Page 94 of Shattering Dawn
“Your watch.” She glanced at the expensive timepiece on his wrist. “The face is covered with a crystal.”
Cutler and Irene both looked at the watch as if they had never seen it before.
“You’re right.” Cutler touched the watch. “It’s a sapphire crystal.”
“The type doesn’t matter,” Amelia said. She was winging it now but she didn’t have much to lose. “The quality is the important thing.”
The glass door onto the balcony opened abruptly. Twitchell appeared.
“Boss, sorry to interrupt, but there’s some kind of disturbance going on at the front gate,” he said.
Cutler scowled. “What are you talking about?”
“Vehicles started arriving a few minutes ago. Brinks and I have been watching on the monitors. At first we thought it was a political rally or a protest. Figured they had the wrong house. We advised them to move along. Then they started shouting. It’s getting louder. Listen.”
Chanting could be heard in the distance.
“Free Amelia.We’re in this together until we get answers.”
“Free Amelia.We’re in this together until we get answers.”
An exultant thrill flashed through Amelia. “Those areLost Night Filesfans.”
“Do you want us to call the cops, Mr. Steen?” Twitchell asked.
“Are you fucking crazy?” Cutler raged. “No, I don’t want the cops here. Go down to the gate. Take Brinks with you. Show those idiots the guns and remind them this is private property.”
“If we start flashing the weapons around someone will call the cops,” Twitchell warned. “They’ll be here in sixty seconds.”
“It’s just a bunch of dumb podcast fans,” Cutler said. “I pay you to deal with situations like this. If you want another dose of the drug, you will get things under control at the gate now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Twitchell disappeared, leaving Amelia alone with Irene and Cutler.
“I wonder how they found me?” Amelia said.
“That,” Cutler seethed, “is a very good question.” He jerked the pistol out of the holster and looked at Irene. “I think I know the answer.”
“No.” Irene stared at him, eyes widening. “Please, I swear, I never told anyone that Amelia was here.”
Cutler raised the pistol. “It’s a sad day when a man discovers that he can’t even trust his own offspring.”
“Why would I bring the podcast people here tonight?” Irene said. “I’m the one who arranged to grab Amelia when Falcon and the others failed, remember? If it hadn’t been for me you still wouldn’t have her. And now she’s telling you she can save your life and maybe your talent, too.”
Amelia kicked up her senses again and studied Irene’s energy field. There was no mistaking the panic in the currents. Irene was terrified of her father. She was convinced Steen would murder her without any hesitation. The realization that your parent could kill you in cold blood took the definition of complicated family dynamics to a whole other level.
“Your daughter is telling you the truth, Mr. Steen,” Amelia said firmly.
Cutler shot her an assessing look. “Does your aura reading ability enable you to know if someone is lying?”
“Not always, obviously,” she said. She watched Irene, who was motionless. “If I were infallible I would have realized long before now that Irene was playing me from the start.”
“Amelia, it wasn’t like that,” Irene whispered.
“Yes, it was,” Amelia said. She turned back to Cutler. “I have noreason to back up Irene’s story. I’m certain she’s telling you the truth now. Trust me, she did not summon the podcast fans tonight.”
“What makes you sure of that?” Cutler said.