Chiromancist (Seven Forbidden Arts Book 8) Read online

  Godfrey turned on her. “You betrayed me.”

  The hatch lifted and Cain exited, followed by the rest of the team. Flames surrounded them.

  “Lann,” Cain said, “get a handle on the fire. Clelia, put a firewall around them.”

  In a flash, the heavens opened and rain poured down, drenching the craft and the crew, and putting out the fire. The rain stopped as quickly as it had started. Before Clelia could act, Godfrey shoved Sky, making her stumble into Doumar. The action sent them both to the ground. Sky screamed, holding the device in the air. Doumar had no choice but to buffer her fall to prevent the detonator from going off. From her position on the ground, Sky saw Godfrey running for the boat.

  “He’s getting away!”

  A wall of white flames jumped up around them, but not before Godfrey had reached the edge of the water. From nowhere, soldiers in black uniforms appeared, firing bullets at the team, but the firewall protected them.

  “Ivan,” Cain shouted, “can you control Godfrey?”

  “I’ve tried. Too far.”

  “Go after him. Maya, go with him. Drain the canal if you must.”

  Bono arrived at her side, jerking Doumar away. “Don’t move, beautiful. Don’t lift your finger off the button. It’s going to be all right. I’ve got you.”

  Joss dragged Doumar to his feet, a gun pointed at his head, while Bono knelt next to her, inspecting the device in her hands and the jacket strapped to her body.

  “It’s over,” she whispered. “I can’t hold it down forever. You need to get away.”

  “Hush.” He stroked her hair and returned his attention to the detonator.

  “Sean, follow Maya and Ivan on land,” Cain said. “If Godfrey manages to get off the boat, create an earthquake, or do whatever you must, but he can’t get away.”

  Sean ran toward one of the SUVs.

  “I think I can cut the wire,” Bono said, his face shiny with perspiration.

  Cain wiped a hand over his brow. “Clelia and Lann, take care of those damn soldiers.”

  “With pleasure,” Lann replied, straightening his glasses.

  Cain crouched down next to her. “Can we remove the jacket?”

  “No.” Bono shook his head. “It’ll blow.”

  She looked up at Cain. “Godfrey got away with your chip.”

  “No, he didn’t,” Bono said. “I’m going to deactivate the device. Don’t let the pressure up until I tell you.”

  “No!”

  He cupped her face. “Listen to me, Sky. I’m not going to let you die.”

  Cain wasn’t so optimistic. Touching his earpiece, he said, “Lann, status?” He waited for a reply. “Good.” He nodded at Joss. “The coast is clear. Clelia, get everyone still hanging around behind the firewall. If the bomb goes off, the firewall will retain the explosion.”

  Joss dragged Doumar away by his collar. Cain patted Bono’s shoulder. “You’re a good soldier. I’m proud to have you as part of the team. Just in case,” he gave Bono a somber look, “any last wishes?”

  “Take care of her kid.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  Cain’s footsteps sounded on the concrete, and then he, too, was gone, leaving her and Bono alone with the bomb.

  “I’m sorry,” she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “Shh, baby.” He turned the device left and right, moving it with her hand.

  “You were prepared.”

  He gave her a fleeting glance before returning his attention to the detonator.

  “You knew I was going to betray you.”

  “Yes, I did,” he said solemnly.

  “You knew I’d steal the chip from your watch.”

  His gaze flickered to hers again. “Yes.”

  “So you planted false information on it and set a trap for Godfrey.”

  “Yes, again. We knew he’d use our escape plan, so we were prepared.”

  “What about your government connections and all the other information he said he was stealing?”

  “He didn’t get away with anything but bogus facts.”

  “I guess I screwed up, huh?”

  “I’m going to tan your ass for strapping explosives to your body once I’ve got you out of this thing.”

  She gave a nervous giggle. “Do you know much about explosives?”

  He hesitated a second before answering. “I wouldn’t say much. I know some.”

  “Bono, you’re risking your life for me.”

  “You were willing to sacrifice yours for mine.”

  “I thought if I blew up Godfrey and Doumar…”

  “I know.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Quiet, now, woman. Let me concentrate.”

  “I didn’t want to betray you.”

  “You didn’t,” he said tightly. “You decided to sacrifice yourself.”

  “I still gave Godfrey the chip.”

  He took a utility knife from his pocket and fiddled with the screws, perspiration running down his temples. “I know why you did it.”

  “You found the trunk.”

  “Yes. I’m flattered that you asked me to take care of your son, but we’re going to do it together, do you hear me?”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  “Never stop believing, Sky. Don’t give up. Not for a second. You’ve got to think positive.”

  “Doumar still has him.”

  “We’ll find him.” He removed the screws and opened the plastic lid. “For what it’s worth, I love you, and I still intend to marry you.”

  She laughed softly, the action shaking her body.

  “Shh. Keep still.”

  “Promise me, if you can’t fix this, you’ll find Niels. Promise me you’ll remember good things about me.”

  “Sky.” His voice broke on her name. “Don’t you leave me, damn you. You owe it to me to try.”

  “I’m just being realistic, here.”

  “I’ve got the wire.” He sat back and let out a tense breath.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “There are two black ones.”

  “You don’t know which one to cut.”

  “No.” He wiped his brow, a determined smile transforming his face. “We’re doing this together, all right?”

  “Bono.” Her voice shook. “My son.”

  “Cain knows. He’ll find him. He’ll make sure he’s taken care of. No matter what happens, Niels will be fine. Do you believe me?”

  “Yes,” she said through her tears.

  He bent down and pressed their lips together. “I love you, baby, now or in heaven.”

  “I love you, too.”

  There was a warm light in his eye when he smiled at her. “I thought you’d never say that.” He inhaled deeply. “Ready?”

  When she nodded, he offered his palm. She closed her eyes and traced the lifeline with the thumb of her free hand.

  “Tell me, Sky,” he urged.

  She blinked away her tears. “You’re right to trust your gut.”

  “Okay.” He placed the blade under the left wire. “Here goes.”

  With a snip, the wire snapped. Around them, silence prevailed.

  He lifted his face heavenwards and closed his eyes.

  “You did it,” she whispered.

  “We did it. Come on. Let’s get this thing off of you.”

  He cut the wires around her body one by one, and carefully removed the jacket. “All done,” he said into the earpiece.

  She flung her arms around him, crying and laughing simultaneously.

  The firewall disappeared, revealing Cain’s team and Doumar, the only remaining people.

  Lann came walking up to them, a rifle flung over his shoulder. “We need to take care of that bomb.”

  “What do you propose?”

  “We’ll let it detonate over the ocean. Can’t take any risks.”

  “You mean drop it from the helicopter?” Sky asked.

  “Exactly.”

  “I have someone to d
eal with, first,” Bono said darkly, glancing in Joss and Doumar’s direction.

  “Don’t forget I can fly a helicopter, too,” Lann said with a wink. “I’ll get the blast proof case.”

  When he was gone, Bono took her arm. “I’m going to deal with Doumar. You don’t have to see this.”

  “I want to.”

  “Fine.” He nodded. “It’s your right.”

  Instead of looking scared, Doumar had a grin on his face. “I’ve got Niels somewhere safe. One word from me, or not a word at all, and he’s dead.”

  Sky clasped a hand over her mouth, staring at Bono with wide eyes.

  “Take us to him,” Cain said.

  “I was wondering when you’d ask,” Doumar replied with a smirk.

  “Stay and make sure we’re not followed,” Cain instructed Clelia. “I’ll send new orders once we’ve got the boy.”

  Joss and Bono guarded Doumar in the back of one of the SUV’s, while Sky took the opposite seat. Sara drove and Cain was in the front passenger seat.

  “Status, Ivan?” Cain said into the earpiece.

  With the one Doumar had fitted, Sky could still follow their conversation.

  “We found the boat,” Ivan said. “Maya cleared the water. It was docked on dry earth.” He paused. “The vessel was empty.”

  “Sean?”

  “No sign of Godfrey on land,” Sean replied. “I’m still looking, using the satellite.”

  “Keep going.”

  “Damage control?” Joss asked. “We’ve got the Dutch government’s cooperation, but with the Medusa spectacle word will get out about the arts we used today.”

  “I think the team was right,” Cain said. “It’s time for the world to learn the truth. It’s time to stop hiding.”

  “Left here,” Doumar said, holding Sky’s eyes with a smug expression.

  They followed Doumar’s directions to a warehouse in an industrial area.

  “A word of warning,” he said. “One command from me and her son is dead. Or no word, and he dies, too.”

  “Get out,” Bono said, opening the door and pulling Doumar by his coat lapel.

  They entered a deserted building and took a staircase to the first floor. There, Sky stopped dead. Niels was huddled in a corner, crying softly, and Diamond’s big jaw was wrapped around his small neck.

  Chapter Twelve

  “It’s all right, baby,” Sky said with a tremble to her voice. “Mommy’s here.”

  An urge to protect his woman and her child, a child he’d already accepted as his own, rushed through Bono’s veins. The inborn instinct of survival demanded that he crush Doumar’s skull, but he had enough logic left to understand the danger of such a move. The dog was a trained killer. If he touched Doumar, Diamond would attack, starting with the boy she held in the vice of her powerful jaw. Even if he shot the animal with a bullet that killed on impact, there was a too big chance its jaw would close, severing Niels’s veins and snapping his neck.

  “Call off your dog,” Bono hissed.

  There was no other way. Next to him, Sky shivered. She looked like she was going to be sick. Seeing her like this infuriated him further. Goddamn, he hated his helplessness. He needed to fix this for her.

  “If you kill me, Diamond will attack.” Doumar spat at Sky’s feet. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you.”

  “I said call off your dog.”

  “Or what?”

  “Let Doumar go, Bono,” Cain said.

  Cain’s calm voice somewhat grounded him, helping to shake some of the uncontrollable fury. The last thing he wanted to do was let the fucker go, but he didn’t have a choice. Bono clenched his teeth and pushed Doumar away with a shove.

  Doumar adjusted his coat. “Thank you.”

  “What do you want?” Cain asked.

  “M-mommy,” Niels said through soft sobs.

  Diamond growled.

  Sky raised her palms in an awkward stance, as if she couldn’t decide if she wanted to reach for Niels or silence him. Her hands shook like flimsy sheets of paper in the wind. “Shh, baby.”

  “I want you to choose,” Doumar said to Sky. “Your son or Mr. Black.”

  She stared at Doumar through her tears. “You’re crazy.”

  “If you choose your son, we leave here, together, as we’ve always meant to be.”

  “We’ve never meant to be together.”

  “You’re mine!”

  Sky reached for Doumar’s hand, closing her fingers around his palm. “It’s over, Doumar. You’re going to die. Don’t cross over fighting the inevitable with violence.”

  He jerked his hand from hers. “You’re lying.”

  “Have I ever lied about the future?”

  His eyes narrowed. “You think you can use that trump card on me? I know you better than you know yourself.”

  “You don’t care about us. Just let us go.”

  “Never. I don’t have to care about you. I only get to keep you. Make up your mind, whore. Who will it be? Your lover or your child?”

  Bono’s hands curled into fists by his sides. “Don’t you dare insult her.”

  “Much good your warnings do. You told me before not to hurt her, and oh, I did. I made her hurt good for kissing you. Did you know I cut off her hair, and I made her crawl through the dirt, naked, after she licked my boots clean? Want to kill me for it? Come on, shoot me. Let’s see what happens to Niels when you do.”

  Of all the things in the world, this was the lowest blow. The knowledge that he’d been responsible for Sky’s suffering overpowered whatever self-control he had left. Bono’s whole body tensed, preparing for attack, but Cain held him back with a hand. If it wasn’t for Cain’s hard grip, pulling him back to his senses, he would’ve missed the look that passed between Cain and Sara.

  “Let the boy go,” Cain said. “He’s not part of your fight with Mr. Black.”

  Doumar ignored him. “What will it be, Sky? You have one second to decide.”

  Sky looked at Bono with a plea in her eyes. There were so many emotions swimming in those beautiful, sad depths—regret, apology, fear, and quiet resolve to accept the fate Doumar proposed to save her son. He wanted to wipe all of those tormenting feelings away and replace them with the happiness she deserved.

  “Thought so,” Doumar said with a satisfied nod when Sky didn’t answer. “I’ll call the dog off with a silent whistle when Sky and I are a safe distance away. If you leave peacefully, no harm will come to her boy. Diamond will bring him to us.”

  Sara used her art to control the animal. It released its hold on the boy and gave a soft yelp. Niels shivered in fear.

  “What the fuck?” Doumar yelled.

  Diamond licked Niels’s face.

  “Diamond, hold!”

  Running over to Sara, Diamond heeled at her side.

  Sky rushed to her son and pulled him into her arms. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

  In two steps Bono was there, folding his arms around Sky and the boy to shelter them from what he knew was coming. Doumar was going to die.

  “Get up!” Doumar walked to the dog and nudged her with a boot. “Get the fuck up!” When she didn’t react, he started kicking.

  “Stop!” Sara cried. “She won’t react. She can’t.”

  Joss grabbed Doumar by the back of his coat, but he wiggled out of it, not stopping his assault on the animal.

  “You useless piece of shit. Attack!”

  “Stop!”

  Sara and Joss simultaneously reached for Doumar, but he swung his arm and planted a fist on Sara’s chin. She flew through the air and landed flat on her back. Bono looked on with rage, wanting nothing more than to make good on his promise and rip the Dutchman apart with his bare hands, but Joss and the other team members were there to deal with him. Sky and Niels were his priority. They’d suffered enough trauma. He had to get them out of there.

  “Let’s go.” With his arms around them, Bono lifted Sky and Niels off their feet and made for the exit.
r />   Before they reached the stairs, Joss had his pistol pointed at Doumar with an expression of fury so fierce even Bono flinched.

  Sara rubbed at her jaw and shook her head, her eyes out of focus. Damn, she looked out of it. Did she even have control of her art? His question was answered the instant Diamond turned with a fierce growl on the owner who still assaulted her.

  “Stop,” Sara cried meekly, but it was too late.

  Diamond jumped, going for Doumar’s windpipe. Bono pressed Niels’s face against his chest and covered his ear with a palm. A ripping sound tore through the room, followed by Doumar’s scream.

  “Don’t look, baby,” he whispered to Sky.

  As Bono rushed Sky and Niels down the stairs, he saw Joss relaxing his trigger finger. He was going to let the dog rip Doumar to pieces. The blood-churning screaming continued until they reached the first floor.

  When he ushered his precious charges through the door, he heard Cain say, “Finish it.”

  A single shot rang out with the muffled echo of a silencer. Bono didn’t stop until they were in the SUV. The need to pull Sky to him was overwhelming, but she was soothing her child, rocking him in her arms. He took the opposite seat to give them their space. Mother and son were both crying uncontrollably.

  “Shh, beautiful,” he murmured as he leaned over to touch her knee. “It’s over.”

  The others returned shortly, their faces grim.

  “Are they holding up all right?” Cain asked, motioning to Sky and Niels.

  It was Sky who replied. “We’re okay.”

  He fucking loved her for her bravery.

  “Joss and Sara will stay to take care of the dog and the body,” Cain said. “I’ll drive you to a safe place.”

  “What about you?” Bono asked Sara. “Are you okay?”

  She touched her jaw. “I’m fine. Nothing is broken.”

  “What are you going to do with Diamond?” Sky asked. “It’s not her fault. This is how Doumar trained her.”

  “We’ll take her to a rehabilitation center that specializes in dogs who’ve been used for fighting,” Sara answered.

  “Josselin, give them a tranquilizer,” Cain instructed.

  The team leader took a first aid kit from the back and prepared two injections.

  “We don’t need it,” Sky said.

  “Believe me, beautiful, you do.” Bono watched her with concern. Her body was shaking and her teeth were chattering.