. Christina’s staying with me. She’s having an identity crisis or some shit, and she’s hiding out from Izzy and Dante. The two of you can be miserable together.”
Carleigh was bone tired, mentally and physically, and considering she was a Gargoyle, that was a good indication she had pushed herself too far.
Letting her sister take care of her wasn’t a bad idea.
She retrieved her purse from the bottom desk drawer where she’d tossed it a few days ago, then pushed to her feet.
The rest of the office was dark. How long had Harlow been gone?
Carleigh didn’t remember saying bye to their cousin.
Fuckin’ hell was right. When they reached the door to the H3 office, Carleigh closed it behind them, not moving until the locks engaged.
There was millions of dollars’ worth of equipment behind those walls.
Juniper was waiting by the elevator, the doors already open.
Once they reached the ground floor, Juniper all but shoved Carleigh out into the lobby.
Since it was so late, the security guard desk was vacant.
Juniper guided Carleigh to her car instead of putting Carleigh in her own vehicle.
“And no, I’m not letting you drive. Get in.
” She beeped the locks to her high-end sports car, and Carleigh opened the passenger side, sliding into the low seat.
All the Gargoyle offspring were given a shit-ton of money from their parents when they graduated high school, but Juniper made her own living from her photos, adding to her already sizeable bank account.
When their parents decided to move, Juniper chose a condo in a high-rise building.
Carleigh couldn’t live in such close quarters with so many humans, but it suited Juniper since she was rarely home.
She said when she found her mate and settled down, then she would consider a house.
Not only that, but with Sebastian and Dakota, the Gargoyle King and Queen, being in West Virginia, it would be easier to move if she chose to.
Carleigh had been considering the move herself.
Dakota hinted at it every time they spoke.
Juniper’s apartment was on the corner, giving her more windows than some of the other owners.
It was an open-concept space with the living, dining, and kitchen all one large room.
The walls were covered with blown-up copies of Juniper’s most popular photos as well as artwork Connor had painted, using the name Rico Di.
Her furniture was stylish while still comfortable.
One particular piece of furniture, the sofa, was covered with their cousin, Christina, one of Connor’s sisters.
“You’re alive,” she quipped as Carleigh passed by.
“Barely,” Juniper muttered. “You get in the shower. I’ll find some pajamas for you.”
Carleigh didn’t speak to either female, just waved over her shoulder as she padded to her sister’s bedroom.
She could use the hall bathroom, but the en suite had better toiletries.
The same ones Carleigh used at home. The sisters had a lot of differences, like their looks.
They were a mixture of their parents. They both had green eyes, but Juniper had their mom’s red hair and their dad’s height.
Carleigh got Julian’s brown hair, but she was shorter than most of their cousins, taking after her mom, Katherine, that way.
After scrubbing the few days’ stink off her body and washing her hair, Carleigh felt a little more…
not human since she was a Gargoyle, but she felt better.
She opened one of the drawers under the cabinet, found the toothbrush she left there, and cleaned her teeth.
After detangling her long hair, she left it down to dry on its own.
Juniper had gathered her dirty clothes while she was in the shower, and Carleigh pulled on the shorts and T-shirt Juniper left on the counter after donning a clean pair of underwear.
When she returned to the living room, Christina was sitting up, making room for Carleigh.
Juniper joined them, walking from the kitchen with a tray filled with food.
Juniper wasn’t home often enough to cook large meals, even though she was good at it, so it didn’t surprise Carleigh that her sister had put together a sandwich with chips and a soda to drink.
“Thanks.” Carleigh popped open the can first, taking a sip of fizzy lemon-lime.
She dug into the sandwich, and her stomach thanked her.
Carleigh often forgot to eat while working, and with her focus being on the constellation drawing, she had missed several meals.
“What’s up with you?” she asked Christina after swallowing.
Christina turned her dark eyes toward Carleigh. “I’ve signed up for more classes.” They all joked that Christina was a professional student. Like her brother, she was a genius and already had several degrees at only twenty-three.
“And? It’s not like you’re racking up student loan debt. You don’t need a job, so what’s wrong with continuing your education?”
“That’s what I said. At least you like school.” Juniper didn’t bother going to college once she graduated high school. She got her passion for photography from their mom at a young age and knew that’s what she wanted to do with her life.
“It’s not that I like it so much. You both followed your parents’ passions. Connor did as well, and Demi is planning on going into medicine too. I don’t want to be a doctor. I’m not talented in the arts.”
“What about the youth center where you volunteer? Didn’t they ask you to take over as director?” Carleigh didn’t have time to volunteer, but she did donate money to various centers that focused on misplaced kids.
“They did, and I’ve been considering it.”
“But?” Juniper asked as she sat across from them.
“I can deal with all the paperwork fine, but when it comes to the kids, I’m too nice or something. They don’t listen to me. Jon and Deklan waltz in and take over.”
Juniper snorted. “Jon is a mini-Frey. Nobody in their right mind is going to say anything to him other than ‘yes, sir.’ And Deklan has Dante’s ability to alter moods.”
“True, but I have a psychology degree. Not that it’s done any good. I just can’t relate to what they’re going through. Besides, I’ve been thinking about moving to Cali once the next semester is over.”
“And that has nothing to do with a certain rock star, does it?” Carleigh asked.
Christina and Jacoby, the lead singer for Jupiter Madness, were thick as thieves.
She swore they weren’t mates, and Carleigh believed her because there was no way they could live on opposite sides of the country if they were.
“No. Summer and I became close when I visited, plus I miss Abbi and Amelia. But enough about me. June showed me a picture of Connor’s drawing. Any closer to figuring out the meaning?”
Carleigh shrugged while finishing her sandwich. She set her empty plate on the coffee table and wiped her hands on the cloth napkin. Juniper had an issue with using paper towels. “No, but I’m not giving up.”
“If anyone can figure it out, it’s you with that big, beautiful brain of yours.”
Carleigh downed the rest of her soda. “This big, beautiful brain is ready to shut down. I’m going to try and get some sleep. If I’m not here in the morning, you know where I’ll be.”
Juniper stood and took the plate and empty can. “Please rest, Sis. I know the drawing is important, but you aren’t any good to yourself or your job if you’re running on fumes.”
“You’re right. Thanks, June. Goodnight.”
“Night,” Juniper and Christina said together.