He only hoped Karissa hadn’t seen them.
“What can Karissa and I do about Deimos—or Bagley or whatever the hell his name is?” Hale asked in a voice so low it was almost a growl. “How can we defeat him?”
“All I know about this subject is what I read in my books,” Davina said with a grimace. “But being a Paladin, I imagine Karissa is brave and clever, fast and strong, and willing to risk anything to protect the innocent, as well as those she cares about.”
Hale couldn’t be sure, but from the way Davina was looking at him when she said that last part, it made him wonder if she knew that he and Karissa were soul mates.
“But Thomas Bagley is a killing machine,” Davina continued. “Because of his deeper connection to Deimos, he’ll be more powerful than you, Karissa. He’s faster and has more endurance, too. His centuries of combat experience—especially against other Paladins—combined with his complete lack of concern for any living creature will give him an incredible advantage over you. He’s remorseless and will use your hesitation to let innocents get hurt against you. He’ll turn your compassion for others into your greatest weakness. While I’m sure you’re an amazing Paladin, you simply aren’t on par with a supernatural who’s been around for as long as Bagley has—or one who has fought in as many wars as he has.”
Karissa’s hand tightened on Hale’s, her heart beating faster. “Are you saying I have no chance against him?”
“I would suggest you talk to Nicos and see if he has any suggestions,” Davina said before shaking her head. “But on your own, I don’t think you have much of a chance.”
Hale squeezed Karissa’s hand in return. “Good thing she won’t be alone, then.”
Chapter 16
“There’s only the one bedroom,” Hale said as he unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped back so Karissa could walk in ahead of him. “So I’ll take the couch.”
Karissa did a quick scan of the open-concept living room/kitchen, taking in the sectional couch, big screen TV, and collection of photos on the wall around it that she’d have to take a closer look at later, before turning to face him.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “I don’t mind sleeping on the couch.”
Hale set her weekender—which they’d picked up from her hotel—down on the floor by the couch. “You don’t really think I’d let you sleep on the couch when I invited you to stay here, do you?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she watched as Hale walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Surely he couldn’t want any more food tonight. He’d eaten a pizza and a half all by himself!
Karissa had been caught off guard when Hale asked her to stay at his apartment. Her first instinct was to say no, even as Hale explained he was worried about Bagley showing up at her place in the middle of the night. But when she’d felt a burstof warmth flooding her chest, she realized exactly how long it had been since anyone but Deven had demonstrated that kind of concern for her well-being. It had damn near melted her heart.
“You know I’m a Paladin and can take care of myself, right?” she’d asked, feeling a smile curve her lips.
“Yeah, I know you can,” he’d told her. “But you heard what Davina said. Thomas Bagley has killed other Paladins and is almost certainly going to be coming after you. There’s no way I can let you go back to your hotel room, not on your own.”
“So, what, you plan on keeping me at your side continuously until we figure out how to stop him?” she’d asked, really wanting to know if he’d thought this out.
“Would you have a problem with that if I said yes?” Hale had asked softly. “I want to do everything I can to keep you safe.”
Karissa let that question settle in for a moment before trying to answer it. She’d spent the last ten years being the one who had to keep everyone safe. The idea that there might be someone who would stand up to be the one to keephersafe—to say it was an unfamiliar concept was putting it mildly.
But in the end she’d decided she kind of liked it. So she’d agreed to stay at his place…at least for a night or two.
Now that they were at Hale’s apartment and shewas watching him putter around in his kitchen, digging for whatever he was looking for, Karissa was glad she’d accepted his invitation. As bizarre as it was, it felt like this was where she was supposed to be. Then again, as a Paladin, she’d spent the entirety of her adult life following her instincts, so was this honestly any different?
“What do you want to drink with your popcorn?” Hale asked, head still stuck in the fridge. “Soda or beer?”
“Popcorn?” Karissa asked with a laugh. “How can you want to eat any more food after all that pizza?”
Hale pulled his head out to look at her. “First, that pizza was more than an hour ago. Second, popcorn isn’t a food. It’s a snack. That means it doesn’t count.”
She shook her head with another laugh, opting for the beer. While Hale microwaved the popcorn, she took the opportunity to send a text to Deven about where she’d be spending the night. She didn’t want him freaking out and calling her parents, thinking Bagley had grabbed her or something.
The response back was typical Deven.Have fun but make good choices.
As Hale dumped the popcorn into a large wooden bowl and started to add butter and some kind of cheese powder, Karissa sent more texts to her brother, bringing him up to speed on ThomasBagley/Deimos and the fact that he would almost certainly be coming after her.
Then it’s a good thing you’re staying with Hale,Deven wrote back.Watch out for yourself. I can keep an eye on our client in the interim. I’ve already been doing some digging on who may have hired the hit man. I think I’m getting close.
Karissa wanted to immediately tell him to stop digging and not put himself at risk. But she kept her thumbs under control and realized she had to let her brother do this. He’d been wanting to take a more active role in their cases and now he had his chance. There was no way she could stand in his way, even if she was terrified he’d get hurt.
