I sobbed uncontrollably as I lifted her small face closer to mine, my tears falling on her already tear-soaked cheeks, gently kissing her on the forehead before doing my best to speak.
“Shh,” I whispered softly. “Daddy has you. You’re okay. You’re okay.”
Instantly, her shrieking shifted to normal sobbing, causing me to cry even harder. Because there was no sound so pitiful and somber as hearing a baby sob and whimper. It was completely different than crying from hunger or even from being in pain due to too much air in her belly. Crying for a need was normal, but crying because a baby was sincerely sad was not a frequent occurrence in my experience.
Ultimately, I ended up singing to her in a shaky voice, the same song I used to sing to her over a century ago, and one I’d never forgotten, but also one I hadn’t sung in that same amount of time.
No, let’s be real. I hadn’t sung at all in over a hundred and twenty-eight years.
Not for Lily, not for Freya.
Not for Rose, not even by myself.
In fact, my lack of singing was so pronounced – to the point that everyone just assumed that it was something I didn’t do – that both of my fiancés actually noticed.
Heidi and Lexi appeared in the hallway just after I began, having felt the vibrations from Rose bursting through our bedroom door, but I ignored them as all my attention remained focused on my little girl sobbing in my arms, squirming to press her face against my chest.
I wasn’t sure the sisters fully understood what was going on, but it seemed that the same truth that applied the last time I was this emotional also applied now.
When a man cries, everyone cries. Especially if he’s a father, and those around him are his family.
Thankfully, Eden seemed to calm down pretty quickly, her crying picking up again a few minutes later to indicate she was hungry. In response, Freya took over speaking softly to our daughter as she took her to the bed to nurse, giving me the opportunity to step into the bathroom and collect myself.
Because I was a mess. An emotional mess, with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions plaguing me, everything from crushing guilt and devastating depression to overwhelming relief and elated joy.
My little girl still needed me. She still loved me.
But she also remembered . She remembered her horribly traumatizing death.
Would she be alright? Would she still forgive me when she was older?
I didn’t know.
But one thing was for certain. Whether she did or didn’t, nothing would change my response. I’d love her no matter what, and I’d protect her no matter what.
Never again. I would not let her experience something so horrible ever again.
By the time I was out of the bathroom, Eden was fast asleep again in Freya’s arms as if nothing had ever happened, with Lily’s arm wrapped around the new mother’s shoulders tightly, their heads resting against each other. They both looked at me in concern when I reappeared, Lily’s orange eyes glowing softly in the dim light, though neither of them said anything out loud.
Having mostly collected myself, I moved closer to kiss each of them on the lips for a long few seconds, the gesture full of affection rather than romance, before heading to the kitchen to make sure everyone else was okay. I knew Heidi and Lexi left to give Freya some privacy, but they were both still awake, likely having gotten the story from my oldest daughter.
Heidi had Rose in her lap in one of the dining room chairs, holding her tightly, with Rose’s face still gray around her black and red eyes.
The look made me concerned now that my emotions were more stable.
“Sweetie,” I said softly. “Are you alright? Do you need to eat?”
She shook her head.
Heidi spoke up. “I offered, but she said she wasn’t hungry.”
I nodded, kneeling down in front of the two of them as I held Rose’s small hands, realizing there were tiny white claws just barely protruding out of her fingertips. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”
Rose took a shaky breath, her unfocused eyes finally seeing me. “Daddy, it was really scary. They wanted to get rid of me, and they stuck me in a box full of fire, and then you and Eden were there too, and she was so scared.” Her hands tightened in mine, to the point that she would have left bruises if I didn’t heal so quickly.
I grimaced at her words, understanding what she was trying to say – that she had a dream where she’d been shoved inside a furnace – probably the kind used for cremation. It was one of the horrors Freya and I previously discussed in private, almost a year ago, after we first met Rose – our new daughter’s memories regarding what they did with the clones they were finished with.
Rose had never actually been in the room, but she’d walked past it before – she’d smelt the terrifying scents lingering in the air, and just once she’d gotten a peek inside when someone was coming out while she was being escorted by another scientist.
Granted, surely Rose’s dream was truly only a nightmare, because I couldn’t imagine them throwing kids in there while they were conscious, but we really didn’t know.
We really didn’t know. After all, if they treated them so inhumanely anyway, then who was to say they didn’t choose to save money and resources by neglecting to use drugs to at least knock them out first. Not that such drugs would have done anything to someone like Rose anyway…
Shit.
The idea infuriated me beyond words.
Just another reason to make this upcoming meeting count. To end this abhorrent organization responsible for the death of so many innocents who treated children like lab rats.
Taking a deep breath, I decided to press for Rose to eat anyway, which actually did make her feel better, and also helped her look normal again, the whites of her eyes being the last to transition back to their normal white color. Then, I suggested that maybe Heidi could sleep with her, since they both looked exhausted now, and I was worried about Rose having another nightmare.
Heidi had no problem with that at all, prompting a series of hugs and goodnights, before they went back upstairs, leaving just me and Lexi in the kitchen. Unlike the others, she seemed awake now, probably because she knew she’d have to be up in just a couple of hours anyway, so I asked if she wanted to get some coffee started.
It wasn’t something I needed, since I never felt tired anyway, but it was a comforting morning routine to have coffee together.
She agreed, prompting me to check in with Freya and Lily while she made a couple of cups.
They were talking softly when I came into the room, of course wondering how I was doing. After a short conversation, they decided Lily would try to get some more sleep, snuggling against Freya’s side, while the now wide-awake mother remained sitting up, holding Eden. That way, Freya would be free to get some more sleep later on, knowing Lily, Rose, and Heidi would all be up for the day to take care of our baby.
I offered to keep Freya company, since she’d be the only one awake in the room, but she encouraged me to go over what I’d written down with Lexi, since she was also up for the day. I gave them both one last kiss before doing just that, taking my tablet with me, but making sure Freya had her own in case she wanted to use it to help her stay awake.
Lexi was still dressed in her pajamas – electric blue silk pajamas – I swear these women were going to be the end of me – but I did my best to ignore the, what I considered to be, seductive attire in order to sit side-by-side at the table and discuss my thoughts.
She was a little alarmed by some of the things I was considering sharing, but this really wasn’t a normal interview. They needed to know me. They needed to know about my personal life. They needed to know I wasn’t some horrible villain who was going to run wild with whatever knowledge they were wanting to keep from me.
Some of the information I might potentially share also involved personal stuff about Lily and Freya, but at this point it was doubtful there was much these people didn’t already know about. After all, with that creepy
-eyed woman having had the chance to evaluate Freya’s superpower when she evaluated Eden’s, there was little doubt that they knew everything at this point.
They knew she could read minds, including a person’s entire memory. And they probably knew she could transform into a literal monster. They also should now be aware of her bloodlust and its connection to her being horny.
Essentially, everything.
Everything personal that she had wanted to keep hidden previously, were all things she sacrificed in order to try to discover how Eden was alive again.
All of it, done for me.
And now, I needed to make sure I made this negotiation count, so that I could obtain the best deal that would help us protect our entire family. After spending about an hour talking, Lexi finally went upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. She came back down dressed much more professionally than I was expecting – a white blouse, short suit jacket, and black pencil skirt, along with pantyhose and high heels.
She almost looked like a lawyer or well-dressed librarian, just missing the glasses to complete the ensemble, though she had perfect eyesight, so such an accessory would be purely for aesthetics. However, it definitely made me rethink my own choice of attire.
Having worked in business for a while now, it was much more common to see people wearing business casual, even for this kind of thing. I mean, I’d seen a lot of interviews where people just came in wearing a nice shirt, slacks, and tie. Maybe if someone was interviewing for a higher-level position then they might dress nicer, but even Lexi admitted most potential superheroes don’t dress up for their negotiations.
After all, in some ways, it’s more like the superhero is interviewing the CDS, seeing what the organization could offer them .
However, some of the top brass would be present for this meeting, so even Lexi was dressing up professionally – one of the rare occasions when she did.
Donning my own charcoal suit to match her, we both said goodbye to everyone, now that they were up for the day, and climbed into her bright red Ferrari. All she had to do was give it a voice command to head to work, and we were on our way, with her angled toward me while the car drove on autopilot.
“Nervous?” she wondered, trying to tuck some of her short blonde hair behind her ear. It still only went down about a couple of inches past her chin, due to the airport bombing that happened in January, three months ago, which burned off all her hair, followed by Heidi almost killing herself trying to heal her older sister.
I shook my head, readjusting in my seat. It’d been a while since I’d worn a suit. It still fit well, but just wasn’t as comfortable as my usual clothing. “No, I’m not nervous really. More determined than anything. Maybe a little worried.”
She nodded. “You look really nice, by the way.”
“Thanks,” I said simply.
“And I’m really looking forward to working with you,” she admitted.
I smiled just a little. “Me too,” I agreed sincerely, keeping my eyes on the road. “Although…” I hesitated, finally turning in my seat a little to focus on her. “Can I ask a favor?”
Her purple eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, of course. What is it?”
I took a deep breath, knowing this was going to ruin the otherwise pleasant mood we’d shared all morning. “Please don’t lie to me anymore.”
She sat up straighter in surprise, before looking away with an ashamed expression. “I’m…I’m sorry.”
Of course, she knew what I was talking about – her denial that the airport bombing wasn’t a targeted attack.
I took a deep breath, reaching out to gently rub her shoulder before pulling away. “Look, I get it. I completely understand. You basically had to lie constantly for three years to keep yourself safe. To keep your sister safe. And old habits die really hard. But please don’t lie to me . Because I can’t keep you safe if you keep stuff like that from me.”
She nodded, tears in her amethyst eyes as she continued to avert her gaze.
I sighed. “And I’m not mad or anything. I just want you to be honest with me from now on.”
She finally looked at me in surprise. “H-How can you not be angry? I almost got Lily killed.”
I took a deep breath, focusing on the road again. “No, you didn’t. The terrorist who is targeting you almost got Lily killed. Yes, it would have helped to know going out in public might not be safe for you, or that I might need to stay closer to everyone, but ultimately it’s not your fault.”
She shook her head, reaching up to carefully wipe her eyes to avoid smearing her makeup, though I was pretty sure it was the waterproof kind anyway. “I really don’t understand how you can be so forgiving,” she admitted quietly with a sniffle. “This isn’t the first time harm has befallen her because of me.”
I reached out to grasp her hand, holding it in mine, causing her body to stiffen in surprise. My tone was gentle. “We had this conversation before, right? You were a gun in the hands of a bad man. And now you’re a target in the sights of a terrorist. That makes you the victim , not the perpetrator.”
She relaxed, tears filling her eyes again as she grasped my hand more tightly.
“But if you want to make it up to me,” I continued. “Then just be honest with me from now on, so we don’t have this kind of problem again.”
She sniffled. “I don’t even know how they keep finding me,” she replied. “Like, I’ve mixed up my routine, and the trip to the mall was kind of sporadic. And, of course, the CDS has everyone working on it. They’re doing pretty much everything they can, shy of having a security team with me at all times.”
“Any reason why they haven’t done that?” I asked seriously.
She grimaced. “Because I rejected the offer,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to inconvenience you, and I was afraid you guys wouldn’t want me around if I had to have security with me wherever we went.” She looked away, still holding my hand. “Not to mention, being close to you is significantly safer than a bunch of men with guns would be…”
“If I’m aware there’s a threat,” I corrected her.
She looked at me again with another wave of shame crossing her expression, before nodding in agreement. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “Part of the problem too was that I couldn’t tell you anything specific, because everything about this guy is classified. But if you start working with me then I’ll be able to share everything.”
I nodded in agreement, finally taking my hand away, prompting her to fold her hands in her lap. “Right, and I understand that. Still, there’s no reason why you couldn’t have told me a threat existed, even if you couldn’t say much about the situation.”
“I’ll do better,” she promised. “I won’t lie to you again. Trust me, after everything that’s happened, I won’t hesitate to give you whatever you want, when you want it.”
Okay, shit, that was an unusual way to put it.
I knew she was probably talking about giving me any information I asked for, but damn Lexi! If she kept talking like that, then I was going to have to readjust in my seat again for a very different reason.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks,” I said sincerely, ready to focus on our arrival now that I’d gotten that cleared up. “So what’s the plan once we get there?”
She cleared her throat too. “Right. Well, as you know, I can’t be there with you, so I’ll be dropping you off at the front. I’ve been told someone will be waiting to escort you inside. And then, afterward, assuming you’ve reached an agreement, I’ll be able to show you around the office. Given that it’s Wednesday, you should be able to meet all my coworkers.”
“Wouldn’t I be able to meet them no matter what day it was?” I wondered.
“Oh.” She shook her head. “No, not exactly. A lot of us work Monday through Friday most of the time, but there are quite a few who are on a weekend rotation where they only work four days a week with slightly longer shifts, either Wednesday through Saturday, or Sunday through Wednesday. Basically,
they work one weekend day in exchange for an extra day off, assuming no significant emergencies come up. But this is the one day when everyone is at the office. It’s also the primary day when we have our weekly debriefing to make sure everyone is on the same page.” She paused then, her brow furrowing. “Oh shit,” she whispered.
“What?” I said in concern.
She sighed heavily, giving me an apologetic look. “Well, I forgot, but I think they’re throwing me a party this afternoon for my birthday, since everyone will be in. I didn’t want to draw a lot of attention to you on the first day.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Your birthday?” I repeated. “Shit Lexi, why didn’t you tell us? When is it?”
She seemed even more embarrassed. “Yesterday,” she admitted.
I looked at her in shock, before giving her a serious expression as her overall posture finally clicked. “Okay, seriously Lexi, this has to stop.”
She focused on me in alarm. “W-What?”
I gestured at her in general, referring to her posture and the associated mentality that went with it. “This . I realize we’ve had a lot going on the last few days, but you’re not an inconvenience. And your birthday is still important. I mean, we celebrated Heidi’s birthday in February, didn’t we?”
She nodded, her amethyst eyes tight.
“Well, I want to celebrate yours too.” I glanced at the road as I quickly recalled what the date was yesterday. Not ever sleeping meant the days easily blurred together. “Okay, so yesterday was April 9th.” I looked at her again. “I won’t forget next year, but you’ve got to stop neglecting information like that too. Okay? If it’s something you think I would want to know, then tell me.”
Her eyes were still tight. “It’s just, with everything going on…”
“You’re right,” I admitted. “It’s been a lot. And it’s been rough for all of us, especially me and Freya. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t important, okay?” I scoffed. “Maybe once you reach eighty or ninety, then we’ll let it slide if you really don’t want to celebrate your birthday, but until then you need to experience at least a good sixty to seventy celebrations.”
The Powerful Pride of an Immortal (Immortal Supers Book 4) Page 4
