I frown before stealing another quick kiss. There’s nothing in the world this girl could do to upset me. Not one.
Inside, the place is pumping. Loud music blares through the speakers, drowning out for the most part the sound of bowling pins getting knocked over. Every lane is open, the arcade is filled with an entire preschool, and it makes me miss Tobie. But Skyla generously offered to have her sister watch her, along with Nathan and Barron, and I liked the idea of Tobie spending time with her cousins.
Laken leans in. “There they are.”
She nods near the bar, and I spot Logan, Skyla, and Gage in an unholy huddle. For the life of me I don’t know why Gage insists on keeping Skyla and Logan in such close proximity at all times. But then, I suppose he’s confident in their relationship. Not sure I would be if I were in his shoes.
We start to head over, and Laken stops abruptly, her mouth open, panting as she looks to the floor. “Whoa.” She fans herself for a minute.
“You okay? Do you need a seat? Some water?” A rush of panic sweeps through me. Deep inside, I’ve been waiting for that horrible moment when the other shoe drops and Laken snaps out of this delusion she’s seeped in. No matter how much I try to warn her that it will hit and she will despise me like never before, she simply waves it off as if I were spinning a fairy tale.
“I’m fine.” She shudders before throwing her shoulders back and shaking the hair off them. “It’s these heels. I swear they’re giving me vertigo. Are you sure your ex-wife didn’t work street corners at night?”
We share a laugh on Chloe’s behalf as we make our way to Skyla’s circle, only to find all three faces set in a scowl.
Then on a dime Skyla brightens. “Laken!” She lands over her with a hard embrace and whispers something directly into her ear.
I can’t help but frown over at her as they part ways. Skyla is forever filling Laken’s ear with the past, the truth, as if she doesn’t think I’m doing the same. Hell, I went as far as pouring over the wedding album Coop brought to the Transfer. I sat right there with Cooper Flanders on my left, Laken on my right, and went picture by picture outlining the fact Cooper isn’t full of shit. So, yes, it bruises my ego that Skyla thinks I might be.
Gage gives a hard nod my way. “Logan was just telling us about the uninvited guests crawling around tonight. You know anything about this?”
“Nope.” I cast a quick glance around and don’t notice a hair out of place. But this is Paragon, the island unlucky enough to have my father call it home.
Laken clutches at her chest a moment as she looks to the faces in our small circle. “I’m so glad you’re all here. I have something I want to share with you personally.” She grabs my hand and pulls me close. My heart drums against my chest for no good reason. Laken mentioned that she had a way of shutting down the naysayers to our relationship forever and didn’t want to share the details with me until the big reveal. My heart aches for her in a way because I know the old her would be having a tantrum at how the new version is acting. But to me, this is the old Laken. When she split from me, that felt more like the new version than anything else. I have the old Laken back, if only for a time. That vision the Justice Alliance shared with me way back when hits me like a ton of bricks, and my heart grieves over the fact that this indeed is that vision coming to life. Laken did come back to me, just not exactly how I was hoping.
Skyla tips her face up in curiosity. “Did you read up on the Factions like I suggested?”
Logan and Gage exchange a brief glance. So that’s their strategy. Show her what went wrong to begin with. My stomach turns to stone because that’s the one thing I’ve feared, and that’s exactly why I may have given her a revisionist version of what really went down back at Ephemeral. At this point, I’m just buying time. But, like all things, with Laken, I’d do anything to hold onto her one moment longer.
“I have.” Her affect brightens. Laken glows like a star, and her beauty mesmerizes me. I was afraid the lack of light in the Transfer would have a negative effect on her, so I keep the house lit up like a flame. But with Laken around, she doubles the wattage with simply her presence. “In fact, Wesley was kind enough to open the library to me. I have full access to the sacred texts, including The Hallowed Tomes written by our Nephilim predecessors. I’ve even had the pleasure to land my eyes on the—”
I give her hand a hard squeeze. Shit. The last thing I need is Skyla nosing around looking for the book in question that Laken almost spilt like a jar of marbles. And much like a jar of marbles, this would cause a slippery mess that none of us would ever want to venture in. My heart thumps loud and raucous as if danger were afoot, and instinctively I look to my left and spot my father speaking with a group of gentlemen I haven’t seen before. Demetri nods my way, and I’m quick to put my full attention back on Laken where it belongs. No. I won’t even utter the name of that holy book aloud in my mind. My father would not be pleased. And then it hits me as he enjoys the company of his small circle of friends. Did he give that book to me so that it would land in the wrong hands?
Skyla sighs heavily. “Well, don’t keep us in suspense.”
“Right.” Laken shudders a moment. “Anyway, rest assured. I’m up on all things angelic. I belong to the Countenance,” she states plainly to Skyla. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a mind of my own.”
Logan crosses his arms over his chest. “Did Wes fill you in on the Steele Barricade?”
“Yes,” Laken says it sharply. “And I’m all for anything that protects our people from the government. In fact, I’m going to help Wes find a way to hide the markers. The feds aren’t fooling round. They had me locked up like some lab experiment gone awry, and I won’t let that happen to any of you.” She gives a weary glance to Skyla. “And I know you think Wes is not going to share his findings. He is, Skyla. Just like your husband, the leader of the Fems—Wesley has a heart of solid gold.”
Gage looks to me, piercing me with those cobalt high beams of his. “That’s right. We’re going to help keep Skyla’s people safe. That’s a promise.”
My jaw sets tight, but I don’t dare say a word. Honestly, I’m itching for the door. I’ve got a bottle of champagne from Champagne that’s bordering on two hundred years old that was gifted to me by dear old Pops the day I opened the Barricade for business. I’ve been saving it for a special occasion, and I think ringing in the new year with Laken is as good as any.
Logan offers a friendly smile Laken’s way. “So what’s the scoop? You and Wes thinking about picking up stakes and heading island bound?”
“That would be nice.” She looks to me. “I’ve been trying to tell him that Tobie needs fresh air, and friends. And well, now that Chloe is here full-time, it might be best if she and Tobie ran into one another once in a while.” She glances to Skyla. “But don’t worry. I am fully accepting my role as October’s stepmother, and she’s already taken to me. We’ve bonded like I’ve never bonded with anyone in my life. She’s even started calling me Mommy.” She bites down on her bottom lip so hard it grows pale as snow. Her eyes fill with tears, and I can tell she’s struggling with her emotions.
“Hey”—I wrap an arm around her—“it’s okay.” I press a soft kiss to her cheek, the very first public display of affection we’ve shared, and it feels monumental.
Laken takes a ragged breath. “I guess I’d better just spit it out.” She looks to Logan, Gage, and Skyla, then finally to me, and her gaze remains over mine. “We’re going to have baby, Wes. You, me, and Tobie are growing our family by one.” The floor gets taken out from under me. “Congratulations, Wesley. You’re going to be a father again. Ezrina helped confirm it.”
“What?” I hear a voice strum from behind, but my arms land hard over Laken’s body as I spin her in a wild embrace.
Oh God. What have I done? Carefully, I set her on the floor and blink away my own tears. As much as I want to congratulate her—the only thing my lips want to say is a heartfelt I’m sorry. Laken is going to
wake up one day and slaughter me in my sleep. I might deserve it, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to lap up the moment in front of me.
“I love you so much.” I pull her into another embrace, hard as concrete, as I land a searing hot kiss over the top of her head.
Laken pulls back and picks up my hands, her sparkling eyes smiling up at me all on their own.
“Is this for real?” A stunned Cooper Flanders staggers into our circle.
“Shit,” Logan mutters under his breath, but the sentiment is felt all around me.
Gage steps in. “Coop, how about you and I step aside for a moment, and I’ll fill you in on everything?”
“No.” He doesn’t take his eyes off Laken. The hurt emanating from him is downright palpable, and it nauseates me to know how far I’ve let this go. But Laken is hosting my child—my child who is already in existence and well on its way to this planet. I’m going to protect her and love her just the same way I will our baby. “Laken?”
“I’m so sorry, Coop.” Her voice breaks. “I promise, I didn’t realize you were here. I would never plot to hurt you. I would never want to tell you like this.”
“You wouldn’t. He would.” Coop doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to jabbing me with a spear. His eyes linger over Laken’s an inordinate amount of time, speaking to her in a language she no longer understands. “I guess I’d better go. Let this sink in.”
Logan steps in. “You’re not going anywhere. I’m getting you a drink.” He whisks Cooper off to the bar, and a part of me demands I make my way over there too and apologize the shit out of myself, but I won’t. I’ve made my bed. I’ve been with Laken without a condom on more than one occasion, and in the back of my mind I knew it could happen. I wasn’t stopping it, and neither was she. But, in truth, I wasn’t expecting it. I tip my head back and take a breath before looking to Skyla and Gage.
Laken takes a quick breath. “The baby is already on its way. If you have anything negative to say, neither of us wants to hear it.”
You could push the two of them over with a feather.
Skyla looks to Gage. “We’re happy for you.” She pulls Laken into another embrace, and judging by that look on her face, she’s anything but happy. Skyla pulls back, holding Laken by the shoulders. “I love Tobie as if she were my own. And that was Wesley’s child with Chloe.” She says Chloe’s name with a marked punctuation as if to make a point, and she certainly did. “I already love your baby as much as I love you, Laken.” Tears moisten her eyes.
“Congratulations,” Gage adds before nodding me to the side.
We take a few steps out as the music goes up a few octaves, assuring us we have all the privacy we need.
“You okay, man?” Gage slaps me over the back. “Your face bled out all color. I thought you were going to pass out. I take it you were just as shocked as we were.”
I glance over to Coop, hunched over at the bar. “Maybe more so.” I look to my brother with his familiar frame, his traditionally friendly demeanor, and yet there is a fine nuance of something different embedded in him. “I’m glad to have you back. To be honest, I never thought I’d say those words to you. But you have been family to me more than anyone—other than Laken, of course.”
His dimples dig in as he frowns. “This version of her. Get ready for the fallout, dude, because it is going to be a shitstorm.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve got you as a witness. And if need be, I’ll do a little time traveling to show her firsthand that she was a willing participant, if not the ringleader.”
Gage steps in front of me, blocking out Laken and Coop in one swoop. “What’s this about sacred texts?”
“Just some books Demetri had that he shared with me while I was at Ephemeral. I can give them to you whenever you like.” I glance to the ground. With the exception of one. If Demetri does want that book to get into the wrong hands, I won’t be falling for his tricks. In fact, once I get home, I’m plucking it from the shelf—put it somewhere safe. “Come over anytime. They’re yours for the taking. Feel free to share them with Skyla. I really don’t care.”
“Thanks, man.” He holds up a fist, and I bump it with my own. “And congratulations again on the baby. I really mean that. I know Tobie will be thrilled to have someone around to play with. You really thinking of moving up top?”
I can’t help but give a nervous glance in Coop’s direction. “I don’t know. We’ll see.”
“It looks like Laken gets whatever she wants out of you, and if she wants a house on Paragon, I don’t think you could deny her if you tried.” He offers his signature shit-eating grin before taking off for the girls.
He’s right. What Laken wants, I will move heaven and earth to give her.
“Son.” I look up to find Demetri eating away the light around me. Figures. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
His eyes never cease to smile, his expression filled with sarcasm. All the perversion and wickedness stored in that beast is enough to deteriorate any decent soul.
“That they are.” I look over at Laken, shining like a star as Skyla has what seems to be an amicable conversation with her. I’m not sure why I thought they would have taken Laken by force and locked her in a closet by now. But I’m glad they didn’t. It wouldn’t have benefited anyone. “Laken is expecting.”
“And it’s yours?” He follows my gaze for a moment.
“Yes, it’s mine.” My heart thumps unnaturally. “Crap. Could it be Coops?” I look to my father, my all-knowing, all-seeing, never revealing father. “You know, don’t you?”
“I don’t know.” He tips his head my way. “But in a few months I’m sure modern medicine will allow you to seek your answer.”
“You do realize the feds took Laken.” I shake my head at him. “That she can’t remember shit.”
“She doesn’t really remember you. Are you likening yourself to excrement?”
A heavy sigh escapes me. It’s like trying to get a straight answer from the Riddler. “Did you get my messages?”
“I received them.” His features sharpen. “You do realize I had more pressing issues than restoring your girlfriend’s memory. Like making sure your brother received a new body. And here he is alive and well.” He nods in Gage’s general direction. “As for your paramour, I’d suggest Ezrina utilize her skills. And if she’s unable to restore her full memory, I’d try Dominique Winters, then Dr. Booth. All in that order.”
“How about Demetri Edinger, Marshall Dudley, then Candace Messenger? I think I like that order better.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not God. I do not hold any divinities in my power. Not even a Celestra blood infusion could repair the memory. It’s a ghost within the brain. The rewiring of neurons and synapses. All of it requires a delicate skill. And might I ask why you are pursuing the cerebral resurrection of a woman who once loathed you?” He offers a disparaging look. “I should think you would be content leaving well enough alone. She loves you. For all practical purposes, she might be having your child. Have you heard the earthly expression ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’?”
I scowl at him a moment because the irony is too rich.
“Yes, well”—he scans the crowd—“something like that.” He starts to take off, and I pull him back.
“Hey, who killed Gage? I know it wasn’t you.” I harden my gaze over that wicked smile. “Not firsthand.”
“The same person who will one day kill you.”
He takes off as my heart detonates in my chest, one dark and bloody nuclear explosion.
So that’s how I meet my end. My blood boils with rage at the lack of decorum my father is so ready to display. First, he plants a seed of doubt in my mind regarding the paternity of Laken’s child, then he gleefully divulges that my death will be done by another’s hand.
I glare at him from across the room.
I’ve got news, Father. You are not God. You certainly do not hold any divinities in your power. In fact, your authority is impotent witho
ut your younger son. I glance to Gage as he speaks with Logan and Coop in a consolatory huddle. If my brother is my puppet, then I have all authority. I will be greater than my father, my brother.
There is a divine purpose for my life. And I will fulfill it with or without you, Demetri.
And I’ll do so with Laken and our child by my side.
3
The Second Woe: The Battle Standard
Skyla
The bowling alley glows in neon jewel tones as music rages from the speakers on this, the most wonderful New Year’s Eve of all—the one in which my sweet husband, Gage, has come back to me. If I squint, the surroundings look almost identical to the last version of this place, old and tattered, tired and slightly malodorous due to the funky footwear, but I wouldn’t have the heart to tell Logan that. No, this version is much improved, and already the islanders seem to be enjoying it with a whole new fervor. Every single person crammed into this place is having one raucous good time, what with every lane going, the sound of balls rushing, pins crashing, music pumping, a makeshift dance floor in every nook and cranny of the room. Everyone is having a good time with the exception of Cooper Flanders, and my heart is so very heavy for him.
“So what about your period? Did you just miss one?” I bat my lashes at Laken, my beautiful friend who glitters like a disco doll tonight. She’s already apologized for the outfit profusely a dozen times citing the fact it was Chloe’s. That explains the garishness nature of it all. Actually, Laken is so stunning, she pulls it off effortlessly.
Laken opens her mouth to speak, but her eyes roll to the ceiling as if she were silently calculating dates. That or she’s morbidly confused. I’m betting on the latter. How I pray this is Coop’s baby she’s incubating in her starlit dress. How dare Wes use this opportunity to implant her with his demonic seed. My God, when Laken finally wakes up from this debacle, she’s going to murder us all for not tying her to the bed—Cooper’s bed.
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