Jackson differed from Little Rock in one key way. One small section outside the ruined area had a narrow band of damage caused from intense heat. Either Aiden or Jake had produced it, but there was no way to tell which one. Will wasn’t sure it made any difference. The storm was proof enough that Jake was involved, evidence that Aiden hoped to lure Emma here.
The question was how to detain Aiden and Raphael long enough to get Jake. Hopefully, Marcus would have some ideas.
Emma emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, her wet hair hanging down her back. Her face was still pale and he couldn’t stop his gaze from traveling to her abdomen as she dropped the towel and slipped on her panties.
It had been easy to ignore that Emma was pregnant again, but now it was heavy on his mind. What seemed like a minor issue weeks ago came back to bite him in the ass. She’d developed her powers carrying the first baby, so he knew she could use them. And she’d lost the first baby from a physical beating, nothing supernatural. But her power was so much weaker than his. Why hadn’t she used it in the elevator to fight Alex? Was her pregnancy possibly weakening her powers? Would this baby interfere with Emma protecting herself?
Pulling a t-shirt over her head, she caught him watching her. She raised her eyebrows with a smirk.
He leaned back in the chair, putting his hands behind his head, and gave her a cocky grin. “Hey, you can’t fault me for enjoying the view.”
Shaking her head, she bent down to pick up her towel.
“We haven’t eaten since last night so I thought I’d order room service.”
“I’m starving. I want pancakes. And bacon. Don’t forget the bacon.”
“Lots of bacon. Got it.”
She walked in front of the window, drying her hair with the towel.
Will ordered their food while watching her. “It’ll be here in about twenty minutes.”
“Okay.”
He moved his chair to face the bed. “I need to talk to Marcus.”
She parted the curtains, looking down onto the street. “Just like old times, huh?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You, me and James. South Dakota. Me caught between the man I love and the man in his life who sees me as expendable.”
Will swallowed, caught by surprise. “Emma…”
“I wish…” Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of the curtain. “I wish things had worked out differently with me and James. For you. That’s one of my biggest regrets.”
He hadn’t expected that either.
She turned to face him. “He’s your best friend for a reason. I wish that he’d given me the chance to find out why.”
He’d tried not to think about James since he’d left him in the parking garage in Morgantown.
She sat on the bed, cross-legged in front of him. “Did he ever get along with any of your girlfriends?”
“Now that you mention it…” Will ran a hand through his hair and grinned. “Not a one.”
“That’s what I thought.” She leaned forward and kissed him. “I want to be the first.”
Will’s back stiffened. “For all I know he’d dead.”
Her soft laugh tickled his cheek. “I don’t think James can be disposed of that easily. What do you say we go look him up when this mess is all over?”
“We have bigger things to worry about, Emma.”
She pulled back, meeting his eyes. “But maybe that’s what makes us different than them. Aiden and Alex and Raphael, they’re so wrapped up in themselves and what they want. Maybe they’re evil not because of their power, but because of their priorities.” Her fingertips feathered down the side of his face. “Maybe the thing that will save us is what we’re fighting for.” Her thumb stroked his lower lip. “They fight for greed and control. We fight to save the ones we love. Which is more powerful in the end?”
She was wrong, even though he’d told her the same thing days ago. Might was what determined the winner of a battle. Not intentions. History had proven it time and time again.
But for the first time she sat in front of him hopeful that they had a chance. He refused to take that from her.
“I love you, Emma Thompson.” He pulled her onto his lap, consumed with emotion. He never thought it possible to love someone this much.
He froze, his hand partway up her shirt, when he heard a knock at the door. “It’s probably room service, but I want you to go into the bathroom until I know for sure.”
She moved without protest, picking up her towel off the bed on her way.
Will grabbed his handgun out of the bag and moved to the peep hole, surprised to see Marcus outside. He opened the door. “Marcus.”
Marcus walked past Will and looked around. “Where’s Emma?”
Even though Will knew that Marcus had a vested interest in her, it still worried him. “She’s in the bathroom.” He put his gun back in his bag.
“How is she today?”
Will knew what he was asking. What good would she be to them in a battle? If she hadn’t let him in to help take away part of her guilt, he doubted she would have been useful at all. Marcus was bound to notice the difference, but Will wasn’t sure whether to tell Marcus what they could do with their bond. At this point, it seemed better to keep quiet. If Marcus questioned the change in her, Will could chalk it up to elemental healing ability. “She’s better.”
“Really?” Marcus raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Will she be of any use to us today?”
Marcus was more like the Colonel than Will cared to admit. Always thinking of the bottom line. Perhaps Emma had a point. “I want to protect her from this as much as possible, but she’s motivated to rescue Jake.”
Marcus seemed to think about Will’s answer. “Okay. That’s good to know. We need to talk.” He looked toward the bathroom door. “But in private.”
The bathroom door opened and Emma stood in the opening. “Worried I’ll run off to my Daddy Dearest with your secrets?”
Marcus’s face hardened. “He has your son. Who’s to say he won’t manipulate you to get information by dangling Jake in front of you?”
Fury darkened her eyes and she stepped out of the bathroom, hands on her hips. “First of all, I don’t like the mental image of my son ‘dangling,’ so I suggest you refrain from using that phrase again. Second, I love Will with everything in me, so like it or not, we’re a package deal, never mind the fact that we’re forever joined. And third,” She moved in front of him, staring into his face with contempt. “I would sooner die than betray Will. So don’t you ever suggest that I will again.”
A slow smile spread across Marcus’s face. “I can see her appeal, Will.”
Will had never been more proud of her, but Marcus’s comment made Will uneasy. “What do we need to talk about that can’t be said in front of Emma?”
Marcus continued to study Emma with a smirk. “Casualties. Acceptable risk. I thought it best to spare Emma the worry.”
Emma’s face hardened.
Will cleared his throat. “That’s an easy discussion. There is no acceptable risk regarding casualties. We will attempt to rescue Jake, but if he or Emma are in imminent danger, we pull back.”
“And Will.” Emma added. “If Will is in danger, we pull back. But then, I hope he wouldn’t be an acceptable causality to you.”
A current of power filled the room and Marcus’s eyelid twitched. “Don’t presume to know what I want, Emmanuella.”
Will’s jaw clenched. The Colonel had bullied and manipulated the people Will loved for years. He wasn’t going to let Marcus get away with it too. “Marcus, what you want or don’t want is irrelevant in this case. These are the conditions. If you don’t like them, you can leave.” Will couldn’t afford for Marcus to take off, but he couldn’t afford to let him stay if he didn’t take Emma and Jake’s safety into consideration.
Anger flickered over Marcus’s face and he glanced at Emma before turning back to Will. “Then we need to make a plan with the stipulated con
ditions.”
There was another knock at the door, and Marcus’s eyes narrowed on Emma.
“It’s probably room service.” Will looked through the peephole. A man in a uniform stood outside the door.
“That was incredibly stupid, Will.”
“It’s called eating, Marcus.” Will opened the door and signed for food, then took the tray. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon and I have no idea when Emma ate last.” He put the tray on the desk.
Marcus grimaced but remained silent.
Will grabbed a piece of toast and took a bite. “I figured out a pattern to their attacks. We need to determine the center of downtown Shreveport and I think we’ll be able to pinpoint with about a block of accuracy where they’ll be.”
“That’s a good start. It would be even better if we can manage to locate them before they start the attack.”
Emma had taken several bites before she jumped up and ran into the bathroom.
Marcus studied the door at the sound of her vomiting. “Is she sick?’
There was no way he was going to tell Marcus about Emma’s pregnancy. He had no idea what Marcus would do with that information. “She used to get sick when the Cavallo was close, but lately it’s been from nerves.”
Marcus didn’t look convinced.
“Why don’t you go back to your room and I’ll be down in a bit. After I make sure she’s okay.”
“Are you comfortable leaving Emma alone?” Marcus asked in a dry tone.
“I’ll be a few doors down. She’ll be fine.” Will pushed him toward the door. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
After Will got Marcus out, he opened the bathroom door and found Emma hanging over the toilet. “Are you all right?”
She looked up, her face pale. “Never been better.” She cast an anxious glance toward the door.
“I sent him back to his room.”
Her back relaxed and leaned her head on her arm. “I don’t want him to know.”
“Agreed.”
She released a derisive laugh. “More James déjà vu.”
“This is different.”
“Is it? I’m not so sure.” She sat up. “I’ll agree to team up with Marcus in this instance, but I can’t commit to anything else.”
“Fair enough. I’m not sure I’ll even want to. Let’s see how today goes and then we’ll discuss it.”
“Okay.” Her color had returned as well as the spark in her eyes.
“You feeling better?”
“Yeah.”
“We need to keep your pregnancy between us. Who knows what Aiden or Raphael would do with this information?”
“Or Marcus.”
Will grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Or Marcus.”
She bent over the sink and rinsed her mouth. “Will, you have to promise me that you won’t make any decisions based on the fact that I’m pregnant. You’ve done really well until now, but …”
He wrapped his arms around her stomach, watching her in the bathroom mirror. “I can’t promise that.”
Closing her eyes, she sank back into Will’s chest. “Will,” she pleaded.
“Princess,” he whispered into her ear. “I can’t promise because you’re far more important to me than the baby. I wouldn’t make any decisions because of the baby that I wouldn’t have already made because of you.”
She wrapped her arms over his. “I wish this was all a nightmare I could wake up from, but then I wouldn’t have you. I love you, Will.”
“I love you too.” He kissed her temple and led her out of the bathroom. “Why don’t you rest while I go make plans with Marcus, then I’ll come back and tell you what’s going on.”
Nodding, she sat on the bed and grabbed the remote. Will covered her hand with his. “Be careful with that. What you find is bound to upset you.”
“I have to face what I’ve done.”
“And you have so there’s no sense beating yourself up about it more.” He packed his laptop in his bag. “This meeting could be good. Marcus was hesitant around you so I might get information from him that I might not have gotten here.”
“Good idea.” She lay back on the bed.
He checked his handgun to make sure it was loaded and placed it on the nightstand. “I’m surprised you’re not fighting me more on this.”
“I have no desire to be around the man any more than necessary. I trust you.”
She trusted him. He’d tried to gain her trust for weeks and they’d nearly lost each other because she couldn’t give it. “Thank you.”
“But I expect you to tell me everything when you get back.”
He smirked. “No problem.” He rested a hand on the doorknob. “Call to me if you need me.”
“I’ll be fine. Go.”
***
After Will left the room, she sat on the bed and flipped on the television. She needed to know more about Jackson and she wanted to know what the media was saying about Alex.
Alex. What she’d done still haunted her, but not nearly as much last night. She’d never be able to repay Will for what he’d done to help her and she wasn’t sure that she believed it hadn’t hurt him very much. She should have questioned him about it more. The likelihood that they’d need to channel one another’s pain again was high. She wanted to be prepared for what to expect.
The first channels were the usual hotel information stations, but it only took a few clicks more to find what she was looking for. The Jackson devastation seemed to have top billing on the news station with Alex’s death scrolling across the bottom of the screen: Senator Warren’s son killed by terrorists. Alex would have hated being second in importance.
He’d spent most of his life in that position.
Emma tucked her knees under her chin as she watched the television. Could she really fault Alex for his behavior? Sure what he’d done six years ago was inexcusable, but the rest… It had been about survival. What made her more deserving to live?
She shook her head. This was pointless. Alex had proven time and time again what an ass he was. A few weeks of good behavior didn’t change anything. He would have killed her at the end and probably wouldn’t have thought a thing about it. It was self-preservation. Pure and simple.
The screen showed the head of Homeland Security telling the nation not to panic but to be on high alert and report any suspicious activity. Jackson was now being called a terrorist attack, and Albuquerque and Little Rock had been called the same. They weren’t far off the mark.
Could the authorities stop an attack on Shreveport? She would love nothing more than to make an anonymous call to the police, alerting them to the threat. But that would tip off Aiden and then what would he do? Go destroy Tyler, Texas?
No, as selfish as it was, she had to keep the information to herself and hope that she, Will and Marcus could stop Aiden in time. She was fully aware that she was placing the life of her son over the lives of thousands of other people. She’d deal with the ramifications of that later.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jake smiled. He had not one, but two secrets. He ate breakfast with Aiden and Raphael while they talked about Alex getting killed the night before. Raphael’s forehead wrinkled, and he looked worried. If Alex could die, that meant Raphael could die too. Jake squeezed his hand into a fist in his lap. He hoped he was the one who would kill Raphael. Jake lowered his face to hide his smile. He might be able to do it now.
Jake felt powerful, more powerful than he’d ever felt. He wished he could gloat about knowing that Alex died before Aiden did, but he couldn’t risk him finding out about the shadows. Aiden would know soon enough. While Aiden might be able to control fire and the people around him, Jake could control air as well as fire. With Jake’s increased air power, who knew what he could do.
Still if Aiden and Raphael didn’t know about Alex being dead, that meant neither one of them killed him. Unless the one who killed Alex was hiding it. That wouldn’t be a surprise.
“It
had to be Will or Marcus,” Raphael mumbled over his coffee. “There was water everywhere.”
“And yet no signs of a fire. Emma wasn’t there.”
Jake’s heart fluttered several beats before settling down. He hadn’t considered his mother. Thankfully, she wasn’t part of it. Killing Marcus or Will would be hard since they’d been nice to him, but Jake couldn’t even think about killing Mommy.
Aiden paused, tilting his head as he watched Jake. “There’s something different about you, Jacob.” He tapped his index finger on his cup. “What is it?”
Jake blinked. “What?”
Setting his cup down, Aiden leaned forward. “I can’t quite pinpoint it. What have you been up to?”
What did Aiden suspect? The mark the shadows gave him or his extra power? Jake looked down at the table. “Nothing.”
“Nothing, is it?” His fingernail tapping on the cup was the only sound in the room.
“No, sir.”
“Raphael,” Aiden’s voice rose. “Don’t you agree there’s something different about Jacob?”
“Do you mean his attitude? Did you ever punish him for his outburst yesterday? Or the day before in Little Rock?”
“Is it really your place to question my judgment, Raphael?”
“No…”
The tapping resumed. “Still…Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps it is his attitude.”
Jake sat in tense silence, holding his fork over his plate.
“I’ll let it go for now as long as you don’t defy me, Jacob. You would regret that very much.”
Jake nodded as he watched Aiden under hooded eyes. Was he strong enough to kill Aiden yet? Should he try it right now? Raphael was here, but Jake suspected Raphael would side with whoever he thought would win.
His power rumbled deep in his bones, like an electric current charging his skin. It made him feel so full that he thought he would burst. If he caught Aiden off guard….
Redemption (The Chosen #4) Page 22
