was on the shuttle, your inve stigation skills aren't worth a damn." Jonathan headed back to the bar to pour another drink. But his attempt at staying cool wasn't working. His hand shook so much that half his drink splashed onto the countertop.
"Look, I need you to stop causing trouble and trust me. All you need to know is that your f ather left for Hathor." She stood up and grabbed her jacket. "Let me handle this."
"Sure." He gulped his drink down, refusing to make eye contact with her. The next thing he heard was her footfall across the floor. The door opened and closed, followed by silence.
After resetting the door to lock, Jon sprinted back to his room. When he entered, Ilana was sitting on the bed examining his tablet. Startled, she dropped the device. Jon picked it up. Luckily it hadn't broken when it hit the stone floor.
"Were you looking for something?" he asked, as he sat down next to her.
"I was checking the shuttle schedule. There's one leaving tomorrow. Who was that?"
"Cat. A security monitor showed my father walking with a woman before the explosion."
"Did they really see her on the monitor?"
"They couldn't identify her." Jonathan expected Ilana to be r elieved, but she started crying again. "What is it?"
"Please, Jonathan. You have to help me leave." She clutched his shirt, her nails digging into his chest. "Why don't you come with me to Hathor? I could help you look for your father there."
"I don't know. What if these people go after my family?"
"Jon, your family is wealthy. You can hire a team of security guards to protect them. Will you get the passes? Can we leave t ogether?"
"Yes, Ilana. I'll get them. We'll leave on the next shuttle."
*****
Much later in the evening Jonathan headed over to see his mother, Estrella. Taking an aircar there was the quickest way, compared to spending an hour tra velling in a ground vehicle.
After the aircar set down on the pad, Jonathan instructed the driver to wait for him. It was a clear night, the sky filled with countless stars and Demeter shining bright enough to illuminate his surroundings.
As he approached, he could see activity inside the house. Not that it was difficult with the glass wall encasing the lower level.
"Jonathan." His mother came over to embrace him as he e ntered the foyer. Dressed in a flowing, sleeveless dress, she gathered her brown hair off her shoulders and twisted it into a knot. "I thought you were coming out tomorrow."
"Are the girls here?" His sisters, Verda and Brisa were 17 and 21, and as far as they were co ncerned, far from being girls. In fact, he only called them that to tease them, which they usually didn't appreciate.
"Upstairs. Why? Is something wrong?"
"Let's go where we won't be interrupted."
Estrella's grey eyes, the same color as his own, grew wide as she reacted to his words.
"Why can't they hear what you have to say?" she asked.
"I don't want to worry them. Please, it's important we talk."
Instead of questioning him further, she led him to her suite in the rear of the house. Once they were inside, she closed the door and sat in her usual chair by the window.
Jon remembered many nights he'd sat there with her as she told him stories about her life on Hathor. She and his grandparents lived in a place called the West Country. And they'd had a farm, or was it a ranch? He couldn't remember.
The back of the house faced the ocean, and it was quiet enough to hear the waves crashing against the rocks below.
"Have you heard from Dad?"
Estrella's gaze penetrated him like she could see what he was thinking. It seemed strange, but when she looked at him that way, he wondered if she really could read his thoughts.
"Not yet, but Brandon said he was going to Hathor."
"But he should've arrived by now. Aren't you concerned?"
"No, I'm not, Jon," she said, her voice steady.
"I've heard rumors that he was involved in the theft."
"Jon, I don't care what people think. Your father didn't do it." In spite of her
"Look, I need you to stop causing trouble and trust me. All you need to know is that your f ather left for Hathor." She stood up and grabbed her jacket. "Let me handle this."
"Sure." He gulped his drink down, refusing to make eye contact with her. The next thing he heard was her footfall across the floor. The door opened and closed, followed by silence.
After resetting the door to lock, Jon sprinted back to his room. When he entered, Ilana was sitting on the bed examining his tablet. Startled, she dropped the device. Jon picked it up. Luckily it hadn't broken when it hit the stone floor.
"Were you looking for something?" he asked, as he sat down next to her.
"I was checking the shuttle schedule. There's one leaving tomorrow. Who was that?"
"Cat. A security monitor showed my father walking with a woman before the explosion."
"Did they really see her on the monitor?"
"They couldn't identify her." Jonathan expected Ilana to be r elieved, but she started crying again. "What is it?"
"Please, Jonathan. You have to help me leave." She clutched his shirt, her nails digging into his chest. "Why don't you come with me to Hathor? I could help you look for your father there."
"I don't know. What if these people go after my family?"
"Jon, your family is wealthy. You can hire a team of security guards to protect them. Will you get the passes? Can we leave t ogether?"
"Yes, Ilana. I'll get them. We'll leave on the next shuttle."
*****
Much later in the evening Jonathan headed over to see his mother, Estrella. Taking an aircar there was the quickest way, compared to spending an hour tra velling in a ground vehicle.
After the aircar set down on the pad, Jonathan instructed the driver to wait for him. It was a clear night, the sky filled with countless stars and Demeter shining bright enough to illuminate his surroundings.
As he approached, he could see activity inside the house. Not that it was difficult with the glass wall encasing the lower level.
"Jonathan." His mother came over to embrace him as he e ntered the foyer. Dressed in a flowing, sleeveless dress, she gathered her brown hair off her shoulders and twisted it into a knot. "I thought you were coming out tomorrow."
"Are the girls here?" His sisters, Verda and Brisa were 17 and 21, and as far as they were co ncerned, far from being girls. In fact, he only called them that to tease them, which they usually didn't appreciate.
"Upstairs. Why? Is something wrong?"
"Let's go where we won't be interrupted."
Estrella's grey eyes, the same color as his own, grew wide as she reacted to his words.
"Why can't they hear what you have to say?" she asked.
"I don't want to worry them. Please, it's important we talk."
Instead of questioning him further, she led him to her suite in the rear of the house. Once they were inside, she closed the door and sat in her usual chair by the window.
Jon remembered many nights he'd sat there with her as she told him stories about her life on Hathor. She and his grandparents lived in a place called the West Country. And they'd had a farm, or was it a ranch? He couldn't remember.
The back of the house faced the ocean, and it was quiet enough to hear the waves crashing against the rocks below.
"Have you heard from Dad?"
Estrella's gaze penetrated him like she could see what he was thinking. It seemed strange, but when she looked at him that way, he wondered if she really could read his thoughts.
"Not yet, but Brandon said he was going to Hathor."
"But he should've arrived by now. Aren't you concerned?"
"No, I'm not, Jon," she said, her voice steady.
"I've heard rumors that he was involved in the theft."
"Jon, I don't care what people think. Your father didn't do it." In spite of her
Similar Books
Madeleine
Helen Trinca
Lost In France (Firebird Trilogy)
Jani Kay
The Reluctant Duke (Love's Pride Book 1)
G.L. Snodgrass
Fate's Edge
Ilona Andrews
Hollywood Princess
Dana Aynn Levin
Cuffed
Kait Gamble
Blakeshire
Jamie Magee
What God Has For Me
Pat Simmons
Immortal Revenge
Mary Abshire