by Lexi C. Foss
Would he kiss her again?
Probably not with Issac giving him that glower.
Just stop.
Jayson squeezed her hand as they walked in silence, and she looked up to find him grinning. “You still owe me cookies.”
She returned the smile. “Only if you tell me about Greece.”
“Deal.”
Stas halted on the sidewalk in front of them but didn’t turn around. “What about Greece?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.
Lizzie frowned. “Uh, Jayson used to live there. Even though he won’t admit it.”
“Kiel, an old associate of mine, implied it, but I’ve neither confirmed nor denied it.”
“He used to live there,” Lizzie confirmed. “He’s just playing hard to get because he wants me to bake for him.”
Jayson dropped her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “You’re trouble, Red.”
“You both are,” Issac interjected. “In trouble, I mean.”
“You really need to relax, Wakefield.” Jayson gave him a pointed look. “Keep walking. We’re right behind you.”
“Leave it alone.” Stas nudged Issac onward. “It’ll work itself out.”
“Oh, something will be worked out,” Issac replied, causing Jayson to chuckle.
“I don’t know why he’s acting like that,” Lizzie whispered up at him. “He’s usually a lot more pleasant.”
“He’s protective,” Jayson whispered back. “But don’t worry, Red. He doesn’t scare me.” His easy smile left in the next moment as he tripped and let out a curse.
Issac caught Jayson by the arm as he started to fall. “Easy there, mate,” he said, his voice holding an edge to it. “Pavement can be tricky.”
“You know what else is tricky?” Jayson breathed. “Metal.”
Issac flinched. “Noted.”
“Escort us home,” Stas demanded. “Now.”
Issac’s resulting smile reached his eyes. “Certainly, Aya.”
Jayson didn’t seem to be nearly as amused, but he laid his arm across Lizzie’s shoulders and started walking again. It felt colder and less intimate, and he didn’t look at her again.
His behavior baffled her. He seemed to be attracted to her, or so her minimal experience with men suggested, but he also treated her as only a friend. Like Tom did.
But Tom never kissed her on the lips, only on the cheeks.
Except Jayson hadn’t truly kissed her, either, not in the passionate way a man who desired a woman would, anyway.
It was chaste and friendly.
Why is this so complicated?
The doorman of the building greeted them all by name. Lizzie smiled but said nothing as Jayson led her to the stairwell and up to their door.
“I think Issac and Stas can take it from here,” he said softly.
“You don’t need to go.” The needy note in her voice left a sour taste in her stomach. Was she that starved for attention that she had to beg? Ouch.
“It’s okay, Red. We’ll catch up later over cookies.” He brushed a kiss against her temple. “Chocolate, please.” He pulled back with a wink. “Talk to you soon, Liz.”
“Chocolate,” she repeated. Right. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Okay. Night.”
His leaving shouldn’t have bothered her as much as it did, but she had finally enjoyed herself a little, only to have it ripped away like everything else in her life. A few stolen moments of flirtatious words and laughs.
Was that all she could expect? Or would there ever be more?
As he walked off toward the stairs, she worried she would never know.
A melancholy thought, but if she had learned anything over the last few months, it was that life was short.
The next time she saw Jayson, she would tell him how she felt because she refused to make the same mistake with him as she had with Tom. He died not knowing she loved him, and though she may not love Jayson yet, she didn’t want to risk not telling him that she liked him. Perhaps even more than a friend.
She stepped through the open door and locked it behind her.
“I’ll be in my room if you need me,” she said to the couple standing inside the foyer.
“Liz…”
“It’s okay, Stas. Enjoy your time with Issac.” She gave them both a small smile before leaving them to their own devices. At least her best friend was happy. She deserved it more than anyone Lizzie knew, even herself.
7
Secrets and Lies
Subject has formed an emotional attachment with her new roommate in a very brief period, suggesting future memory protocols may require minor altering.
—Entry Log 118.10.4-7
Stas collapsed against Issac, her heart breaking for so many reasons.
“Not here,” he whispered against her ear, reminding her of the surveillance in the condo. He led her into the hallway without a word, guiding her to who knew where. She barely registered him locking the door.
She hated everything.
The CRF.
This world.
Fate.
The monster who killed her parents.
Issac’s arms held her upright as her legs buckled beneath her. Just as he’d done outside the coffeehouse. He’d arrived within minutes of her call, indicating his nearby presence. It should have infuriated her that he felt the need to babysit her, but she’d never been more thankful for his unwavering protection than she was tonight.
And he was right. Staying in the city was a suicide mission. But she couldn’t leave Lizzie. Especially not with an assassin lurking around the corner.
She shuddered. It’d taken all her strength to walk back into that coffeehouse for Lizzie. But by the time they returned, the man who stalked Stas’s memories was gone. She’d tried to put on a smile for Lizzie’s sake, but it felt false. Wrong.
He’s real.
And he was not only the villain of her past but also the one who wanted to destroy her future.
“Aya,” Issac murmured, bringing her to the present. They were standing in the stairwell, locked in an embrace she never wanted to leave. Ever. “Lucian has requested a meeting.”
“About…?” She couldn’t finish, couldn’t say his name.
Understanding flashed in his midnight gaze. “Ezekiel.”
She swallowed and forced a nod.
“In Hydria,” he added. “Jacque is coming to retrieve us.”
She nodded again, unable to speak. The terror she felt tonight… She shivered and hugged Issac tighter.
He’d been right.
She was no match for the assassin. He would rip her to shreds, and enjoy it.
That smile… Oh God, that smile…
Issac pressed his lips to her temple and rubbed her back. She knew what he wanted to say. It’s time.
She agreed but couldn’t leave Lizzie behind. “What about Liz?” They couldn’t run off to Hydria and leave her unprotected.
“Jayson has requested one of his Guardians watch over her while we are meeting with Luc. Jacque is dropping her off right now.”
“Oh.”
From what Stas understood, the strongest Hydraians were part of the Elders’ personal security teams. Jayson had requested his remain in Greece due to the threat of Ichorians in the city and him being the only one capable of concealing his identity. That he and the others felt it necessary to send someone in his absence spoke volumes about how they perceived Lizzie. They wanted to protect her too.
That small insight helped calm some of her nerves.
They really do care.
“’Sup,” a deep voice greeted from behind them. Stas had gotten to know the teleporter well over the last few months and usually grinned upon seeing him. But not tonight.
“Hello, Jacque,” Issac murmured as one of his hands left her back. “Thank you for the lift.”
“Anytime.”
The world shifted around them, churning Stas’s stomach as her scenery changed. Issac released her from his hold, al
lowing her to gain her own footing. Then she turned to face several familiar immortals, all of whom were seated at a long wooden table. No drinks or food. No games. Only stern expressions, a whiteboard, several computers at the back wall, and a basket of phones.
It seemed to be the Hydraians’ equivalent of a war room.
“Stas. Wakefield,” Luc greeted from the head of the table. “Have a seat.”
“Lucian,” Issac replied as he pulled out a chair for Stas. “Have you called Aidan?” He settled into the seat beside her and laid an arm over her shoulders. So casual, yet so meaningful. A sign of partnership and care, and one she desperately needed right now.
“Yes, I conferred with him earlier,” Luc said. “He feels Ezekiel is playing a game of strategy and is very much aware of Stas’s bloodline.”
“That is my opinion as well,” Issac murmured, his thumb drawing a pattern against her upper arm. “Did he have a recommendation?”
*
“He thinks we should play along,” Jayson informed them, irritated. Aidan had clearly lost his damn mind. Engaging Ezekiel in a game was the last thing any sane person would ever do. “I happen to disagree.”
“What were Aidan’s reasons?” Issac asked, his expression blank.
“Put simply, we need more information.” Luc scratched his jaw. “Our best course of action is to continue gathering intelligence while Elizabeth remains ignorant, and as it seems Ezekiel has no intention to harm her—”
“Yet,” Jayson added, unable to help himself. He understood the assassin better than anyone at this table, not that they were listening to him.
Luc blinked those all-knowing eyes at him, an indication that he was in full omniscient mode. “Ezekiel’s penchant for violence is renowned, yet he chose to carry on a conversation with Elizabeth instead of killing her for sport. I would love to know why, wouldn’t you?”
Stas cleared her throat. “Honestly, no, I don’t really want to know why.” Her voice seemed softer than normal, almost hoarse, but her spine straightened with every word. “But I would like my best friend relocated and protected.”
“We cannot protect her properly without the serum,” Luc pointed out. “And without it, we risk killing her.”
Stas’s shoulders fell, causing Issac to pull her closer. His sapphire eyes went to Luc, communicating something only the two men seemed to understand. They shared a father, in a manner of speaking, anyway, which created a brotherly bond between them a few centuries back. It didn’t quite rival the one Jayson, Luc, Alik, and Balthazar had formed over their thousands of years together, but the connection between Luc and Issac was one of loyalty, love, and family. And it showed now.
“We can’t help Lizzie until we know what the CRF—my father—did to her,” Tom said, his voice quiet. Normally, new Hydraians weren’t allowed in these sorts of conversations, but his knowledge on the subject qualified him to be here.
Issac gave the man a measuring look and nodded. “I agree with Thomas. Taking Elizabeth now could put her at risk. We need more information regarding her origin before we proceed.”
Jayson cursed inwardly.
Logic.
He knew that.
But their flawless reasoning did little to dispel his inner turmoil over the events of tonight. Although he agreed that they needed more details before liberating Lizzie from her situation, a growing part of him longed to tell her the truth.
The hurt in her gaze when he left her standing in the hallway nagged at him all the way upstairs. Had Jacque not been waiting in his condo, Jayson very likely would have ended up back at Lizzie’s door, begging for a good-night kiss.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
Jayson didn’t pine after women. He dated sporadically, but most of his dalliances were for a night or two only.
Yet this redhead had him all tied up in knots.
It was her innate goodness. After six weeks of observing her tender treatment of others less fortunate—like the homeless man she gave her lunch to that one day on the subway—Jayson couldn’t help but feel a little for her.
And the nurturing relationships she’d formed with her students; even from afar, he could see their affection for her. Children were excellent judges of characters, and they adored her.
Because she’s genuine.
He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at the ceiling as the memories rolled through his thoughts. All those beaming expressions directed at a woman who never expected them.
Fuck.
Lizzie deserved so much better than this.
He actually felt guilty for doing his job, which made little sense. It wasn’t his responsibility to tell her the truth. That task belonged to Luc, Stas, and Tom. Jayson’s purpose was to observe, report back, and protect as necessary.
Damn it.
Lizzie had to feel alone right now, and they were all to blame. Grace was in Jayson’s condo right now, protecting Lizzie from above, but his Red had no way of knowing or understanding that.
But Luc and Issac were right.
They would need a safe place to take Lizzie after she learned the truth, which required a better understanding of her genetic makeup. “We need the serum,” he muttered.
“Indeed,” Issac agreed. “Which, I believe, is the purpose of our dinner Friday night.”
Jayson nodded. Jonathan had requested the gathering at Lizzie’s condo shortly after the fiasco at brunch; inviting Stark to tag along only confirmed the plans.
“But that requires Stas to go back to the city,” Jayson added. “Where Ezekiel is likely to be very aware of her.”
Silence as all eyes turned to the woman in question.
She cleared her throat as she straightened her shoulders again. “It’s a necessary risk to help Lizzie. I’ll be better prepared the next time I see him.” Her tone lacked the usual confidence, indicating that—for the first time—she actually understood the danger she’d put herself in.
She’s learning. Finally.
“Forgive my insensitivity,” Luc murmured, his gaze on Stas. “But are you certain Ezekiel murdered your parents? I ask because his methods have always been quiet and reserved, not one of passion and mayhem. Yet, from my comprehension, your parents were burned alive. That strikes me as quite different from his usual methods.”
She remained quiet, her shoulders and back still. After several beats, she nodded. “I’ll never forget the way the flames glowed in his black eyes. It was him. I’m certain of it.”
Luc’s forehead crinkled in a way Jayson recognized after millennia of knowing one another. Doubt. The facts weren’t adding up in that omniscient mind of his, leaving him puzzled, but he didn’t question her further.
“I’m sorry, Stas. I can imagine this is painful for you, but it is the logical course. We will help Lizzie in due time. You have my word.”
Stas would have no way of knowing just how powerful a statement that was coming from the leader of the Hydraian race, but Issac and Jayson understood. Luc had just made a blood vow of sorts, and he took those very seriously.
She said nothing, but Issac answered for her with a subtle nod of gratitude.
“It’s settled,” Luc murmured. “Dinner Friday night.”
Jayson stretched his arms over his head. “Looks like we get to play another game of hide-and-seek, Wakefield.”
Issac smirked. “My favorite.”
“Try not to drop the charade too quickly this time,” Jayson suggested, referring to the part where Issac let the waitress see him on Sunday without any warning.
“Perhaps you should try working on your reaction time,” Issac replied.
Jayson shook his head and shifted his focus to Jacque. “I’m ready.”
“Stay alive,” Luc said as the teleporter appeared at Jayson’s side, his hand at the ready.
Jayson nodded once in agreement. “Likewise.”
8
Playing Hide-and-Seek
Project benefactor requested additional supplements be added to
the subject’s regimen. Observation required.
—Entry Log 103.11.4-7
Jayson threw a baseball up in the air, caught it on its way down, and repeated the action.
“Anything new?” he asked as Jacque paced beside the couch. It’d been a few days since they saw each other last.
The teleporter shrugged. “Amelia and Tom broke ground on their home over the weekend.”
“Yeah?” Jayson grinned. “That’s good. I’d like my house back when I return.” It would require a thorough cleaning since the two lovebirds had used it as their own for the last few weeks, but at least they had put it to good use during his time away from the island.
The ball landed in his palm, and he lowered it to his stomach. He’d chosen to lie on the couch while he waited for Issac’s call, but his legs were restless. Jonathan and Stark would be over any minute to enjoy Lizzie’s company under a false promise of friendship. Similar, he supposed, to him asking her to go to dinner as a way to lure her from her condo. But while they wanted to drug her with some unknown substance, Jayson actually enjoyed her company.
Would she ever understand the difference?
Or would she hate him once she knew the truth?
He didn’t want to be bothered by such trivial questions, but the notion of displeasing her unsettled him.
She’s just a woman.
An attractive one he wanted to see naked, but that was par for the course with most females he met.
Except this one had gotten under his skin.
It’s the guilt, he decided. Jayson prided himself on always telling the truth, and although he hadn’t quite lied to her outright, he had withheld pertinent information.
To protect her.
“Okay, what gives?” Jacque demanded.
Jayson stopped throwing the ball. The teleporter stood beside his head, arms folded, silver eyes glinting. His uncharacteristically serious expression kept Jayson from cracking a joke at the man.
“What do you mean?”