The Keepers: Declan. Rae Rivers

       The Keepers: Declan

       The Keepers: Ethan

      

       CHAPTER ONE

       Bennett Estate

       Rapid Falls, Canada

      It seemed like a slam-dunk job.

      Although Kate Carrigan suspected it might not be.

      She dismissed the voice nagging at her to retreat, slipped on her gloves, and focused on her entry into the estate. She’d come so far and there was no turning back.

      Breaking into the mansion didn’t bother her. Thanks to the enchanted key in her pocket, locks were no hindrance. That was the easy part and had nothing to do with the flow of unease streaming through her body.

      No, that was all down to the owners of the estate.

      The Keepers. Three handsome, powerful brothers who were fiercely protective of their home and the witch they were duty bound to defend.

      And Kate was about to break into their house.

      She’d been watching, waiting, biding time until the Bennett brothers and their witch left their mansion together.

       Blissfully unaware they were about to be relieved of three antique daggers.

      They’d opted against the Aston Martin and Land Cruiser parked in the garage and had left on foot, disappearing into the forest.

      Kate scaled the high wall of the mansion with an ease that almost made her smile but she figured that would be premature. After all, she was about to conduct her first burglary in a house occupied by four people with supernatural abilities.

      Without a sound, she dropped to the ground on the other side of the wall, folded her body into a crouched position, and fused herself with the dark shadows of the night.

      A dog barked, its shadow approaching from a distance, and Kate dug into her pocket, extracting a cookie smothered in her special peanut butter recipe.

      Hoping the dog ate the cookie instead of her.

      “Here, sweetie,” she whispered, holding out the treat as the Golden Retriever neared her. The animal looked friendly, despite its guarded stance and wary growl.

      But the lure of the treat was quick to disarm her and she trotted over with a wag of the tail.

      Some watch dog.

      The cookie disappeared in two bites but the peanut butter was more of a challenge.

      Satisfied she wouldn’t be barking any time soon, Kate turned back to the house.

      She eyed her marked door, tiny against the backdrop of the double storey home. Its central living area branched into separate wings; one for each brother, no doubt. Despite its age, the house was immaculate and peaceful in a way that Kate had seldom associated with home.

      With a watchful eye on the security cameras, she sprinted across the snow-covered lawn with the fluid grace of a burglar and breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the door. She produced the enchanted key, ignoring the flush that came with the memory of the night she’d stolen it from the middle brother, Declan. A night she’d spent three months trying to forget.

      The key fit perfectly into the keyhole, snapping the lock open with ease, and Kate was thankful for the painless entry. Not bad for an amateur.

      Adrenaline rushed through her like a long-lost friend, a welcome reminder of the buzz she received from activities that veered off the lawful path.

      And she was all for lawful paths. Most of the time.

      The house was in complete darkness. She’d opted for black cat burglar attire, hoodie and all. She blended in well, oddly comforted by the blackness that surrounded her.

      Confident of the lack of internal security, Kate moved down the hallway. According to Declan, the Keepers valued their privacy, and made up for it by keeping the perimeters of the grounds well guarded.

       Right.

      True, it had been a challenge to get across the lawns to the house undetected, but after studying the security system for a while, Kate had spotted a weakness. She slipped inside the living room and looked around, imprinting her surroundings to memory. She didn’t need the light to know that the Bennett brothers would have furnished it luxuriously, with money no object. The size of the estate alone hinted at a lifestyle beyond Kate’s dreams.

      She crossed to the opposite wall where three ancient daggers hung above the fireplace, their blades crisscrossing downwards.

      Hers for the taking.

      She ran a finger along one handle, inhaling as a gentle swirl of energy swept through her. A thrill of excitement washed over her, prompting a triumphant smile.

      At last.

       ****

      Declan Bennett sat on a leather couch in the corner of the living room, whiskey in hand, enjoying the gloom. Sienna and his brothers would be home soon, and until then he intended to wallow away in alcohol. He sipped his drink, seeking comfort in the scorching liquid. He could use all the comfort he could get after returning from Rose’s memorial service. Saying goodbye to their beloved old witch had torn at a part of him he struggled to keep under wraps.

      Too many loved ones lost. His parents, his sister, and now Rose. All taken at the hands of two warlocks – the Brogans. One of the brothers was now entombed and desiccated on their estate and the other was dead.

      Sweet fucking justice.

      Declan took another sip and closed his eyes, refusing to dwell on the memories.

      When the door to the living room opened a moment later, he simply opened one eye.

      Declan watched as a tall, dark figure slipped into the room, missing his presence in the shadows. The lights from the garden offered little help and he blinked in the darkness. Dressed in black, the intruder was almost invisible and for a brief moment, he thought he was dreaming.

      Until his visitor stepped into a strip of moonlight.

      His heartbeat quickened. He couldn’t make out the features, but the delicate face and slender body were definitely female.

       What the hell?

      A supernatural? A stalker? A burglar? He frowned. Whoever she was and whatever she wanted, she could only mean one thing. Trouble.

      Damn. His instincts would usually be to charge forward and attack.

      And yet he simply sat and watched.

      Surprised? Yes. Intrigued? Definitely. Scared? Hell no.

      The first thing he noticed was the way she moved. Silent and graceful, almost feline in the way that she sauntered across the room. She appeared in no hurry, but why should she be when the house was in darkness and they were all presumably out for the evening?

      Or not.

      At the fireplace, she slid her hands along the mantelpiece, and it suddenly dawned on him. A cat burglar. And she was here for their daggers.

      As she touched each dagger, almost in admiration, he nearly laughed at her audacity. Their new perimeter security system was the finest around and with three Keepers in residence – all with supernatural hearing – the fact that she’d managed to break in was impressive.

      Declan knew she’d be no match for him. After all, he was a Keeper and with that came superhuman powers, speed and strength.

      He’d deal with