A heavy emphasis had been placed on her registry, meaning each individual would be held accountable for his or her part in the outbreak. The obedient ones would be cleared for work, and the others would be flagged as a potential threat—not that it mattered. The information was all just going to go into ERA’s giant database of SAGE candidates, anyway.
Things were on the verge of happening here, especially now that we had panic rising in Ohio. The Wilcox dance attendees had unwittingly carried home a viral souvenir, and now cases were popping up all over the place. News stations were in full hype mode.
Symptoms started pretty flu-like. Fever, sore throat, vomiting, and muscle spasms. But as we’d been continually reminded, advanced cases in New England were leading to severe complications—like kicking the bucket. Cheery folks, those analysts.
Oh. And speaking of near-death experiences, Aiden’s family had held the memorial service near Toledo. Apparently, his ‘death’ was being attributed to the tornado, which wasn’t much of a shock, since so many others had lost their lives that night. Part of me wanted to dwell on it, go over the what-ifs…
But the other part wasn’t having that. Not with all the other shit on my plate.
Anyway, since Rena and Wallace had driven up together, I’d picked up Corynn and Gabby on my way through. It was only fitting that we all show up, since we’d all contributed to his fake death, but bleh.
Long story short, it had been hot, reeked of flowers, and left everyone depressed as all hell. Really, God only knew what the Ross family had been thinking when they’d asked Rena to give a eulogy. My poor little sis had to cling to that podium for support, pouring out her heart over a fresh wound.
I knew the guilt factor would be high on this one, but she was a mess. The dark circles under her eyes were a giveaway that she hadn’t slept in days, and her pallor hadn’t improved since I’d last seen her. Something had to be done about this. We had no chance in hell against ERA if her head wasn’t in the game.
Plus, you know, fake-sibling affection and all that…
It would have to be later, though. Now all five of us—Wallace, Rena, Gabby, Corynn, and me—were en route to Cleveland for a guided tour of Aiden’s new digs. Or at least, we were supposed to be. Some of us needed a pit stop at Wilcox to change clothes, and since I was chauffeuring half the entourage, I got stuck waiting in the parking lot.
Most of the students had already cleared out for summer break, but since the tornado had spared half the buildings, finals were still technically in progress—meaning the dorms had to stay open an extra week. I pitied the poor schmucks stuck in their stuffy little classrooms, contaminating each other over a fifty-minute test. They had no clue.
Wait. Does Rachel have any finals to wrap up? I knew she took a few online courses to accommodate her work schedule, but she could’ve come back for one reason or another. What if she caught the virus? What if some jerk coughed on her and she caught the damn thing?
I gripped the steering wheel as white dots assaulted my vision. There was no way I’d stand for that. If she got sick, I’d start blowing shit up until Faye handed over the treatment. I’d—
Gabby jerked the passenger door open. “All right. Let’s do this. I got my mascara tears cleaned up. Now I need to see my boy.”
Corynn hopped in the back seat, and I held up a finger. “Hold on a second.”
A quick text to Rachel made a casual inquiry as to whether or not she’d seen the damage on campus since I’d crashed at her place a week ago. One second, two—time grated like sandpaper in my lungs. Come on…
Juggling so many things was making me sloppy. I should’ve considered this sooner. I should’ve warned her, even in vague terms, to stay away. Damn it. This was just like the thing with the parking lot kid. Every action, every inaction, could have a dire consequence. There was no right way to—
My phone chirped, and I almost fumbled it trying to bring the message up.
Corynn popped her head over my seat. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah, yeah…” I scanned the screen and tilted my shoulder, blocking the text from view. Damn it. Not who I wanted.
WALLACE: “Going to take Rena past the house on Weston. Will be a few minutes behind you.”
I shook my head. “Great.”
“What?” Gabby had joined the investigation now, leaning in.
“Wallace is gonna show Rena the house they’re renting first. He said they’ll be a little behind us.”
She blinked. “Why can’t we see it, too?”
“I don’t see why we can’t,” I admitted, leaving out how I’d already stalked the place through aerial photos on the Internet.
Chirp!
I switched screens with a swipe of my thumb and felt my heart crash to my stomach. Don’t be sick, don’t be sick, don’t be—
RACHEL: “Not yet. I only have one final to take in person, and it’s rescheduled for Monday.”
“No!” I responded out loud, gritting my teeth.
“No?” Corynn was over the seat again. “Thought you said it was fine.”
“It is fine,” I growled. “Shut up for a second. I’m trying to think.”
“Well, excuse me…”
I typed my response at supersonic speeds. “Don’t go. It’s still not safe on campus.”
Maybe I could have Tits get into her email and find out which final had been rescheduled and where. Then I could get some C4 and—
Chirp!
RACHEL: “It’s not on campus. My building has damage, so the prof. is leaving it with a proctor at the tech school.”
My shoulders fell from their instinctive hunched state, and I blew out a breath. “Do me a favor,” I typed back. “Ask to schedule yours before everyone else. Trust me.”
Gabby cleared her throat. “So, uh, are we going to make it there to see her face or…?”
I shot her a look, but softened it since she’d just come from her best friend’s funeral. “One sec. You don’t want me to text while driving and end up in a fiery, fiery crash, do you?”
Her reply came in the form of a huff, followed by a mumbled, “No.”
Chirp!
RACHEL: “I can try.”
“Thanks. I’ll explain tomorrow.”
How was I going to spin this one? I crammed the phone into my pocket, cranked the engine, and backed out of my parking space. Another thing to work out later.
Air rushed in from my open window, filling the Jeep with the fresh, earthy scent of spring. Now that Jackie wasn’t manipulating cold fronts, we were finally getting back to normal weather. For the most part.
Two minutes later, we pulled off the street by a tiny yellow house with a slightly peeled roof. I didn’t spot the happy couple out front, but once we walked around the edge of the house, I saw why. Wallace had Rena backed against the siding with her legs wrapped around his waist.
“C’mon, get a room,” I called from behind them, barely masking a snicker.
Wallace broke contact with a frustrated scowl. “I thought you were meeting us in Cleveland.”
“We were.” I sauntered the rest of the way around the corner, pimp style—Gabby hooked under my right arm, Corynn hooked under my left. “But I told my carpool buddies about the house, and they wanted to see it. The old lady home?”
“Doesn’t look like it,” Wallace muttered, easing Rena down. “She won’t be moving out for a couple of months, though, so we’re just looking.”
“How close are we looking? ‘Cause,”—I pulled my arms out from behind the girls and darted to the window—”she’s got this lacy shit in the way. I can’t see a thing.”
Gabby snorted. “Twin’s got a screw loose.”
“Sorry, prego,” I called over my shoulder. “I can’t be distracted by your flattery. I’m tryin’ to reel in a ginger.”
“How did you…?”
“Don’t question it.” I smirked into the glass. Obviously, she’d forgotten Rena’s concern over the baby during the night from hell
.
“I hate to be the buzz kill here,” Corynn cut in. “But do we have a solid plan yet? This student visa will only last me so long. I need to know what I’m doing.”
I bunched my shoulders as I rejoined the group, hands stuffed into my pockets. “I say infiltrate and detonate. Go, team, go.”
“A direct assault won’t work with ERA.” She made a dismissive gesture, and then pointed behind her. “The Underground is a fortified labyrinth. You pose a threat, you don’t make it out alive.”
Wallace’s expression hardened. “What about finding a weakness in the organization? If we can gain her trust—”
“You think they got where they are by trusting people?” Corynn put her hands on her hips. “She and her husband have spent decades building this kingdom. He’s old money. Secret societies and shit. They’ve got connections all over.”
Gabby scrunched up her nose. “You guys sure you want to get caught up in this?”
“We don’t have a choice,” Wallace told her, leaning back against the house. “You’ve seen for yourself. Evil wins when good does nothing.”
Rena reached over and squeezed his hand. There they went with the supportive crap again. Nauseating…
She lifted her chin. “You know the best way to overthrow a kingdom like this, Corynn?”
Corynn raised one brow, and all eyes turned back to Rena.
She took a deep breath and pulled her shoulders back, hardening her eyes. “Kill the queen.”
Oh shit.
Wallace chose that moment to step in. “They worry because Gail had a vision we’d bring down the organization, right? We’re supposed to be some kind of rival faction? We’ve been thinking, if the prophecy really works that way, why not make it happen?”
“Did I hear you correctly?” I cupped a hand to my ear. “Did you just suggest we form some kind of super alliance against the baddies?”
“Cole.” Rena shot me a look. “Don’t make light of this. We’re serious. If we want to catch them off guard, we’ll have to coordinate our efforts. You keep getting us information, while Wallace and I play our roles. Keep the charade up. Meanwhile, Corynn works on honing that ability of hers and Gabby goes underground.”
“Underground?” Preggo’s eyes doubled in size. “You mean…?”
“Literally,” Rena confirmed with a nod. “Faye realizes you know now. You’re a liability. But it’s okay, we’ve found you a place to stay.”
Gabby didn’t seem to be aware that she rubbed a protective arm over her stomach. “Can’t I just go home?”
Wallace shook his head. “It’ll endanger more people. This is the best option. Trust us.”
“So, I just…what? Rent a bunker?”
“Ever heard of the steam tunnels under campus?” Rena chimed in. “We were wracking our brains trying to think of places ERA wouldn’t think to look, and I remembered a guy sneaking me down there freshman year. If you crashed there for a few wee—”
“You want me to live like a mole person?”
Rena pointed at Corynn. “Both of you, actually. And if things get messy, we’ll bring your families in.”
They’d given this thing some serious thought. I was almost impressed.
Wallace took a step forward and raised his hands. “We know it’ll be inconvenient, but if it keeps everyone alive, it’s worth it. Plus, it’ll give Corynn a chance to train for when things come to a head.”
Corynn scrunched her face up. “How the hell do you expect me to do that?”
“Simple,” he told her. “Rena will go to her scheduled training sessions with Faye and learn everything they teach her about honing her abilities. She’ll come back and relay that information to you. You practice nullifying me, and since it’s more dangerous, she’ll practice supercharging Cole—he heals fast.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” I cut in. “Think you could’ve clued me in on the plan before you sprung it, bro?”
He leveled me with a stare. “There was no way of knowing what’s been compromised and what hasn’t. We figured we’d wait and tell everyone in person.”
“Fair enough.”
If they got to bring friends to the party, maybe I could bring Titsy. He’d make a good asset, especially with the electronic flow of information going on at ERA. Having him on our side could save time—maybe avoid another disaster. Something to ponder.
“One more thing.” Wallace put his arm around me and walked us a few feet from an ongoing discussion about mole people that fell into the background. “I know you’ve got other stuff going on, and you’re trying to make something happen with Rachel, but now is not the time. If you want to keep her safe, you’ll have to stay away from her. At least until this ERA mess is over.”
I stiffened.
“You know I’m right.”
“Tell you what,” I gritted out, removing his arm from my shoulders. “You look out for what’s yours, and I’ll look out for what’s mine. Sound fair?”
“Cole…”
“C’mon, girls.” I started for the Jeep and waved over my shoulder. “We’ll think of secret alliance names in the car.”
As if things weren’t complicated enough…
CHAPTER 24
Aiden showed no change from when I’d left him the week before, save for the fact that he’d been dressed in some kind of ERA-issue hospital gown.
It was still a fruitful trip, though. Rena and Gabby got their boo-hoos out, Wallace was able to poke around The Underground a little more, and Corynn—well, she got to stand with the good guys for once.
Since I practically lived at ERA HQ these days—what, with all the stealing—I lagged behind and considered my situation. My brother meant well, but he was overlooking the obvious about Rachel. ERA already recognized her as a known associate of ours. They’d been keeping tabs on us for months, documenting her interactions with Rena and Wallace before our paths had ever crossed. As things stood, she was already in danger. The best thing to do right now was keep her close. Very close.
Beyond that, I had to ask Grandma about her connection to Jackie, make arrangements to move the house, and then look into Gene Brewster. Oh, and figure out a way to stop ERA before they rained apocalyptic hell down upon us. That was always a priority…
I needed a vacation.
Fortunately, the next best thing to a trip is taking a beautiful woman out on the town. The next evening, I rolled up the sleeves of my dress shirt and splashed on some cologne from the console.
A sudden knock on my passenger window nearly made me drop the bottle.
Rachel waved from the sidewalk, before opening the door to get in. A teasing grin lit her features. “Still getting ready?”
“Primping,” I corrected. “A man’s got to look his best.”
She buckled her seatbelt and smoothed her skirt. “Smell his best too, it seems.”
I found myself jealous of her hands as they glided down the thin material, grazing her thighs. The subtle friction, the warmth—
“So, where are we headed?”
To the backseat.
“I was thinking Botticelli’s,” I answered, lifting my gaze to derail my thoughts. “You like Italian?”
“Sure.”
The ride there wasn’t memorable—small talk, her glancing at me every time she thought I wasn’t paying attention, me glancing at her every time I knew she wasn’t, et cetera. Finally, we pulled up to the little bistro Rena had recommended.
It wasn’t much to look at, but she’d said the ravioli gave her a foodgasm. Since that was the closest I’d get to any word ending with ‘-asm’ this weekend, I figured it was worth a shot.
“I’ve heard about this place,” Rachel commented, opening her door. “It’s supposed to be really good.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “You live like six minutes away. You’ve never been here?”
“No.” Her cheeks turned rosy, and I had the sudden urge to kick my own ass.
Ya dumb shit, you know she has some kind of f
inancial complex. Check your mouth, next time.
I plastered on a grin. “Me neither. First time for everything.”
As we made our way inside, I made sure to pull out all the chivalry stops—opening doors, not punching the host with wandering eyes. Grandma would’ve been so proud, she would’ve busted out her old Polaroid. Finally, we were seated in the corner.
The booth was intimate, to say the least. I wasn’t a huge guy, but we were practically sitting on top of each other. Plus, it was dark as all hell. People found this romantic? I couldn’t even see the door.
Freakin’ deathtrap…
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Rachel smiled as she leaned in, the candlelight flickering over her features.
“Yeah,” I lied. “That’s the word I was thinking, too.”
Thank God for opera music and ambient chatter. Otherwise, we would’ve had an awkward pause on our hands.
“So, do you come up to Wilcox often? Wallace mentioned you live in Columbus.”
“Lived,” I corrected, idly flicking my hand over the closest flame. “I actually moved to Cleveland a few days ago, for work.”
She tried, and failed, to mask her pleasure. “So, I might see you around more often?”
“You might.” I teased with an obvious shrug. “We’ll see how the date goes.”
“Of course.” She patted my arm and laughed. “I’ll be on my very best behavior.”
Great. That’ll make two of us.
The candle flame danced and shifted, deftly avoiding my advances. There was something about its reaction to my unnatural currents that drew me in, left me transfixed. I couldn’t—
“Do you enjoy playing with fire?”
“Yes,” I answered, not needing to think twice.
“Well, that’s good to know.”
“Mhm…”
Silence.
Known facts about Rachel, known facts about Rachel…
“So, you and Jesus, huh?” I asked, picking up my knife to twirl it through my fingers.
“What about us?”
“You’re close.”
She smiled. “You could say that. What about you?”
I hunched my shoulders in a shrug. “I think of him like the IRS. I’m pretty sure he exists, but I won’t know for sure until he comes to collect.”
Honesty (Mark of Nexus) Page 15