Vital Found (The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy Book 2)

by Kaydence Snow

  He kept pace with me as I sped past him. “No bodyguards today?”

  The guys had been sticking closer to me than usual with all the extra attention; it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  I didn’t spare him a glance. The admin building was in view. “No, but I have snipers watching my move at every moment.”

  Franklyn faltered for a beat, his eyes scanning the bare treetops as if he actually expected to see a gun pointed at him. “Haha! Good one.”

  We reached the square housing the admin building. There were more people there, and I felt a little safer.

  “So, I’m not really into guys, but I’d be up for a three-way with you and the short one with black hair. Her brother’s dead, right?”

  His words were so insensitive, so rude and presumptuous, that I actually did stop. I stared at him, slack-jawed, wondering how he didn’t know Dot’s name when they’d been in the same classes for years, how he could talk so casually about Charlie’s disappearance, how he thought it was OK to say shit like that to a woman.

  He took my pause as a sign to move in, and before my stunned mind could process what was happening, he was lowering his face as if to kiss me.

  The invasion of my personal space snapped me out of my shock. A jolt of fear tinged with anger shot through my limbs, and I stepped back, shoving him with my hands flat against his chest. Adrenaline was coursing through me, my fight, flight, or freeze instincts settling on fight. My nostrils flared, and I bared my teeth as I prepared to shove him again, to tell him exactly where he could shove his callous comments.

  But before I had a chance, his face scrunched up in pain, and he flinched away from me.

  “Every time I see you near her, I’ll zap you,” a deep, angry voice said from behind me. “I won’t even pause to find out if you’re behaving yourself, understand?”

  Franklyn looked as if he was considering fighting back, but then he just turned away and stalked off, rubbing a spot on his chest.

  I turned around to see Rick scowling at Franklyn’s retreating form. Electricity was still dancing between his fingers, but he snuffed it out as his gaze focused on me.

  “Thanks.” I didn’t really know what else to say. Every time I saw him, the image of his electric ability slamming into Beth assaulted my mind.

  He looked like shit. I hadn’t spoken to him since he’d come up to me and Zara on the first day of classes, but I still saw him occasionally around campus. He kept to himself these days, seeming to focus more on his studies instead of goofing around with all the loud, athletic guys who hung around Ethan. He looked older too, more tired.

  I knew Ethan still hung out with him occasionally, trying to be a good friend. He’d asked me if I was OK with it, and I’d told him he should follow his conscience; I just didn’t want to hear about it or see it. I respected that he had a big heart and couldn’t help seeing the good in everyone.

  We were all still reeling from Beth’s death, but as I stood in the square in front of Rick, feeling the cold wind whip my hair around, I realized it couldn’t be easy to live with the knowledge you’d killed another person either.

  “Anytime,” he responded, then hesitated. He looked over my shoulder, then spoke again, his words coming a little quicker, his voice low. “I don’t know exactly what you guys are playing at, but be careful, OK?”

  “What?” I narrowed my eyes, leaned in a little closer. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up, and it wasn’t because of the cold.

  “Just be careful. Watch your back. Don’t be precious about your . . . friends being overprotective. You may have confused all these children with the show you’ve put on, but there are other people paying closer attention.” He flicked his eyes over my shoulder again and backed away. “I have to go,” he rushed out, turning to leave.

  “Wait!” I grabbed his arm, and he flinched, hissing as if I’d hurt him, but he pulled a neutral mask over his features quickly. “I don’t believe you meant to . . . I believe it was an accident.” I’d meant to question him further, demand what he was being so cryptic about, but this had been in the back of my mind too long. Zara may have drawn strength from her anger, but I couldn’t hold on to mine. Beth wouldn’t have wanted me to.

  He nodded once, the barest of smiles pulling at the corners of his mouth. Then he turned and rushed off.

  The thud of boots on concrete made me turn back toward the admin building. Kyo and Marcus were jogging up to me.

  “You OK?” Kyo demanded as Marcus kept his focus on Rick’s retreating back, his hand on the gun at his waist.

  “I’m fine.” They both looked skeptical. “I’m fine, I swear. Stand down.”

  The pair relaxed visibly and chuckled at me.

  “Only Alec can order us to stand down, kitten.” Marcus crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Technically, so can Tyler. And I don’t know how Alec would feel about either of you calling me ‘kitten.’” I raised my eyebrows at them. Alec was still keeping his distance from me, but he was pretty intense about my safety.

  Marcus looked genuinely worried, even checking that Alec wasn’t standing behind him, but Kyo just laughed.

  I waved at them as I rushed off for my session with Tyler.

  For the first time in weeks, I found Tyler alone in his office. No Melior Group operatives asking for direction, no Bradford Hills staff wanting updates, no Stacey being “helpful.”

  I dropped my bag by the door and removed my coat while he finished up a phone call.

  “Perfect. Thanks, man. I really appreciate this.” He sounded more casual than he usually did on official calls. He was standing by the window, one hand in his pocket, the sleeves of his slate-gray shirt rolled up, as always. “I’ll wait for your call. Bye.”

  He hung up, dropped the phone on his desk, and turned to face me with a brilliant smile. I hadn’t seen him smile like that since the day after Dot’s birthday, when we finally kissed.

  He’d been so busy and stressed, jumping straight back into work. But he was much more affectionate. The look he was giving me held all the warmth and caring it used to when our relationship was closer to friendship, but now it also held a little heat. He wasn’t shy about letting his eyes trail down my body, checking out what was visible of my curves under the layers of warm winter clothing.

  He also didn’t hesitate to meet me halfway when I walked toward him.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck, but he surprised me by gripping tightly around my middle and lifting me into a spin on the spot. I let out a startled whoop, and we both paused, our eyes flying to the door to double-check it was closed.

  Then his lips were on mine, and I didn’t care about anything anymore. His hands roamed up and down my back as we kissed, and I lost myself in the feel of him. I didn’t care who might have heard me; I forgot about Rick and his cryptic warnings, Franklyn and his disturbing comments.

  There was only Tyler.

  I let my hands explore his back, feeling the tight muscles I’d noticed within minutes of first meeting him. I traced downward all the way to his ass. He had such a tight ass, and I’d recently learned I quite enjoyed groping it. Not that he minded. He mirrored my movements, dropping both hands to my ass and giving me a firm squeeze as he ground his very prominent erection into my front.

  With a grunt he pulled away, resting his hands on my hips and raising a warning brow.

  “Hey, you started it.” I was unapologetic, punctuating my statement with another grope of his butt.

  He was starting things whenever he could—we both were, as if we were making up for lost time. He constantly stole kisses in his office, pulling me into private corners of the mansion to get a brief hot moment alone. I reveled in being able to touch him, in being able to drop every guard and reservation with him.

  “What’s got you so excited? Not that I’m complaining.” I finally released my hold on his ass, lifting my arms back to his shoulders. His messy brown hair had fallen over his forehead again, and I pushed it back, run
ning my fingers through the soft locks. I was doing that every chance I got.

  “I just heard from my guy at The Hole. He’s made contact with the Lighthunter.” He grinned, releasing me to return to his desk.

  My heart jumped into my throat; I made myself swallow around the lump and respond in an even voice.

  “Oh? That’s great. When can you meet?” I had to be very careful about what I said. I’d just transferred a massive amount of Light to him; his ability would be hypersensitive.

  “Hopefully next week. He’s going to get back to me. I really have a good feeling about this.” He turned back to me with some papers in his hands and sat in one of the chairs, gesturing to the other.

  I took a seat, pulling my books out of my bag. “Well, I know I wouldn’t bet against one of your feelings.”

  “Just have to wait and see what happens. Let’s focus on what we need to get through for today.”

  Relieved he’d changed the subject, I forced my mind to focus on the textbooks and the academic discussion.

  I waited until I was out of the building before texting Dot. We needed to get things in motion.

  Seventeen

  The plan was simple. The biggest chance of it getting derailed was before I even made it out of Bradford Hills: I had to make it past the Melior Group guards posted at Dot’s house.

  I’d been doing more sleepovers at her place over the past few weeks instead of hanging out at the Zacarias mansion. We explained it as wanting more “girls only” time and invited Zara as much as we could, even though we hadn’t told her what we were planning.

  That night it was dumb luck that Zara had something else to do. Dot and I did the same things we always did—we ordered a pizza and watched a movie while Dot did my nails. But we were so quiet, knowing what was to come, that her mom asked us several times if everything was OK.

  Eventually we headed upstairs and went through our usual bedtime routine. Then we shut ourselves in Dot’s room and waited for the house to fall silent. Her mom’s footsteps came past Dot’s room a little after eleven.

  “Are you sure about this?” Dot whispered. She’d been asking me some variation of that question ever since I’d clued her in on my plan, even as she procured everything I needed to make a fake passport and helped me pack my go bag.

  “Yes.” There wasn’t an ounce of doubt in my voice. “For Charlie.” That always shut her up.

  Quietly, we got ready. Dot inserted bright pink and purple hair extensions into my hair as I applied heavy black makeup and fake nose and eyebrow piercings. It couldn’t have been more different from my casual look.

  I put on some of Dot’s ripped-up, crazy clothes, slipped on my sneakers, and grabbed my duffel. It was small enough to not draw too much attention but big enough for the essentials.

  “OK.” Dot looked around the room, swallowing hard and taking another nervous breath.

  I slipped the tracker necklace off. Holding it in the palm of my hand, I felt a pang of guilt. They would be so worried. And mad. Alec was going to lose his shit. And Ethan . . . I’d promised Ethan I would never leave him again, and here I was doing exactly that. I was a shit girlfriend.

  I reminded myself I was doing this for Charlie. And Dot. My guys would understand once it was all over.

  I pulled the note I’d written from my pocket and handed it, along with the tracker necklace, to Dot, and she hid them in a desk drawer.

  I’d agonized over the note for a good hour, staring at the blank page with no idea what I could possibly write to make this easier for them. When I finally realized nothing I could say would alleviate their worry and anger, I decided to keep it simple.

  I’m sorry.

  Come find me.

  I miss you already.

  “Say it back to me,” I whispered under the light of the one lamp we’d left on.

  “I give the note and the necklace to Gabe. He’s the only one who can’t stop me or slow me down with his ability. I don’t wait for him to read it or ask questions. I just tell him to use the Lighthunter, and I hightail it out of there. I camp in the woods for a night, and I keep this on me.” She held up a disposable cell phone. I was the only one with the number.

  I nodded. We’d gone over the plan a million times, but it made us both feel better to repeat it. With everything ready, there was only one thing left to do. Dot and I stepped closer and held hands. I closed my eyes and let the Light flow out of me while making sure none was allowed in to replace it. I’d been practicing this too—expelling all my Light to see how long I could go without it leaking back in and becoming unbearable.

  It was difficult to test, as the guys constantly wanted to train and Tyler asked for boosts almost daily as he tried to puzzle out who was behind the kidnappings.

  I’d managed to somehow get a stretch of nearly three days without transferring; that seemed to be close to my limit. By the end of the third day, I was feeling the itchiness at my wrists and ankles, the increased levels of energy, the pull toward my guys to release it.

  “Twenty-four hours.” I nodded, dropping Dot’s hands.

  “Twenty-four hours,” she whispered back. “I’ll come back after one day, and if the Lighthunter is bogus, you tell me where you are, and we come get you.”

  We stared at each other, then we hugged, holding tight.

  “Thank you so much for doing this,” she whispered, her voice shaky.

  “Hey.” I pulled back, my own throat getting tight. “None of that. We need to stay focused. And you can stop thanking me.”

  Because you’re my family. I left that unsaid. I wasn’t ready to verbalize it, but that’s how I thought of them. It felt good to be so close to people, to feel so safe with them, that I could give them the same label my mother had—family. But on some level, it also felt like a betrayal of her.

  But I couldn’t afford to get into that now, to get emotional. My full focus needed to be on getting past the Melior Group guards posted outside and keeping my Light in check.

  I put on a dark coat with a hood, and we quietly made our way downstairs and into the garage. The plan was to hide me in the trunk of Dot’s hatchback and have her drive out, telling the guard she was popping out for snacks. The guards were there for general security, but anyone Tyler posted on duty near me was briefed to make me a top priority. If the guard thought I was still in the house, he wouldn’t try to accompany Dot. I hoped.

  In the garage, we left the light off and walked straight to the car. As Dot opened the driver’s side and I reached for the trunk, the side door leading outside opened, and a light flicked on, illuminating the space in a harsh fluorescent light.

  Dot’s mom, Olivia, stood at the door, one hand clutching the handle, the other holding a half-smoked cigarette between elegant fingers.

  “Mom?” Dot sounded outraged more than surprised. “When did you start smoking?”

  “I . . . well, I quit a long time ago. But lately, with all the stress, I just . . .” The guilty look on her face melted away as she zeroed in on the bag slung over my shoulder, my new look. She straightened and crossed her arms, keeping the lit tip of the cigarette away from her fluffy white robe. “What are you two up to?”

  “Uh . . .” Dot’s eyes flew between me and her mom’s. If their relationship was anything like mine had been with my mother, Dot wouldn’t be able to lie to her. There was no point anyway. Even if we managed to convince her we were just going for snacks, she would insist on the guard coming with us.

  “It’s for Charlie!” I blurted out. Trying to convince her of some half-baked, last-minute lie would never work. Olivia was too smart and already suspicious. The only chance we had was to appeal to her own worry. Her own grief. Her own need to do whatever possible to find her son. “This could help us find Charlie. But we don’t have a lot of time. Please . . .”

  I wasn’t sure how to finish. Her eyes narrowed, looking between me and Dot but eventually settling on me. “Explain.”

  “There’s no time.” The plane tic
ket was booked, and I had a narrow window to take a convoluted enough path so I disappeared before going to the airport. “I need to get to the train station without the nice men in black knowing. Then, hopefully, in a day or two, we’ll know where Charlie is.”

  It was the best I could do, giving her as much info as I could without jeopardizing the plan.

  “Evelyn.” She sighed, flicking her cigarette. “I can’t let you head out without a guard. It’s too dangerous, sweetie.”

  She wasn’t convinced. I was touched that she cared enough about me to want to keep me safe. It was so motherly . . . But once again I couldn’t let myself think about mothers and family. I had a mission.

  “I miss him, Mom.” Dot’s voice was low, but it broke on the last word.

  She was standing by her car, her fingers clasped around her keys. Every bit of worry, grief, frustration, fear, and longing that Dot had felt since her brother and Vital had been taken was written all over her face. It was in her upturned eyebrows, her hunched shoulders, her glassy eyes. Every painful emotion she’d dealt with in private, or even tried to push down, came out.

  “I can’t do this anymore.” Fat tears started rolling down her face, her breathing becoming labored. “I need him. I need to know . . . Charlie deserves this. We have to try.”

  Olivia’s own expression was full of pain as she watched her daughter break down for her son. “Shit,” she cursed under her breath. Then she took one last long drag of her cigarette and threw it to the ground, putting it out with her fluffy white slippers.

  “Dorothy, go back inside.” Her tone brooked no arguments. “Evelyn, get into the back seat of my Escalade. The windows are tinted.”

  Dot made a sound that was something between a sob and a surprised laugh, watching with wide eyes as her mother disappeared inside and came back a few seconds later with the car keys and her purse.

  “Get in,” she ordered, jumping into the driver’s side and starting the engine, “before I change my mind.” Dot and I exchanged one more meaningful glance, and I climbed into the back seat.