Dissever (Unbinding Fate Book One) (14 page)

When he got closer her hand went over her mouth. He
walked up quickly and pulled her over to the side, out of view of the mystery house.

“I thought that was you this morning,” Tanner said,
letting go of her arm. “And you tell me
I’m
a terrible spy?”

Shaking off her shocked expression, she tried to keep
her voice down. “What are you doing here?”

“What are
you
doing here?” He shot back.

“Who are you?” Kim asked, walking briskly toward them.

Addy almost forgot she was there. “Kim, this is Tanner,
we met a couple of weeks ago. Tanner, this is my friend Kim.”

He nodded at her. “I remember you from the beach, nice
to meet you.”

Kim ignored Tanner completely and focused on Addy. “From
the
beach
—the one you talked to that night by the fire?”

“Yes, he was the one you thought was looking at us on
the first day with the boots and long hair on the beach.” Addy had no choice
but to explain every painful detail to her quickly, as they stood outside of
the mystery house. Kim didn’t look happy that Addy went ahead and met with him
behind her back.

Crossing her arms, Kim tipped her head and frowned. “Well,
so much for not keeping
secrets
from each other.”

Noticing something strange, Addy moved to look at the
back of Tanner’s neck. She just about fell over at what she saw. “Where did you
get that symbol?”

Tanner glanced from Addy to the mystery house. “We’ve
gotta go somewhere else to talk,” he said. “Where’re you staying?”

“Nowhere yet, we haven’t had a chance to find a
place,” Addy said.

Tanner started to walk back to his motorcycle. “Follow
me to my hotel—we can talk there,” he said over his shoulder.

Kim wasn’t happy about it, but Addy trailed behind him
and they got back in the car to follow him to his place.

“Ok, that doesn’t look like the same guy,” Kim said
with a smirk the minute they were alone in the car. “I guess
that
explains why you’ve been blowing off Gage.”

“Oh my
god,
it does not,” Addy said. “Tanner
has nothing to do with Gage.”

Kim laughed a little bit too much at her reaction. “I
was
joking, but now I’m not so sure.”

Addy was really stressed about seeing him there sporting
his new glowing symbol. She couldn’t wait to get to his hotel to talk;
thankfully it was only about a mile away. He was staying at another incredibly
gorgeous resort with a terrace overlooking the ocean.

Tanner told them his suite had three bedrooms, and
they could stay there while they were in town if they wanted to. They quickly
agreed and he had the hotel staff retrieve their things from Addy’s car.

Addy plopped down on his huge leather sofa when they
were alone. “So what gives?”

“A few days ago—right after I saw you last, whatever
was tying me to your house just went away suddenly,” he said, collapsing on the
sofa next to her. “I stayed a couple of extra days to be sure I was ok, and
yesterday morning I decided to head out.”

“When did you get the symbol?” Addy asked, biting her
lip.

“In the afternoon yesterday it felt like someone was
burning my neck with a hot iron. When I looked at the back of my neck I had
this thing.” He turned to show her the symbol. “I’ve got the gut pulling
feeling that brought me to your house—it’s not
nearly
as bad though.”

Addy felt sick. The feeling Tanner had disappeared
when Fate died—she was sure of it. Then when she touched the Overseer’s Stone,
he got the same feeling and burning symbol as she did.

She lifted her hair and turned around to show him the
back of her neck.

“You have it too, girlie?” His face paled as he
reached up and touched it. “Maybe I was too quick to blow off the alien thing.”

“Ok I’m about to tell you some things you might not
believe, but trust me, they’re
all
true.” Addy dropped her hands in her
lap and turned to face him. “It’s probably gonna take awhile.”

It took a really long time. In fact, it took so long
that they ordered room service. Addy told him everything, except about Gage
healing her, even Kim didn’t know about that. She tried not to leave out a
single detail about the Akori, the estate, the Overseer, and the Overseer’s Stone.

Tanner asked her a lot of questions, but oddly, he
didn’t seem shocked by what she was saying.

“So do you think that Overseer’s Stone has something
to do with why we’re here?” he asked.

“Yeah I think—” Addy stopped and followed Tanner’s
eyes as he motioned for her to look at Kim.

“Hey,” Addy said to her. “You okay?”

Kim appeared to be zoning out, but she snapped out of
it at the sound of Addy’s voice. “Both of you stand up and let me see the marks
next to each other.”

Addy and Tanner exchanged looks as they stood up
side-by-side. Kim moved behind them and studied the symbols.

“They’re not
exactly
the same,” she said. “Let
me see your phone so I can take a picture, Addy. My battery’s dead.”

Addy fished her phone out of her purse. She’d kept it
off to avoid talking to anyone, but once she turned it on the notification for
new text messages popped up.

“Just ignore the messages.” She told Kim and handed
her the phone.

Kim took a picture of the symbols. “Now turn around
and smile.” She snapped a few pictures of Tanner and Addy who just made strange
faces at her.

Kim made Tanner take a few pictures of her and Addy. She
then excused herself to her room with the pictures, saying she wanted to look
through the books of Akori symbols again.

When Kim was gone Addy turned to Tanner. “Ok, so why
aren’t you
totally
freaked out by what I told you?”

Tanner shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure. It just
seems right—maybe like I finally have the answers I’ve needed.”

“So you buy
this
, but not the alien story?”

“Oh, I bought the alien story. You just confessed way
too easily so I knew it was only a cover.”

“You saw right through me.”

Tanner pointed at her. “Exactly.”

Addy and Tanner continued to talk. He told her when
she saw him earlier he’d just arrived in town too. He said he watched the
mystery house for most of the day and saw two people dressed in gold robes
leaving. One was wearing a crimson red hooded cloak over the robes.

“Gold robes? Are you sure?”

 “Positive. They were two older looking dudes,” Tanner
said as he grabbed a can of soda out of the refrigerator and handed it to her.

“Thanks,” Addy said, taking it from him. “The
traditional Akori clothing for special events is gold colored robes—I mean,
they don’t wear them
anymore,
but they did.”

She opened the can and took a sip. She was thirsty,
but she didn’t remember saying she wanted a drink.

“Well, these two guys were rocking them today.” Tanner
walked out on the terrace motioning her to follow him. “You look really great.
Did you get run over by an extreme makeover show?”

“You’re a funny guy,” Addy said, poking him in the
arm.

 The view of the ocean and passing ships was
spectacular from the terrace.

“It’s cool you’re here,” he said, leaning on the
railing. “I mean, we can get this sorted out faster together.”

She rolled her eyes at him and grinned. “You’re just
glad you’re not the only one who’s broken anymore.”

“Misery loves company,” he said, bumping her in the
shoulder.

Addy lowered her chin so it was resting on her hands
along the railing. “Have you slept recently?”

“From the time I came to your beach I never slept once
until the afternoon you said your grandfather passed away. And I haven’t slept
since the mark appeared yesterday.”

She frowned.

He raised his eyebrows at her. “I take it you haven’t
either then.”

She shook her head. “Misery loves company.”

“It sure does, girlie.”

She watched the lights of a ship passing by get
dimmer. “Who else did you see at the house—besides the people in the gold
robes?”

 “There was a guy about our age, and two young women,
maybe a few years older than him.”

Addy thought for a minute and then turned to face him.
“Let's go talk to them tomorrow.” 

“Sure—I’m down,” Tanner said. “What’s your cell
number?”

She quickly rattled it off and he didn’t even bother
to write it down or save it in his phone.

“Did you actually
want
it, or were you just seeing
if I knew it?”

“I want it,” he said with a smile. “I gotta go out for
awhile—I’ll see you in the morning.” Giving her shoulders a quick squeeze, he
headed for the door.

Not being able to sleep made the night seem painfully
long. At least if she was at home she could play a video game. She flipped
through every channel and came to the conclusion that everything on TV sucked.
Finally, desperate from extreme boredom, Addy decided to grab her phone from
Kim and see who sent the text messages. Flopping back down on her bed, she read
three, all from Gage.

I’m back from the airport. Find me when you get
home.

Addy please call us.

My mom found your note. Call me.

She looked at the clock, it was 2 a.m. Gage was
probably sleeping. If she called she might be able to just leave a voicemail,
but she decided a text message would be safer. She kept it simple.

We’re fine.

She hit send, and within seconds, her phone was
ringing. Gage was calling back—so much for texting being safer. She looked at
it for a few seconds debating on whether or not to talk to him. She didn’t
answer it and he sent a text.

What’s going on?

She thought about it for a few minutes and decided she’d
better reply.

I’ll be back soon. I need some space.

Gage didn’t respond.

Chapter 13

By 10am, Addy was dressed and ready to go, wearing a
new pair of skinny jeans, a black and white striped top, and sneakers. She and Tanner
opted to have Kim wait at the suite since they didn’t know what they’d be
walking into.

“So I sent a text to Gage last night.” Addy showed Kim
the messages.

She looked disappointed. “That was kind of a bummer
thing to tell him.”

“When we get home I’ll tell him everything. I’d rather
have him mad at me than worried.” Addy tucked her phone back in her pocket.

Kim tipped her head toward Addy and smiled. “Do you
care if I call Matt?”

“I’ve never said you couldn’t talk to Matt—just don’t tell
him what’s going on. Say I needed some space and wanted you to come away with
me for a couple of days,” Addy said with a sigh. She didn’t like telling Kim to
lie for her, but she didn’t know what else to do.

Kim unplugged her phone from the charger and headed
for her room.

Tanner walked in from a small room that was set up as
an office off of the living room. He was wearing jeans, a black fitted t-shirt,
and black boots. A man followed behind him and Tanner introduced him to Addy as
Oliver, his assistant. She smiled politely and shook his hand, thinking how Tanner
wasn’t turning out to be what she thought at all.

Oliver was a good looking, clean cut man who was maybe
in his mid-sixties. He was dressed in a blue blazer, light blue button down
shirt, and khakis. He gave Addy a long look when Tanner introduced her. Not a
look that said he didn’t like her or anything. More like he was curious about
her.

Tanner told Oliver to keep an eye on Kim and give her
anything she needed. Then he motioned Addy to the door.  They walked down to
the parking garage and climbed on Tanner’s motorcycle. Addy decided to leave the
car for Kim in case she needed it.

The gate was open at the mystery house so Tanner just pulled
up in the driveway. The black Spyder and the Can-Am were parked outside the
garage.

Addy reached up and touched the symbol on his neck.
“My neck’s burning again, is yours?”

“Yep,” he said, moving his head side to side.

 “Should we just walk up?” she asked.

“That, or just sit here until they call the cops.”

“Right, we better go to the door.” Addy climbed off
his bike. “Ready?”

Tanner stood up next to her. “Let’s get it done,
girlie.”

They walked up and knocked.

A guy about Addy’s age opened the door of the mystery
house. She had to actively try not to stare at him because he looked like he
just fell out of a calendar of hot guys.

Mr. July was at least six foot tall, with dark brown hair
that hung loosely below his ears, tanned skin, and dark green eyes. It was all
conveniently packaged in an amazing body.

He wore no shirt, had bare feet, and a loose pair of
jeans that hung low on his waist. She decided that they must have just
interrupted a photo shoot, because no guy just hung out at home looking like
that.

He looked directly at Tanner. “What took you so long?”

 Tanner’s face immediately contorted. “You know me?”

The guy ran his fingers through his hair and smirked.
“Seriously?”

Addy took a step forward. “Who are you?”

 “Come in,” he said, looking her up and down and
motioned with his head toward the house.  

“Thanks,” Tanner said.

Addy rolled her eyes at him
. “Thanks?”

“What?” He pointed for her to follow the guy inside.
“Manners.”

They followed him in, and the mystery house guy led
them into a huge sitting room with books lining the shelves. She fully expected
to see a camera crew.

“Turn around and let me see the symbol on your neck,”
he said to Tanner.