Understanding dawned on her. “Have you ever…?”
He shook his head. “Of course not. I’m an Angel of Light. I must be married first.”
“Oh.” She thought about what that meant for her.
Unexpectedly, he gripped her tight and kissed her like it was the last thing he would ever do. His hand slid to her hip, squeezing it, and she felt herself respond to his touch. Her heart was going crazy and she was acutely aware of the way his solid chest felt on hers. His tongue glided over hers while his hand slid across her stomach under her shirt. She gasped and flames licked her skin. “Jace.”
He groaned again, pulling his hand out and touched her lip. He pulled it down with his thumb while his kisses roamed her face. “Laura,” he whispered, his voice husky and full of desire. She loved how he said her name. He traced his lips down her neck and pressed them against her pulse, claiming that pulse. Claiming her heart. Claiming her.
She ran her hands through his hair, surrendering to him. Her will. Her heart.
Jace ran his thumb over Laura’s neck, stroking it gently, and he pulled her back into his lap. He leaned his chin on her head, breathing heavily and wrapped his arms around her tight. After a moment, he began to hum softly. She closed her eyes, calming her frantic heart, and listened to his voice. Then she gave in to the drowsiness and yawned. He opened his eyes and leaned forward, touching the middle of the screen.
It came to life, the blue light circling the monitor.
She shot forward, suddenly awake. “Hey, how’d you do that?”
He grinned. “It takes an Angel’s touch.”
She humphed. “Figures.”
He stood up, holding her in his arms. “Let’s go find you a new bed.”
❦
Laura settled on the bed, thinking about what had just happened. This room was even bigger than the last one and had only one bed. Still, the blanket was utilitarian grey and Laura wanted to burn it. She was getting sick of this place. If they ever got out of here, Laura would never own anything grey again. She lay down, sleepy, and Jace sat next to her. Her eyes began to close. “Jace?”
“Hmmm?”
“What happened between you and Jezzie? Why does she torture you so much?”
Jace sighed and then lay next to her. He traced her arm. “A long time ago Jezzie was working with a commander that she really respected. They were trying to create a war in Prussia and there were men dying everywhere. I was working to try to heal the men.”
“Of course.” Laura smiled and her eyes drooped lower.
“Her commander instructed her to try to seduce me.”
Laura’s eyes popped open. “I knew it. What happened?”
“I rejected her, of course. I knew, well, I thought that it was just to try to get me to work with the Fallen. But, as it turned out…” He hesitated and Laura shifted, fully awake now. “As it turned out, she really fell in love with me. Or, at least she said she did.”
“What did she say?”
“She said that she’d fallen for me and that she wanted to run away with me. That we could live on the fringes in between heaven and hell and that no one would find us there.”
Laura laughed and Jace frowned. “Why are you laughing?”
“I just…” She pushed down her laughter. “I just can’t imagine Jezzie saying something like that.”
He smiled now. “Yeah. That was a long time ago. Jezzie was a lot different back then.” His smile disappeared. “When I turned her down, she was really pissed.”
“And she haunts you to this day? Wow, talk about a grudge. Did you let her down nicely, at least?”
“Probably not as good as I should’ve. I’ve grown a lot since then also.”
Laura grinned. “A teenage Jace?”
He nodded. “She vowed that she would ruin my life forever and she’s certainly tried.”
Laura studied his face, which had grown sad. “Is that one reason why she’s so different now?”
He nodded. “Partially. That and her commander found out about it. He released her of her position and she had to work with another unit, starting at the lowest rung on the ladder. I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think that she’s loved anyone since.”
Laura was quiet, thinking. “How sad.”
Jace shrugged. “In a way. She doesn’t seem to have the capacity for love anymore, or even kindness.”
“That makes it even more sad. She doesn’t have any joy in her life.”
“She finds happiness in hurting others. Or, at least, what she thinks is happiness.” His face was bitter. “I could never love a woman like her. Her sole purpose in life, even before she fell in love with me, was in hurting others.” He looked at Laura. His eyes searched her face and his stare moved something deep inside her. “I could only love someone who loves others. Who cares about them. Who sacrifices to help them, even if that sacrifice isn’t the right thing to do.”
Laura swallowed hard and Jace kissed the top of her head, then touched her eyes. “Go to sleep now.”
“Hey,” she protested, but already her eyes drooped. She struggled to keep them open but they were too heavy.
“Jace?”
He chuckled. “Yes?”
She yawned and snuggled into him. “Did you kill Kean’s brother?”
He stiffened but she was already asleep. Jace studied her, watching the way her chest rose and fell as she breathed. Her face was calm, peaceful, and he wished that she would always feel this way. He wished that she would never have to know the war that raged in his life every day, the weight of a kill and how it tortured him; the thought that some of the Fallen that he killed would never have a chance for redemption. She mumbled in her sleep and he struggled to understand her.
“Jace is, he will be mphhehh.”
He grinned, happy that she was dreaming of him. “Goodnight, my angel.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jace watched the man lounging at the gate at the entrance to the building. He’d decided to bring Seaman, Unland, and Laura, the only men he trusted. He felt that they wouldn’t try to slice Laura’s throat behind his back. Plus, they both excelled in their field.
They could’ve flown in, but that would only set off several alarms, so they opted for the ground entrance. Jace took a second check on Laura; she seemed to be doing fine. And she looked so sexy in that uniform. Jace wished he could see her in their Angel uniforms. She would look stunning.
He wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her, so it was good that she wasn’t wearing one.
The man at the booth picked up his radio, spoke some garbled words and then went back to his magazine. Jace pulled back, motioned to Seaman and then nodded at Laura.
She nodded once and held her breath, watching as Jace entered the booth. Her stomach was in knots; she was so nervous. She’d never done anything remotely like this before. She didn’t doubt Jace’s abilities but she seriously doubted her own. She’d probably trip off some alarm. She shuddered when she thought of staying in the cave alone though. No, she was better off here.
Then Jace was at her side and the guy at the booth was fast asleep.
“Ready?” Jace’s worried face bore down on her.
“That’s a handy skill you have there.”
He grinned. “It is.” Then his face grew serious and he handed something to Seaman. Laura turned around and closed her eyes. Jace motioned to his men and picked her up. When she opened her eyes, they were at the entrance to the door and Seaman used the guard’s pass to open the door.
They inched the door open and Unland was the first through, while the rest waited. When he returned, he reported: “There are three of them.”
Jace nodded. “We need a distraction. Something that won’t make them suspicious.”
Unland nodded. “On it.”
They waited in silence and Laura studied the landscape, realizing for the first time that she hadn’t even thought about how nice it was to be outside. She was too busy worrying about their mission. She breathed in th
e cool air. It would be summer soon; spring never lasted very long in Idaho.
Suddenly, the door slammed open and two men rushed out. Jace pulled Laura back, waiting for them to pass by, then they slipped through the opening.
Jace took out the one man left guarding the station. He was so fast, Laura could barely see him move, and the man dozed peacefully at his desk.
❦
With their speed, Jace’s power, and Seaman’s contacts, they were able to make their way through the building with relative ease. Now they were deep in the facility, below ground, and according to information given by Seaman’s contacts, outside the room with the blueprints.
Seaman was the first to peek inside the room. He mouthed, “There’s two people inside. A woman and a man.”
Jace nodded. “We need another distraction.”
Abruptly, Seaman walked into the room. Jace’s face grew pale. “Seaman,” he whispered harshly. Laura’s heart dropped to her stomach. What’s he doing?
“Mia?” Seaman looked like he’d seen a ghost. The woman turned around and Laura gasped in horror. Half of her face looked like it’d been melted off.
The woman’s mouth dropped open, tears sprung to her eyes and her hands were over her mouth. “Jamie?”
Seaman pulled her to him, his hands over her shoulders, and stared at her in shock. “You’re alive.”
“Of course I’m alive.” Her eyes darkened. “What happened to you?”
His face hardened. “They told me you were dead.”
She shook her head and her eyes steeled. “I was, almost. They left me like this.” She gestured to her face. “I thought you left me.”
“What?” He was flabbergasted. “How could you think that? I would never leave you. She told me that they returned your body to your family.”
“No.” Her face revealed the horror she felt inside. “They held me for days. And when I tried to escape,” she looked down, “they did this to my face.”
“Bloody hell.” He pulled her in, gripping her tight. Anger flashed through his eyes.
She began shaking, her arms wrapped around his waist. “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought I would never see you again. Why are you here?”
She stood back and unconsciously brushed her hair over the side of her face that was deformed. “Jamie, what are you doing here?”
He brushed her hair back behind her ear. “You are still so beautiful.”
Her blush shined through her dark skin. “Oh, stop.”
The other man in the room stood up. “Mia. What’s going on? How did these people get down here? They shouldn’t be here.”
Mia cleared her throat. “Hey, Hal. This is that guy I told you about. Remember?”
He swallowed hard. “What’s he doing inside? I don’t see any badges.”
Jace took a step forward, pulling out the badge he took from the other guard. “I’ve got our badge, right here.” He held it towards Hal.
“Hey, that’s not your badge.”
Suddenly, Jace was behind Hal, his hand on his forehead, and Hal was collapsing in Jace’s arms.
❦
Mia was kneeling next to Hal with a horrified look on her face. Jace had sat him back in his seat and leaned him against his desk. “What did you do to him?”
Seaman went to her. “He’s okay. He’s just sleeping.”
She looked uncertain. “Are you sure?”
Seaman touched her. “I promise.” He ran his finger down her arm.
She glowed at the touch and stood up, facing him. “My heavens. I never thought I would see you again.”
“Me, either.” Seaman gripped the edge of Hal’s desk. “She told me you were dead.”
Jace stepped forward. “Did Jezzie tell you that she was dead?”
Seaman nodded his head.
“What’s going on here?”
Seaman glared at him. “You’re not the only one to fall for a human.”
Jace studied them. “What happened, Seaman? Tell me.”
“Some of the Fallen took her. Tortured and ra—raped her. When I found them, I tried to kill them to save her. But they held me down.” He turned his face away, in shame. “There were too many of them. They held me and beat me until I was unconscious. Then they tied me up and held me.” He turned towards Mia. “Then Jezzie came and said that you’d died.” He grasped her. “They told me you were dead.” She nodded her head understandingly.
He looked back at Jace. “She said that she would send them to hell for what they did, and in exchange I had to work for her here. I figured I had nothing else to live for, so I agreed.” He looked at Mia again. “I went to your old house so many times, wishing you were there, just so I could see you. Even just once.”
Tears were in her eyes. “I was there, hon. I was there the whole time. I couldn’t leave, just in case you came back. I was there.”
Seaman slammed his hand on the desk and it cracked. “She lied to me.”
Jace turned to Unland. “Tell me why you’re working for Jezzie.”
He shrugged. “I needed work.”
“Do you like working for her?”
He shrugged. “Not particularly, but it’s not bad.” His eyes steeled. “I work hard, Jace. I worked hard to get to the top of that unit.”
Jace put his hand on his shoulder. “If you work for me now, I promise you that you’ll be taken under by Michael, and he’ll give you a better position.”
Unland straightened. “Would I be able to see Delilah?”
Jace frowned. “Would she agree to leave her family, and work under Michael? That would mean she would probably never see her family again. And you would never see your family either.”
Unland grinned, happier than any of them had ever seen him. “If I’m with her, it won’t matter.”
Jace nodded. “Seaman, do you want to be with Mia again? Do you still want to work for Jezzie?”
Seaman slammed his fist on the desk again. “As soon as I see her, I’m going to kill her.”
“Okay, hold on. Let’s figure out what we need to do here first.” He looked at Mia. “Can you put the building on high alert?”
She nodded. “Why?”
“We were sent here for reconnaissance. Jezzie’s planning on blowing up the reactor tomorrow.”
The blood drained from her face. “We can’t let them do that.”
Jace nodded. “I agree.”
❦
They returned to the cave and Jezzie met them in the cavern. Two other soldiers, including the replacement for Kean were with her. “So? Report back.”
Jace let go of Laura. “Everything went as expected. There were no problems.”
“My contacts reported a small fire outside Building Three.”
Jace nodded. “Yes, it was necessary as a distraction. But Unland made it look like the gas line, as to not raise suspicion.”
She eyed him. “Did you find the blueprints?”
Unland stepped forward and pulled them from a case on his back. “Yes, ma’am.” He tried to give them to her.
She stepped back. “Why would I need those? It’s your unit’s responsibility to finish the job.”
Unland nodded and gave them to Jace, suppressing a smile.
She looked at Seaman. “And? Seaman, what did you do? It looks like Unland created the necessary distractions and managed to find the blueprints. What was your contribution?”
Jace stepped forward. “Seaman is the one who got the blue—”
Seaman was behind Jezzie, with a knife to her throat. “You lied to me.” His voice was low, threatening, and serious. He was ready to kill. The other two soldiers had their swords pointed at him.
Jace held his hands forward. “Seaman, you don’t want to do this.”
In a flash, Jezzie grabbed Seaman and threw him over her shoulder. He landed on his back and she put her foot on his chest, with her own sword pointed as his gut.
She leaned down, and the point of her sword pressed into his uniform. “I see you
found Mia. What, no happy reunion?”
He growled. “You knew she was alive. You allowed them to continue to torture and rape her. You lied to me.”
She tsked. “Now, now, Jamie. It’s your fault for trusting me, for being so gullible.”
His eyes raged with fire. “I will kill you.”
She frowned. “Well, that’s going to be a problem. I can’t have a wanna-be assassin trying to kill me every time I walk out of my room.” She licked her lips. “You wouldn’t succeed, of course. But still.” She leaned in further and her sword sliced into his stomach. He made a guttural noise as blood drained from his gut.
Laura stepped forward, but Jace was faster. He knocked the sword out of her hands.
“Jezzie, he is essential to my mission. You cannot kill him.” He put his hand over the wound and closed his eyes, concentrating. It took a moment, but the wound began to knit back together.
She picked her sword back up and glared at Jace. “Don’t you ever do that again. Or you’ll be on the end of it instead.” She inspected the blood on her sword and licked it.
Laura looked away, grossed out.
“Guards,” Jezzie pointed to Seaman. “Keep him locked up until the mission. When it’s over, hunt him down and kill him.”
CHAPTER NINE
“Laura, wake up.” Jace was pulling Laura’s uniform out of the drawers. “Put these on. We need to go.”
Unland was standing guard outside the door, as he’d begun to do when Jace had to do things while Laura was sleeping.
She put on the top. “We’re leaving? The cave?” Hope radiated through her face.
Jace nodded. He grabbed her shoes and tossed them to her. “We need to have everything in place. Once we leave, it will only be a short time before they notice I’m gone, so we’ll have to fly as fast as we can.”
“What about Matt and John?”
Jace nodded. “They’ll be coming with us. And working with us once we’re on the ground. We’ll need all the help we can get.”
Laura finished putting on her shoes, ready to go. “Why? What’s going on?”
Jace held her an arms-length from him. “Laura, we’ve discovered what they’re doing with the rest of the weapons. They recruited enough men to make a terrorist cell, and armed them with weapons. They’re planning on attacking public places.”
Broken: (Ignite, Book 2) Page 12
