The Keepers Book Two of the Holding Kate Series (42 page)

“He’s coming for
you
?” My chest seized in panic.

Kate nodded, her face heavy with dread.

“That’s enough proof for me.” Dirk jumped up and grabbed the cell phone. We all waited to see what he said.

“Chaps, we need one of the Inner Circle arrested.” He paused. “Yeah, we have proof that he is engaged in espionage. Yeah—Dr. Gregorvitch Mattovdzky.”

I heard the muffle of the cowboy Chaplain’s reply.

“What? When did that happen?” Another pause, then Dirk swore as he hung up the phone.

“He finished his year of service and left yesterday.”

“He’s loose. Out there with—”

“Unlimited resources, a Nobel Prize, and all the information he needs to continue Quantum Jumps on his own,” I choked out.

“We can’t touch him.” Donnie gritted his teeth.

“Even if we could find him,” I added. I turned to Kate, expecting her to hyperventilate. She shrugged.

“Oh well, if he comes after me, fine. We will cross that bridge when we come to it.” She looked at Tara. “Right?”

Tara grinned, reached across the ottoman and bumped her fist. “Right.”

WE SENT THE
Keepers on a two-week vacation of their choice. Mel and Donnie chose Italy and left the next day. I had a fully furnished and staffed villa there, so a quick call to the company jet and they were off. Trip, Tara, and Eunavae chose to go deep sea diving in Galapagos. Dirk wanted to surf in Hawaii, and he took Kim Stevens with him.

Kate and I stayed home and spent most of our vacation in bliss so full of worship.

She determined to wipe away the memory of the false Kate. I loved her for it.

One night, we were in the hot tub wrapped around one another, under the stars. Kate kissed my neck and jaw and tenderly traced circles on my shoulders. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel of her skin pressed against mine as I stroked the small of her back.

“Kate.” I nibbled at her ear.

“Mmmmhmmm.” She squeezed me tighter with her legs and arms.

“I need to tell you something.” I ran my hands up her sides and she trembled at my touch.

“No, Corey, the Mother already told me about that. You don’t have to feel guilty about making love to her.”

“I made love to you, not her.”

“I know, my sweet Corey.” She pressed even closer to me.

“Kate,” I whispered. “Don’t give her another thought. I haven’t. You are all I ever want. All I need.” I held her gaze long enough for her to believe me. I sealed her faith with a kiss.

I surrendered to the power of our love, again, and thought I would never get enough of the curve of her hip, the beauty of her breast, the warmth of her skin. I adored every part of her and relished the worship of her hands and lips on me.

We found ourselves wrapped in towels in a chaise by the pool when our heat had simmered. I ran my hand across her arm and she stroked my thigh as our breathing returned to normal.

“Gah, Kate! Are you ever going to let me finish a sentence? I have to tell you something, important, but you keep seducing me with your feminine wiles.”

She giggled, kissed me again, then pushed back. “Okay. Lemme have it.”

I steeled myself. “I am not here at the village because I am in trouble with the law.”

“Oh.” She seemed surprised by the direction our conversation headed and she pushed up on her elbow to look at me. “I knew that from the first day I met you. You couldn’t have done anything wrong.”

I snorted. I had thought the same thing about her.

“So why are you here? Did you lose someone?” Suddenly her expression turned serious, and she reached up to touch my face. Tender compassion filled her eyes.

“Not recently.”

She cocked her head to the side and waited for me to finish.

“My parents died two years ago.” I paused. “In a car crash in Italy.”

“Corey, I am so sorry!” She kissed me tenderly. “I knew they were gone, but didn’t realize so recently.”

“Well, actually, Kate, over two hundred years ago for me, right?”

“Right, old man.” She ran her hand over my chest and down my abs.

I almost lost control again and grabbed her hands between mine. I had to say this.

Her eyes twinkled with mischief. I grinned and shook my head, mostly to clear it.

“My parents were very…well off.” I snorted at the understatement. “I inherited everything.”

“Wow.” She raised her eyebrows and mouthed the word silently.

“There’s more.” I fingered the wheat strand wedding band on her hand.

She pressed her lips together and looked at me expectantly.

“It has all been in trust until I turn 18. Technically, that will be in two months.”

“I don’t understand.” She adjusted to her back and tucked an arm behind her head. “Why did you come to Heartwork Village?” She gazed at the stars above us as I played with her fingers.

“To explore my family’s assets personally.”

“I don’t…” Dawning broke across her face and she turned to me. “You own all of Heartwork Village?”

I nodded. “Technically, we do. You and me. I mean now that we are married and all.” I lifted her hand beside mine and showed off our matching wheat bands.

Her face broke into a huge smile. “Corey, do you know what this means?”

“What does it mean to you?” I grinned catching her enthusiasm.

“It means we don’t ever have to leave! First Cabin can be our home forever!”

I cocked my head inquisitively at her. “Kate, I just informed you that you are a billionaire and your first thought is that you can live here in this tiny cabin forever?”

She turned back toward me and her face became serious. “Corey, you are my home. I love First Cabin. I want to live here with you forever and raise lots of babies who look just like you.” She kissed my nose. “But you are my home. Wherever you are is where I want to be.”

I gathered my wife in my arms with full intentions of taking her to our bed. I sat up on the edge of the lounge with her in my lap when a grinding noise began.

We whipped our heads around, when a strange sphere appeared. Instead of rushing water like the Heartwork Village Quantum Spheres, it seemed to be made of tiny shards of whirling glass, like white sand. The sparkling sands dissipated, and a man appeared. In his late twenties, dressed in a deep purple velvet jacket with long tails, he wore a ruffled shirt, and a dark satin cape and cowl. His cape swirled around him as the motion of the sphere faded. He lifted his hands and dropped the cowl. Bright red hair neatly combed back, he turned to find us scrambling with our towels for cover.

He grinned malevolently. “Kate. So good to,” he cocked an eyebrow suggestively, “see you.”

“Who are you?” I moved in front of Kate.

“Come, now, Mr. Chastain, let’s not play dumb. You and I both know who I am.”

“Gregory?” Kate whispered.

“See there. Your
wife
caught on,” he snarled the word.

“What are you doing here, Mattovdzky?”

“I just wanted to give you a warning, Mr. Chastain.” He tossed his cape over his shoulder and pointed an odd looking cane at me. “Your jumpers killed my wife, my Kate. I think it only fair that I am compensated, don’t you?”

“What do you want?” Dread drizzled down me like molasses. I already knew the answer.

“Just one more dance.” His eyes landed on Kate. They glinted with a voracious lust. His lip quivered and curled into a snarl. Pure evil emanated from him.

He slammed his cane to the ground and the sandy sphere swirled up around him. With a reverberating gong, he vanished.

I gathered Kate into my arms and took her into the safety of our home where we would await the arrival of the Keepers. The game had just changed. It wasn’t about saving the village anymore. It was personal.

Thank you so much for taking this journey with me. Heartwork Village is a very real place in my head, and hopefully yours too, now. If you enjoyed your jump into the worlds of
The Keepers
, I know you will love their continued adventures in
The Source
coming in the fall of 2014.

The land of Ampeliagia, where the jumpers frequent, has its own rich and epic history. You can read about it in
The Chronicles of Ampeliagia
coming in 2015 with
The Sisterhood of the Sword Saga
. You will ride along on a quest to save Ampeliagia with three beautiful women, and meet Shanna Wisenberg, Corey’s great great grandmother.

If you have enjoyed the Holding Kate Series, please take a moment to write a quick review at Amazon.com. Reviews are extremely important in helping the books get noticed in the ocean of published works out there.

Thank you for your support,

LaDonna Cole