Kelley Armstrong - The Calling

“No one expects you to care about Nic and Hayley as much as we do,” Daniel said. “But I am glad to see you’re okay.”

“For Maya’s sake. I know.” He waved off Daniel’s denials. “I don’t expect more. And, chances are, I’ll turn out to be an ass after all.”

He said it jokingly, but he broke eye contact, and didn’t look my way either, just nudged me toward the house. I wondered if it did kind of hurt him, getting a cool reception from the guys.

That reception didn’t improve once we got in the house. Rafe was happy to see Sam was okay. Whether you like a person or not, you don’t wish them a horrible death. Sam, though… Well, I’d spent long enough with her now to realize she was lacking certain filters most of us have.

“So, I guess you’ll be moving on, then?” she said. “Got things to do? Places to be?”

Daniel winced. Corey lifted his brows. Rafe only sputtered a laugh.

“Well, at least you didn’t say you’re sorry to see me alive,” he said.

“You know what I mean,” Sam said.

“Um, no,” I said. “We don’t. Rafe just survived a fall from a helicopter and trekked back here to meet us—”

“Meet you,” Sam said. “And what I meant was that he’ll be leaving to look for his sister. Right?”

“I am looking for Annie,” Rafe said. “But I can do that with you guys, especially if she’s been captured by the same people who have Nicole and Hayley. Maya tells me you have a cell phone. It probably wasn’t a good idea to use it, but since no one swooped down while you were waiting here—”

“Which is why I insisted on waiting here.” Sam lifted her chin. “If the Nasts were tracking the phone, they’d have come here and found me alone. But no one showed up. Now, Maya, if you can stop gaping at Rafe for a few minutes, we really should come up with a plan.”

I glared at her. “I spent three days thinking I’d watched him fall to his death.”

“Leave her alone, Sam,” Daniel murmured. “This isn’t the time.”

“I’m just saying it’s not the time for that either. We need to focus and having Maya moon over Rafe is making everyone uncomfortable.”

Rafe grinned. “Doesn’t bother me.”

“Because your ego really needs the encouragement.”

Rafe’s grin hardened. “You don’t know anything about me or my ego, Samantha. I’m going to ask you to give the attitude a rest for a while. Maya tells me you and Daniel are benandanti, and I remember my mom mentioning them. You guys have a sixth sense for evil. Clearly, I’m not triggering Daniel’s radar or he wouldn’t let me in the same room as Maya. Am I tripping yours?”

Her mouth opened and I could tell she wanted to say he was, but she closed it again, so hard her teeth clicked. After a moment, she said, “You think you’re better than everyone else. You think the rules don’t apply to you. You breeze into town, working your charm on all the girls, then walk away when you realize they aren’t the skin-walker you’re looking for. You find her”—Sam pointed at me—“and you use her, too, but apparently, she’s forgiven you. Maya’s smart and she’s sensible, so maybe I’m trying to figure out why the hell she’s with you when there are great guys like…” She stumbled, as if searching for a name. “Like Brendan. You’ve got some kind of hold over her, and I don’t like it.”

Rafe leaned over and whispered. “It’s a love spell I picked up from a witch over in Nanaimo. But don’t tell Maya.”

“You think you’re funny.”

“No, I think you have your own issue with me and I think I know what it is. But it has nothing to do with me personally, so I’m going to try not to take it personally. And, while I might be enjoying this—” He lifted his hand, which was still clasping mine. “I know it’s as temporary as a love spell. Give it a few hours and she’ll hate me again.”

“Hate’s a strong word,” I said.

“Strong emotion is better than indifference.” He grinned at me, then looked at the others. “Now, if we can stop bickering for a few minutes, I’ll tell you my plan.” His gaze moved to Sam. “Which I’m sure Maya and Daniel will change, if they don’t outright reject it, and I’m fine with that.”

“What did you have in mind?” Daniel said.

RAFE’S PLAN WAS SIMPLE: get us to the mainland. His mom had given him the names of some people there. Supernaturals who had worked on the experiment and then left it. One was a woman in Vancouver.

Rafe hadn’t made contact with any of them earlier because his mother had told him to reach out to them only as a last resort. This was, Rafe figured, a last resort.

Sam wanted to leave right away. Rafe thought we should get a good night’s rest. Daniel agreed, and Corey seconded Daniel. As the three of us long-time residents pointed out, getting off the island at night wasn’t easy.

Next the guys were heading out to find a house we could hole up in—someplace the Cabals wouldn’t expect to find us. Sam’s leg wasn’t up to scouting, and Rafe thought I should stay with her, take a break, get a hot shower, and put on the fresh clothes I’d brought from home. That may have been his nice way of saying I really needed that shower.

As the guys headed downstairs, I called Daniel back. Rafe hesitated even when I waved him on, but after a moment, he went with Corey.

I led Daniel to the master bedroom and closed the door behind us.

“What’s up?” I whispered.

“Hmm?”

“You’ve barely said a word since Rafe showed up. You don’t trust him.”

“What? No. Of course I trust him. The guy fell out of a helicopter so we wouldn’t.”

“But something’s bugging you. Is it his story?”

“No. It’s a miracle he survived, but like you said, he’s part cat. They always land on their feet.” He smiled, but it was strained.

“Then you don’t buy the part about how he got back here.”

“I do. He said he left the motorcycle behind the Blender. Easy enough to check. If he was lying, he’d say he ditched it in the woods somewhere.”

“Uh-huh. You’ve thought this through, I see. Which means it’s bugging you.”

Daniel put his hands on my upper arms and leaned down to look me in the eye. “Nothing’s bugging me, Maya. Well, except the fact that our town is empty, and we have no idea where anyone is or how to find them.”

I dropped my gaze. “Right. Sorry. You’re quiet because you have other things on your mind. I’m worried, too. I know it doesn’t seem like it, because Rafe’s back and obviously I’m happy about that, so maybe I’m not as focused as I should be. I’ll snap out of it.”

He gave me a quick hug. “Don’t. Something in this whole mess has gone right for you. You’re allowed to be happy.” He met my gaze. “Okay?”

I nodded.

“Go have a shower and try to relax,” he said. “You’re going to need your energy, and I’m going to need my cocaptain.”

I was in the Tillsons’ bathroom, still dressed, starting the shower, when I heard a faint click, and I wheeled to see Rafe coming in, holding a card he’d used to pop the lock. His free hand covered his eyes.

“Excuse—” I began.

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t know you were in here,” he said, his hand still over his eyes as he frantically motioned, apparently trying to stop me from stating the obvious—that he’d broken in and knew full well I was here.

I pulled his hand from his eyes, and mouthed, “What the hell?”

“Play along,” he mouthed back. “Please.”

There was no teasing glimmer in his eyes. They pleaded with me so desperately that I felt a chill in my gut.

I went to turn off the water. He grabbed my arm and shook his head. Then he moved me closer to the shower, leaned in and whispered, “Ask me to join you.”