Free Assassin Deception by C. L. Scholey Page A

you so much. Granny saved me, you saved me, James. What would I ever do without you?”
    “You will never have to find out, sweetheart.”
    Chloe allowed him to gather her closer. His hands rubbed the length of her back. She felt safe, comforted. “James, why would someone put a bomb in that house, knowing it was empty?”
    “Perhaps it was meant for the man who was supposed to be living there, perhaps it went off prematurely. It has been known to happen for certain reasons. Perhaps it was a warning of sorts.
    “I’m sorry you were hurt because of it. You know our profession. All of us are targets. Perhaps it was meant for me, who knows? Dirk is looking into it. He will be relentless; the culprit will be found and dealt with. Have no doubt about that. Dirk is furious. He will not allow any who belong to us hurt.
    “You rest, sweetheart. You are safe here. No one would dare hurt you here. You won’t be left unattended for a second.”
    “You think it was meant for me, you think someone tried to kill me, don’t you?” Chloe said tightly. Suddenly remembering the threats in the note, she shivered with the thought. She did indeed feel broken inside, both body and being hurt.
    Had she been followed here? Was this just the beginning? Was she endangering the others? She couldn’t leave to save them anymore; they were as trapped as she was.
    She hoped James was right about Dirk, before someone else got hurt. They might not be as lucky as she was, though the loss of her sight had been extreme. Chloe realized if she had died she would have been too far from Damien for a very long time, perhaps forever. The idea was crushing.
    “Chloe, there are people out there who know I love you. They would hurt you to get to me. Just like they would hurt Dirk or Damien or Carrie, any one of them,” James began. “Hurting you hurts me worse than anything they could do to me; my loved ones are my Achilles' heel. Those with real powers of manipulation understand this like no other. They are the ones I fear the most. They are the ones who would harm an innocent for revenge or spite. They are the ones who are capable of truly wounding me.”
    “Because you love me, James,” Chloe said softly. His disclosure did not frighten her. She was a member of the family. She would have to take the good with the bad, though this was bad enough. Her risks were the same as every other family member.
    “I have something for you, dearest,” James said. She could feel him fumbling for a moment and soon a necklace was settled over her head.
    Chloe trailed the thick chain to thumb the rounded medallion that settled just above her breasts. With her fingers she could trace a protruding design on the front while the back remained smooth. It was perhaps the size of a nickel or slightly larger.
    “What is this, James?” she asked curiously.
    “I want you to promise me you will wear this at all times. I know I sound a bit fanatical, old fashioned, eccentric, when I say it will offer you great protection.”
    “Of course I will wear it,” Chloe promised. “What is the symbol?”
    “It is the horizontal number eight. The infinity sign. It and the chain are solid gold. Timeless precious metal lasting for eternity. I’m thinking of having one made for everyone in the family, our new symbol. We will always be connected; we will always go on together forever.”
    Forever. Chloe smiled; she felt wanted. She would stay within the security of her home. Dirk would keep everyone safe. Her sight would return, it must return. Damien loved her. James and the family would take care of her until she once more felt whole. Dirk would track down whoever was responsible and deal with him, or her, and that person would never harm Chloe or anyone else ever again.
    Chloe could feel James’ hand stroking her forehead, lulling her back to sleep. She clutched the medallion to her chest, her own heat warming it. She allowed her mind to drift while stilling her thoughts. Her eyes