things are reaching a boiling point, it’s likely they’re going to boil over in either one of their directions.”
Steven pushed his glasses up his straight nose and smiled. “And also! Since we’re all together and Josiah didn’t die, I have news too. I broke the encryption on the data we stole. We now have a full client list from Sherman & Associates.”
Chapter Twenty-One
They all turned to stare at him.
“You couldn’t lead with that?” Richard snapped.
As Steven’s clever gaze touched on their expressions, he shrugged. “Everybody had a lot to say, and we’ve been busy.”
Anson rubbed his face. “True enough. Do you have it with you?”
“Yep.” Steven held up a flash drive. “I also have their financial records.”
“That settles it,” Henry said. “I’m staying here. I need to comb the data to see if I can find matches between clients and the financial activity we’ve uncovered.”
“And you need to get me another phone, activated to my old number,” Josiah said to Steven. “ASAP. I want it functioning and in my hand whether I’m awake or not.”
“Right,” Steven replied.
Anson, Richard, and Maria looked at each other. The whole coven knew it was better to keep Richard and Josiah separate when possible. Maria said to Richard, “You and I can take turns keeping watch on Molly.”
Anson added, “I’ll stay here with Henry until Steven gets back. Then I can run interference between you and bring you what you need.”
Josiah felt the weight of decision fall away. The coven had sorted themselves out without him. Frank and Rubio had given him the address where Molly was staying, so he passed that on to them and pushed to his feet. “Looks like I’m not needed for now.”
“Yes, you go to bed,” Maria said.
Like Molly when she had been injured, what he really needed was a couple of weeks of good nutrition and rest, but he didn’t think he was going to get it.
What the hell, he’d settle for his Power returning. He could rest when he was dead.
“Wake me if anything breaks loose,” he told them.
Limping to his darkened bedroom, he stretched out his aching body with care. He didn’t remember when his head hit the pillow as unconsciousness washed over him in a dark tide.
* * *
Frank and Rubio escorted Molly to a motel and stayed until a squad car arrived. The two uniformed police would remain stationed in the parking lot until morning.
Frank handed her a card before they left. “Keep us apprised of your whereabouts. We can’t provide a police presence if we don’t know where you are.”
“Understood.” She took the card.
Once they had stepped out and she could latch the security chain, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was tired, and the sandwich hadn’t given her a lot of mileage. She needed real food, but it was also late enough she didn’t want to leave the room. She had a bottle of water in her purse and some dried fruit and nuts in her suitcase. That would have to do until tomorrow.
It was all logistics. She didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was that Josiah was alive.
Sitting sat at the edge of the bed, she called Sarah, who picked up on the first ring.
“There you are. We were getting worried.”
“Sorry, this is the first time I’ve had a chance to call. The police questioned me for hours. I only just got to my motel room.” Now that she was in private, she let tears spill over. “Josiah was hurt badly, but he’s alive. His coven brought in a magical trauma specialist. He came to the police station—he said the crash wasn’t an accident.”
“That’s… complicated,” Sarah said. “It’s such good news that he survived and he’s all right, but are you safe?”
“For now, yes. Nobody knows where I am, and they put a police car outside.”
“I’ll let the others know. You’ve got to be exhausted.”
“I am. I’m going to get some sleep. Then I’ll start tackling my to-do list.”
“I want you to check in often after you wake up.”
“I will,” she promised. “Sarah, thank you for everything. Please thank the others again for me too.”
“Of course. In this coven, we look out for each other. Always remember that. Now get some rest.”
“You too.”
After washing and getting ready for bed, Molly rummaged in her carry-on for the new tablet she’d bought at the airport. She went through the setup instructions, connected to the motel’s Wi-Fi, and logged back into her old email account.
She had over a thousand emails from friends, acquaintances,