Her heels clicked as she walked down the hallway on the way to the infirmary. Perched on the edge of one of the massive sofas in the lobby, Leigh nodded and gave her a thumbs-up sign as she passed.
Fiona managed to smile back.
When she reached the infirmary, she stopped by the front desk. “I’m here to see Theodore.”
Barely acknowledging her, the middle-aged attendant gestured toward the back. “Room three.”
Here went nothing. Taking a deep breath, Fiona went to the back.
Theodore looked up from his phone when she entered. “Hey,” he said, pushing up his wire-rimmed glasses. “They promised me someone was coming to take me back to campus. Is that you?”
“Why not?” Secretly relieved, she gave him a genuine smile. “How are you feeling today?”
He shrugged, dragging his fingers through his curly hair. “Embarrassed. I came here thinking it would be different than college. But it’s not. It all sucks. Just once, I’d...” Stopping, he shook his head, his brown eyes earnest. “Never mind. I should be thanking you for helping me instead of complaining.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. “If you’re ready to go, I can drive you back to campus. We can talk along the way.”
Since he was already dressed, he hopped down off the bed. “Sounds good. Let’s do it.”
She walked him out, half expecting the woman at the desk to stop them. Instead, she waved them past, still not looking up from whatever had her engrossed.
“It’s a romance novel,” Theodore confided, once they’d exited the room. “She reads them 24/7.” He shrugged. “Whatever makes her happy.”
This made her laugh. “You’re a good guy, Theodore Royce the third.”
Hearing her say his full name made him wince. “Just call me Theo. You’re Fiona, right?”
“Right. Are you okay to walk to the back parking lot, or would you prefer I swing by here and pick you up?”
“I can walk,” he hurriedly told her. “That guy didn’t do anything to my legs. I have a couple of bruised ribs, though. You know, I still have no idea why he was even messing with me.”
“Money,” she replied. “He thinks you’re rich, so he figured you could pay him.”
“Rich doesn’t mean stupid.” He actually sounded indignant.
She took that as encouragement. Hopefully, he’d see through the sales pitch she was about to try to use on him.
They got into her vehicle, a government-issued sedan that, despite being painted maroon, still managed to look like an undercover police car. She waited until they’d pulled out of the long driveway before making her first attempt.
“I heard you might be interested in attending our self-enlightenment program,” she began.
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “I was, I mean. But now after what happened, I’m thinking there’s nothing that can help me.”
“Help you with what?” she asked, genuinely curious.
When he glanced at her, for a moment he let her see his misery. “I’m not doing well in school. I don’t mean academically, because I’m good there. I just can’t seem to make friends or get dates.” He swallowed hard. “I’m lonely.”
Damned if she could actually try to indoctrinate this poor kid.
Theo didn’t seem to notice her indecision. “Anyway, Leigh told me about the classes. They sound intriguing. And the price isn’t too bad, either.” He glanced at her, almost shyly. “I really want to learn how to become the best person I can be.”
It’s all a load of BS, she really wanted to tell him. Of course, she couldn’t, so she simply pressed her lips together and tried to think of some kind of noncommittal response to give.
Luckily, it didn’t appear one would be needed. Theo continued to talk, evidently relieved to unburden himself. “I like the idea of knowing how to choose friends,” he mused. “So far, all I’ve met are people who just want to use me. And the idea of learning how to choose the right significant other—that blows my mind.”
She nodded, keeping her gaze on the road, not trusting herself to speak.
They reached the campus, and Theo directed her to his dorm. When she pulled up in front and put the car in Park, she turned to look at him. “Maybe you should just focus on your studies,” she suggested quietly. “You’re a freshman. Give it time, and you might be surprised at how seamlessly you’ll eventually fit in.”
“But what if I don’t?” His slender form radiated tension. “That’s easy for someone like you to say. I bet when you were my age, you didn’t have these kinds of problems.”
His comment made her laugh. “You’d be surprised,” she told him. “I was scared and shy and homesick. I mostly hid in my dorm room the first semester.” Of course, that had been when she hadn’t found her true calling: law enforcement. She’d started out taking business classes, until a chance lecture had piqued her interest. From there, she’d gotten her degree in criminal justice. Applying to Quantico had been a no-brainer next step.
Squeezing his shoulder, she hoped he took her words to heart. “I promise you, it gets easier. Just give it time.”
“I’ll try.” Opening the door, he got out of the car. “And I’ll think about trying one of the seminars.”
“You do that.” As she watched him walk away, relief flooded her. Along with anger at Micheline and her machinations. Freshman college students, new to living on campus and away from home, were particularly vulnerable. The idea that Micheline wanted to milk them for money infuriated Fiona. At least Theo had given her something to say when Leigh asked her how it had gone. He’d said he’d think about it. And using a version of the truth was always the best option when undercover.
When she arrived back at the compound, she sat in her parked car for a few minutes, watching the yard staff do their thing. Finally, she got out of her car and strolled inside.
Almost instantly, Leigh appeared, making Fiona wonder if the other woman had been watching for her.
“Well?” Leigh demanded. “How’d it go?”
“He said he’s going to think about it.”
Leigh pursed her bright pink lips together. “You’ll give him a day. Then I want you to start pressuring him. At least get him to sign up for the first seminar. Most times, that’s all it takes. One class to open their eyes to the boundless possibilities we can lay out in front of them.”
It took an effort not to roll her eyes. “Okay. I’m guessing you have his phone number?”
“Of course,” Leigh purred. “I’ll text it to you. I want you to call him first thing in the morning.”
Fiona nodded. “Will do.” She eyed the other woman. Leigh always seemed to be posing for something, as if she carried her beauty queen title into every second of her existence.
“Jake went out today, too,” Leigh said, flipping her blond curls over her shoulder. She looked around the room before pinning her sharp gaze on Fiona, clearly watching for a reaction.
Not sure how to respond, Fiona said nothing.
“I think he was looking for you before he left,” Leigh continued.
This got Fiona’s attention. “Was he? Did he specifically say that?”
“Well, no.” Leigh giggled. “Not in so many words. But it was pretty obvious. He was wandering around the first floor as if he was looking for something or someone. I’m guessing that most likely was you.”
“Or Micheline,” Fiona put in. “She still needs to meet privately with him.”
“How do you know she hasn’t?” The unrelenting, fake cheerfulness in Leigh’s voice had Fiona clenching her teeth.
“Has she?”
Leigh tittered. “No. She’s really very busy.”
“I’m sure Jake is, too. As a matter of fact, he mentioned something about leaving soon.”
Just like that, her words managed to wipe the smile off Leigh’s face. “He can’t,�
� she said flatly. “Do whatever you have to, but make him stay.”
“Why?”
Leigh blinked. “Are you questioning me? Seriously?”
“Yes.” Crossing her arms, Fiona regarded the younger woman steadily. “I am. I need to understand why it’s so important that Jake stay when it’s clear Micheline doesn’t find him a priority at all.”
Just like that, all traces of friendliness disappeared from Leigh’s face. “That is not for you to question, do you understand?” She waited a beat for Fiona to respond. When she didn’t, Leigh repeated the question. “Do. You. Understand?”
The fury in Leigh’s voice overrode Fiona’s own innate stubbornness. Slowly, she nodded. She rearranged her expression, hoping she appeared abashed, even though inside she was seething.
“Good. Now.” Leigh reached out and touched her shoulder, all friendly and confident again. “I want you to go look for Jake. Hang on him, bat those pretty brown eyes of yours, lay it on thick, do whatever you have to, but get him to stay.” She paused to take a breath. “I’m counting on you. Micheline is counting on you. Heck, the entire AAG is counting on you.”
That big? Deliberately, Fiona widened her eyes. “I’m honored,” she whispered. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint anyone.”
“See that you don’t,” Leigh snapped. Then, softening her tone, she told Fiona how much Micheline valued her presence. “We all do,” Leigh said, her earnest expression as intense as her tone. “We’re committed to helping you become the best you.”
“Of course,” Fiona murmured, bowing her head. “And I promise that I won’t let you down.”
She couldn’t help but catch Leigh’s self-satisfied smirk as she turned away.
Head down, Fiona made it to her room. After closing the door, she debated taking a second shower, as if by doing so she could wash some of the icky feeling off her. She’d known coming in that she might be called upon to do things she considered unethical. She simply needed to do a better job of reconciling herself to being Micheline and Leigh’s obedient little cultist.
The message had been clear—do whatever you have to do. They wanted her to seduce Jake. Hell, the thought sent a shiver of pure longing all the down her spine. One time, she thought wryly, where doing Micheline’s bidding would actually be pleasurable.
Only Jake himself—knowing how betrayed he’d feel if he learned she’d used him—made following through on her orders difficult.
Enough, Fiona told herself sternly. She’d known this assignment wouldn’t be easy. Time to pull on her big-girl panties and do what she had to do.
* * *
Oddly enough, as Jake drove back toward the compound, the first person he wanted to talk to was Fiona. A member of Micheline’s evil little cult. Proof that he still was thinking with the wrong head.
Still, so much had changed in his life, and he had no one he could discuss it with.
Except Micheline, he reminded himself. Micheline knew. She’d always known. And for whatever reason, she’d let him grow up believing he was an only child and that she was his mother.
A family. He actually had a real family. For the sake of his own sanity, he couldn’t allow himself to think about the missing years, the lost love. That would come later. Right now, he could only focus on the fact that he wasn’t related in any way to that horrible, awful woman Micheline. He felt kind of sorry for Ace, who had to be bummed at the knowledge that he carried her tainted genes. Jake had spent years trying to shed the rot he’d worried he’d carried deep inside, at a cellular level. Now, the colossal relief of knowing he didn’t nearly overwhelmed him.
Still stunned at the news, he suspected it would take a long while to shed the full weight of the false past he’d believed to be his.
Back at the AAG center, Jake strode through the lobby, keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, least of all Micheline or one of her minions. Including—despite the way his heart skipped a beat at the thought of her—the beautiful Fiona. Uninterrupted, he went straight to his room, where he closed and locked the door.
Another man had lived the life he should have had. And Jake, growing up among all the suffering that he had told himself had been character building, was in reality a Colton.
Even so, he wouldn’t wish his childhood on anyone. Especially Ace. Once, he’d even thought he’d seen Michelle kill someone and dump the body, but he was young and it was dark and he could not be sure of what he saw. Ace would never know how lucky he was to have been spared that.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, Jake reflected on the unexpected ease of the meeting today. Ace had been a hell of a nice guy. Odd how sometimes you met someone and felt that instant bond, as if they could be almost a brother—definitely friends.
Of course, Jake had felt the same way about Fiona, except stronger. That instant flash of connection. He groaned out loud, hating the way his thoughts always seemed to return to her. Even now, he still craved her. A woman enthralled by a cult run by the evil woman who’d raised him.
Thinking of all this made his head ache. So much had changed in his life in the last twenty-four hours. He needed to try and focus on that, instead of on something that could never be. No matter how much he might want it.
He was a Colton. Ever since he could remember, he’d heard stories about the powerful Colton family. They were a large, close-knit family and involved in everything, from ranching to oil. Here in Mustang Valley, they were spoken of with a kind of affectionate reverence. Truthfully, on the outside looking in, Jake had always assumed their success had to be due to the same kind of machinations that Micheline employed. Just the short time that he’d spent with Ace, hearing the other man’s obvious affection for the Colton family, had made Jake begin to realize he might have been wrong.
And now he, too, was a Colton. Not that he planned to hang around long.
A soft tap on his door startled him out of his reverie. He immediately tensed, thinking maybe Micheline had finally sought him out. Bracing himself, he turned the knob and blinked. No Micheline, but the woman who haunted his every waking moment. Fiona.
“Hi.” Her uncertain smile cut straight to his heart. “I’m wondering if we could talk.”
She wore another formfitting yellow dress and sexy high-heeled shoes. Forcing himself to think before he spoke, he swallowed hard. He knew better than to let her into his room.
“May I come in?” she asked.
He stepped aside and let her in.
“Thanks.” She appeared restless, uncertain. She strode to his window, her long legs made even more shapely in her heels, and twitched aside the curtain to peer out.
Though she kept her back to him, he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from her.
Finally, she turned. “I came here to apologize,” she said, her voice as miserable as her expression. “I shouldn’t have told you about being switched at birth that way. I honestly suspected—hoped—you already knew.”
Surprised, he shook his head. “I had no idea. It came as a hell of a big shock to me.”
“I see that now. Anyway, I know what you think of me, and I couldn’t bear to have you hold this against me, too.” She swallowed hard, drawing his gaze to her slender throat. “I’m sorry, Jake. Really sorry.”
Though every instinct urged him to take her into his arms, he didn’t. Even now, he suspected she might be playing him, acting on Micheline’s orders or something.
His lack of reaction appeared to be what she’d expected. “Take care, Jake. It was good to meet you.”
He let her get halfway to the door before reaching out. He didn’t grab her—no matter how badly he wanted to haul her up against him and kiss her senseless. Instead, he touched her shoulder, a mere brushing of his hand as she passed.
But it was enough. Enough to make her stop short, turning to look at him.
“Let me hel
p you, Fiona,” he heard himself say. “You don’t belong here, not with these people. I can set you up with the therapist I mentioned who specializes in deprogramming.”
Her gaze searched his face. “Why?” she asked. “What do you get out of it? It’s been my experience that no one does something for nothing.”
“I want to help you, nothing more. I can let you stay on my ranch—your own room—if you need a place to stay.” He let her see some of his inner turmoil in his expression. “I can’t bear to see someone like you under Micheline’s power.”
“So that’s it then. You want to get back at Micheline for what she did to you.”
“No. Of course not.” Considering, he amended his statement, adding in the truth. “Well, I would like to see her pay for what she’s done. Not to me, but to others. A nice jail cell with a sentence of twenty to thirty years would do nicely, though.”
After a startled look, Fiona laughed. Really laughed, the sound infectious and honest and going straight to his gut. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“I do. And I’m also serious about getting you help. You’re too good for this place, Fiona.”
He expected her to argue or protest, to make excuses or to flat out deny. He didn’t expect her to wrap her arms around him and pull him in close for a kiss.
A kiss that seared his soul and stopped all rational thought. As their lips moved together, his heart pounded in his ears, and his body moved, too. Involuntarily pressing his huge arousal into her soft curves.
She let out a sound, a moan of desire, of need. Then, as he fought to gather up the willpower to pull away, she matched him movement for movement. Tongue, hands and that curvy, soft, sexy body that he so badly wanted to sink into.
Damn he wanted her, so badly the need for her made him shake. But still, he held himself back, unable to keep from wondering if this wasn’t yet another soul-crushing trick ordered by Micheline.
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