The address Max had given them led them past a small village and up another steep hill. They came to a gate on the road with the number of the house. He could see it at the top of the hill. Ava opened an unlocked gate and began to climb. A steep fall of stairs cut into the hillside brought them to another gate, this one guarded by a solid man Malachi guessed was American. His stance said professional; his bearing spoke of experience. He was younger than Malachi but would be a reasonably skilled opponent if he were not human.
“Hey, Ruben,” she said, her voice a little breathless from the climb.
“Ava.” The guard’s tone offered surprise, even if his eyes were invisible behind dark sunglasses. “I didn’t know—”
“Yeah, I know I’m a surprise. You gonna let me in, or do I have to call him?”
“I…” Ruben hesitated, but then his shoulders relaxed a fraction and he opened the door. He glanced at Malachi, gave him a little nod, then turned back to Ava and took off his glasses. “He’s not expecting company.”
Malachi noted that he’d been assessed and filed away as Ava’s bodyguard. It was incredibly strange to be among humans who just expected to have armed men following them around for security.
“Really?” Ava raised an eyebrow. “He’s not expecting company?”
Ruben sighed. “Okay, he’s not expecting his daughter. You know how he is. Ava, I wish…”
Malachi realized, quite suddenly, that this bodyguard was more than familiar with Ava. That he actually cared about her.
The guard had probably known her for years. He might even live in her father’s household. Did she consider him a friend? They might have traveled together. Eaten together. How strange to live and travel with people you employed. Were they friends? Was true friendship possible when one was employer and the other employee? The thought added a new layer of loneliness to Ava’s history.
“I know how he is, Ruben.” She brushed a hand along the human’s arm. “It’s fine. Is Luis here?”
“Not right now. Went into town to do some stuff. There’s no Internet up here.”
“I bet he loves that,” she muttered. “Do me a favor and don’t call Luis, okay?”
Ruben’s tone was pleading. “Ava…”
“Fine.” She sighed. “Call your boss so you don’t get fired. Is Jasper alone?”
“Right now? Yeah.”
“No girls expected?”
Ruben shook his head. “Not until later.”
“Got it.” She took his hand. “This is Malachi. He’s with me.”
Ruben examined him with newly suspicious eyes.
That’s right, human. I am much more than her bodyguard.
“Hey.” He held out a hand. “I’m Ruben.”
“Malachi.” They shook hands, and Malachi was relieved the human didn’t do the idiot measuring hand squeeze. That never ended well for humans. He did, however, make a point of meeting Malachi’s eyes. The threat was unspoken but clear. The man considered Ava his responsibility.
They stared at each other until Ava said, “And it appears we all have plenty of testosterone. Ruben, let go. Malachi’s my… boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Ruben was definitely surprised. He dropped Malachi’s hand and stepped back.
“I really don’t like that word,” Malachi said.
“What should I call you? My lover? Husband? Ma—”
“Boyfriend is fine.” He squeezed her hand, glanced at Ruben, then nudged her toward the door. “Don’t you need to see your father?”
“You’re so cute when you’re annoyed,” Ava said lightly, and he could read the tension in her voice. She was nervous and trying to hide it.
“Come on.” He let go of her hand and put a steadying arm around her waist. “Ruben, where can we find Jasper?”
The guard’s keen eyes flipped between them, but he said, “Probably out in the gardens.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
Malachi let her guide them up another set of stairs, this one shorter than the last. When they walked through the last gate, the garden opened up to a graveled walkway lined with olive trees interspersed with flower-filled urns. Ava didn’t stop to admire the view but went straight up the path, heading for the large house he could see towering over the gardens.
They passed the front door and the covered patio beside it, still following the path to the side of the house where he could hear the faint sounds of a guitar and the recognizable voice of one the most celebrated human musicians.
Jasper Reed was known for performing rock and roll, blues, and American folk music, but he’d collaborated with classical musicians and even written scores for movies. He was, without a doubt, one of the most gifted human musicians of his age. And when they finally rounded the corner and came upon him, Malachi knew his talent wasn’t merely rumor.
The man sat on a low bench, guitar in his lap, several empty coffee cups on the table in front of him along with an overflowing ashtray. Several of the domestic staff watched him from a shaded doorway, one smoking, two whispering, but all of them with rapt eyes on the man.
Reed appeared to be in his forties, but Malachi knew he had to be older in human years. Dark hair like Ava’s. A classically handsome, unlined face. And a soft voice laden with a practiced breathy rasp.
The music was pure in its simplicity. Seductive in its tone. His voice was quiet but seemed to suffuse the air around him until every human within its hearing was held in thrall. Even Malachi was entranced.
Ava stopped in the shade of a spreading oak, watching her father. And he was, undoubtedly, her father. She’d said she looked like her mother—and she did—but there was a quality of expression she shared with Reed. So much that Malachi wondered how anyone could have been ignorant of her parentage. Her face was yearning. Her power flared.
And was answered when the music stopped and her father turned toward her.
A crooked smile. “Ava? Baby girl, what are you doing here?”
Then Reed’s eyes fell on Malachi, and the scribe knew without a doubt where his mate’s power had come from.
Talented musician. Wasted drug addict. Delinquent father. Jasper Reed might have been many things.
But he wasn’t human.
Chapter Four
“HEY, JASPER.”
Her father put his guitar down and held out his arms. “Come here! What are you doing here, Ava?”
She could lie to herself all she wanted, but when Jasper opened his arms, the little girl in Ava leaped with joy. The girl who’d never belonged stepped forward and embraced the man who had fathered her.
“Came to say hi.”
“Why didn’t you call?”
His arms were warm, and he smelled like sunshine and coffee and soap. He’d probably smell like cigarette smoke soon enough, but in that moment, she took a deep breath and enjoyed the feeling of his stubbled cheek against hers.
“Wanted to surprise you.”
Jasper wasn’t stupid. He pulled back and raised an eyebrow. “Since when?”
“Since Luis was being closemouthed about where you were. Why weren’t you answering my e-mails?”
He scratched his cheek, the dark stubble hinting at some Mediterranean heritage he’d never confirmed. He didn’t know much about his family, he’d always told her. But was it the truth? Or did he just not want to share?
“No Internet up here, baby girl. And I’m not sure where that phone is.” He looked around, and Ava could see his eyes were bloodshot. Hard nights. He’d been having hard nights. She was surprised he was up and playing early with eyes like that.