Cast Into Darkness Read Online Free PDF

vanished.
    “ Damn .” Victor turned toward Kate, his face red. “If you hadn’t distracted me I would have put up a teleport block before her allies got her out. Probably used a talisman to do it remotely. Now I can’t interrogate her, find out who she works for.”
    Kate stomped to the driver’s side and pulled hard at the car door. Locked. Dammit. She swept the keys up from the side of the road.
    “I’m sick of you blaming me for your screwups. I’m driving to the house. Don’t follow me. Don’t talk to me. Leave me alone.” She jammed the key in the lock so hard she scraped the paint.
    Victor grabbed her arm before she could yank on the handle.
    “Let go of me.”
    He let go. “Your tire’s blown—”
    “I’ll fix it myself.”
    “No, you won’t. You’ve been attacked and might be again. I’m taking you to your dad.”
    “I don’t want to see him.”
    “He’ll want to see you, make sure you’re okay. You know your dad. He always gets what he wants.”
    Kate stood, silent. Cars zoomed by, their drivers going about their business without worrying about being attacked by fire-wielding bimbos or hijacked on their fathers’ whims. She wondered what it would be like to be one of those people.
    “I’ll deal with your car,” Victor said, then continued under his breath, “I’ll bet I can find a junkyard that will take it.”
    “Don’t you dare.” Kate spun to face him, her mouth tight.
    “Fine. I’ll have my guys fix it and drive it to the house. Happy now? Can we go?”
    Victor leaned against the car and waited, only a hint of smirk on his face. He would knock her on the head and carry her to her father if that’s what it took.
    “The office, right? Like he’d be anywhere else.” She grabbed Victor’s arm, bracing herself for the teleport spell. Teleporting always gave her a headache.
    As they faded out of existence on the I-88 and materialized in an elegant office building on K Street in Washington, DC, she thought about the stone. She’d promised Brian she wouldn’t mention anything to Dad. But how was she going to keep the stone hidden from a man who knew everyone’s secrets?

Chapter Four
    Kristof considered the girl lying unconscious on the deck behind the two-story colonial he’d “borrowed” to run his operation. His failed operation. He’d seen everything, thanks to the monitor talisman he’d given Brooke.
    The talisman—a small, silver raven—was still pinned to her blouse. It was the same one he’d used to bring her back, after Victor Cole blew his op to hell. Using a rogue like Brooke to get the stone for him without his father knowing hadn’t exactly worked out as planned.
    Brooke moaned, and one leg twitched against the redwood deck. Kristof leaned back against the lounger, waiting for her to wake, his jaw clenched as he tapped his hand against the plastic side table. He pulled off his mirrored sunglasses and checked his disguise spell—sandy hair, square jaw, permanent sneer. Should be perfect.
    Kristof ran his fingers over the messenger bag on the table next to him. What was he going to do with Brooke? He needed a new plan to get the stone now that the Hamiltons were alerted. That plan would still require a cutout—someone who could keep some distance between him and the stone and prevent his father from realizing who would ultimately end up with the powerful little trinket. He needed a rogue, an outcast with no family affiliation. But rogues, especially ones with any control over their powers, weren’t exactly standing on the street corner, looking to be hired.
    If I could do the job myself… Well, it would be different.
    Who he’d ended up with wasn’t exactly the shiniest charm in the spellbook. Brooke had blown this job—failing to get the stone, disobeying his order not to hurt Kate—and she might screw up the next one.
    His father knew how to deal with rogues who had “outlived their usefulness.” Standard operating procedure in the Makris