by SM Olivier
“Bridgette’s a memory eraser,” Collin explained to the guys. It seemed it surprised everyone save Gavin, Rachel, and Will. “Her job was, is to make sure you never remembered Blake. So, in the off chance you met her, she can make you forget. Horatio knew that one or two of you had to be her connected, but he thought he would try to cover all his bases. He knew he could never win Blake over if she had an emotional connection to anyone.”
“She was my student for the last couple of years,” Jace finally spoke up. “I still remember her.” His eyebrows knitted. “One day she was in my class, and the next she wasn’t. Just like Bridgette.”
“What is there to remember?” Drake asked quietly. Looking at his eyes, I think he already knew the answer. Noah knew about my scars without me telling him about them, again. Troy had a dream about something we had done together. I could only guess that maybe Drake had remembered something too.
“Therein lies the problem with mind erasers,” Will said quietly. “Our minds are so vast, that in theory, it should have been an easy job. They never considered that an emotional bond could defeat a mental one.”
“Do you know who turned back time?” I asked Collin. Everything within me wanted to still be mad at him, but a part of me could see that money could talk. People could be bought.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. All I know was I was woken up at two or 3 o’clock in the morning the night you arrived. One man brought you in, and a couple others put your clothing and stuff away in my spare room. I was given a letter and briefly told my assignment. I read it and knew what my next job was. I was told I would have help. All I know is Mr. Young was my point of contact to talk to. Horatio and Bridgette were tasked to take care of them,” he nodded his head towards the guys.
“Time out,” Jaxson stood up mystified. “Are you trying to tell me we went to the institute together, and then someone turned back time and made us forget about Blake? That all of us knew her and were made to forget? For what purpose?”
“You know why” I communicated with him silently.
“It is you!” he rounded on me, his eyes large. His mouth never opened. “Where have you been?!”
“I had a block on me” I gently reminded him.
I was so busy communicating with Jaxson, I hadn’t noticed that Collin was watching me. “It’s Jaxson and Noah, isn’t it? They’re your connections?” he asked quietly.
“Doesn’t Noah and Jaxson have girlfriends, though?” Rachel asked perplexed.
“I did,” Noah said quickly, running a hand through his auburn curls. “I didn’t think it was fair to have a girlfriend when I started to develop feelings for another girl. I actually broke it off with her a week or so ago.” He looked over at me. “Truth be told, I had been separating myself from her for some time now, and I haven’t been…physical with her for weeks.”
I met his eyes, mine widening. I was reminded of Ella’s premonition, and realized not all of them were true. Noah had left Stacey. Jaxson and Tamara hadn’t ganged up against me, because I never attended school with them. That only left one premonition I still wondered about…
“Then who is she connected with?” Rachel asked bluntly. “Inquiring minds want to know.”
“How can we know if he can be trusted?” Jemmy said as she pointed at Collin.
“We don’t,” Remy stated. “For all we know, he’s spilling the beans because he wants to save his own hide. He already admitted that he’s easily bought.”
Collin stood up agitated. “After seeing those kids in there, there’s no way I can ever work for him again. I never knew he would stoop so low for his cause,” he said with an impassioned plea.
“And that’s the truth,” Rachel said quietly.
My head was spinning as Will took Collin, Gavin, Jemmy, and Rachel out of the room. He had asked them to leave so they could continue to talk to Collin, to figure out where we were going from here. Decisions had to be made if we continued to trust Collin or if we just transferred him to a facility up into the mountains where we took all our ‘dangerously’ gifted individuals. Will also believed Collin had more information that could be useful to us, even if Collin didn’t think he did.
I had a feeling that Will had left us alone in here, so we could finally reconnect.
“You’re our connected,” Troy immediately stated the moment he felt it was safe to talk.
I nodded, suddenly very self-conscious in my hospital gown. I ran a nervous hand through my hair and noticed it was wilder than normal. I suspected I was also pale because I had been ill the day before, and any traces of makeup was long gone. This wasn’t how I thought I would look after we were reunited by our forced separation.
“Running up the mountain to my spot,” Remy said after several moments of tense silence.
“Memory,” I responded, knowing what he was asking.
“The carriage ride through central park,” Troy spoke.
“Memory,” I answered.
“Late night conversations, chasing away your demons.” Jaxson knitted his eyebrows.
“Memory,” I retorted.
“Singing on a stage with Ben, Rick, Taylor, and Mike.” Noah ran another hand through his hair as he leaned his head back on the wall he had been sitting up against.
I felt a smile curve my lips at the memory of singing, being in a band. I had been so uncertain whether that was a path I had wanted to take. I had thought I had been forced along for the ride. But I missed it. I knew now that I wanted to stay on the ride to the very end. “Memory,” I stated finally.
“Studying on the couch listening to my iPod, before we went into the kitchen to cook together,” Drake looked almost pained as he said it. My heart felt heavy for him. For us.
“Almost every day,” I responded.
“An audition video on the piano,” Jace finally said after a few moments of silence.
“Memory,” I nodded.
“Why was it so easy for them to separate us? Why weren’t we able to stop them, if we knew it was coming?” Jaxson stood up and started to pace.
“Not all our connections were made,” I felt tears welling in my eyes. “You guys were being patient with me, but it had been a huge adjustment for me. We all led busy lives.”
“It didn’t help that I was fighting it myself,” Noah braced his elbows on his knees as he put his face in his hands. His voice was muffled as he continued, “I never thought I was good enough for her. How can I compete with you guys? I was a child with no flaws and my own parents didn’t want me. Now I am a man with many. How was my connected supposed to want me? How can I expect someone who was supposed to finally mean something to me, want me if my own parents didn’t want me? Helping children in third-world countries was more important than being with their own child. They were so determined to leave me, they died because of it.”
My heart dropped suddenly as everything clicked into place. His inability to commit to anyone before. His constant need for attention from women to bolster his self-esteem. The reason he had kept Stacey around before, while pushing me away. His spiral out of control because of his own insecurities.
I left my chair and quickly crossed the room. I pushed his legs down onto the floor, so I could straddle his legs and pull his hands away from his face. As tears coursed down my face, I was determined that he meet my eyes. I cupped his face in my hands, seeing the hurt he was so adept at hiding. “There was never a competition with any of you. I came to you guys broken. I carried scars too deep to see. Don’t you understand? When the glass was shattered and the pieces were put back together again, no pieces were the same—but all the pieces needed to be put together again if we were to be made whole.”
He nodded as understanding filled his eyes. He grabbed my hands and pulled me close as he embraced me. I leaned my head against his chest as he laid his head on top of mine. His warm hands ran up and down my spine.
The guys were silent for a while before Jace cleared his throat. I looked up in surprise when I noticed all t
he guys had moved in closer. Remy and Troy had taken seats on either side of Noah, their shoulders touching his. Jace and Jaxson were sitting by our knees, and Drake was at Noah’s feet.
“So, what should we do now? Do we take you home? Make these connections? Figure out where your brothers are?” Jaxson chewed on his bottom lip.
“I’m the only one left to make the connection,” Troy stated as if he wasn’t completely positive.
“How much do you all remember?” I asked wearily as I laid my head back down on Noah’s chest.
“Bits and pieces,” Remy grunted. “Ever since you made your connection with Noah.”
I looked at the other guys and they nodded; their memories probably started returning at that time as well.
I looked over at Troy. “Our connection is the last,” I confirmed.
“I’m calling Leo,” Troy finally stood up and brushed his pants off. “I remember working hard to chase my own demons away, but now whatever it was doesn’t seem that important anymore. I’m going to take a leave of absence until I figure this all out.”
I tried to stifle my gasp as I sat up. I looked up at him. Understanding dawning. “Your foster brother?” I silently communicated with him. “What happened to him?”
His eyes widened for a moment. He cleared his throat. “Blake,” he said hesitantly. “Will you like to follow me to your room? I think Gavin said Jemmy brought you some clothes you can change into.”
I nodded, knowing he would like to speak to me in private. He still wasn’t ready to share his secret with the guys. He didn’t want to know that his foster brother had been grooming him to molest him. “I’ll be right back,” I murmured as I let Troy help me up.
He waited until we got to my room, before he turned to me. “So, I told you.” It was more of a statement than a question.
I nodded as I bit my lip. “You let me know he had molested another little boy. You blamed yourself after you found out other boys had been placed in their care after you. You were afraid that only the last boy had been brave enough to come forward, and if you had spoken up earlier, maybe they all could have been saved from him.”
A large smile spread across his face. “My team had been investigating him. None of the other boys had been there long enough for him to attempt his grooming process. The last boy had come forward with a lap top that was filled with enough evidence to put him away for a while. He never got the chance to touch him. What did you do?” He pulled me in tight, squeezing me so hard I was afraid I might pass out. Not really, but it was tight.
“Judge Myers,” I smiled in relief. “I remembered, and I had a feeling he knew the whole situation. Especially since he did your adoption. With his gift. He would have known the truth, so I asked him to look into it for me.”
The look he gave me made me feel like I had hung the moon singlehandedly.
“Hey,” Remy came barreling into the room. “They found Alex, and they want to extract him now.”
Even though no one wanted me to go, I was going. Especially after I found out they were traveling out of state to get Alex. Gavin hadn’t seen Alex in a while, which was the norm at the shelter. Once Judge Myers got involved, he was able to search more thoroughly. It had been confirmed that Alex’s father had died while drinking and driving, crashing his car into a median. The authorities were never made aware of a son, so they never thought to even look for him.
Judge Myers had circulated the picture of Alex to all his contacts. He got a lead on Alex’s whereabouts, and now we were heading to Delaware. We were going to land on an airstrip that shared a runway with a Guard Base. We were hoping the element of surprise would be on our side.
Generally, when the Knights were dispatched, certain protocols were set in place. Will had people that were set up at headquarters to provide us with assistance if needed. This mission was too sensitive to trust just anyone. He didn’t want any information to fall into the wrong hands. His plan was to secure Alex and then deploy another team for any clean up.
The private jet was taking Will, Remy, Jace, Troy, Noah, Drake, Jaxson, Jemmy, Rachel, Gavin, Collin, and I to Delaware. I don’t know if most of the guys were more displeased that I was coming along, or that Collin was as well. They didn’t want Collin to go, for obvious trust reasons, and they didn’t feel I was physically ready to go. We were flying in blind. We didn’t know how many people were keeping Alex. We didn’t know their abilities, or if they had any.
The only reason I won the argument to go was because I informed them I was able to communicate with Alex in the future/past. We were hoping he had obtained his gift at this point, and I was able to communicate with him. They finally relented to allow me to go if I promised not to get physically involved.
It was the first time I was able to suit up like a Knight, and it felt kind of exhilarating. The black and silver suits were form fitting and made of a fire-retardant material. The chest had a Kevlar-like material built into it. It didn’t hurt that I had seen the look of appreciation in a lot of the guys’ eyes.
I had only got to accompany them on one other mission in the past; the same mission I found Alex the first time.
Drake seemed slightly withdrawn as he sat in the back, talking on the phone. Jaxson was beside him playing on his own phone. Will had slipped in the sleeping quarters in the back, occupied on his phone. Collin, Rachel, Gavin, and Jemmy had found seats in the recliners up front. I was sitting on the couch located in the middle of the jet with Noah and Troy, while Jace and Remy had taken seats across from us.
I was feeling slightly awkward. In the past, we had clicked quickly, but this time around they almost seemed hesitant with me, like they were unsure how to proceed. I had no clue either. Everything seemed more natural the first time around.
“So, you have a brother Micah out there as well. How do we find him?” Troy asked.
I shrugged. “The last time we found him, Alex helped us. Micah was in Baltimore. Horatio’s already a step ahead of us. He may already have him in custody.”
Remy’s eyebrows knitted. “We’ll find him,” he said gruffly.
Noah shifted on the couch and pulled me close to his side. I sighed and leaned my head into him.
Jaxson seemed agitated as he came back with Will. “I tried to tell Tamara we needed to talk, but I’ve been unable to reach her,” he said as he took a seat next to Jace and Remy.
Will sighed as he rubbed his eyes. “They’re gone. I sent a team to apprehend Bridgette, Zach and his connections to question them further, but they’re nowhere to be found.”
“Did Collin warn them?” I exclaimed.
Will shook his head. “We took his phone. He has no way of contacting them, and we’ve been with him the whole time. Plus, with the help of Rachel, we know Collin is regretting his actions. He never knew how Horatio operated.”
“So, someone else tipped him off,” Jace said grimly.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
Will took a seat on the arm of the couch across from us. “I think for now, we focus on your connections. Troy and Jace, I would like it if you stayed home for a while. Remy, I don’t want you travelling to your restaurants out of state, not unless you all go.”
Troy nodded. “I already have Leo as my point man. I’m going to do what I can, when I can, at home.”
“I’ve already submitted a leave of absence at school,” Jace said. “Maybe it’s time I came home as well and take a position at the Academy.”
Will nodded in agreement. “You know we can always find you a position somewhere. The elementary school’s music program is a bit rudimentary, we can focus on that.”
“Does that mean I’m coming…home?” I asked hesitantly. “What are our plans with Collin?”
Will looked at us in contemplation. “We have some decisions to make. I’m not sure he’ll be safe on his own. I was thinking about handpicking a security detail to accompany you to your classes. Including Collin, Noah, and Drake.” When Noah went to protest, Will held up his h
and. “Just until your connection is complete.”
“So, what are you waiting for?” Jemmy looked at us. I hadn’t noticed that everyone had gathered around us.
I blushed and ducked my head. “It’s not that easy.” I turned and grabbed Troy’s hand. “There was definitely something there before, but…”
“We need to get to know each other again,” Troy stated as he squeezed my hand.
“Is security going to be with me at my apartment?” Collin looked worried.
“I was thinking,” Will looked at all of us. “Maybe you can temporarily move in with us…”
Some of the guys reluctantly nodded, and although I was still angry at him for having a hand in screwing up our lives, in a way I should be thanking him and Horatio. Troy was a happier man knowing no one had to suffer at the hands of his foster brother. Time had been changed, and that had given me the opportunity to enlist Judge Myer’s help. Plus, the relationship I had with Noah was stronger now. We got to know each other on a deeper level. His insecurities with sharing me hadn’t had time to imbed itself in his psyche.
Chapter 14
The drive to Lewes, Delaware was about an hour south from the airport. As we pulled up into the quant beach town, I could understand why they had chosen this location. It was quiet. The tourist season was over. There would be very little people, if any, in the cottages. The closer we got, the more anxious I became.
We finally pulled up in front of the cottage down the street in our black Tahoes. Will turned in the front seat and looked at me. “Can you try to communicate with Alex? See what we’re up against?”
“I can try,” I nodded. Noah squeezed my hand reassuringly. Troy and Remy exited the vehicle with me, and we made our way closer to the house.
“Alex,” I called out to my brother mentally. I waited a few minutes before calling out to him again. “Alex, can you hear me?” A few more moments passed, and I was starting to get discouraged.