Down into the Pit (Stones of Fire Book 2) Read online

  “I see.”

  The man framed his chin with a forefinger and thumb. His gaze was probing, assessing. He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Carter resisted the urge to squirm, afraid it would make him look guilty. He wasn’t used to feeling the need to squirm, and he didn’t have anything to feel guilty about. He was trying to help Ellie here.

  At last the pastor tilted forward, placing both hands on the desk in front of him.

  “Give me your wife’s name and I’ll speak to her,” he said.

  A hidden sigh of relief. Now he was getting some place.

  “It’s Taylor. Taylor Scott,” he answered, using Ellie’s new identity.

  The pastor’s face froze.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Taylor Scott,” Carter repeated, wondering why the man’s voice had that funny, almost strangled sounding note.

  “You’re saying Taylor Scott is your wife?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  Unless he was losing his mind. Which, ever since Ellie had entered his life, he’d honestly wondered more than once.

  “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  Now it was Carter’s turn to echo, “Excuse me?”

  The man’s voice held a sharp edge. His face wasn’t any less intense.

  “Taylor Scott is my daughter,” he said sternly. “And I’m pretty sure I’d know if she was married to you or anyone else.”

  Chapter Three

  Oh, crap.

  How had James’s intel failed to tell him Ellie’s father was the associate pastor of the church they’d been seen attending? How had…?

  James.

  Carter gritted his teeth to restrain certain words that were not appropriate for a church setting. James had to have known. He couldn’t not have known. This had to be his idea of a joke.

  Twisted little jackass. I’m going to rip his head off when I get back to Texas.

  He would do it too. Unfortunately, he couldn’t focus on James or what kind of revenge he’d take on the kid. Not with Ellie’s father glaring at him in a very un-pastoral way across the desk.

  “Uh…Mr. Scott,” he began, trying to figure out how to wriggle out of this mess, or if he should clue the man in that he knew. “I’m sorry. I had no idea you were Ellie’s father.”

  Might as well drop the pretense, he decided. If he was going to get past the guard dog, he was going to have to fess up to knowing Ellie’s true identity.

  “Ellie? We’re talking about Taylor.”

  “No, we’re talking about Ellie. Ellie St. James,” he returned calmly, meeting her father’s gaze head on. “I knew her back in Fort Worth. I married her before she had to leave. Before the identity change. She’s never mentioned me?”

  The tiniest shake of his head. “Never.”

  “That’s good. She wasn’t supposed to. This thing, our marriage, was all part of the…reasons she had to leave Texas and change her name. I can’t give you any more details than that. But I can tell you my name’s Carter Ballis, and Ellie and I are legally married. I flew out here to meet with her, talk to her about our, uh, situation. I didn’t want to just show up at the family home and cause problems with her parents and brothers. Thought I could do this a different way by meeting her here, at her church. I was hoping to avoid extra questions, extra attention. I didn’t know her father was the associate pastor.”

  Ellie’s father didn’t return Carter’s smile. He looked like he was ready to rip someone’s head off. Carter felt on edge. He knew he could physically best the man in any way, but he didn’t want to get into an altercation with Ellie’s dad. That was the last thing he wanted. He could see the man’s fingers clenching and unclenching, as if he were contemplating strangling someone. Maybe he was. Carter couldn’t blame him. If he were a father, and some strange man showed up claiming to be his little girl’s husband, he’d probably want to kill him too.

  James was definitely going to die for this. Slowly. Painfully.

  The silence settled between them, set and moldered while Carter waited on Mr. St. James to weigh his story and make up his mind. Off in the distance, Carter heard a heavy door open, close. That, finally, seemed to break his wife’s father out of his trance.

  His voice cold, Ellie’s dad said, “That will be my family. They show up early to help set up for the service. She’ll be here. Ellie. Taylor. She usually comes in early to make coffee and then practice hymns for the worship service.”

  Carter felt a strange jolt, thinking of seeing Ellie again after all these months. After his near-death experience. After weeks, months of recuperation from the accident. Hit. He knew, they all knew, the hit-and-run had been no mere accident.

  “May I see her then? With your permission, sir.”

  He added on the last bit because he didn’t know how old-fashioned Ellie’s father might be in regards to stuff like that.

  Apparently not very.

  “You don’t have to kiss up to me,” the man stated bluntly. “It’s Ellie you need to talk to. Especially if it’s true that you’re married.”

  “It’s definitely true,” Carter affirmed again.

  He hadn’t brought a copy of their marriage license. Maybe he should have. But he hadn’t been expecting to have to prove to somebody the validity of their union, either.

  In an abrupt motion, Mr. St. James got to his feet. Carter rose as well.

  “I’ll take you to her. We’ll let her decide whether or not she wants to see you. I will say, though—Carter? Is that what you called yourself?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m telling you right now, if Ellie says this is a lie or she doesn’t want anything to do with you, this is where it ends. We’re not pushing her. Whatever happened to her, it’s been enough. She doesn’t need more stress or complications in her life. If she says no, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. If you don’t go willingly, I’ll call the police. And if you still want to cause trouble…”

  Carter watched, hiding his surprise as the associate pastor reached into a drawer in his desk, pulling out a pistol in a holster that he jammed into the back of his belt.

  “I’ve got a concealed carry license,” he finished up. “I’m a military vet, and I will use this thing if you try to harm my daughter. Do I make myself clear?”

  Carter didn’t bother telling the man he carried his own SIG under his jacket. He cleared his throat.

  “I understand.”

  “Alright, let’s go. She’s probably in the sanctuary right now. You first.”

  Ellie’s dad motioned him out the door and down the hallway to the left. Carter went first, the other man falling in behind, giving verbal directions as needed. Not many were needed. They hadn’t gone far before he heard strains of piano music. He didn’t recognize the song, but it sounded church-like. Despite his vetting months ago, he hadn’t known Ellie played the piano. She’d never mentioned that. Then again, for all they’d been through together, including resorting to a quickie wedding for reasons of spousal privilege, they’d barely been together forty-eight hours.

  In a few minutes they reached the double doors guarding the church’s main sanctuary. Ellie’s father pushed one open, gesturing for Carter to precede him. He did, stepping into a small auditorium that wouldn’t have held more than one hundred fifty people, tops. Padded chairs had replaced traditional pews. There was a pulpit center stage with a piano on one side and an organ on the other. A guitar was propped up against the back wall. No hymnals. Instead, a large screen dominated the wall behind the pulpit.

  Carter absorbed the details in a quick glance, but his attention went immediately to the piano and the young woman seated at it.

  Ellie. Ellie St. James, now living under the assumed identity of Taylor Scott.

  Seeing her again felt like a punch to the gut. The last time he’d seen her was when she hurried back to give him a hug, thank him for protecting her from Nosizwe’s shifters during their crazy adventure.

  Kissed him.

  It was st
upid, but he could still feel the spot where she’d reached up and kissed his cheek. Seeing her now, in profile, his gazed wandered to her mouth before he dragged it away, scanning her, looking her over.

  She looked good. Calm. Not at all the frightened, bewildered woman who’d almost lost her life to monstrous shapeshifters. She sat up straight on the piano bench. Behind her glasses, her eyes were trained on the sheet music in front of her. Her blonde hair spilled around her shoulders. There was an air of peace about her as her music filled the auditorium.

  Too bad I have to break that, Carter thought regretfully.

  How was she going to react to seeing him again? Would it bring back painful memories of times she’d rather forget? Of their arguments and the way he’d mercilessly picked on her, using sarcasm as a means of deflecting any softer feeling the Talos wrapped around her? Or would she be glad when she found out why he was here? Glad to know their farce of a marriage could probably be dissolved soon, and they could both get on with their lives, free and independent of each other?

  He didn’t have to wait to find out. Ellie’s father didn’t strike him as the most patient of people—or maybe the guy simply didn’t like strange men showing up, claiming to be married to his only daughter. He headed down the main aisle, towards the center stage, jerking his chin at Carter to follow. Carter wasn’t used to being ordered around, not by anyone other than Sean Costas, his boss, maybe. He was accustomed to giving the orders. But, bearing in mind the strangeness of the situation, he gritted his teeth and followed, not saying a word.

  Ellie must have caught sight of her father’s approach out of the corner of her eye. Her hands faltered on the keys. Then she glimpsed Carter, standing behind her father. She did a double take, the music coming to an abrupt halt.

  “Carter?” She stood, her eyes wide behind gold-rimmed glasses. “What are you doing here?”

  “Do you know him, Taylor?” her father spoke up, his voice stern. “He came here asking to see you. Actually, he came here claiming he’s married to you. He called you Ellie. I’d like to know what’s going on.”

  Ellie’s jaw had dropped at her father’s words, and her gaze was flitting helplessly between Carter and her dad.

  “I…um…he—he told you that?” she stammered. Her eyes swung to Carter. “You told him? What were you thinking?”

  “I didn’t know he was your father.” Carter could sense her displeasure. “I needed to talk to you. I thought looking you up here, through your pastor, was a better idea than showing up at your house, raising all kinds of questions for your family. I didn’t know your dad was the pastor.”

  She still looked shell-shocked. Almost as shell-shocked as when she’d first witnessed a shifter change forms, all those months ago at his boss’s house.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” she said helplessly.

  She had yet to step down from the stage and stood over them, her father and Carter, looking uncertain.

  “I know,” Carter replied quietly. “I’m sorry to surprise you like this. It wasn’t how I meant things to go.”

  “I don’t know how else it could’ve gone,” Ellie’s father grumbled.

  The man was clearly displeased by the whole situation. Ellie shot him a look.

  “It’s okay, Dad. I know him. He’s safe.”

  Ellie’s father looked between the two of them, measuring Carter up.

  “Is he?”

  Ellie stared directly at him, her eyes almost soft.

  “He is. He wouldn’t hurt me. We’ve—we’ve been through a lot together.”

  That was the understatement of the year. They’d been through dragonfire and death, Ellie shooting a shifter to save his life, him as the Talos beating another shifter to death to save hers. They’d been to hell and back, with him determined to fulfill his boss’s orders to keep her safe. When the Talos was told to protect somebody, it didn’t take the job lightly. Sending Ellie out here, across the United States, to live a new life under an assumed identity had been Carter’s idea. His final step of defending her.

  Or one of the final steps. Officially dissolving their marriage would be the final step.

  “Does he have anything to do with this whole witness protection move?” Ellie’s father asked quietly, keeping his voice down even though there was nobody else in the auditorium. “You’ve never explained any of this, Taylor. No matter how much your mother and I asked. We let it go because we could see you didn’t want to risk harming us or yourself. Then this guy shows up claiming to be married to you? I’d like to know what’s going on. I think I deserve an explanation.”

  “I’m so sorry, Dad,” Ellie said. “You do, but…I can’t—I can’t explain it all right now. Please. You have to trust me.”

  “I trust you. It’s other people I don’t trust.”

  Meaning him. Carter didn’t miss the inference.

  Ellie smiled a little sadly.

  “I know. I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you.”

  She didn’t want her father, her family, dragged into a world where they didn’t belong, like she’d been. She didn’t want them knowing that monsters were real. Didn’t want to risk those monsters coming for them. She was trying to keep them safe. It was a heavy burden for her to carry.

  Ellie pivoted to walk down the stairs leading from the stage to the auditorium floor. She approached hesitantly, as if she were still unsure what to make of all this. Carter stepped out from behind her father to meet her.

  “Is there somewhere we can talk? Alone?”

  Ellie’s eyes flickered first to her father, as if to judge how displeased he would be, then back to him. She took a breath. Adjusted her shoulders.

  “Sure. You’re right, we do need to talk.

  “Dad,” she went on, never looking away from Carter’s face, “We’re going to go to that little park across the street where we can talk without being overheard, or hopefully anybody we know seeing us. Don’t delay services if we’re not back in time. I don’t know how long this might take.”

  “What about the music?”

  “Drew can play his guitar.”

  Her father wasn’t happy, but he allowed, “I guess I don’t have a say in this, do I?”

  “Not really,” Ellie agreed, surprising Carter with her boldness. She stood on tiptoes, giving her dad a quick kiss on the cheek. “I promise I’ll be fine. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Her father nodded sharply, and Ellie turned to Carter, motioning towards a side exit.

  “Let’s go this way so I can stop and grab my coat.”

  Relieved that Ellie hadn’t instantly written him off or acted angry or scared to see him, Carter followed her, nodding at her father as he passed. The man didn’t return the gesture. Carter could feel his steely gaze piercing his back the entire way across the auditorium, out the side exit, and until the door closed behind them, sealing them off from view.

  Chapter Four

  “Let me grab my coat and we’ll get out of here,” Ellie said as she stepped over to a hallway closet and opened the door. Carter hung back, watching her pull out a moss green winter coat with a faux-fur lined hood and slide it on. Her fingers flew, buttoning as she walked back over to him.

  “It’s cold out there. Did you bring a warmer jacket? You could borrow my dad’s coat—”

  He cut her off before she could finish the thought.

  “No, thanks. Pretty sure your dad wants to shoot me as it is. I’m not about to touch anything else of his. Besides, I’ve got my own coat.”

  Ellie gave him a wry smile.

  “Sorry. He’s ex-military and can be pretty tough. Plus, this is all a big shock to him, remember?”

  “I know.”

  “Where’s your car?” she inquired, changing the subject.

  “Front parking lot.”

  “If you want, we can stop by there first. I have a feeling we might be out in the park for a while.”

  Carter didn’t argue. Considering what he’d come to say, he had a feel
ing she might be right. He followed her to the double doors of the church, which she unlocked and opened. A chill wind hit him in the side as he stepped outside, turning to shut the heavy door behind himself.

  “Gosh, it’s cold,” Ellie said with a shiver. “I bet it isn’t this bad in Texas, is it?”

  “Texas was nice when I left.”

  “I miss it.”

  There was detectable sadness in her voice. Carter waited a beat, but she didn’t say anything else.

  He left her alone a minute to visit his car, exchanging his leather jacket for a heavier winter coat. Locking the rental car, he strode back over to Ellie. She stood on the church’s porch steps, gazing up into the grey sky. Tiny snowflakes swirled around her, and a breeze toyed with her blonde hair, tugging at the hem of her knee-length skirt. For a split-second, Carter almost stopped in his tracks to stare.

  Stop being an idiot, he told himself, and marched on.

  “You ready?” she asked when he’d approached the bottom step.

  “Might as well get this over with.”

  “I hear that,” she chuckled.

  She led the way across the parking lot, towards the small community park Carter could see across the street.

  “You going to be warm enough in that?” he asked doubtfully, taking in her skirt over tights and boots. She was dressed for church, not a walk on a wintery day.

  Ellie peered up at him from behind her glasses. “I’ll be fine. There’s a little building with picnic tables and benches where we can sit to get out of the wind.”

  “We could drive my car over there and sit in it with the heater running instead.”

  He didn’t miss her wince of discomfort.

  “Maybe if we get too cold,” she said, but she sounded doubtful, giving him the impression that, despite her brave words to her father, she wasn’t keen on the idea of sitting in a cooped up space with him.

  Not that he could really blame her.

  The park wasn’t much. A concrete path encircled the perimeter. There was a small swing set. A couple of spots for grilling and cooking out. A stone building with restrooms. One more stone building with the picnic tables Ellie had mentioned. An outdoor water fountain, which was most likely shut off due to winter temperatures.