‘Of course.’ I start to back up, wondering what kind of sickness Eckhart could have that all his money couldn’t fix.
My hands find the doors behind me and I turn to exit. Stepping back into the study, I find it deserted now. I quickly head for the door, needing to be outside, needing to be away from Eckhart and what he wants from me. I’m hoping the issue of the Ciliary Gate has been closed, but instinct tells me it won’t be the last time Eckhart tries to convince me to revive the project. And next time I have to be ready with a good response, because there’s no way I’m ever going to work on the project that doomed my parents.
CHAPTER 22
Bobby is waiting for me when I step outside the study. He’s squinting suspiciously at an impressionist painting on the wall and muttering darkly to himself. When he sees me, he looks relieved.
‘Everything alright?’ he asks.
I manage a smile. ‘Everything’s fine. You beat up any other guests?’
‘That sneaky slider pulled a disappearing act. Didn’t get a chance to spill some hot sauce on his fancy clothes.’
‘I told you, it wasn’t Blake’s fault.’
‘So you say.’ Bobby tugs at his collar as we walk down the hall together. ‘Look, Josie, it’s getting late and I’m gonna retire for the night.’
‘So soon?’
‘You’re looking at one weary lone wolf. I’m not as young as I used to be.’
‘Where are you staying?’ I ask.
‘I’m getting shuttled back home tonight on a private orbital, so don’t feel too bad for me. I’ll probably drink champagne all the way home.’
We pause at the top of the stairs and I’m blindsided by a disorientating sensation of homesickness that I can’t put into words. ‘Don’t drink too much,’ I manage to choke out.
‘Don’t worry about me.’ Bobby’s voice is gruff. ‘You just concentrate on getting yourself through all the hoops Helios holds up for you. I don’t want to distract you from your studies.’
‘Maybe next time I have a break, I could come home for a bit,’ I suggest, though I have no idea when that might be. I hesitate, then ask, ‘Why didn’t James want me registering with the government? Why didn’t you?’
‘I already told you. It’s in the past, Josie. Why worry about it now?’
‘I have to know,’ I tell him. ‘I need to understand. There’s just got to be more to the story.’
Bobby grimaces and rubs the back of his neck, then drops his hand with a sigh. ‘They say a piece of you dies when your partner goes, and I think that’s what happened when your mother passed. James got pretty paranoid after she died. He had all sorts of theories about her death. I found it best not to engage him about it. I didn’t want to encourage him.’
‘What kind of theories?’
‘Just a lot of crazy talk.’ Regret sits plainly on his face. ‘I’m sorry, Josie. Your dad loved you more than life itself, but James wasn’t quite right after Alice died. The only clear thing I remember him talking about was wanting to keep you off the grid for as long as possible. Which I tried to respect.’
‘I just wish I knew why,’ I say, frustrated.
‘Governments don’t always know what’s right for people. Corps know even less and are corrupted by a lot more,’ Bobby says. ‘And I didn’t reckon there was any harm in waiting until you could make your own decisions.’ He tugs at his collar again. ‘Come on. Tonight isn’t for past regrets. Tonight is to celebrate that you’re finally on the path to getting what you deserve. You’re going to make something out of yourself, I just know it.’
I escort Bobby to a waiting air-car outside and after a stiff hug, he’s whisked off into the star-studded night. My feet are heavy as I walk back into the house, and I stifle a groan when Olivia appears. She’s holding two glasses of champagne and hands me the one that’s full to the brim.
‘Looking to escape already?’ she says. ‘The night’s only just begun.’
‘I came with Aaron,’ I say. ‘I guess I’m leaving when he does.’
‘He’s busy shaking hands with important people and trying to prove he’s got the stuff to take over the Galloway empire when Daddy’s gone.’ Olivia’s drunken eyes try to settle on me. ‘People think I’m the heartless one, but Aaron is something else.’
‘Sounds more like Blake.’ I swallow a mouthful of my drink, enjoying the bubbles dancing in my mouth.
Olivia’s eyes sharpen. ‘Then you don’t know Blake at all.’
I take another sip and say nothing. I hadn’t forgotten his treatment of Cora, but he’d been almost sweet in the quiet grove, talking about me being safe in his arms. And though I hadn’t forgotten Aaron’s nasty comment in the grove earlier, I’m wary of Olivia’s throwaway comment about him being heartless, because I know Olivia is the type of girl to cause trouble just for the hell of it.
‘Shall we go outside?’ Olivia gestures wildly toward the doors and her hand clips the base of my glass, spilling champagne down my dress. I gasp and grab at the wet material.
‘Oops!’ Olivia’s exclamation is as fake as her expression. ‘I am so clumsy after a few drinks.’ She grabs my arm and pulls me along. ‘I’ll show you where you can clean up. I had a snoop around before and know where all the spare rooms are.’
Olivia leads me towards the back of the house to a small corridor that ends in an empty room. She flicks on the light to reveal a bedroom with beige walls and a single bed. ‘There.’ She points to a partly open bathroom door. ‘An ensuite to clean yourself up in.’
I make for the dark room, hoping she doesn’t intend to follow me, because I’m ready to start screaming at her. Fortunately, I’m left alone, feeling sick at the thought of not being able to return the dress. Sighing, I peel the wet material off and try to find the light switch.
‘It’s to the left.’
I stifle a scream and my fingers scramble for the switch. A moment later, light floods the bathroom and I see Blake on the floor, his back propped up against the bathtub. He’s taken his jacket off and his sleeves are rolled up, exposing his inked arms. I spy a bloody tissue in one of his hands.
‘What are you doing here?’ I ask, goosebumps rising on my arms. Blake’s eyebrows lift as his gaze runs over my body. I hesitate before grabbing a towel to wrap around myself, a quicker cover than struggling back into the stained dress.
‘I was hiding from your uncle.’ Blake gets to his feet. ‘I was once pinned down by a sniper for two days who scared me less than that old man.’ His eyes drop to the dress in my hands. ‘What happened?’
I look down at the stained material in despair. ‘Your darling sister knocked my glass. I think she did it on purpose.’
Blake takes a step closer. ‘I’m no expert, but I think that’s silk. You’ll need to get it cleaned professionally. Even then, I’m not sure it will be the same.’
I’m swearing silently in my head when his proximity registers, overriding my anxiety about the stain. I step back, my hands clutching the expensive material. Blake grabs a hand towel and takes the dress from me, patting the stain. ‘I’ll get the moisture out so you can at least wear it home.’
‘Thanks.’ I sit down on the side of the bathtub, my shoulders slumping. ‘Your sister is pretty devious. I’ll bet you anything she knew you were in here.’
Blake grins. ‘She’s probably already telling everyone about our forbidden tryst. She’s been mad at me for months now after I refused to beat up that Archer kid for dumping her.’
At the mention of Archer, I feel the stirrings of a headache and I massage my temples, wondering if I can renege on my deal with Olivia.
Blake looks up from my dress. ‘I heard Eckhart wanted to talk to you. Is everything okay?’
‘Just fine.’ I keep my tone light.
‘You’d tell me if he was pushing you too hard, wouldn’t you?’ Blake holds the dress out, eyeing the stain critically. ‘It’s just that I brought you here, so I—’
‘Don’t.’ I shake my head. ‘Don’t s
ay you feel responsible for me. Just … don’t.’
Blake lowers the dress. ‘You know, fate doesn’t get to decide who we are, unless we allow it. Whatever plan Eckhart has for you, don’t blindly accept it. Make sure it’s the path you want to travel.’
My lips curl into a smile. ‘That’s a very philosophical view. Especially for someone who works in the family business.’
Blake opens his mouth to say more, then falls silent. I’m about to ask what’s wrong when he shifts smoothly across the room. Flicking the lights off, he grabs me and hustles us behind the bathroom door. I start to pull away, but I freeze when I hear a woman giggle inside the bedroom.
‘A little bird told me this room was available,’ the woman whispers hoarsely, her words slurred.
‘Then you’d better get that dress off.’
Aaron’s voice is near. Blake’s hands tighten around me.
‘I thought you came with someone else,’ the woman says.
‘I think you should be quiet now.’ Aaron’s voice lowers to a whisper, then I hear the soft rustle of clothes being removed.
‘Wait. I want to freshen up,’ the woman says abruptly.
I stiffen in Blake’s grip. There’s no way I want to be caught here like this, wrapped in a towel with the very person I’ve been warned to keep away from. Eckhart would have a fit. My hands clutch at Blake and I’m full of panic. I turn so I can whisper in his ear, trying not to notice how his arms wrap around my waist, holding me tight.
‘Get us out of here,’ I whisper.
His lips brush my ear. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Now.’
The woman hums as she enters the bathroom. I hear her searching for the light. Before she can switch it on, Blake seals his lips over mine and we tip backwards into the shadows.
CHAPTER 23
A freezing cold closes in around us, but I barely notice as my talents re-thread along what feels like a familiar seam with Blake. His kiss is deep and I return it like I’ve been starving. His grip is firm around me as we glide through the tunnel of light. My ears are clogged with the rush of speed and my skin prickles as electricity sparks in my blood. Warm air registers, then I realise my feet are dangling in the air—Blake’s holding me up. The kiss stops and he puts me down. I quickly disengage my talent from his.
‘Where are we?’ I ask, breathless.
‘Back at Helios.’ His hands drop. ‘I’m turning on a light now.’
Bright light blinds me, and when my eyes adjust I see we’re in a bathroom with a high window covered with foam boards and electrical tape. Blake hands me my dress and politely turns his back while I struggle into it. When we exit the bathroom, I recognise the punching bag hanging from the ceiling and I realise we’re in his room.
‘Why are we here?’ I ask.
‘I set up my bathroom as a slider dark-room for myself, a safe point I can always access,’ Blake explains. ‘Now, sit down. A short slide should have been fine for you, but I want to make sure you’re okay. Then I’ll message Aaron and say one of the drivers took you home.’
‘That was a short slide?’ My teeth are suddenly chattering and I’m grateful when Blake wraps a blanket around me and guides me to sit on the edge of his bed. ‘It took thirty minutes to get to Eckhart’s by air-car.’
Blake shrugs. ‘I know a shortcut.’
‘What if Aaron checks which car I took?’
‘I think he’ll have other things on his mind,’ Blake murmurs as he examines my fingers. ‘You just need to go to bed and you’ll be fine in the morning.’
Our eyes meet and it doesn’t escape either of us that I’m already on a bed. His bed. The memory of our kiss lingers, my lips still tingling. I know Blake feels it as well because he leans forward and kisses me a second time and I don’t resist when he pushes me back on the mattress. My body embraces his heavy weight and the feel of him against me is delicious, the smell of him intoxicating. My fingers find and trace a small scar that runs from his left temple to his ear. Blake flinches and pulls away, then buries his head in my shoulder, nuzzling my neck.
‘What happened?’ I ask him.
He pauses, then lifts his head, a wary look in his eyes.
‘When I was with the special investigations unit, my partner and I were tracking some deserters who’d left their posts and gone on a rampage in a nearby town. We walked into an ambush and got slammed with some heavy artillery they’d stolen.’ He points to the scar. ‘I got lucky, but my partner was shot up real bad. I managed to slide out with him. I knew it was risky to take him into the slipstream with me, but I thought he’d be okay in a small slide.’ His hands tighten around me. ‘But he just tore from my grip. I tried to go back, but he was just … lost.’ Blake rolls off me with a sigh and I shift to my side, my hand resting on his chest. ‘I wanted to go and find him, but the medics told me he would’ve died within moments inside the slipstream. Only a slider can survive it. Or a threader, I suppose.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I say.
Blake sits up on the bed. ‘The officer in charge of the investigation put me up on manslaughter charges. I broke his nose. I wanted to kill him. My father sent people to intervene and the army ended up discharging me on the grounds that I was mentally unfit. After that, I was offered an analyst job at Soteria Security. When I got there, it was all writing reports and compiling data. Mind-numbing stuff. When the contract at Helios came up, I couldn’t apply fast enough.’
I feel Blake close down, feel him pull away. I don’t know what to say, so I just stay silent. I want the heated moment between us back more than anything. I want to reach for him, help ease his pain.
‘You need to go.’ His voice is harsh, raw.
‘Blake.’ I touch his shoulder.
‘Stop it.’ He gets up and stalks over to his punching bag, his back tense.
Dread weighs my movements as I get off the bed. Blake is breathing heavy and when he looks at me, all I can see is his anger.
‘I don’t want you here,’ he says, his voice cold. ‘This was a mistake.’
My face flushes. ‘Don’t say that.’
He smacks a fist deep into the punching bag, then catches it when it swings back. ‘Do you need me to spell it out? You did this to us when you locked us together. This attraction is a fantasy.’ His voice is toneless. ‘None of it is real. You’re not even my type. I wouldn’t have given you a second glance in another life.’
It’s what I needed to hear to finally galvanise my limbs into action, and I march for the door, feeling my face blazing. A rhythmic thumping noise starts up as Blake lays into his punching bag, but I don’t look back, even though I want to. For a night to start so magical, it sure had travelled far downhill. Being insulted by both Galloway brothers was infuriating, with both of them acting as if my feelings didn’t even matter. I hurry back to my dorm, anger burning through me. Guess being a meathead ran in the family.
I’ve been lying in Awareness Meditation for an hour and the professor appears to have entered a deep trance, then fallen asleep. Her bulldog snores beside her and everyone has sat up, taking advantage of the moment to chat. Cora lies on her mat beside me, propped up on one elbow and talking about her recent slides with Jeremy. I feel obliged to listen patiently, since I didn’t give her any interesting gossip from the fundraiser. But I’m really not in the mood to hear about her crush and silently resent the attention Cora’s paying to this guy at the expense of my own troubles. Not that it’s Cora’s fault that each session with Vogel leaves me a hollow shell, mentally drained, physically sick and temporarily half deaf. I hate the sensation of her poking around my brain, casually batting aside my own talents when they get in her way.
While Cora recollects a funny story Jeremy told her, I gingerly touch a fresh bruise on my cheek from combat yesterday. We’d done twenty minutes of brutal training and, coming after a gut-wrenching session with Vogel, I felt like I’d been turned inside out.
‘Hey.’
I turn to see Archer sneak over and k
neel down beside us. ‘You ladies coming to the game on Saturday?’
‘Game?’ I ask blankly.
Cora rolls her eyes. ‘Don’t you pay attention to anything I tell you? I’ve already got us tickets.’
‘Great.’ Archer gives her a dismissive glance, then looks back at me. ‘I heard you went to one of Director Eckhart’s fundraisers. How was it?’
‘Fancy,’ I murmur, then change the subject. ‘Sounds like I’ll be at the game. Are you in it?’
Archer gives me a disbelieving stare while Cora rolls her eyes again.
‘I’m the captain of the team,’ Archer says slowly.
‘Oh. Sorry,’ I say. ‘I forgot.’
‘We’ll be there,’ Cora says cheerfully. ‘Go Hurricanes!’
‘Thanks.’ Archer doesn’t look at her. ‘You know, there’s a bit of a rumour going around.’
‘What kind of rumour?’ I ask.
‘That you hooked up with Aaron at the big fancy fundraiser.’ He watches me closely for a reaction.
My jaw drops. ‘That didn’t happen.’
‘I didn’t believe it,’ he says, but I’m not sure he means it. I wonder who started it and Olivia instantly goes to the top of the list.
‘Even if it did happen, Josie is a free agent, just like me,’ Cora informs Archer.
‘Glad to hear it.’ Archer winks at me before shuffling back to his original spot.
‘You know, if we weren’t such good friends, I’d be a little jealous of all this attention you’re getting,’ Cora says with a wistful look. ‘I kind of feel like the sidekick here.’
‘You’re not a sidekick,’ I say. ‘I’m just a new toy.’
Cora clasps her hands under her chin and flutters her eyelashes. ‘If I had your problem, I’d be dating both Aaron and Archer at the same time. You know, like a sampler box.’
‘Tart.’ I shove her arm.
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