by A. J. Macey
“Night, Kane,” I mumbled, already falling quickly to sleep. A lingering kiss pressed into my hair, nearly lulling me completely into the pit of exhaustion.
“Goodnight, love.”
October 19th
Saturday Afternoon
Silas
“Let's get food, I'm fucking starving,” Carson groaned, his stomach rumbling loudly in the quiet of the room. I nodded, agreeing as I felt my own stomach growling as well. Thankfully, it was late enough in the afternoon, the dining hall should be empty. I guess that's the one good thing about staying up all night.
As soon as we were in the room, a wave of hostility, hurt, and betrayal flooded my system. Confused about who would be so angry, I found Evera's icy eyes centered on us. Flashes of a conversation between her and Kane flared in my mind, cluing me in to exactly why she was upset.
Oh, boy, this is going to be interesting.
“Hey, Baby,” Carson greeted, slowing as he realized she was angrily stabbing her food with her fork. “What's wrong?”
“You knew,” she murmured, glancing up at him from under her lashes, “that Rett made you guys swear to leave me behind.” Carson's shock and subsequent anger at his uncle for revealing such a massive secret, without saying anything were written all over his face. I couldn't find it in me to disagree with him. While I knew Evera needed to know, that wasn't just Kane's story to tell.
“Baby Blue—” Carson started.
“What? What could you possibly have to say to me right now other than sorry?” she murmured, hurt obvious in her tone. “And you,”—she glanced at me—“were you there? Kane didn't explicitly say, but knowing what I now know, it's not hard to put two and two together.”
Grinding my teeth, I looked away. She already knows the answer to this, and there’s nothing I can say to change it right now.
“Angel!” Acer's cheery voice called out, and my power tasted the distinct flavor of his and Kane’s thoughts. Her eyes darted to them, narrowing on Kane slightly. “Well, we are a lively bunch today.”
“Tell him,” Evera commanded, looking between the three of us. “Tell him why you left ten years ago.” Acer's excitement to finally get answers was strong, but his unease was more powerful as he glanced around the group. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out this isn’t going to go well.
“The council had gotten ahold of Evera's name after her brother made us promise she would stay safe. We took all the precautions, and her name was hidden in the man's memories, and her photo was erased after the hacker No Trace hunted it down. We used aliases with anyone outside the hierarchy to help reduce any possible leaks, but Rett still required us to swear if anything happened, she wouldn't be dragged down with The Syndicate,” Kane explained, his voice level, but I could feel the heartache that swelled in his chest at recounting it and seeing the betrayal in her eyes when she looked at him.
“What?” she questioned, her suspicious gaze turning to Acer, and only then did I realize panic had flared in his body.
“That was me,” he muttered. “I used to be No Trace whenever I would do blackhat work. But I swear, Angel, I didn't know it was you—”
“Of course,” she chuckled, the sound cold and biting as she dropped her fork on the tray. “Because why wouldn't it be. The one person I thought I could trust somehow was involved in all this shit. Just my luck.”
“Evera, please,” Carson called out, trying to stop her from walking away. This time, likely trying to avoid another zap, he kept his hands to himself and let the pleading note in his voice speak for itself.
When Evera’s hands lacked her signature flare of power, I dipped into her mind and the dull throb of echoing pain. She’s too overwhelmed with emotion and memories to even be able to create a spark.
“Please what?” she murmured over his shoulder, not looking at any of us.
“I'm sorry, we're sorry. Remember what I said? Hm? Before going to the bank?” Carson pleaded, stepping closer.
Evera breaking on the floor, tears pouring as Carson confessed his love. Begging her to stay regardless of what happened, and that's when I felt it. Her numbness cracked, and her emotions flooded through that dam.
“Yes, I do, but right now, I need some time.” Acer reached out, but a wayward arc jumped between her and his outstretched fingers. “Don't... please.”
With that, she left us standing in awkward silence, her focus on going to the gym.
“What the fuck, Uncle! What happened to talking to us first?” Carson snapped. Kane glared, guilt threading through his thoughts, but his stoic expression didn't give it away.
“I... got to go...” Acer mumbled, scurrying away while actively suppressing his thoughts from me as I tried to dig, but instead of trying to push against his mask, my focus was pulled back to the increasing shouting around me.
“She asked, Carson! I'm not going to tell her she has to wait when she's already waited for years. We'd been putting it off and avoiding it, and she deserves better than that,” Kane countered.
“You could have at least warned us you talked about it,” I added quietly, pulling out of everyone's thoughts, so the only thing I was feeling was my own emotions Yes, I was angry Kane hadn't told us, but at the same time, I knew he was right, she needed to know. Hell, that's why I’d told her to ask about his tattoos.
“Well, seeing as how you're the reason she asked about my tattoo,” he grumbled. “I don't have to explain why I did this. Should I have told you I did? Yes, and that's my fault, but you don't get to stand here and tell me she didn't deserve to know. Either of you,” Kane ground out, turning on his heel and walking away. Even without using my power, I knew Carson was stewing next to me.
“Give it a bit, and Evera will calm down,” I reassured. “She loves you too much to do otherwise, Car.”
“Did anyone ever tell you to not go wandering around in their minds?” Carson muttered, but he deflated at my words, knowing I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't sure. “Alright, fine, but I can't promise I won't punch my uncle before she forgives us.”
“Yeah,” I drew the word out, “I might actually agree with you on that one.” My statement had Carson chuckling half-heartedly and smacking me on my back as he started to walk away.
“I'll be in my room if you see her,” Carson called out, leaving without getting any food.
Well then, he might not be hungry anymore, but I certainly still am, I thought, running through the shelves, making to grab a couple cookies on my way.
Who said sugary goodness wouldn't help calm an angry woman?
Evera
Sweat dripped down my face, my muscles aching as I threw one last punch at the bag. I snatched a towel hanging the wall as I strode out, panting. I wasn't sure how long I’d been in the gym, but physically beating the anger out of me had helped me calm. At least enough to realize my anger at Acer was unwarranted, and while I was still pissed at Kane, Carson, and Silas, I finally had my answers.
“Evera,” Silas called out. Turning, I saw him coming down the hall, something wrapped in a napkin in his hands. “I just wanted to personally say I'm sorry I didn't tell you I knew Rett. I wasn't sure how well you would have reacted to knowing I met your brother before his death,” he murmured, his eyes soft as he looked at me. My heart squeezed, but my anger was officially dulled, expended at the bag.
“I'm not saying it's alright because I hate secrets, and since coming here, I've been open about everything, but I understand why you didn’t tell me. I’m not exactly the most level-headed person when I’m upset and anything to do with my brother… well, you’ve seen how I get,” I explained, sighing. “No more secrets, okay?” Silas's smile was small but relieved as he nodded.
“These are for you, by the way,”—he held out three peanut butter cookies—“figured you hadn't gotten much to eat earlier.”
“Thank you, Silas.” Reaching out, I took the little bundle, grabbing his hand before it fell to his side and squeezing. “For the cookies and for apologizing.”
“Of course, Sweetheart. I'll talk to Kane and Carson and let them know about the no-secret-keeping issue. Lord knows, the three of us have some more chatting to do to get them so they're not going at it.”
“Ah, yes. I heard that shouting all the way down the corridor earlier. Just try to keep Carson from being an idiot and make sure Kane doesn't continue to wear his ass as a hat,” I joked.
“You got it, Sweetheart. Acer's in his room if you wanted to go see him. I don't think he was taking everything very well,” he explained, stepping out of my way so I could head down that way. Swallowing the lump that formed in my throat as I walked to his door, worry filled me about how Acer was handling everything that had been revealed in the last hour or two. I didn't hesitate, and I didn't knock, just opened the door slightly to stick my sweaty red face in.
“Acer?” I murmured, my eyes landing on him behind his three monitors. He glanced up, his eyes red ringed and puffy from crying, and I felt my heart crack. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” he muttered, shrugging his shoulders as his fingers continued to race across his keyboard. I stepped in, closing the door softly before edging around his table. I didn't give him a chance to talk. Instead, I launched into him, my arms wrapping around his neck and squeezing. Acer took the hint, positioning me on his lap and holding me tightly against him. Neither of us talked, content to soak up each other's affection.
“I'm sorry—”
“Don't apologize,” I whispered, cutting him off. “I know you would have told me if you had known. I'm sorry I’ve been so up and down lately. There’s just been so many unanswered questions, and seeing Kane and Carson after all these years was just such a shock to my system. I'm hoping, now that everything is out, I can get a hold of myself.”
“I just don't want you to think I'd ever betray your trust like that, Angel,” he explained, his voice cracking in a show of emotion that made it undeniable how he felt. I pulled back, clutching his scruffy face in my hands before pressing my lips to his passionately.
“You never could, Trace. Do you want some help?” I asked, turning to sit sideways on his strong thighs so I could see the screens. He chuckled, reaching around me so he could reach his keyboard.
“I think I got it, but if you want to hang out with me, I can put a movie on this third monitor,” he pointed to the far right one. Nodding, I settled in against him, and before I knew it, I drifted off against his shoulder, a sense of a fresh start washing over me. I now knew what had happened ten years ago, and we were moving against the council in regard to my brother, so for a brief moment…
Life was good in Vega City.
October 22nd
Tuesday Overnight
Carson
It had been a long five days since we broke into VCM, all of us working countless hours, planning and preparing for the upcoming job at the council building, not to mention the tension that had eased but not dissipated between my uncle, his second, and me. And as much as I hated the asshole, I had to admit, Acer was working tirelessly to make sure everything was ready to go. Not that I would tell him that; his ego's too big as it is. At Evera’s complaint... request, we were out on the streets, looking for answers instead of ‘spending one more day cooped up in this fucking building.’
After the last time we went out and didn't get many hits, Evera said she would only have Acer as a partner, so she’d look alone. It caused quite the head-to-head with Uncle, but somehow, she ended up convincing him it was the main reason she’d been able to get as many assholes to come after her before. So, here I was, freezing my ass off and walking with Silas in the middle of the night. Evera better know I'm only doing this because I love her. This fucking sucks, I grumbled, rubbing my gloved hands together before shoving them into my pockets.
A bright flash of blue lit up the alleyway between where Silas and I were and where Evera had gone, making my adrenaline flare. My force field built within my chest, the pressure growing until it felt as though my torso was about to explode as we rushed to where Evera and Acer were fighting with two men. Kane rushed in from his position a block over to help them.
“Stop him!” she shouted, throwing a hand toward a third masked man running toward us. Bracing, I let my energy expand at such a rapid rate, the force field became a concussive blast, but even with it smashing him into the wall, he was able to continue running.
“What the fuck!” I hissed, immediately chasing after him, Silas' long legs closing the distance faster before finally tackling him. While the man was big and burly, he wasn't the most skilled fighter, so Silas and I were able to subdue him enough to give Silas time to dig deeply into his mind.
“He's a petty gang member, but he and his two buddies are Legionary hopefuls. They were sent out to try to locate Phenoms,” Silas rattled off as I held the man against the sidewalk under me.
“What for? Why do they need Phenoms?” I demanded, smashing him back against the cement when he tried to get up. Silas stared at him, his lips thinning, and his gaze turning hard.
“Whispers of experimenting on them, and the ones who get reported, disappear. They haven't been seen again,” Silas muttered, his voice quietly raging, and I knew there was more than he’d admitted. “Let him go.” I balked, looking at him like he was insane. “Do it.” I released the man against my better judgment and let him run. “We have a much bigger problem than some thug, Carson,” he murmured.
“Care to share?” I hissed, glaring at him as I stood.
“The rumors say it has to do with electrotherapy. The same “treatment” that scarred Evera,” he ground out, tired of my attitude if his clenched jaw was any indication. As soon as I processed what he’d said, I felt my blood run cold.
“So, if they get ahold of her…”
“She'll be hooked back up to that machine. I've seen some of the memories, Car. They're bad, really, really bad. If she gets hooked back up, I don't know that she'll be the same again.”
If she gets hooked up to that machine again, I will personally murder every single person who played a part in it.
No one lays hands on my Baby Blue.
“So, we’ll continue working in the morning,” my uncle directed, all of us looking ragged and tired three hours after returning from our patrol. “Acer, you’re almost done with the plans, right?”
“Yeah, just need to check that all the transfers and plans are set between the event staff and the council staff. Should be ready to go over any time-specific and blueprint-specific details by tomorrow, at the latest,” Acer explained quickly.
“What about me?” Declan asked, popping his head into the room like the nosy douche he was. “What are my to-dos for this heist?”
“Nothing as of right now,” Kane ground out.
“Does that mean I get to go home now?” Declan questioned, his tone holding a hint of ice as he glared down Kane. I rolled my eyes, apparently catching his attention because he snapped at me. “What the fuck are you rolling your eyes at, Bubble Boy? Let's have you kept hostage by a criminal infrastructure and see how you fare.”
“Excuse me?” I hissed, getting up. “It's not like you're locked in a cage or in a cell, dick, and you get a date with Evera every damned day, so take your complaints and shove them up your ass.” Apparently, I had gone too far. Declan lunged at me, but before he could land a hit, Evera's shouting cut through the thick tension in the room.
“Enough! That's fucking it! Both of you, with me now!” She reached up, yanking our ears in a sharp grasp before storming out of the room and down the hall. The grip on my ear wasn't painful, but I knew it would have been if I didn't keep up with her, so I hustled to keep pace with her.
“Where are we going, Sparky?” Declan asked, but Ev kept her lips twisted in a scowl, and her jaw clenched as she continued through the building. Anyone who was awake in the halls jumped out of the way before she barreled over them with us in tow. My brows drew down as we entered the gym.
“If you two want to fucking go at it, do
it properly,” she ground out, practically shoving us into the ring. “Declan, I'm tired of your damned attitude, and Carson, I'm over you trying to rile everyone up. Since you two want to fucking fight instead of talking like the adults you are, you'll come here, and you'll fucking work it out in the ring.”
“You can't be serious, Baby,” I huffed. She did not just put us both in timeout. She glared at me.
“Do I look like I'm joking, Bruiser? This is how we settled shit as kids, and this is how we'll settle it now,” she demanded. “I don't want to see you two until you've gotten whatever macho man shit you both have shoved up your asses worked out. We're a unit, and I'm not going to have you two constantly at it.” With that, she turned and strode away, leaving Declan and me awkwardly standing in front of each other. My anger depleted, realizing I had once again put my foot in my mouth. Ugh, I groaned, when am I going to stop doing this shit?
“She's got quite the mouth on her, doesn't she?” he questioned with a small laugh. “It's hard to imagine someone so small and pretty to be so fierce.”
“Yeah, she's got quite the attitude. She'll zap you quicker than you can say Vega City,” I agreed, looking at him. “So, uh,” I started, rubbing the back of my head for something to do. “We good?”
“Yeah,” he agreed, his hand coming out for me to shake. “But if you piss me off again, I'll gladly fight you in the ring, Bubble Boy.” Despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop the curl of my lips as I shook back.
“I look forward to it, dickhead.”
Because knowing us? I foresee a lot of fights coming to a head in this ring.
16
October 25th
Friday Early Morning
Evera
Nerves rattled through me, my mind unable to settle as it whirled between the thoughts of everything that could go wrong tonight as I went through the motions of brushing my teeth and hair. Kane had appointments set up for me to be pampered throughout the day, so I would be styled to the moon and back for this gala. The first one wasn't for another two hours, but an inability to sleep had led me to start my day way earlier than normal.