Free JAVIER by Miranda Jameson

never seen so many lethal weapons in her life. Both Gabriel and Javier had
guns tucked into their belts; what more did they need? Nervously she plaited
her hair quickly into one long braid then twisted it up at the nape of her
neck; she liked her hair out of the way when she was working. Now both men
appeared to be signing out big guns she recognized from TV programmes as AK-47
assault rifles. This was all normality for them; just a part of their job.
Javier smiled at her reassuringly;
    “Don’t worry, just being prepared. Let’s go.”
    Cassia followed the two warriors back into the
corridor. They barely spoke but seemed in total accord and she realized it came
from decades and decades of living, working and fighting together. There was a
similarity about the way they moved; Gabriel catlike and lethal and Javier with
that stealthy grace she had noticed earlier. They were practically shoulder to
shoulder, both of them about six feet five and she could suddenly see why the
civilians of her race were in such awe of their powerful protectors. She felt
slightly ashamed of the way she had always taken them for granted.
    Now they were just outside the chateau and Javier
reached for her. Cassia felt a flash of irritation as her stomach seemed to do
a flip when he pulled her in close. Really, it should be against the law for a
man to smell that good. She couldn’t stop herself taking deep breaths; the
scent of him was intoxicating.
    They materialized in the hallway of the house she had
left so dramatically a short time ago and all three of them scented the air and
stiffened;
    “Blood. A lot of it. Cassia, stay here. Don’t move
till I come back.” Javier muttered.
    The warrior Andreas appeared in the doorway Cassia
knew led to the living room;
    “One in here Sir, one in the study and one just inside
the kitchen door; looks like he was trying to make a break for it.”
    As Javier and Gabriel moved from room to room checking
out the bodies Cassia eavesdropped on their quiet conversation.
    “Messy, a single bullet each would have done it. The
killers enjoyed their job.”
    “They were caught by surprise; see, no blast marks.
They trusted their killers.”
    “We need to get Chronus here; this is an Empath house,
his jurisdiction.”
    “Andreas, send Stephan to fetch him. I’ll phone ahead
to warn him. Wish I could see his face, he hates shifting.”
    “Empaths usually do.”
    Cassia jumped as heavy boots pounded down the stairs
and two more armed warriors pointed their weapons at her;
    “It’s all right, she’s with me.” Javier appeared in
the doorway of the study then turned and spoke over his shoulder;
    “Cover him up with something. Cass, where’s that
safe?”
    Cassia pointed;
    “The study. Behind the second rate landscape.” She
moved to go into the study but Javier held her off for a moment then gestured
with his head, his expression grim;
    “Alright now.”
    Cassia moved swiftly across the room avoiding the
shrouded figure on the floor. The smell of blood was overwhelming and she
swallowed then concentrated on moving the picture to one side.
    “I wasn’t interested in the safe, my target was the
Goya in the living room but I like to familiarize myself with the full set-up
so I knew this was here. It’s a pity I don’t have any of my equipment; this
isn’t a hard design to open.”
    Javier peered closely at the safe;
    “Should I try shooting out the lock?”
    “Not sure that would work. Hold on, let me try
something.”
    Javier watched, intrigued, as Cassia approached the
desk and opened the top drawer then ran slim fingers round the edge and
underneath. She shook her head then repeated the same action on the second and
third drawers, her face a picture of total concentration. As she ran her hand
under the last drawer she suddenly smiled at Javier in triumph then pulled the
drawer completely out and unpinned the piece of paper stuck to the bottom with
a drawing pin;
    “They do it every time, so