Chapter 48
Chapter Forty-Eight
CHARLI
Everybody’s been assigned to a team, and Teague’s team is setting up booby traps across the city to help minimize the need to actively fight the force descending on Greystone. But first, he’s coming to work with us to tell everyone what’s going on.
Andros sent an email to Susan, informing her of the plan with a request to gather everybody in the lobby. When Teague, Andros, and I walk in, everybody’s waiting for us. I try to step to the side, but Teague places me between him and Andros.
“I’ll make this brief. I’m not sure if everyone has heard, but there is a sizable force heading toward Greystone.
We don’t want any of you caught in the crossfire, so we’re closing the offices for at least the next week.
If you can work from home and keep the launch going, that would be great, but if not, we’ll figure it out when we come back.
Everyone will get paid during this time.
Gather your things and exit the building before noon. ”
“Any questions?” Andros asks.
“Should we leave town?”
“That’s up to you. I’d talk with your respective leaders. They’re all aware of the situation.”
Susan steps forward. “We’ll send out an email when it’s safe to come back, so check your inboxes.”
Teague dismisses everyone and turns toward us. “Call me if you need anything, and don’t let her out of your sight.” He bends down and places a sweet kiss on my lips.
Andros nods. “We’ll make sure everyone is out of the building and catch up with you this afternoon.” The crowd thins out, and he presses a protective hand to my back as we head to the elevator. “Why don’t we go to your office first and gather what you need?”
“Sounds good,” I tell him.
Sam’s waiting in my office when we get there. “The last thing I want to do is leave you in the lurch, but I’m leaving town to be closer to Covey’s place. I don’t want to get stuck here and not be able to reach her. But the good news is the software is ready. I can push it live before I leave.”
“The marketing and promotional efforts won’t be ready until later this week,” I murmur. “Let me ask Teague.”
Sam is leaving town, but she says the software is ready. Marketing and promotional campaigns are still being finalized, though. What do you want to do?
Soft launch. Go live. It’s more important to get the new system out there. We can always promote later.
“Teague says go live,” I tell her, and she lets out a huge sigh of relief.
“I’ll send an email when it’s up and running,” she says.
“Please text me when Covey is safe,” I plead. “I’m really worried about her.”
She smiles. “Will do.”
After she’s gone, I grab my computer as well as Teague’s in case he wants to check anything. Then I turn to Andros. “I’m good.”
As we’re headed to Andros’ office, Aaron comes striding down the hall, anger on his face.
“Sam told me the new system is going live today. That isn’t your call to make.
Without marketing, we’re going to fall flat on our face.
Not that you care, because you’re not the one who’s going to get blamed for the failure.
And because you’re their ‘mate’, you can’t be fired regardless of what poor decisions you make. ”
Shock holds me immobile.
What’s going on? Teague’s voice comes in clear.
Andros shoves him up against the wall. “Who the fuck do you think you are, speaking to her in that tone? For your information, Teague made the call to go live. But you’re right about one thing; she won’t get fired for making a poor decision, but you will.
Get your things and go home. We’ll discuss this with Susan when we return. ”
Aaron’s upset about the software going live without the marketing to promote it. It’s fine. Andros is taking care of it.
Knowing Macklin felt it too, I send the information to both of them so they’ll know it’s not a big deal.
Aaron pales and scrambles away when Andros releases him.
I take a shaky breath and hug my stuff to my chest. “He’s the marketing lead on the project. I should have called and told him.”
“Don’t,” Andros grits out. “He could have approached this in a professional manner and asked for more information instead of ambushing you. It’s my fault he’s pissed. He only attacked you because you’re an easier target.” A muscle tics in his jaw. “Let’s go.”
Minutes later, we’re striding into his office, and I plop down into a chair and fan myself. He’s still fuming.
“It’s not that big of a deal. Really.”
His caramel-brown eyes flash with anger. “It’s a big fucking deal. Twice today you’ve been ambushed, and I couldn’t stop either of them.” He paces back and forth, his hands curled into fists.
“You can’t protect me all the time,” I protest. “Nobody can.”
He stops. “Teague and Macklin know when you’re in danger. They hear you through the connection. Feel your fear. I don’t.”
“Do vampires hear each other once the bond is in place?”
“No, but they can feel each other’s emotions if they’re strong enough,” he says, squatting down next to me. “I’d know when you were in danger.”
“Okay,” I drawl, knowing I’m missing something. “We haven’t talked about bonding. Do you want to bond?”
He sighs. “No.”
Tears well at his response, but I stare at the wall, not wanting him to see how hard it is for me to hear him reject the idea.
“You’re okay with us being mates, but you don’t want to bond with me. Is that correct?” I ask, trying to get clarification. When he nods, I swallow and continue. “Do you think you’re ever going to want to bond?”
He shakes his head but his eyes are full of misery, telling me there’s more to the story.
“Mates can see and experience each other’s memories, and mine are worse than you can possibly imagine.
Over two hundred years of abuse from a man who mastered the art of torture and reveled in the pain he caused.
The idea of those scenes haunting you like they do me isn’t a burden I can live with, and I doubt I’ll ever change my mind. ”
My heart aches for him, but I keep my expression neutral, knowing he won’t want my pity.
Andros spent two hundred years being brutally abused by his sire.
More than two lifetimes. It’s a miracle he’s still sane, and the fact that he’s let me get close at all in such a short amount of time is a miracle.
“All I know is you’re my mate. Every day I fall harder and harder for you. And I’m never going to want anyone else. Is that enough?”
“It’s more than enough…if you can give me the two things I need.”
He gives me a wary look. “What?”
“Don’t hide your feelings from me,” I tell him, knowing this is going to be a big ask for someone who’s essentially isolated himself his entire life.
“Good or bad. I don’t want to guess if things are going well or if you need space.
If you’re upset or happy or sad. You don’t have to tell me everything, but if you don’t share the important stuff, I won’t know if this is working between us. ”
His mouth twists into a wry smile. “It might take me a while to get used to sharing, but I’ll do whatever it takes to get there. And the second thing?”
“Regular dates in public,” I bluntly state. “I’ve spent a long time hiding from the world, and I don’t want to do it anymore.”
His face fills with relief, and those stern lips curve in a rare toe-curling smile.
“There are so many other vampires out there who deserve you more than me, but I’ll never give you up.
I’m damn lucky the Fates picked me.” He drops his head and seals our deal with a kiss that drives every other thought out of my head.
Exhausted, I fall into bed that night. Teague, Macklin, and Andros are still working on the plan in the living room, the others having left for the night.
They haven’t decided where I’m going to be yet.
Obviously, not fighting, but they keep going back and forth on the best location.
My lids droop, and between one thought and the next, I drift off.
Fire races across the floor, heading straight for Andros, fed by the wind blowing through the building.
He can’t move fast enough; it catches his pants, and he slaps at it with his leather gloves.
I scream his name. Terror twists his handsome face as he stops in the corner.
Trapped. He punches against the concrete wall, trying to create an exit.
Elbow held in an iron grip, they drag me out of the building and into the street.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat. Guns spray nearby.
Someone yells and points to the mountain. I look up and see the whole ridge blazing out of control.
Sparks fall at my feet, and I tilt my head up. Electricity arcs from building to building in a blinding display of power, narrowly missing the green dragon flying above.
Laughter. Familiar, deranged. Hank stands above me, gun drawn and pointed at my head.
“Wake up, sweetheart. That’s it.” Teague’s arms are wrapped tightly around me, cradling me to his chest when I wake. He brushes the hair back from my slick face. “I’ve got you.”
“Hank’s coming for me,” I whisper, fear lacing every word.
Stammering, I try to get the words out. “The attack. They have someone who can wield fire. Another who wields electricity as a weapon. Sent a bolt of it toward a green dragon in the sky. Guns. Fires. Everywhere. In a warehouse, I think. On the mountain ridge to the east.” I sob. “Andros is dead.”
“I’m right here, la lumière,” he says, sliding his hand through my hair. “And I’m not going anywhere. Visions aren’t set in stone.”
I tilt my head back and stare at the vampire sitting there, looking steadily back at me.
Mine have always been accurate, but Raine said something similar the other day.
She said there are no guarantees, and the right action can change the outcome.
I don’t care what I have to do to make sure this one doesn’t come true. Hank can’t have Andros. He’s mine.
My tears dry up. “I need paper and a pencil. A map.”
Macklin’s phone rings. “It’s Raine.” He stands and moves toward the living room with us following. Macklin grabs a pen and a notepad from the desk. Teague sets me down on the couch while Andros grabs what I need.
As I sketch my vision, I become more determined and more furious than I’ve ever been in my life. Greystone is my home. These are my people. And I refuse to let Hank and this organization win. Once I have the fires drawn, I notice there’s a clearly defined pattern. A circle.
Andros takes it from me. “The witch and her daughter are on Margin Street. Here.” He points to the spot where they’re holding them. “The daughter can wield electricity and the mother fire. I’m going to guess the father can wield electricity, given his daughter’s affinity for it.”
He passes it to Teague. “If we remove them from the equation, we have a much better shot of ending this without a lot of casualties on our side.”
“We’re a tight-knit community. Everybody knows the locations of our secure holding cells,” Teague spits out through clenched teeth.
“How about another Vale?” I ask, remembering what Clarissa said.
“Right now, we don’t know who to trust,” Teague returns.
Macklin ends the call and turns toward us.
“Raine has confined Maureen to the basement to await trial by the witches for treason. She overheard her yesterday, and when she touched her arm, she got a vision that confirmed her mother’s our traitor.
But she isn’t leading the movement across the Vales.
Too much of a follower. Her words. Not mine. ”
I wince. “That’s too bad. I know what that feels like to be betrayed by a family member you trusted more than anyone in the world.”
Teague brings him up to speed on my vision. “We need a place to hold Angeline and Felicity. Somewhere hidden where they can’t access their magic.”
Macklin picks up his phone. “We need to borrow your cell for a few days.” He hangs up a second later. “I’ll drive the daughter. Teague, you follow in the air with the mother.” He looks at Andros and me. “You can reach us through Charli. No phones.”
When they leave, I rub my arms and turn toward Andros. “You said you could hold me and it wouldn’t bother you?”
Instead of answering, he pulls me into his lap and wraps his arms around me. “How’s this?”
I nod. Staring into his caramel-brown eyes, I know what I have to do.