Page 11 of Tethered

“What is it?” I ask softly, not wanting to wake Dawn.

The house feels tense and worried, but I can’t place why. I head to the front to see if anyone is coming, though the house would have already made me aware of that. I open the door and look out. The air smells sweet, thanks to the honeysuckle I’ve planted in pots on the deck. I take a deep breath, letting the fragrance soothe me as I look around. I see nothing out of the ordinary until I look down and see the parcel on the top step.

I stare at it in surprise. I can’t remember the last time the house didn’t warn me when someone was approaching. The only person who caught me unaware was?—

Austin.

I take a step back. Austin—the man who seems to have some kind of immunity to my powers. Who managed to sneak up on me without the house giving me a warning. The same man who knows what I am and what I’m capable of.

I swallow, looking down at the package, which looks more like a gift, now that I think about it, with a silver ribbon tied around navy-blue paper.

Hesitantly, I pick it up, surprised by its weight. I carry it inside and head back to the living room. I sit in the chair I just vacated and tug the ribbon free. I carefully unwrap it, wondering if I should be worried about a bomb or something. When the paper slips free, I find a large leather-bound book. There is nothing on the cover, no title, no picture, but there is a large brass buckle keeping it closed. Confused and unsure why I feel so wary, I open the book and feel warmth rush through my bones.

I feel lightheaded all of a sudden, and I’m pretty sure if I weren’t sitting, I’d fall down. I look around the room, feeling like I’m being watched, which is ridiculous. But then I remember the damn cameras. Of course, I’m being watched.

Pulling out my phone, I open the camera app and disable the two in the sitting room before moving to the one on theporch. I scroll back through, hoping to see who put this book on my porch. My instinct tells me it has to be Austin. But I’d like to be proven wrong. The only problem is that nobody is there. Between one second and the next, the book appears and disappears as I roll the footage back.

“What the hell?”

Hannah giggles from the kitchen, and I look toward the door to make sure they aren’t coming in. When I’m sure the coast is clear, I look back at the footage before sending a still of it and a message to David to check into it.

I put my phone back in my pocket. I take a deep breath, crack open the book once more, and stare at the first page. It’s a map, one drawn by hand, but it looks different than the images I’ve seen. Specific landmarks are missing, and some of the topography looks off. I slide my finger up to the faint writing at the top of the page. EH. 1652.

Is that a code? I look at the rudimentary map once more, and my mouth drops open in shock.

1652 isn’t a code. It’s a date.

Holy shit.

Chapter Four

Before I can read further, I hear laughter again. I close the book, head upstairs to my workshop, and slip the book into the safe. I lean against the countertop, my mind a swirling mess, unable to comprehend what the hell kind of game Austin is playing. I don’t even want to think about how much that book is worth. For all he knew, I might burn the damn thing. However, he doesn’t know that I would rather burn a man than a book.

I squeeze my eyes shut, give myself a stern fucking talking to about letting this man get under my skin again, and stomp downstairs. It’s a few hours before I relax completely. Spending time with Dawn and Hannah helped, as did eating half a dozen cookies. When Hannah gets lost in a movie, I leave her with Dawn and drag Riggs out to the ranch house with me.

“Houston, we have a problem.”

“What’s wrong? You’ve been quiet all afternoon. I know you’re worried about them, but they’re safe here.”

“I’m sorry, I guess some of it hit a little too close to home,” I tell him, skirting the truth, not ready to share about the book just yet. I might not burn it, but I can’t guarantee Riggs wouldn’t, and I’d hate to have to throw out the whole man for the sacrilege.

“But that’s not the problem. Well, it is, but not the one I’m currently worrying about. Not that I’m not worrying, but this seems to take precedence and?—”

My words are cut off when Riggs’s mouth covers mine, stealing my breath along with my sanity. By the time he pulls away, I’ve forgotten what I was worried about.

“So, the problem?”

“Huh? Oh, right. I would like to move Dawn and Hannah in here, at least temporarily. Living in someone else’s space is difficult. It makes it hard to relax properly, and that’s what they need. Out here, it’s like having their own home within mine, if that makes sense. Plus, they’ll be protected. Nobody is getting past all those trees, and the only other way to get to the ranch house right now is through the main house, which is never going to happen, and?—”

He kisses me again, shorter this time but just as effective.

“I’m rambling again, aren’t I?”

“Little bit.” He grins. “So what’s the plan? You want me to watch over them?”

I wince, realizing I didn’t explain it as well as I should have. “Well, yes, but not like you’re thinking.” I take a deep breath before blurting it out. “I want you to move in with me. Into the main house, I mean.”

“But what about my sleep issues?”