The Curse Keepers Collection (134 page)

For someone who was dedicated to Croatan culture, he sure knew a lot about the Cherokee.

“Oh, Ellie. What have you done?”

I shoved down my anger. “I’ve saved countless people, that’s what I’ve done.” Even if I didn’t manage to save Allison. “But that’s not why I called you.”

“Then why
did
you call?”

“I remember what happened the night of Momma’s murder.”

He paused. “You do?”

“Did you know about your father?” I choked out.

He waited several seconds before answering. When he did, his voice was thick with emotion. “What do you remember?”

“Did you know your father killed my mother? Answer the question, Collin.”

It took him several seconds to answer. “I didn’t know for sure.”

“But you suspected?”

“He went off to do a job for Marino, and then he disappeared. We literally never saw or heard from him again. Marino was so attentive in offering his help after my father’s disappearance. It wasn’t until years later that I figured out that something permanent had happened to my father, and Marino was directly involved. But I wasn’t about to say anything. Hell, I was a kid. I was ten years old.”

“So why did you think your father killed her?”

“Because my father had found out about the Ricardo Estate. He knew of the ring and spear that were tied to the curse. He had no idea what they did, but he was determined to end it. I heard him tell my mother he was going to destroy the weapons. Maybe he considered you a weapon too. It sounds like your mother got in the way.” His voice broke. “God, Ellie. I’m sorry.”

I took several breaths to control my tears. “So how does Marino come into this?”

“Marino has no idea about the curse. I suspect my father found out about the Ricardo Estate, but it was too big of a job to do alone so he brought Marino on board. Marino only wants the loot from the estate. Hell, it’s not even about the money anymore. It’s the one big heist he’s never completed. It’s his ego that’s on the line.”

“Which is why he was so intent on finding me.”

“Yeah.” He paused. “All the financial aid Marino has offered my family over the years makes me think he was involved in my father’s disappearance, but at times I’ve wondered. My grandmother never condoned my father’s insistence on breaking the curse. Honestly, part of me has always suspected she may have killed him herself. Her own son.”

“Are you serious?”

He didn’t answer.

“I know where the Ricardo Estate is right now.”

He didn’t answer for several seconds. “How do you know that?”

“A professor at Chapel Hill saw it last week, but she was killed by Raven Mockers last night. My mother saw the collection and a week later she was killed by someone who was looking for the ring she’d taken. Apparently your father and Marino.” I tried to keep the accusation from my words. I couldn’t hold Collin responsible for his father’s actions.

“The one you wear now.” He cursed under his breath. “Ellie, you’re messing with shit you shouldn’t be messing with.”

“Tsagasi is helping me.”

“And you do realize Tsagasi is known for his mischievousness, don’t you? He could be setting you up.”

“It doesn’t matter, Collin. We’re going to try to see the collection tomorrow.”

“We? You mean you and your professor? Do you plan on just walking up to the door and asking to see it?”

I didn’t answer.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Is that your plan?”

“No. The woman who was killed, Allison, was supposed to meet with the proprietors of the collection tomorrow. They’ve asked David to go in her place.”

“Do
not
go to see that collection, Ellie.”

“You can’t stop me, Collin.”

“No fucking shit. When have I ever been able to stop you from doing something you’ve set upon doing? But I can’t let you go alone.”

“I won’t be alone. I’ll be with David.”

“Like I said,” he growled. “
Alone
. I know how to handle these people. What kind of criminals have you two dealt with lately?”

“I’ve met more than my fair share thanks to you.”

He sighed. “True enough.” His voice softened. “Don’t go without me, Ellie.”

“Don’t pretend your motives are purely altruistic, Collin. I know you want to see it again.”

“Again? I never saw it in the first place. But I won’t deny that I’ve tried or that it’s part of the reason why I want to come.”

“So why does Marino think you’ve already seen it?”

“Because I lied to him.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I was trying to get more information. The timing was so coincidental. Ahone approached me about breaking the curse just when Marino started talking about the Ricardo Estate resurfacing. I knew it held curse-related artifacts. I wanted to find them.”

“Only it backfired all the way around.”

“Sometimes you have to play the hand you have.”

“Which is why you never play poker.”

To my surprise, he laughed. “I miss you, Ellie.”

I didn’t respond.

“So do I get to go on this little adventure with you?”

“You have to promise me something first.”

“What?”

“David’s going to be with us. I need you to promise that you won’t be ugly to him. That you’ll treat him with respect.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“Unfortunately for you, no.”

He hesitated. “Ellie, I’m sure you’ve noticed, but the more we’re together, the more we’re drawn to each other. I’m not sure there’s any hiding that. For either of us.”

“I know, but I love him, Collin. I’m begging you to try.”

He took several breaths. “But I love you too, Ellie.”

“I know.” My voice broke.

He was silent for so long I was sure he’d hung up. Finally, he said, “I’ll do my best. That’s all I can promise. But I’ll only do it because I don’t want to hurt
you
, Ellie. Make no mistake, I don’t give a fuck about him.”

“Thank you.”

“I think it’s a big mistake for you to be with him. He’s more of a hindrance than a help.”

“He’s more help than you could possibly know. And even if David weren’t part of my life, you and I would never work out. Not as long as you keep picking Okeus over me.”

“And what if I picked you, Ellie? What would keep us apart then?”

My breath caught. “Collin.”

“I don’t expect you to answer. All I ask is that you think about it. And the next time I ask, if you don’t give me a good answer, I’m going to break my promise.”

“What promise is that?” I asked, breathless.

“My promise to myself to leave you the fuck alone.”

C
HAPTER
S
EVENTEEN

I found David at the kitchen table, huddled over his laptop. He looked relieved to see me. “I was getting worried about you. You were gone for over an hour.”

“I saw Tsagasi. He watched over me while I remembered what happened the night my mother was killed.”

He took off his reading glasses and put them on the table. “You remembered? How?”

“By using my power as a witness to creation. And there’s something else I need to tell you before I tell you what I remembered. I have my own quartet of protectors now.”

His eyebrows lifted. “You have
what
?”

I told him about the blood oath I’d made in the woods.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me into the chair next to him. “Are you sure that was a good idea?” There was no recrimination in his voice, only genuine curiosity.

“You’ve taught me to trust my instincts. So far it hasn’t let me down. I had a moment of worry when Ama—the female Nunnehi warrior—commented that my blood was more powerful than she expected, but Tsagasi said he was certain we could work together to defy the gods.” I released a heavy sigh. “That’s what we’re doing, isn’t it? Defying the gods and the plans they want to use me for?”

His hand gripped mine and held on tight. “Yeah, we are.”

I studied his face. “Very few people in the history of mythology have ever defied the gods and survived.”

His mouth shifted to one side. “Then they’ve finally met their match.”

My love for him blossomed even more. He truly believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could do this.

I told him how I’d tapped into my power and relived Momma’s murder. I stood and paced while I spoke, too antsy to sit still.

When I got to the part about finding my mother on the floor, he stood and pulled me into a hug. “Oh my God, Ellie. That’s horrible. No wonder you forgot. You were traumatized.”

I leaned back. “No, I forgot because that selfish asshole Ahone didn’t want me to remember. He stole my memories from me.” I told him the rest of the story, and then we stood in silence for several minutes.

“David, there’s more.”

“Okay . . . ”

“Tsagasi told me I needed to call Collin and tell him about his father and our plan to go to Charlotte.”

“And did you?”

“Yes.”

His left eye twitched as he searched my face. “And what happened in your conversation?”

I stood and took a deep breath. “He claims he didn’t know the truth about his father until a couple of months ago. He put it all together the day we got the cup back.”

He looked skeptical. “And you believe him?”

I resisted the urge to turn away from his scrutinizing gaze. “Yes, I completely trust him in this instance.”

He stiffened and turned toward the sink.

I followed him. “He’s the other Keeper, David. Tsagasi’s right. I can do some of this on my own, but at some point, I’m going to need Collin.”

He pulled a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water from the faucet, refusing to look at me. “He doesn’t want to help you, Ellie. Have you forgotten that part?”

“He wants to come to Charlotte.”

“Of course he does. He wants to see the collection.” His face lifted. “What did you tell him?”

I paused. “I told him yes.”

His eyes hardened. “And what if I disagree?”

While I presumed David wouldn’t be happy with Collin’s involvement, it had never once occurred to me that he would try to prevent it. “Why would you disagree?”

He set the glass on the counter with a loud thud. “He’s using you, Ellie. Just like he’s used you every step of the way since he walked into your restaurant and purposely put you in danger.”

Could I really argue with that? “So you want just the two of us to check out this collection? We’re in over our heads. Two people have died for it, someone close to each of us. We both know how dangerous this is. Do we even have a plan other than just show up at ten?”

He slammed the cabinet door shut, anger radiating from his body. “Yes, I realize it’s dangerous, but your solution is to add another dangerous element. Collin is not to be trusted. He’s proven that time and time again. Why would you want to involve him?”

“He’s betrayed me and deceived me, yes, but he would never try to purposely hurt me.”

David rested his back against the counter, looking out the window over the sink. “Are you even listening to yourself right now? You just admitted that the wanker deceived you”—he suddenly turned and grabbed my right hand, jerking me toward him and exposing my palm, pressing his thumb to the scar from the knife wound Collin had inflicted, my wound from the blood oath ceremony still fresh—“that he bloody
betrayed you
, Ellie, and yet you say he would never purposely hurt you.” He dropped my hand and looked into my face. “No.”

My eyes widened. “
No?
”

“No.” He shook his head. “Not just no. Hell no. Fuck no. No fucking way, no.”

I put my hands on my hips, trying to keep my anger in check. “I’ll take your suggestion under consideration.”

He stepped away from the counter, his eyes burning with fury. “It’s not a fucking suggestion, Ellie. It’s a statement.
No
.”

I shook my head. “That’s not the way this works, David. I’m in charge when it comes to the curse. You make suggestions. I consider them. Then
I
decide.”

He shook his head, his mouth twisting in anger. “Not anymore. Not after last night. I’m as much a part of this as you are. I have just as much to lose as you do.”