Flare of Promise (AMT #4)

by Jessie Donovan

  Yet as she touched his warm skin, a longing she’d buried deep inside broke free. Despite all of the time that had passed and the drastic changes in her life, Petra still wanted him. More than that, a small part of her wanted to drop the persona of Petra Brandt and become Leyna Grunwald again. That life had been so much simpler.

  Her eyes fell on his lips. She wanted to kiss him more than anything she’d wanted in years. Surely she had enough time to give the good-bye kiss she’d never had a chance to give.

  Before she could lean down more than an inch, Millie’s hushed voice stopped her. “I know he’s attractive and all, but you’ll have to save your snogging for later.”

  Millie was right. Saving Will’s life was far more important than walking down memory lane. Petra leaned away from Will and ignored the pain in her heart. After all, the distance between them only existed to protect Will. “We’re going to have to adjust the plan.”

  Millie shrugged. “Fine by me. Although, if you expect me to carry him, you’re going to be in for a surprise. That man is pure muscle.”

  Petra growled. “Stop admiring his body.”

  Her partner studied Petra a second before motioning toward Will. “Then what do you want to do? If we take his ID card, he’ll alert the guards and they’ll probably void it.”

  Petra opened one of the pockets of her cargo pants and took out a small pad of paper and a mini-pencil. “I’ll leave him a note.”

  “Right, because he’s just going to go along with what you say.”

  Jotting down her message, Petra murmured, “He will.”

  “Why?”

  She folded the note and tucked it into Will’s palm. She met Millie’s eyes. “Because at one point, he was going to marry me.”

  Chapter Two

  Will groaned as his brain started to work again. Someone had tased him, but the details were fuzzy.

  When he finally opened his eyes, he looked around at the empty exercise path and it all came back to him. Donna was gone, as was the ghost of his Leyna.

  It had to have been his imagination. He’d attended Leyna’s funeral. Sure, she’d been cremated, but his sweet Leyna never would’ve tried to fake her own death.

  Yet remembering the hard eyes and weapons strapped to Leyna’s ghost made him wonder if it really had been her.

  Not that he had time to think about it. The sun’s position told him his volunteers would be arriving shortly.

  Little by little, Will forced his muscles to work again. When he reached his hands, they closed on to something firm, yet malleable. With effort, he raised his hand and saw a piece of paper tucked in his palm.

  A minute later, he sat up and unfolded the note. Inside was the handwriting of a dead woman:

  Meet me at the local expat restaurant this evening. Come alone and I’ll explain everything.

  ~Leyna

  PS—Proof that I am who I say: Derwentwater, push, love.

  His heart skipped a beat. Derwentwater in the Lake District was the place where Leyna had not only accidentally pushed him into the lake, it had also been where he’d said he’d loved her for the first time.

  Running a hand through his hair, he scanned the surroundings. While someone could’ve researched his past or talked to his brother to find out about the events at Derwentwater in Keswick, seeing Leyna’s face was too much of a coincidence. What if she were still alive? He could be angry with her for lying later. He needed to see the woman and determine her identity.

  But he couldn’t do any of that if he missed welcoming his test subjects. Will’s freedom was controlled by Giovanni Sinclair. He couldn’t risk upsetting his boss.

  Slowly rising to his feet, Will tucked the note into his pocket. As he tamped down the small flicker of hope in his chest, Will schooled his face into a neutral expression. He couldn’t allow anyone to find out he’d been accosted by two women during his run. Considering the two women had chosen the only blind spot he’d noticed along the path, they had to be professionals.

  The question was why did they need him? And moreover, if it truly was Leyna he’d spotted earlier, why had she waited until now to show her face?

  His earlier enthusiasm about starting his new research faded. As he scanned the surrounding hills, Will knew he would constantly be thinking of the upcoming meeting at the restaurant. The trick would be in acting as if everything was normal. Not only was Giovanni observant, the head warden of the facility—Liang—was more so.

  The only good thing was Will had ten hours to think of an excuse to visit the local restaurant. During that time, he’d also tuck away any lingering feelings he still possessed for Leyna. For all he knew, the mysterious woman wanted to use his past against him. If she thought Will was an easy target, she was in for a big surprise.

  ~~~

  The instant Petra and Millie were inside the abandoned house they used as a base, Millie turned on Petra. “How could you keep this from me? Partners don’t keep secrets that could cost them their lives.”

  Petra sighed. “Stop being overdramatic. My connection to Will had no impact on the mission. When it became relevant, I told you.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Millie raised her brows. “Too right it’s become bloody relevant. Tell me what happened or I’ll risk Larsen, Sinclair, and the lot by running away.”

  The only person who knew about Petra’s real identity was her brother, Dominick, and for good reason. Not just because they’d both changed identities together, but also because when someone worked as a mercenary, enemies always looked for weaknesses. Former friends and lovers were at the top of the list of targets.

  Yet as she studied Millie Ward, Petra didn’t think the woman would sell her information to the highest bidder. After all, Petra knew of Millie’s involvement in trying to free the first-born magic users. That information could be useful to the right people. In a way, they were at an impasse until trust developed. “It’s not overly complicated. My brother got into some trouble and needed my help. To protect Will, I faked my death and created a new persona.”

  “You can act all indifferent now but I saw the way you brushed his forehead. Hell, you were about to kiss him.”

  Petra kept her expression neutral. “A momentary lapse that won’t happen again, I assure you.”

  “Right, and the sky is turning green.”

  Petra growled. “Drop it, Millie. You know enough to complete the mission. Don’t expect any more.”

  Millie continued as if Petra hadn’t spoken. “You know what I think? I suspect you go back and forth about your choice every day. But was it worth it? Finding love isn’t easy. If I did, I’d never toss it away.”

  Petra debated walking away. But if Millie was to be her back-up for her meeting later on, she needed to keep the woman on her side. Petra raised her brows. “Oh, really? You have two brothers. Imagine if one of their lives depended on your help. I bet you would’ve done the same.”

  “I don’t like hypotheticals. But that scientist bloke doesn’t look like the type to marry a mercenary. I have a feeling you did a hell of a lot more than fake your death to help your brother.”

  Millie was right, but Petra wasn’t about to tell her. “Look, the other details of my past are irrelevant. We need to prepare for tonight. While I don’t think he will turn me in, there’s always a small chance Will’s changed as much as me and we need to be ready.”

  “One last question and I’ll hold off until at least after this meeting. Deal?”

  “Fine.”

  Millie tilted her head. “Someone’s grumpy.” Petra opened her mouth but Millie beat her to the reply. “Why did he call you Leyna?”

  Petra didn’t hesitate. “Because when I faked my death, I changed my name. It’s Self-Preservation 101. Now that your questions will cease, let’s both figure out a number of escape routes.”

  Millie replied, “Why not just kidnap him? I’m sure we could find somewhere for you two to run off together. Then you’d both be safe and you could enjoy life a bit m
ore.” Millie flicked her hand to Petra. “You’re far too tense. A little sex could go a long way toward relaxing you.”

  Petra had considered going with Will, but had decided against it. “His current position is powerful. According to both of our contacts, his boss is Giovanni Sinclair. We definitely don’t need his adopted father—the uncle dearest of your brother’s girlfriend, by the way—getting wind of Will’s disappearance. Remember, he has his own strange power and James Sinclair is out to rid the world of all magic.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Millie muttered before raising her voice back to normal levels. “But you want Will to disappear, remember? That’s our entire reason for being here, unless you’ve changed your plan without telling me.”

  Petra shook her head. “No, the plan is to make Will disappear on his own. It’s far easier for him to blend in and create a new identity without me since I’ve made more than a few enemies over the years.”

  Millie rolled her eyes. “I believe you think you’re more badass than you actually are.”

  “Millie,” Petra growled.

  “Fine, fine. But back to tonight. The AMT research facility usually sends out bodyguards to watch over their employees. Do you think a bodyguard will follow Will around tonight, too? Or is he stealthy enough to lose a tail? Since he hasn’t left the facility since we’ve been here, apart from his runs, I worry about unexpected surprises.”

  She nodded. “He’ll probably have a guard. But that’s where you come in. You’re pretty good at fluttering your eyelashes. I’m sure you won’t mind doing that again tonight to distract them.”

  Placing her hands on her hips, Millie raised her chin. “I may be gorgeous, but I have a brain, too. I never would’ve gotten this far without it.”

  “Are we really going down this road again? Yes, you’re good at your job. But out of the two of us, who has the greatest chance of convincing Will to trust us?”

  “I suspect this Leyna person. Who was she again?”

  Shaking her head, Petra motioned toward the hallway. “Just help get things ready for tonight. We’ll reconvene two hours before. In the meantime, I have some people to contact.”

  Millie rolled her eyes. “Right, like all of those ones who turned down helping you with this assignment?”

  Petra gritted her teeth and forced her voice to be even. “I did manage to get some help with regards to weapons and a place to stay, but I’m not going to argue with you any more. Leave before I take out some of my pent-up energy by punching you in the face.”

  “As if you could best me.”

  “You said that about Will, and he just about had you unconscious.”

  Millie sniffed. “I had things under control.”

  Petra massaged her temples. “You’re nearly as bad as my brother.”

  “I’d say the same about one of mine, except he’s mellowed out a lot since finding love. Maybe you should try the same.”

  “Yes, because a woman with dangerous enemies is quite the catch.” She waved toward the door again. “I need a break from you to regroup. Go.”

  Studying her a second, Millie nodded. “I’ll check in with you in a few hours.”

  As soon as she heard Millie’s door close, Petra let out a sigh and placed her head in her hands. Not because of Millie, although the woman tried her patience, but because Petra had exactly nine hours to contain her feelings about Will.

  Despite her display of nonchalance with Millie, seeing Will again was going to be difficult. She couldn’t risk showing any sign of affection because she had a feeling that if she did, Will might try to pursue her.

  Not because he felt the same way about her as she did him, but Will would want answers. Once he put his mind to finding them, he didn’t give up. The man had always been as stubborn as an ox. And given his new position, he might even have the resources and contacts necessary to find her later if he tried.

  Rubbing her face, Petra inhaled deeply. Right. She could do this. All she had to do was save the man she still loved and then hurt him so badly he’d want nothing to do with her ever again. That couldn’t be that difficult, right?

  If that were so, then why did her heart ache at the thought of never seeing William Evans again? Petra was starting to understand why people hired mercenaries to take care of a problem within a family. Attachments, no matter how well bottled up, made things fucking difficult.

  ~~~

  Will had just managed to don his white coat and boot up his computer before Gio walked into his lab. Even though Will had seen the man’s face a hundred times before over the last few weeks, this time Will noticed something different. Gio’s usually calm and collected face was replaced with a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes. Will asked, “Did you talk with your father?”

  Gio took a deep inhalation and let out his breath. “Yes. He wanted to take away my high-level clearance.”

  Will couldn’t care less about Gio’s relations with his adopted father. But Gio was the reason Will had his freedom, so he needed to ensure nothing went wrong. “Why?”

  “Because Liang told my father I’ve spent too much time in the children’s research wing.”

  Will shrugged. Liang was the director of the research facility in Sichuan. “You have spent too much time there. I told you to be cautious.”

  Gio motioned with his hands about the room, asking if it was safe to talk. Since Will had neutralized the bugs, he nodded and Gio continued, “You know what they’re doing is illegal. Keeping first-borns locked up to protect both themselves and the public is one thing. But keeping children with no magical powers in prison and denying them an education, that’s criminal.”

  “Spoken like a true future politician.”

  “Stop it, Evans. I will find a way into the British Parliament and once I’m there, I’ll ensure the safety of humans and Feiru without violating the law.”

  If given the chance, Gio would carry on about the future of Feiru-kind for an hour. Glancing to the clock, Evans changed the topic. “The volunteer test subjects are still coming, right?”

  “Yes, they’ll be here momentarily. Although you want to make sure you don’t fuck this up, Evans.”

  Will narrowed his eyes. “Don’t ever question my abilities as a researcher. If anyone will screw things up, it’s you. Stop asking so many bloody questions. Leave that to me.”

  Gio’s voice was calm and steely as he replied, “Remember your place. One word from me to the scientists here about your strange, healing light and they’ll lock you up in one of the cells.”

  “Threaten me if you wish, but you need me.”

  Gio raised an eyebrow. “You need me as well. I did learn something from my father that may interest you.”

  “And that is?”

  “If we progress well and you can provide evidence as to what is causing these latent abilities, you might be able to work with the team studying E-1655.”

  E-1655 was the serial number assigned to an elemental earth first-born female. Unlike most first-born Feiru who needed to point their hands to a particular compass direction to use their abilities, E-1655 could manipulate the earth regardless of where her hands were placed. “Is she still drugged in a semi-stupor in Hong Kong?”

  Gio shook his head. “They’ve actually moved her to a secret location I don’t even know about. But they keep losing researchers any time they stop the drugs and allow the woman to regain full consciousness. Her magic is dangerous and she’s injuring people left and right.”

  Will had spent the last two years looking for ways to eradicate elemental magic; E-1655 could be the key he needed to do it. “Has the woman given birth?”

  “Not yet. They’re afraid to sterilize her. Some think it may affect her unusual abilities.”

  Each first-born Feiru was assigned to an experiment track at the age of thirteen inside the AMT compounds. The mental, breeding, and gene therapy experiments had never sat well with Will. He preferred willing volunteers, not coerced ones. “I may be interested, provided we can sol
ve the little problem of latent abilities first.”

  “Good.” Gio’s mobile phone beeped with a text message. After reading it, Gio glanced up again. “They’re here.”

  A flicker of anticipation flared in Will’s stomach. “Right, then let’s get started.”

  Gio exited the room to greet the volunteers and Will followed. Talking about the future with Gio had temporarily helped Will forget about Leyna’s note. Hopefully his work would make time move quickly. Clutching the wad of paper in his pocket, the urge to run out of the building and search for the woman from earlier coursed through his body.

  A small voice in the back of his head brought up the fact that if Leyna was still alive, Will’s entire reason for living over the last two years would become moot.

  But he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. Entering the main security office, Will nodded to the guards standing over three unconscious bodies in wheelchairs. One of the guards spoke up in perfect English. “They should be out for another thirty minutes.”

  Will answered, “Right, then follow me. We need to secure them in their special quarters before they wake up.”

  As he led the guards back toward his lab, Will glanced behind him at the two women and one man in the wheelchairs. For a split second, he wondered what their stories were. Did they have families? Had they been blackmailed into coming here? Where had they been before developing their strange abilities?

  Then he remembered he might lose his freedom if he started to care. Much like he’d done for the past two years, Will pushed his emotions deep down and focused on the theories he needed to prove.

  Chapter Three

  Petra pretended to stare at her cell phone, but in reality, she kept an eye on the surrounding patrons of the restaurant where she was meeting Will. The room was on the small side, but clean and filled with about fifteen tables, plus a bar up front.