Vivid Avowed (The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy Book 3)

by Kaydence Snow

  I wanted to take my Bond and just lock us in a room. What I’d do with all four of them in there, I wasn’t entirely sure, but my Light instincts had never done me wrong before. I just wanted them close.

  I turned to face Tyler, my eyes pleading.

  His expression softened. “Soon, baby.”

  Stacey gave him an odd look, a slight furrowing of the brows that she quickly wiped off her face. I only saw it because she was standing right next to him, because I was hyperaware of her elbow brushing against his arm as she tapped the tablet in her hands. As usual, she looked sophisticated in a pencil skirt and sweater, though her usually sleek bun had a few bits of hair sticking out of it. That seemed to be the only sign she was stressed.

  I moved toward Ty again, but Alec pulled me back, holding me against his chest. I covered his hands at my hips with my own and let him ground me. I needed to be touching at least one of them, and there was a distinct possibility I’d growl at Stacey like one of Dot’s bears once I got my hands on Ty.

  “We knew there was a risk of some kind of violent or disruptive event,” Stacey said to the room, “but considering the circumstances, I think we need to discuss Miss Blackburn—”

  “Maynard,” Alec and I cut her off at the same time, but I explained, “It’s Evelyn Maynard. Can we get that changed, please?” Everyone knew my secrets now anyway. My so-called father had laid me bare for the world to see. Weren’t parents supposed to protect their children? Shield them? What a joke.

  “Yes, very well.” A bit of frustration cut into her perfect demeanor. Stacey didn’t appreciate being interrupted. “As I was saying, I think we need to consider having Miss Maynard take a break from classes.”

  I looked at her sharply and frowned. “You’re kicking me out? But I have a scholarship . . .” Of course this had nothing to do with my academic performance. It just seemed as if it needed to be said: I had a right to be there. I’d worked hard and earned my spot.

  “Oh, no, sweetheart.” Stacey reached a hand out to me, her expression sympathetic if a little fake. “No one is kicking you out. Your scholarship is secure. What I’m talking about is taking a break. Just until things calm down.”

  “Until things calm down.” I crossed my arms and looked at my feet.

  “The safety of the staff and students has to be our primary concern, Eve,” Tyler explained, his expression resigned, sad. “After the way you were attacked tonight, I simply don’t believe Bradford Hills Institute is a safe place for you anymore. And as much as it frustrates me to say it, removing you from the situation would make the other students safer too.”

  “Right.” I’d crossed my arms in defiance, but now I was hugging myself more than anything. They were right—I was dangerous. I could drain any Variant to death if they pissed me off enough, and the fact that Davis had basically put a bounty on my head meant that anywhere I went, I was at risk of starting a riot.

  An indignant part of me wanted to argue. This may never get resolved. It wasn’t fair. How was it my fault that idiots were getting dragged into Davis’s bullshit? Why should I suffer because Melior Group couldn’t do their damn jobs? All I ever wanted was to study science and find a place to settle down.

  But another, bigger, more sinister part of me understood how naive my indignation was.

  “Maybe I should just leave. Permanently.” It would be less of a headache for Tyler, Stacey, and the Bradford Hills Institute board if I just quietly went away. There would be less drama, and they wouldn’t be forced to take sides in a war that no one would ultimately win.

  If I was being honest with myself, none of this would be happening if it wasn’t for me. Davis wouldn’t be trying to make his own Frankenstein monsters if my mother’s Light hadn’t shown him it was possible. He wouldn’t have started two extremist organizations in his pursuit for answers. He wouldn’t have kidnapped all those Vitals. Rick would still be alive. Beth would still be alive. People wouldn’t be starting riots in the streets if Davis wasn’t so determined to get me.

  I could just hand myself over to him, but then he would have exactly what he wanted, and I shuddered to think what the world would look like if a man like him had that much power.

  Really, this would all go away if I didn’t exist.

  “Maybe I should just . . .”

  I trailed off, not quite able to say the word. The fact that this thought had even crossed my mind scared the absolute shit out of me. My whole world tilted on its axis as cold dread trickled down my spine.

  Tyler propped his hands on his hips. “You should just what, Eve?”

  He asked and his ability filled him in. His eyes widened in shock, horror, fear.

  I looked away, willing myself not to cry even as my eyes started to sting from impending tears.

  “Evelyn, no one is suggesting you leave permanently.” Stacey was oblivious to what had just gone through my mind, but Tyler cut in.

  “Don’t,” he growled, stalking forward to stand directly in front of me. His hands cupped my cheeks and lifted my face until I was looking directly into his intense gray eyes. “Don’t you dare think like that, Evelyn.”

  Panicked, I glanced around as much as his grip would allow, worried he would expose to the whole room the single darkest thought I’d ever had.

  But he just said what I needed to hear. “You are mine and I love you. You are the most important thing to me. I won’t stand for it. Do you understand?”

  I nodded weakly, and Tyler closed the distance, placing a searing kiss on my lips. I wrapped my arms around him, and he didn’t stop at what would’ve been proper in a room full of people. He darted his tongue out and I met it with mine.

  Alec had no idea what we were talking about, and he wasn’t asking—although I was sure there would be questions later—but he could clearly tell something was wrong. Instead of giving us space, he closed in and pressed his front against my back. Tyler continued to assault my mouth, driving any depressing thoughts right out of my mind for those blissful few moments. I was exactly where I wanted and needed to be—with them.

  Tyler broke the kiss and touched his forehead to mine. “I love you,” he whispered against my lips. “Please don’t leave me.”

  I took a shuddering breath. He’d gotten to the crux of the matter. If any one of them was taken from me, left me, I would be a mess. A broken twisted mess. How could I possibly do that to them?

  When Tyler finally stepped away, giving me some room to breathe, the first person I made eye contact with was Stacey. The other two were averting their gazes, but her full, stunned attention was on me—on us.

  I think that was the first time Stacey had seen Tyler and me together—really together—the first time she’d glimpsed what it meant to be in a Bond. On some level, I felt a little bad for her; she clearly had a crush on Ty, and I knew what that was like. I was still crushing on him too. But as a human, she could never fully appreciate the level of devotion and connection we shared. We were tethered in every way imaginable and in one way even science couldn’t explain—by the Light.

  She’d finally seen for herself that she truly had no chance with him. He was mine, always was, and always would be.

  With a little cough, she looked down at her tablet. To her credit, she didn’t give much away, didn’t throw me any jealous looks or childish sneers. She simply fixed one of the many stray hairs that had fallen out of her bun, smoothed down her skirt, and got back to business. I had to admire her strength and professionalism.

  Before she could speak again, Tyler did. “Can we finish this conversation tomorrow, Stacey? You have the lockdown under control, and Melior Group are all in place with additional agents called in for backup—all bases are covered. I’ll speak with Evelyn about her classes at home, and we can finalize the details tomorrow.”

  “Of course.” She smiled politely. “You should get her home. I have a free hour at eleven tomorrow morning?” She tapped at her tablet, and Ty took out his phone.

  “That works. Lock it i
n.”

  They set the meeting, Tyler made sure everyone was clear on their orders, and we headed into the underground parking garage.

  It wasn’t until we were safely inside the house that any of us spoke again.

  “Hey! That was a late study session.” Ethan flashed me his dimples, meandering out of the living room in sweats. He gave me a quick peck on the lips, then paused, his smile faltering.

  Josh appeared in the doorway, also in sweats and a band T-shirt. “What happened?”

  He rushed over and gave me a kiss too, holding on to my hand.

  Alec was the first to speak, but he didn’t answer their questions; he just posed another one.

  “What the fuck was that in there?” He looked between Tyler and me, his mouth set in a firm line but his eyes full of fear.

  “We have a lot to discuss, but I think we should do it on the plane.” Tyler ran his hands through his messy hair—a sure sign of stress.

  “Plane?” I asked. Josh, Ethan, and I all turned confused looks on him. “What plane? Didn’t you just set a meeting with Stacey?”

  “We couldn’t risk anyone getting suspicious,” Alec answered for him.

  “You all know there’s a mole in Melior Group.” Tyler sighed. “Well, considering tonight’s events, things are worse than we thought.”

  “How?” Josh kept his questions simple and to the point.

  “We had agents disobeying direct orders. Some are outright siding with Davis. There’s a faction within the organization that believes we should align with him—that his goals for Variants are in line with Melior Group’s. It’s a load of shit, but it goes as high as management. We can’t trust Melior Group anymore. We have to go dark,” Tyler explained.

  “Dark? What does that mean?” I thought I was being somewhat dramatic when I said nowhere was safe anymore, but it looked as if I was more right than I thought.

  “We’re gonna run.” Alec took my other hand and gave me a sad smile.

  “We were planning a trip to Japan anyway.” Tyler shrugged. “We just have to move it up from next week to, well, right now. And we’ll have to take a roundabout way to get there.”

  “Get packing, you three,” Alec barked.

  Instead of obeying, Ethan crossed his arms over his big chest. “Is someone going to tell us what the fuck happened?”

  Alec’s eyes narrowed, but I stepped between them. “I’ll fill them in while they pack. My go-bag is ready anyway.”

  “Of course it is.” Alec chuckled darkly as I led the way up the stairs. It felt good to have a task, something to keep my mind off the dark thoughts threatening to creep back in at any moment.

  I gave the guys the abridged version of the evening’s events, sticking to the facts and leaving out my insidious thoughts. After several bone-crushing hugs and my repeated assurances that I was fine—something I wasn’t entirely convinced of myself—they reluctantly left my side to go pack.

  I rushed through a quick shower, washing off the heat of the day and the mess of the evening. Meticulously and precisely, I tied my damp hair back, dressed in simple dark clothing, and grabbed my go-bag from the bottom of my wardrobe. I didn’t give myself time to slow down and think. Our best chance to get away undetected would be under the cover of darkness, and we had to hurry.

  I rushed downstairs, worried I was holding everyone up because of my shower, but I still beat Ethan and Josh. They came jogging down the stairs just as I reached the bottom.

  Once we’d all converged in the foyer, I unzipped the front pocket of my backpack and handed each of them a new passport with a new identity.

  “Oh, right.” Ethan took his wallet out of his pocket, stared at it as if he didn’t know what it was for a second, then dropped it onto the side table.

  “Jonathon MacLaine?” Alec scoffed, but his eyes danced with amusement.

  I gave him a smile and shrugged. I’d toyed with the idea of giving them all action hero–adjacent names but decided against it. This was serious, and I took it seriously. Unfortunately, Alec’s Die Hard identity was already created by the time I came to that conclusion.

  “These are really good, Eve. Thank you.” Josh tucked his new passport into his pocket just as Lucian came rolling out of his wing.

  “OK, you’re all set.” He came to a stop before us. “The more stops you make, the better, but you’re leaving at night and when no one expects it, so that’ll help. Evelyn, do you have those new passports you’ve been working on?”

  “Yes, Uncle Luce.”

  Everyone held up their new documents, but Lucian was already barreling on. “Just keep your heads down, and don’t draw attention to yourselves.”

  “We know.” I went to stand in front of him.

  “Crowds are good if you need to lose a tail and—”

  “Uncle Lucian,” I cut him off, taking his hand in mine. “We know.”

  I’d spent my entire childhood doing this. Alec and Tyler were highly trained. Ethan and Josh weren’t idiots.

  He took my hand in both of his and sighed. “Please just . . . be careful. I can’t lose any more family.”

  He gave us all a pointed look, and I leaned down to hug him. He held me close before finally letting go.

  Tyler cleared his throat. “I’ve informed Mr. Takata, through a secure channel, that we’re on our way. The only decision left to make is how we actually get off the property.”

  “Well, then you’re lucky I’m here.” Olivia strode out of the back of the house, purse over her shoulder, wearing a tracksuit and a determined expression.

  “Olivia came to make sure I eat a decent meal for dinner.” Lucian rolled his eyes, but I could tell he was happy to have his sister around more. “We’re lucky the garage was open when she showed up. No one will see you all getting into her SUV, and no one will question her leaving now.”

  Once again, Olivia ended up playing my getaway driver. She was much calmer about it this time—no nervousness or second thoughts, no muttering to herself or questioning her decision. She just kept her eyes on the road, and we all crouched in the back.

  When the car finally stopped, she paused, pretending to rifle through her purse. “Take care of my boys, Evie.”

  Then she got out of the car and walked away.

  They didn’t need taking care of. They were the ones with incredible, dangerous abilities. She was just telling me in her own way to be strong—that she believed in me.

  We waited for ten minutes, then slunk out of the car into a sprawling department store parking lot. There weren’t many people around but plenty of cars.

  By the time I’d gotten my bearings, Alec had already disappeared without a sound, and Ethan and Josh were making their way over to the next row of cars.

  Tyler tugged on my arm, two helmets held in his other hand. He led me to a motorbike parked in a dark corner and swung his leg over. If there was any doubt in my mind that we were about to steal a motorcycle, it was wiped away once he started to hotwire it.

  I settled in behind him as the engine came to life.

  He grabbed my arms and wrapped them tightly around his waist as he turned to flash me a grin. “This time I don’t have to pretend I don’t want your hands all over me.”

  Despite the tense situation, I laughed. “This time I don’t have to feel bad about groping you.”

  I reached between his legs and gave him a gentle yet confident squeeze. He chuckled and pulled his helmet on, forcing me to abandon my grip on the growing hardness to do the same, and we were off.

  We drove to Boston, switching vehicles several times, sometimes splitting up into different groups. Josh booked tickets on a flight to Japan as we drove, and we arrived at the airport with plenty of time to clear customs and passport control without a hitch. My fakes were damn good.

  Twenty-Three

  When we got to the gate, most of the passengers still hadn’t been called for boarding. Business class was being given priority, so we got in line behind half a dozen other business-class p
eople and waited.

  Ethan had his face in a cooking magazine, his bicep bulging. I smiled at him indulgently and leaned into Josh, but when I rested my head against his shoulder, it felt tense. I looked up at him. The expression on his face was one of careful concentration, his full attention on something over his shoulder.

  I followed his gaze to the reception desk. In front of the counter stood a woman with short black hair, dressed impeccably in slacks and a white business shirt. She was saying something to the young woman behind the counter, gesturing with her hands. She looked upset, and even though I couldn’t make out what she was saying, I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before everyone could.

  “Shit.” I gripped Josh’s arm a little tighter, glancing around the busy terminal, clocking the exits.

  Without tearing his gaze away from the unfolding scene—as predicted, the woman was beginning to raise her voice—Josh inclined his head and called out quietly, “Gabe?”

  “I see it.” Tyler sounded as if he was close behind me, which made me feel a bit safer.

  “What?” Ethan whipped his head up, the magazine still clutched in both hands.

  The woman’s voice finally raised to an audible volume, answering Ethan’s question.

  “. . . not be that difficult!” She huffed, slapping her hand on the counter and propping the other on her hip.

  Around us, conversations hushed as others started to take notice, making the flight assistant’s response easy to hear.

  “Ma’am, as I already explained, the economy section of the flight is full. I simply can’t move you. You’re welcome to book another flight, but we are under no obligation to accommodate your request.”

  “This is ridiculous.” Again she huffed, her voice more high-pitched. “You have a duty of care to your passengers. I have a right to feel safe. How can you expect me to sit next to a . . . person”—she spat the word—“like that?”

  “We do not ask people if they are human or Variant when they buy their tickets, and we certainly don’t segregate our flights as such. That would be against the law. Now, you can either lower your voice and board the flight or you can purchase another ticket, but if you continue to behave in an aggressive manner—”