Deceptions (Evie Cortez Book 1)

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I sat on the sofa that I had magically cleaned before I left earlier, the wound on my back dripped blood all over the cushions.

I stared at the photo and saw it was recent. They looked the same only a few years older. “Have you given anymore thought to who would want to take Jamie?”

Caleb sat on the coffee table before me and glanced at the staircase. He would try his hardest to keep Jamie out of the loop for her own safety. “I thought about it once the adrenaline was gone. I wasn’t supposed to be here at the time he came. I had a meeting that cancelled and I’m thinking I caught him off guard and he reacted the way he did.”

I watched his midnight blue eyes waiting for him to lie, while also noting at the same time how beautiful he was this up close. He had devastating handsome features, strong jaw line, high cheekbones, full lips, and those haunting midnight blue eyes.

“So the idea she was going to be taken to be used against you as leverage still works. He had a knife of you but that doesn’t mean he planned to kill you. Maybe just wound you enough so he could run. It wasn’t personal to him, he was hired help. You have to figure out who hired him. I have to figure out who he is.” I knew I’d see that warlock again and I was going to kill him.

Caleb looked at the photo in my hands. “What do you think it means?”

“It’s weird to have you ask my opinion seeing as we don’t really get along. I don’t know what it means; it could be anything but I have this gut feeling he isn’t going to hurt them. He can’t. They have more power than he could dream of and he’d be condemned to death by the coven if he hurt other members.”

“He hurt you.” Caleb said softly.

“I’m not part of the coven anymore after I ran. There’s a good chance they want my head on a platter. He had said as much.” I kept staring at the picture. “The smart move would be to call them and warn them except,” I sighed. “I can’t do that.” I could’ve also asked for their help to ID the kidnapper but the thought was mind numbing. Most likely they wouldn’t want anything to do with me and to reach out would be pointless. I looked up from my lap when I realized how quiet the room got.

Caleb’s eyes were dark in thought. “Neither Jamie nor you are safe.”

“I can handle it.”

He met my eyes and the intensity pouring from him was enough for me to move back. “She can’t and until I find out who’s behind this I might not be able to protect her. You can.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Stay with her.”

I continued to watch his eyes; he was dead serious about what he was asking me to do. I also saw the signs of hope he was holding, he needed me to say yes. “You want me to be her guard?” I needed to be clear before I made any choices. Did I actually have one?

“Yes, she likes you she won’t try and get rid of you like the others I’ve hired to watch her. She’ll accept it and I’ll have some peace of mind.”

“You trust me with your daughter’s life?”

“After last night, yes.”

There was a wave of understanding settling between us. While we’d never be on the same side I had proven myself very capable last night. He needed my help, I had planned to help them anyway, what’s one more step? “Ok yes, I’ll become Jamie’s shadow.”

“Thank you.”

Jamie came back downstairs and looked at me then her father. “What’s going on?” Caleb explained to her the new arrangement; I would be her new bodyguard and there wouldn’t be a place she went without me until the warlock was caught and who hired him was taken care of. Jamie was excited; she didn’t mind having me around and loved the fact she wouldn’t have to go to school.

I sat back against the sofa, tired, as they spoke. Jamie left to the kitchen to make breakfast as my cellphone began to ring. I pulled it from my jean pocket and flipped it open to reject the call. As I put the phone back in my pocket I noticed Caleb watching me. We didn’t have to say anything, he knew it was Michael calling and what happened last night reached the heavy players in town.

“He’s not going to be happy about you helping me.”

I shrugged. “I know that but while I care about his disappointment at the same time I don’t. I don’t work exclusively for his family and he doesn’t have anymore input in my life. He’ll be mad but he’ll get over it.” Mad, I hoped he’d be mad rather than furious. I knew Michael better than that; he wouldn’t support my choice to help Caleb and his daughter at all no matter how I tried to explain it.

“Who?” Jamie asked as she stepped out of the kitchen.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re very nosy?” I asked.

“Yes.” Caleb answered.

Jamie rolled her eyes. “Not nosy, just very curious and there’s nothing wrong with that. Do you want something to eat, do witches eat?”

I looked at the young girl. “Yes witches eat but I’m fine.” I considered telling her the rest of what I was but decided to wait until she got used to the arrangement and learned to trust me. I stood from the sofa. “Since your father is here and its broad daylight I better run some errands done now. I’ll be back soon.”

It was best to just go talk to Michael face to face before he got some second hand wrong information from one of his employees around town. He was up when I arrived, and I quickly learned I was right that he knew about the fight last night. During the long course of our relationship I never told Michael the truth about my heritage either. He had questions now and I didn’t know if I had the answers.

 “I wanted to tell you before you found out some other way. Caleb hired me to watch his daughter and I agreed.”

Michael leaned back against his desk with his arms crossed. “That puts you in whatever mess he’s got himself involved in.”

“I already am involved and this way I can help too. The warlock that came to his place last night made it personal between us. I hurt him, I was stronger and now he wants to prove a point by hurting me. I wanted to tell you myself but I’m not changing my mind. Jamie is innocent and Caleb needs help and I’m going to give it to him.”

He nodded, clearly unhappy but accepting the facts. He knew me well enough to know when my mind was set. “About the rest, your powers?”

“How much do you want to know?”

“All of it. It’s time to finally get it out in the open.”