The Quest (9 page)

My stomach churned. Galluzzi could have spent years planning my demise. What did I do to become her most hated enemy? What kind of person spends so much time calculating and arranging such an event? She was worse than the devil.

I leaned back against the sofa, wondering about something else Boss had said. He’d told me many times that no creature could wipe out one’s memories. He never once mentioned a charm existed. Had he found new information and just hadn’t shared it with me yet?

I crossed my arms. “You never mentioned anything about a spell before.”

“I reached out to a few warlock friends of mine. One of them said there is a potion, but it’s difficult to make and the incantation isn’t easy either. He did research for me and found the subjects tested slowly remembered things, but it took years and most never fully regained their memories. He also said some went crazy as they struggled with reality and images from their past.”

I didn’t know which bothered me more, the fact it took years to get some recollection back or that people became nutty. I didn’t have years to spend waiting. Nor did I want to wind up insane.

“Were the subjects human?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Then maybe my memories will return quicker since I’m more than human.” My heart lifted a notch. Maybe my angel, demon and vampire blood would protect me from ending up wacko.

“It seems you are already starting to get memories back and your mentality is stable. I don’t think you have to worry about going crazy. As for whether or not all your memories will return, unfortunately, we have no way of knowing that answer. My friend said if a vampire administered the spell, it’s possible he used his ability to control minds to make the charm more potent.”

So not only did I take some strong “forget me” formula, the vampire who accompanied me used his skills to enhance the drug. Wait. Why would I take some elixir knowing what it would do? Or did I know? Could the vampire have tricked me?

Blowing out a deep breath, I leaned my head back on the sofa. My life was a freaking mess. I didn’t understand how I ended up mixed in with such chaos or why Galluzzi couldn’t leave me alone. I needed answers, not more questions.

“Have you had any other flashbacks?”

I lifted my head. “Actually, I had one in the basement during my shift.”

Boss stood and walked toward me. “You had a flashback in the basement of the Statehouse?” He sat by me, his leg touching mine.

“Early in my shift, I walked by a room and had a déjà vu moment. At the time, I didn’t investigate the feeling any further. But on the way back from the demon attacking me, I stopped at the doors and knocked. An older man opened the door, and I was able to peer inside the room.”

Boss stared deep into my eyes. “Show me what you saw.”

Swallowing, I recalled the horrific images from earlier when I scanned the room. One picture after another appeared in gruesome detail. An unsettling feeling stirred within me when I saw the bloody organ sitting in a silver bowl.

Boss’s hand gripped mine. “Show me all of them, Shelley. Don’t be afraid.”

A ringing in my ears grew louder. Boss was probing, trying to help me dig deeper into my brain. Did I want to know the frightening truth?

I tightened my fist. Two men spoke, but not in English. One man had dark hair mixed with gray and wore a white coat. Latex gloves covered his hands. Dark red streaks and blotches soiled the front of him. The scent of blood was strong, along with the smell of chemicals. I laid on a cold, hard surface. My limbs wouldn’t move, but I was conscious. Lifting my head, I saw straps covering my arms and a paper-like cover over my lower abdomen. When something razor sharp cut into me, I gasped and shot up from the sofa.

“Oh, fuck, Boss.” Sweat broke out on my skin. My heart thumped fast. I pressed my hand below my navel and felt my light scar. Bile rose into my throat.

He stood and gripped my arms. “Don’t think about what they did to you. Focus on here and now.”

Breathing fast, I nodded my head. The pain and grisly details needed to stay in the back of my mind. The procedure occurred in the past, over with, done and gone. I was safe now and with a person who cared about me. The monsters were gone.

As my breathing and heart rate slowly returned to normal, I recalled when Boss took me to a doctor for an examination. Using an ultrasound machine, the doctor discovered two uteruses inside me. A faint scar seemed to indicate I had undergone a surgical procedure. The doctor didn’t believe someone would’ve implanted the extra uterus, but none of us knew the truth. Now, I wondered. “Do you think they implanted my extra uterus?”

“Yes, but I don’t know why if the plan all along was to kill you. Unless they were just testing to see how you would react to an extra organ.”

Nausea hit me like a punch to my stomach. Someone wanted to test me. What sick fuck… Galluzzi’s name sprang into my mind. But why?

Boss slid his hands down my arms. “It doesn’t matter why.” Clearly, the vamp was still in my head, reading my thoughts. “What matters is that you are safe now. And quite honestly, I don’t think you should go back to the Statehouse.”

I took a step back. “You can’t talk me out of this. The only way to bring Galluzzi down from her high and mighty status once and for all is to prove to the world what she really is and what she is about. I’m going back to work, and I will find evidence to prove she is pure evil.”

“You’re putting your life in danger.”

“No more than it has been.”

He shook his head. “I don’t like this one bit.”

“Everything will be fine once I do this.”

“No, it won’t be fine. We still don’t know who your father is, who the vampire is that stole your memories or if Anubis is searching for you.”

I crossed my arms. “I appreciate your concern. Really, I do, but Galluzzi is top priority. The others aren’t after me to kill me. I think I can handle them.”

“Shelley, I am more than concerned about you.” He closed the distance between us, reached up and traced his fingers down the side of my face. “You are an extraordinary woman, unlike any other I have met. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

I stared into his eyes. The worry in his tone, the way he looked at me and the way he touched me left me wondering if the vampire had feelings for me that extended beyond friendship.

“Boss, I–” Not knowing what exactly what I wanted to say, I lowered my gaze. He was a fine man, and I cared about him. But I didn’t love him. I had a job to do, and it remained my focus.

“I just want to end this, to live in peace without the threat of death following me where ever I go. And I don’t want others to die because of me. If Galluzzi spent years planning on one event to kill me, she is capable of anything. Someone has to stop her.”

“You are the most stubborn person I have ever met.”

I grinned. “I think you have stubborn confused with determined.”

A playful smile spread across his face. “I’ll add dangerous and damn sexy to the list.”

I chuckled. “Okay, okay, I get the point. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to hit the bed. I’ve got a busy day and night ahead of me.”

“Go ahead. I’m going to do a little more research and see if I anyone knows if Anubis is still in Egypt.”

As I walked away from Boss, I wondered how I’d react if he found Anubis. The ancient wasn’t part of my life now, nor did I recall when he was. Memories of our relationship didn’t exist, except for the one intimate encounter I had with him. Would I be sad if Boss couldn’t find Anubis? No. I would survive without Anubis in my world. Life would go on, and it had.

With higher priorities to deal with, namely Galluzzi, I decided to focus on them instead of Anubis. He could take a number and wait in line on my “to deal with next” list.

Chapter 7

The mall smelled of Asian food, pizza and various perfumes as Tabby and I strolled past the food court on our left and shops to our right. Since kids were in school, the few shoppers besides us were older people and mothers with infants. Sales clerks at the kiosks tried to stop us as we passed. One glare from me and they left us alone.

With one bag in my hand and three in Tabby’s, we headed for one of the department stores. We’d spent the last hour and a half looking for slacks for me. Though we found some, I didn’t like any of them. They didn’t go with my boots either, and I refused to give up wearing my boots. Plus, I wanted my dagger with me at all times, especially now that I couldn’t mist or pop in and out of places. Lizzy recommended slacks for comfort and mobility. Given that I moved comfortably and freely in my skirts and boots, I opted to stay with what I had. So what, the warehouse was dirty. I wouldn’t let that minor detail prevent me from getting on my hands and knees in a skirt.

Tabby strolled into the department store and headed straight for the misses section. My belly growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten breakfast and needed substance soon.

“Where are we going to grab some food?” I asked when she stopped in front of one of the racks.

“It doesn’t matter to me.” She handed me two of her bags, and I held them while she searched the selection of clothes hanging from the rack. “What sounds good?”

“Right now, anything sounds good. I slept in so I missed breakfast.”

“Sorry I didn’t check on you. I thought you might be…busy, so I didn’t go downstairs.” She gave me a grin.

“Have you ever known a man to be so…moody?”

Tabby held her grin while she moved to the next rack of clothes. “He’s a very strong-willed man. Under that serious mask of his, he has a heart of gold.”

Her comment made me smile.

“I think he likes you.”

I chuckled. Our relationship was out of the ordinary–arguing, fighting gargumen and then relaxing with sex. Maybe he did like me a little.

“He’s difficult for me to understand sometimes,” I said.

“Trust me, he likes you. If he truly thought you were an abomination as he claimed, he would’ve tossed you out without a second thought. You’ve lived at the house with us for six weeks now. He could’ve set you up in your own house with cash and a car. But he didn’t. He insisted you stay with us.”

“We’re still investigating Galluzzi.”

“Right, but you don’t need to live with us to continue the investigation.”

She had a valid point. He had plenty of cash and homes. He could’ve let me live on my own, but he’d insisted, no, more like demanded I stay with them. Since I enjoyed their company, it was easy to agree.

“And how many times have you slept with him?”

“We both agreed we were just friends in need.”

Tabby chuckled. “Well, I’ve never had a relationship quite like that. But it if works for the both of you, why change it?”

Overall, the sex was satisfying, but I didn’t want to give rise to any misconceptions about our relationship. If we continued on our current course, the possibility of complications could increase. I didn’t need any more problems in my life. Once our investigation with Galluzzi was complete, I planned to move on. I’d remain good friends, the best, with Boss, Tabby and Jonas, but I wanted to find my family and see what the world had to offer for me. I hoped Boss would understand.

“I’m done looking at clothes. I need to get something to eat,” I said.

“But you didn’t buy any slacks.”

“I’ll wear the skirts I have. I don’t care if I get them dirty.”

She gently took her bags from my hands. “Maybe you should take a pair of jeans with you, just in case.”

I gave her a nod while we headed back the way we came. Halfway through the mall, the cell phone Jonas bought for me rang. I withdrew it and saw Jackson’s name on the display.

“Who is it?” Tabby asked, noticing my hesitation.

“My werewolf friend.” Knowing I had to come clean with him sooner rather than later, I hit the talk button, then lifted the phone to my ear. “Hello.”

“What time are we meeting for lunch?” Jackson asked. “I thought you might forget, so I decided not to wait for your call.”

Talk about demanding. “No, I didn’t forget.” But I had hoped he would wait a day or so. “I’m with a friend right now.”

“So bring your friend, I don’t mind.”

I glanced at Tabby. She knew my situation with Jackson, so I doubted she’d mind the extra company at lunch. “Where do you want to eat at?” I whispered to Tabby.

“I’m in the mood for a cheeseburger,” she replied. “Let’s go to Steak ’n Shake. They have great string fries.”

“Which location?” Jackson asked.

I relayed the question to Tabby.

“The one in Greenwood. Is he meeting us?”

After I nodded to her, I gave him the information and said we were on our way.

“Great. I’ll see you in twenty minutes,” Jackson said before he ended the call.

I slid the phone back into my small purse. “I ran into Jackson at my job, and the young lady I worked with introduced me with my real name.”

“Oh no!” she said. “What happened?”

“Well, he was a bit angry.”

We pushed open the glass exit doors at the same time and stepped outside. Bright sunshine hit me, and I squinted, trying to adjust to the blinding light.

“I can’t blame him for being upset. I’d kept the truth from him for far too long.” Maybe keeping secrets was a bad idea. Though I’d hid the truth from him because I hadn’t known my name at the time we met, I could’ve told him on our date weeks ago. The error on my part led to his anger. Note to self, keeping secrets leads to trouble.

Tabby dug the car keys from her purse, jingling them in her hands as she held onto them and her bags. “So he wants you to tell him the truth now.”

We stopped before crossing the street. “Yeah, I said I would.”

“Do Boss and Jonas know?”

“Yes, I informed them about my plans.”

Tabby pointed the keys toward the car as we drew near. The alarm made a small beep. She walked around to the vehicle while I headed for the passenger side. “Well, this should be an interesting lunch date.”

I grinned as I opened the car door and slid onto the seat. I couldn’t have agreed with her assessment more.

Within minutes, we were on the main road, heading away from the mall. I stared out the window, biting one of my nails while I considered the best way to tell Jackson the truth. A feeling in my gut told me it didn’t matter if I began with waking up at the dump or telling him what I was. Either way, he’d probe for more details.