Rae Rivers - The Keepers - Declan

He lunged forward, but with a dizzying movement, she grabbed the fire extinguisher attached to the wall and released the nozzle. Thick white spray devoured him, sparking howls of rage. She took four strides toward the blinded man and whacked the fire extinguisher across his head, crying out in relief when he crumpled to the ground.

“Kate!” yelled a female voice as a door further down the corridor burst open to reveal a breathless blonde woman.

Jenna froze in the doorway, her gaze shifting from the fallen warrior to Kate. Her eyebrows were tense, her mouth clamped in fury. She was still wearing Kate’s clothes.

“What are you doing here?” Kate cried out. “You were asleep!”

“No chance in hell I’m missing out on all this,” Jenna replied glancing at Max.

For a brief moment, they stared at each other as Kate’s mind scrambled for an explanation.

Damn Hazel’s stupid tea!

“You drugged my tea!” Jenna snapped.

“Clearly our dosages need work,” Kate shot back, glancing at the door behind her.

“Harper will hunt you down, Kate. There’s nowhere to hide.”

The truth sent her panic soaring. Raising the fire extinguisher, Kate squeezed the nozzle as Jenna began to run toward her. She threw the weapon into the white cloud and raced for the back door. Kate slammed it just as Jenna reached her, her fingers trembling around the magical key as she turned the lock. Ignoring Jenna’s furious pounding and shouts, Kate backtracked into the alley, her body trembling at the cold realisation that she’d almost walked into a trap.

Had it not been for Max’s tattoo, she would have gone with him.

Declan. Had he really been at the club?

Adrenaline, fear, and confusion stirred and she sagged against the wall.

Refusing to embrace her vulnerability, Kate pushed herself up. With shaking hands, she took to the streets, the truth gnawing at her:

She couldn’t trust anyone.

Two days later

Canada

Declan parked the rental car beneath a cluster of trees and turned off the engine, his eyes fixed on the white house by the lake. It was neat, built on stilts, with a porch that wrapped all the way around. Something Barbie and Ken would like. All that was missing was a Golden Retriever and a few kids. It was a quiet road, interspersed with quaint houses miles apart on the outskirts of the small rural village.

A few hours from Rapid Falls. Not surprising that Kate was renting in a town so tiny that it barely marked the map. What was surprising was that she’d returned to Canada.

The third dagger?

The peaceful village and the smell of the water wafting through his open window did little to calm the churning frustration in his gut.

He shouldn’t worry, shouldn’t care. But dammit, he did. Losing her on Bourbon had made him want to punch something.

But why would she seek out Harper, the Brogans' right-hand man? The last time he’d seen Harper was the night they’d killed Warrick. Harper had bolted and, somehow, Kate had tracked him to New Orleans, figured out that he owned the club, and found a way in to his private party.

Clever. Or stupid? And why was she tracking him?

Declan pulled out his phone and had his brother on speed dial.

“Where the hell have you been?” Ethan asked in an agitated tone that matched Declan’s mood.

“Someone’s testy today.”

“You’d be too if you had Sienna breathing down your neck every five minutes wanting to know if we’ve heard from you.”

Declan smiled, picturing his witch. “Tell Sienna I’m fine.”

“Where are you?”

“Back in Canada.”

“Already?”

“The woman gets around.”

And thanks to her witch friend back in New Orleans, he’d been able to track her. It had taken some convincing but Hazel had finally relented and offered him an address.

“Everything okay?” Ethan asked.

“Everything’s peachy.” Liar, liar.

“What happened at the club?”

Images of Harper’s party erupting into chaos sprang to mind. In a world where their kind lived in secrecy, their scant regard for the rules had shocked him. It promised a heap of crap he’d thought they’d dealt with: the Brogans and their quest for exposure and control.

“I think it’s safe to say that there's a new leader of the pack, with an even bigger following,” Declan muttered.

“Harper?”

“Yeah.”

“We should’ve taken him out when he went for Sienna the first time.”

Declan scowled. “You sound like Archer. How were we supposed to know that the sidekick would take over? And this lot are hungrier. They've got some crazy animal stunts I’ve never seen before.”

“That bad?”

“Think love child of Spiderman, Mason Brogan, and Catwoman.”

Ethan laughed, although the sound lacked humour. “You’re kidding?”

“I wish I was, brother.”

“Where’s the woman?”

“About three hours from Rapid Falls.”

“She lives here?”

“Passing through. Apparently she’s renting a house for a few days.”

“Planning another attempt at the third dagger, no doubt?”

“Probably.”

“So use your key, check her out.”

Right . “I plan to.”

“Declan,” Ethan said, his voice taking on an edge. “You have to bring her back to Rapid Falls.”

“I know.”

“If Harper’s after her, then he has a use for her.”

“She’s a Null.”

There was a brief pause. Ethan exhaled into the phone. “Shit. You sure?”

“She’s inexperienced but definitely a Null.”

“All the more reason we can’t let Harper get to her.”

Declan felt a flare of frustration. “I know, brother. I get it, but she’s jittery and doesn’t trust me.”

“You can’t blame her. With her powers, everyone in our world will want her.” Ethan cursed softly. “Use your Bennett charm, whatever it takes, but get her here.”

“If she uses her creepy powers to mess with my magical mojo, then I’m holding you responsible.”

“To hell with your mojo. If Harper gets to her, we’re all screwed.”

A clattering of dustbin lids caught Declan’s attention. Good. She was there and was awake – if she’d even slept. The sun was up, rays of light licking at the house with the promise of a new day.

“I gotta go,” Declan said, sitting up straighter.

“Call us when you have her.”

“I will. Just keep Sienna close. We don’t know what Harper’s up to.”

There was silence, followed by a brief grunt. “Don’t worry about Sienna. Watch your back, brother.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Declan disconnected the call and pocketed his phone. He rolled his shoulders, his muscles aching from the lack of sleep, and climbed out the car.

As he walked down the driveway, he caught sight of Kate straightening the bins. She looked different when she wasn’t in burglar mode. Long brown hair hung in big curls over her shoulders, and she was slender with curves in all the right places. The sweater she wore had the words ‘New Orleans Wonder’ sprawled across perky breasts.

Beautiful. Sexy. Damn annoying.

He heard her sharp breathing even from this distance. If he concentrated, he could even hear her heartbeat. A faint, rapid pulse that hinted at her uneasiness.

She glanced around before straightening the bin.

Declan stepped out of the bushes and stood in the middle of the driveway.

A blackbird took flight and she spun around with a gasp, a bag of rubbish in one hand. Their eyes locked and the need for words fell away.

She moved first.

Dropping the bag, she whirled around and bolted up the stairs to the front door. He anticipated her movements and it took little effort for him to reach the door before she did.