Page 28

A fter getting Victory situated in Eli’s old room, I drug myself upstairs. My legs and eyelids were equally heavy. Part of me wanted to lateral travel to Gitmo and sit with Caiyan, but I needed a shower and sleep. Figuring out that man’s secrets wore me to the bone.

I took a long, hot shower and felt better. I sent Eli a text letting him know my work for the WTF had concluded, I was home, but I would need one more day before I returned to work. There was one more duck that needed tending. Caiyan.

Eli offered plans to meet for dinner tomorrow night.

I replied, Pizza, my treat .

He responded back with I’m there, glad you’re home safe .

I sent him a tired emoji, plugged my phone into the cable on my nightstand, and slipped between my sheets.

A gentle breeze blew in from my open window, ruffling the curtains. I thought about Daphne and her early morning breakfast routine, considered closing the window, but the fresh air smelled nice with the hint of summer rain looming.

Temperatures in the Texas summer rarely dropped into the open window category, so I’d risk having breakfast with Daphne.

I stared at the ceiling, scrolling through the events during the moon cycle and ending with the Mafuso mayhem. Between losing the general, conniving my way through Gettysburg, almost losing Caiyan, keeping Sam on the right path, saving Victory, and faking out Gian-Carlo to snag Caiyan’s key, I felt like I had lived a year in five days. This transporter was exhausted.

Jake got the green light from General Potts to approve travelers on a case by case basis, with the defenders and the transporters allowed to have input on who travels for each jump. I’d won a huge victory for the transporters, and Ace would still be my friend.

He was on a date with Marvin, wedding planner extraordinaire. I hoped it went well. He deserved to find love.

What about my love? My gut told me Caiyan still had secrets he hadn’t shared. Did I want to continue a relationship filled with lies and secrets? At least he wasn’t going to be a father. My inner voice reminded me that was my bad. I assumed he was the baby’s daddy.

He didn’t marry Mahlia, although he would have married her to gain his key. Maybe.

Where did that leave me? Alone eating the cake. We still had a lot to work out. I’d go see him tomorrow, and hopefully he’d be sitting up in bed flirting with the nurses.

I yawned and pulled my new, ruffled duvet from Anthropologie under my chin. I liked the soft, girly texture of the bed cover. It was comfortable, like this part of my life.

Being a chiropractic assistant and a secret agent wasn’t so bad. My life was filled with good friends I considered family, and family I considered good friends.

Aint Elma knew the most important thing in life is to surround yourself with loved ones. People you could count on, people who loved you, people a girl could share secrets with. I had to agree that the woman was wickedly wise.

A light rain began a tap dance against the glass on my French door. Lightning flashed outside. I did the count thing and waited for the thunder, but it didn’t come. The Texas weather, summer storms in particular, were so unpredictable, exactly like the men in my life.

I cuddled deeper into my burrow and drifted to sleep.

A buzzing noise woke me. My phone. Jake’s name flashed across my screen along with the time. It was after five in the morning.

“Everything OK?” I managed to mumble into the phone.

“Good morning.” Jake’s voice sounded husky on the other end of the line.

“It’s still dark outside, technically it’s still night.”

“It’s after five, and I have some news you’re going to want to hear.”

“What news?” I propped up on an elbow.

“McGregor’s gone.”

My heart stopped for a full minute. I bolted upright in bed and sat rigid, preparing myself.

“Jen, did you hear me?”

“What do you mean he’s…g-g-gone?” My voice quivered.

“Shit Jen, I didn’t mean dead gone, I meant, he skated the hospital.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m tired and I didn’t think.”

“But the nurse told me he wasn’t stable.”

The pause meant he ran a hand through his hair before he continued. “He just got up and left. Took out his IVs and vanished in his vessel. I imagine the key played a big part. The moon cycle is closed, so Pickles can’t track him. I wanted to let you know in case he comes your way.”

A shadow crossed my balcony.

“Thanks, I’ll let you know if he shows.”

“See you soon.”

I disconnected and slipped from my bed.

“Holy shite!” The sound of shoes skittered across the tile on my balcony.

I flung open the French door and flipped on the overhead light. Caiyan stood outside, his face flush with surprise.

“What are you doing?” I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the door hinge.

“I need to see ye, but the biggest fucking spider I’ve ever seen was guarding yer door.” I looked down and a furry black spider sprinted across my bare feet and into my bedroom.

I jumped into Caiyan’s arms, then squinted at the spider. It wore a little vest.

“I think that’s Chuck.”

“Who’s Chuck?”

“Darryl’s pet spider.”

“Who’s Darryl?” Caiyan’s jaw clenched.

“My cousin. He moved in next door.”

His body relaxed and he pulled me in tight.

“I missed ye, Sunshine.” He snuggled his face in my hair and inhaled.

I wiggled away from his intoxicating scent and shushed the spider out the door. It made a quick scurry over the balcony railing and disappeared into Darryl’s backyard.

“Can I come inside?”

I waved my hand, and he walked past me. His hair and clothes were damp from the rain. He’d stolen a pair of scrubs with a doctor’s name embroidered on the right chest pocket.

“How long have you been out there, Doctor Goldberg?” I cocked an eyebrow at him.

“A few hours. I called up to ye, like Romeo, but ye didnae answer. So, I came up. When I gained my nerve to wake ye, I noticed the spider.”

Jeez. How could I be mad at the guy?

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound?”

“Aye, when I woke and had my key, I knew you were the one who returned it to me.”

“So, you just yanked out the IVs and vanished in the night. I bet the nurses were beside themselves trying to find you.”

“’Twas a bit dodgy. I had to find clothes. I couldnae show up at yer doorstep with my bare bum flapping in the breeze.”

I laughed at the image.

“Weel, I couldnae keep lying in the hospital bed wondering if Marco was here keeping yer sheets warm, as he put it.”

His eyes held questions, and I thought maybe he deserved to suffer, a little.

“You’re right about the key. I was the one who returned it to you,” I said.

“How did ye get it?”

I explained the situation with the Mafusos. A grin tugged at his lips. “Ye did all that?”

“I did.”

“I dinnae like ye being so close to Gian-Carlo. He may be an old man, but he’s naugh a nice one. He’ll play by the rules in the present, but he willnae be nice when we travel back in time. And now that he knows aboot yer gift, he’ll be ruthless to turn ye to the dark side.”

“Does that mean you’re going to stay with the WTF?”

“If that’s where ye are.”

He started toward me, and I put a hand up.

He stopped.

“I dinnae handle this situation weel, Sunshine, but I’d like to explain things, shed some light on my actions.”

I gestured to my comfy chair.

He shook his head. “I’m better if I stand.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and sat down on the edge of my bed.

“When I was a wee lad, I had the worst crush on Victory. I thought she would’ve been the one I married. You know, young love.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. Not the words I wanted to hear, but I understood. I had felt the same way about Jake.

“I beg ye to jest hear me oot.”

Him begging, I liked. “Continue.”

“She told me she had a vision of me opening the gate to the King’s key. My gift. The one ye dinnae know of, is that I’m the gatekeeper.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ve no idea. She also told me a woman with blond hair would drive me crazy, steal my heart, and end me from time traveling.”

“You didn’t want to give up your gift,” I said.

“Rattled me to my very core. I was afraid. If a blond woman came near me, I ran.”

“You didn’t run from me.”

“Naugh exactly, but I’ve been keeping a lid on my feelings for ye.”

“How did you meet Victory?”

“My grandfather raised Victory since she was a wee lassie. Her parents died early in her young life. When he died, we were taken to the WTF. I met Elma, and I thought she was the one who would end me. And then Victory was taken away, and I was lost. That day in Gettysburg, Elma saved me.

“Maybe it’s not me who ends you.”

“Oh ’tis you.” He moved closer, standing an inch away, his spicy scent causing my toes to curl inside my fuzzy socks. He tucked his index finger under my chin and lifted it to meet his eyes. “You drive me completely insane. Yer all I thought aboot while I lay in the hospital, helpless. If I lost ye in Gettysburg, it wouldae ended me. I don’t care if I never travel again, as long as I have you.”

I turned away. “If you want me, then I want to know everything. No more secrets.”

“I’ll tell ye whatever ye want to know.”

“What did Aint Elma mean by you’re responsible for my grandfather’s death?’

“When I was first brought to the WTF, she sent me back on a mission. An unauthorized travel.” He lowered his eyes. “’Twas a time in the past when her brother John.” He paused, then lifted his eyes and they met mine. “Yer grandfather, died. She wanted me to change history, to warn him.”

“She was trying to change the past.”

He confirmed with a soft nod. “My grandfather was also there. He was stealing a key, and John was the agent assigned to stop him. It hadnae been long since my grandfather’s death. I couldnae find the nerve to go against my grandfather, so I didnae warn John. I failed on purpose, and he died.”

“Elma was right,” I said. “His wasn’t your life to save. You can’t change the past because the past bites back.”

“Aye, I feel it in my gut, literally.”

“Why did you almost marry Mahlia?”

“’Twas naugh legal. I knew Toches was the priest, but she didnae. Besides…” He paused, lifting his gaze and held mine as if he wanted to pour all his thoughts into my soul.

A strong sense of hope, respect, and love whooshed through me. I’d read him without making contact.

“She’s naugh the one I want to marry.”

My insides clenched. Was I ready? Did I want to marry Caiyan?

“Sunshine, I want to marry you, but considering ye jest looked at the balcony like ye might jump off, I’m no asking ye now.” He pulled me into his arms. “But know one day, when the time is right.” He glanced at the clock on my nightstand. “And it’s not five in the morning, I’m going to ask, and I hope ye weel say yes.”

I encircled his neck with my arms.

“Maybe one day, when the time is right.” I arched a playful eyebrow at him. “And by the way, it’s After 5.”

“Yeah?” He tucked a loose hair behind my ear. Pulled me in close and kissed me. “Maybe I should remind ye why I’m the one to be warmin’ yer sheets.”

“You can try.”

He scooped me up. A grimace shot across his face.

“Should you be lifting me in your condition?” I asked, alarmed.

“I’m going to do more than that to ye, lassie. Thanks to ye, I’ve the rest of my life to spend time with the woman I love.”

The End