His look softens. “I buried her in the Garden of Life in Mount Hope.”
“Thank you.”
He nods as a look of understanding washes over Ax’s face. The concern in his eyes almost undoes me. My lip trembles as tears pool in my eyes. See? This is why I couldn’t have Logan here. Ax doesn’t hesitate, crossing to me and folding me into his arms. “I’m so sorry, Sadie.” His hand runs up and down my back, and Jarod watches the movement with a healthy dose of suspicion.
I close my eyes and count to ten. I can’t fall apart. Not when there is so much at stake. Wriggling out of Ax’s embrace, I dry my eyes. “I’m okay.” He reaches up and wipes dampness from my cheeks. I step back, creating some distance between us. He’s becoming too familiar again, and I need to stamp it out before he starts getting any ideas.
“I want to visit her grave.”
Jarod scrubs a hand over his jaw as he nods. “I figured you would want to do that.”
“Whe—”
The door slams against the wall as Vin comes crashing into the room. “We’ve got another catastrophe on our hands. He’s frigging insane. He’s going to do it, Jarod.” His panicked eyes latch on mine. “He’s going to kill us all.”
CHAPTER 22
“Are you talking about G?” I ask. Shame and anguish mask Vin’s features as he nods. “What’s he planning now?”
The two good-looking boys with the sandy hair and green eyes appear at his back. “What’s the latest intel?” one of them asks, stalking into the room like he owns the place. He rounds the table, planting his hands on the edge as he leans in.
The second boy, who, I now notice, is pretty much a replica of the other one, sits down beside me. They must be related. He casts a curious glance my way, and I twist my head to look at him. Intelligent dark-green eyes, the color of fresh-cut grass, glisten with interest as he peers at me. It’s unnerving, but I look away instead of calling him out on it.
The other boy shoots cautious glances at Ax and Rylan as he waits for Vin to share what he knows. Tension is thick in the air, and my back is corded into a million knots. “Sometime today, Vin.” The boy at the table appears to have a limited supply of patience.
“Zac.” The boy sitting on my left lets out an exasperated sigh. “Chill out, bro.”
The boy spins around, a furious look on his face. “I told you it was a bad idea letting them come here.” He spits out the word like it’s poison as he glowers at me.
I know when we’re not wanted, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to stay here a minute longer. “We should leave.” I scramble to my feet.
“No, you shouldn’t.” The boy at my side says as he yanks on my elbow and pulls me back down.
I stumble, landing inelegantly on top of him. I’m sprawled over his thighs, my face dangerously close to a very sensitive part of him, my hands skimming his muscular legs. My face darkens in an instant as I wish the ground would devour me whole. “Oh my God.” He chuckles as he gently lifts me up by the waist. “I’m so sorry!” My skin is flaming as I face him.
He winks. “Honestly, I don’t mind. You can feel me up any time, beautiful.” Ax pins him with a lethal look. “I’m Luc, by the way.” He extends his hand.
“Sadie.” I accept his offering, shaking his hand firmly.
“I know who you are.” He raises my hand to his lips before I can extract it, pressing a kiss on my skin.
Ax charges across the room faster than I can track his movement. Luc is ripped from his seat and flung up against the wall, which is no mean feat because he’s tall and solidly built. Ax pins him with one hand around his throat. A strangled, choking sound disperses from Luc’s throat. Jumping up, I tug on Ax’s arm. “Stop! Ax, stop it right now. He can’t breathe.” I yank his sleeve, but it barely registers. Rage splashes across his face. “Do. Not. Touch. Her. Ever.” He exerts more pressure, and Luc’s legs start twitching.
Sounds of scuffling draw my attention. I glance quickly over my shoulder. Vin is restraining Zac, but he won’t be able to hold him off for long.
“Testosterone overload,” Jarod mutters under his breath, as if this kind of behavior is normal.
“Axton!” I screech. “Let him go. Please.” His face is puce with rage, and I’m not breaking through the haze of anger so I do the only thing I can think of. I deliver a precise strike to his ribs, winding him instantly. He releases Luc as he staggers back, clutching his side. Luc drops into a seat, gasping for air.
Zac snatches Ax up off the ground, wrapping a muscular arm around his gullet and squeezing tight. Ax claws at his arm, but he has him in an iron grip. “If you ever touch my brother again, or harm anyone here, I won’t hesitate to end you.” He thrusts Ax away with a venomous look. “Alien scum.”
Spinning around, he levels his brother with an annoyed look. “Do you have to flirt with every female you come into contact with?”
Luc holds up his palms. “Can’t help it, bro. Comes naturally.” His taunting grin is completely unapologetic.
Zac shakes his head in consternation, as he turns to face Jarod. “This is your fault. I want them out of here in the morning.”
I face Luc. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
He nods tersely. “I’m fine but tell your boyfriend he won’t get to do that a second time and live to tell the tale.” Vibrant red bruising borders his skin on both sides as he massages his neck.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” I pivot in my seat, glaring at Ax. “Don’t say one word.” If he dares mention the “H” word, I’m going to go hyper-ninja on his butt. Rage has given way to impassivity again, and he stares at me blankly. My temper dissipates. “Are you okay?” Ax looks straight through me. I try again. “Ax? Are you hurt?”
“No,” he grunts.
I nudge him into a seat and pin him with a cautionary look. “Please, don’t cause any more trouble,” I beseech.
“Well, not that this wasn’t entertaining,” Zac says with a half-sneer on his face, “but we have official business to discuss, so leave. Now.”
“They stay,” Vin says. “They need to near this too. We’re going to need Logan’s help.”
“What has G done now?” Jarod asks.
“Nothing yet, but you remember that plan he mentioned before we left?” Jarod cautiously nods. “I have it on good faith that he’s preparing to launch.”
“What plan?” I look between them.
“He means to lure the aliens into space where he’s going to blast them with a VD8 ray.” Vin bunches his hands into fists.
“Wait?” I mentally prowl the imaginary library in my head. “You mentioned VD8 weaponry before. Back at the apartment.” He nods. A wedge of fear funnels it’s way inside me. “What exactly is it?” All I remember him saying is that it is bad.
Zac drops down in the chair beside Luc and we all give Vin our undivided attention.
“It’s a unique weapon of mass destruction that the government has been secretly working on these last few years. It’s a top-secret project jointly headed up by Commander Vixen and Dr. Fink.” I remember those names. The head of military operations had brought them up during a meeting I attended with Logan, Haydn, the president, and his cabinet, when the Saven and Amaretti first invaded. “Only a few high-ranking officials are even aware of its existence.”
“So how did your dad get his hands on something like that?” I’ve always thought G was too well connected, and it didn’t make sense. My spider senses are firing on all cylinders, and I’m not liking where this seems to be leading.
Vin looks pained and I feel for him. “His actions don’t reflect on you. Not in the slightest.”
“I didn’t know until recently.” Vin sighs as he shakes his head. A wave of sadness engulfs him.
“He’s been working with the VP this whole time, hasn’t he?” I ask, coming to the most logical conclusion.
Jarod sits up straighter in his chair and stares wide-eyed at Vin.
“I think so.” Vin rubs the scruff on his chin. “H
e went ballistic when I confronted him about it, and he refused to confirm or deny it. The only thing I know is that this is somehow connected with the Saven. He hates them, and he hasn’t stopped plotting to take Logan and Dante out.” Hanging his head, he averts his eyes.
He doesn’t need to say it. “And me too?” I ask in a calm, controlled manner.
“Yeah. He’s furious with you. You took him for a fool, and he’s not going to forget that in a hurry.” He leans across the table, a forlorn look dancing across his face.
“I’ll add him to the list.” I give him a one-shouldered shrug, deliberately downplaying it.
What’s one more enemy when I’ve already amassed quite an impressive list of adversaries?
“We need to stop him. Logan has regained control of Saven, and the ships here don’t pose any threat to us anymore. He was going to extract them, but I suggested he keep them here to offer protection against the Amaretti, but maybe it would appease G if they left?”
“No.” Vin vigorously shakes his head. “It’s safer if they stay here. If they leave, he’ll only accelerate his plans.”
“Personally,” Zac says, slouching in his chair, “I don’t see any issue with your dad’s plan. Let him nuke those alien bastards. We want rid of them. So what exactly is the problem.” He crosses his feet at the ankles and smirks.
“The problem,” Vin says, coming around the table, “is that the VD8 system is still in a pilot phase and has been largely untested. Even if my father was successful in luring the Saven and Amaretti into outer space, deploying the weapon at that range may still have far-reaching consequences. It’s far too risky, and if he was thinking logically at all, he wouldn’t even contemplate it. But he’s too far gone.”
“What you are saying,” Luc says, sitting up straight in his chair, “is that he will mostly likely wipe us out too?”
“It’s a significant possibility, yes.”
“Crap.” Jarod’s statement doesn’t even begin to cover it.
“How can we stop him?”
“I have an idea, but it’s risky.”
I half-laugh. “What ideas aren’t?”
“True,” he acknowledges with a brief nod of his head. “But this one is especially risky, and we only have a small window of opportunity. If my intel is correct, he is preparing to launch in five days. We’ll have to break into his facility before then and steal a component from the actual device. It’s a small electric blasting cap at the apex of the bomb, which will halt detonation. Without it, he won’t be able to fire the weapon.”
“Let’s do it,” Luc says climbing to his feet.
“That place is like Fort Knox,” Vin supplies. “And we’ll be going up against old colleagues, people we know. Are you prepared to live with your friends’ blood on your hands?”
“We are at war, Vin,” Zac pipes up, in a derisive tone. “War means sacrifice.”
“We are supposed to be at war with the enemy, not each other,” I supply. “Is there no way of reasoning with him? Isn’t there anything you can say to deter him?”
“We’ve gone beyond that, Sadie. Short of delivering you and Logan to him …” He lets his statement hang in the air.
My mind starts whirling, computing ideas. “Maybe that’s not such a bad suggestion.”
Zac barks out an amused laugh as Jarod and Ax both scream “No way!” in unison.
“Rylan,” I say, turning to face him. “When Dante controlled you back in the desert”—I am careful not to give too much away. I don’t want them to be aware of how the Saven can use astral possession to take control of our bodies. That would only give them additional reason to hate Logan and his kind, add more fuel to the fire—“you had no choice but to do and say as he instructed, right?”
“Right.” His unhappy look tells me it’s still a sore subject, and I’m sorry for having to broach it. “So, if Logan and I handed ourselves in, he could take charge of G in the same way and give the order to allow Vin access to the missile. Then he could remove the blasting cap and disable the weapon.”
“And,” Jarod interjects, “not that I fully understand what you’re talking about, but, if it was possible to do that, I could get into their systems and completely shut it down.”
Strong hands grip my upper arms, pinching tight. I’m spun around to face Zac. “What are you talking about? What else can the Saven do?”
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” I slant a challenging look at him, barely resisting the urge to stick my tongue out.
A glint of anger flashes in his eyes as he leans into me, his warm breath leaking over my face. His nails dig into my flesh, and I try to wriggle out of his grip. “Let go of me.”
Zac’s lips curl into an unpleasant grimace as he leans closer, the tip of his nose brushing against mine. Ax roars, springing up and lunging at him. But Luc is faster. Grabbing him from behind, he pins him in place at the arms. Ax is thrashing about like a maniac, so tightly strung that it doesn’t take much provocation to set him off.
Jarod is in front of Zac. “Let her go,” he seethes, his eyes narrowing on the spot where his fingers prod my skin through my shirt.
Zac releases me and steps back, holding his hands up as he fights to keep a simpering smile off his face. Fire tingles in my cells, and I wish I could tap into my gift. I’d love to blast his butt into outer space.
A sudden weariness engulfs me, and I’m bone tired. Shattered and fed up. “God, I’m so sick of all this,” I mumble to no one in particular as I slump into a chair and hold my head in my hands. The room quiets. Exhaustion rears up and slams into me, and I know I’ve reached my tipping point.
I’m done with this.
All of it.
I stand up. “I need to sleep.”
Ax steps toward me, circling his arm around my lower back. “Come on, I’ll show you to your bunk.”
“Sadie? If you still want to visit Ella, I’ll take you to her grave in the morning,” Jarod says quietly. “I need to touch base with another one of our contacts, to clarify if Vin’s intelligence is correct. The graveyard is on the way, so we can make a detour, if you like.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
He kisses me tenderly on the forehead. “You look exhausted. Get some rest. We’ll continue discussing our options, and I’ll update you in the morning.”
Rylan leaves with us, and we walk in silence back out into the large open space. The lights are dimmed, and the only sound in the room is the murmur of hushed conversations. Ax leads me by the hand, past rows of occupied beds, to a section of bunks nestled into a far corner of the room. Izzy is already tucked up in a top bunk, her chest rising and falling as she sleeps. Ax indicates I’m on the lower bed, and I kick off my shoes and toss my jacket on top of the comforter.
I change in the bathroom and pad carefully back to my bunk. Ax has turned down the covers and left a glass of water by my bed. A sorrowful pang hits me in the chest. He still wants to take care of me, even though I give him very little in return. I snuggle under the covers and turn on my side. Ax is in the bunk facing across from me, studying me with another strange expression. “Goodnight, Sadie,” he whispers.
“Night, Ax.”
I close my eyes and I’m out for the count before I even realize it.
Water beads on my skin as I race up the slope, giggling and shrieking like a little kid. I’m wearing a rather revealing black and gold bikini that clings to my curves, leaving little to the imagination. I pick up my pace and power ahead. Ax gives chase, teasing me the entire time. Reaching the summit of the cliff first, I thrust my tiny fist into the air. “I know you let me win,” I say as Ax materializes alongside me, “but I’m still claiming victory. And I’m never going to let you forget it either!”
Wrapping his arms around me from behind, he rests his chin on my shoulder. “I’m down with that. I never want to forget this day.” His face glows. Twisting me around in his arms, he kisses me. Deeply. Passionately. Showering me with love. His hands roam up and
down my body in comfortable strokes. When his fingers land on my butt, I reach around and remove them.
“Naughty boy,” I mock chastise him as I pull back, obviously breathless from his kissing prowess.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” He winks as I turn a habitual shade of red.
“Jump in together?” I suggest.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Taking my hand in his, he ushers me forward until we are standing on the edge of the cliff looking at the serene blue water below. Sheer craggy walls surround us on two sides, sheltering a secluded lake that fronts an enormous waterfall. Veils of mist swirl through the air, and tiny particles of moisture land on my skin. Brightly colored plants and shrubs dot the tiny cove on all sides, and iridescent light bounces off the gently dappling lake. Water gushes powerfully from the waterfall. A steady stream cascades over the edge, falling languorously into the pool below.
There isn’t a sinner in sight. It’s like our own private sanctuary.
“On the count of three,” Ax says, with a devilish glint in his eye. He grips my hand tight as I peer over the edge and gulp. “One, two …”
I scream as he pulls us over the edge, my legs flailing about as we plummet toward the water.
We hit the water, going under for a few seconds, before resurfacing, spewing water from our mouths and laughing. I slap him about the chest, and he yanks me into his arms. “No fair.” I pout as he sweeps plastered hair back off my face.
“Admit it. You love it when I—”
“Cheat?” I interrupt, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.
Securing his arms under my butt, he keeps us afloat in the water. “Indulge your wild side,” he corrects before crashing his mouth against mine.
I kiss him back with an equal fervor, and though we are in the water, things quickly turn heated. With agile fingers, he removes my bikini top and flings it away. His hands and mouth go to work, and I arch my back as he lavishes my body with attention. We shed the rest of our clothes in a hurry, our mouths still fused together like it’s some new method of breathing. We move as one conjoined force of nature, mouths meshed together as our bodies sync, finding a natural rhythm.
Saven Defiance (The Saven Series Book 4) Page 29
