“Welcome to your humble abode.”
“I was half expecting the furniture to be covered in dirty clothes and the fridgerator door wedged open with dirty dishes.”
“Come on, I’m not that bad.” She lifted one eyebrow and gave me a questioning stare. “Okay, maybe sometimes, but I had this all planned out.”
“So you had help?”
“Yep. Everyone wanted to be here for the reveal, but I told them today I wanted you all to myself. Don’t be surprised if my mom drops by later, though. She has been dying to see you.”
April took over moving her chair and wheeling it around our set of rooms. I had moved all of the furniture to make sure she could easily go wherever she needed to. She tested it all out and gave me the biggest smile I had ever seen.
“I love you, Jackson.”
“I love you too, babe.”
“What smells so good?”
“I have a roast going. Which reminds me. I have a meeting with Adam, and I have to go or I won’t be back in time to start the potatoes.”
“You have a meeting now?”
“Trust me, it isn’t like I get to schedule them when I want.”
A knock sounded at the door. Thank God. I was saved. I opened the door to see my mom standing there. Damn, I knew she wanted to see April, but I hadn’t even had her alone for five minutes yet. I gave her a stern look, and she just shrugged her shoulders as if to say I’m your mom so I can do what I want.
“Are you two ladies going to be ok if I leave you alone for a little bit?”
They both gave me a look that asked if I was crazy. They were grown women and could fend for themselves. “Awesome. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
The door to Adam’s office was open when I got there. Big surprise, as he was probably dreading this meeting as much as I was. Every week since we had returned, I had been meeting with Adam to try to figure out a way to get my dad back. So far he had shot down all of my ideas. I was pretty much tired of his bullshit. We would never leave someone behind here. Just because he was in hell didn’t mean we couldn’t go and get him.
I could already feel myself getting worked up about it. I had the feeling this meeting was going to be short. Another quick rebuttal, and he would send me back on my way. I walked inside of his office, not even bothering to close the door behind me.
“It’s good to see you, Jackson.”
“Have you given my request any more thought?” I said it briskly. I wanted Adam to know this was all business for me.
“I have, but I’ve come to the same conclusion. I just don’t see how we can do it. No one has ever gone into hell and come back out. You are too important to send, and I can’t ask anyone else to go.”
“And you’ve told my mother that you’re leaving him there?”
“Damn it, Jackson, this isn’t easy for me either. John was a good friend of mine, and I want him back if he is alive. It’s just too damn risky. He would agree with me.”
“I have the feeling he might agree but would do it anyway.”
“You’re probably right.” A wistful smile spread across his face. “John could let his passions rule him sometimes. It was a risk but also an asset.”
“You know that my mom is leaving, right?”
“I do.”
His answers were coming out calm and logical, for the most part. I wasn’t sure how he did it. If I didn’t believe so much in what we were doing, I would have jumped across the desk and attacked him. “You know it’s because of your refusal to help us.”
“She just needs some time to come to grips with the choice we made.”
“It really wasn’t a choice; it was more of an order.”
Adam let out a sigh. “I know you want to fight me on this, Jackson, but my decision hasn’t changed. If you feel like you need to leave for a while, you can go with your mom. We will always have a place for you here.”
As if that was going to make me feel better about leaving my dad trapped in hell. “You know I won’t. At least not until April is better. Even then, I still believe in what we are doing despite your decision.”
“Then unless there is anything else, I have other work to attend to.”
“I just want you to remember this day. Today you had the chance to do the right thing, and you didn’t. Anything that happens now is on you.”
I didn’t wait for his answer. I was tired of them. Screw your facts and your logic. That was my dad trapped in hell. If it was Henry, you would have sent the power of the Ascendancy against those demons in a heartbeat. He hadn’t left me any other choice. Now I only had one person left I could turn to.
My feet beat the familiar path to her room. They had walked it enough times when we had been dating. It was crazy for me to go there, especially now when April was feeling so vulnerable, but it was my last chance. It was a risk I had to take for my family, so all of us could be together again.
I was about to knock on the door when it opened. Nitro and Nikki walked out of the room.
“What up, Jackson.”
“Nothing, Nitro. Hey, is Britta in?”
“Just don’t go breaking her heart, lover boy,” Nikki said.
“It’s not like that.”
“You say that now, but men always come crawling back for more.” She took Nitro by the hand and started to lead him away.
They had sure gotten close rather quickly. I wondered just what had happened when we had left that had bonded them together so quickly. Whatever it was, it seemed to be working wonders on Nitro. As far as I could tell, he was back to his old self.
Britta appeared in the doorway. “So are you going to come inside, or just stand out there all day?”
“I guess I’m coming inside.” It didn’t feel quite right to be here. Especially without April. But we were just friends now, right? So maybe it was ok?
Britta looked fantastic as normal. She had on a pair of ripped jeans and a tight tee with some kind of band on the front. Her hair was brushed back and pulled to one side. I could see what Nikki meant. I was sure many a man had fallen into her and not been able to pull themselves out. Luckily for me, I had a bright ball of life waiting for me at home that kept me from getting sucked back in.
“Britta, there is something I need you to do for me.”
She looked up at me and batted her eyes and pouted her lips. “Anything.”
“First, I need you to understand that there won’t be anything between us except friendship going forward. I know we broke up in kind of a weird fashion, but I just need you to understand that. So the sexy eyes and the lingering touches need to stop.”
“Can’t blame a girl for testing the waters, but I understand.” Her look hardened, and I could tell that it was all business now. “So what can I do for you?”
“I need to speak with Stillman.”
“Is this something for Adam?”
“No.”
“Do you really think it’s a good idea?” She sounded concerned now.
“No, it’s a horrible idea, but it’s the only choice I have left. Adam won’t help me. Maybe Stillman will.”
“Jackson, you know I’d do anything for you, but this is crazy. You can’t go to Stillman. Adam will kill you.”
“And if I don’t go, my father could die.”
“Fine. I’ll place the call and give you the burner phone, but for the record, I think this is reckless, even for you.”
“Just let me know when it’s in place. I’m sure he won’t miss the opportunity to talk to me.”
“That’s for sure.”
“And Britta?” She looked at me in the eyes. I could tell she still had some feelings for me, but at least for now, she was trying to push them back down. “Be careful. Don’t put yourself in any kind of danger with him for me.”
“I’ll swing by and drop off the phone when it’s done.”
“Thank you.”
“No thanks needed.” She got off the couch and pulled me into a hug. “See you later, hot stuff.�
��
I walked out of the door without saying another word. I wasn’t sure who the bad influence was anymore, Nikki or Britta, but I knew one thing for sure. Both of those girls were trouble. If they ever worked together, they could probably take over the world.
I’d been gone for just long enough that when I got home, it was the perfect time to start the potatoes. My mother and April were still sitting on the couch, talking, when I entered the room, so I went largely unnoticed. I started making the food. I added a few more potatoes. It didn’t look like Sarah would be leaving anytime soon, and there was no way she was digging into my share of the potatoes. It felt good to be home surrounded by the people I loved. This might be the last meal that I got to share with them for a while. I wanted to make it count.
I looked over at the two leading ladies in my life and couldn’t help but smile. They were perfect, and I loved them for who they were. One thought kept bouncing back to the surface of my mind as I watched them talk. I’m coming for you, Dad.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
None of these books would be possible without the love and support of my wife Becky. Thank you for all of the sleepless nights and nap filled afternoons. Love you, Babe.
My Beta reader Kay has done it again. She works hard to make sure all of the last minute things that might have slipped through get fixed. Thank you so much for your help. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.
My three little minions are at it again. They can’t read, so I’ll be distributing belly rubs and treats later.
A special thanks has to go out to all of my readers. Thank you for sticking with me as I continue to grow. I promise you, that there is more to come, and it will keep getting better.
ALSO BY BRADFORD BATES
To find out what else I have brewing or when the next book in the series is going to be released you only need to go to one place. bradfordbates.com
You can find links to my other titles here http://www.bradfordbates.com/books/
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Acknowledgments
Also by Bradford Bates
Demon Stone (Ascendancy Legacy 4) Page 19
