“The last thing I want is to hurt you.” Heather got to her feet, standing in front of him. “My father’s spirit came to me tonight, and not everything he said was a lie. Everyone who cares about me always ends up miserable. That’s why I live alone in that big house and my only friend was online. You deserve a partner forever, Drake. I want that for you.”
“That’s utter bullshit.” He understood now. This was from the attack. His tone softened. “She made the ghosts tell you that, love.”
Her eyes had been haunted after the figurehead’s spell. His experiences had left him unable to sleep and jumping at every shadow. How much worse would it have been for a woman with her psychic abilities?
“Actually, I’ve been struggling with this all day, not just because of the ghosts.” She searched his eyes, and he fought to keep his expression stoic as she carved his beating heart from his chest with her words. “After we find the figurehead, I think we should…stop seeing each other.”
His entire body tensed. He bottled up the emotions. He’d be alone again. This was familiar territory. He’d been stupid to let her in. He knew better.
Drake whispered, “I don’t need you or anyone else to protect me from facing forever. I know damned well how to go on living. I’ll honor your decision if it makes you happy. That’s all I’ve ever wished for you. But know this…this is not what I want.”
She studied his face, her eyes shining with tears that made him ache to comfort her. There was no way in hell he was going to reassure her. This decision would be the end of him, if death were a possibility anymore.
“I’m so sorry.” Heather took a step back, putting more space between them as she wiped her nose. “When my sister called earlier, it was to arrange a trade. Ashley has David. You and I need to go to her house tomorrow morning, or she’ll kill him.”
“No.” Drake answered instinctively. He pulled his hair back from his forehead, part of him grateful to be able to focus on a new problem. Anything to distract him from the pain of losing her. “Agent Bale is immortal like us. She’ll figure that out soon enough.”
“If she found his satchel of healing herbs, then he’s every bit as mortal as I am.” Her eyes pleaded with him, twisting his already wounded heart. “I know I have no right to ask this of you, but if he dies and I could have saved him, I won’t be able to live with myself.”
“So you’ll let her have you instead.” He took her hand, his thumb stroking her knuckles before he could stop himself. Soothing her was like breathing. “There’s got to be another way. Bale has probably already called reinforcements.”
“If she used that figurehead against him, I can promise you, there’s no way he called the office. Even David has limits to his self-control.”
Drake ignored the spike of jealousy that pinged at her intimate knowledge about the government agent. “Fine. But we’re not going in there alone.”
Drake’s fingers slid free from hers as he paced the galley. There must be a way to contact Department 13. Maybe the government had some supernatural gadgets, or a spell, or something to shield them from Ashley’s magic. Then it hit him.
“Char.” He reached for Heather’s hand but stopped himself. He cleared his throat. “Come on. We need to talk to Keegan. Char’s father works for Department 13. She must have his phone number.”
On the open deck, Keegan gripped the pegs on the wheel until his knuckles were white with effort. No sign of his usual swagger. He nodded to Drake. “What’s up, mate?”
Drake glanced at Heather, then answered Keegan. “Heather’s sister has Agent Bale. She wants us in trade.”
Keegan smirked. “Suicide mission.”
“Maybe not if we can contact his agents for backup.” Drake paused a moment before adding, “I need the number for Char’s father.”
Agent Bale and Department 13 had Char on a list of citizens with potentially dangerous psychic abilities. Char’s father worked for them, so Keegan didn’t trust him. Keegan did his best to shield her and keep her off their radar.
Keegan’s gaze cut over to Drake. “I don’t want Char getting tangled in this mess.”
“And she won’t.” Drake gripped Keegan’s shoulder. “I swear this won’t touch her.”
A muscle tensed in Keegan’s cheek, but he took out his cell and fired off a text. A few seconds later, with his eyes still on the horizon, he handed over his phone when it pinged. Drake entered the number for Kingsley Pratt into his cell.
“Thanks, Keegan.” He turned to Heather. “I’ll make the call. You might as well eat before One-Eyed Bob’s food gets cold.”
She nodded with a halfhearted smile and crossed to the railing of the ship. Her silver hair blew in the wind, almost glowing in the moonlight. Gods, she had an ethereal beauty he couldn’t put into words. Like an angel. His angel.
Not his anymore.
He clenched his fist. Whether she wanted him in her life or not, there was no way he’d allow her sister to harm her. Maybe Department 13 would be able to rescue Bale on their own tonight, and if that didn’t work, Miss Bianca’s special healing root would be his final card to play.
This game would be much less treacherous if they could play it out on Heather’s computer. Or better yet, if he could lock Heather away in a secret room, far from Savannah.
As long as Ashley had that figurehead and their grandmother’s ring, she could attack Heather anywhere. There was nowhere to hide. And tonight’s demonstration proved Ashley could take on multiple targets at once. She had an untold number of spirits at her fingertips.
He pressed the number for Kingsley Pratt while keeping watch over Heather’s every move, memorizing every curve of her face, and loathing the wall being constructed between them.
How could he walk away now? How could she
