Shadow of My Heart

chapter Twelve



“Joe? This better be important. You just dragged me out of bed and away from Cara.”

“Raven, have I ever called you when it wasn’t important? Jacob Kellen tried to shoot General Holland in the hospital last night. Fighting Eagle had to use his crossbow to stop him. Kellen is dead.”

“His aide? Do you think he’s the mole in the general’s office?”

“I’ve got a team looking into it. They’re checking his apartment and office as we speak. But my gut says he must be the one.”

“How is the general taking it?” Raven asked, running his hand through his hair.

“How do you think? He’s cursing up a blue streak and madder than a wet hen that Fighting Eagle killed Kellen before he could be interrogated. Like Fighting Eagle had a choice.”

“That bad?” Raven could just picture the general blowing his top. The general wasn’t taking this news well. Kellen had worked for him for the last seven years, at least.

“Yes, that bad. Makes me wonder why we saved his life, the ungrateful old goat.”

“Come on, Joe. He’s probably just embarrassed that he didn’t realize his own aide was a traitor.” What other secrets did Kellen sell to their enemies?

“Yeah, you’re probably right. That would tick me off, too.”

“When is the general expected to leave the hospital?” Raven asked.

“Tomorrow or the next day, depending on his blood-pressure readings. I think he’s going to stay with his son and daughter-in-law for a couple of weeks.”

“Leave someone on guard just in case Kellen wasn’t working alone. Let me know if you find any evidence that he was the mole.”

“You got it, Boss,” Joe said. “I never found any evidence on Nurse Eschbach. You can talk to Dr. Rick when you get back. Will you be returning to work on Monday?”

“Yes, as much as I’ve loved my little vacation, I’ll be back in the office Monday morning.” And talking to Rick it seems.

“Okay. I’ll try not to call you before then,” Joe said, hanging up.

Sighing, Raven put the phone down. It was time to get back to work. But all he wanted to do was go back upstairs and cuddle with Cara. Being with her these last six days had been a little piece of heaven. Now, he needed to find a way to manage both sides of his life. At least, they had the rest of today and tomorrow. He’d find a way.

Raven knew Cara had been thinking about her condo in California this morning. She shouldn’t have to face going back alone. It seemed like some Shadow-walking would be in order. They could have lunch at her favorite restaurant on the pier. She could face her fears and be one step closer to staying with him forever. Now, he just needed to go back upstairs and not give in to the overwhelming desire to climb back in bed with her.

Just picturing her with her sleep-tousled hair and heavy-lidded eyes was making him hard. That woman could bring him to his knees with just a look. Ah, but what a way to go. Smiling, he took the stairs two at a time. He needed to be with her.



§



Cara looked in the mirror one last time before putting on the full-length, black-leather coat she would wear to go through Shadow. Raven would like the thigh-high, black-leather boots that fit snuggly over her black-leather pants. The soft leather of the pants was so smooth and supple, a delight to her senses. They fit her like a glove, hugging every curve. The black-leather corset cinched in her waist and pushed up her breasts. The maroon-colored silk shirt she put over the top gave just a hint of the corset underneath. She loved the outfit, and she was hoping it would make Raven’s tongue fall out of his head. It was fun to dress for a man.

Now, she just had to be brave enough to go downstairs and face going back home. Home. She loved that condo with its view of the ocean. But somehow, now when she thought of home, she thought of a man with dark eyes standing on top of an overturned bus. Raven had become home and security to her.

She slipped on the black coat and headed down the stairs. She could hear voices coming from the kitchen and smiled when she heard Raven laugh. He loved his foster sisters. What were they teasing him about now?

His face turned to her as she walked in the door, and his eyes heated as he looked at her.

“You look amazing,” he said, reaching out his hand to her. Cara took his hand and let him pull her into his arms.

“Of course, she does. That is Italy’s finest leather she is wearing,” Gwen said, chuckling as she stood leaning against the counter.

“It is the woman who makes the outfit. Not the other way around. Cara looks good in everything she wears,” Raven said huskily, as his hand slid down her back and around her hip.

“I think you might be biased,” Cara said, laughing softly.

“Maybe, but I also have excellent taste. So you can take my word for it,” Raven said, giving her a quick squeeze.

“Damn, he is good,” Lindy said, motioning a hand to encompass the couple. “Dad said to give you this, Cara. It’s his recipe book of tonics. He finished writing them all down last night. Don’t worry, the book will survive Shadow.” Cara took the book Lindy held out to her.

“Where is Isanti this morning?” Cara asked. “I wanted to say goodbye and thank him for everything,” she said, rubbing her thumb over the book cover. She loved that old man.

“He was called over to the ranch next to ours. One of their prize horses was having problems delivering a foal. Dad has always had a way with animals,” Gwen said.

“I think he wrote a note for you in the book, Cara,” Lindy said. “But you might want to read it later. You two need to go.” Did that mean the wedding band design was in the note? Cara slipped the book into the pocket of her coat.

“One of the tribe will be Shadow-walking here to pick up the bags of clothes you helped Cara buy. He’ll take them to my apartment in New Mexico,” Raven said.

“You might tell them to send two men,” Gwen said, laughing.

“Very, funny,” Raven grumbled.

Cara ran her fingers down his arm, before entwining her hand with his. She gave a little squeeze to his hand. “I can face this, Raven. Let’s just get it done.”

After a few moments of hugs and kisses and goodbyes, Cara followed Raven outside onto the back deck. Taking her hand, he walked under the trees and found the darkest Shadows.

“Open Shadow for me, Cara. Gwen said you did it before.”

“Is this a test?” Cara asked, feeling irritated that he would question her.

“Not really. But I won’t be able to relax until I see for myself that you have mastered the skills needed to traverse the Shadow Dimension. People have died by not taking Shadow seriously.”

Taking a deep breath, Cara touched Raven’s mind. He was worried for her. He wasn’t trying to be difficult.

“All right, Raven,” Cara said, looking for the wavering of darkness that would signal an opening. She found one near the roots of a tree and pushed her hands into the tear. Then, just as Gwen had shown her, she pulled her hands apart to open the door. Reaching back, she took Raven’s hand and led him into the Shadow Dimension. Raven immediately turned and closed the opening by pushing the Shadow mist edges back together. The cold was brutal and seeped into their bodies until their bones ached with it.

Picture the front room of your condo. See the furniture and where everything is situated. Build the picture slowly in your mind until you have every detail in place, Raven sent into Cara’s mind, before taking her hand.

Cara spent time picturing the rug and furniture, the lamps on the tables and the little kitchen off to the left, the sliding glass doors leading out to the cement balcony that overlooked the ocean. She built the scene carefully, trying to add as much detail as she could.

The Shadow Dimension was completely quiet, but she could feel mist whipping by her face as if there was a great wind. When the mist stopped moving, she blinked her eyes and saw her condo through the twilight. She had done it.

A wavering of darkness down near the wall showed Cara where the shadows in both dimensions met. She opened the door and led the way out of the twilight and into her apartment. Raven turned and closed the door behind them.

“That was great, Cara. Gwen was right. You are doing a wonderful job traversing Shadow. Do me a favor, though. Don’t ever go alone. Use the buddy system. That way you will always have back-up, at least for a while.”

“Did I do something wrong?” Cara asked, glancing around her apartment. Everything looked exactly like it always had. There wasn’t even a spot on the carpet.

“No, you did everything right, tehila. But if something happened to you . . . Please, for me, just so I know you are safe. It doesn’t have to be me. Gwen or Lindy could go with you, or Derek.”

“All right, Raven. Calm down, honey. I don’t plan on Shadow-walking anywhere without you. What is wrong?” Cara asked, slipping her arms into his coat and around his waist.

Raven pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms and laying his head over hers.

“I love you, Cara. You’ve become the most important person in my world. My life has been full of big business, the welfare of the tribe, and saving the world from terrorists. But if I lost you, I’m not sure I could go on.” Cara felt a shudder go through Raven’s body. He wasn’t speaking lightly. He meant every word. This powerful man was putting his heart in her hands.

Cara hugged him tight, before stepping back out of his arms. “Let me get something. I’ll be right back.” There was only one thing she needed besides this man in front of her.

Cara walked into her bedroom and picked up the little wooden box that held her jewelry and a few mementos from her parents. If there had ever been a fire, this is the one thing she would have taken with her. She slipped it into the inside pocket of her coat, before returning to the front room and picking up the keys that were still sitting on the table by the door from the night of the attack.

“Here,” she said, holding the keys out to Raven. “Have your people come pack everything up. Put everything into storage except the clothes. I hope you have plenty of closet space in your apartment.”

“You’ll move in with me?”

“Isn’t that what you want?”

“More than you will ever know,” Raven said, reaching out and taking the keys from her hand before pulling her into his arms. “Thank you, Cara, for committing your life to mine. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.”

Cara smiled up into Raven’s gleaming eyes. She laughed at the relieved expression on his face. “Well, my stomach would be happy to have a lobster salad about now. Can we go to lunch?”

“Absolutely. Let’s leave the coats here. I don’t want anyone to think we’re robbing the place. We’ll come back before we Shadow-walk again. I’ll have to mail your keys. They would disintegrate in Shadow. Do you want me to mail anything else? Drivers license, credit cards.”

“I’ll get my wallet and check book. It seems weird that I’m not carrying some kind of identification with me.”

“Isanti, Inc., will give you an ID and a company credit card. We have a contract with our bank to produce the cards, which allows us to use the corn resin we developed to make them. Both will withstand the properties of Shadow.”

“What about my cell phone?” Cara asked, looking at the floor under the table and remembering how it was knocked from her hand.

“Yours was found broken and would have disintegrated in Shadow. But our labs are working on a new design, using the same corn resin as the credit cards. We should have a working product in a few more months. As soon as they complete the testing, the company will issue one.”

“Wow, there’s a lot of thought involved in being a Shadow-walker.” Cara and Raven glanced at her stomach as they heard a loud gurgling.

“Let’s get you that lunch,” Raven said, taking her hand.

Cara sat across from Raven at her favorite restaurant, Tony’s on the Pier. It was within walking distance of her condo, and she loved walking down to the pier. The windows were open, letting a cool breeze blow in from over the water. Seagulls were dipping down and around, riding the wind, and calling over the sound of the breaking waves hitting the beach.

It had been irritating to see the hostess and waitress making eyes at Raven as Cara and Raven were led to the table, though he didn’t seem to notice them. He kept his arm around Cara’s waist and helped her into her chair.

He did look handsome with his black-leather pants and red-silk shirt. His dark hair was down, falling softly to his shoulders. He looked like an ad for a romance novel. Cara was surprised to find she was a little possessive. She wanted him to wear a sign that said “Property of Cara.”

He smiled and winked at her. Cara blushed. Did he hear that last thought? They didn’t touch minds that often, only to speak in Shadow really. But every once in a while, she would reach for his mind to see what he was thinking. Did he do the same to her?

She flipped her hair and looked back out the window at the beach below and the sunbathers on their towels. He needed to know whom he was getting. It might as well be now. She believed in monogamy. She would never share him.

It had surprised her how easy going back to her condo had been. Was that because the attack didn’t bother her anymore or because Raven was with her? She had expected there to be some sign of the violence of that night. Raven had said he sent in a clean-up crew, but she had thought some reminder would have been left. The attack had been so scary and traumatic at the time. But the condo looked serene when she entered, like nothing had ever happened.

Then, with Raven’s confession, she realized it just didn’t matter anymore. She was going to sell the condo and move to New Mexico. She wanted to be with Raven just as much as he wanted to be with her. She would miss seeing the ocean, but they could always Shadow-walk in for lunch. It was awe-inspiring to think she could go anywhere in the world in just a few seconds of time. Of course, one of them had to have been there before. But Raven’s job had taken him all over the world. If he hadn’t been to the place before, he had been to someplace close to that location. The world was at her fingertips. Now, what was she going to do with it?

Raven enjoyed watching Cara eat. A huge weight had lifted from his shoulders. She was going to move in with him. They could start planning the wedding. She was finally committed to making a life with him. Things were looking up. If Joe reported that Kellen was the mole, Raven might actually be able to relax and enjoy some of the privileges of being the CEO of Isanti, Inc. He and Cara could go on a long honeymoon. He could take her to his favorite places all over the world.

They could start a family. Raven could just picture Cara getting round with his child. They would need a house. A baby couldn’t be raised properly at Isanti, Inc. It was time to look into developing the Montana property the tribe owned. Raven and Cara would need to build houses and a school. A whole community needed to be planned.

As they finished their lunch and then wandered along the pier, Raven just enjoyed the moment. The sun was warm, and the breeze was cool. The ocean below was a beautiful turquoise blue. At the end of the pier, seals were barking along the rock wall where the lighthouse stood. Being with Cara gave him a peace he had never known before. He could focus entirely in the moment, leaving all his cares and responsibilities behind.

They held hands and looked in the shops, before buying an ice cream cone and watching the people fish off the edge of the pier. Someone was flying a kite, and the rainbow- colored diamond kite with its long tail danced in the wind. Cara laughed and clapped when a man began to juggle for the crowd. Raven threw some money into the man’s jar, before following Cara into another shop.

While Cara looked around, Raven noticed a postcard rack. One of the postcards caught his attention. It read: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” He looked at Cara and couldn’t have agreed more.