Providence

After a long shower, I dressed and trotted down the stairs. I grabbed the newspaper and sat at the table with my coffee, freezing mid-sip as I saw the headline.

Local Banker Found Dead, Mutilated “Jared?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?” he replied, distracted by the pan of eggs in front of him.

“Have you seen this morning’s paper?”

“Not yet, what’s up?” He turned when he felt my fear as I read over the article.

I swal owed nervously before meeting Jared’s eyes. “James Stevens from the bank…the man that let us into the vault…he was found dead yesterday.”

I handed the paper to him and watched his eyes scan over the words.

“What does it mean, Jared?”

Jared’s irises were clear and his features smooth. “He must have been one of the humans Samuel was referring to. I would have to see the body to be sure if it was Grahm or….”

I nodded, realizing where he was getting at.

“Oh, no,” Jared said.

“What?”

Jared handed the paper back to me, pointing to what he’d read.

Local Jeweler Robbed, Assaulted Police Say String of Crimes Coincidence “Vincent!” I said, looking up at Jared. “Do you think he’s okay?”

Jared’s eyes darkened a shade. “It just says assaulted, so I’m assuming he’s alive,” he said, sitting in the chair beside me.

I fidgeted. “What do we do?”

Jared shook his head, sliding his fingers in between mine. “You and I wil get the book, and then I’m going to return it to Shax.”

“You mean we’re going to return it to Shax,” I said, squeezing his fingers between mine.

Jared shook his head. “I’m sorry, Nina, it’s too dangerous.”

“Jared….” The fear choked off my objections.

Pul ing me into his lap, Jared shrugged his arms around me. “Nina, I’m going to take care of this. Claire wil stay here with you. I promise you’l be safe.”

I pressed my cheek against his and closed my eyes. “What about you? Isn’t that like walking behind enemy lines?”

“I have something he wants. As long as you’re here, safe, I’l be fine. Trust me?” he said, holding me at arm’s length to search my eyes.

“I do. Just…be careful.”

“Oh, I’l be careful. I’ve got plans for you.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “Your eggs are getting cold. I’m going to cal Claire…get this over with.”

Claire walked through the door less than an hour later, her casual expression matching Jared’s. She also seemed significantly more relaxed around me, even smacking me on the backside when she walked by.

“We’re going to have fun, Nina. I brought movies.”

My face slowly morphed to disgust. “Movies? You think I’m going to be able to watch a movie while Jared is in a room ful of demons?”

Claire rol ed her eyes and a smirk sharpened her features. “Don’t you know what Jared is capable of? I’m not worried. You shouldn’t be, either.”

Jared’s mouth turned up a bit, shoving a handgun in the back of his jeans. “You’re overdoing it, Claire.”

Claire shot an expression of chagrin at her brother, and they traded glances.

“She doesn’t want me to freak out and leave again,” I said. I looked at the floor and then back at her. “You’re stuck with me, Claire.”

She pul ed one side of her mouth into an appreciative smile. “Good. Because I’d just track you down and bring your butt back here.”

Jared walked toward me and kissed my forehead first, and then my lips. “You ready?”

My fingers involuntarily gripped his jacket. “What if they’re waiting for us at the bank?”

“Then I’l protect you. Claire is coming with us…if anyone should be afraid it’s Grahm and his men.”

My body felt rigid from the moment we stepped out of the door into the al ey. Jared kept my hand in his until we pul ed up to the front entrance of the bank. Claire on one side of me, Jared on the other, we walked inside and across the lobby. An older gentleman in a dark suit and tie approached us.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, we wil be retrieving our effects from the vault downstairs,” Jared said.

“Er…c-can I have your name, sir?” he stuttered, anxiously tapping the ends of his fingers against each other.

“Jared Ryel. Is there a problem?”

“No…no sir, there’s no problem. I’d be glad to help you.”

Jared’s eyes swept the room, and I noticed Claire was on alert, as wel . They kept close, both of them in contact with my arms as we walked. Just before the elevator opened to the sub-floor, I noticed a break in Claire’s breathing. It was completely silent for a fraction of a second until the doors slid open to a large, empty room.

Claire quietly exhaled and Jared gripped my arm, cautiously pul ing me forward. We went through the tedious procedure to gain access to the vault while Claire nonchalantly glanced around the perimeter. Her ice blue eyes would miss nothing.

“You put the paper in the safe, Jared,” I whispered. “We don’t know the combination.”

“I know it,” he said, shoving the key into the lock.

I looked over at Claire, whose eyes focused on the closing vault. Once it closed, she looked up and slowly scanned the ceiling.

“What is it, Claire?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she murmured. “Something.”

Jared kept the book under his arm on the return trip to the loft. He escorted me to the end of the al ey and then leaned down to kiss me goodbye.

Before our lips touched, he looked up as if he sensed something around us.

“I should go. It’s already attracting them.”

I clenched his jacket. “I don’t want you to go alone.”

“Claire needs to stay here with you. I can’t leave you unprotected.”

“What about Bex? Can’t he stay here with me?” I asked, searching his face as my mind raced to find an alternative.

“Bex is with Lil ian,” he said. I immediately understood his indicative reply; he was covering al the bases.

“Jared.…” I said, tightening my grip.

He pul ed me to him. “If we wait much longer, they’l come to us, and we don’t want that. This is our only option.”

I leaned back and closed my eyes, shaking my head. “There has to be another way. There has to be—,”

Jared cupped my jaw and his thumb brushed my cheek. “As long as your heart is beating, so is mine.”

I tried to forge a brave expression on my face. “I love you.”

Jared’s eyes grew soft and the corners of his mouth moved upward. “I love you. I’l see you soon.”

Claire gently rested her warm hands on my shoulders as we watched him pul from the curb and then disappear around a corner down the street.

I felt my insides wrench. “Tel me he’s going to be al right.”

Claire turned me to face her and grinned. “I wasn’t overdoing it, earlier. He wil come back. And if they piss him off, he’l come back with a few demon notches in his belt. Jared doesn’t know how to fail.”

We walked upstairs and I sat on the couch, trying to relax so Jared wouldn’t be distracted by my fear.

Claire sat beside me, fidgeting.