"Her memory will come back in spurts. It's a side effect." Michael announced.
"Scarlet baby, what’s the last thing you remember?" Jaxson questioned, walking to stand next to Michael. Ethan came and took the tray, put it on the side table before walking to the end of the bed, next to Christian who wore a blank expression.
"Um..." I took a moment to think. I don't remember. Wait, Junho’s car...I was his wife. Autoplex dealership. I was on a motorbike...
"Scar, you're talking out loud."
"No, I'm not." I argued.
"Side effect." Michael acknowledged.
They sighed.
"Side effect of what? Please don't tell me this is another spirit thing."
I was already dealing with trying to figure out what I was doing with the knowledge I wasn't a human but a shifter with two spirits in a universe I didn't know existed.
Junho reached out and held my hand; the action both comforting and fear-inducing.
"Relax Scarlet. When you left on the motorcycle you went on a car chase to catch Lizard breath and his goons. You somehow were able to shoot down the two goons vehicles, which I'm assuming was thanks to your spirit’s help." Junho began, his voice even.
I swallowed, nodding for him to continue.
"You went after Lizard breath towards the trap we set and were able to stop him from going over the edge. If he’d gone into the ocean, we wouldn't have found him again. You shot his leg, and I was able to catch him before he tried to go over the ledge."
Michael took a seat near my feet, turning to face me.
"You were going way too fast to stop and went over the edge. You had enough speed to reach the other side no problem. You did a flip which gave you the bonus altitude you needed but from our perspective all we could see is you jump off the motorbike and straight into the water. That was right before the motorcycle hit the other side of the bridge, and the bridge exploded."
My eyes widened; the memory came back.
"Xerxes! He was there. He held a device and smiled. That's why I jumped off. Where the fuck is he?" I wanted to get out of bed, but Junho stopped me, urging me to lay back against the headboard of the bed.
"He's gone. Ethan caught on right before the bomb detonated. Christian chased after him but lost him." Jaxson explained.
"How long was I underwater for?" I questioned.
"Twenty-three minutes and forty seconds." Christian replied. I turned to face his blank expression frowning.
"Are you mad?"
"I'm not mad."
"You look mad." I argued; my voice low. What I did was kinda dangerous and almost cost me my life, if it hadn’t been for that...uh. hmmm. What was it?
"It was a whale, Scarlet." Christian replied to my thoughts.
"What? How did you know what I was thinking?"
"You said it out loud Scarlet, and I'm not angry at you." He admitted.
"Why am I talking out loud. Did I hit my head or something? I don't remember hitting my head. Is this a part of the side effect list?" Junho sighed before answering.
"Scarlet, you went into shock. It’s our fault for pushing you without explaining more about spirits. In the shifter world, most people have one. From two onward becomes more complicated and harder on the brain. We didn't teach you how to allow your spirits to take over until you were put into a situation where your life was at stake and had no choice. Whenever your spirits take over, it takes a huge toll on the body, especially switching back and forth. The whole thing was just too much on both your body and mind. Thus, you broke down."
Michael nodded, continuing.
"We couldn't afford for you to do anything crazy, so I had to knock you out. From your display during the chase, your magic is more than just one element and it's strong. We don't know what you’re capable of and didn't want to put you at risk of surpassing your magic limit."
"Magic limit?" I asked.
"Every shifter has a magic limit. You can surpass it by expelling too much of your own power or the more common way, which is surpassing your spirit’s power, rendering you powerless. Most shifters on record who experience this go into shock or their heart just stops. No one has survived before."
I gulped, realizing how dangerous it was. Oops.
"Hey, it's not your fault. You didn't know. You at least didn't surpass it which shows you’re really strong Scarlet." Ethan said soothingly, walking over to kneel beside to the bed right next to Junho, putting his hand on top of our joined hands.
"You did really good Scarlet. Your talking out loud should fade and your memories of everything should return with some rest. But thanks to your hard work the last three days not only did we catch Lizard breath who's in custody, but we were able to find the needle used to inject Amelia with the poison which has Xerxes’ fingerprints. All we need now is either another blood sample or his fingerprints. Lizard breath is being interviewed by Vinzent, so we should have some information on his next plans."
I looked up to Christian, who let out a sigh, walking over. Junho moved out of the way; Christian took his place.
"You realize how dangerous that stunt was. Regardless of the outcome being positive, your life was at risk. You understand that, right?"
I nodded; my head low. I hadn't been scolded by anyone else but Cece and Kendrick.
"Yes." I whispered.
He pulled me into his arms – his rich cocoa butter smell made my shoulders drop as I inhaled deeply.
"Scar, you fucking scared the shit out of me. Out of all of us. Maybe you think because you’re an apprentice, you have to prove something, but you don't. Your safety is our priority, higher than anything else." He whispered; his head rested on my shoulder as he leaned in kissing my neck lightly. I closed my eyes, enjoying his closeness and warmth.
"I'm sorry. I should have considered that. It won't happen again." I apologized, feeling bad. We hadn't had time to really get to know each other, but they were so concerned for my well-being; the thought warmed my heart.
"Just promise me you won't do anything like that again, unless you have no way out. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Glad that's fixed. Christian’s been a fucking ass since yesterday." Ethan complained, standing up.
"Right! He kicked me out of my fucking car and left my ass on the fucking street. I looked like a rich hobo." Junho complained.
"Better than tearing the office apart. The files are fucking everywhere. He didn't even clean up." Michael groaned.
"That's your OCD talking, but I agree. Christian’s an asshole when he's worried." Jaxson nodded in agreement.
He pulled back to glare at them.
"Mysterious car accident where the driver survives, the passengers perish in the debris as the car expl–"
"Alright. We're sorry." They said in unison, causing me to laugh.
"Thanks, guys." I whispered.
"Scarlet, your spirits okay in there?" Jaxson asked.
"Oh right. Aurora and Serenity?" I called out to them, not bothering to think it out.
"Sleeping shh." Aurora mumbled.
"Glad you’re okay Scar. Goodnight." Serenity mumbled; both disappeared from my mind the moment after they said their comments. I giggled.
"They're sleeping."
"At least they're okay. Once this case is done we'll get a scan done on you. Winterlya got called for some emergency, but she said everything was settled and would come back to check on you soon."
"Okay. So...what now?" I asked.
"Christian and Junho will head over to meet Vinzent and help with the debriefing process. I'll be at my office; and Ethan and Michael will stay with you."
"Wait what time is it and I don't want to be babysat." I grumbled.
"It's nine in the morning love. You were knocked out all of yesterday. You need to sleep. No action." Christian stressed.
"I won't do anything crazy. I’d rather do desk work than sit in bed. We're close to catching Xerxes in the act; we can't continue delaying just because I'm a little tire
d."
"From the girl who flew off a bridge on a motorcycle, did a backflip, dove into the fucking ocean and summoned a whale to save her." Christian mumbled.
"I summoned a whale?"
"Yes, baby. A large, killer whale to the rescue."
I began to giggle, all of them giving me a worried stare.
I shook my head.
"I just think its funny." They all sighed.
"We thought you lost it again." Junho revealed.
"I laughed about it before?"
"Yup, you went into shock." Michael replied.
"Maybe I thought it was funny." I shrugged
"You called it un-fucking-believable." Junho announced.
"Alright. Scar, you're with me to the office. Don't use magic or your spirits. We're just going to review paperwork. Ethan and Michael, review the footage and see if you can narrow down exactly where Xerxes headed off to. We at least have footage of him blowing up the unfinished bridge when Scar was trying to reach the other side. That's vital evidence. Make sure it's in the database. I'll lock the copy in the database when I get my access card. Christian and Junho, stay oncall for now."
They all nodded before taking turns to give me hugs and goodbye kisses, leaving me and Jaxson alone. He made his way to the bed, pulling me into a hug.
"Don't be reckless again, unless I'm nearby. Understood?" He whispered. I nodded in his embrace, pulling back and kissing him.
"Okay. Sorry." I whispered; the vision of his pain-stricken face flashed through my mind again. It wasn't resolving with this event. Then when?
"Get changed. Let's head over and get those files uploaded. Once that's done, we'll at least be one step closer to taking him down."
"Roger that." I replied, giving him a playful wink.
"You suck at being professional."
"So do all of you. You guys can't stick to agent names." I retorted. He laughed.
"Ya, I gave up on that shit a long time ago. We agreed we'd try seeing as we had a new apprentice but that fucked up real fast." I laughed, watching him leave.
I sighed, taking a moment to relax as I rested my head on my knees.
Soon everything will be over, and I can figure out who the hell I am.
I noticed my phone in the corner of my eye; the screen lit up. I reached over and retrieved it, relieved at the reality I didn't have two hundred missed calls and text messages.
I bet he's happy, fucking some other girl now.
My phone began to vibrate – ONE AND ONLY BITCH coming on the caller display.
"Cece." I answered.
"You're awake! Thank goodness. How are you feeling Scar? I saw the fucking video footage. I knew your crazy, but jeez. Did Kendrick train you to join the secret ops?"
I smiled at my best friend’s compliments.
I seriously needed a shower if I was going to be stuck sitting all day. Maybe some coffee too.
"I need my best friend. Now get your booty to the office. I'm heading over to see Vinzent at headquarters. Apparently, something’s wrong with the system and shit isn't saving."
I frowned.
"Isn't saving? A technical issue? Is someone going to fix it?" I began to pace, the gears in my head already moving as I thought of the possibility of today: the day where the guys were going to input the data on Xerxes in the database – sealing it in the records was when shit wasn't saving.
"Ya, technicians are on it but it's gonna take some time. Ethan would probably be faster. He's heading here now so we're gonna let him take a look at it."
"Cece." I said in a low voice, walking to the farthest corner of the room, just in case Jaxson would overhear.
"What’s wrong? I know that tone. Your brain is seeing a loophole."
"Can you make a copy of all the footage?"
"What?"
"Cece. Make a copy of all the footage and download it into my phone at home. The spare one I hide in Moonlight's spare carrier."
"Scar, that's against the rules."
"You don't follow rules, and my gut is telling me that it seems a tad fishy that the program is fucking down today of all days. Something must be going on or someone doesn't want that evidence leaking out, aka Xerxes himself. Please, Cece. When has my gut steered you wrong?"
"Remember the time when you told me your gut wanted that disgusting cheap sushi and I thought I was gonna die from salmonella?"
"Except for that." I admitted.
She sighed.
"MEOW MEOW."
"Was that Moonlight?" I questioned.
"Yes. He wouldn't stop following me. I was going to bring him over to ya so he wouldn't bother me but nope. Got the call and gotta bring him along. Fine, I'll do what Scarlet wants. Now get off my lap. I'm driving." She scowled.
"You will?" I beamed.
"Yes. I do think it's a tad fishy. I'm doing background checks on the technicians and seeing if anything is off. I'll text you if anything comes up, and I'll send a copy of everything to your old phone. Don't worry, this call is untraceable."
I sighed in relief.
"Thanks, Cece, for trusting me."
"Always. Now go shower and don't have shower sex. You're not allowed to exert yourself."
"I wasn't going to have shower sex." I argued.
"Huh. I can already imagine you alone changing at the exact moment when he opens the door to ask you something and you guys make out and head towards the shower to save time."
"It's not gonna happen."
"Drinks on you if I'm right."
"Deal."
"Alright, I'm off to do illegal downloading." She laughed, saying goodbye; Moonlight meowed in the background before she hung up.
I placed the phone on the table, beginning to slip out of the purple pajama set I was wearing. I undid the waistband, allowing the loose pajamas to fall, slipping the t-shirt over my head, standing in my red bra and underwear – a completely different set than the one I wore for our mission.
I gotta ask who changed me. I began narrowing the possibilities in my head when the door opened.
"Scar? Are you – " Jaxson came to a stop; his eyes landed on me, as he held the door open.
Fucking Cece.
"Were you going to shower?" He inquired.
"Yes. Are you?" My eyes roamed his bare chest; a towel around his waist.
"Yes." He replied; his eyes filled with heat as he walked in, letting the door close. I turned to face him; his sculpted body never ceased to turn me on and make me throb with need.
We faced each other, feeling a sense of deja vu from the time he fucked me senseless.
"We don't have much time." He whispered; his lips inches from mine. I leaned into him; my hands flat on his chest as I went on my tiptoes, whispering in his ear.
"Maybe we should share?"
I could see the smile form on his lips before his hand wrapped around my waist.
"I think that's a good idea."
He lifted me up, the motion unexpected as I let out a squeal; my hands wrapped around his neck as he carried me with one hand.
"We can't take long though." I reminded him.
"I don't need long. All I need is me in you." He announced confidently, opening the door of his bedroom and walking towards his bathroom.
"That confidence of yours has no bounds." I groaned.
"Indeed, it does not. Now, let me enjoy you." He whispered, stopping in front of the black door.
I leaned down to kiss him, unable to ignore the urge to taste and touch him. He chuckled, breaking the kiss.
"Give me a sec, can't kiss you and open doors."
I let out an exaggerated gasp.
"What. How can that be? You're a shifter who can use magic, but you can't open the door with no hands. I'm appalled. Now reveal your room of pain."
He smirked.
"I'm not Christian. I don't have a room like that."
"Shut the fuck up. Christian, aka Mr. Grey, has a room of pain like the guy in the movie."
"Yes, but don't tell h
im I told you. Now, let's return to kissing and fucking. We got ten minutes."
"I laughed as he opened the door; his now free hand hooked around the back of my neck and pulled me into him.
Why is Cece always right?
"It's not here."
Jaxson let out a frustrated huff as he checked the three drawers of his desk for the thirtieth time.
We were in his office; the others informed us that the computers were down on their end, and that they needed Jaxson's access card to go check the building at Mc. Ryerson where electronic records were stored in paper form. PINC always kept paper documents and electronic copies of all cases - Xerxes' files and all the unsolved cases pertaining to him were in that specific building.
"That makes no sense. You said you always leave it in the top drawer. No one should have access to your office." I thought out loud, beginning my pacing frenzy as my eyes scanned the room.
"We need that card to be able to enter the room and upload the files there. Once we make a file for it we can make paper copies of the evidence and send copies to the higher-ups, so they can keep the files just in case anything happens."
"The others don't have it. No one should have access to this room. The card didn't grow legs and slip under the gap in the door so where the hell could it -" I began thinking out loud, when my eyes landed on a particular gold paperweight which wasn't on the floor but on the black countertop of the drawers.
I stopped in front of the display, eyeing the paperweight like it was a poisonous snake.
"What do we have here?" Aurora announced; her voice filled with anger.
"Maybe we should let the object reveal how it magically left the floor." Serenity urged.
I tugged at my leather gloves, pulling it off my right hand. We should.
"Jaxson love. When was the last time you changed your entry code?"
"I don't know...when I got promoted." He answered; his eyes locked on the lower drawer.
I returned my attention to the paperweight, grabbing it off the counter – the environment shifted within seconds.
I turned to the sound of BEEP; the door opened to reveal Rebecca who peeked her head in before sliding into the office, shutting the door.
She put the phone against her ear, continuing the conversation she was having.
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