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- Herausgeber: Valley Publishing Ltd.
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
Hurt and betrayed by the man she thought was the love of her life, Tori Chandler goes into hiding to heal from too many soul-deep hurts to deal with otherwise. But Devon has bigger reasons for seeking her out than giving her an apology that he’ll be the first to admit she deserves—and then some. He needs her help to save the people in their town of Little Glory, trapped behind a strange energy pattern.
As an energy worker dedicated to preserving planet Glory’s energy resource in its forests that all life is dependent upon, Tori isn’t in the position to turn her back on those in need. She agrees to help Devon, only if he promises to stay out of her life for good once the job is done.
Devon gives Tori the promise she needs, without any intention of honoring it. He made a mistake that he regrets. Nevertheless, if Tori allows him back into her life for any reason, he aims to prove he can be everything she needs from now on.
The disruptive energy pattern found in too many places near Little Glory proves to be not only a cause for concern but also the start of something even more sinister. If so, that hints either Devon nor Tori, whether together or separated, or anyone else on the planet for that matter, will have a future.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015
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Tori
Book #2 of Glory
Dale Mayer
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
About This Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Sneak Peek from Celeste
Author’s Note
Complimentary Download
About the Author
Copyright Page
About This Book
Hurt and betrayed by the man she thought was the love of her life, Tori Chandler goes into hiding to heal from too many soul-deep hurts to deal with otherwise. But Devon has bigger reasons for seeking her out than giving her an apology that he’ll be the first to admit she deserves—and then some. He needs her help to save the people in their town of Little Glory, trapped behind a strange energy pattern.
As an energy worker dedicated to preserving planet Glory’s energy resource in its forests that all life is dependent upon, Tori isn’t in the position to turn her back on those in need. She agrees to help Devon, only if he promises to stay out of her life for good once the job is done.
Devon gives Tori the promise she needs, without any intention of honoring it. He made a mistake that he regrets. Nevertheless, if Tori allows him back into her life for any reason, he aims to prove he can be everything she needs from now on.
The disruptive energy pattern found in too many places near Little Glory proves to be not only a cause for concern but also the start of something even more sinister. If so, that hints either Devon nor Tori, whether together or separated, or anyone else on the planet for that matter, will have a future.
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Chapter 1
Tori Chandler checked her watch. Damn. She had just two minutes to make a decision, if she wanted to risk a trip to the bank. Her break was only fifteen minutes long, and she didn’t dare be late. Not with a new job and a strict boss. She could always walk out of the bank, if the line wasn’t moving fast enough.
She needed the little cash she had for her rent. She had to pay daily, until she had one month’s worth saved up, and she was already behind. Her landlord had caught her in the hallway this morning and had given her an ultimatum. Moving again wasn’t an option. She needed that hideaway. It was within walking distance to her new job and saved her bus fare. That meant keeping her landlord happy until next week, when she’d get her first paycheck from the health food store. She’d already given him the last of her cash, and no way would she use plastic. It was too traceable. She didn’t know if she was still on anyone’s radar, but she just knew she couldn’t take the chance. She’d left in secret and had planned to stay gone. Except for her sisters, nothing was left for her back home.
In the past year, she still hadn’t found another place to call home. Pain and anger had sent her on this journey, and now she was afraid she didn’t know how to stop.
Moving a lot meant no accumulation of stuff. She had so little to her name that, if her landlord dumped her belongings outside when he kicked her out, it would take no more than a single tote bag to pack them up.
This was her first chance to settle down in a long time. Now if she could just make it work.
“Tori, go for your break now,” said Mary, her supervisor. “See you back in fifteen.”
“Thanks.” Tori smiled. “I’ll just hop over to the bank.”
Mary frowned. “Bad day for that. It’s the last day of the month.”
“And that’s why I have to go.” Tori gave her a bright smile. “Not to worry. If the line is too long, I’ll just come back.”
That brought a smile to Mary’s face. “Good idea. You’ve been a model employee so far. You know how the owner feels about tardiness. Best not to push it.”
Tori rolled her eyes at Mary’s back, as the woman walked away; then Tori bolted for the front door. Did no one in this world understand that sometimes shit happened and had to be dealt with?
The bank was only a few businesses over in the big strip mall. Thankfully it was a small branch and served mostly locals. Regardless, it was still almost noon, and that meant there’d be a rush. As the building came into view, she saw no one else hurrying to get inside. That, at least, was a good sign. Tori pulled open one of the two glass doors and rushed inside.
A blissfully cool air-conditioned gust hit her, but she barely noticed. Her senses went on full alert.
All around here was an eerie silence. She stopped in her tracks and looked at the service counter. The tellers all stared at her, a mixture of fear and anger on their faces … and horror.
She straightened and realized that something was very, very wrong. Her instincts screamed at her to run. Get the hell out of there.
Then she heard it. Click. And something round and hard was shoved into her back.
“What a nice day for you to come to the bank.” A gravelly voice spoke in her ear, accompanied by the smell of beer and stale pizza, mixed with the remnants of a sour belch that almost dropped her to her knees. “Welcome to the party.”
Tori closed her eyes. Shit happened, all right.
But why did it always happen to her?
Chapter 2
Politely—the only way one should approach a man holding a gun—Tori said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
His croaking laugh made her wince. Yeah, he was so worried. Not.
She tried again. “Honestly. It will be fine if you just let me walk back out of here.”
“Shut up.” The sour breathy voice sounded pumped on Glory juice, a drug manufactured from the main flower named after the planet.
Damn, a juice junkie to boot. She really didn’t need that. Glory juice made people hyper, excitable, and unpredictable. This situation was volatile enough without it.
Then again, so was her temper. And, damn it, she’d needed that cash.
The metal jabbed harder into her ribs. She winced, then snapped lightly, “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Hey, get her over here. Stop messing around, man.”
At the sound of the other man’s voice, the gunman urged her forward. “Walk over to the tellers.”
She whispered mentally, Escort me to the front door. Let me out, and let me go. Escort me to the front door. Let me out, and let me go.
“Hey, I said get moving.” But his hand had turned her around and now pushed her toward the front door.
She kept her smile inside and walked forward agreeably.
“Hey, Parks, what the hell are you doing?” cried out one of the other robbers. “I said, stop messing around.”
As a precautionary measure, Tori whispered, Ignore them. Open the front door, and let me out.
The robber nudged her forward. “I said, move it.”
Happy to comply and knowing time was running out, Tori walked faster and got to the front door. “Open it,” he snarled. “Hurry up.”
She quickly pulled open the door.
Behind her, the others started shouting. “Parks! What the hell?” A gunshot rang out, and her escort stiffened. She bolted through the doors. Shouts erupted behind her.
Outside, she raced to the left, toward the alleyway that would take her to a large parking lot at the back of the mall. She scanned the lot. Lots of small vehicles and nowhere for her to hide.
Except there.
She spotted two large delivery trucks, parked close together, the cab of each empty. She squeezed in between them and waited for her panicked breathing to calm down.
Tori saw no signs that she was being followed, yet neither could she discount it. She’d escaped. That meant the gunmen would have to make a fast decision. She could only hope that didn’t mean a bullet for those left behind.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
She so didn’t need this right now. She didn’t dare head back to her job in this state, and neither could she leave those other poor people alone and helpless in the bank. She called the hotline. A computer answered, and she quickly gave the details and shut down her phone before it could be traced. Thirty seconds was about the limit, and her call came in under that.
Hopefully that would be enough.
After several more bolstering deep breaths, she peered around the corner of the truck. The parking lot looked the same. She hadn’t heard anyone approach, so chances were good she’d gotten away. She still had to get back to work though, and she really didn’t want to be recognized. To that end, she slipped off her sweater and wrapped it around her waist, then quickly turned her long hair into a single braid down her back.
It was the best she could do in these circumstances. With a last glance at the time, she walked to the back-alley entrance of the shop and entered. Inside, she slapped her hand over her chest as she tried desperately to calm her breathing. So far, so good.
“Tori? Is that you?”
“Yes. I’m back. Just getting a drink of water.” She did need water. She grabbed a glass and filled it from the bathroom sink. Feeling calmer, and hoping she was not as flustered looking as she felt, she plastered a smile on her face and walked out to the front of the store.
“Did you get through the bank lineup that fast?” asked Mary. A customer walked out of the store, a bag swinging on her arm.
“No. I saw the line from the outside and kept on walking.”
“Told you.”
“Yeah.” Tori smiled. “Doesn’t help me out now though.”
“You need me to lend you a few bucks?” Mary lifted her cup of tea. “I have fifty on me.”
Hope bloomed inside Tori’s chest. She hated to do it, but she was desperate. “If you could, that would be … awesome.”
When Mary handed over the money, the pressure in Tori’s chest eased. This would get her past her landlord. At least, until she received the rest of her money.
The bank thing was a whole other story.
She wouldn’t get out of that one as easily. Cameras were all over the place. The cops would be looking for her. And she had nothing she wanted to tell them. In fact, she had nothing she wanted to say to the police in any way.
But how to keep herself out of the line of fire?
She could run again. But she would get caught. Burnside wasn’t very big. And she didn’t have enough money to skip to another town farther away. Back to that whole needing her paycheck thing.
She might be able to bluff it.
But not likely.
At closing time, Tori raced through her closing procedure and, with Mary, locked up the store. She cast a look toward the bank but couldn’t see anything different. It was so tempting to think she’d imagined it all. Yet she couldn’t be so lucky. With a quick smile goodbye to Mary, Tori headed home.
At the end of her block, she stopped and checked out her surroundings. Nothing out of the ordinary. No one looking for her. No one even noticing her.
Just the way she wanted it.
She ran up the few stairs to her place and let herself in. Ground-floor apartments weren’t her favorite, but they allowed for a fast escape. And she should know.
First things first, she put on the teakettle. “Jessie, I’m home.”
There was a brush and a scuffle of noise, and then, with the lightness that always amazed her, Jessie jumped onto her counter.
She sighed. “Jessie. Show yourself, please. Remember the rules.”
Instantly her pet Polten, a red panda-raccoon hybrid common on Glory, showed up. In purple. “Purple? Really?”
He grinned. And showed his fangs.
She stared at him a moment, then shook her head. “Whatever.”
With so many moves and energy changes over the last year, he’d changed colors a lot. Now his colors shifted, and his fangs grew apparently by whim.
Jessie chittered in response, then raced to the opposite side of her counter to jump across to her window. The woods were just outside. He knew it. She knew it. But he wouldn’t go there until darkness fell. And then he probably wouldn’t return until morning. She had no idea what he did overnight, but he’d been with her for as long as she could remember. He was more than her spirit pet—he was her best friend and her family.
Besides, not many friends understood about paranormal abilities here. A number of Earth-like planets had been selected for relocation of the human population after Earth started to die and needed emergency assistance—mainly requiring humans to get off the planet and to quit hurting it. In its entirety, the evacuation had taken years, but thankfully they’d had a program in place for decades prior. So, when it came to crunch time, they’d managed to get everyone safely off.
Glory had been one of the farthest and the less-tested options. But many had opted to come here, and, over time, the planet had developed a decent population, with paranormal abilities popping up more and more. Tori could see a future when the energy workers would be more common in the general population.
In fact, given her current situation, Jessie was all she had. Here, at least.
Rummaging in the back of her fridge, Tori found the mostly empty bottle of Glory wine on the bottom shelf. “Gotcha.” She dragged it out, popped the cork, and took it outside to the puny-size deck. She collapsed on her single chair and propped her feet up on the railing. She needed this. What a hell of a day. She took a long gulp from the bottle and leaned her head back.
Someone pounded on her door. She bolted upright and spun to stare in the direction of the entryway. Now who would be calling on her here? She groaned. Right, the landlord.
Grumpy, she stood and walked over to the front door, her fingers already fishing for the money in her pocket. Then the secondary thought struck her that maybe it wasn’t her landlord. Considering what she’d witnessed today, the police might have found her. Keeping that thought in mind, she tiptoed quietly to the door, peered through the peephole, and froze.
No. It couldn’t be.
The door shook with more knocking, as she stood here, her mind still trying to decide how life could hate her this much. Hadn’t she been through enough today?
“Tori? Are you in there? We need to talk.”
Talking with this man was the last thing Tori wanted to do. But it appeared that running hadn’t gotten her anywhere.
Devon Wiltshire still found her.
That was his talent.
She’d done her best, and still he’d beaten her. She dropped her forehead on the door and silently whispered, Go away. Turn around, and keep on walking.
Sounds of footsteps could be heard on the other side of her door. They faded, then grew loud again.
“Tori, open up. I know you’re there,” Devon said, humor in his voice. “At least, now I do.”
Tori pulled at her hair, wanting nothing more than to scream. Then resignedly she snorted in disgust. She opened the door to face her ex-fiancé.
Chapter 3
“Devon. Long time no see. And now that we’ve seen each other, feel free to turn around and leave.” She peered around the doorway to see Devon’s henchmen walking away. She smirked and shot him a look, before turning and walking back into her kitchen. He wouldn’t leave. No way. Not now that he’d found her. She snagged the bottle of wine in her free hand and flopped down in her chair on the deck. She took a long swig of the cold liquid.
“Still drinking cheap wine, I see.” Devon stood in the open patio door.
“Not being in the same financial category as you, I’d say that’s a yes.” And she tilted the bottle back and finished the last dregs. She put it on the cement and sighed. “What the hell do you want?”
“You.”
She froze, and then a broken laugh slipped out. If she hadn’t turned to make sure he was joking, she wouldn’t have caught the hurt, as it flickered through his gaze. Him hurt? Hell, no. Now his pride might have been dented. … That she had no trouble believing. That went along with all the men in his family. Protectors. The whole long line of them.
And they had the skills to make that happen.
Unfortunately.
She turned away and stared out at the forest behind her building. “Joke’s over. What’s the real reason?”
“I came to get you.”
She waved her hand dismissively at him. “Sorry for the wasted trip, but I’m not going anywhere.”
He stepped forward to lean over the deck wall, old paint peeling off with his movements.
Sourly she watched the chips fall and miss him completely. Figures. She’d be wearing those suckers if their positions were reversed. It had happened yesterday, when she’d leaned over in that same spot.
“Is this the best you could find?” he asked, exasperation mixed with mockery in his voice. “This place is a rent-by-the-hour flophouse.”
Acid leeched from her own voice. “You should know.”
He stiffened and turned on her. “No, I wouldn’t.” He glared at her. “A little trust would have been nice.”
She didn’t think it was possible, but his tone gave her the chills, and his words made her feel a little ashamed. Maybe he had changed. Then again, maybe not. “Ah, well, trust is a little hard to come by. You could ask your family for help.” She crossed her arms over her chest and added in a deadly voice, “Oh wait. You already did that.”
Devon stared above her head, a muscle in his long lean jaw twitching. “I’m sorry. I know Grandfather is a bit heavy-handed.”
“Ya think?”
“He’s protective.”
She laughed and didn’t bother answering. Devon was a poor relative to the wealthy Chancellors—poor being a relative term of course. He still had more money than she’d ever had. The Chancellors—powerful, male-dominated, and beyond wealthy—had been living and operating in this world as if they owned it.
In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised to learn they’d somehow staked such a claim to the whole of planet Glory.
“Look. He didn’t realize how important you are to me.”
Present tense. Too bad. He’d had his chance. She’d forgotten what the original argument had been about. And what difference did it make? If Devon had been serious about her, he would have come after her a long time ago. A year ago. Not now.
Airily she said, “Whatever. So why are you here now?”
“To get you.”
Now she was getting mad. She dropped her feet to the patio and stood, stepping right in front of him. “Obviously not. If you were here for me, then you’d have come months ago.”
She saw the wince before he hid it.
“I … We need you.”
Her heart—held in suspension for that whisper of hope that he’d come for her because he couldn’t live without her—fell. “Of course. It’s a job, I suppose.” She motioned to the world beyond the deck. “I have a job. And a life, thank you, and I’m allowed to be choosy about any clients I decide to take on.”
“This”—he waved his arm at the cramped deck and the even smaller apartment—“is not living. You are hiding. How long do you think you can keep this up?”
“As long as I want. As long as I need to.” She dropped back into her chair and closed her eyes. “It’s been a shitty day. Go away.”
“I know all about your shitty day. How do you think I found you?”
Well, doesn’t that figure? All she’d wanted was a little cash. The Chancellors did security in a big way. They’d probably seen the damn bank feed within an hour of the robbery.
“Why did you pick this hellhole?” he asked.
That did warrant a look around. She closed her eyes again and said, “It’s not that bad.” She took a deep breath of the clean air and added, “There is a lot to recommend it here.”
“No resurgent energy is here. You can’t recharge easily. Why? Why did you run here?”
She’d had enough, stating simply, “None of your business.” There was a long silence, so long she finally opened her eyes to see Devon staring at her, his arms crossed over his chest.
“I’m not leaving without you.”
“And that’s where you’re wrong.” She glared at him. “I want you to leave my apartment. And I want you to leave now.” Inside, she mentally repeated, Leave now.
A muscle pulsed in his stiff jaw. He hesitated.
She took two steps and stood toe to toe with him. She forced the word out of her throat. “Now.”
His gaze hardened, even as his shoulders relaxed. “This isn’t over.” And he walked out of her apartment.
She followed behind him and threw the bolt home, locking him out.
Too bad she couldn’t lock him out of her heart.
*
Devon opened his phone and called Grandfather. “She’s refusing to return.”
“Doesn’t matter what she wants. We need her. Pay her more.”
“I didn’t offer her any money. She’s too proud.”
“Ha. That was your first mistake. Go back and offer her money. She’s destitute. Look at the way she’s living.”
“If she’s living that way, it’s for a reason.”
“Yeah, because she doesn’t know how to make a living in the normal world. She’s an energy worker. They have to work energy. Nothing else in their life will go right, unless she follows her destiny.”
Devon groaned under his breath. He’d been listening to this destiny stuff for decades. “She doesn’t want to come back with me. I told you to send someone else.”
“Well, she’s your fiancée. So it’s only right it should be you.” Grandfather’s voice sharpened. “Now listen good. You get her back here by tomorrow, and I don’t care how. We need her here. People’s lives are depending on it.”
And Grandfather hung up. A voice next to Devon gave him pause.
“I heard most of that from over here.”
Of course he did. Devon glared at his next-youngest brother.
“I don’t know why we even use phones. The old man could just yell, and everyone between here and the other side of the planet would know what he wanted.” With a laugh, Karl sauntered closer. “So, what will you say to her?”
“I have no idea. She won’t open the door a second time.”
That earned him a wicked grin. “Since when did locked doors keep us out?”
He studied his brother’s cheeky face. “Are you suggesting we kidnap her?”
Karl stared at the trees around them. “With her abilities, not much we can do about forcing her. Look at the bank scenario. Look at the crew you took to her place. Hell, they’re in the vehicle right now, shaking off her autosuggestion. She’s potent, bro. And, without her cooperation, we’ll have to knock her out and kidnap her.”
Devon hated to consider the idea but had to admit, it had been sitting just out of his consciousness. “She’ll hate me.”
“No,” his brother corrected. “She’ll understand. Eventually.”
And that would be too long. Devon had waited a year to come after her. Twelve long months to get it into her head that she really didn’t want to be alone. That he really was her choice of a mate. Twelve long months of waiting. A whole damn year of hoping that she’d come to him.
Instead she’d chosen to live like this rather than be around him. He wondered if the hurt would ever go away.
As much as he admired her guts and determination, he saw how her energy was less than it had been. Either she couldn’t recharge as easily as she could before or the town was draining her faster than she’d expected. And she had no partner to help with the recharging.
And, in Tori’s case, she needed to recharge more than most.
So how had she survived for so long?
And how the hell would he get her home in time to help the people who were in trouble? The clock was ticking …
“Why is she the only one? Surely Grandfather could have found another one with her talents?”
“She’s the one with the affinity to the woods, remember? Not even Genesis can do it alone. She said Tori was needed.” Karl sighed. “Did you explain the problem to her?” Karl asked Devon.
“No.” He stared at his brother helplessly. “I didn’t know how. After she said, No way, I got angry and then …” He shrugged. “I guess I said the wrong thing because, the next thing I know, she ordered me to get the hell out of her apartment.”
“And you left?” Karl raised both hands and gave a hard laugh.
“And I left.”
Karl stared, then his lips twitched. “You realize you let your guard down, and she autosuggested you, right?”
Devon stared at his brother. “No, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t.” At least she never had before. As he thought back on his lack of resistance, not even thinking to resist, he closed his eyes and groaned. “Damn it. She so did.”
Chapter 4
Tori shouldn’t have used her abilities on Devon. She felt guilty about that. Well, okay, only a teeny bit guilty. He did deserve it. What was she supposed to do, just pack up her stuff and leave with him? Because he said so? Those days were long gone.
The air was cool, as she came out of her two-minute shower. The apartment was tiny, but, after the day’s events, her energy was drained. Damn, she was tired. At least she had a place of her own. And that was so much better than the alternative. Leaving her window open a few inches for Jessie, who she hadn’t seen since Devon left, she crawled into bed.
Her mind teemed with the things Devon had said. And all that he hadn’t. Something about people needing her help. She let out a skeptical snort. So not likely. She generally got people into trouble—not out of it.
She rolled over and fell asleep.
*
Much later, Tori woke. Something was off. Lying quietly in her bed, she listened to the sounds rustling outside in the forest. Many people avoided the woods. Unlike Tori, they didn’t have an affinity to the woodlands. She did. And she could recharge almost anywhere, as long as she had Jessie.
If she were separated from Jessie for a long time period, she would have to find another solution. One option would be to go to the woodlands. Or back home, where the energies of the meridians crossing the planet soothed her energy, instead of aggravating it. Some people managed to spend their entire lives in towns like the one she was currently in. In that case, their systems adapted.
In Tori’s case, she had never adapted.
But she needed to get the hell away, and this latest town had seemed to be a good option. With Jessie, she’d been fine. The others didn’t know about Jessie, or, for some like Devon, hadn’t wanted to know.
The thing was, his grandfather had seen Jessie but wouldn’t back up Tori’s claims. Then again, none of it mattered.
She and Jessie had been together for a long time. She’d be damned if some grumpy old man had the power to ruin that.
She sighed and punched her pillow. She hated waking in the night. She needed sleep. Especially with the recharging issues.
A whisper of something wrong crossed her consciousness.
Someone, … something, … was in the apartment.
“Jessie?” she called out in the barest of whispers. But she saw no sign of him.
She pushed aside the blankets and went to stand, when a strong hand clapped a cloth over her mouth, and a strange energy bolt hit her sleep center, knocking her out.
The last thing she remembered was Jessie’s worried chirp.
Then she heard nothing more.
*
“Damn it. I should have stayed in the room with her.”
“You think she would have preferred waking up with you there?” Karl laughed. “I don’t think so.”
“Maybe not, but she’d be over her anger by now.” He stared around the dining room in the main house of his grandfather’s huge estate. Big enough for the gatherings of the whole family, including all the extended family. Right now though, only a few of them were here.
Grandfather needed Tori’s help.
They all did.
But she wouldn’t want anything to do with Grandfather or Devon at this stage. He twisted his mug around moodily.
“When will you let her out of her room?” Karl asked Devon.
He glanced toward the stairs, leading to the room where Tori had been locked in, and frowned. “I was hoping she’d sleep longer. She doesn’t look well.”
“She’s fighting the energy of that damn town.” Karl shook his head. “Why would she go there?” He stood and walked to the sideboard, where he filled a plate with eggs and potatoes. “She could have stayed here and enjoyed the wealth.”
Devon frowned and narrowed his eyebrows, glaring at Karl’s back.
At the awkward silence, Karl swung around. “Shit. That was cold. I am so sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Devon stood and moved toward the hallway. “You’re right. She made her choice.”
As he reached the stairway, he realized he still had no idea why she’d made the choice she did.
Well, not exactly.
Yet he still wanted to know why she’d walked out and had stomped on his heart to get free.
Chapter 5
She let her eyelids drift closed. Weakness invaded her body, as though she hadn’t recharged. That brought her eyelids open again. Why wasn’t she recharging?
Then she realized she had, in a way, overcharged, but slowly, … very slowly. “Jessie?”
Gentle chattering near her head reassured her that her friend and spirit pet was here with her.
“What’s going on?”
He chittered, and his presence blinked on and off.
She frowned. Normally, if they were alone, Jessie stayed visible. That he was flashing on and off like a neon bulb concerned her. In fact, she realized something was incredibly wrong.
As she sat up, the blankets fell down. She still wore her camisole and shorts, but the blankets weren’t hers. Nor was the bed. In fact, as she searched the gloomy darkness, she realized that she didn’t recognize the room itself.
Where the hell was she?
She cast her mind back. Devon. Had he kidnapped her? He’d been adamant about her returning with him. And it would be so typical of him to ignore her wishes and to steal her away in the dark of night.
Damn. She threw back the blanket and walked to the small adjacent room, grateful to find it was a bathroom. A bag was on the floor by the small table. She opened it to find her clothes and personal articles. And, from the look of the contents, it was all of them.
She sat back, her anger building quickly.
So he came to ask for her help, and, when she was less than delighted to see him, he kidnapped her and stole her away. Had Grandfather told him to not return without her?
That would have stuck in the old man’s craw. She had never gotten along with him. Nor he with her.
That didn’t stop the hurt, fueling her temper into full-blown anger.
How could Devon do that to her?
She moved to the door and tried to open it, with no success. She wasn’t surprised. If she’d been kidnapped, no way they’d leave the door wide open for her.
Exhaling loudly, she decided the next best thing to do was shower. After a quick wash, she changed into jeans and a T-shirt from her bag and checked out the window. It wasn’t locked, so she pushed it open and scanned her surroundings. Trees, bushes, and the gleam of water in the distance. She didn’t recognize the area. Still, she recognized the energy.
And that wasn’t good. It was morning, so she could be a long way from home.
At the word home, she gave a broken laugh. She didn’t have a home. Not really. Everything had blown apart when her granny had died. Tori’s personal life had blown up soon afterward. She’d walked out the next day. She’d thought she’d been building a future with Devon, until she realized that dream had been just as unattainable as the other things in life she’d dreamed of having.
It wasn’t fair.
But so what? She was all about goals. She’d been making them since forever and doing a fine job of reaching them. Until Devon had derailed her life.
Now she reassessed. She had her bag and the little she owned. Of course she had no money, and wouldn’t Mary hate that Tori didn’t show up to work today or pay back the borrowed money? Then again, Mary would just get it from Tori’s incoming paycheck. Now she had to run again, with no money. Savagely she closed the zipper and approached the locked door.
Suddenly Tori realized that she was in big trouble. Only she wasn’t the sticking-around kind to see what that meant.
*
Devon approached Tori’s door with caution. Dealing with an energy talent meant one needed to be wary at all times. The fact that she was female and probably angry and spitting like a werecat meant that, right now, she would be extremely dangerous.
And her anger would be directed at him.
He knocked on her door. “Tori, are you wake?”
No answer.
He checked his watch. It was nine in the morning. She should be awake. Chances were, she was stewing in anger. He debated unlocking the door and going in and checking on her but took the coward’s way out. “I’ll come back in a bit.”
As he turned to walk away, he found Grandfather standing at the end of the hallway, glaring at him.
“Well, you brought her home again. Why the devil isn’t she in the forest helping our people?”
“She’s not awake yet,” Devon offered.
His grandfather snorted. “That girl always could sleep a good day away.” He turned on his heel, sending his parting shot. “Wake her up. People are hurting.”
Devon stared after him. He could understand the old man’s frustration. Time was ebbing away. But an uncooperative Tori would not help.
Still, time was a factor. Resolute, he returned and knocked on her door—hard. “Tori. It’s morning. Time to wake up.”
He leaned in to hear her response, but there wasn’t one.
He closed his eyes. She couldn’t escape that room. No way. The window was locked, and they were on the second floor. But his heart said she’d gone.
The key to the lock was stashed atop the doorframe. He quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Tori? Are you here?” He flicked on the lights. Her bedding was tossed to the side, and there was no sign of her. Or her bag.
Shit.
He raced to the bathroom to double-check, but the small opulent room was empty. The window, however, was open.
Fresh air blew his way, and his heart pounded, as he leaned over the glass to peer out. What if her broken body was there, lying on the ground below?
But he saw no sign of her.
“Damn it.” He scanned the edge of the property at the tree line. How far of a head start did she have? Surely she hadn’t had time to go far?
The bushes shifted and rippled off to the left. Locking his gaze on the area, he waited for the movement to catch his eye. There. Running through the trees. He grabbed his phone and called security.
“She’s heading to the north side of the property.”
Jackson, head of security, responded. “Got it.”
“Remember. Keep your ears plugged.” He hated to say more but in this case … “Consider her armed and dangerous.”
“Will do.”
Devon ended the call and raced out to join the others in the search. He met his brother Karl at the bottom of the stairs. “She’s escaped,” he said tersely. Barely registering Karl’s shocked surprise, Devon bolted past him out to the backyard. Footsteps pounded behind him. “How is that possible?” Karl asked. “She should barely be able to move.”
“I have no idea. She was always a surprise.”
“And apparently had more talents than she let on,” Karl said, just a hint of humor in his voice. “Just think. She kept some things hidden from Grandfather. No wonder he didn’t like her.”
“Why do you say that? He was always polite to her.” Devon hated the inference that he might have missed something. “I know they weren’t overly friendly …”
His brother laughed. “You’ve never seen him for who he really is. There was more than dislike between them. The animosity nearly glowed from his eyes the one time I saw it clearly revealed.”
They’d reached the shrubbery, and Devon dashed forward, knocking aside the branches. A path was farther in, but he couldn’t count on her using it. Not if she knew she was being pursued.
And who was he kidding? This was Tori—no way she couldn’t know.
