When Temptation Burns: A Shadow Keepers Novel (Shadow Keepers 6) (33 page)

She sighed. “And hope to die?”

“It’ll be okay.” He stood. “I’m going to go back in. See if anything new comes up. You’ll be okay by yourself?”

The phone rang, and she signaled for him to hold that thought while she answered. “Daddy, hi.”

“I just got a call,” her father said. “Paul wants us to come by. Are you free?”

“Yeah, of course. Sure.”

“He’s at one of his ranch houses; he gave me the address. I’ll pick you up in ten minutes,” he said, then hung up.

Andy looked up at Tucker. “Looks like I’m heading over to Paul’s.”

“Are you up for it? With Doyle MIA, you’re our only asset.”

She nodded, suddenly a bit overwhelmed by the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders.

Tucker moved beside her and set a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine. Here, give me your cellphone.”

She did, and he programmed in his number. “Text me, call me, whatever you need. Just be discreet.”

“Right.”

“And stay safe,” he added with a grin. “Doyle will kill me if something happens to you.”

“You’re quiet,” Andrew Tarrent said, looking sideways at his daughter. “Is something on your mind? The young man you told me about?”

“He hasn’t called me recently. I’m feeling a little like he’s gone missing.”

Andrew chuckled. “Boys have a way of turning up again. Ah, here we are.” The long dirt driveway was marked by a single battered mailbox. Paul owned several properties around the Los Angeles area, and this was one Andrew hadn’t seen before. The driveway was long and bumpy, and he and Andy rode in silence until they reached the nondescript home, significantly less ostentatious than Andrew would have expected of his friend.

“Come in, come in.” Paul stood in the doorway and ushered them inside. To his left and right, flowers shriveled under the sun, the lack of care obvious. Not a second home, Andrew realized. A place of work.

“You have news?” he asked as soon as they reached the living area. Bryce and Travis were already inside settled in on a hideous plaid sofa.

“Amazing news,” Paul said. “This is an historic day.” The interior walls were dark wood, as was the furniture—shelves, desk, and a table. The only light emanated from a single desk lamp and the vague hint of sunlight that was sneaking in around the corners of the heavy, velvet
drapes. “But first, I want to talk to you.” He pointed at Andrew.

“Paul,” Travis said. “You’re going to keep us waiting?”

Paul laughed. “Yes, I know. I have a flair for the dramatic. But I promise it’s important that Andrew and I speak, and we won’t keep you waiting for long.” He smiled at Andy and the two other men. “If you’ll excuse us.”

Since he apparently didn’t have a choice, Andrew followed his friend into the adjoining room.

“What’s going on?” he asked, noticing Paul’s grave expression.

“I wanted to speak to you alone, because I don’t want to scare Andy. I know she spent some time talking to him, and I don’t want her to think that he was, perhaps, targeting her.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Andrew said. “But if Andy’s in danger—”

“No,” Paul said quickly. “She’s not. And if she was, she’s not anymore. We caught him.”

“Who?”

“Ryan Doyle. He was at the party. Said he was with Homeland Security—apparently he got in through Travis.”

Homeland?
Andrew remembered the man in the rumpled suit who had been talking to Andy. He thought also of her recent confession that she was attracted to a cop. Andrew might not be the smartest man on the planet, but he could put two and two together as far as his daughter was concerned. “Caught him?” he repeated. “What has he done?”

“He’s one of them,” Paul said flatly, and Andrew felt
such a rush of fear on Andy’s behalf that he physically flinched.

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve seen the proof with my own eyes. I don’t know what he is, but he’s not human. He’s a threat, Andrew. And I intend to deal with him appropriately.”

“Where is he?”

“In the vault off of the garage.”

“Is—is that safe? What if he gets out?” The very idea of that creature escaping and going after Andy gave him chills.

“He won’t.” Paul clapped him on the shoulder. “I thought you should know, but there’s no need for you to worry. But come on. I have news to share with the group, and we don’t want to keep them waiting any longer than necessary.”

Back in the living room, Bryce and Travis broke apart, interrupting their conversation to turn their attention to Paul, who seemed positively giddy. Andrew couldn’t remember seeing his friend this pleased about anything, and while he wanted to share his happiness, his mind kept returning to Doyle—and Andy.

That creature was Andy’s cop. He’d sucked her in, tainted her. Did she know? Of course she didn’t know; she’d never knowingly allow an evil being to touch her
.

“Daddy?” She looked sideways at him, her brows lifted in question.

“I’m fine.” He nodded toward Paul, who was beginning to speak.

“The Criminal Justice Building,” Paul said. “
That
is our target.”

“But that’s a government building,” Andy said. “You
can’t really think that there are vampires and werewolves hiding in there.”

Her hands, Andrew noticed, were knotted in her lap, a classic tell that she was nervous.

“That was exactly my reaction,” Travis said. “But I’ve been convinced otherwise.”

“Our intelligence is sound,” Paul said. “Honestly, it surprised me, too. The building’s structure includes a number of subterranean levels, and those are occupied by the dark creatures.”

“What is it you intend to do?” Andrew asked.

“We’re going to level the place,” Bryce said, but he had to be joking. Andrew kept his eyes trained on Paul, expecting to see him chuckle. Instead, his old friend only smiled.

“We’re going to teach them a lesson they won’t soon forget,” Paul said.

“Now, wait a minute,” Andrew said. “Even if you’re right and the basement levels are filled with these creatures, most of the building is occupied by humans.”

“Humans who are catering to the dark ones’ needs.”

“Not most of them,” Travis said. “I certainly never knew they were there.”

“You see?” Andrew said. “If you destroy the building, you’re going to be taking innocent lives with you.”

“And they will go down as martyrs,” Paul said, without hesitating. “Andrew, I’m surprised at you. We’re making this attack in the name of all that is holy.”

“And you—us—all of the Dark Warriors will be branded as terrorists.”

“That was inevitable. Eventually, though, the tide will turn and we’ll be able to spread our influence. Once humans realize the threat that we’ve acted against, the
world will band with us, and the Dark Warriors won’t be blamed for the deaths of the innocent humans, the blame will rest where it belongs—with these creatures of the night. The humans who die today will be martyrs to the cause. Andrew, I asked you here for your blessing.”

“Well you won’t get it,” Andrew said, and beside him, his daughter took his hand and squeezed it.

“I’m disappointed,” Paul said. “But of course I respect your position even though you won’t change mine. I trust that I have your discretion, though? We’ve been friends for too long for me to worry about you doing something like contacting the authorities.”

“You know I wouldn’t do that,” Andrew said, wondering how he was going to surreptitiously leave the room so he could make a phone call to do that very thing.

“I’m glad to hear it. Well,” Paul said, and a muscle in his cheek twitched. “The truth is that the location isn’t the only interesting information I acquired recently, but I have to admit you took the wind out of my sails, Andrew. You’ll have to forgive me if I need a moment to regroup.” He crossed the room and poured himself a drink at the bar. After a second’s hesitation, Andrew stood and crossed to the opposite side of the room, gesturing for Andy to follow him.

“I’m proud of you, Daddy,” she whispered.

He brushed it off. “Sweetheart, I want you to be careful.”

“Don’t worry. I’m with you. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt—”

“No. Not that.
Doyle
.”

He saw her flinch, and he instantly realized the mistake
he’d made. “Dear God, girl, you know? You know what he is?”

“Where is he?” she asked urgently. “Did Paul—oh, God, Daddy, what did Paul do to him?”

Shock, fear, anger, regret. They all washed over him, making his knees weak and his stomach queasy. He took a single step backward. “You’re no daughter of mine.”

“He’s not the evil one in this equation, Daddy. That would be Paul. Doyle’s trying to save lives, he’s trying to help people. Daddy, please—”

But he wasn’t listening. He turned away and walked across the room to join Paul. “I’ll leave now,” he said. “You have my complete discretion.”

“I appreciate that. Let me walk you out.” They stepped out onto the front steps together. “I realize this is difficult for a man of your calling to accept, but I know that my mission is a holy one.”

“I understand,” Andrew said. If he could just get in his car, he could make it far enough down the drive to place the cell call without Paul noticing … He opened the door and slipped inside, then tried to pull it shut, but Paul had a grip on it and he was still talking.

“It’s
my
calling, you see. And I have to protect it. I’m sorry, Andrew,” he said as he pulled out a pistol with a silencer screwed on. “I’m very sorry,” he repeated, and pulled the trigger.

Andy sat in the living room, hoping she looked calmer than she felt. Her skin was clammy and the staccato beat of her pulse sounded like tribal drums in her ears.
Be calm. Be calm
.

But how could she be calm?

Doyle … dear God, Doyle …

If her father knew, that meant Paul knew, too.

And if Paul knew, that meant that he’d somehow managed to capture Doyle. Or worse, kill him.

When Paul stepped back inside, she forced a smile and tried to look normal. It took all of her strength not to betray herself.

“I’m sorry your father and I aren’t seeing eye to eye.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” she said. “I’m not my father.” She pulled out her phone. “I should text him,” she lied. “Let him know that I respect his position even though I agree with yours.” One text. A simple text to Tucker, and he’d rally the troops, evacuate the building, help her find Doyle …

Paul walked over and perched himself on the armrest of the sofa where she was sitting. “You can use the landline in a minute,” he said, plucking the cellphone from her hands and tossing it onto the coffee table. “Not to make you nervous, but Bryce’s men have the equipment for the job packed in the next room. I’d hate for your cellphone to accidentally trigger an explosion.”

“Oh.” She glanced at the phone and felt a little bit of her hope slip away. “Sure. I could call him now?”

“Absolutely. Just as soon as we finish here. The fact is, Andy, I need to know if you want to participate in today’s mission. You’re not a soldier, but I know how passionate you are about our cause, and if you’re up for it, I have a role for you to play.”

“Of course I’ll do it,” she said, her mind churning.

“I was hoping you’d say that. Bryce, show Andy what we have in mind for her.”

Bryce lifted his hand, gesturing for her to join him—he
was standing over a table that was spread with a map of downtown Los Angeles. “That’s it,” Paul said, pressing his index finger down on the map. “This is our target.”

“All right,” she said, as Bryce grabbed up a pen, scribbled a note, and then stepped behind her as he headed to the other side of the table. “But what am I supposed to do?”

“It’s easy,” Bryce said from behind her, as he twisted her arms together and jerked her toward him. “You die.”