Flame & Fortune (Angels of Sojourn) Page 3

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lena’s smile grow into something stunning. She leaned back in her seat. “I haven’t played with a dog in…years and years. Thank you.”

  Chapter 4

  LENA

  Distract him as long as possible.

  How long would that be? She had almost lost his interest when she tried to push him. Luckily, a small kiss brought his attention back.

  Clearly he had romantic feelings for her, and she was flattered. In fact, she might say she found him attractive and interesting too, but after twenty-three years in the Underworld, focused solely on not freezing, she wasn’t ready to jump beyond a small kiss—even to keep the Unfortunate happy.

  When they pulled up to a two-story home in an upper-middle class subdivision, Lena felt butterflies in her stomach. The anticipation dissolved when Kieran parked in his garage and looked at her with warmth in his eyes.

  Why did she crave his company? Because she was so lonely for so long? Or that he brought her warmth…and warmth brought her happiness?

  “Wait here a second.” Kieran slipped out of his car and walked around the SUV, stopping on her side of the vehicle. He opened her door and took her hand. The reason she liked him wasn’t because she was lonely or because he was warm. He was thoughtful and treated her with respect.

  Maybe that was the Unfortunate’s underlying plan? Make her fall in love and then rip the bond away, sending her back to the Underworld?

  Perhaps she should walk away and save both her and Kieran from heartbreak? If she did this, what would be her punishment? Would her soul be condemned to stand in the freezing sea of souls for all of eternity?

  The gentle smile on Kieran’s lips told her she couldn’t leave. She took a deep breath.

  Through the garage wall came a muffled bark. Out of the home’s entry door, bounded out an excited, long-haired white dog with brown spots.

  “Hey, Woofgang!” Kieran laughed as the dog spun in front of him. He leaned down and rubbed the fur above its eyes. The dog’s ears poked up, then jetted to Lena and carefully sniffed her with its tail down.

  “It’s okay.” Lena reached for it to smell. In no time, the dog brushed her leg, while she stroked its head, noticing how warm it was as well. Oh, she loved this warm, human world.

  “I hear you missed dinner.” Kieran hefted a bag over his shoulder and shut the back of the SUV with his free hand. He turned towards the entrance where a beautiful brunette stood. She was younger than Lena, but not a child. Too old to be a child of Kieran’s, but too young, she hoped, to be a romantic partner.

  “Oh, Ems… I didn’t think you’d be home from work yet.” Kieran opened the bag of dog food and filled a tub outside the door.

  The young woman stepped into the garage. She wore fluffy white pajama pants with pink pawprints. Her shirt was a matching pink. She eyed Lena from behind silver glasses. “I guess I’m lucky it was slow at work and I was sent home early.” A smile appeared as she assessed Lena from head to toe. “If I would have stayed, I would have missed this.”

  “Ems, this is Lena. She’s a reporter interviewing me for work. We weren’t done, but I wanted to bring Woofgang some food.”

  Ems laughed, not taking her eyes off Lena. “Are you sure that’s all it is?”

  Kieran pointed inside. “Go. Don’t you have homework to do or something?”

  With a sly smile, Ems disappeared into the doorway with Woofgang. Lena still stood in the middle of the garage, unsure if she should go in or not. Distract him. She took a deep breath, stepping towards Kieran who flagged her to come beside him.

  “Well, that was fun. Don’t mind Emily. She’s…a typical teenager.”

  “Teenager?”

  Kieran nodded. “She’s seventeen…almost eighteen. See, she’s my sister. Well, almost like a daughter. I’ve raised her since she was six, and I was twenty.”

  Lena looked at him. How did a twenty-year-old end up raising a child? She thought to the clients she had when human. Severe cases of child abuse where the children needed to leave their parents. She held back tears as she remembered the early years when her heart was so into helping those that could not help themselves. How had she become so selfish? She could have helped so many more people if she had just stayed focused. It wasn’t that she didn’t care. She always cared, it was just she thought someone else would step in.

  The Unfortunate had to be toying with her, sending her here.

  Kieran held the door for Lena. “Come inside. I’ll tell you the rest of the story.”

  KIERAN

  “Can I get you something to drink?” Kieran led them into a kitchen with dark cherry cabinets. “I have your favorite, milk.” He turned and winked at her.

  She smiled. “No, I’m fine.”

  He pulled two glasses down anyway and filled them with ice and water. He watched Lena, wondering what she was thinking. Setting the glasses on the kitchen island, Kieran took a seat and pushed one forward, in front of his guest. “I can’t have one if you don’t.”

  Her skin was smoother and creamier under his home’s lights and her red hair reflected more darker undertones, but he found her as stunning as when they were outside this afternoon. It wasn’t her beauty he enjoyed, it was her personality. She was bold and took what she wanted, leaning over his center console and kissing him. She expressed her interest, and it excited him like nobody had in a long time. Maybe ever.

  How would this evening end? He couldn’t lead her upstairs to his bedroom. Never on a first date. Never in the same house as his sister. If she advanced, would she accept his rejection?

  She rubbed her finger around the rim of her water glass, making his heart jump. “So, Mr. Plugh. Shall we discuss business or will you be telling me that story you promised in the garage?”

  Neither. He’d rather talk about her. Get to know where she came from. Where she lived. How she came to be a reporter.

  An abrupt knock sounded on the door.

  “Hold on.” Kieran said, glad for the distraction. He crossed his living room and opened the front door to two uniformed police officers.

  Both were women. One was taller and heavier than the other. They wore their hair in a bun, but the shorter one looked more menacing, with cheekbones defined by a hard line of blush.

  “Are you Mr. Plugh?” The taller officer asked.

  Kieran nodded.

  “I’m Officer Blair and this is Officer Potter. Can we come in?”

  Kieran glanced over his shoulder. Lena stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. He turned to the officers, opening the door further. “Yes. Of course.”

  Officer Potter, the shorter officer with too much blush, led the way. “You work at Gen Power Systems, right?”

  Kieran nodded. “Yes. Did something happen?”

  “Let’s have a seat, Mr. Plugh.”

  Kieran glanced to Lena, and Officer Blair, the taller officer, caught the motion.

  “Is that your wife, Mr. Plugh?”

  His wife? He wished. Where did that thought come from? “No. Lena’s a business acquaintance.”

  “Late night business?”

  “It’s only eight thirty.” Kieran looked at Lena. “Maybe it was more than a business meeting. What can I do for you, officers?”

  Officer Potter nodded towards the door. “I think it may be best for your friend to leave, especially if she has anything to do with Gen Power Systems. We have some questions to ask and it’s probably best if we do it in privacy.”

  Lena appeared to shrink. Where once a confident, beautiful woman stood, she seemed out of place. Perhaps now wasn’t the time for entertainment. The forces of this world were really trying to keep them apart tonight.

  “She doesn’t have a car here,” Kieran said.

  “We can call a squad car to take her home.” Officer Blair pulled out her radio and asked for a car. “They’ll be here in two minutes. There’s one available a few blocks away.”

  Kieran’s perfect evening crashe
d to a halt. That’s how things worked for him. He got ahead a little, then fell behind. Life was a struggle. But with each struggle, he grew stronger. He crossed the living room and took Lena’s hand. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “It looks like the evening’s over.”

  Her eyes widened, and a strand of red hair fell over an eye as she shook her head. “I don’t mind waiting.”

  “I’m sorry, but this may take a little bit. That stuff I mentioned going on at work—I think it may be bigger than I expected. How do I get ahold of you? I want to see you again—soon.”

  Lena looked down. “I—I’ll find you.”

  “Can I at least have your number?” Was she blowing him off? Was she only looking for a one-night stand?

  “Don’t worry. I’ll find you. Trust me.”

  Kieran searched her face. Her eyes told him she was being truthful. Escorting her to the front door, he pulled her close. “I had a nice time. One of the best work-dates I’ve ever had.” He laughed. “Actually, the best work date or regular date. Please find me as soon as possible.” He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss upon her cheek as a police car pulled up beside the curb.

  Lena nodded and stepped away, flashing the sweetest smile before heading down the walkway.

  Chapter 5

  LENA

  Lena had nowhere to go, so she had the police officer drop her off at a random neighborhood ten blocks away from Kieran’s home. The Unfortunate said he’d find her when she was done, and he hadn’t lied. As she walked aimlessly back toward Kieran’s home, she recognized a familiar slender form with blond hair.

  Her heart rate sped, as did her steps, but she forced herself to sit calmly beside him on a bus stop bench. Had she succeeded in distracting Kieran? If she had, that would have been the last time she’d see Kieran. Her chest tightened.

  “Lena, Lena, Lena.” The Unfortunate shook his head.

  She kept her mouth closed, waiting. She hadn’t expected disappointment to lace his words.

  “Your mission was to distract Mr. Kieran Plugh, but here you are, wandering the streets alone.”

  She flexed her fingers, relishing in their mobility now that they were no longer cold. “I did distract him—all afternoon and evening.”

  “All evening?” The Unfortunate arched an eyebrow. “But it’s not yet nine PM. That’s far from all night.”

  “The police came, and I had to leave.”

  “Did you?” He cocked his chin.

  Her knee bounced, and she laced her fingers on her lap. She didn’t belong in the human world. Every time she was here, she made mistakes.

  Lena bit her tongue. He didn’t want excuses and nothing she said would change his mind. Would he send her back to the Underworld with no Eternal Flame? She lifted her legs and flexed her toes, a shiver shooting through her limbs. After experiencing this warm world, she couldn’t go back to numbness.

  “You said my job was to distract him so he stayed out of trouble, but the police are at his home. Was I supposed to keep him from going home?” She held her breath. This was it. The Unfortunate would send her back to the freezing grips of the Underworld.

  “Relax. I’m not taking you back yet, but I need more persistence. Kieran needs more persistence.”

  Pieces clicked in place as she thought of her afternoon. Why were there so many coincidences between her human life and Kieran’s situation? There was the potential corruption that caused a charity to go unfunded, and not just any charity, a children’s charity.

  Lena lost herself in memories. She stared at a newspaper article displaying a photo of a familiar child. The headline: Little Girl Dies from Child Abuse. Her heart thumped as she snapped the paper shut beside her. It was her fault that child died. She was a murderer, even if indirectly. She could have done something. Should have done something.

  She pulled herself to the present, examining the Unfortunate’s stoic face. “Kieran was worried about the charity his company funds, Grief Relief.”

  The Unfortunate turned toward the street, watching a black sedan drive past with blinding headlights. “Grief Relief? Isn’t that a children’s charity? You have experience with children’s charities, don’t you Lena?”

  He knew. He planned the whole thing. “Yes. I have experience.” As if twenty-three years of freezing wasn’t enough, now she had to relive her crimes. She slouched into the bench. She didn’t blame him. She deserved to relive it over and over. At least here on Earth, she was warm doing it, even if she didn’t deserve that luxury.

  The Unfortunate stood and placed a hand on Lena’s shoulder. “Keep him distracted, Lena. Distract him until I come back.”

  “Distract him from what? Work? His sister? The weather?” Lena’s body tensed. What was the Unfortunate’s master plan?

  A smile twisted the Unfortunate’s lips into something almost beautiful, yet slightly disturbed. “You’ll have to trust me.” He didn’t wait for her acknowledgement, he turned the way Lena had come from and began walking.

  Trust the Unfortunate? Lena took a deep breath, rubbing her face before standing. She had dwelled on her crimes for twenty-three years, but this was different. The Unfortunate was forcing her to come face-to-face with them. If there was anything she learned about herself in the Underworld, it was her strength. She could get through any situation thrown her way.

  She straightened her blue dress and hurried back to Kieran’s home.

  KIERAN

  Kieran kept glancing at his front door. How could he let Lena slip away? With the police coming to his home, he doubted she’d be back. Being kicked out by the police had to be a turn-off, no matter the underlying story.

  He should have kept her here so he could explain. He should have asked his sister to entertain her while he spoke to the officers, but he hadn’t. Instead, he sent her away, perhaps out of his life forever. At thirty-one years old, he thought he’d never find that special someone, especially with all his twenties consumed with raising his sister.

  “You’re distracted, Mr. Plugh.” It was Officer Potter, the one with too much blush.

  “Oh, sorry. It’s just been an interesting evening. Where were we?”

  “I think we have all the basic information we need. I bet you’re wondering what brings us here.”

  Kieran nodded.

  “We just left Gen Power Systems after being tipped off about some potential money laundering.”

  Money laundering? Kieran leaned back into the chair. Was that what that fake company, YABF Industries was involved in? “Did my boss call you? I spoke to him briefly before leaving work.”

  “We were contacted by a Mr. Rod Wilson.”

  Rod was the president of the company—Kieran’s boss’s boss. Kieran sat up straight. If Kieran caught the money laundering, perhaps he’d get a promotion. It would surely help pay for Emily’s college next year. “What’s going on?”

  “Rod and your boss, Frederick, tried calling you a few times but didn’t get a response, so we said we’d just pop over to your house.” Officer Blair paged through some papers on her clipboard.

  Kieran pulled his phone out of his pocket. Not only had he missed one call from work while at the restaurant with Lena, he missed another after that. “Sorry. I was preoccupied tonight.” Sending two officers to his home seemed extreme, but perhaps this was a bigger issue than Kieran knew.

  “It’s not a problem, it’s just that Mr. Wilson was anxious to look into this matter as there is a big announcement about Grief Relief coming out tomorrow.”

  “So, what can I do to help?”

  “You said you mentioned YABF Industries to your boss this afternoon?”

  “I did. I had been looking at numbers and discovered we’ve been paying this company. I couldn’t figure out why, so I looked at who they were. My searches came up blank.”

  “Mr. Wilson thought it was interesting you noticed this, since he had been investigating it also.”

  “Oh. That’s good to hear.” Kieran sat back in his chair.

&nb
sp; “Gen Power Systems has been mailing a check to YABF Industries at a PO Box 10056, Old Franklin, Indiana. Are you familiar with that PO Box?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Well, what’s interesting is that when we contacted the post office to see who the PO Box belonged to, it was registered under your name, Mr. Plugh.”

  Kieran’s lungs deflated. “I—I don’t know how that’s possible.”

  “So, you are denying connection with the PO Box in Old Franklin?”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  “How about connection to YABF Industries?” Officer Potter asked.

  “No connection. I never heard about them until today.” Kieran forced a dry swallow. “Am I in trouble? Because I didn’t do anything.”

  “We don’t know. We’re just gathering information.”

  A knock sounded on Kieran’s front door. “Excuse me.” He stood and crossed the living room, opening it to welcoming gray eyes. His heart pitter pattered. Lena had come back.

  He spun around to the officers behind him.

  “We need to run this information by our chief. We’ll be in touch, Mr. Plugh.”

  Kieran awkwardly shook their hands, then as they walked down his front walkway, he welcomed Lena back to his home.

  Chapter 6

  LENA

  After the police officers drove off in their squad, Lena stepped into Kieran’s home. Her stomach turned. “Are you in trouble?” she whispered. Perhaps she was too late.

  Kieran ran a hand through his dark hair as he led her into his living room, motioning for her to sit on his sofa. “Looks like it.” He sighed and dropped on a chair adjacent to Lena, worry creasing his forehead. “This afternoon, you mentioned you knew some things about corruption in a business or charity.”

  Lena’s chest tightened. “I do. Many years ago, I ran a charity. Someone stole money, causing the charity to go out of business.” She looked at the floor, waiting to catch her breath as images of those children she didn’t help flashed through her mind. It looked like the police brought Kieran bad news. What if she hadn’t left his home when they came? What if she could have helped like she should have done after she ruined her charity?