Ryder on the Storm: Emerald Seer I (10 page)

“Ry, you are going to have to catch me up here.”

“Lucian, things just got really complicated. Trin Sullivan must have bound her niece’s powers twenty years ago which meant she took them on herself, to a degree. Her death unleashed the girl’s powers. Storm did not register as powerful because most of her power remained harnessed within Trin. The girl is a grown woman whose powers have suddenly been unlocked. We have no idea how much Storm knows but she has just came into a good deal of ancient magic.” Ryder began to pace. This could be bad. Very, very bad. Presumably the seraphs knew of her situation but had they informed her? Ryder’s mind reeled with all the possible scenarios that could end in Storm’s demise.

Lucian seemed to be following his train of thought, though he remained relaxed, lounging in the leather chair. “Ry, relax brother. We know she is guarded by two seraphs who presumably are aware of her unique situation. Now that you have figured it out, we can coerce Kell and Pollux to run protection shifts with us. We will keep her safe until this gets sorted out but you have got to relax.”

Ryder slumped in the chair. Easier said than done. He felt something for this girl. When they touched something happened. It seemed less likely that she’d cursed him and more likely that there was something deeper at work. “Lucian, even if we protect the girl, we still have Roane in town with a secret agenda and the little matter of the unknown party who murdered Trin Sullivan. Even with Kell and Pollux we are spreading ourselves thin.” Ryder placed his glass on the table and ran his hands through his hair. What a mess, Lucian was right, how did he always end up in these situations? And always revolving around the Sullivans.

“Ry, I know the girl’s mother had to be a Sullivan, who fathered her?” Ryder looked at Lucian; his friend appeared deep in thought though the question seemed simple enough.

“Trin told me that Storm’s father left early on and that it had been really hard on the whole family. She never told me whether or not the father had a supernatural ability of any kind. I do not know much else about him but I think it is safe to assume he was something supernatural.” Ryder stopped moving and looked at his watch. “We need to get ready, it is nearly three and I want to make sure Rosalee has Angeline’s belongings sent over. Perhaps you should go check on Angeline too; the flame has appeared more than once since we started this conversation. It will not do for your inner demons to emerge at dinner.”

“What a fabulous idea. I will gladly check in on her, perhaps her dress needs to be zipped.” Lucian smiled devilishly, the flame once again flickering behind his eyes.

Ryder replaced the notebook and scroll in his desk. He remembered that Angeline left Keene’s supposed suicide note in the safe but decided to save that for later. Releasing the enchantment on the room, the Immortals parted ways at the main hall. On the way to his suite, Ryder stopped in the kitchen to fill Rosalee in on the living arrangements, not oblivious to the disappointment in her voice at the news Angeline would be moving in.

The shower felt heavenly, scalding hot against his skin, but not as hot as her touch had been. Storm Sullivan’s face filled his head, her creamy skin and large emerald eyes, full of innocent wonder. He longed to pull her close, feeling the length of her body against his own. Like all Sullivan women, she was voluptuous with flaming red hair, his deadly combination. Ryder imagined her soft, full lips on his own. A simple shower turned into something much more involved but ended in only a partial release of his pent up desires. Drying off, Ryder realized he would need to avoid Storm Sullivan until all of his questions could be answered.

Storm

They pulled into Il Bistro creating a bit of a scene in the shining black Hummer, though it probably had more to do with Shane cutting off two cars and taking up two parking spaces, than anything else. He hopped out of the Hummer and Storm saw him shrug at the other patrons who, fortunately for him, happened to be women. Of course, they melted at the sight of Shane’s charming grin. Storm shook her head from the passenger seat and shimmied out into Dan’s waiting arms.

“Looks as though my brother is making friends already,” Dan frowned disapprovingly.

“Oh, I don’t think he means anything by it. He can’t help himself.” Storm stifled a smile feigning mutual disproval for a moment.

Shane joined them around the back of the Hummer and took her arm. Sandwiched between the guys, Storm felt safe and satisfied. She’d called ahead for a reservation but there seemed to be little need. When they entered the restaurant she noticed several empty tables, it must be too early for a dinner crowd at the trendy new dining spot. The hostess confirmed her suspicions in between sidelong glances at Dan and Shane. The woman wore a figure-defining black sheath dressed with a pair of trendy heels and her hair wrapped in a crisp, clean bun at the base of her neck. She led them through the maze of white-clothed tables to a u-shaped booth along the wall of stained glass windows. Storm slid around to the back and sank into the plush black leather. She admired the modern, slate-topped table and delicate centerpiece, vintage-style candelabra with white votives flickering in the breeze from the overhead fans.

The hostess handed menus to Dan and Shane, flashing her them her most stunning smile. “My name is Cherie, if there is anything I can get for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.” She practically threw the third menu at Storm before sashaying away.

“I don’t think she cares for you, babe.” Dan nudged her lightly and opened his menu, presumably to hide an amused grin.

“No, and I think she cares a bit too much for you two. I am pretty sure she is now imagining a wild night involving both of you at once.” Storm opened her menu.

“There is only one woman we would consider such a night with.” Both men lowered their menus and looked at her meaningfully. She knew how they felt but she didn’t return the sentiment. Storm lifted her own menu to break eye contact.

“Babe, you know how we feel. What would be so wrong about us being together?” Shane’s hand landed on her arm. She dropped the menu. Time to change the subject.

“I think I am going to order the crab bisque. What about you guys?” She avoided eye contact by focusing on the delicate contours of the candelabra, wrought iron she supposed. Maybe they would just drop it if they sensed how uncomfortable it made her. Storm didn’t think she could tell her best friends in the world that they made her think of the Hardy Boys.

“Storm, how often are you going to change this subject?” Dan’s hand now rested on her other arm. She felt cornered, slightly desperate, definitely wanted. Her thoughts drifted to Ryder. He made her feel something, the right something. Everything about him spoke to her. Storm looked at her hands and bit her lip. Dammit.

“Guys, uh, I think we need to dial this down.” Her fingertips started to glow. Dan realized it first and took her hand in his, moving it beneath the table top, to hide the light.

“Right, we will discuss this later. Crab bisque you say? I am thinking about a steak. Still your treat, right?” Shane followed suit and Storm worked to clamp down the feeling in her gut until the glow receded.

“Of course, order whatever you like. We are celebrating after all. Shane?” She looked to him, his eyes burning with something fierce. “Shane, honey, what are you going to order?”

The waiter arrived at that moment, a plain, college-aged guy with no outstanding qualities whatsoever. He eyed Storm’s cleavage for a moment before introducing himself as Ray and asking for their drink orders. Shane did not miss the glance and clearly took offense to it. Storm took his hand and squeezed lightly. When he met her eye she gave a warning look. Dan fortunately covered and ordered a round of drinks, dismissing the waiter quickly.

“Shane, what is going on?” Dan sounded harsh but Shane seemed to snap out of it.

“There is something wrong with that waiter, brother. I read darkness on him. He has mistreated women and he has set his eyes on Storm.” Shane grimaced, “He is the one we have been looking for. We haven’t found him because he moves restaurants regularly.”

“Well, then we will take care of this after dinner. You cannot let on that you are aware of his intentions. Storm, care to help us out with this guy?” Dan turned to face her, his expression a mixture of exhilaration and curiosity. Storm remembered the stories in the paper, the guy carving runes in his victims and then splaying them in very public settings to bleed out. Dan and Shane had been searching for him for months. She shuddered remembered the body count, at least a dozen women over the past year. This could be just what she needed.

“I thought you’d never ask. That creep needs to be locked up. What do I have to do?”

Dan leaned in to whisper in her ear, it must have looked intimate to anybody who didn’t know better, “Just flirt with him a bit. Make him think you are interested but play coy. Now push me away and laugh, he is walking our way.”

Storm did as instructed, giggled in a way that made her seem vapid. It sounded strange coming out of her mouth but delivered the desired reaction as their waiter raised his eyebrows in her direction. Storm arranged her lips in a slight pout and used her Marilyn Monroe impression to order. She finished with a little wink. For the remainder of their meal, Storm behaved as such whenever the waiter returned to their table. He was definitely invested and Shane seemed to be having a difficult time with the mental images he projected. Storm paid with cash and slipped a note in the small black leather binder asking the waiter to meet her in the alley in ten minutes. She signed it with a fake name and a little heart for good measure.

Dan and Shane made a point of going out to the car first while she loitered for a few moments and caught the waiter’s eye. He nodded in agreement, his gaze hungry. Storm made a show of leaving out the side exit.

Ryder

Ryder found himself struggling to finish his meal. How could she be there? Of all the restaurants in town why Il Bistro? He worked to focus on the conversation, to laugh appropriately with his companions. Fortunately, Roane had chosen not to join them. It proved impossible to extract his eyes from the Seer. She sat at a booth directly across from them on the opposite side of the restaurant but stood out in the crowd like a beacon. He barely noticed the seraphs on either side of her, their power suddenly paled in comparison to that emanating from Storm Sullivan. How did his companions not see it? A golden glow around her entire being, far brighter than Trin’s had ever been. For that matter, far brighter than any he’d ever seen. She had to be the Emerald.

Eventually Lucian caught his wavelength and worked to keep Kell and Pollux occupied but Angeline clearly noticed his obsession with the redhead across the room. She nudged him under the table at one point to break his eye contact. He was not sure if Angeline worried more about his fixation for business reasons or because he failed to acknowledge her appearance. Ryder had actually noticed, even appreciated what she’d done with herself, but Angeline was not Storm Sullivan. Lucian seemed interested however and had nodded approvingly more than once in her general direction. Angeline garnered a more appropriate response from Kell and Pollux whose eyes bulged slightly when she entered the restaurant. The black satin dress hugged every curve, dipped low in the appropriate places, and had a slit up one leg that left little to the imagination. She’d done her hair in a glamorous twist and added dangling diamond earrings for added effect. Every man in the place had eyes on Angeline, every man but four – Ryder, the seraphs, and the strange waiter.

The waiter. Something seemed off about that kid. When Angeline got up to apparently powder her nose, Ryder leaned into Lucian and asked his opinion on the situation. Lucian furrowed his eyebrows meaningfully and focused on the issue at hand, he’d always been better at reading humans. Lucian observed and nodded tightly after witnessing a few interactions between the waiter and Storm.

“How do we handle this one, brother?”

“I do not know. The Seraphs should know better. What do you think?”

“That kid is bad news. He is a hunter, not a flicker of supernat in him but more than a healthy dose of evil. He is a pure sociopath and seems to be gunning for your girl.” Lucian’s inner fire flickered briefly; he’d always had a thing for punishing those who liked to abuse women. This guy clearly set Lucian off. Yet another bad sign for the kid.

“She is not my girl.” Ryder worked to keep his tone level. Inside he seethed. This boy intended to harm Storm. Rage and frustration bubbled below the surface; he felt it rolling under his skin as the power amplified. Every talent Ryder possessed warred within him fighting for the same purpose – to protect Storm Sullivan. He paused for a moment to consider the complete over-reaction but he could not deny the impulses. Pollux nudged him hard in the ribs causing Ryder to realize he gripped the table so hard it had cracked.

“Whatever you say, brother. We have to act if you want to help her.” Lucian nodded toward the side of the restaurant where Storm slipped out, completely unescorted. Why would the seraphs leave her unprotected?

“Pollux, stay here and wait for Angeline, have her pay with the business card and stall her. Kell, Lucian, will you join me in the alley for a moment?”