Haunted Devotion

31.

Calling in favors all night, I had Yerlin fill me in with what was put in the cops database, printing out everything that was logged into Linus' now rap sheet.

"Who called it in?" I say with a pen behind my ear with another in my hand marking off stuff on the fax that he just sent in a few minutes ago.

Typing on the keyboard, he checks and sends me the number.

"It's unlisted. Unknown."

I call Gerald inside the ballroom where I do all my work and he takes hold of the paper seeing the number.

"Damn it," He grumbles out angrily.

I snatched the paper back, "Who is it?"

Holding his head he sighs, "Your mother. Rowen."

Now pissed off more I shook my head, "Why? How?"

Gerald bites his knuckles thinking then shakes his head devastated.

"She must've figured out that I brought you back. But why take Linus? To this extent? Maybe to have you scuffed out. I don't know. That woman is a nutcase in itself."

I knew why. Nolan. She knows if she separates us, he'll find a way back. But not if he's possessing an actual human with an actual identity. He wouldn't be able to protect me.

"Tell me you put a protection spell over me once you transferred my soul back into my body."

Gerald nods, "Of course I did. I'm not a neanderthal."

I sit on the ballroom floor thinking of what can be done but have very few choices.

"How far does it go? Am I able to move around freely without her catching me?"

Gerald tilts his head ready to say no but then back tracks.

"If you wear this," He goes out of the room, goes to the hall near the kitchen then comes back with a small charmed bracelet.

"And what is that?" I said as I was suspicious about the silver chain with weird carvings burned into it.

Gerald claps it around my wrist and it lights up then simmers down clinging to my skin.

"It'll only last for 48 hours. Anything besides that you're on her radar."

Trying to readjust it as it's digging into my skin, Gerald stops me, warning me that's how it's supposed to be worn.

"Is this what you learned while you were with her?"

Not too proud he nods, "Yes, I've learned plenty of things just not what love really is when it comes to her."

Feeling bad I pat his back slowly giving him a half smile then changing heading to the police station with Yerlin on the phone.

"He has to beat the charges. Pull every string you can."

Hanging up I drive myself which I never do but today was a huge emergency more than ever.

Stepping on the gas pedal, I speed over the limit and make it there where they were already booking him.

"That won't be necessary," Taking out a form and slamming it on the clear glass, they take a look at it and widen their eyes in shock.

"I'm sorry Ms. Relish–we–my team didn't know it was your house or that this young man was an importance to your organization."

I nodded," Yeah just let him out before HQ brings out a lawsuit for you guys being incompetent on arresting one of their employers on little to no evidence that they've committed whatever crime was called in by what? An anonymous caller?"

The cops gulped in embarrassment, "Again we are so sorry," Opening the cell Linus walks out glaring at them then walks out with me and as soon as we got into the car he kissed me so hard I think my heart would've collapsed inside my chest.

"Fuck you're amazing," He says still close to my face holding the back of my neck looking into my eyes.

"Rowen did it. She made those false claims."

Nolan now lets go and slouches back into the passenger seat holding his head from the side.

"She knows you're alive?"

I nodded while starting to drive, taking us back to the house, until he had me take a detour to Linus' house.

"What do we do?" I say parking and putting my hands in my lap with the keys now in my back pocket.

Nolan sighs then opens the car door going into Linus' house having me follow behind him slamming the driver's side door once I got out.

"I have to make sure she can't find you," Opening the front door and making his way inside, Linus tells him a secret doorway to go into where there's old books his parents use to study.

Nolan takes one of the old books and opens it up to a middle page reading it studiously.

"This place doesn't look so bad when you go further into it," I say to myself seeing the vintage wallpaper decorated on the walls, a big chime clock in the middle of the foyer and a few sets of stairs leading to god knows where.

"Linus says they were big on him joining the organization, had him study everything, even you."

I turned, "So they knew I wasn't a real Relish too?"

Nolan looks up from the book ready to confirm but Linus fights him on it mentally.

"I need some air," I walked off going to the labyrinth of mysteries since everything in there was unknown to me.

For someone who is already dealing with enough, going into such a maze was a dumb idea.

Making right turns then left turns for the tenth time of being in the maze for about ten minutes, I just sat on the ground waiting for rain to start pouring down as thunder sounded and appeared in the sky above me.

After a few minutes, Nolan finds me, having me stand holding my waist.

"I'm sorry...I know this is all too much."

I sighed heavily, "I just wanted love...didn't know love was this hard."

Nolan smiles low, "But I promise it's worth it."

Kissing my lips, savoring the moment, he then let's his hands go lower cupping my backside pulling me closer to him.

"We are not doing it out in the rain," I mumbled against his lips as they still linger on mine.

With a sly grin he looks at me, "It would surprise you what's possible in the rain."