by Autumn Reed
“Bennett, you’re up,” one of the instructors called.
“God, you’re so beautiful.” Theo smiled and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.
I watched him scale rung after rung, remembering how I felt like I would never reach the top. He left the platform in a smooth, graceful move, executing the trick perfectly. We both successfully performed a knee bend, which turned out to be easier than I anticipated, and then it was time to attempt a catch—the most complicated trick we would learn in beginner trapeze school.
After climbing to the platform, I watched as a catcher ascended the rope to the other bar. I waited at the ready, my instructor setting me up for the trick. The catcher pumped up her swing and hung upside down, then called for me. As instructed by Sam, who was shouting commands from the ground, I jumped, picked up my legs, bent my knees around the trapeze bar, and looked for the catcher. When she grabbed my wrists, I squeezed back and let my legs straighten off the bar, placing my complete trust in her.
Suspended from her hands, I swung high above the ground until the command was given to release me. I fell to the net with a huge smile on my face.
“That was incredible. Thank you,” I said to Theo as we returned our safety gear.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Truth or dare?”
“I thought you were done playing the game?”
“I am, that was my last dare. You have one more turn.”
“I do?” he asked innocently.
“Yes, I went first.”
“Oh, that’s right. Dare.”
Perfect. I had waited all afternoon for him to kiss me or dare me to kiss him. Feeling emboldened by my trapeze class, I decided to stop waiting for him and go for it.
“I dare you to close your eyes.”
“Okay. Should I be concerned?”
“No, I just want to try something.”
“I’m intrigued,” Theo said with his eyes closed.
“Shhh.” I placed my finger on his mouth.
Theo froze, and I stood on my toes so we were face-to-face. Just do it, Haley. Gathering all my courage, I pressed my lips to his, my heart pounding.
His lips stretched into a smile beneath mine, and I nearly gasped when he wrapped his arms around my waist and tugged me flush against him. He teased the seam of my mouth with his tongue, and I opened to him, inviting him in.
He pulled my bottom lip between his, sucking on it briefly before his lips crashed against mine once more. His hands roamed up my back and over my shoulders until he cupped my face, placing delicate kisses over my cheeks, my forehead, my lips.
Theo’s eyes shone with wonder. “Best dare of the day.”
“I don’t know, it’s a toss-up for me. You know how much I enjoyed singing everything I said for five minutes.”
“And, yet, when I suggested you do so from now on, you scoffed at me.”
“Perhaps.” I grinned.
“Well, to be clear, you can kiss me whenever you want. No dare necessary.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Please do.”
We walked to the car, hands linked, as the sun descended before us, giving the clouds a pink tinge that made them look like cotton candy against the beautiful blue sky.
“Let’s go home, buttercup.”
The Exception
From my seat at the quiet restaurant Patrick chose for our lunch meeting, I decided the place suited him. It was elegant without being stuffy, the dishes tempting but not extravagant. And, I was pretty sure that several women at nearby tables were checking him out.
Which begged the question, why was Patrick single? He was handsome, successful, and appeared to treat everyone he met with consideration. In short, the perfect man. Was it because of Zenith? Maybe Jackson inherited his “no serious relationships” policy from his adoptive father-slash-uncle. I hadn’t thought about it much before, but picturing him living in his huge, albeit gorgeous, home by himself made me sad. No wonder he’d embraced the rest of Team Jaguar like they were family.
Would Jackson end up the same way? If I didn’t choose him, would he go right back to his standoffish lifestyle, never getting close to anyone outside of the team? My chest ached at the thought. He should be spending his evenings curled up on the couch with Penny, a good book, and someone special. Not that I wanted to picture him with anyone else.
“What do you think of the lemonade?”
I’d started to order water, but Patrick suggested I try the lemonade instead; apparently, the restaurant was known for it.
“It’s delicious. I wasn’t sure about the basil and mint at first, but it’s somehow the perfect combination of flavors.”
“I’m an iced tea man myself, but I’ve heard good things.” He took a drink of his tea, as if to prove it was his favorite beverage. “You’re probably wondering why I asked to meet with you.”
Instead of shouting, Yes! like I wanted, I attempted a demure smile. “I am curious, yes.”
In all honesty, I’d been more than curious ever since Jackson said that I’d have to wait until today to find out about the “exception.” I’d already figured out that Patrick wasn’t going to ask me to join Team Jaguar, so what else could it be? A different team, perhaps? If so, I wasn’t sure I was even interested. Did I want to work as private security and a sometimes pseudo-spy? It definitely wasn’t how I’d imagined my career when I occasionally allowed myself to think that far ahead.
“I hate to sound like a parental figure, but have you given any thought to what you want to do once you’ve settled back in? School? Work?”
Thinking back to my conversation with Liam, I said, “A little. I should probably try to take classes part time since I’ll need to work as well.”
“Is that what you want?”
I chewed on a piece of sourdough, trying to decide how to respond. Wasn’t that what I was supposed to want at my age? Attend college, earn a degree, then find a good job?
“I’m already a year behind, so it seems like I should get started.”
Patrick chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were purposely evading my question. How about this: would you be disappointed if you had to put off school for a while longer? Assuming you found something else you want to do, that is.”
“I don’t think so. As much as I enjoyed my astronomy class, I don’t necessarily have a burning desire to go to college right now. Is that strange?”
“No. From what I understand, you’ve been mostly self-taught and are remarkably good at it. Attending classes may never be your chosen method for learning.”
Our food was served, and I took a few minutes to let that sink in. Patrick made a good point; I didn’t have to sit through lectures to soak up knowledge.
“You’re good at this parental figure stuff.”
“Thank you. I’ve had plenty of practice.” His lips twisted in a sardonic smile. “With the other boys more than Jax, if I’m being honest. I’ve sometimes wondered if he was born an adult.”
I laughed. “He is exceedingly responsible.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“Clearly, you’ve done an amazing job with Jackson and the other guys. I know how much they love and respect you.”
“And, they all care about you very much.”
My face flushed at his unexpected comment. It was nice to hear, but how was I supposed to discuss this with Patrick, of all people?
His smile was kind. “You weren’t expecting me to turn that around, were you?”
“No, I really wasn’t.”
“I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, but please know that you don’t have to hide your relationships with them around me.”
“It doesn’t bother you? Me dating all of them?” I felt awkward asking the question, but I was genuinely curious. I respected Patrick and his opinion.
“It’s not the most traditional situation, but under the circumstances, it’s understandable. Their happiness, and yours,
is my only concern.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, back to our earlier discussion. How would you feel about coming back to Zenith?”
“As an administrative assistant?”
“If you want it, you’re more than welcome to your old job, but I had something else in mind. Have you ever considered joining a team?”
“It has crossed my mind.” I paused, wondering if it was a good idea to tell one of the Zenith founders that private security wasn’t exactly my thing.
“But, you don’t think it would be a good fit for you?” Surprise must have shown on my face, because Patrick said, “Don’t worry, you won’t offend me.”
“Now that Jackson has explained what’s going on behind the scenes, I’ll admit that I’m intrigued. I just don’t see myself working in security.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Huh? “I don’t understand.”
“Joining a team is an option for you, if you’re interested, but that’s not my suggestion. I see you in more of a training role.”
I mulled that over for a few moments, already liking the idea. “What would that entail?”
“Well, before you can become a trainer, you need to complete the Zenith training program yourself. My recommendation is for you to do so full time, but you can work on the program part time and go to school instead. If you excel, like I believe you will, I will hire you to be one of the trainers for new recruits.”
“What makes you think I would excel?”
“From what I know, you already possess many of the skills fundamental to that position. On the physical side, you practice self-defense, shoot, and often outrun Knox. Your main challenge would be perfecting offensive moves. On the academic side, you’re naturally intelligent and have a superior memory and reasoning skills. Knox told me how you poured over your father’s old files until you found links to DuBois the investigators never did. Trust me, you will do very well.”
Feeling like Patrick was overstating my achievements, I shook my head. “That wasn’t a big deal. I had a lot of free time on my hands in Portland.”
“Yet, you spent it doing research that likely seemed fruitless.” He gave me a pointed look. “That sounds like something a strategy specialist might do.”
“Strategy?”
“Our trainers have different areas of expertise, and I think the best fit for you is strategy. It’s Jax’s specialty as well, although he has the added pressure of making decisions. You would be asked to consult when teams need extra assistance with mission plans, but you wouldn’t be an official member of any team.”
He gave me time to absorb his proposal before asking, “What do you think?”
I could feel my heart racing as my excitement grew. I’d never once considered something like what Patrick suggested, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed . . .
“Perfect.”
Realizing I’d spoken aloud, I snapped my mouth shut and internally groaned. After taking a deep, calming breath, I said, “That sounds like a great opportunity and I appreciate your faith in me. I would ask for a few days to think about it, but I honestly don’t need it.”
“Excellent. I’ll get the ball rolling, and please let me know if you decide you want to take any classes during the fall semester. The deadline to make that work is nearing.”
“I will.”
We finished eating our meals in companionable silence, and I couldn’t stop imagining myself as a trainer. I’d always liked the idea of teaching but wasn’t sure I wanted to spend my days corralling children or teenagers. It would be different at Zenith, I suspected. The recruits were there because they wanted to be; they were pursuing something specific and knew they were expected to work hard.
Once the table was cleared, Patrick asked if I had any questions about everything Jackson told me on Sunday. I had plenty of them, but I focused on one I thought he might answer.
“When Jackson explained why you created the,” I lowered my voice, “secret side to Zenith, it sounded like there was more to the story. Do you mind my asking what that is?”
“I don’t, although it’s something we rarely speak of these days. You’ve met Kenneth James, correct? He’s the head of the D.C. office.”
“Yes, I met him at the Christmas party.”
“When he was seventeen, his fourteen-year-old sister was abducted during a family vacation in a foreign country. The police were never able to find her, and Ken devoted his life to trying to figure out what happened to her. That’s what motivated him to join special ops in the first place; the hope that he’d hone the skills necessary to locate her. And, that’s how we ended up building Zenith the way we did. We wanted to help find people who slip through the cracks.”
“Did Mr. James ever find his sister?”
Patrick’s eyes affixed to a point above my head, and I could tell the subject upset him. “Not alive, although he eventually uncovered what happened to her.” His sober gaze returned to me. “I’m not sure you want to know.”
“Please. I can handle it.”
“Her abductors were involved in human trafficking, and for the few years she survived after her capture, she undoubtedly wished she was dead.”
I swallowed my gasp, immediately regretting that I’d asked. “That’s awful.”
“It was a tragedy, one that Ken has never truly gotten over. He loses himself in his work more than anyone I’ve ever met.”
I made a mental note to be extra nice to Kenneth James the next time I saw him. If everyone else around the office knew about his past, they would likely be more accepting of his overbearing tendencies.
“Despite the unhappy ending, I’m glad you asked. Hopefully it will help you understand part of why we do things the way we do. Don’t get me wrong; Zenith is a business, and our first goal is to turn a profit. But, that’s not all we’re about.”
“I’m starting to understand that. Thank you for telling me and for allowing Jackson to share the secret.”
Patrick’s face softened back into a smile. “Rules are made to be broken now and then.”
* * *
After killing a couple of hours at the mall, I headed to Kara’s apartment. Other than the few texts we’d sent back and forth to pick a date and time to get together, we hadn’t spoken. I knew from Chase that Kara asked about me while I was gone, and I assumed she would want an explanation. Intuition and experience told me that she was trustworthy. Maybe now was the time to start opening up to her about my past . . . and present.
Was I willing to let one more person in?
Kara opened the door and gave me a wide smile. “Haley, finally!” She hugged me, which I wasn’t expecting, and practically dragged me through the door.
“Hi,” I replied, suddenly bashful in light of her exuberant greeting. Just pretend she’s Jess and act natural, I told myself.
“Come in, come in,” she said, leading me down the hall. “Do you want something to drink? I have Dr. Pepper and water.”
“Water would be great, thanks.”
“Sorry about attacking you at the door. It’s just, I was starting to believe I’d never see you again.”
I didn’t say anything as she retrieved a glass and filled it with ice and water. When she handed it to me, her expression betrayed her curiosity.
“Yeah, I was gone a long time,” I replied noncommittally.
She angled her head toward the living room. “We might as well get comfortable.”
I selected a chair next to the couch but paused when I saw something laying across the back.
“Oh, let me get that,” Kara said, grabbing it.
Although she was quick, I saw enough to realize it was an oversized UCLA sweatshirt. I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but I knew that Kara went to Berkeley. And, it definitely wasn’t her size.
She glanced at me and shook her head when she saw my face. “It’s only a sweatshirt.”
I tapped my finger on my chin. “Didn’t Logan go to UCLA?” I ha
d no idea if that was true, but I wanted to know if there was anything to my long-held suspicions about them. If nothing else, he was on assignment there with Chase and Theo, so he could have bought it then.
Kara narrowed her eyes. “So?”
“Just making conversation.”
“Right.”
When I didn’t say anything, she sighed. “Fine, I might have something worth sharing if you go first.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Where were you really for the last four months? Theo told me some bullshit about personal leave, but it was obvious he was parroting a predetermined response.”
I crossed then uncrossed my legs. It’s now or never.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. Things only a few people know. Are you sure you want to hear the whole story?”
“Yes, but don’t feel like you have to tell me. I won’t hold my relationship drama for ransom.”
I laughed, feeling lighter. “Well, it all started when I was five . . .”
When I finished, I downed my entire glass of water, unsure how long I’d been talking. That was the first time I’d told my entire history in one sitting, and it sounded more dramatic than I expected. Kara was an amazing listener, though, and had only interrupted a couple of times to comment or ask a question.
After a few minutes of silence, Kara said, “I can’t believe Knox, Chase, and Ethan kidnapped you. Does Patrick know about that? He was probably livid!”
“I assume he knows. Jackson seems to tell him almost everything. He may have even approved it ahead of time.”
“Surely not. That doesn’t sound like him.”
“I think they were just trying to do the best thing for me. I can see it now even if I didn’t then.”
“And, Gerald Douglas, that bastard! I always knew there was something off about him!”
“Yeah, he’s not one of my favorite people, at the moment.”
“Serious understatement,” she sputtered. “So, are you ever going to tell me who you’re interested in on Team Jaguar? I used to think Chase, but maybe it’s Knox. Or Liam. I don’t know. It could be any of them.”
That was the one part of the story I’d left out, including everything that happened with Ethan. “Can we save that for another day? I’m all talked out.” And, I don’t know what to say.
