Breed of Havoc (The Breed Chronicles #3)

by Lanie Jordan

  They both laughed. “I think it was the best way,” Peter said.

  I stood there, bent over to prevent hitting my head again, feeling awkward and…anxious. Restless. Like I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, even though I knew. “See you later, I guess,” I said and jumped out of the van.

  “Want me to go with you?” Adam asked.

  I almost said yes—I wanted to—but his face was still pale. “No thanks, Stabbed Wonder. Get some rest. I’m betting you look worse than me.”

  That brought a little color into his cheeks, but not nearly enough.

  Peter and Adam both waved.

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t like company?” Greene asked, trailing behind me as I walked away.

  “Yeah. I can get there.” I forced a smile.

  “Very well. I’m glad you’re back.” He started to reach out, like he was going to touch my shoulder, but then he stopped himself. “We’ll speak later.”

  I nodded and watched him walk away. He didn’t head to the North Tower though, but to the South.

  I started moving again, slowly, my gaze going this way and that. It fell on the spot where Adam’d been stabbed. My jaw clenched tightly. Don’t look there. Adam was alive and well. He looked like crap, but he was breathing and Doc had obviously fixed him up. He’d gone with them to get me, hadn’t he? So he’d been hurt, but it hadn’t been that bad.

  When I entered the building, the lights were blindingly bright. The air became thick, wrapped around me like a snake. What had once been a huge, open space full of life was now a place with too many corners and shadows. Not enough room to hide.

  Everything from before flashed back, like a movie being played in front of me, layered over reality. I could see myself running across the floor in the dark, to hide in the med-room. I remembered the fear that went with it. It clutched at my chest like an angry fist. My mouth went dry, my hands sweaty. I licked my lips as nausea crept its way up my stomach, to my throat, until I could taste it.

  I bolted to the nearest bathroom and barely made it in time. All I’d had was half a bottle of water, so it was mostly dry heaving that left me shaky and even more exhausted. Closing my eyes, I fell back against the stall door and just sat, breathing hard and shaking.

  I was fine, damnit. Just fine.

  I pushed to my feet and flushed the toilet, then left the stall. As I headed out, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I moved closer. It was me, but it wasn’t. My hair was the same—albeit messier than I’d seen it in a long, long time. My eyes were the same shade, but they weren’t as…lively, maybe. My face was different. Drawn out. I looked…old, I thought, laughing hysterically. I covered my mouth, but I couldn’t stop the laugh and couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out why it was funny, because it wasn’t.

  Delayed shock? Insanity?

  The laugh stopped as suddenly as it’d started. It left me breathing harder than before. Go see Doc. You’re about to lose it. Go see Doc, and then you can. But not before.

  I rinsed my mouth and splashed water on my face. As I reached out for a towel, I saw cold eyes staring back at me and punched without thinking. The mirror shattered.

  My eyes. Not Creeper’s.

  “Shit.”

  I laughed again, but this time it was sadder. I’d barely been back five minutes and already I’d broken a mirror and cut my hand open.

  I rinsed my hand and wrapped a few towels around it before cleaning up the blood on the counter. I left the broken glass. I’d come up with an explanation…later.

  In a daze, I walked to the elevator and pressed the button for it. When it opened, I froze. It’d never seemed so small inside before. My breath hitched and I shook my head. No more boxes. Not today, I thought, and took the stairs to the second floor.

  Doc spotted me before I made it to her door. She ran out, wrapping her arms around me when she reached me. “Jade!” She let go and stepped back. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her hair was as messy as mine. She looked very un-Doc-like. “Are you okay? Dumb question. Come in.”

  Before I could say anything, she grabbed my arm and dragged me into her room. She directed me to sit in my usual spot but I shook my head.

  “Take mine, then,” she said, and pushed her chair over. “Sit.”

  I sat but said nothing.

  Her gaze fell to my hand. “What happened?”

  “Oh. An accident.”

  “Are you hurt anywhere else?” Her gaze roamed over every visible inch of me before I had a chance to answer. And then, like a visual inspection wasn’t good enough to suit her, she lifted each of my arms and checked for herself. Her fingers went to my face and she hissed out a breath.

  “I’m okay, Doc. I’m not hurt anywhere else.” No more than a few scratches and pokes, anyway. But considering I got that here weekly, I was mostly used to it. Liking it was another matter. After almost two years, I should’ve been a better patient, but I wasn’t.

  “Okay.” She let out a long, drawn out breath. “We both know I need to ask questions, and as your friend I don’t want to. So how about you just tell me what I need to know, okay? Tell me the important things now. The rest can wait a while.”

  At that moment, I loved Doc more than ever. I leapt out of the chair and gave her a tight hug. Her arms tightened around me. “Thank you,” I whispered, and then I retook my seat.

  Doc didn’t say anything, but her eyes were glassy now. She grabbed a tablet from the console. “For…for notes,” she said, her voice thicker than before.

  I nodded and gave her a quick, condensed run-down of what she needed to know.

  She tried to keep her face expressionless—which I appreciated—but she didn’t quite manage it entirely. When I mentioned the blue stuff they’d pumped into my system, she frowned and looked confused. I didn’t get a chance to mention much else, because seconds after I told her about the blue stuff, she dragged me to the TT room for a scan.

  The doors closed around me and I struggled to hold still, to not pound on the glass and demand to be let out. Glass room. It was another glass room. I closed my eyes tightly and didn’t talk. She talked, and I tried listening, but I focused on not thinking and blanked everything out until she said, “We’re done.”

  The doors slid open and she smiled as she unhooked me from everything. I stepped out immediately. She went back to her console and picked up something. When she came back over, she had a pair of blue scrubs and a pair of black slippers. “It’s not much, but I figure you’ll feel better in these.”

  I took them with a nod and went to the changing room. I yanked everything else off and put on the scrubs and slippers. They were warm and clean and greatly appreciated, because I did feel a little better. I’d probably need ten showers before the smell of smoke left my hair.

  God, why did I care about my hair?

  Doc turned to me when I came out of the changing room. “I’m going to read over the results tonight. I’ll let you know if I find…anything.”

  “Before you tell Greene?”

  “If you want,” she answered without hesitation.

  “Please.”

  “Okay. I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks, Doc. Do you mind if I go to my room now?”

  “If you give me a minute, I’ll walk you up.”

  I was already inching my way to the door. “I’m okay. It’s only two floors. I just…I’m kind of tired,” I lied.

  “Are you sure? I don’t mind walking you or calling someone to—”

  I forced a fake smile. “I’m fine, I promise.” Another lie, but I needed out of the room then, not later.

  She frowned. “If you’re sure…”

  I already had the door open, so I just shot her a quick look. “I am. Stay here and…and do your Doc thing.” I refused to think about anything else. I was going to my room to do things that didn’t involve thinking.

  At Doc’s nod, I shut the door behind me and started down the hall to the staircase closest to my room. Running footste
ps had me freezing and my heart started thundering again. Each beat was like a stab, stealing my breath and weakening my knees. I stood, frozen, torn between fight and flight. One hand was clenched into a fist in front of my face and the other was on the wall for support.

  Everything went gray around me.

  I backed away slowly, which was as fast as I could get my feet to move. The footsteps slowed. A few seconds later, a figure rounded the corner.

  I couldn’t focus enough to see the face and just closed my eyes.

  “Jade.”

  Linc’s voice. I opened my eyes. The gray cleared a little and I let out a sound that was part laugh, part cry.

  Linc paused down the hall from me. “Jade,” he said again, his voice rough.

  I wasn’t sure how I managed it, because my legs had started shaking so badly, but I ran toward him as fast as I could. He met me halfway and I leapt. He caught me, his arms wrapping around me like vices, and gathered me close. The hold was almost painfully tight, but it wasn’t enough. He was trembling—or maybe that was me. He pulled me away from him, one hand holding onto my hip, and the other going to my face. He didn’t say anything, just ran his hand over my cheek and down my hair. His glassy eyes darted back and forth, searching my face like Doc had done minutes ago.

  And then he was holding me again, pressing my head to his shoulder. “Jade.” His voice broke. “God, I missed you.”

  My legs buckled beneath me, but he didn’t let go. He just scooped me up into his arms and held me even closer. He murmured words, mostly my name, over and over again.

  Seeing him, hearing his voice, my name, broke what little control I had. I hugged him tightly and cried.

  CHAPTER 20

  I didn’t know how long I cried on him, but somehow we ended up on the floor with me still in Linc’s lap. I sniffled embarrassingly. “Sorry.” I wiped my face and tried for a laugh. “Guess I should’ve asked for a Hysterical Female shirt or something.”

  Without saying anything, Linc grabbed the sides of my face and stared at me like he’d never seen me before. Since I’d met him, I’d seen pretty much every emotion in his blue eyes—anger, annoyance, hurt, fear. But the look there wasn’t familiar. More intense, though I couldn’t explain how or what the look portrayed exactly.

  “Never—” He broke off when his voice went harsh and pulled me close again. “Never apologize for that. Ever.”

  “If that’s your way of saying you missed me again, I missed you, too,” I whispered.

  In slow, rhythmic motions, he rubbed up and down my back. Heat radiated off his hands. “I don’t want to let you go, but I should get you to your room.”

  I moved from his lap so he had room to get to his feet. Once had had, he picked me up again. “What are you doing?”

  “Carrying you.”

  When he started for the elevator, I shook my head. “Can’t go in—let me down and I’ll walk.” But instead, he turned toward the stairs. “You are not carrying me up.”

  “Watch me.”

  He managed it, without struggling or dropping me, though I didn’t know how. He wasn’t weak or anything, but no one had ever called me ‘light’.

  “I don’t have my ID.” I’d had it before…before. Knowing my ID was missing, that those people had it, brought another small bout of panic bubbling up my throat.

  Linc shook his head, made a quiet shh sound. “Every lock on the property has been changed. Every door has hand scans now. No more cards.”

  “How’d they get mine?”

  “TT scans. They record everything—including hand prints, apparently.”

  The scanner was basically a metal plate beside my door with a bright red hand-imprint on it. Taking my hand, Linc kissed it and placed it over the imprint. A red light moved down, up, and after a second, the hand print turned bright blue. The familiar snick followed as the door swung open partially. He kicked it open the rest of the way, walked in, and kicked it shut behind him.

  Still carrying me, he crossed the room and sat me down on the bed. When he started to straighten, I grabbed his arm and then quickly released it once I realized what I’d done. “You’re leaving?” Instead of sounding casual, my voice sounded pleading, annoying—even to my own ears. Worrying that he was leaving and I’d be alone was annoying, too. I was fine being alone, damnit. Always had been, and I actually preferred it to be being around a bunch of people (excluding Linc, Tasha, and Chris), but I didn’t want to be alone. Not now.

  And I was torn between asking him to stay or keeping my mouth shut.

  “Sorry, ignore the whine,” I said with a laugh. “I’m tired and it’s late. Or early?” The sky had been black when I’d gotten here, but did that mean it was morning dark or night dark? There hadn’t been anyone roaming the halls, but that didn’t tell me if it was that late or that early. Or maybe they were the same thing.

  Maybe you should stop thinking so damn much.

  Linc walked to the door and I forced myself not to leap up and beg him to stay. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said soothingly, “only turning off the lights.”

  “Linc, I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay.” I sighed. “But I don’t want you to go anywhere, either.”

  “I’m staying for me as much as I’m staying for you. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here with you. Tonight, tomorrow night. Until you don’t need me to anymore.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. His eyes were dark, fatigued. “Until I don’t need me to.”

  I snorted. “Greene will be thrilled about that.”

  “I don’t care.” He snapped the words out. “I’m staying until or unless you tell me to leave.”

  “I won’t. I don’t want to be alone.”

  “You won’t be.” He came back over then and lay down, pulling me close and tucking my head against his chest.

  Wrapping my fingers in his shirt, I toyed with the material. After a few minutes of silence, I said, “I know you have questions—”

  “Shh.” He pulled me tighter and pressed a kiss to my head. “I have everything I need right here. You don’t have to say anything, just…just rest,” he said softly.

  Would I be able to sleep? I didn’t know, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to even try. I’d never been afraid of the dark before, and while I wasn’t now, not exactly, I kept my eyes open anyway and stared straight ahead.

  The CGE was my home. I’d never thought about being anywhere else since the day I’d joined. This was where I’d always been the most content. Even knowing demons were next door in the South Tower, and even with everything that had happened before today, I hadn’t feared being here or been worried.

  Until now.

  That was another thing I could lay at Creeper’s feet. That I didn’t feel safe. My home was…different. Scarier. Vulnerable.

  I felt vulnerable.

  Even with Linc breathing right above me, the sound of his heartbeat in my ear, and his arms wrapped tightly around me, I wasn’t safe.

  And if for no other reason than that right there, than the uncertainty that wiggled its way into my system, I’d make Creeper pay. Sooner or later, I’d see him again, and he was probably thinking the same thing. The expression on his face when Peter and the others had shown up said as much. He’d probably try to find me again.

  He would, wouldn’t he?

  That thought had coldness washing over me like arctic waves, but I grit my teeth until my jaws ached.

  Creeper wouldn’t get a chance to find me, because I would find him first.

  *~*~*

  Somehow, I did sleep, though I’d had one bad moment when I’d woken up covered in sweat, terrified at the sound of footsteps in the hall. Beside me, Linc tightened his hold, like he’d sensed my unease. “I’ve got you,” he’d said sleepily. “I’ve got you.”

  And now, what I assumed was hours later, I woke with Linc still holding me. I shifted my head to look at him. Within seconds, his eyes opened. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Morning.�
�

  “Hi,” I said, hiding my face behind my hand as I yawned.

  For a minute, I lay my head back on his chest. He rested his head on mine and started rubbing my back again. I didn’t want to move. What I really wanted to do was curl into Linc and stay that way forever. Unfortunately, my bladder wasn’t willing to wait that long. “I’ve got to get up, but I don’t want to.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, hugging me a little closer for another second before he released me.

  I moved quickly, running into the bathroom and shutting myself in for the time it took me to care of the immediate issues. I took care of the lesser ones after, like brushing my teeth, washing my face, and brushing my hair. As I stepped back out, I found Linc sitting up on the edge of the bed with a note in his hand.

  He held it up and glanced at me. “Greene wants to talk to you.” His tone and eyes were both dark.

  My heart kicked against my ribs. “Oh,” I said, tone flat. “He probably wants to know…stuff.”

  He stood then, back rigid, jaw taut. Formidable-looking. “You don’t have to go.”

  I didn’t want to see Greene right now, not when I knew he’d want to talk about the things I didn’t want to talk about. But the sooner I did, the sooner I’d put it behind me and move on from it. Right? “Might as well get it over with.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  I almost said he didn’t have to, out of habit, but stopped myself.

  His lips set in a thin line and he narrowed his eyes at me with a hard stare that dared me to argue. “I’ll wait outside if you don’t want to me there, but I’m going. I meant what I said before—I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”

  “Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll just shower really fast and change.”

  He pointed to the bathroom. “Mind if I—”

  “Go ahead.”

  I grabbed a change of clothes while I waited, then found myself staring out of my window. Guards and agents roamed around—more than I’d ever seen patrolling before. I saw Peter pointing people this way or that way with a stern expression on his face.