Cash: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 6)

by Chelsea Handcock

  Kiera squeezed his hand and said, “Cash I need to talk to you about something.”

  “What?”

  “A good friend of mine insisted you be brought here. She’s the reason you are at this facility with me and not at another NAC location like I’m sure Declan would have preferred.”

  That was interesting, Cash thought, he wondered why Senior wouldn’t have wanted him with Kiera. It was SOP as far as he was concerned. But that also brought up other questions. If it had been months, then why wasn’t a member of his team here? Why wasn’t Jacks? He knew if the situation were reversed, he would have been at Jacks’ bedside until he woke up. Or at least be close by.

  Kiera was still talking, and he only caught the tail end of what she was saying.

  “She also insisted I be the first one to talk to you when you woke up.”

  Emerald eyes, flashed before his eyes.

  “Who?”

  “Who isn’t important, and I’m not going to get into that with you, but she’s the reason you’re alive right now. If she hadn’t found you and reconnected you to your bear, I’m afraid you wouldn’t have survived your injuries.”

  “I think I have a right to know who this person is.”

  “You do, but it isn’t my place to make that call,” Kiera said, sadness etched on her face.

  “Okay, Kiera, I can accept that,” Cash said the words, but his mind was already dismissing them. He would find out who the woman she was talking about, one way or another.

  “Thank you, Cash. I can’t tell you how sorry I am, but it has to be this way. Anyway, listen, like I was saying. She wanted me to be the first one you talked to when you came awake because as soon as I walk out this door and let Declan, Mattias, and the others know you’re awake, things are going to happen that cannot be undone.”

  “What are you talking about Kiera?” Cash didn’t like the sound of this or the anxiety floating off Kiera in waves. He should be safe here. What the hell had happened while he was, well, gone, lacking the right word for what he had been?

  “I guess the thing to do is start from the being.” Kiera let out a breath. “You have to know this is hard for me, but I agree you deserve these answers, and I accept that after you have heard everything, you might hate me as much as the rest of the people here.”

  Fuck me, Cash thought. His mind was becoming clearer, the drugs leaving his system, but he was still groggy. He tried to rack his brain and figure out if he remembered anything about the last couple of months. Kiera was looking at him, waiting for some kind of response; maybe the drugs were still causing him issues. Shit, he hated not being in control.

  “Okay, Kiera, go for it. Anything to alleviate the tension I’m feeling coming from you would be good because it’s irritating my bear.”

  “Cash, I’m sorry, but that’s a good sign, one I wasn’t sure you would have. Your bear is coming back, fully. This is just, I’m going against someone I care deeply for by doing this, but I made a promise, and I won’t go back on it because to tell you the truth is the right thing to do.”

  “Just say what you have to say, Kiera, I’ll deal with it all later.”

  “Fine, but please stay as calm as you can, you're still healing, and I don’t want to jeopardize that.”

  “Kiera,” Cash grumbled.

  “Declan let everyone believe Ryleigh and the Holly Group were the first ones to find the connection between Dr. Franklin's experiments and Shifters, but that wasn’t the case. There have been others, many others, for generations.”

  Cash had already figured that out for himself. Hell, Sky’s existence alone as a natural was proof.

  “The woman who helped you is connected to a person from your past, a person you thought had died but has been close all along.”

  “What the fuck, Keira, who?” The monitors started to blare with alarms; Cash knew his heart rate had increased and his breathing had accelerated. He watched as the name formed on Kiera’s lips and started to shake his head in denial when she finally got the name out, Jessie.

  “No! I felt the bond sever, Kiera, you know she can’t be alive.”

  “She always has been. Cash, I am so sorry, but there is more. More you need to know before they come in here and tell you. Jenna wanted to give you time to process all of this before it was put right in front of your face.”

  Cash struggled to get out of the damn bed, ripping at the lines that seemed to be connected to his body everywhere.

  “Please, you need to calm down.” Kiera got up and checked the IV line which was connected to his hand and pushed a couple of buttons. He could feel the sting of medication entering his veins before his body started to slow down.

  “Where is she?” Cash demanded.

  “I’m right here, Cash.”

  Cash whipped his head around to the voice that had haunted him for years and standing right there in the doorway was Jessie. His Jessie but different. She no longer had that glow of innocence or the chubby fullness of adolescence, she was a woman. He briefly wondered why his body wasn’t reacting to her in any way, why his bear was so calm and quiet.

  Senior was standing behind her with Lance at his side. Fuck, he hadn’t seen Lance in years, but his friend still looked the same, but what was he doing here with Jessie? Lance had searched right along with him, even encouraged him to keep on digging to keep the case open. But if he was here with her, then he knew. Or…

  “Kiera you had no right!” Seniors voice tore through his thoughts. “Leave now, this is an NAC matter, you shouldn’t have interfered.”

  Cash saw Kiera get up and walk out of the room, her head down. Before she passed Senior, she looked up to him, but Senior demanded she leave without looking at her. Cash felt sorry for Kiera; she didn’t deserve any of this, especially not Senior’s scorn. Senior was the one who should be chastised for keeping secrets. Kiera had just tried to do the right thing, and once he stopped looking at the ghost from his past and getting her out of his mind completely, Cash intended to let Senior know that.

  Shit, Jessie was standing right in front of him, healthy. Looking a little older but still the same. Cash would have recognized her anywhere. How in the hell was this even possible? He had convinced himself she was dead. Had mourned her loss for years. His mind was having a hard time reconciling the image before him. Was it the drugs or was this a part of a dream? Another dream came crashing through his mind—the tiny woman with raven hair and emerald eyes. He had called her Jessie, but the two of them couldn’t be more different. Jessie was tall, close to six feet with an athletic build. She also had blonde hair and blue-green eyes. There wasn’t anything about the two women that would be considered similar. But which was the dream, this or that?

  He held his hand out to her, praying she would come to him and take it, but she only came a little closer, then he noticed the mark on her neck, a mating mark. Fate mated. Cash pulled his hand back like he had been burned.

  “What’s going on? How is this possible?”

  It was Lance’s curse that caught his attention first, and he moved his eyes away from Jessie. She had tears in her eyes, but she stayed back like she was afraid of him. She had no reason to fear him, and it bothered him more than he could say.

  It was Mattias who broke the spell.

  “Quiet, this is your wake-up call, Cash and Declan’s biggest secret come to light.” Mattias was always an ass, but the way he was smiling at Declan proved how much of one he was. He loved this, whatever the fuck it was.

  Cash had no idea how long Mattias had been talking, but everything he said sent anger through his veins. If Kiera hadn’t dosed him with the medication, he knew he would have changed and torn every person in the room apart by now, including Jessie, and he had sworn to never lay a hand on a woman, ever. She could have found him, had the ability and never once came to him.

  Jessie had been alive all along, and her family had known it. Senior had taken her away because they were becoming too close and because of some prophecy, he decid
ed to take matters into his own hands and separate him with her family’s consent. People he thought were friends had been working against him, encouraging him to live a half-life. He also found out he had a brother, a twin, Jessie's real fated mate. The one she was bound to eternally and wasn’t that just fucking fantastic? Then there was the topper, the woman who had helped him was Jessie's twin. Emerald eyes flashed in his mind along with the dreams and how he had talked to her non-stop for what seemed like a lifetime. He had told her things he never had once mentioned to anyone else. He briefly got glimpses of her words, saying she wasn’t Jessie. Cash found that bond and reached out to her, using his anger as his guide.

  Where are you! he demanded. He could feel her in his body, in his mind, but she wasn’t talking to him, and that pissed him off more. He hated them, all of them. Cash’s body although still unable to do much, he managed to grab the glass Kiera had left on the table, throwing at the group in the room.

  “Get the fuck out!”

  Chapter Nine

  Jenna could feel Cash’s hurt and anger. She wasn’t that far away, she had needed to stay close to him. She justified the need by saying she wanted to make sure he was taken care of properly, but that was a bunch of bullshit. Jenna knew damn well he was being taken care of, she trusted Kiera with her life. Her need to be near him had a hell of a lot more to do with the fact she had irrevocably bonded them to each other. She could justify it was to save his life, but she was afraid he wouldn’t feel the same way.

  Jenna sat down on the couch; it was now or never. Opening her mind, she let Cash fully into her head, she couldn’t hide anymore. The words echoed in her mind, Tell me now! She could also feel his physical pain. She didn’t have to search for the bond that joined them. Now, it was a part of her as much as it was a part of him. Pushing her power through, she started to feel him relax. When he demanded that she stop, she was shocked.

  Damn it! Stop! I don’t know who the fuck you are, but it’s time you told me what the hell is going on and not through this fucked up link between the two of us. Get your ass here, now. I’m giving you until the end of the day. If you don’t come, I will find you, Jenna Smith, and when I do, you will not like the outcome.

  The connection cut off so quickly, it startled Jenna. Cash had never once done that to her before. Now there was a wall up she couldn’t get through. It felt like a piece of herself was missing. It hurt so much, the pain became physical, and she leaned forward clutching at her stomach, tears already burning her eyes. Damn, what had she done?

  She felt the cushion on the couch shift and large hands rubbing her back, and she knew her Uncle Matt was there offering her comfort, but it wasn’t the same or the man she needed right now.

  “Look at me, sweet girl,” her Uncle Matt said softly. Jenna didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to talk to him, but she knew he would stay there all day until she did as he asked. Taking several deep breaths, she whispered, “I can’t. Please, can we do this later?”

  “Jenna, I have given you weeks to come to me and tell me what’s going on, so I can help you. Times up, honey, you need to let someone in. Tell me what happened up in that cottage of yours and what has you so sad now.”

  “I can’t Uncle Matt,” Jenna shuttered out a breath, “I just can’t, right now. Please, I’ve done something horrible, and I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

  “Sweet girl, whatever it is can’t be that bad,” Mattias said, still rubbing her back. It pissed him off Jenna had become so shut off, and he blamed Declan for that. If the man hadn’t been playing all his games, Jenna wouldn’t be hurting so much right now. He had warned him, but as always, Declan thought he knew best. Mattias sensed him as soon as he walked in the door and knew this was the one person Jenna would open up to. Bending down, he kissed the top of her head.

  “Okay, sweet girl, for now, but if you need me, just call.” Before he made it through the door, Mattias heard Jenna sobbed “Thank you,” and it tore him apart. Someone was going to pay for this. Walking down the hall, he waited for Kayden to turn the corner.

  Kayden was a cocky fucker who Mattias didn’t always have the patience for, but he knew the other man loved Jenna like a sister. That was the only reason he had left her crying in Kiera’s living room. Jenna was Mattias’s, period. She was the daughter he never had, and he would do anything for her. When Declan found out about her and decided she was better off staying in foster care, away from the rest of them, Mattias went after her, bringing her into his home. At first, it was just to piss Declan off, then it turned into more. Kayden was another one of his adopted children, but the reasons behind that were far darker.

  Reaper. Kayden loved the look in Mattias’ eyes when he called him that. Typical, Mattias couldn’t be baited to respond, but that slight squinting of his eyes was enough for him. It meant the man did feel something. Over the years, it had become a game for Kayden, any reaction from Mattias was considered a win. Jenna was the only one who got a good reaction from the man, a loving one. It wasn’t as though Kayden wanted Mattias to treat him the same way, he wasn’t jealous of Jenna in any way, but he wanted to know what Mattias was up to. He always knew Mattias wasn’t capable of loving anything, even Jenna, and it bothered him to see Mattias actions because they were genuine. No, Mattias had an end game, one Kayden couldn’t figure out. That was why he always encouraged Jenna to find her own way, away from everyone.

  “Kayden, took you long enough to get here, I called you last week.”

  “Well, old man, I had a few things I needed to take care of first. You know, like trying to find my Beta, dealing with my sister and niece, you know basic shit.”

  “Knock it off, boy, you know better than to pull that shit with me,” Mattias growled, letting a little of his inner beast show in his eyes and stature. It didn’t scare Kayden in the slightest, having seen it too many times before.

  “Are you leaving?” Kayden questioned

  “Yes, Jenna is in the living room. I expect you to care for her,” Mattias said over his shoulder.

  “Yeah, just like always,” Kayden said under his breath. Kayden loved Jenna, would do anything for her, that was why he was here now. Otherwise, he would have never obeyed Mattias’s dictate to come. He and Mattias were like oil and water when put in the same room together. It had always been that way. The arrogant ass didn’t even bother to say anything else, just walked out of the room, leaving Kayden standing there.

  Kayden paid it no attention, going immediately to the enormous bar, grabbing a couple of bottles and two shot glasses. As he made his way into the living room, his heart broke. He hadn’t seen Jenna in a couple of years, but she was crying softly, curled in on herself. Damn, this was going to suck.

  “Hey, Jenna,” Kayden said. When her head snapped up, he saw the misery she was in, then it changed to shock, then a beautiful smile. Just as he expected, she stood and ran to him, jumping into his open arms. Kayden had to jostle her around a little to keep hold of the bottles and glasses in his hands, but he managed.

  “So, tell me, Jenna,” he said, kissing her on the forehead, “you have been here for weeks and didn’t once think to give me a call.” Her smile faded, but they had agreed a long time ago always to be honest with each other.

  Jenna looked up at Kayden and straightened her body out, so he would let her go, but he didn’t, he was waiting for an answer. The truth was she had wanted to call him but knew he had a lot going on. Being the Alpha of Bravo was a huge responsibility, and he hadn’t had the position long. Plus, she had to admit to herself, she had been hiding. Kayden had a way of getting her to talk when no one else could.

  “Kayden, I—” she started.

  “Nope, not going to work.” Kayden let her down and lifted up the two bottles and glasses she hadn’t noticed he was holding. “I think this calls for a rematch.”

  “Kayden,” Jenna raised her eyebrow, “we haven’t done this since high school.”

  Kayden walked over to the couch and sat down
, putting the glasses down, then held up the bottle in his left hand.

  “Whiskey or,” looking at the other bottle, “Tequila?”

  Jenna smiled and pointed to the Tequila. If she had any chance of getting through the next hour, Tequila was her choice because it always got Kayden flustered. He was a shifter, so he wouldn’t get drunk. No, that was what was going to happen to her, but Tequila made him talk, and if she could keep him talking long enough, she wouldn’t have to talk herself.

  “Do you remember the rules?” Kayden asked.

  Jenna walked over and sat on the floor on the opposite side of the coffee table.

  “Yeah, do you?”

  “Yep, whoever has the shittier life gets to make the other take a drink. You ready?” he asked as he poured two shots.

  “Don’t you think we are a little too old for this, Kayden?” Jenna countered, lifting the glass to her lips and downing it. The harsh liquor burned its way down her throat. It had been a long time since she had done shots. When they were kids, they used to sneak a bottle from Uncle Matt and go out into the woods to play this very game. She had come up with it; it was the only way she could ever get Kayden to talk. He had always been closed off like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders, and Jenna had to admit, in a sense, it had.

  “Nah,” Kayden said while filling her glass again, “I figure, why change something that works. You had time to come to me on your own, and you didn’t, so bottoms up girl.”

  “Nope,” Jenna laughed, “you're forgetting this works age before beauty, plus, I already did one, so spill.”

  “Okay, you have me there. Let’s see.” Kayden made a big show of trying to think of something, then blurted out, “My sister doesn’t want to be within fifty feet of me.”

  Jenna had heard about Zoey when she got back, Uncle Matt telling her all about what she had missed hiding out in the backcountry. Dr. Franklin had been playing his games with a lot more people’s lives than Jenna had ever known. Having personally lived through some of it herself, she felt for the woman. Jenna, thankfully, only experienced foster care before Uncle Matt saved her; Zoey had experienced white slavery. Jenna also knew it was part of Kayden’s nature to protect, and part of that protection involved putting the people he loved in a box and wrapping them so tightly in protection, they couldn’t breathe. Jenna knew he meant well, but most people couldn’t handle that; she hadn’t been able to, and from what she heard about Zoey, she didn’t think she ever would either.