Smoke and Survival (Best Wishes Book 2)

by A. J. Macey

  “He said, and I quote, ‘Blow her fake mom’s brain all over the wall’ if she didn’t go with him.” He finger quoted Noah’s words, disgust curling his lip. “This guy is seriously fucking insane.”

  “I can’t wait to get my hands on him,” Landon murmured, his eyes flashing dangerously. Dean Renaud waved his hand, cutting off his thoughts.

  “We’ll handle him when we get him,” he commanded softly, looking toward Dante. “For now, though, what else happened?”

  “When Lucie got to the door of the room, he came up and held the gun at her stomach saying if she made any noise he’d shoot her. When he looked out the door, she disarmed him. We had just walked by the front desk when we heard her screaming like a banshee.” Dante smiled down at her as he recounted what Lucie’s mom had told us. “She had apparently landed several solid hits, and when Gerry, a couple of officers, and several security guards neared, he ran out the emergency door. The cops and security ran after him but didn’t get him. We showed up shortly after Gerry had disassembled the gun.” Dante looked at the dean, his face harsh. “There was someone waiting in the car outside, so he was able to leave immediately. Whoever is helping him knew where they’d be and when.” A small groan came from the bed, Lucie’s face squishing up against the soft light in the room. Dean Renaud laid a soft hand on her blanket covered foot.

  “Lucie?” he asked softly, her eyes fully open now. Shuffling, she inclined the back of the bed to sit up further.

  “Fancy seeing you here while I’m confined to a hospital bed.” She coughed a giggle, her voice thick with sleep. “This is starting to become a really shitty habit.” Dean Renaud squeezed her ankle, the pained expression on his face obvious despite him trying to hide it. “I certainly hope this doesn’t become a habit. How are you feeling?”

  She shook her hand back and forth miming so-so. “Spent, exhausted. I feel like I want to sleep for the next week.” Her face scrunched up as if she finally realized the dean was here. “Who called you?”

  “Mr. Hanson reported an attack but didn’t elaborate, and I wanted to come check on you and your mother. I also wanted to talk with you.” He pulled his hand back to straighten his signature black tie. “I already discussed it with Abigail, but we think it would be best to go back to campus. I will be bringing in additional security for the campus as a whole.”

  She sighed, her shoulders dropping, but she agreed with a nod.

  “I’m very sorry, Lucie, but we’ll get him. I will be contacting a Tracker as soon as the one with the FSID is available.” My eyebrows raised— finding Trackers who were not currently hired or under contract was hard and very expensive. They were highly sought after, most working on the wrong side of the law because of the amount of money they could make. The one that worked with FSID was a hard man to get, but if anyone could do it, I would assume it was Dean Renaud, especially considering his family’s influence.

  “It’s all right, Alex.” She gave a timid smile. “We’ll get him eventually. Until then, I’ll stay with them and security.”

  He nodded and lightly cleared his throat, seeming uncomfortable with not knowing what to say next. “I’ll leave you to sleep then.” He gave a single nod to us before heading to the door, pausing before exiting completely. “Call me if you need anything, Lucie. You too, gentlemen.” The door shut quietly behind him, and my hand found its way to Lucie’s, intertwining our fingers.

  “All right, boys.” She turned her attention to us. “I’m fighting sleep really hard right now, so I’m going to try and rest some more. You guys okay?” She smiled warmly at us after we gave our assent. “Good, I’m so happy you’re here.” She snuggled down into the thin blankets, her eyes falling shut. “I couldn’t imagine any better boyfriends than you six.” Her words trailed off in a mumble, her breathing evening out. Despite the silence, the tension was not as thick as it had been. Each of our faces held a small smile as we looked from her to around us. We could not agree more…

  17

  November 26th

  Monday Midday

  Lucienne

  “Race you!” I shouted as I took off. My boots thudded against the wood flooring, my bag bouncing against my hip as I sprinted toward the power practice room. Hudson’s long legs were right behind me and catching up quickly. His honeyed colored hand reached out, crossing the threshold of the room an inch before me. The sudden exercise left me bent over with hands braced on my knees as I gasped for air.

  “I win,” he boasted triumphantly. His chest puffed up, and he put his hands on his trim hips. Glaring at him from my bent over position, I tried to keep a straight face but I couldn’t. I had been trying the last couple days to keep the mood light and fun. Distracting the guys from their agitation and urge to go hunting for Noah was tiring but necessary. They had been bogged down with the severity of what had happened, their shoulders slouching and frowns on their handsome faces since I had woken up in the hospital. And while I knew this wasn’t over, diverting our attention to focus on us and school helped keep tensions down.

  “Yeah, yeah rub it in.” I chuckled, chucking my bag into the corner. From what I had heard, almost all the freshmen had been released from their power placement testing and practices, so I was crossing my fingers and hoping that my time would end today.

  “I would never do such a thing.” Hudson dropped his bag next to mine and leaned back against the single table pushed up against the wall. I gave a skeptical hum, watching Professor George enter the room in his usual disheveled manner, cutting off any response from either of us.

  “Ah, perfect, you two are here already!” He straightened his crooked glasses; unfortunately, he just overcorrected it and made them tilt the other direction. “I have good news!” He clapped his hands and for the first time I realized he didn’t carry his clipboard or papers. I waited patiently for the news, but it didn’t escape my notice that Hudson’s lip was twitching in an attempt not to smile.

  “What’s the good news?” I prompted when I realized the professor wasn’t going to say without me asking. He jumped up and down slightly, his half-untucked shirt flapping underneath his sweater vest.

  “You’ve officially completed your power testing!”

  My jaw dropped, my brain sputtering out of commission. “What?” Smart, Lucie, real smart, I chided. I shook my head slightly to kickstart my brain. “For real?”

  “Yes!” He clapped again, hopping from side to side. “You’re to meet with Dean Renaud before your next class to go over your progress.” I smiled, lost in my own excitement, as Professor George checked his broken watch and scurried quickly out the door leaving Hudson and me alone.

  “Did you know?” I asked Hudson, my smile hurting my cheeks from how wide it was. He nodded enthusiastically before wrapping me tightly in his arms.

  “I got notified this morning, and I’ve been trying to keep it to myself, but it was really difficult. I was just so excited for you, Princess.” A kiss pressed into my hair as I curled my face into his soft dark grey sweater, a widening smile affixed to my face. “I have something for you, if you want to close your eyes.” Suspicious but curious, I did as he asked. Once my eyes were shut, he stepped away from me, my arms falling to my sides. I heard some rustling of his backpack before it stopped and Hudson let me know I could open my eyes.

  “Hudson,” I breathed, feeling my heart flutter as I saw what he had pulled out. In his hands was a pair of earrings; the clear teardrop shape dangling from the silver hooks held a couple pieces of a flower. Looking closer I realized the flower was baby’s breath, the white of the bulb and the green of the stem dainty in the nickel-sized earrings. “They’re beautiful,” I praised, a broad smile spreading as I looked up at him.

  “I made them for you,” he murmured, two tiny patches of pink spread on his cheeks as he talked. “Baby’s breath isn’t a flower Nik or I use very often, and I figured you would like them…” He trailed off shrugging slightly as if he didn’t know what to say.

  “I think t
hey’re gorgeous,” I said happily, glancing back at the dainty flowers before focusing on him. “Thank you, hon. I can’t wait to wear them. Maybe I will on our next date?” I added. With that statement, he perked up, the nervousness melting back into his confident self.

  “I would love that.” He gave me a quick kiss before pulling back. “Come on, Princess. Let’s go to Dean Renaud’s office.” Hudson grabbed our bags, handing me mine so I could tuck the earrings away safely in the inside zipper pocket. When it was secure, I tossed my messenger bag over my shoulder and opened the door for us.

  Gerry was waiting against the wall next to the door, his middle-aged dark skin wrinkled as he smiled at me. He fell into step near me, his muscled legs shortening steps to keep next to us. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He had been around for the last month, but I hadn’t really looked at him since the security detail had been keeping their distance until the shit show this last weekend. His buzzed black hair was barely visible on his dark chocolate skin, and his muscles were bulkier than Dante’s or Bill’s. The more I watched him, the more his build reminded me of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

  The cold air outside hit my face when Hudson held open the door for me. The sudden chill pulled my attention away from the head of security to where I was walking. I slipped under Hudson’s arm when he caught up to me, his sweater soft against the back of my neck since I decided to forgo the scarf today. We were quiet during our walk, eyes scanning the quad for any signs of Noah or suspicious people. Before I knew it, I was being greeted by Jonathon, his wobbly voice warm as he talked.

  “Hello, Miss Lucie, Dean Renaud is waiting for you. Good Afternoon, Mr. Hanson, Mr. Nguyen.” He smiled and nodded toward my company before waving his hand up the stairs. “You get to it now, don’t want to keep him waiting.” I chuckled before starting up the steps.

  “I’ll be waiting out here.” Gerry’s deep, booming voice echoed slightly off the walls of the stairwell as we neared the fourth floor. “Hudson, the dean wished to speak with Lucie privately. Someone will be by to get her before her afternoon class.” Hudson’s lips thinned, but he didn’t argue.

  “All right, I’ll see you tonight, Princess.”

  I popped up on my toes giving him a brief kiss, his chapstick slick against my lips. I smiled as he turned to head back downstairs. As soon as my foot hit the top floor, Alex’s office door opened.

  Curiosity finally won over as I stepped into his office, and I blurted out, “How do you do that?” I pretended to ignore the fact that Gerry was chuckling out in the hallway at my question.

  “Wards.” Alex smiled down at me, his dark suit standing out against the warm wood bookshelves.

  I nodded, understanding the basics of what he meant, but I wasn’t going to ask how they worked because that type of magic was way too advanced for me. He wouldn’t tell you anyway, I whispered to myself.

  “Have a seat, Lucie.” He waved his hand toward my normal seat, the plush leather chair on the right in front of his antique desk. I plopped down slightly bouncing on the rich dark brown leather. “Congratulations on completing your power testing. Professor George spoke very highly of you, and I know I have seen great improvement in our sessions.”

  “Thank you,” I mumbled, my face burning under his praise. While I felt my cheeks glow, my heart leaped into my throat with excitement from knowing he was proud of me. His smile was warm, slight crow’s feet appearing at the corners of his eyes.

  “I would like to continue our sessions, but I think you deserve some time off. Would you be willing to start them up again after the holiday break?” He looked expectantly at me, and I nodded, knowing I wanted to be as good as I possibly could be with my powers. “Perfect, we will resume them January eleventh after the spring semester begins.” He paused to make a quick note on his desk pad. His hand flowing smoothly with the fancy pen he picked up, the kind that came in an expensive wooden box. “Has Muriel talked to you about the exhibit we will be hosting in the library for the spring semester?”

  “I heard her talk about it with several professors,” I started. “Also, I was helping Cam with locating more references for his research.”

  “That’s good, I was asked by Muriel if you would be permitted to come back to campus before the start of the semester to help assist set up.”

  I nodded excitedly; I did want to help because I was very curious about everything they wanted to set up. Not to mention, it would be a great opportunity to spend more time with Cam, seeing his eyes light up at each new discovery.

  “Perfect, we will be starting setup Friday the fourth. If you want to stay in your room at the library, you’re more than welcome, but I’m unsure how busy that area will be during the day. If you prefer, you will have access to your dorm room pending a more current update on the situation.”

  “I understand,” I responded, my stomach clenching painfully at the implication of Noah and what it would mean if he was still out there by the New Year. His lips turned down ever so slightly catching my attention. “What?”

  “That is another reason I wanted to speak to you today.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair messing the gelled strands. Obviously aware of where my thoughts had drifted. “Are you aware of how many text messages and emails you’ve received since having your gentlemen carry your phone?” Despite the dark topic, I felt my cheeks heat at his words ‘your gentlemen.’ I shook my head, my growing panic clamping my jaw shut. “You’ve had several hundred of each and dozens of missed calls.” My jaw dropped. Holy shit. I hadn’t realized it had been that bad. The more I thought about it, the more the guys’ solemn attitudes made sense.

  “What do we do?” I whispered, hating how scared I sounded. His eyes softened at the obvious fear seeping through my words.

  “I have something for the time being at least,” he started, a soft knocking cutting through his words. My brows knit together. Who is that? Why didn’t Alex open the door as soon as someone approached his office? He smoothly stepped around his desk and opened the door revealing Nik on the other side, Grigori perched regally on his shoulder. Now I was very confused as to what was going on.

  “Dean Renaud.” Nik dipped his head as he entered, his gravelly words soft and full of respect as Alex held out his hand towards the open chair.

  “Have a seat, Nikolai.” My brain struggled to keep up, even more surprised to hear Alex call anyone other than me by their first name.

  “Hey, Babe,” Nik whispered, leaning in closely to kiss my cheek. I turned just in time to catch his lips in a soft brush against mine. He smirked at me before sitting back into his seat. Alex’s eyes were tight as he sat behind his desk, but he didn’t comment on our behavior. Even though I don’t always understand it, it’s nice that he’s so protective.

  “As I was saying,” Alex started, his hand waving toward Nik, “we have a temporary solution. Nikolai’s archery competition is out of state, and we discussed you, Camden, and Gerry accompanying him.” I perked up. I get to go to the competition? Alex chuckled at my blatant excitement. “I take it you would be all right with that?” I nodded enthusiastically.

  “We will be leaving Friday afternoon and coming back Sunday morning,” Nik supplied. Alex hummed an agreement.

  “It’ll get you away from everything for a few days, but before you go...” Alex hesitated. Leaning forward, he propped his elbows on the desk, his suit jacket straining against his shoulders. “I know you hid your wish token box, but I feel it would be more secure in my private safe.”

  “How did you know?” I felt my eyebrows raise in surprise. I didn’t tell him about that, did I? My cheeks tinted when they both chuckled.

  “Professor George included it in his power testing notes. Don’t worry, no one else knows about it.” I breathed a sigh of relief. That makes sense, I reasoned.

  “I can bring it in, but I have to get it first. Can I drop it off tomorrow evening? We were planning on studying this afternoon.” I glanced over at Nik. His ankle was prop
ped on his left leg, arms resting on the leather chair. Grigori perched on his right shoulder, his beady eyes focused on me instead of Alex. I pulled my eyes away when I saw Nik’s lip curl ever so slightly.

  “That’s fine, I’ll be here.” Alex stood buttoning his jacket. Nik and I followed suit, and I situated my bag on my shoulder. “I believe that’s all I had. Is there anything else you need?” I shook my head, and when Alex looked over at Nik, he did the same. Nodding, Alex walked around his desk and opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lucie. Keep me updated if anything else happens.” In the bustle of everything going on around me, I kept forgetting to tell Alex about my conversation with the Spring Court Queen. Not wanting to waste his time or let whatever he could tell me about Mireille potentially ruin my weekend if it wasn’t what I wanted to hear, I decided to wait until we returned to bring it up.

  “Thank you,” I mumbled, my mind going a mile a minute. I finally get to see one of Nik’s competitions! I internally squealed. Nik’s hand grabbed mine, lacing our fingers together as we started down the stairs. For the rest of the day, I struggled through class and studying, my focus on our weekend trip.

  November 27th

  Tuesday Afternoon

  Lucienne

  “Hey, Lemon Drop,” Landon greeted cheerfully, his bag falling to the ground. His arms wrapped around me tightly before I could ask what he was doing. “We get you all to ourselves for a while.”

  “Love,” Logan hummed, pulling me back against his chest when Landon released me. “Where are we going now?” I felt a kiss on the top of my head before his arms dropped.

  “Follow me, it’s kind of a walk,” I said quietly, not wanting to pull attention from the other students. We followed the flow of students through the quad but turned on one of the less used paths. When we reached the barely worn footpath into the woods, I quickly glanced around before starting to the edge of the trees. The twins looked around the surrounding area, whether out of curiosity or for trouble I didn’t know, but the tension in their shoulders worried me. “So how was your energy manipulation class?” I asked trying to rid them of some of their worries.