Reckless Times: A Paranormal Romance (Paragon Society Book 1)

by Michelle Hercules

  My father rubs his face, looking distraught. “This is not good. Our investigation into the mole problem isn’t going anywhere. We don’t need someone unaffiliated with us knowing our secret.”

  “She’s not going to betray us,” I say.

  “You don’t know that, bro,” Soren cuts in. “She could be a Neo God spy.”

  “Shut up, Soren. She’s not a spy.”

  “Don’t let your dick do the thinking for you. What was she doing in the warehouse last night?”

  “She was there by chance. She was out with friends, going back home when they saw the fire. She went into that building thinking there were people trapped there.”

  Soren rolls his eyes. “And you believed that?”

  “I have no reason to think she’s lying. She saved my life, Soren.”

  “No, she’s the reason you got hurt in the first place,” he fires back.

  “Enough!” Dad shouts. “I don’t want you arguing over something that can’t be proven right now. Let’s just put Andromeda in the question mark column and keep an eye on her.”

  Soren and I grumble in agreement. As much as I want to keep protecting Andy from Soren’s accusations, all I have in her defense is my gut feeling.

  Dad blows out a breath. “Now, back to our most pressing issue. I have a plan to expose the mole, but it’ll require preparation and cunning. No one outside of this room must know what we’re doing.”

  “What’s the plan?” I ask.

  “We continue operations as is, but we’ll feed wrong information to the team. The supply of lightning glass that was delayed is rescheduled to arrive in two days. Only the three of us know where it’s going and the exact time. Everyone else on the team will receive a different itinerary and location.”

  “So, if there’s another attack, we’ll know who exactly betrayed us based on the location,” I say.

  “Precisely.”

  “How are we going to keep the correct information from the senior members?” Soren asks.

  “You leave that up to me. Your job is to escort the shipment to the correct site.”

  “Which is where exactly?” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “All our warehouse locations must be compromised at this point.”

  “The shipment will come here.”

  “Dad, that’s crazy. You can’t store lightning glass in your own home. What if someone finds out? If you get caught, it’s game over.”

  “I know, Soren. But it’s the only way. It’s temporary though.”

  “I don’t like this,” I say, “but I agree it’s the only way we can salvage this shipment. We can’t afford to lose more lightning glass to the Neo Gods, nor can we continue with a mole in the group. Let’s catch that rat.”

  25

  Stephan

  A month later

  It’s been a month, yet we still haven’t sniffed out the mole. My father’s plan was a total bust. Not only did we not catch the traitor, but Dad also got in trouble with the senior members. We followed everything to the letter, but when no attack happened, it left him with a lot of explaining to do.

  The lack of results only served to prove one thing: the mole isn’t in the Hawk City team. We tightened security and ceased to share information with the other branches. Still, trust has been broken within our group, making us weaker and more vulnerable.

  With everything going on in my life, it should be easier to pretend my heart isn’t bruised. Should being the operative word. The reality is quite different. I threw myself into anything that would take my mind off her. I patrolled the streets of Hawk City for longer hours, trained and studied harder.

  But I kept my job at Paragon Academy, and that’s fucking agony. Dad didn’t want me to simply quit. My position is useful. He didn’t spell it out, but he wants me to keep an eye on Andy, make sure she’s really not going to blabber. I’m still her mentor, but we haven’t met since our fight. I don’t train her anymore either. I rarely see her on campus, but I sense when she’s nearby, and that’s the worst torture.

  “Earth to Stephan,” Soren says.

  “What?”

  “You’ve been quiet for half an hour. What’s up?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing, huh? So why are you sporting the I-smell-fart face?”

  “I don’t even know what that is.”

  “You were thinking about Andromeda. Confess.”

  I peel my eyes off the road. “I was not!”

  “Shit, oncoming traffic! Oncoming traffic!” he yells.

  I swerve my car back into my lane, missing a collision by a hair. “Fuck!”

  “Dude! Keep your eyes ahead. I have no desire to become road pizza.”

  “Sorry.” I run a hand through my hair.

  An incoming call from Dad interrupts the background music.

  “What’s up, Dad?” I say.

  “How far are you from City Airport?”

  “Hmm, ten minutes or so. Why?”

  “Meet me there. There have been developments in Saturn’s Bay. We’re flying tonight.”

  “Okay. See you soon.” I end the call.

  “What do you think that means?” Soren asks.

  “I don’t know.”

  Our father has a vacation home in the West Coast city. We used to spend every holiday break there when Mom and Sabrina were alive. That house holds many great memories. Dad spends half his time there, catering to his business and dealing with Knight stuff.

  “It’s the first time he wants to involve us with the crew there,” Soren says.

  “I don’t think he’s convinced there isn’t a mole in the Hawk City team.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “We used to either patrol alone or rotate partners. We haven’t partnered with anyone else this past month. That’s telling.”

  Soren seems to ponder this for a moment. “True that. I hadn’t stopped to consider it. I thought he just wanted us to work our issues out.”

  His comment gives me pause. “Do we have issues to work out?”

  “Come on, Steph. Are you going to pretend everything is fine between us? We haven’t been the same since I showed up high to school.”

  “Hell, Soren. Do you think I’m still upset over that?”

  “I don’t know. You used to tell me everything, but you didn’t have the guts to tell me you were falling for Andromeda. I had to guess.”

  I shake my head. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Soren, but just because I’m your brother and friend doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to keep secrets from you.”

  “I get that, but you can’t hide shit from me when it could jeopardize everything we’ve worked for.”

  With a shaky breath, I reply, “I’m sorry. I fucked up, okay? I guess I thought that if I didn’t act on it, it wouldn’t matter.”

  “But you did act on it, and look at where it landed you,” he huffs.

  “It’s hard to explain. I don’t even understand it myself. Maybe one day, when you fall for someone, you can make better sense of this stupid feeling.”

  “Damn, Stephan. You’re in deep. That’s rough, buddy.”

  I laugh without humor. “Tell me about it.”

  “You need to hook up with someone. Erase her from your system.”

  My jaw clenches as I automatically reject the idea. “What if I don’t want to erase her from my system?”

  Soren turns in his seat to look at my profile. “I’d say you’re a glutton for punishment. Why would you want to pine for a girl who isn’t interested?”

  “That’s the problem though. I don’t think that’s the case. She feels something for me.”

  He snorts. “Yeah, pity.”

  “I’m serious, Soren. When I’m with her, it’s almost as if we’re in sync. Fuck, I can even sense when she’s nearby.”

  “For real?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hmm. If you believe there’s something there, then you have to fight for her.”

  “Have you met
Andy? She can hold a grudge like no other. If I insist, I’m risking castration.”

  “Blah, blah, blah. Do you hear yourself? Stop being a whining bitch and take action. You know I’m not her biggest fan—I mean, the girl is a psycho—but if she’s what you want, you have to try.”

  “When did you become an altruistic sage?”

  He grunts. “Altruistic? Not really. My advice is self-serving. If I have to spend another month with emo-Stephan, I’m going to kill myself.”

  “Drama queen much?”

  Soren flips me off, but at least he doesn’t offer any more advice.

  The airport exit looms on the horizon, forcing me to focus on business, but Soren’s words keep ringing in the background. I tried to forget about Andy and failed. Besides potentially unleashing her wrath on me, what else do I have to lose?

  Dad doesn’t say a word about this impromptu trip on the flight to Saturn’s Bay. Instead, he tells us to catch some sleep as soon as we board the private plane. I’m wired and don’t think I can. Soren immediately claims a row for himself and begins to snore five minutes later.

  “You need to rest, son. You look like crap.”

  I stare my father in the eye, noticing the redness in them and the dark circles underneath. “Pot, meet kettle.”

  “I don’t have the luxury, but you do.”

  “I’m not so sure about that. What’s going on with the members in Hawk City?”

  He sighs. “We’re all under stress. Until the mole is discovered, we can’t relax.”

  “And do you think I’m immune to that?”

  “I’m trying to protect you and Soren to the best of my ability. If I had a choice, I would have never brought you into this life.”

  “We have as much right to avenge their deaths as you do,” I seethe.

  “I know. And that’s the reason I didn’t forbid you from joining the Knights.”

  “Then tell me what’s going on in Saturn’s Bay. Why are we going there in the middle of the night like thieves?”

  “I have a team of sympathizers in place that no one on the Hawk City’s council knows about. It was a precaution in case we ever found ourselves in the situation we’re in now.”

  “And we’re going to meet with them tomorrow?”

  “Not them, him. This individual is one of the greatest assets in our arsenal.”

  “Is he an Idol?”

  “No, a high-level Fringe.”

  “What’s his abi—”

  “No more questions, Stephan. Go to sleep.” He uses his stern, parental voice.

  Grumbling, I rest my head against the window and close my eyes. I had no intention of truly falling asleep, but when I open them again, we’re cruising the tarmac.

  Yawning, I stretch my arms. “What time is it?”

  “Ten local time.”

  Soren sticks his nose to his window. “Aw, man. I can’t believe it’s raining. I bet the weather is better back in Hawk City.”

  There’s a black SUV already waiting for us when the plane stops. The driver has a large umbrella ready, but we all ignore it and make a run for the car instead.

  Shaking the droplets of water from my hair, I say, “Nothing like cold rain to get rid of morning fogginess.”

  “I can’t wait to take a dive in our pool. Rain or not, I’m going for a swim,” Soren says enthusiastically.

  “We’re not going home right away. There’s a place we need to drop by first,” Dad replies as he keeps his eyes glued to his laptop.

  Soren looks at me as if I know all the answers. I shrug.

  “Where are we going?” he asks.

  “You’ll see when we get there.”

  My brother twists his face into a scowl and rests against the leather seat with his arms crossed. His pout doesn’t vanish until we reach our destination. With bright eyes and mouth agape, he stares out the window.

  “Unearthly Desires? You brought us to a strip club? Sweet!”

  “Don’t get so excited, son. We’re not here for pleasure.”

  The driver circles around the building, parking at the rear of the establishment. The back door is currently manned by a beefy security guard who means business. Before we exit the car, my father glances at us.

  “Tone down your powers. I don’t want anyone to know we’re Idols.”

  We follow Dad’s orders, and as we reach the gatekeeper, he thinks he has the upper hand. Poor idiot.

  “Name,” he says roughly.

  “Gary Burgess. Mr. X is expecting us.”

  The guy calls someone, and a moment later, he opens the door. “He’s waiting for you in his office.”

  As soon as the door shuts, Soren asks. “Who is Mr. X?”

  Dad ignores him as he strides down the purple-lit corridor. A sharp smell of alcohol, cigarettes, and sex reaches my nose, making me a little sick. It’s too early for that olfactory overload.

  Dad stops in front of a nondescript door and knocks.

  “Come in,” a man answers.

  Behind a large mahogany desk sits a tanned man with dark hair slicked back. He’s wearing a light gray three-piece suit and a crimson tie. He looks like a caricature gangster from the 1920s. I’d say all he’s missing is a fedora, but I catch one hanging from a coatrack in the corner.

  Okay then.

  “Hello, Xavier.” Dad walks over to the desk and pulls up a chair.

  Xavier’s lips twitch into a grin. “When you said you’d be right over, you really meant it, huh?”

  “I can’t afford to waste time these days. These are my sons, Stephan and Soren.”

  Xavier’s shrewd eyes turn to us. “Hello, fellas. Couldn’t mistake you two for anything other than a Silverstone.”

  “So, you own this place?” Soren asks.

  “I do. Maybe you’d like to come back when we’re open.” Xavier smiles broadly, displaying perfect white teeth.

  “Hell yeah,” he replies eagerly.

  Dad twitches uncomfortably in his chair. “Let’s get to the point. What information do you have for me?”

  The mirth disappears from the man’s face. “You still have a mole in your Hawk City team.”

  “Do you know who?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, that’s useful,” Soren complains, earning a glare from the man.

  “I don’t know because he or she is a Morph.”

  “Shit,” I blurt out.

  “A Morph? What the hell is a Morph?” Soren glances from me to Xavier and Dad.

  “A Morph is a Fringe or Idol who possesses the ability to change into someone else,” Xavier replies. “It’s a rare gift, mostly because they were persecuted and killed many years ago. The few who are left hide their abilities.”

  “Are you sure, Xavier?” Dad asks, troubled.

  “My source is sure. That’s all I can give you as guarantee.”

  “Are you saying we recruited a Morph and we didn’t know?” I stare hard at the man.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying. The Morph is pretending to be one of you, which means the real owner of the stolen identity is most likely dead.”

  “Fuck,” Soren and I say at the same time.

  “The mole could be anyone,” I continue. “Even one of us.”

  “It’s not one of you,” Xavier says with confidence.

  “How do you know?” Soren takes a step forward.

  The man clenches his jaw and glances at my father.

  “It’s up to you,” Dad pipes up. “But you can trust my sons.”

  Xavier sighs, then reaches for the glass of whiskey on his desk. He drinks it all with one gulp, then sets the glass back down and stares at it for a couple of seconds.

  “What the hell. I made my bed when I decided to trust you, Silverstone.” He looks in our direction. “I’m sure none of you is a Morph because it takes one to know one.”

  26

  Andromeda

  I’m wiping sweat off my forehead when Leroy and Ezekiel barge into my locker room, hollering like t
wo maniac monkeys.

  “All hail the champion of all champions.” Leroy throws his arms up in the air, then bows in an exaggerated motion.

  “Oh, cut it out.” I toss the dirty towel on the bench.

  “You’re getting better and better out there,” Ezekiel says.

  “I think the competition is getting weaker. I’m bored.” I pull my wet T-shirt off, and both guys make distressed noises.

  “Whoa, watch it with the nude,” Leroy complains.

  I roll my eyes. “I’m not naked, you idiot. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen a sports bra before?”

  “He probably hasn’t.” Ezekiel laughs. “I don’t think he’s ever been to second base.”

  Leroy moves fast, and a second later, Ezekiel is horizontal. I shake my head and finish changing. After a month hanging out with these two clowns, their antics no longer bother me. I wouldn’t call them friends, more like partners in fuckery. They drive me to the arena, and in exchange, they make money off me with their bets. It’s an arrangement that works because I knew what I was getting into from the start.

  Unlikely with Stephan.

  Trying to forget him is the hardest thing I have to do, and I’m obviously still working on it. The fights are the only outlet that helps me cope with the hole in my chest. It also helps me forget the very real threat that’s Nathaniel. He’s called several times, always using that creepy ringtone. At least he can no longer corner me at my parents’ house since I moved out.

  But he’ll never let me forget him. He uses the tattoo on my hand to remind me that he’s still in control. From time to time, pain will cripple me for a minute or two, and even when it recedes, it doesn’t quite go away. The throbbing is always there.

  “Andy, what’s wrong with your hand?” Leroy asks.

  “What?” I whirl around.

  Did he hear my thoughts?

  “Your right hand is turning purple,” Ezekiel adds. “Did you get hit in the pit?”

  I cradle my hand against my chest. “No. I don’t think so.”

  “Dude, you’d better get that checked. We can’t lose momentum now,” Leroy points out.