CHAPTER 17
Lia finished her last appointment at the salon, cleaned up her station, and headed for the improv theater. The drive over was a blur. Between dreaming up new improvisation games to share with the audience over the weekend, she also couldn’t stop pondering her conversation with Cooper.
Was he serious about going to Chicago to meet her family?
He must miss his own. It hadn’t occurred to her at the time, but when she visited him in the hospital after the fire, she never ran into any other visitors. Agnes didn’t have a car. And now that Lia understood the family dynamics, his parents may not have even known he’d been admitted.
If the Hanovers weren’t ready to heal old wounds, she had more than enough family to go around. With the theater opening delayed indefinitely while Mason and the guys were rebuilding from the ground up, they wouldn’t miss her for a few days. She could reschedule her clients, and Rafe and Selena could run the improv for a week.
A visit back home was becoming a reality in her head.
Her family would be a lot for Cooper to handle, especially since his seemed so different from hers. He’d said his parents sold their house, but he hadn’t mentioned where they had moved. Maybe they weren’t even in Crystal City anymore. She’d have to ask Agnes.
She parked behind the improv theater and headed for the back entrance doing her best to ignore the stain of Cooper’s blood on the blacktop of the parking lot. Too late. She glanced around, suddenly wary, but the only other car was Rafe’s VW Bus.
Her tight grip on her nerves loosened as she opened the back door and went inside.
Time to get to work.
Cooper’s shoulders ached as he finished driving another nail into the two-by-four framing. He had to give Mason credit, this was hard work. He wiped his brow and checked his phone. Lia was probably already at the theater for rehearsal. He’d be able to pick her up in a couple more hours.
Mason turned on the floodlights as the sun started setting, and Cooper frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. His birthmark throbbed and burned. Nate and Reed were at their day jobs today, but Hunter was over by the electrical, running the table saw.
Maybe Hunter would be able to tell him if it was a Guardian thing.
As he slid the handle of the hammer into his tool belt, Mason came over, inspecting the frame. “Lookin’ good, Coop. You ever want to change careers, you’d make a great carpenter.”
“Thanks, man.” Cooper straightened up. “But I like saving lives.”
Mason grinned. “Suit yourself.”
He started measuring lumber, and Cooper wandered over to Hunter. The retired Navy SEAL surfed every day, so he stayed in shape and still looked ready to defend the country at a moment’s notice.
Hunter lifted his head and popped out an earplug. “Hey, dude. What’s up?”
Cooper kept his voice hushed. “Does your birthmark ever burn? Mine feels like it’s on fire.”
Hunter’s smile vanished as he scanned the area. “It usually means your muse is in danger. Where’s Lia?”
Cooper’s adrenaline went into overdrive. “Fuck. She’s at the improv club.”
“That’s on the other side of town.” Hunter took off his gloves. “I’m going with you.”
Cooper was already jogging toward his car. “Gotta run, Mason. I’ll call you later.”
Mason nodded. “Thanks for the help.”
Cooper had his phone to his ear and the engine running when Hunter opened the passenger door. “You calling Lia?”
“Yeah. She’s not answering her cell.”
“Shit. Drive. I’ll find Nate.”
Cooper hit the accelerator, the tires screeching as they headed for the street. He was trained to keep a clear head and remain calm in the worst of emergencies, but his cool was long gone.
This was personal.
And if anything happened to Lia… Damn, he couldn’t even think about it.
Marion was packing up when Ted exited his office. “Have a nice evening, Mr. Belkin.”
“Thanks, Marion.” He paused and added, “Why don’t you call me Ted?”
She smiled, her cheeks encroaching on her blue eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ted.”
She went to the elevator, leaving him wondering where that had come from. But after working together for five years, it had seemed like the right thing to do.
Or he was just desperate for a good deed.
He glanced at the clock. Something far from good was happening right now.
Pushing the thought away, he grabbed the next elevator up to the top floor. When he reached the door to his father’s office, Mikolas called, “Come in and close the door.”
Ted did as Mikolas instructed, surprised to find him in his robe but no sign of the mask of Kronos. Mikolas gestured to his feet. “Kneel.”
Ted ached just looking at the floor. “I might not be able to get back up.”
“I’ll help you up if you need it.”
Ted sighed, groaning as he lowered his battered body to the carpet. He got to his knees, stars dancing at the edge of his vision.
Mikolas reached for something behind him and then was brandishing a dagger with a jeweled handle.
Ted frowned. “What the hell is that?”
“This is a charmed dagger, blessed by the gods. When it brings our blood together, an oath is forged. And if the oath is broken, a price is paid.”
“Wouldn’t a contract be more binding?”
Mikolas chuckled. “Your father instilled a passion for the Order’s mission without any tradition or foundation.” He lifted the dagger. “This blade is from my Order back home. It has been passed down through the Order to help us find those loyal to our cause.” He closed his free hand around the blade, wincing as he yanked it free.
Ted’s eyes widened, but he was too sore to jump to his feet. “Fuck. This is insane.”
“I told you I required a blood oath.”
“Yeah, but I thought it was a flowery, European way of saying a contract.”
Mikolas’s blood dripped on the floor in front of Ted. “Give me your hand.”
“I can’t do this.”
“You can, or you will go to jail. Your choice.”
Ted took a couple of deep breaths and offered up his hand. “This is nuts.”
Mikolas drew the blade across Ted’s palm so fast, he didn’t feel the cut right away. Then the Greek clasped his hand. A shockwave ran through their hands, making Ted wobble on the ground. “Shit. What was that?”
“The dagger has accepted our oath. It has united us together in this purpose.” Mikolas set the knife back on the desk and came around to pull Ted back up to his feet.
Ted’s pulse raced as he stared at the dagger. “When will it wear off?”
“Only the one who calls for a blood oath can end it. When we find out how to control Pamela, I’ll end our arrangement.”
Ted glanced at the clock. Bryce was probably already finished doing Pamela’s will. Would that break the pact? Technically, Ted didn’t do it.
But Bryce had gone on Ted’s command.
Shit.
Lia walked through the back office and set her purse on the chair. “Selena?”
Nothing. Weird.
She entered the black box theater, and the spotlight came on, blinding her. “Rafe? Can you turn down the lights?”
Again, nothing.
A chill ran down her spine. Something was wrong. She bit back the urge to ask who was there, just as every person in a horror flick did before they died.
She spun around to run, when an unfamiliar voice called out, “Leave this room and your pregnant friend dies while her husband watches.”
Selena.
Lia faced the light again. “I’m not going anywhere. Let them go.”
“Not yet.”
Selena let out a muffled scream, and Lia’s stomach tied in a knot. She’d led the danger right to her troupe. This was her fault. She had to get them out. Judging by Selena’s voice, she was in the lighting room. And from the sound of it, Rafe was with her.
“What do you want?” Lia asked. “We don’t have much money, but it’s yours if you take it and walk away.”
The man’s chuckle echoed through the live acoustics. “If I wanted money, I would have robbed a bank.”
Her heart pounded in her ears. “Why are you here?”
“I came for you, but you already know that, don’t you?”
She racked her brain for some kick-ass escape plan that included saving her friends. But standing smack-dab in the middle of a spotlight made it tough to surprise anyone, and calling 9-1-1 would be pretty obvious. Besides, either option would cost Selena her life. Lia couldn’t risk it.
The beam of light started to slide up toward the house seats. “Stay in the center of the light, or she and her baby die,” the stranger warned.
Lia could hear Selena sobbing. At least she was still alive.
Lia walked forward, following it until the spotlight couldn’t move any higher. “Come into the booth.”
“Let them go first,” Lia called out.
“You’re in no position to make deals, muse.” He chuckled and rose to his full height in the lighting booth window. The gold Kronos mask had her heart racing. That mask now symbolized death. The same mask had been behind the wheel of the Mercedes that had hit Cooper. Her stomach retched being this close, adrenaline shooting through her bloodstream.
“Killing me isn’t going to stop the Les Neufs Soeurs from opening,” she said.
“Maybe not, but then I’ll only have six to go.” He turned side to side. “I thought the paramedic was your Guardian. Guess I was wrong.”
The Order did know about the Guardians. Now she just needed to live long enough to warn everyone.
The man came out of the booth and reached for her.
Something inside of her snapped. She wasn’t going to follow along like a lamb to slaughter. Her improv skits usually made people laugh, but tonight, she’d have to improvise in order to survive. She ducked under his outreached arm and slammed her fist into his groin with all the power she could muster.
He wheezed, stumbling backward, and Lia raced into the booth, slamming the door shut behind her and locking it. Selena and Rafe were lying on the floor with duct tape over their mouths and around their wrists and ankles.
Lia ripped the tape from their mouths. “He’ll break the glass and be in here any second.”
Rafe rolled on his side. “Pocketknife. Front pocket.”
She slid her hand inside and pulled out the knife. She popped the blade out and quickly sawed through the tape at Rafe’s wrists before handing him the knife. “I’m going to lure him away from here. Get Selena out and call 9-1-1.”
“No,” Selena whispered. “It’s too dangerous.”
Lia squeezed her hand. “There’s no other choice. If I go with you, he’ll come after me. Get away and call for back up. I’ll buy time until they get here.”
Her friend finally nodded. “Be careful.”
“I will.” Lia gripped the doorknob.
“Wait.”
She turned to find Selena rubbing her freed wrists and Rafe offering her his knife. “Take it.”
Lia grabbed the knife, imagining she must look like Peter Pan ready to battle Captain Hook’s sword with a tiny dagger. Part of her was tempted to laugh.
What the hell was wrong with her?
Her muse didn’t seem to grasp the gravity of their situation.
Lia opened the door, ready to attack, but the robed man was gone. She frowned, taking another step out with the knife clenched in her fist. Nothing.
She whispered to Rafe, “All clear. Get Selena out of here.”
He hustled his pregnant wife down toward the stage and the back door while Lia crept forward. Maybe when he’d realized she wasn’t going to go quietly into that good night, he had taken off.
A girl could hope.
Cooper ran two traffic lights, and he lost count of how many stop signs. Hunter had gotten in touch with Nate, and the police were on their way to the improv club. Maybe they were already there. When the sign came into focus, Cooper gave the car a little more gas.
As soon as they turned into the lot, he slammed on his brakes, barely missing Lia’s pregnant friend. He put the car in park and jumped out. “Where’s Lia?”
The man tilted his head toward the club. “Hurry. There’s a psycho in a gold mask. I need to get Selena out of here.”
The paramedic inside him was itching to check the woman’s vitals and make sure the baby wasn’t in distress, but Lia’s safety came first. “Get her to the hospital. Have them check her out. Sometimes trauma can bring on early labor.”
“I will.” He nodded. “Help Lia.”
“I’m on it.” He jogged toward the back door, but Hunter caught his shirt, his voice hushed. “I’m going around to the front to be sure he doesn’t try to get out there. Find something to protect yourself. Even a broken bottle is better than nothing. You won’t be any help to her in there without a weapon. And Nate’s on the way with fire power.”
Fuck. Hunter was right. Cooper was a healer. Going in armed didn’t even cross his mind.
Hunter vanished into the shadows and Cooper looked for…anything.
A wooden pallet was leaning against the back wall. It would have to do. He laid it on the ground and stomped through the top board, snapping it, then tore it free from the rest of the pallet. Nails jutted out of the end.
It would have to do.
He pulled open the back door and slipped inside.
Lia searched the green room and finally lowered the knife. He was gone.
The back door thumped closed, and she flinched. The Kronos fanatic had escaped. At least she was still alive, and hopefully, Rafe and Selena were miles away by now.
She stepped into the hallway, and something slammed into her so hard, she couldn’t make a sound. All the air whooshed from her lungs, and then the pain caught up. The mask came closer, her blood dripping from his knife. She flailed the pocketknife, slicing across his arm.
“You bitch.” He sank the blade into her stomach, and her legs gave out. He knelt down, burying his knife in her abdomen over and over as he whispered in her ear, “Your death inspires me.”
Her attacker finally backed off and turned to go.
Lia’s vision wavered, but it looked like Cooper was running toward her. He had a board or something in his hands. Everything played out in slow motion. Cooper hit her attacker in the head, and he dropped to the ground. Then Cooper was at her side.
His voice was so far away. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but words wouldn’t come. She was so tired. Light sparkled around her, embracing her, welcoming her. She stopped struggling for air and surrendered.
“Dammit. Lia, stay awake.” Cooper pulled off his shirt, trying to put pressure on her wounds, but there was too much blood, too many stab wounds. Her shallow breaths wheezed out her side.
Fuck, the bastard had punctured her lung and probably perforated her stomach.
Sirens outside heralded Nate’s arrival. Cooper prayed the paramedics were with them. He slid his hands under her shirt and closed his eyes, welcoming the tingle and warmth through his fingers. His pulse raced. Would it work fast enough?
The wheezing stopped.
He opened his eyes. Her skin was so pale. He’d healed most of the stab wounds to her abdomen already, but he couldn’t keep up with the bleeding and lack of oxygen. He was losing her.
“No, no, no! Lia, you stay with me. Please, baby. Come on.” He tipped his head up to the heavens. “Apollo, if you can hear me, get your ass down here.”
Suddenly, the hallway was flooded with blinding light that pierced every shadow. Apollo. It had to be. Cooper tried to concentrate, his hands pressed against her side as he whispered, “She’s slipping away.”
A voice echoed through his head. “My power is too great for your mortal body.”
“I don’t give a fuck about myself.” Cooper’s voice broke. “Help me save her. Please.”
The light that filled the room slammed into his back, his skin absorbing it into his body. Cooper’s veins burned as if he’d been struck by lightning. He struggled to focus the light, to force it to her lung, but the harder he tried, the weaker he became.
Finally, Lia coughed.
Cooper’s heart fluttered. It was working. Sweat soaked through all his clothes, his muscles seizing as Apollo’s energy continued to drain him, pulling his life force into her body until he tumbled into darkness.