Jack of Hart- Wild Card

by Violeta Bagia

  ‘This is starting to sound way too sci-fi.’

  ‘Agreed, but whatever it is, it’s serious enough for there to have been endless reports and writings on it.’

  ‘What does it say?’

  ‘Aside from that, not much. Something about there being only one way to close it.’

  ‘So, the realm thing, it could be Dalca, right? It could be talking about opening my realm and this one…because in reality that realm of the Divine is the same thing and it could be his—’

  ‘It’s just speculation, Ace. It won’t get to that.’

  ‘You can’t know that. Look how much has already happened, how much has already been mentioned about this thing?’

  ‘I know, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions.’

  ‘You can’t tell me this doesn’t sound like that?’

  He ran a hand over his hair.

  ‘I’m not sure, but I’m not comfortable with the way things are going.’

  ‘It’s all been building to this.’

  ‘I have no doubt.’

  We’d been given bad news before, we’d been here, done this. If anything was to be learned from past experiences it was that together we achieved more, together we did things no one else could. This would be no different.

  ‘We need to find out more, we have to contact Josh and Elena—’

  ‘Right now, you need to rest, and we will take this up in the morning, I promise.’

  ‘You’re right.’ I conceded.

  ‘I’ll take the couch.’

  ‘You don’t have to.’

  ‘Ace.’ His voice was thick. Like what he was saying was the hardest thing in the world. ‘We need to take things slow.’

  ‘Well we tried that.’

  He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

  ‘I know. But I mean it, about this. I want to be careful; I don’t want to jeopardize anything.’

  His mind was made up, there’d be no shifting his stance on this, and I respected that. I smiled and reached up and kissed him.

  ‘I’ll get you some blankets.’

  ‘I’ll be fine, the heater is on.’

  ‘Okay.’ I smiled, ‘Good night.’

  ‘Good night, Ace.’

  He remained glued to his spot, watching me disappear into my room, quietly closing the door. When I snuggled up under the covers, I heard him get settled on the couch.

  Sleep quickly found me, and for once my mind wasn’t filled with the stranger in the shadows or the evil man haunting my dreams. Instead, it was filled with the cloaked figures of the Legion, men with metallic dog tags hanging around their necks, no names, no history, just numbers…

  Chapter Ten

  Ace

  With each squeeze, the edges around my vision darkened and with each passing moment, my heart was speeding up and my head slowing down.

  Illarion’s eyes were dark and vacant. He didn’t see me at all, but he moved with urgency. He knew that he would kill me, he knew exactly what he was doing.

  Panic coated my insides and no matter what I tried to say or do, I couldn’t get through to him. He was gone, his mind was empty, his soul completely lifeless, this wasn’t Illarion at all.

  As my vision dimmed, all I could make out and hold on to, was the very simple, very tarnished dog tag staring me in the face…

  My hands flailed, hitting him at every jerk, but he wasn’t letting go. I closed my hand around the wrist on my throat and forced my eyes up to his.

  ‘Please…. please, Ila…’

  As each breath got harder and harder to take, I reached up with the failing strength I had, and cupped my hand over his cheek.

  ‘Ila…’ I whispered, ‘Ila, I love you…’

  The edges grew thicker and my hand dropped at my side, with that, all the strength I had, began to dissipate. I closed my eyes and pushed one more time hoping that being this close to death had unlocked that final door between this plane and mine…

  With one, final breath, I reached into his mind and unleashed everything I’d been holding for the past years and let go.

  I jolted awake; my entire body was coated in a fine sheen of sweat. I couldn’t catch my breath. I couldn’t slow my heart and I heard the soft sound of Illarion speaking in the next room, stop.

  ‘I’ll call you back in a minute.’ I heard him say.

  Then there was a knock on my door and when I couldn’t even form the words to answer, he pushed it open and peered inside.

  ‘Hey, everything alright?’ His brows knotted and then softened when I found myself gasping for air through the sobs that suddenly overwhelmed me.

  He crossed the distance between us in a few quick strides and sat beside me, pulling me into his embrace.

  ‘What happened?’ He asked, combing his fingers through my hair. ‘I felt you…panic?’

  ‘It was just a bad dream.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘No, it’s nothing, really, it was stupid, just a nightmare.’

  ‘It’s not stupid, look how scared you are.’

  ‘It really is stupid, completely impossible.’ I laughed through the tears.

  ‘Then tell me.’

  He eased my face up to his and searched my eyes. God, how could I ever dream about him that way, these eyes, these beautiful brown eyes could never, would never hurt me.

  ‘Ace?’

  ‘I dreamt that you were trying to kill me.’

  His brows shot up, ‘That is ridiculous.’

  ‘I know, see, stupid.’

  He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me again. ‘It’s just the stress you’ve been under, probably didn’t help that you were in and out of it in Paris.’

  ‘I know,’ I sighed and laughed at the absurdity of the dream, ‘I’m sorry, you were in the middle of something, go.’

  ‘I was just talking to the shop across the street.’

  ‘Go, seriously, I’m fine.’

  ‘Sure?’

  ‘Yes, go.’

  He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead and then he was back in my kitchen on his phone.

  Shaking away the uneasiness of that dream, I curled onto my side and watched him pacing through the gap in the door.

  ‘I need everything you have. All the surveillance for the last twelve months. I’m sending an agent over to retrieve the records.’

  A silence filled the air and then he was pacing again.

  ‘No. That’s not going to happen and I’m going to tell you why. You’ve been stocking your store by selling alcohol and cigarettes purchased illegally to avoid taxes and that’s just scraping the surface. Should I continue?’

  When silence descended again, Illarion stopped pacing.

  ‘Good. I’ll expect full cooperation.’

  The sound of the fridge opening filtered through the walls and then the coffee machine started. I peeled myself out of bed and dressed, this time, avoiding the sheer, short robe. Opting for the safer option, I pulled on a pair of sweats and a tank top and then made my way into the kitchen.

  A wide smile greeted me, while he gestured that he’d only be a minute.

  Nodding with a smile, I sat down.

  ‘Good, my agent will be down later this afternoon. If you evade him in any way, I have the IRS on speed dial.’

  The person on the other end obviously agreed because Illarion simply nodded to himself and then hung up.

  He took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles. ‘Did you sleep well, aside from that dream?’

  ‘I did. Thank you.’

  Illarion leaned back into the counter, watching me.

  ‘You?’

  ‘Always.’ He smiled. ‘As long as I’ve got a place to put my feet up, I’m good.’

  ‘I’m jealous. I need optimum sleeping conditions.’

  He chuckled, handing me a coffee. ‘I remember.’

  My cheeks flushed.

  ‘Got the store to cooperate?’

  ‘I think so.’ He smiled. ‘If not, they’ll have the IRS coming bef
ore we do.’

  ‘That’s enough to make anyone listen.’

  ‘Yeah, we’ll see. I’ve called Aurel, filled him in.’

  ‘He’s going to get the files?’

  Illarion nodded, gesturing to the coffee. ‘I didn’t make breakfast, I thought we could go out and eat after coffee?’

  ‘Is that a nice way of saying that my fridge needs to be restocked?’

  He scrubbed his jaw, shielding his smile.

  ‘It’s cool. You can tell me that I don’t know how to be an adult.’

  ‘I think you’re doing a great job.’

  ‘Well yeah, I mean I haven’t burned the apartment down, or flooded it. So, I’d say that’s a win.’

  ‘Definitely a win.’

  Laughing, I took a sip of coffee and sat at the counter. Illarion pulled a stool over and sat on the other side, directly opposite me.

  His eyes found mine and the penetrating stare that always made my heart catch, did just that. But something more was weighing on his mind and that something, whatever it was, made me straighten in my seat and place the coffee down.

  ‘What?’

  He cleared his throat, briefly looking away before bringing his eyes back to mine.

  ‘Listen, I know I said we should take things slow.’

  My mouth dried up and a heavy feeling settled in my stomach.

  ‘I don’t think that’s going to work for me.’

  ‘Okay.’ I heard myself say before the blood rushing in my head, drowned out everything else.

  Illarion reached over, taking my hand turning it in his. For a moment, he just held it, his mind wandering all over the place until finally, I felt him place something in it and close my palm.

  When I opened it and looked down, I held in a breath.

  ‘If this is too fast, please tell me.’

  My gaze traveled up to his and a sheen of tears coated my eyes.

  ‘Ila.’

  A hopeful smile filled his full lips, but it was too fast. I couldn’t pretend that it wasn’t. As much as this is exactly what I wanted, it wasn’t going to work like this. I still had so much healing to do, so much more I needed to sort out and make sense of in my own mind. I still needed…

  ‘I know you need time. I just wanted you to know where I stand. Keep it.’

  ‘I didn’t know you kept this.’ I whispered.

  ‘There was no way I could let it go.’

  Leaving the ring on the counter, I rounded the counter and pulled him against me. Burying my head against his chest, I clung at the fabric around his arms reminding myself of everything I’d missed all this time.

  ‘God, I’ve missed you so much.’ He tightened his hold on me.

  ‘Me too. You have no idea.’

  ***

  We chose a small bakery around the corner from my building and followed the waitress outside. She seated us beside a large planter box filled with dozens of roses, in full bloom. Their aroma filled the air, making the smell of the cakes and pastries inside even more appealing.

  Most non-Sensitives wouldn’t have been able to pick up on the subtle scent, but we were. Illarion smiled when I reached over and gently cupped one of the roses and inhaled the sweet scent.

  When the waitress came back, we ordered breakfast and took the glasses of cold water she placed in front of us.

  Illarion smiled and turned his gaze to the flowers.

  ‘Are you happy?’

  ‘Happy? Here?’

  ‘In DC, your life. Here, with me.’

  For a moment I didn’t know how to answer, and truth be told, I never really stopped to think about that. Happy wasn’t a word I’d associated with my life for a long time, but I knew what he meant. And when looked up at him with a smile, I nodded.

  ‘I am. I’m happy now, and Illarion, I’m so sorry.’

  ‘You know there’s nothing to be sorry about.’

  ‘There is, believe me.’

  He didn’t know how it was me that pushed him back last year, or that I used his power against him, and I wasn’t brave enough to have that conversation.

  ‘I’m counting myself lucky that I have a chance with you again, after losing you, we’re so lucky.’

  ‘We are, aren’t we?’

  ‘Incredibly.’

  Illarion smiled again, bringing my hand to his lips.

  When the waitress came back, we pulled apart with a smile. She placed down two dishes and a jug of freshly squeezed OJ.

  ‘Is there anything else I can get you?’

  ‘No, we’re fine. Thank you.’ Illarion said politely before returning his attention back to me.

  ‘Have you given any thought about moving back to New York?’

  His question caught me by surprise though it shouldn’t have, what was I going to do here? I’d told him I wasn’t going to back to the Bureau and I guess that meant I wouldn’t really need to stay in DC either. Maybe I’d travel for a while, see the world.

  Yeah right. After being shot by a bullet with my name on it, I thought that was unwise and very unlikely.

  ‘No.’ I shook my head, popping a mushroom in my mouth. Once I’d chewed it, I cleared my throat. ‘I’ve still got those tenants in my apartment and I can’t kick them out again, as much as I’d love to.’

  He chuckled and took a sip of juice. For a moment he mused before shrugging. ‘You don’t have to.’

  A kind of nervousness started to flutter inside me. Going back to New York was going to be so hard for so many reasons. And I hadn’t even given any thought to moving in with Illarion again. But we were trying this again, weren’t we? I glanced down and suddenly fear overwhelmed me and before it could grow, he cupped his hand over mine.

  ‘Your room is still as you left it, or there’s the guest house. Aurel doesn’t stay there anymore and I know you’re still apprehensive about this.’

  ‘I’m not apprehensive about this, or you.’ I clarified. ‘It’s me, as cliché as that sounds.’

  ‘What’s bothering you?’

  ‘This feeling inside me, that I’m just going to crack.’

  Illarion looked away.

  ‘Don’t do that.’

  ‘I’m not doing anything.’

  ‘You are. You’re about to tell me you trust me and you know I can fight this.’

  ‘You can.’

  ‘It’s not that simple.’

  ‘Is it the dreams?’

  ‘Yeah.’ I admitted. ‘And everything that goes with it, Project Adam, the DNA bullets, and now this Legion army, hell, I don’t even know whether we’re fighting for the right side or who’s on ours.’

  ‘I know it seems hopeless, but it isn’t. We have to unpack this, the way you’re looking at it is too big.’

  ‘I don’t know how else to look at it.’

  ‘Task by task.’

  I sighed. ‘This isn’t how this was meant to go.’

  ‘Hey,’ he gently took my hand. ‘When has anything in our life being straight forward?’

  Musing. ‘You’re right.’

  ‘Ace, it doesn’t bother me how we get there, as long as we get there somehow.’

  ‘We will.’

  ‘Now,’ he began. ‘Aurel sent me confirmation that the surveillance files have been acquired and he’s ready to start going through the feeds.’

  ‘I should be there.’

  ‘You will be but there are months of footage to go through, for now I just wanted to get you out of there, while he combs the apartment for bugs.’

  ‘You think someone bugged my apartment?’

  ‘I would.’

  I shivered. He had a point. There was always a possibility that someone had planted surveillance on me, maybe my phone. I couldn’t be sure about anything.

  ‘In the meantime, we’re going to my hotel.’

  ‘What’s at your hotel?’

  ‘My laptop.’

  We finished our breakfast and this time I paid before he could argue. I could have sworn a muscle in his jaw twitched whe
n he conceded, replacing his wallet. I smirked, shooting him a look.

  ‘You can get it next time.’ I winked as we left the bakery.

  ***

  Ace

  Illarion pulled the Maserati into the parking lot of his hotel and the valet came around taking the car away.

  ‘Are you going back to New York.’

  ‘Not yet.’ He said.

  An unspoken heaviness settled between us. Illarion hoped that I’d come back with him and now, it was more of a long reach.

  ‘How long are you planning on staying?’

  ‘To be honest, as long as it takes. I think we’re better equipped to deal with the cases back in New York but it’s advantageous to be here, in case we need to look at anything the FBI have. And after the last two attempts to sabotage your missions, I’m not comfortable leaving.’

  ‘We’re going to have to liaise with them.’

  ‘You don’t have to; we can do that from the Agency.’ He shook his head.

  ‘Actually, I do.’ I shot him a quick look. ‘There’s a lot we still have to do, and a lot of it needs to be done by me.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Well, I mean for starters, they targeted me specifically and not to mention, the safe has my name in it, literally. Which means this wasn’t a random attack.’

  ‘More reason for you to stay away.’

  ‘If they’re going to keep targeting me, the best place I can be is right here.’

  ‘I’m not going to use you as bait.’

  ‘I already am bait.’

  Illarion didn’t hide the fact that he was frustrated with my reasoning, but he didn’t say anything either.

  When the doors opened, Illarion led us down the hall toward the last few rooms on the right.

  ‘Aurel’s going to come up in a few hours, we might as well get started.’

  ‘Sounds good.’

  ‘Make yourself at home.’ He smiled. ‘I’ll get us a drink; files are in the safe.’

  The room was massive, much bigger than my entire apartment and I wasn’t really surprised.

  There were telltale signs that only those of us who knew Illarion Lazarev would pick up on. There were carefully placed bags containing weapons, files which weren’t really of importance, should his room be compromised and then the usual, his crisp blazer folded over the chair.