Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore #5) (33 page)

Philip Masterson managed to elude the MSA team who had struck the Miami-based shipping and exporting firm, a front for illegal firearms trafficking. The spirit had sacrificed his sad existence of insanity for nothing except the take-down of an illegal business, which could have happened at any time. But we weren’t shutting any of the businesses down yet in the hope Philip Masterson and Jacob Angel wouldn’t go to ground.

I felt like shit and utterly sick to my stomach at the decision I had made but, more to the point, I was also pained to know I had done the right thing even with the poor outcome.

“I’d like to get out for a little while,” I murmured quietly to King Collins. We sat at the breakfast table, others speaking around us. “You know…just get out for a bit.”

His lips pinched, but he eventually nodded. “As long as your guards go with you, I believe it would be good for you to get out.”

“I’ll be going with her,” Sin added, spreading jam on his toast. “We’re just going to hit a few of the shops downtown and maybe go to the park if she’s up for it.”

King Collins nodded in relief. “That sounds nice.” He blinked. “Wait.” Another blink. “By the term
hit
, you aren’t implying you’re planning—”

Sin shot a sharp look in his direction, cutting him off. He still wasn’t in the best of moods after diligently putting up with me for the past five days. “No. We’re merely getting out for a little while.”

“You two are awfully cranky this morning,” Elder Farrar murmured, but he held out an envelope to me. “Can you mail this while you’re in town?”

My brows lifted as I took the thick envelope from him, my fingers rubbing…yep, I would know that feel anywhere. “Wouldn’t you prefer to spell this to the recipient than have it travel through the postal system?” Besides, I wasn’t sure it was exactly legal to send what felt like close to twenty grand in cold, hard cash through the mail. And it was incredibly ignorant.

He shrugged, sipping from his coffee. He appeared refreshed, like he might have had a very decent evening with someone special. I wondered which of the house staff he had snagged for one-on-one time. He choked on his coffee and I quickly held up a napkin. The vision of employee faces stopped floating through my mind.

His eyes flared golden, glowing brightly. Everyone at the table froze, except for Queen Ruckler who grabbed his coffee cup, and Elder Zeller who grabbed the napkin from me and handed it to Elder Farrar. Elder Farrar dabbed at his mouth quickly, blinking repeatedly. His eyes stopped glowing…and he actually glared across the table at me. More dabbing of his mouth. “Ms Jules, do try not to think so loudly next time.”

Now I blinked. “Excuse me?”

He sighed heavily, sitting back on his chair and brushing away Queen Ruckler’s helping hands when she blotted at his shirt. “You do know a Mystical’s powers only become stronger as they age?”

I nodded.

He pointed at his head, a sardonic smile lifting his lips. “In the past few years, one of my gifts has accelerated, popping up now and then when someone is thinking about me.”

I stared, and I asked point blank, “You heard my thoughts?”

Golden brows lifted. “Yes.” His lips twitched. “You were correct although, it wasn’t one of the house staff.” He stared at me steadily. “Never do that. The possible problems are endless.” His eyes flicked to Aria then back to me. “Anyway, that envelope is going where it’s needed and going how it’s needed.”

My cheeks instantly flushed, and I hastily stuffed the envelope in my purse. “I’ll mail it.” I cleared my throat. “My apologies on the…thought.”

Slowly his lips curved in a private grin, his mind going somewhere I was positive had nothing to do with breakfast. “And it was more than decent, Ms Jules.”

Sin started choking on his toast.

I waved a hand, mumbling, “Really…too much.” I waved my hand again, trying to erase his pleased expression from my mind. “I shouldn’t have been thinking of you like that.” Realizing how that had sounded as everyone stared and my blush fully alive on my cheeks, I rambled, “That came out wrong. I didn’t mean it like that. I just noticed he looked…”
Oh God.
“…refreshed.”

Sin chuckled deep in his chest, muttering quietly behind his napkin, “Shut up now, love.”

“Right,” I murmured, brushing hair out of my face. I’d had enough to eat, and I was more than ready to leave. “Let’s go.”

Sin looked grumpily at his still half-full plate. “I’m not done yet.”

“Eat fast or take it with you,” I whispered harshly against his ear. I stood and grabbed my purse over the back of the chair, slinging it over my left shoulder. Sin stuffed as much food in his mouth as fast as possible, while I said goodbye to King Collins.

The One murmured from his place at the table, “Ms Jules, I trust you have my diamond, since it disappeared before I could retrieve it?”

The conversations at the table deflated into stunned quiet.

I cleared my throat while covertly yanking on the back of Sin’s shirt to hurry him up. “I have my Primal Diamond, if that’s what you’re referring to.”

Silver eyes flicked to Sin then back to me. “Two against one seems hardly fair.”

My lips curved all on their own. “When I want something badly enough, I never play fair.”

Elder Kincaid’s mate, Fi, who had a bit of a staring problem, interposed into the conversation, deflecting beautifully. “That is an interesting purse, Ms Jules.” She stared at it for a long moment. It was my black one with the pink skull on it.

“Thank you.” I was going to take that as a compliment. I yanked harder on Sin’s shirt. “We’ll see you all in a bit.”

Elder Farrar chuckled quietly, waving as Sin stood. “Have fun on your trip.”

I had been starting to turn, but I slowly tilted my head back to him, cocking it. I had heard something in his tone. My eyes roamed his bronzed face. “Is there something I need to know?”

“Criminals are always so perceptive,” he mumbled quietly, his grin still beaming. “How I do like you, Caro. And you should know…just that…” His head teetered back and forth. “You should remember your roots.” His face appeared pensive for a moment. “Oh yes…and the towel’s on your right side, not the left.” A finger flicked to the side. “To the right. That’s very important.”

I blinked slowly at his jumbled mess of words and rolled my finger. “Let me try that again.” A slow point at myself, then Sin. “We’ll be coming home on time, right?”

Again, his lips lifted. “Time does tell all, does it not? And it is such a figurative, fickle thing. It’s an amazing feat that it continues ticking away, never ending.” His tongue clicked a few times inside his mouth. “Tick-tock.”

I wasn’t even sure I blinked. “Maybe we won’t go out, after all.”

He laughed outright, enjoying himself way too much. “Go, go.” His eyes crinkled at the corners in some private joke. “Don’t worry. You’ll enjoy yourself while you’re out.” He waggled a finger. “But don’t forget my envelope.” The same finger flicked to the side. “And to the right, Caro. To the right.”

Slow words from me, with a nod of my head. “Towel’s on the right. Got it.”

A finger pointed at me. “Your right, not the other right.”

Another slow word. “Okay.” My careful gaze turned to Sin. “Still want to go?”

He shrugged a shoulder, his gaze also sensibly neutral. “He said you’d have fun.”

“Huh.” I licked my lips. “Well, what’s the harm in a little fun?”

Sin snorted as we walked away. “Just don’t forget the towel part.”

“Yes,” Elder Farrar stated loudly behind us. “Your right, Caro. To the right.”

“Issues,” Sin whispered quietly, neither of us turning to glance back at him. “Serious issues.”

I elbowed him in the side. “I like him. Be nice.”

“So do I…but man…issues…” He slung an arm over my shoulder, and we exited the room with guards in tow. He winked. “I was thinking table dancing and margaritas.”

“Don’t even think about it!” King Zeller hollered from inside the breakfast room. “If we have to field any more damn phone calls, or arrange any more press releases, we will be pissed the fuck off!” A pause, then he shouted, “Don’t make me regret saying I’m happy you’re back, Sin!”

“He sure does know how to take the fun out of everything,” I grumbled with false misery. “Maybe just a small table dance and one margarita.”

“Caro!” King Zeller bellowed. “I’m serious!” A pause. “Go talk to your damn Prodigy before she ends up on the news again.”

Sin and I double-timed it to his car.

We cleared the gates before King Collins could haul us back.

Window-shopping with Sin was always an interesting experience. He enjoyed it way more than I did, since he didn’t actually window-shop. He yanked me into every store whether I wanted to go or not. He tried on outfit after outfit and made me try on multiple garments.

Some were respectable, but most were not.

My stomach rumbled, and I called into the dressing room, “Sin, I’m hungry!”

“I’ve got four other pairs of pants to try on,” he elucidated from behind the curtain.

Sighing, I peered out the window of the cute shop into the downtown area. It was a perfectly picturesque postcard view of the finer north-east: the adorable town of Choep. The refined shops painted blue and white, with curving wrought-iron lights lining the intimate two-lane street, were peaceful. And, most importantly, I spied a bakery across the street. “There’s a place to eat across the way. How about I grab some sandwiches and bring them back?” I lifted my brows and eyed the curtain. “Do you think you’ll be done by then?”

“Fine, fine,” Sin muttered. “I’ll be done by then.”

I grinned. My guards followed close behind. “With this store, you mean.”

Sin was chuckling. “I love you.”

“I love you too, you vain man.” As I exited the shop, the guards flanked me. I ignored the stares the action created and started crossing the street. But the looks of awe on their faces
were
annoying.

That was when all hell broke loose.

A car’s tires squealed, its windows already rolling down.

I instantly dropped, aware that was not a good sign.

Shots fired over my head. One of my guards, a fire Elemental, dropped beside me, a bullet hole draining blood from the center of his forehead onto the asphalt. This was not the place for me to be lying as more gunfire erupted from the adjacent area. All of us were sitting ducks as my guards started retaliating with their power or weapons.

Frost grabbed my arm, his body glowing as he returned fire to the right. He shouted over the clamor, “Move. Now!”

I relocated in complete agreement, crawling backward toward the shop I had just exited. I made it to the sidewalk as an explosion shook the ground under me, the blast rocking hard enough that I fell on my side. I scrambled onto my knees, only to be hit over the head.

A sharp sting bit into my neck, followed by a fast burn. I was being injected with something.

I grunted, tumbling to the ground, my limbs weakening instantly.

My arms were jerked behind my back, the rough concrete scratching the side of my face. I shuddered at the sensation of cold fire as silver handcuffs were slapped onto my wrists. My powers were instantly cut off and the icy burn burst throughout my system. Dizzy from the drug coursing through my veins, I groaned when I was yanked to my feet. My purse dropped from my shoulder, the strap hanging awkwardly on the cuffs between my hands. Warfare swayed all around. Steel-like arms gripped me around my waist and chest.

The voice was my past whispered against my ear. “You think you can take me down? Attack me in my own place of business?”

Philip Masterson. The Bossman.

Jasper entered my line of blurred vision, watching as always.

I wished I could curse at him. Do
anything
.

But my jaw was slack and my head hung to the side, all my weight held by
him
.

With his wolf riding his voice, Bossman growled, “I’m done playing. I know two talented Mages who can get that fucking diamond from you, my pet.”

The tiny crack in the sidewalk stared up at me. And it hit me. It was
so
simple.

Bossman wanted the diamond. That was all. My Primal Diamond.

That
was the agreement he had with Jacob Angel.

Three things occurred next.

Jasper flashed gold and disappeared.

The Bossman’s hands glowed and our surroundings started to disappear.

Sin raced out of the shop, half-dressed, flickering in the retreating landscape. His gun was raised, and he shouted my name as he fired.

Bossman and I were suddenly in a shimmering golden void, an abyss of nothing…

Except for the silver bullet I could see traveling at a snail’s pace through the fabric of the Bossman’s shirt, directly over his right forearm. It was the part of a visible, muscled limb that Sin had been able to fire at safely in the millisecond he’d had to make a decision. The bullet was caught in this emptiness with us but time was altered here and the bullet was traveling…differently. Almost as if it was in extreme slow motion while I was inside the Bossman’s hold. I twitched as the drug filtered through my Mystical bloodstream, my strong, powerful blood killing the foreign Com medicine.

The silver bullet finally made contact with the Bossman’s skin.

He shouted in pain. In
fury
. The shimmering golden void we were in flickered in chaotic flashes then cleared altogether. He jerked behind me as the bullet finished its trajectory, and we were abruptly standing in the street again. I grunted as the bullet flew through his arm and stabbed through to my chest. Unyielding fire erupted further into my body.

But the pain wasn’t immobilizing. It was pain I could handle.

The bullet lodged against my ribs, my red blood slowly soaking my shirt.

Bossman stumbled back, his supporting arms gone.

I fell to my knees. Strangers on the busy—but quiet—street stopped at our sudden appearance. I focused on my vocal chords, the vibration thrilling when I was able to snarl, “Help me. He’s kidnapping me.”

I have to say a small prayer of thanks to good Samaritans. Because as soon as those words escaped my mouth, and because I was a tiny female—even if I had just appeared out of nowhere—they took one look at Bossman, the bleeding asshole that he was, and lunged at him. He muttered a curse at their numbers, growling under his breath and holding his quickly healing arm…then he flashed gold.