The Ascension (Entangled Series Book 3)

by Jill Sanders

  When he slid into her again, this time he allowed his control to slip. He pushed her legs up to his chest as his mouth covered hers.

  Her soft body gave way to his and he demanded everything she had, everything she was trying to hold back.

  “More.” This time it was him who had growled it out. His hips jerked harder, faster until he felt her let go completely. Only then did he follow her.

  Several Days later….

  Jacob snuggled with Jess and had just drifted off to sleep when he was bombarded once again with something out of his control.

  Loud sounds crashed around him. His eyes flew open as he watched dust, rocks, dirt, and debris fly. He could hear bombs explode a few yards away from his position, which happened to be somewhere in the desert instead of his bedroom in a soft bed. Then his entire body shook violently as a searing pain shot through his arm and shoulder.

  He woke from the nightmare when Jess’s cool hand shook his shoulder.

  “Easy,” she said. “I saw it too.”

  He reached for his phone, concern flying high, as he punched Mike’s cell number.

  When he answered, Jacob, didn’t give him a chance to talk.

  “Want to tell me what the hell just happened?” he barked out. He was getting tired of this shit happening to him. “What the hell did I just see?”

  “What?” Mike said like he didn’t know what he was talking about.

  “Did you just get blown up or what?” Jacob finally asked him.

  “No, but I think our brother, Ethan, my twin, is in serious trouble.” Mike’s words shook him to the core.

  “Twins?” He’d had no idea. He’d been so caught up in the fact that he had one brother, he hadn’t been aware that Mike had a twin.

  He hung up the phone and turned to Jess. “Did you know that Mike was a twin?”

  He watched her swallow, then nod slightly. “Why didn’t you clue me in on that fact?”

  “I thought you knew. Is he okay?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure of the details.” He stood up and walked to the window, running his hands over his face. “From what I saw, looks like he got blown up.”

  “I saw that part too. Is Mike…?” She dropped off.

  He knew what she was asking. “He’s calling his parents now, but I doubt they’ll know anything for a few hours, if not days.”

  “Do you think…?” He watched her swallow and close her eyes. “Is he okay?”

  He closed his own eyes as the scene played over in his mind again. “If I saw it correctly, yeah, there’s a good chance he’ll be okay.” He turned back to the window and looked out to the darkness. Hell, now he was in a sour mood.

  The past few days he’d been bombarded with reports and reporters, and dealing with the fact that a major cult had infiltrated the town under his watch.

  He turned around as Jess pulled on her clothes. It was still too early. If he wasn’t so pissed, he might have crawled back in bed with her and enjoyed her soft body some more.

  Since that first night, she’d been in his bed every night. At this point, it would take years to get his fill of her. Not that he wanted her to know that just yet.

  She sat on the side of his bed and pulled on her pants. He knew she was upset at him. Hell, he’d yelled at her for not telling him something that was probably common knowledge.

  He should have taken the time and done some research on the Kincaids, but between the murder-for-hire scheme and the cult kidnapping and deaths, he’d been a little preoccupied. Not to mention, he’d spent all his free time with Jess.

  “I’m heading into work.” Jess took her jacket from the chair.

  “I’ll drive you.” He reached for his own jeans.

  “Don’t bother. The walk into town will help me cool off.” She jerked her jacket on and walked out of the room.

  Hell, he’d screwed up.

  Just then, his cell beeped with a text.

  -Meet at Xtina’s place tonight around eight. M

  Great! Probably more voodoo games. The last one had literally knocked him on his ass. But he was curious, which meant he’d be there early to have a chat with his brother.

  He spent another hellish day dealing with reporters, filling out paperwork, and getting to the bottom of what the cult was doing in town.

  He’d been shocked when one of the cult members had pretty much confessed that their leader, William Ray, the man Mike had shot and killed while defending Xtina, had murdered her parents, making their crash look like an accident. Which meant he needed to work on his team’s efficiency.

  When he arrived at Xtina’s place, he wasn’t happy to see that the Kincaids were still there. He wanted to ask them more about their history but figured now wasn’t the time. They filled everyone in on Ethan, Mike’s twin’s condition.

  Ethan was Special Forces and had been hurt in the line of duty. He was currently stuck in a hospital somewhere overseas.

  Mike had been released from the hospital just that morning and sat on the sofa with their dog Rose curled up next to his bad leg.

  He kept sneaking glances at Jess across the room. He could tell she was still pissed at him, since she was shooting daggers with her eyes in his direction.

  He’d avoided going into the Coffee Corner that morning to give her some space. He’d had to pack a mug of coffee for the office, which he’d spilled on his way into the station. He’d grabbed a package of donuts from the vending machine, but they had been stale and he’d wished for a hot blueberry muffin like the ones that Jessie always had at the shop.

  When the Kincaids finally left, he jumped at the chance and spoke up.

  “Tell me what the hell is happening to me? Why I’m seeing…” He motioned, taking a deep breath. “Things.” He ran his hands through his hair.

  “I wish I knew,” Mike said, turning slightly to Xtina. “Any ideas?”

  She nodded, then stood up slowly. “Yes, but we’re not all here, yet…” Just then her doorbell chimed. “That will be her.”

  “Her?” Jessie asked. “Who, her?” She spoke up for the first time that evening.

  Xtina turned to the room and smiled. “A piece to our puzzle.”

  Chapter 6

  As Xtina opened her front door, Jess’s eyes moved to Jacob as more pain surfaced. She’d been looking for a reason to take a step back. Not because things weren’t going well between them. On the contrary, everything was perfect. Too perfect. She could get used to living with him, loving him at night, fantasizing about being with him when they were apart.

  The relationship had been better than she’d ever imagined. It was almost as if they were made for each other. But she knew where it led. It was the only path that hadn’t changed.

  She wanted a moment alone with Xtina, to tell her friend about their relationship, but things had been… well, crazy.

  In the few days she’d been with him, things had changed. Things were happening that she’d never seen before. Things beyond just moving items around.

  What did that mean? Why, when her relationship with Jacob had been a set deal, did it change things? What she needed was some time to think things through. But being with him every night, her mind and power shut down.

  When the pretty blonde with silver eyes walked in, she held her breath. She’d seen the woman before. More times than she could count. She felt shivers run up her spine and felt all the air leave the room. Dread filled her. She was losing control. Losing the last hold she had between reality and the dream world.

  She felt a huge weight shift onto her shoulders and felt her breath knock from her lungs.

  “Actually, you’re just in time, seeing as you’re the guest of honor tonight.” Xtina’s voice broke into Jess’s private thoughts.

  Jess stood back as Xtina introduced everyone in the room. When she got to Jacob, he jumped in very eagerly.

  “We’ve met,” he said, moving towards her.

  Jess didn’t hear much after that. Her mind was focused on watching Jacob as he
watched the blonde. It was then that she realized the woman hadn’t given anyone her name. In fact, the only one in the room who knew who she was, was Jacob.

  Finally, Jess stepped forward. “Who are you?” Everyone turned to her and looked at her like she was being rude, so she shrugged. “You may know her”—she glared at Jacob—“but no one else in the room does.”

  “Sorry.” The blonde shifted slightly. “I’m Breanna Garrett.”

  She explained that she was a reporter from Atlanta, and Jess’s eyes moved back to Jacob. He’d known this woman was sniffing around Xtina and Mike? Didn’t he know they’d been through too much in the past few days to have to deal with a reporter?

  Her temper doubled. When the woman pulled out the newspaper from her bag, the one with Xtina’s picture on the front and the accusations, she’d had enough.

  “You’re here for a story,” Jessie finally said, stepping forward as her eyes narrowed towards Jacob. “You knew about this?” she accused.

  Jacob, for his part, only shrugged. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him across the room. She sat down and tuned them out as they talked, but focused once again when the woman broke in.

  “In my vision…”—Brea glanced around the room—“before you passed out, your eyes went white, and you told me that Hidden Creek holds my fate.”

  Something in Jess shifted. Suddenly, every vision she’d had bombarded her mind. She felt her chest tighten and a desperate need for air attacked her.

  She jumped up from her seat, glanced around the room and blurted out. “I… have to…” She rushed from the room, not stopping until she was almost at the end of Xtina’s drive.

  The cool air on her face helped her focus so she could calm down. She jumped slightly when Jacob’s hand rested on her shoulder.

  “You okay?” He turned her towards him and looked into her eyes.

  It was too dark to see him clearly. The lights from the house were directly behind him, casting a glow around him.

  “Yeah, fine.” She tried to jerk away, but he stopped her.

  “Listen, I’m sorry about this morning.” He ran his hand through his hair and she could tell he was frustrated.

  She sighed and turned back towards the house. “You were upset that I didn’t tell you about Ethan.” She turned back to him. “I honestly didn’t know you didn’t know about him.”

  He nodded, and she could see he wanted to say more, but she broke in.

  “You didn’t tell us about her sniffing around for a story.” She nodded to the house.

  “Lots of reporters have been sniffing around. I didn’t tell you about them either,” he pointed out.

  She felt like a heel. Okay, she hadn’t left the house in a hurry because of the reporter. She’d left because of what the woman had said about Xtina’s eyes. A shiver rushed through her.

  “What’s this all about?” Jacob stepped closer, his hands going to her shoulders. “There’s something else.”

  She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his chest. “I can’t stay mad at you,” she whispered. “Not when you look at me like that.”

  “That’s good to know,” he joked. “How about we head back to my place—”

  “Can’t,” she broke in. “I need some time.” She glanced up at him. “Just a few days to think about things.”

  “Were we moving too fast?” he asked.

  “No.” She wished she could tell him that he wasn’t moving fast enough. After all, one of the last pieces to their puzzle just showed up. Now, all they needed was Ethan.

  Two Days later….

  Jacob stood, again, in Xtina’s house, along with everyone else, this time, to meet his other brother, Ethan. Instantly, he could see how close Mike and Ethan were. Not only in looks, but in everything else. They talked, walked, laughed, and moved the same.

  Something nagged at him in the gut. He’d always wanted a brother or sister. The moment he’d found out about his adoption, he’d stopped dreaming of a sibling.

  Jess had taken a large step back from their relationship. Just looking at her sitting across the room from him made him realize how much he missed holding her at night, being close to her. He still made a point to swing by and have breakfast with her every day at the Coffee Corner, but he could tell she still needed space. It killed him.

  What if she was done with him? Could he go on? Knowing he been so close to having perfection? He doubted it.

  Once more, he sat around and tried to get to the bottom of everything crazy that had been going on to them in the past few weeks. He’d been shocked and very skeptical when Brea told everyone that she had teleported and lost time.

  He immediately wanted to verify her story, but then the subject had turned towards Jess’s parents. His eyes moved to her and he could see her determination to avoid the conversation further.

  “Rachelle and Larry aren’t your typical parents,” Jess supplied as she stood up. “I haven’t spoken to either of them since I was thirteen.”

  “Thirteen?” Jacob broke in. He’d known her folks had left town, had sold their house when she was young. Never did he imagine she’d been alone all that time. “Then who have you been living with?”

  “I live by myself,” she added, her chin going up slightly. “I have since they left.”

  “Since you were thirteen?” Jacob asked, feeling his anger for her parents grow. What kind of parents would leave a thirteen-year-old alone for a weekend, let alone years?

  “Yes, St. Clair, you got a problem with that?” She crossed her arms over her chest, ready to defend herself.

  “Hell, ya, I do. You were just a kid. You shouldn’t have been left alone.” He stood up and walked towards her.

  “Jacob,” Xtina interrupted, “she’s had people looking out for her.” Xtina winked at Jess. “She’ll never be alone.”

  From there he allowed the conversation to continue in a different direction, but in his mind, he was plotting how to find the Sorensons and make them pay for what they had done to Jess.

  He’d asked Brea for a copy of all her research since he figured he had a lot more time on his hands. Ever since Jess stopped coming over, his nights were boring. Funny, before she’d come along, he hadn’t realized he’d been lonely.

  When everyone started to leave, he walked Jess out. He stopped her from getting into her truck by placing a hand on her arm.

  “I’m sorry about your parents,” he said, looking down at her. He noticed there wasn’t sadness or anger behind her eyes. It looked like she had accepted what they had done to her, years ago.

  She shrugged. “I guess we both got screwed as far as happy families went.”

  He nodded in agreement, and then they heard Brea shout from across the field.

  He ran across the darkness and stopped when he came upon Ethan passed out cold in the grass. Brea had tried to catch him and was on her knees, holding his head.

  “He blacked out,” she said, looking up at him. He could see the worry and fear in her eyes.

  Without skipping a beat, he reached down and picked up his brother and started walking back to Xtina’s place.

  “No, take him to the house,” Brea said, pointing to Mike’s place.

  Jacob knew they had been staying there, together. Nodding, he shifted Ethan’s unconscious body and headed towards the smaller house. He was impressed with his brother’s weight. Obviously, the military kept him in shape.

  When he laid him on the bed, Ethan’s eyes started to open. Smiling, he decided to act like a big brother and rub in the fact that he’d carried him inside.

  “Hey, bro,” he said, smiling bigger as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door.

  Jess had followed them inside and laid a hand on his arm.

  Ethan glanced around and rolled his eyes when he realized what had happened.

  “You can go.” He almost barked it out.

  Jacob chuckled as he walked out of the house, and Jess caught up with him.

&n
bsp; “You shouldn’t have done that,” she said.

  “Why not? He’s my brother. Isn’t that what brothers do? Harass one another?” He smiled.

  “I wouldn’t know.” She tried to keep up with him.

  He was still in a foul mood, but now there was something else happening and he decided he’d been patient long enough.

  “Have you had enough time?” he said when they reached her truck.

  She turned on him and narrowed her eyes. He waited, but she didn’t answer. He could tell that she was stalling until she came up with a good answer.

  “Can’t think of a good enough reason not to come back to my place and let me take you again?” He moved closer to her, stopping just a breath away from her.

  He smiled when he noticed her breath hitch. Her eyes moved to his mouth. His followed her lead and moved over her face and rested on her lips. He almost groaned remembering how wonderful they felt wrapped around him or under his own mouth.

  Suddenly, she was in his arms as he pinned her against her truck door. Her lips tasted like heaven under his. Her body felt so soft and supple pinned between him and the truck. His hands roamed to just under her shirt, wishing they were already at his place so he could carry her inside and make love to her all night.

  “Jess, come back to me,” he said against her skin. “I don’t know if I can go another night without you in my bed.”

  He felt her stiffen, but then his mouth trailed down her neck and he felt her shiver with need.

  “I’ll follow you,” she said as her head tilted back, giving him better access to her neck.

  “Nope, I don’t want you to have time to get second thoughts. Leave the truck here. We can come back in the morning for it.”

  “What will Xtina and Mike think?” She pulled away slightly.

  “Tell them it wouldn’t start,” he said between kisses. “Who cares?”

  “I… do…” she said slowly between heavy breaths. “Screw it. Fine, you drive. That way if you speed and get pulled over, you won’t get a ticket.”

  He chuckled as he pulled her towards his car. He was off duty, so he was in his own car, a new silver Subaru.