Repairer of the Breach (Stones of Fire Book 4) Read online

  “Please.”

  “And for you?” Gary inquired of Costas’s head of security.

  “Not for me, thanks, except for a spare shirt, if you’ve got one. If it’s okay with the two of you, I’m going to leave Ellie here to recuperate while I visit Sean. I have clothes and everything I need there.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Candace asked doubtfully.

  Neither of them knew the status of, well, his status after last night. Neither of them had any idea what may have been said or done after Ciara Costas went home.

  “Probably not, but I don’t exactly have a choice,” Ballis affirmed grimly. “He’s my employer, my boss. I owe him some sort of explanation. More than that he’s…” Carter stopped, jaw working as if he were trying to figure out how much to say. “He’s a friend,” he summarized. “I owe him everything, including the truth of what his wife has done. He might not listen to me, but I’ve got to try.”

  Candace didn’t argue. It was his life, not hers. She’d told him once that she was determined to see the fighting and killing among his kind stopped by whatever means necessary. Maybe letting them kill each other off was the best way to handle it. Anyway, the girl, Ellie, would be safe here, and that was what mattered. For all of her involvement with Ballis and his bunch, Candace figured Ellie was still on the right side of the law, insofar as it went.

  “Do what you have to do,” she agreed. “Your wife will be safe here with us.”

  “Thank you.”

  There wasn’t much more to say. While Gary fetched the man a shirt, Candace watched silently as Ballis carried Ellie into the living room, placing her gently on the couch. He withdrew something from his pocket, laying it on the arm next to her head. Even Candace couldn’t deny there was something peculiarly touching about seeing a man like that, a shapeshifter, a monster who could slaughter without a second thought, tuck a pillow under her head and take the throw from the back of the sofa, draping it over her, covering her feet. He smoothed her hair off her face, murmured something Candace couldn’t catch, then leaned down and kissed her cheek.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he promised as he rose.

  His hand rested on his sleeping wife’s shoulder a trace longer before he walked away. He stopped next to her and her partner in the entryway.

  “I’ll get another phone at Sean’s. Give me your numbers so I can check on her?”

  “Um, sure. Gary?”

  “The drawer. Behind you.”

  Candace turned. There was a small drawer in the entry table she stood in front of. She withdrew a pen and scratch pad, jotted down both of their phone numbers and passed them to Ballis who stuck them in his pocket without looking at them.

  “If anything happens to me…” He started to say. He stopped. Shook his head. “I’ve never had to consider the possibility of anything happening to me and not having Sean and his people in my corner to back me up. Those days may be over now.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she gets somewhere safe.” Candace promised. She didn’t know why, but she felt somehow responsible for the young woman, involved with her welfare. If she couldn’t bring these warring shapeshifters to justice, if she couldn’t even stop the bloodshed, at least she could possibly make a difference by helping out someone who, like her, had been unwittingly drawn into the conflict.

  “Her family’s here too,” Ballis reminded her.

  “We’ll take care of them also.”

  “Right. Thank you. Thank you both.” His glance shifted from one to the other of them. “I’ve got to go.” He didn’t look scared or anxious exactly. Grim, set, determined. That shifted just a little, the hardened veneer cracking as he looked at Candace and added almost embarrassed, “When she wakes up, she’s probably going to be mad that I left. Tell her—tell her I love her.”

  “Tell her yourself,” Gary answered gruffly. Candace shot her partner a surprised glance. Normally, of the two of them, she’d be the one to respond with discomfort over a sentimental moment. Her surprise faded when he added, “Come back alive so you can tell her.”

  Ballis quirked a half-smile. “I plan to. We’ll see.” He nodded at them both. “Thank you again.”

  He didn’t waste further time on pleasantries. He left. The sound of the door shutting reverberated in the corridor, hanging in the air as Candace and Gary studied each other. Gary was the first to say it.

  “You think he’ll survive this?”

  Candace shook her head. “I don’t know.” She hated to admit it, but she felt a measure of worry for the guy. Which was crazy, considering how hard she’d initially gone after him.

  “Elia may still want his blood. Mrs. Costas had to give her husband some kind of story if she went back to him. Ballis showing up is going to blow her cover. It’s going to boil down to who Sean Costas believes, his wife or his henchman.”

  “Wait. Elia wants his blood?”

  Too late, she realized Gary wasn’t fully informed of what had gone down in her life during the past couple days.

  “Coffee first, then we’ll talk,” she said, heading into the kitchen. “You said the pot’s nearly full. We may use all of it before we clear the air on this one.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  He was apprehensive. There wasn’t any doubt about it. Carter couldn’t recall the last time he’d been truly apprehensive to face his employer. However, he knew he was taking a risk returning to the Costas compound. Ciara would have gotten there first, if the detective’s assumption was correct. She would’ve had to tell Sean something. Some explanation as to where he, Carter, had gone. Even if she didn’t try to pin the blame on him for anything like the Stones’ disappearance—which he supposed she probably had—whatever lie she’d spun to conceal why Carter had vanished that night was going to shatter the minute he showed up. Not to mention, when he showed up to inform Sean that the wife he adored was teamed up with his bitterest enemy—

  Yeah. This won’t end well.

  He and Sean had always had a good relationship, but Sean loved Ciara, no matter what Ciara believed. Would he be able to accept that his wife had betrayed him, the shifters he’d spent his lifetime protecting, and everything he stood for? If it came down to simply Carter’s word against Ciara’s, who would he believe?

  Carter dropped his head against the seat of the hired car driving him to the Costas compound.

  What about Ellie?

  Maybe he shouldn’t have left her. Sean had promised long ago that Ellie would be looked after, but he’d given Carter, the Talos, that job. Carter had married her. She was his wife. If today went south and Sean chose against Carter, would he also choose against Ellie and her family by default? Sean wasn’t particularly vicious to those who hadn’t personally crossed him, his family, or his enterprises, but he also didn’t like leaving loose threads. Would he consider Ellie that—a loose thread?

  I should’ve just collected her family and left with her, he thought for the hundredth time. Should’ve left this whole mess behind and gotten out.

  He didn’t know why he hadn’t. Honor, he supposed. Some misguided sense of honor. Or loyalty. Or simple gratitude to the man who had taken him in all those years ago, taught him to exercise his abilities, helped him build his place in life. He couldn’t simply throw all that away. Maybe it was his life, his role as the Talos, dedicated to Sean like he’d been dedicated to Ellie. Furthermore, Sean himself was also at risk if Ciara continued to conspire with Elia. He was their main enemy, and at some point they’d go after him personally. Whether now, or when they harnessed the power of the Stones—if they ever did. At the very least, he owed it to Sean to warn him what was going on so he could be on his guard.

  Arriving at the main gate of the Costas compound, he got out of the car and paid with money the cop’s partner had loaned him. He could’ve driven the car that he and the police detective had escaped in last night, but it was shot to pieces and streaked with blood. No sense bringing further attention to himself if he could help it
.

  He hadn’t missed the surprise on the driver’s face when he’d given her the address, and he didn’t miss the surprise when he got out and told her he was here and she could go. He doubted delivering somebody to the well-known Costas mansion was a job she did every day. Especially somebody as disheveled as him. He saw her staring at him in the rearview mirror as she slowly took off.

  Carter shook his head and walked up to the guard shack, unsurprised when the door opened and a young man stepped out.

  “Carter?”

  “Dave.”

  He knew Dave, had vetted and hired him three years ago. Dave was staring at him with his jaws open like he was seeing a ghost.

  “Hey, man, I—I’m surprised to see you,” he said.

  He looked ill at ease. Carter noticed his hand hovering near the butt of his gun, his fingers flexing. His hand drifted away, then back.

  “I haven’t been gone that long,” Carter said drily. He nodded towards the weapon strapped to the guard’s hip. “Got an itchy trigger finger there, Dave?”

  “No, it’s just, uh. It’s just—we were kind of told something had happened to you.”

  “Like what?” He advanced a step. Dave fell back three, hand falling to his weapon. Carter stopped. “Like what, Dave?”

  “Like…the word spread that you’d been taken out. That you went rogue a couple nights ago. You were done being Sean’s errand boy. You went after the Stones yourself. Nosizwe took you out.”

  “That’s the story she spun, huh?”

  He nearly laughed. Dave looked confused. “The story who spun?”

  Carter shook his head. “Never mind. Call James. Let me talk to him.”

  “I don’t know…” Dave started to say doubtfully.

  “Do it!” Carter snapped.

  There was enough authority in the tones of his former boss that Dave jumped to obey. Within seconds, Dave was saying, “James? Uh, we’ve got a situation here. Carter’s back. He wants to talk to you.”

  Carter could hear the long silence on the other end of the line, then James’ voice through the speaker: “Put him on.”

  Dave handed his phone over without a word.

  “Carter?”

  “James.”

  He backed away several paces away. Far enough that Dave couldn’t overhear everything James said, but close enough the Talos could react if need be. He didn’t turn his back on the guard, either. You didn’t turn your back on a nervous guy with his hand hovering around his weapon. Not smart.

  “What the hell, man?” James said quietly.

  “You don’t believe her, do you?”

  “I don’t know what to believe.”

  “C’mon, James. Do you really think I’d go rogue?”

  “You did disappear.”

  “Yeah, I did. Because of the Stones. But it wasn’t me that was after them.”

  Silence. Then James said, “We knew there was a traitor in the family. Someone high enough in position to cover their tracks and get crap done. If it isn’t you, that probably leaves…”

  He didn’t want to say it. Carter quietly supplied the words. “That leaves her, Ciara. I know.”

  “Why?”

  Carter could hear the note of pain in James’ voice. Everyone liked Ciara. He’d liked her too. He would’ve done anything for his employer’s wife. Taken a bullet for her without question. It was almost impossible to believe she could be that duplicitous and none of them had caught on.

  He blew out air, ran his hand over his head, all the while keeping an eye on Dave for any signs of the man drawing his weapon.

  “Long story. But I’m sure you could guess.”

  “The Stones.”

  “Of course the Stones.”

  “But…why? She and Sean had a couple of them already. They—”

  “Let’s just say her goals and ideas aligned more closely with…with someone else’s than Sean’s.”

  “Nosizwe.”

  “Yep.”

  “And you were caught in the crossfire. Your blood? The Talos’ blood?”

  “Yep.”

  “I told Ellie a while back…” He stopped, changing thoughts midsentence. “Where is Ellie? She safe?”

  “She’s fine. She’s safe.”

  He didn’t say where. He assumed James was trustworthy, but he’d believed Ciara was too. Carter wasn’t about to jeopardize his wife’s safety if he could help it.

  “That’s good. That’s…” James trailed off like he didn’t know what else to say.

  “Can you get me in?” Carter decided to be blunt. No more beating around the bush.

  “Why? What are you coming here to do?”

  “I’m coming here to talk to Sean, James. What did you think I was coming here to do?”

  “You’re the Talos, man. You can do practically anything.”

  “I’m not coming here to start a war, James,” Carter promised, grim. “I’m coming here to prevent one.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I don’t remember what finally woke me up. All I remember is one moment I was dead asleep, lost in the most refreshing sleep I’d ever experienced. The next, my entire body jerked and my eyelids flew open. I was staring up at a ceiling, a popcorn ceiling like had been in vogue a few decades ago. Right away, that told me we were back where we belonged. No stone cottage. No ceiling of sky and stars. I was back on Earth. Where, exactly, remained to be seen, but at least I wasn’t in that other world.

  I sat up, patting the area around me in a search for my glasses. They were resting on the arm of the couch. After sliding them onto my nose, I realized I was lying on a sofa, covered with a couch blanket. Next to the spot my glasses had lain was the miniature Stone that had helped bring us home. I pocketed it before studying my surroundings. I saw bookshelves, a TV, a window, a few pictures in frames… I was in somebody’s home, but none of the people in the pictures looked familiar. Mild panic rose in my chest until I heard a familiar voice coming from the kitchen. I sat there a few seconds trying to place it before the speaker’s identity hit.

  That police detective. The one who was there in the country club gardens. The one who was supposed to protect me after Carter sacrificed himself.

  Comforted, I got up, finding my legs a tad wobbly for the first few steps—which didn’t really surprise me, considering what I’d been through. Human bodies weren’t supposed to endure things like that.

  “I’m lucky I didn’t arrive back here with an insect head and a human body like that guy in The Fly,” I grumbled as I made my way into the kitchen, thinking of the old 50’s science fiction/horror movie.

  I rounded the corner and saw the police detective sitting at a little round bistro table with an older man with grey hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Her dark skin glowed in the morning light slanting in through the windows behind her. She wore sweats and a t-shirt and grasped a coffee mug on the table in front of her, but she somehow still came across as competent and businesslike. Briefly, I wondered what it would be like to be that calm and capable and assertive. I hadn’t felt anything like that since my life fell to pieces last November.

  Shoving the idle notion aside, I stepped into the tiny dining area and cleared my throat.

  “Good morning.”

  Both of the people at the table started. I noticed both of their hands flying to their hips, where I assumed they were used to carrying their weapons.

  “Wow, remind me never to sneak up on you two and yell boo,” I chuckled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s fine. We thought you were still sleeping. How are you feeling? Here, have a seat,” invited Detective Ewing, standing and pushing back her chair for me. “I’ll grab you a cup of coffee.”

  “Oh, no, thank you, I don’t drink it.”

  The cop stopped halfway to the coffee pot, arching a brow. “You don’t drink coffee? Not even with cream or sugar?”

  I shook my head. “I never acquired a taste for it.”

  “In Candace’s bo
ok, that makes you not quite human,” laughed the man, rising also. He came towards me a couple of steps, holding out his hand. “Hi, I’m Candace’s partner, Detective Gary Tozzi. You must be Ellie. Ah, who am I kidding? Of course, you’re Ellie. I’ve known who you are for quite some time now.”

  I’m sure my confusion must’ve shown on my face. “You have? I’m sorry, I don’t know you.”

  “I know. But, as Candace’s partner, I’m the one who was with her when she first caught the case involving you and Ballis. I’ve been…” He shrugged. “Informed since the beginning.”

  “I see.” I wasn’t sure that I did, but I had more important stuff to worry about than how much this guy thought he knew about me. “Speaking of Carter, where is he?”

  All of the sudden, Detective Ewing got real busy stirring some sugar into her coffee, while her partner cleared his throat and reached for the newspaper on the tabletop which he picked up, tapped its edges to straighten it, and shuffled around. Wariness crept in.

  “I’m sorry, where is Carter? And, for that matter, where am I?”

  “This is my house,” answered Detective Tozzi, finally meeting my gaze. “Candace brought you and Ballis here after, um—” He slanted a glance towards his partner. “After everything last night,” he added, looking more and more uncomfortable and shifty-eyed as he kept tapping the newspaper edges on the tabletop, straightening it.

  “What? What happened last night?” I demanded, feeling anxiety curdle in the pit of my stomach. “I don’t remember anything after Carter and I decided to use the power of that Stone to come home.”

  “Well, you made it,” said Detective Ewing, finally ceasing her stirring and laying her spoon in the sink with a thump. “Turns out, you made it to the same place the Stones were, which is also where I was.”

  My brow wrinkled in confusion. “I don’t get it.”

  The cop sighed. “Sit down. I’ll get you something to eat. Make that Gary will, while I tell you everything. What would you like? Eggs, toast?”