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  A TOUCH OF INTRIGUE

  An Everly Gray Adventure

  Book Seven

  L. j. CHARLES

  Tick Tock

  Time bombs explode around Everly Gray, uncovering dangerous secrets. After thirty years, the complex web of intrigue created to protect her has begun to unravel, laying bare a shocking conspiracy that leaves her alienated from her past, and exposed to a master of manipulation.

  With her hefty dose of curiosity, and a drive to live in truth, Everly is determined to follow the conspiracy to its core and heal the damaged roots of her life.

  Tick

  Tynan Pierce has been a moving target for most of his adult life—normal for a covert agent working black ops, but not okay for a man who’s fallen in love and wants to build a lasting relationship. He’ll protect Everly at any cost, even if it means they have to live apart.

  Tock

  Tynan and Everly’s hearts and souls beat as one, but what will happen when her ESP fingers and his Circle of Nine gifts merge? Will these two strong-willed people be able to share their intuitive gifts and build a future together?

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  A Touch of Intrigue

  ISBN: 978-0-9896470-8-3

  Copyright © 2014 by L. j. Charles

  Cover Design by Patrice Federspiel and Andris Bear

  Editor: Faith Freewoman

  Formatting: Author E.M.S.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever—except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews—without written permission. The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following mentioned in this work of fiction: Diet Coke, Smith&Wesson, Boker, and Glock.

  For more information: [email protected]

  For Patrice Federspiel and Christine Pagano.

  Thank you for bringing your gifts and blessings to a Touch of Intrigue.

  And for Jenni Buchert…who asked the right questions.

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Everly Gray: Red hair, midnight blue eyes, pale skin, of Scottish and Hawaiian heritage. Everly was born with ESP fingers. When she touches people or objects, she “sees” things about them.

  Tynan Pierce: Black Irish with dark hair and azure blue eyes. Moves like the night and doesn’t say much. Former agent with one of those three-letter agencies no one discusses, and moonlights as a physician. Yes, he does have a medical degree. Pierce has been Everly’s mentor in the world of chasing bad guys, and he used to be Annie Jamison (A.J.) Stone’s partner before she retired. He calls Everly Belisama, after a Celtic goddess. It means Summer Bright, and I believe it has something to do with her red hair, but I wouldn’t swear to it.

  Everly’s family:

  Loyria and James Gray: Everly’s parents (featured in To Touch Poison). Both were employed by the CIA, Loyria as a forensic anthropologist, and James as an attorney (his cover as a talented cryptologist). Loyria discovered a plant-derived formula similar to that used by Amazonian tribes in their euthanasia rituals. The government was interested in the formula and its potential for biological warfare, and joined with British and Irish intelligence to create the Megiddo Project, housed in a super-secret facility in the Amazon jungle. Loyria was the CIA member of the team, but refused to release the formula until she had an antidote.

  Millie and Harlan: The butler and gardener (respectively) whom Everly’s parents hired to care for their home, and for Everly while they were away on business. They became Everly’s guardians when her parents were killed.

  Kahuna Aukele: Everly’s grandfather. A sixty-something Hawaiian shaman with a devious mind. He teaches kahunas-in-training by avoiding their questions, forcing them think. He trains Everly when she’s in the islands, and recently passed his healing gifts to her.

  Makani Maliu: Everly’s grandmother, who was a gifted kahuna, and died before she and Everly could meet. But not before leaving some vital information in a form only Everly could find. She was childhood friends with Millie.

  Other characters:

  Annie Jamison Stone Martin (A.J.): (Blonde, light green eyes, retired sniper. Annie was Everly’s next-door neighbor and is still her best friend. Soul sisters. Tynan Pierce’s former partner in the world of dark and dangerous, Annie has retired from the spy world, recently married firefighter Sean Martin, and they have a daughter, Madigan. They live in Hawaii’s North Shore.

  Adam Stone: Blond with brown streaks, dark green eyes. Annie’s brother and a former homicide detective for Apex, NC law enforcement, currently working with the Honolulu Police Department. Adam follows procedure—always. He was Everly’s mentor for police work, but recently moved to Hawaii to be near Annie and his new niece, Madigan.

  Whitney Boulay: Former constable for Scotland Yard, Whitney currently lives in Hawaii and works with Adam at the Honolulu Police Department. She’s friends with both Annie and Everly.

  Fion Connor: (To Touch Poison, a Touch of Revenge) A colleague of Loyria Gray on the Amazon-based Megiddo Project and an agent for MI6. Fion is undisputed ruler of a large estate near the English Riviera.

  Eamon Grady: (To Touch Poison, a Touch of Revenge) Scottish, and the third member of the international team of scientists working on the Megiddo Project. Eamon was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis shortly after the project was underway. He’d do anything for a cure, and suspected Loyria’s formula was the answer.

  Fred: Loyria Gray’s former handler. Fred has been keeping an eye on Everly since birth, and is depending on her to create a miracle—one way or another.

  A WORD ABOUT PATRICE FEDERSPIEL’S ORIGINAL COVER ART…

  In this painting, Everly is growing from her roots and taking control of her mother’s legacy. The plant is made of “ghost leaves.” It is a term used to describe leaves that are at the end of their lifespan, and have become translucent. Some have large holes, while others are fine like a delicate mesh screen. Patrice collects these on walks in the Maikiki area of Honolulu.

  In Intrigue, the ghost leaves represent the properties of Loyria Gray’s formula—the beauty of becoming one with Universal energy in the ever-changing flow of living and dying.

  Previously…

  THE SOFT HAWAIIAN BREEZE WAFTED through the windows of my condo. Home. Except Pierce had been called out of the country almost as soon as we arrived, and it hadn’t been something he could blow off.

  I smiled every time I thought of how upset he’d been that he had to leave me, how we texted several times a day, and how he was determined to keep me in the loop no matter how wrapped up in business he was. We shared our emotions, talked things through…except there was no sex. Not even phone sex, and it was making me nervous.

  I’d been giving him space, reminding myself about his status as an emotional virgin, and doing my damnedest not to jump his bones and screw everything up. To my way of thinking, we were on the edge of diving into a truly spectacular relationship, but I hadn’t told him I loved him yet. And he hadn’t told me. What we had was beautiful and frustrating and complicated and simple and clear and muddled—all at the same time.

  This thing between us was good, and strong, and we should be having sex every day. At least every day, preferably more than once a day if I’d had my way.

  He treated me with respect and patience, almost like I was breakable. Understandable, since he’d seen me break. But I wasn’t that woman now, and his concern about wanting me to be completely sure our relationship was the right thing was precious to me…really, it was.

  Still, a girl could only wait so long, and
I’d jumped that hurdle even before we left Ireland. It had been weeks since my mind and body were primed and ready…and well over a year since I’d had sex. Yep. The lack of male attention was beginning to addle me.

  And to top it off, Annie was hiding something she’d found in her research into the Connor-Grady papers we’d confiscated. I glanced at my watch. She should have been here ten minutes ago. Annie was never late, tended to be on the early side. Well, before Madigan… Oh, damn, how had I missed it? She’d been quiet. Pale.

  She rapped on the slider, scooted inside, and gave me a big smile. “Hi, honey. I’m hooo-ooome.”

  “I see that. What’s in there?” I pointed to the portfolio she had tucked under her arm.

  “Interesting news. This took me weeks to find, so you owe me big.”

  I reached for the portfolio.

  “Huh-uh. Not until you pour me something to drink.”

  It was easier to pour a drink than argue with her. “Diet Coke?”

  “Ah, no. How about water?”

  I shook my head. “And when were you planning to tell me you’re pregnant again?”

  “Just peed on the stick last night. You’re the first to know after Sean. But that’s not the big news.”

  “Say, what? How could that not be the big news? There’s nothing bigger.” I waved a bottle of water toward the sofa. “Sit down and put your feet up, expectant mama.”

  When she was settled, I tossed her the water. “So what’s in the portfolio?”

  She pulled out several sheets of paper. “Looks like you’re the owner of a rather large estate over by Manoa.”

  My stomach lurched. “That’s crazy. How?”

  “It’s been in trust, so was a bear to dig out, but it was all there, deep under the covers. Your grandparents set it up before you were born, and, if my guess is right, you actually lived there for several years.”

  A sharp pain pierced the right side of my neck, made its way into my skull. I rubbed at the spot. “You up for a ride?”

  Annie waved a hand down her body. Comfortable cargoes, t-shirt, and…hiking boots.

  “We need to hike in?”

  “It’s not readily accessible.”

  Without another word I changed into my own cargoes and hiking boots, and within five minutes we were on our way.

  Just as Annie backed out of the driveway my phone pinged with a text message from Pierce. Found Fred.

  ONE

  MY HEART DRUMMED—TOO TIGHT in my chest. Fred was the single remaining unknown from when Pierce and I solved the mystery of my parents’ murder, and satisfied my quest for revenge. Was this it, the last step in my journey to closure? Traffic was at a temporary standstill, so I turned my cell phone to show Annie the message from Pierce. “Do you think he really found Fred? The Fred?”

  Annie tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “Yes. Is there some reason you doubt his text?”

  I skimmed my fingers over the surface of the phone. “No, Pierce has never lied to me. I guess I’m afraid to hope that I’ll finally have the whole story.”

  “Uh-huh.” Annie’s attention had shifted to merging with the new flow of traffic.

  Really? Where? I typed into my phone, then gripped it tightly, waiting for Pierce’s answer. “And just wait until I see Kahuna Aukele. How could my grandfather have kept the news about this property a secret?”

  Annie boomed out a laugh. “Seriously? He’s the most enigmatic person I’ve met, and I’ve communicated with some of the most inscrutable covert agents in the business.”

  “Yeah. There is that. But this is important, critical, especially if I used to live on the property. I guess the big question is why didn’t he tell me?”

  On Island. Home soon. I grinned at my phone. “Pierce is coming home.”

  “Did he say when?”

  “No.”

  She shrugged, then glanced in the rearview mirror.

  Whipping around, I checked the car behind us. “What? You think he’s following us?”

  “It’s been known to happen. But if he found Fred, and Fred is roaming Oahu, I have to guess Pierce is tight on his tail.” She grinned. “Bet he’d rather be tight on—”

  “Don’t say it. Just don’t.” I settled into a more comfortable position and started typing. How soon?

  Annie wrinkled her nose. “Don’t tell me you asked him when he’s gonna get here.”

  “Well, yeah. I need to know so I can prepare. Primp, you know.”

  She gave me a long-suffering sigh. “Just a heads-up. When has he ever given you any notice about his arrival time?”

  I blew out my own sigh. “Never. But that doesn’t mean I can’t trick him into it one of these days.”

  Annie shot me a sideways look. “Are we talking about the same Pierce. The one who never reveals his location. Ever. You do realize this man you’ve fallen in love with has an, um, checkered past, so to speak.”

  “Well, of course. And I don’t want him to say or do anything that would put him in danger, but—”

  “There are no buts, Everly. His life depends on keeping his location under wraps at all times. He’s made a lot of powerful people damn angry, and they want him dead.”

  A shiver worked its way down my spine. “Same can be said for you, and you’re living a normal life.”

  Annie took the turnoff for the Manoa area of Honolulu. “Almost there. Did you really just put normal and my life in the same sentence?”

  “Okay, so maybe not exactly normal since you live in a fortress. And have a fully-equipped arsenal in your basement.”

  “Um-hmm. And I have one of Pierce’s security systems installed in my home, plus I test all the new equipment he designs.”

  I thought about the first time I’d stumbled into Annie’s command center. It was in a room that didn’t show up on any blueprints, and was filled with computers and a lot of high tech equipment I’d never seen before. She’d hustled me out of the secret space before I could get a good look, but not because she wanted to hide things. As she explained—it was for my safety. The less I knew about her super spy world, the safer I’d be. I was all about living these days, so I had no complaints—and for once in my life, no questions. On this particular subject, my curiosity was non-existent. But now that Pierce and I would be living together… “He is going to move in with me, isn’t he?”

  Annie turned to me, her eyes hooded. “I don’t know, Everly. If he can protect you, yes, probably. If he has any doubt about keeping you safe, then no, he’ll stay on the move.”

  My heart landed somewhere around my knees. “Life is so crappy sometimes. The thing is, I’m fairly well trained now, can take care of myself in most situations. And I’ve given up my coaching practice so there’s no threat to my former clients.”

  “That was a good choice,” she said, pulling onto a paved path barely wide enough for her car. “Especially since Fred is still a loose end and possible threat.”

  About a mile down the road, Annie parked her car.

  We faced a wall of trees. Confused, I unfastened my seatbelt, and leaned forward. “This is my property? It’s solid trees?” I couldn’t pinpoint the emotion swirling in my gut. Disappointment? Surprise? Hope? It was a messy stew of feelings that I figured I’d better ignore, at least until I had more data.

  “Yes to the property question. No to the solid forest. I did a Google Earth search, and though it didn’t show much, I’m pretty sure there’s an open tract of land in the middle of these old-growth trees. Pretty spectacular aren’t they?”

  She had that right. I craned my neck, looking up. “They practically touch the sky. Like magic.”

  Annie poked my arm. “How about we take a closer look?”

  It was a moot point because we were both out of the car before I had time to answer. I wandered toward the tree line, reaching for the earth through the soles of my feet. Time to rev up my Huna training so I could focus completely on the situation at hand. Why had Aukele kept this a secret? It was a huge qu
estion, because enigmatic as he was there had been times I desperately needed a hideaway. And he knew it. I closed my eyes and did an intuitive scan of the scene in front of me. “It’s a maze.”

  Annie grunted, sounding so much like Pierce that my eyes popped open. “Did you already know that? From your Google search?”

  “No. It was blurry, and I’m guessing your grandfather did some kind of magic to keep it hidden.” She grinned at me. “He does that sort of thing you know. And it’s my understanding he’s fond of puzzles, and isn’t there a maze protecting his house on the North Shore?”

  “There is. It makes sense that he’s protected this property with magic and a maze as well, but Aukele is so damn unpredictable it’s hard to guess what he’s done.”

  We’d reached the tree line and I planted my palm against the trunk of a koa tree. Energy flowed through me, swift and strong, anchoring me to the earth. “Oh, yes. This is my grandfather’s work.” I trailed my hand over the bark, appreciating the vibrant life it shared with me. “Holy trees. And in spite of word-overuse, I have to say they’re utterly awesome.”

  The majesty and the power emanating from them was overwhelming. I yanked my hand back, pressing my palm tight against my thigh. “Leaves me weak,” I said, and swallowed the lump filling my throat.