Karma (Karma Series) (16 page)

“
Leave it alone.”

I felt him turn in the
bed and then his hand was resting on my shoulder.

“I told you, I’m fine. I’m trying to sleep.”

His hand paused briefly before he withdrew it.

I was sitting at my usual table when Luck sashayed over.
She sat down next to me as if it were something she did every day. “How you doin' darlin'?”

I looked up from my Dean Koontz paperback. I could relate to his writing on a whole other level
, now.

“
Fine. You?”

“
Nothing amiss?” she asked, disregarding my question completely.

“
Nope.” I forced a smile. What the hell did Fate tell her? I wanted to kill him. Wasn’t his little set up enough? I get it. My love life had sucked. If he had told the whole office, it was going to be war.

She sat back, lips pursed in deep thought.
“Well, this isn't making much sense at all.”

“
What would that be?”

“
First he's all blustering about how we shouldn't be nice to you and now he's all over us
to
be nice to you. I don't know why I even listen to him. He never makes any sense.” She tapped the longest red nails I’d ever seen on the table.

“
Do you always listen to him?”

“
Depends on my mood and how pushy he’s being that day. He said it was better for you not to stay and he was being so…so Fate, if that makes sense.”

“
I think I know what you mean.” I kept my face neutral.

“
Him being Fate and all, most of us figured he knew what he was talking about. He always does. But then today he came in and told everyone to be nice. He's not much of a talker, so I figured I'd ask you. What changed his mind? You two getting it on or something?”

“
No. Why would you even think that?”

“
I guess the way you look at him. Then he told us to be nice. He's never wanted us to be nice to anyone, before.”

This was nice? I looked around. She was the only one that had even approached me. My thoughts must have been obvious to her.

“Well, we aren't a really warm group to begin with.”

“
I thought Harold was in charge. Why do you listen to Fate?”

“
I can understand the confusion. Harold is technically the boss.” She did air quotes when she said “boss.” “We listen to him as long as Fate doesn't tell us to do something different.”

“
Why would you do that?”

She leaned back in the chair.
“I don't know, exactly. Just seems natural, I guess.” I heard Elvis sing out from the cell phone she laid on the table next to her. She grinned when she looked at the number.

“
I’ve got to take this. It was nice talking to you.”

The entirety of my
“be nice” squad now gone, I put the Dean Koontz novel in my empty desk drawer and decided to stretch my legs a bit.

I walked down the hallway
, thinking about introducing myself to the tooth fairy, when I read the plaque to the office next to us. “Find Your Match.” Who else would be better at telling me why my love life was a wreck, and according to Fate, for quite some time.

I should’ve asked him about that. How many lives of mine was he familiar with? And I
hadn’t had a decent relationship in any of them?

I tried the doorknob and found the office open. I walked up to the receptionist, who looked like a blond Greek god and was smiling quite warmly in my direction.

“Is your boss in today?”

“
Oh yes, he's been waiting for you, girlie. He thought you'd have been by, already.”

“
Do you know who I am?”

“
Of course! You're the transfer. He's been watching you for a while, now.”

“
Okay then.”

Adonis held up a finger and lifted the phone.
“She's here.” He looked at me and smiled as he listened to the phone. He replaced the receiver and got up to open the inner door himself. “Go right in.”

I felt like a teenager when I walked in because the only word I could summon up
for the scene in front of me was
awesome
.

The place was swarming with cupids. What looked like young girls and boys in white with fluffy white feathers were literally flying around a pure pink and red room. Everywhere I looked
, there were satin couches and velvet chaises. It was like Valentine's Day on steroids.

“
Camilla?” a deep masculine voice called and drew my eye to a couch situated in the back of the room. A gentleman dressed in a black silk suit lounged on the sofa. He had this blond wavy hair that looked so thick you itched to run your fingers through it, just to test it out. And then he smiled. He wasn’t what I imagined, even my imagination wasn’t this good.

“
Darling, I've been dying to meet you.” He stood, waving me over. “So glad you stopped by!”

He kissed both cheeks and I couldn’t believe his smell.

“You smell so good. What are you wearing?”

“
Oh, that’s just me.”

H
e led me over to a seat on the couch he had been occupying. He held one of my hands as we sat, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I wasn’t normally a hand holder and yet I didn’t mind.

“
I figured I should say hello and introduce myself.”
Maybe find out why my love life is a complete disaster?

“
I've been waiting for you.” He turned his head in a way that had me re-situating myself in a more flattering position. “You're a very attractive soul.”

“
Why thank you! So are you!” My voice came out an octave higher and I felt like a teenager who’d just been complimented by the quarterback.

“
I know why you're here. You've had a rough time of it.”

“
I have had some bumps.”

He squeezed the hand he held
. “Don't worry. I’m going to get you all straightened out.”

“
You mean when I get reborn?”

The door slamming drew our attention to Fat
e, who stood scanning the room, scowling until he locked eyes on us.

“
Oh no,” Cupid said. “Looks like the fun police arrived. We'll have to catch up later.”

Fate was on us a minute later.
“We've got to go.”

“
Why?”

His eyes shifted to the door and back.

Was that supposed to tell me something? I wasn’t sure, but if I stayed with Cupid I was going to be giggling like a twelve year old soon.

Both Cupid and I stood. I wanted to know what Fate wasn't saying
, and Cupid… I wasn't sure what he wanted. Cupid walked over to stand next to Fate and gave him a look like he was a ripe leg of lamb.

“
She's
all
yours darling.” Cupid grabbed Fate's ass before he walked away.

“
It was nice to meet you,” I called after him as he left.

“
Don’t worry, we’ll be seeing each other again,” he yelled back.

I walked to the door with a scowling Fate. A slight shake of his head indicated he didn't want to talk there and I held my peace
until we got outside.

“
Why are you scowling?”

“
Did he touch you?”

“
No.”

“
Didn't Harold warn you about visiting?”

“
Everyone else seems to know each other.”

“
We also know what everyone’s capabilities are. You aren't human anymore. This isn't like going to a block party and getting to know your neighbors.”

“
Why are you getting so crazy?”

“
You're leaving soon. Just stay out of trouble.”

I stopped walking and he followed suit a second later.

“Was there anything else?”

“
I’ve been doing some background checks, and I want to take another stab at Maxwell, Suit’s target.”

I stood ther
e for a minute. I wanted Suit, there was no doubt about that, but did I really have to do everything with Fate? Could I risk doing everything with him? What if he figured out there was a connection between us?

“
We've got less than two weeks left before you leave. You plan on making a decision anytime soon?” He stared at me, clearly confused by my hesitancy.

“
I'm thinking.”

“
About what? You either want this guy or you don't.”

“
Camilla!” I looked down the hall and saw Death with another middle-aged man beside him, standing where the lobby began.

I walked past Fate.
“Hi, Doc,” I greeted him, figuring it might not be appropriate to call him Death in current company.

“
I'd like to introduce you to Fred. We were just heading out for some golf.” Death patted Fred on his back as he said this. They were both dressed in golf shirts with little sun visors.

“
It's nice to meet you.”

“
You too!” He turned to Fate, “I've got your return ready.”

“
Thanks, Fred,” Fate said, smiling. “You guys have a good game.”

“
I'm sorry you couldn't make this round.”

“
I'll catch you guys next week.”

I watched Death and
the accountant head off to go play eighteen holes and then turned to Fate.

“
Have you met everyone?” he asked.

“
You golf with them?” I asked.

“
What's wrong with golf?”

“
You want me gone because I'm a transfer and you're golfing with a human?” I seriously didn’t need to elaborate on this, did I?

“
It's different.” He shrugged a single shoulder, as if he couldn’t even sell that bullshit to himself completely.

“
Really? How's that?”

“
We have to go if we're going to check out the lead. You coming or not?”

And the bottom line was I did want to check it out. I
’d lost my first opening to take out Suit and I was running out of time. I’d have to take my chances. Worst case scenario: kill him quickly before he could talk.

“
I’ll be right out.”

When I got back, the guards were already there with an opened and normal door.

“
I figured I'd use the opportunity before they saw you,” Fate said.

When he went to move through the door, I grabbed his arm.

“Give me a minute?”

He shrugged and watched as I walked over to the
guards with my offering in hand.

“
This is called compound. They use it on cars. It's not going to completely fix your dings but it will help.”

I stood there, arms outstretched with a bag for each.
Fate stood off to my side, watching intently. Just when I thought they wouldn’t take my gifts, they reached a hand forward.

“
I am truly sorry that my actions contributed to messing up your suits.”

They
both looked over their gifts, then they looked at each other and made sure the other guard didn’t get something better. As if that wasn’t adequate, they swapped, examined and swapped back. After a long few minutes, they both looked at me again. In unison, they did a single nod in acknowledgment.

“
So, we're good?”

Again, another nod.

I wanted to smile and skip around but I held it under control.
Feeling content that I'd mended a bridge, I walked through the opening. It’s not like I’d see them for that much longer but I didn’t want to move on knowing I’d upset the guards.

“
I don't get it,” Fate said as the door closed behind us.

“
What?” He was staring at me as if I were a puzzle he was missing a piece to.

“
Why they communicate with you.”

“
What's so strange about it?”

“
You're the only one. You don't think that's odd?”

“
Considering the people I've met so far? No. I don't find it that strange. I'd find it more unusual if they did.” I looked around the parking lot of an office park. “Where are we going?”

“
There.” He pointed to one of the larger buildings off to the side that anchored the development. “That’s where Maxwell works.”

“
We're going to walk into his office? Won't that tip anyone off?” I looked down at the dark pants and blouse I had on. It fit perfectly. How did they do that?

“
Not if we have an appointment. He's an accountant.”

“
We?” I looked at Fate in a black suit with a crisp white shirt he wore really well.

“
Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Clark.” He walked forward and yelled back, “Come on, honey, we don't want to be late.”

I followed him into the elevator and pulled the collar of the blouse
open a bit.

“
It's warm in here. They need to turn the AC up a bit.” I put a hand under my hair and lifted it off the back of my neck.

I looked over to Fate who seemed completely comfortable in his suit jacket. God, he looked really good in a suit
—too good.

“
Did you eat or drink anything at Cupid's?”

“
No. Why do you ask? Would that have been bad?” I thought back and I definitely hadn’t. I would have remembered.

He squinted his eyes
, as he looked me over. “You sure? You're looking a little flushed.”

“
I'm not an idiot. I'd know if I ate something. Why? Would it have done something to me?”

“
You didn’t, so don’t worry about it.”

The elevator doors slid open and stopped the conversation. We stopped by the receptionist
, who checked us in right away and then led us down a hall into a corner office. He was obviously a very good accountant. The office was plush, the chairs, the desk, even the lamp that sat on his desk all screamed that he was raking in the cash.

A minute later,
Maxwell walked in and shook our hands.

“
It's nice to meet you both.” He moved around to the other side and sat behind the desk. “Did you bring your paperwork?”

Fate handed him a pile of sheets he pulled out of a
briefcase.

“
So, Mr. and Mrs. Clark, how can I help you?”

“
Please, call us Hank and Ruth. We've been thinking of doing some financial restructuring.”

Ruth
? Oh no, I so didn’t look like a Ruth. Is he crazy? I was going to have to talk to him about choosing my own aliases if this was what he was going to come up with.

I watched
Maxwell put on his glasses and start looking over the paperwork. I was leaning back in my chair, still dwelling on the poor choice of names, when a strange noxious odor wafted through the air, a strange blend of skunk and spoiled eggs. I turned my head in different directions trying to get a lead on where the odor was coming from when Fate reached out and squeezed my hand.

I looked to Maxwell and saw F
ate do a single and ever so subtle nod of his head.

I looked close
r at him. His head was bent and I saw what appeared to be cracks in his skin slowly appear, but he kept looking down at his papers like nothing was amiss while his skin was splitting open in front of my eyes.

Fate squeezed my hand harder and I forced my gaping jaw shut. It was just in time as Maxwell looked up briefly and smiled at us, before continuing to look our numbers over.

The cracks in his face didn’t stop but continued to spread as I watched him. I was horrifically mesmerized as they grew larger, slowly spanning his entire face. Once they got to a certain size, yellow pus started oozing from them.

“
Are you okay?” Maxwell asked. I hadn't even realized he was looking at me again.

I
couldn’t speak. I was having a hard enough time holding down the salad I'd eaten. Luckily, Fate stood up and covered for me.

“
Darling, are you okay? You look a bit sick.”

“
Uh huh,” was all I managed to utter and then Fate positioned himself in between me and oozing Maxwell.

Fa
te grabbed my hand and then circled an arm around my waist. “I'm sorry, she's with child and you never know when the morning sickness is going to hit. Can we just leave our documents with you?”

“
Of course! And congratulations. I'll call as soon as I’ve taken a look,” Maxwell said as he came into view again.

I tried to look past him as I forced a smile on my face.
I think I mumbled out a “thank you,” but I wasn't sure.

We walked out of the office and I could breathe again.
The further we got from him the better I was feeling.

The fresh air hit me as we exited the building. I moved out of the embrace of
Fate’s arm as the sun hit my skin and I felt normal again.

“
Well?” Fate asked after we got a few parking rows away from the building.

“
It was, well, I’m sure you know. I wish you had given me a little warning.”

“
I have no idea what you saw or felt in there. Every one of us experiences things differently. I got nothing from him again.”

He stood there waiting for me to tell him what I thought.

“Well, if what I just saw was his karma...” I shuddered before I could continue. “He's certainly not on the good team.”

“
How bad?”

“
With no point of reference, it's hard to say. But, I hope he's among the worst because I'd hate to see anything beyond that.”

I breathed deep
, enjoying the smell of the outdoors more than I had all week. “Why did it come on like that this time, when I got nothing from him at the beach?”

“
You were closer to him for a longer time and perhaps…” his words died off.

I looked at him and I knew what he didn’t want to say. I’d taken a step further away from my old life.

He dug his hands in his pockets and looked down for a bit before he met my gaze. “You know, I didn’t do it to be—”

“
I know.” I broke the gaze. I did get it. This was his job. I wouldn’t hold that against him. But I wasn’t going to discuss it either, not anymore anyway because it was also my life—or had been.

Fate dug out his phone and called for the doors.
They appeared before us and opened up to a lawn with the sprinkler system on full blast.

“
Guys, I thought we were good?”

I
received a single nod.

“
Then what's with this?”

I didn't expect them to talk
. Not with the way Fate had reacted to them even pointing. But then a single word came out.

“
Funny,” the guard on the right, the one I considered slightly more
outgoing
of the two, said. It sounded like a clap of thunder when he spoke. I felt the vibration of it go straight through me like I was upfront at a concert but I understood it perfectly.

“
Funny?”

They nodded. I just shook my head.
“I'm glad I can offer you cosmic entertainment.”

“
I told you, strange,” Fate said from behind me.

I shrugged as I walked through the door
and took off in a sprint through the sprinkler. It was the office building next to us and I could see my Honda from the lawn.

“
Where you going?” Fate yelled from behind me as he crossed the lawn.

“
My place to get a change of clothes,” I said heading to my car.

“
We need to talk. You’ve got stuff at my place.”

“
Can’t it wait?” I said, pausing a few feet from my car.

“
’Til when? We don't have that much time.”

It was true. I'
d be officially resigning in less than two weeks. I needed to make this experience count for something. If I left leaving a mass murderer behind, what was the point of it all? I needed something positive to come out of this. I
had
to have something positive. “Okay. I’ll meet you there.”