Rather than remark on it, Carter said, “If you’d rather take us to my place, that’s fine. I was just thinking of lying low for a few hours until I can get a handle on what’s going on with Sean.”
“No, it makes sense. I agree. I think we’d be wise not to potentially place Ellie in more danger. However, Elia’s people are going to let Elia know what happened. Elia is going to pass it on to Ciara Costas’s people. They’ll be on the lookout for you and me. What’re the first two places they’ll check, outside the Costas mansion?”
“Yours and mine.”
The realization hit home. Without his vast network of resources, largely built on his association with Sean, he had virtually no friends or resources. And he couldn’t rely on those until he had a better grip on the loyalties of his people. Who was loyal to Sean and who had Ciara swayed to her side? He needed time to figure it out. Time he really didn’t have, not with Elia having the Stones in her possession. She’d move them too. The Talos was an unmistakable figure in their world. The Talos had seen where the Stones were kept. The Talos had escaped. He didn’t want to lose track of the Stones, but that meant acting quickly. Carter wasn’t sure he could. Not with Ellie in her condition. Not until he knew Ellie was safe. Not until—
“That’s right.”
Detective Ewing’s voice broke into the churning mass of his thoughts, interrupting the schemes he was poring over.
“I suggest we avoid both of our homes for now. I have somewhere else in mind where we can lay low for a little while. I don’t think they’ll think of him right off the bat.”
“Who’s that?”
“My partner, Detective Tozzi,” she answered solemnly.
Chapter Twelve
“Can we trust him?” Ballis asked from the back seat
“I don’t see that we have a choice,” Candace, Detective Ewing, answered grimly. “We’re short on allies right now. Most of the folks I work with don’t know about your people. I’m never quite sure who does and who doesn’t; who I can trust and who I can’t. After finding out Mrs. Costas is hooking up with Elia’s side, well—that kind of leaves you short on allies too, I’m afraid.”
Ballis didn’t argue.
“Besides,” Candace went on, “Gary’s been in this game a lot longer than I have.” She slowed for a red light, setting her right turn signal. The signal’s rhythmic ticking underscored the weighty silence. It didn’t feel appropriate to speak until the vehicle went into motion again and the sounds of the drive helped cover the solemnity of the cloud overshadowing them. “He knows a lot more about this than I do. He’s in way deeper. I need someone to help cover up the fact that bullets from a cop’s gun are in the alley, in those bodies. I have to make sure both of our butts are covered from the fight tonight. Gary’s got the contacts in the Fort Worth PD. He can help.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
“Why not?”
Puzzled, she glanced again into the rearview mirror to gauge if he was joking. He met her gaze.
“You really think Nosizwe is going to leave anything lying around that can be traced back to her, back to where she kept the Stones? She’s not an idiot. Her folks will have that place locked down tight and cleaned up better than an operating room. Pretty soon, nobody will know a battle went down there except you, me, and the mourning relatives and friends of the shifters who died. They’ll keep quiet. This won’t spread.”
“Maybe,” she conceded, but Candace could hear the doubt in her own voice. “All the same, I’d rather not risk having bullets from my gun found in a body. And it won’t do you any favors to have bodies with your mark in them, either.”
“Do what you want,” he said, leaning into the seat behind him. His hand rested protectively on his wife’s shoulder. Ellie still wasn’t budging. Candace couldn’t ignore the prickles of worry, but unless they decided to head to the nearest hospital the best thing they could do for her was to wait it out. “If you’re sure he’s safe, we’ll go there, then.”
Sure? It had been a long time since she was completely sure of anything. All of her confidence had changed the day she’d first seen Carter Ballis transform from man to monster, monster to man. Candace used to be sure of what was right and what was wrong. She’d been sure the shapeshifters were wrong, all of them. She’d been sure their warring and killing needed to stop. That the offenders needed to be brought to justice. Now she wasn’t sure any longer who were the good guys and who were the bad guys.
A few things she was still sure about. She needed a shower. A hot meal. A clean toilet, not the cold, metal disgusting thing she’d been forced to use in the warehouse that looked like it hadn’t been wiped down in months. Sleep in a real bed, not chained up to a metal post. She wanted to feel human again. Hopefully Gary’s house would be the refuge she needed, they all needed, for a little while.
She knocked on her partner’s door, hoping he was already up and about. Like her, Gary was an early riser, and he’d likely be getting ready for work. He showed up, shirt not yet tucked into his slacks but gun harness already on, newspaper in one hand, cup of coffee in another. His reading glasses
