by Autumn Reed
I twirled my hair. “Ohhh . . .” I said, my voice lifting slightly at the end.
“Both of those men will likely be at the gala, and I need to know we can protect you if you attend. Also, I want to be certain you can keep a level head under the circumstances.” His indigo eyes assessed me, awaiting a response.
“Of course.” I picked at the food on my plate. “I’m kind of surprised Liam invited me as his guest considering what you’re telling me.”
Jackson sighed, and I sensed a note of displeasure. “If it was up to me, you would be staying home or keeping a low profile at the gala, at the very least. But Liam invited you before we could even discuss the situation as a team.” I bit back a smile; Liam was definitely earning brownie points with me at the moment.
“Is this the typical kind of thing you discuss as a team—the social calendar of the girl you’re babysitting?” My tone was playful, but I was truly curious. How often did they discuss me?
He chuckled lightly as he leaned back in his chair. “No, fortunately most assignments don’t come home with us.” His tone was so serious, it wasn’t until I saw the corner of his lip curling into a grin that I realized he was teasing.
With Jackson more relaxed, I finally worked up the nerve to ask him what I really wanted to know. “So . . . considering I’m included in the assignment, will you tell me more about the client?”
“I thought you might ask that.” He paused to take another bite of his meal. “Did your dad ever mention the name Gerald Douglas to you?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell. But obviously there’s a lot he failed to mention to me.”
“Douglas is a California politician; the gala is his largest philanthropic event of the year. Years ago, he was a district attorney in Los Angeles. Based on the dates of his employment, we believe this is the connection to your dad. We don’t know whose side he was on then or now, and unfortunately, it’s not the kind of question we can just ask him directly.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice.” I tried to limit the sarcasm in my tone. “My dad did suspect corruption within his own department, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought there was corruption at the DA’s office as well.”
“Look, Haley, you don’t have to go to the gala if you don’t want to. One of us can stay with you and get another team to sub in one of their members.”
“I’ll be fine. And I don’t want to be responsible for disrupting the team more than I already have.” As if I could pass up a chance like this to get closer to finding out where my dad was.
He leaned forward, his eyes piercing through me. “I appreciate that, but think on it. If you change your mind, just let me know.” I nodded.
“Also, whether you’re attending the gala or not, you need to be prepared to defend yourself.” My stomach churned, anticipating what was coming next. “Ethan and I discussed it; I’ve scheduled time on your calendar beginning tomorrow for him to work with you on self-defense.”
The best I could manage was “Okay.” I doubted I could get out of it, and I knew it was something I needed to work on. Even so, I could feel my anxiety rising at the thought of spending time alone with Ethan. After seeing him with that other girl at Theo’s party, I didn’t know how to act around him. But like it or not, I may as well get it over with. If I could survive hours alone with Jackson, I could handle a few of Ethan’s defense lessons.
Jackson moved in close, his demeanor playful. “Can you keep a secret?”
A secret from Jackson? I’m intrigued . . .
“Of course.”
He whispered unnecessarily in my ear and my answering smile was wicked. Ethan wouldn’t know what hit him.
Touchy
I sighed, opening my eyes and glancing at the clock on my phone even though I knew I’d regret it. Tonight even the playlist of relaxing music I’d been listening to at bedtime wasn’t doing any good. As the notes of the last song on the list faded, I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, the shadows mocking me in my frustrated state.
For the first time since the night Ethan stayed with me at the cabin, I was overcome with the desire to escape outdoors and seek comfort in the night sky. Surprisingly, I’d been falling asleep easily over the last month, and that knowledge alone was enough to keep me awake tonight. What kind of daughter was I that I could push my missing, endangered father out of my thoughts with so little effort?
It was like I’d been living in a blissful Santa Cruz coma, and Jackson’s discussion of Gerald Douglas today shocked me awake. Now it was all I could think about. What were Douglas’s intentions? Was he involved with the criminals my dad had so carefully kept us hidden from? And, if not, what did he want with Dad?
I felt like I should be doing something about the situation rather than stewing over it in bed. But what could I do, really? If the guys, with all their resources, had yet to put all the pieces together, what chance did I have to figure it out on my own?
At least I could take comfort in the fact that they were taking me with them to the gala. I didn’t know how, but I was determined to discover Douglas’s role in all of this and hoped the gala would finally provide some answers. If not, I wondered how I would go around the guys or even get another chance like this to access Douglas.
My phone vibrated once, indicating an incoming text message. I ignored it, debating whether to bother checking the screen. A text at this time of night was likely unimportant, and I wasn’t in the mood to banter with any of the guys.
But, my curiosity got the best of me, and I found myself opening my messaging app.
Ethan: There’s a supermoon tomorrow night.
I smiled but closed the app without responding. Instead, I switched to e-mail and re-read Jessica’s latest message. Ever since our first exchange, we had been e-mailing back and forth every few days, slowly adding in details about our lives. Probably overly paranoid that the “bad guys” could hack into Jessica’s e-mail, I had been reluctant to give her many details. But, I did finally give in and subtly ask her if she’d heard anything about what happened to my dad.
Her response hadn’t told me much. Apparently the assumption around Coleville was that he’d died tragically in the house fire and that someone had stolen his truck, later dumping it a few towns away. Jessica relayed that when her mother was questioned about Dad by two men, she said she didn’t know anything. And, she didn’t mention me. At least that was one less thing to worry about.
I knew I should share the information with the guys, especially since it meant they might lighten up on their babysitting duties. But, I doubted that they would approve of me contacting Jessica at this point, and I didn’t want to drag her into the middle of it anyway. Plus, knowing they were constantly keeping secrets from me, I felt no guilt about keeping a few from them . . . including my plans to escape to San Francisco.
After researching online, I had a tentative plan in place. Since the bus fare to San Francisco only cost around twenty dollars, that part wasn’t a problem. I had saved a decent amount of money in the short time I’d been working at Zenith. The bigger problem was what to do after I got to San Francisco and accessed the safe deposit box. It was too expensive to stay in San Francisco, so I was planning on taking another bus to a town outside of Sacramento. I’d stay in a motel there for a few days while I figured out my next steps depending on what I found in the safe deposit box.
I just had to decide when to leave. Part of me wished that I could disappear tonight, to move on and attempt to forget the guys before they became even more entrenched in my life. After Theo’s party, I was finding myself more and more torn about them. I tried not to overanalyze the jealousy I felt after seeing Knox with the bombshell, Ethan with the girl on his lap, even Theo with Kenzi hanging all over him. But, deep down, I knew that my feelings were growing for each of them. And they shouldn’t, couldn’t; it was too complicated, too impossible.
For now, I would just have to deal with the awkwardness I felt around them, constantly wondering if any of them s
aw me as more than a friend or if it was all in my head. Finding out that at least one of the men who chased my dad would be at the gala was enough to force me to stay. Halloween was less than two weeks away; I could hold out until then.
Finally deciding that sleep was unattainable, I climbed out of bed to hunt for a snack, a book, or just something to occupy me. Maybe a distraction would help quiet my thoughts. If nothing else, at least I wouldn’t waste any more time agonizing over things I was currently powerless to change.
My bare feet padded against the cool floor as I headed down the hall toward the living room. Folding my arms across my chest for warmth, I tried to ignore how chilly it was after the coziness of my down comforter. I didn’t often wander around the loft in my pajamas, even though it felt more like my home every day.
One of the floor lamps in the living room was on as usual, and I walked to the kitchen feeling restless. I stuck my head in the fridge, the fluorescent light flooding the dimly lit kitchen.
“Can’t sleep either?”
I practically jumped out of my skin and quickly closed the fridge. Scanning the room, I didn’t see anyone. “Theo? I didn’t notice anyone down here. Where are you?”
He waved his hand from one of the large leather couches, and I walked into the living room to stand at the back of the couch, looking down at him. Lying on his back, Theo had his knees propped up, holding a book. He looked different, but I thought perhaps he was just tired.
I couldn’t blame him. Last week Knox and Theo had been away more often and for longer stretches of time. I was dying to know what they were doing, but I knew better than to ask.
So used to seeing Theo perfectly dressed and coiffed at all times, this was the first time I had caught him without his distinctive swooped hairstyle. Resting on the back of the couch, I leaned over and ran my fingers through his russet hair before mussing it.
“Nice hair!” I grinned playfully.
He glared at me, his hazel-green eyes blazing and his jaw set. Accustomed to Theo’s upbeat nature, his sullen attitude took me by surprise. “Nice pjs,” he snapped.
I looked down at my favorite sleepwear—a set of satin pajamas in sapphire blue covered with white stars in several sizes. The silky, button-down top had the tailored feel of men’s pajamas from the 1950s and looked cute with the matching drawstring shorts.
“Is everything okay?” I asked somewhat hesitantly.
“Fine and dandy.” He responded, but the tone of his voice indicated it was anything but.
Did I do something? I wondered. Having barely seen him since the party, I wasn’t sure what, if anything, I could have done to upset Theo.
“I have something that might cheer you up.”
“I doubt that.” He flipped the page on the book, seeming disinterested.
“Don’t go anywhere; I’ll be right back.” I heard a puff of air come from the direction of the couch in response.
I returned with a small box wrapped by the local gift store in vintage map paper with a blue satin bow. Theo was in exactly the same position as when I had left him minutes before. I leaned over the back of the couch again, extending the gift to him. “It’s not much, but I really wanted to give you something for your birthday.”
His eyebrow raised as he reached out to take the present from me before carefully unwrapping it. I sat perched on the couch, barely concealing my excitement and nervousness while I anticipated his reaction.
His somber expression finally gave way to one of delight. “Awesome! Thank you, Haley.” He held up the stainless steel bicycle keychain that doubled as a carabiner and built-in bottle opener.
I relaxed, relieved that he seemed to love the gift and that his mood had lightened, even if momentarily. A surly Knox was to be expected, but a grumpy Theo threw me for a loop.
He closed his book and sat up, wincing as he did so.
“Are you okay?”
He swung his legs to the floor and patted the couch next to him. “I will be.”
“What happened?” I asked, genuinely concerned as I sat next to him and grabbed one of the faux fur throws.
Theo sucked in a breath. “Not much, just some stitches and bruises.”
“Not much?” I exclaimed. “Um, yeah, I totally disagree. Did you have a bike accident?”
He looked away and spoke softly. “No; I can’t really talk about it.”
I furrowed my brow, trying to read between the lines. “Oh . . .” I said, realization dawning on me. “Was it a work thing?”
He nodded, biting the corner of his lip. Stupid confidentiality agreements, I thought, wondering what he had been doing that resulted in stitches. Would I ever really know what the guys did in their work for Zenith?
He sighed. “I’m sorry I was short with you. It’s just, training for El Gigante was going so well, and now . . .” He threaded his fingers through his hair much like Knox did when he was agitated. “Now I’m going to be set back for at least a week, if not more.”
“At least you still have two months or so to heal and train,” I said encouragingly.
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I guess you’re right.”
I sensed that talking about it wasn’t going to make him feel any better; we sat in silence for a moment before Theo spoke again.
“Enough about me. What’s bothering you, Haley?”
I ran my hand along the blanket, comforted by its warmth and softness. “I was just worrying about my dad.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Not really. I think I’d prefer a distraction, honestly.”
The look he gave me was full of mischief. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day. Let’s go upstairs; I’ll show you embarrassing photos of Knox as a kid.”
I laughed. “Will you show me some of you, too? I want to see a five-year-old Theo in bow ties and retro hair.”
He shook his head and laughed noiselessly. “We’ll see.”
Theo rose cautiously from the couch, grimacing as he did so, and I wondered if he would be able to make it upstairs. I immediately took his arm and wrapped it around my shoulder so he could lean on me for support.
Hoping to distract him from his pain, I asked a question that had been in the back of my mind since my first days at the loft. “Speaking of photos . . . I’ve been meaning to ask. Did you take all the photos displayed on the wall above my bed?”
Through clenched teeth, Theo answered. “Yep, as well as pretty much every other photo in the loft.”
After we slowly climbed the stairs and finally made it to his room, Theo was panting and perspiration beaded along his forehead.
“Theo?”
He nodded and said, “I’m fine, make yourself comfortable,” before disappearing into the closet.
I perched on the foot of the bed and leaned back on my forearms, my feet dangling over the edge. I hadn’t been in Theo’s room since my snooping expedition, so I scanned the room to re-acclimate myself. When my eyes fell on Theo’s previously full cork board, I sat up in surprise.
Where there used to be a collection of magazine clippings, there was now an eight by ten photo of me and a few remaining quotes. The photo was zoomed in, featuring an up-close-and-personal view from my forehead to shoulders. My body was angled away from the camera, but I was looking over my shoulder with a closed-mouth grin and pink in my cheeks. The background was blurred, and the sun provided the perfect light to showcase the red strands in my dark hair.
Overall, the effect was stunning. Somehow the photo made my natural look—disheveled braid, no makeup—appear almost glamorous. I thought back and remembered Theo taking seemingly careless close-ups of me while we were walking along the boardwalk. How was it possible that he could capture such an amazing photo without even trying? And why was mine the only portrait on display? Maybe he just loved the composition?
When I heard the closet doorknob turn, I snapped back around, feigning boredom. Theo returned with a black box and a serious look.
“Haley, you have to
promise you won’t tell Knox I showed you these. He would kill me.”
“Okay, I pinky swear.”
I moved up the bed until my back was against the headboard, and Theo sat next to me, opening the lid to reveal a disorganized stack of photos. When he held up the first photo, I let out an involuntary, “Awwww.” Knox looked to be about eight, his blond hair lighter and his cheeks much chubbier. He was wearing an oversized backpack and frowning like he couldn’t believe he was being forced to pose for a picture. Some things didn’t change.
As Theo and I pored over the rest of the photos, I found myself smiling at young Knox and Theo—their bad haircuts, missing teeth, silly expressions. I couldn’t believe the number of freckles Theo had as a kid; pale-skinned and shirtless, his face and body were covered in them. I glanced over at him; he still had a dusting across his nose and cheeks, but they were minimal in comparison.
Whenever a photo included a woman I assumed was their mother, he would silently place it face down in the box and move on. I wanted to ask him about his parents, but after his surly mood earlier, I didn’t dare bring up the obviously touchy subject tonight.
Once we finished with the stack, Theo returned the box to his closet before turning off the overhead light and sprawling on the bed, releasing a pained moan as he did so. His left arm rested palm-up on my knee, and from the dim light shining from his desk lamp, I could just barely make out the array of shapes on his forearm tattoo.
I lightly ran my fingers down his arm, following the lines of a geometric design that weaved through his other tattoos. His eyes shot to mine before adjusting them to follow my fingers moving over his warm skin. I ignored his look of curious surprise and asked, “Will you tell me about one of them?”
“Of course.” He patted the pillow on my side of the bed. “You might as well get comfortable. It’s practically the middle of the night, you know.”
I shifted down so that my head could rest against the pillow and turned on my side to face Theo. He held his forearm close to my face and pointed to a tattoo right in the middle. Finally seeing the shape up close, it was obviously a jaguar. Team Jaguar . . . of course.