Midnight's Captive(21)

“No. It’s time I stepped out so you two can talk properly instead of hiding meanings in your words because you don’t want me to know.”

Charon caught her arm as she turned away. He rose to his feet and looked into her green eyes. “Laura—”

“It’s all right,” she interrupted, and smiled softly.

Her skin felt warm in his hand, smooth. She smelled of cherry blossoms from her soap, and he wanted to lean nearer and breathe it in. “Stay close.”

She pulled away, and he didn’t stop her. It wasn’t until she was out of the office, the door closed behind her, that he turned to Con. He was done beating around the bush.

“What do you know?” Charon demanded.

Con set down his now empty glass. “A lot, actually. But that is no’ why you came. You came because you want to sell my scotch.”

“I’m no’ so sure anymore. I doona like being investigated.”

Con made a sound at the back of his throat. “Charon, we’re no’ your enemy. And doona worry for Miss Black’s safety. There are fewer places on this earth where she could be safer.”

Charon instantly thought of MacLeod Castle. She’d be safe there. “Who are you? Really.”

Con rubbed a hand over his chin. “A potential ally. A friend if you want it.”

“Again, why?”

“I think the name Jason Wallace means something to you.”

Charon squeezed the crystal so hard, the glass shattered in his hand. He put his palms on Con’s desk and leaned toward him. “Is that why I’m here? Did Wallace pay you to trap me? Whatever he’s paying you, I’ll triple it as long as you allow Laura to leave.”

“Nay, I’m no’ working with Wallace,” Con said calmly, and he got to his feet, seemingly unfazed by Charon’s response. “My business is much more vast than most realize. I have my ear to the ground, so to speak, in various places. I know Wallace Mansion has been damaged. Again.”

“No matter what you think you know, you doona know half of it. Stay away from Wallace. He’ll infest everything you have until there’s nothing left.”

Con regarded him quietly for several long minutes. “Wallace isna the man his cousin was. Declan was out in the public eye showing off his wealth and power for all to see. But it’s what he was doing behind the scenes that concerned me.”

“What was that?” Charon would find out all he could from Con and then determine what to do about his knowledge of Jason Wallace.

“Lining other men’s pockets. Declan might be dead, but doona make the mistake of underestimating Jason. Jason might no’ have the good looks of his cousin, but he’s smarter. You Warriors have done a fine job battling the droughs, but Jason Wallace is different.”

Charon straightened, his hands clenched as he took in all of what Con said. The bastard knew he was a Warrior, and he’d known of the droughs. What else did they know?

He wanted to know how Con had discovered what he was, but more important was the information Con had on Wallace. Charon reined in his fury and focused on his nemesis as he walked to the window, where he shoved his hands in his pockets. “We already underestimated Jason. I’m going to make him pay though.”

“Alone?”

“If need be.”

“It’ll be tricky.”

“What do you know of it?” Charon asked. He kept his gaze out the window, but he was watching Con in the glass pane.

The head of Dreagan sighed heavily, his brow furrowed for a moment. “You’ve every reason to be mistrustful. In all the time we’ve been at Dreagan I’ve never invited a Warrior—or anyone, for that matter—into my home and told them what we are.”

Charon waited, his mind racing with possibilities. Yet, he kept coming up empty of just what Con could be.

“I find even now I can no’ actually say it. It’s been a secret too closely guarded. All I’ll tell you—today—is that you’re no’ the only immortal being around.”

Charon placed his hands on the windowsill, his heart pounding in his chest. This he never expected. Some kind of Druid maybe, but another immortal?

“Why tell me now?” Charon asked.

“Because I doona think it can be put off any longer. Things are escalating. There may come a time when we can help each other.”

Charon didn’t hide his grin as he narrowed his gaze at Con’s reflection and the distaste distorting his features. “That was difficult to say. I take it that you doona really think you’ll ever need a Warrior’s help?”

“We’ve been around since the beginning of time. We doona need anyone.”