Courage (Mark of Nexus) (28 page)

The words I’d planned to say caught in my throat.

Under the moonlight, Rena’s skin turned to night-washed porcelain—too fragile for me to touch without lending her my power, but God, I wanted to. My fingers twitched at my sides, and it was all I could do to keep from pulling her to me. Watching her for the past ten minutes had been torture.

And that dress isn’t helping things…

“This is the part where you say something back,” she whispered, barely audible over the muffled music.

“Sorry.” I shook my head to clear the images that’d found their way there. “I got distracted.”

A wicked curve tugged her lips. “Did you see something you like?”

My gaze lowered to the shadowed dip in her cleavage, her breasts straining against a lacey trim. “Several somethings,” I muttered. “But I shouldn’t talk about them here.”

She flattened her palms against my stomach, but I couldn’t tell if she was trying to shove me or not. It felt so good to have her hands on me again, I didn’t care.

A gust blew in off the pond, and a shiver seized her small frame. “It’s chilly tonight,” she said, looking both ways before she stepped closer. “We should’ve chosen a better rendezvous spot.”

Of course. The one time I didn’t have a jacket to give her. “You wanna go inside?”

She scanned the courtyard over her shoulder and shook her head. “Someone could see us…”

I tried to concentrate, but my brain kept focusing on the lace covering her dress—the texture of it, the things my mind associated with its feel. It was all I could do to keep my hands to myself. “True.”

“And I kind of think”—she leaned up and pressed her lips against my jaw—”the torture's worth it.”

Breathe…

I strained against my pants and steadied myself.
No distractions.
Corynn had been talking to someone when I slipped out, and I knew I only had a few minutes to get back before she noticed my absence. I hadn’t told her where I was headed because she would’ve teased me, and then I would’ve gotten nervous, and—

“You okay, baby?” Rena cocked her head to the side, the way she always did when my emotions spilled over. It was as if she listened for them. I didn't get it, but it was cute as hell.

“Just thinking.”

“About what?” Big green eyes peered up at me, worried. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, it's just…” I took a quick inventory of the courtyard and swallowed, pulling her off to the side beneath a tree. “Remember when we said no more outs?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I've been thinking. What if we made a promise?”

“Why?” she asked, instantly alarmed. “Do I seem like I'm going to bail again? Because I'm not. Honestly, it didn't even bother me when you two walked in together.”

A smile pulled at my lips, and I shook my head. “No, Rena.”

“Then what? Seriously, if I'm acting weird, just tell me.”

“You're acting weird.” I laughed. “But that's nothing new.”

Her brows lowered, and her lips disappeared into a thin line—the way they always did when she struggled to behave.

“Relax,” I told her. “Just…let me talk for a second.”

My hands started to sweat.
Shit.
That was my cue. Was I really doing this now? Shouldn't I have waited until we had more time to ourselves?

The wind picked up, and she stared at me, waiting.

No, I'd already pulled her aside. If I was going to do this tonight, I had to do it now.
Right now.

Rena mimed unzipping her mouth and leaned forward. “You realize you told me to shut up, and then you stopped talking, right? I mean, I didn't black out for a second or anything, did I?”

I snickered and shook my head, running my hands down my pants. “No, I was just thinking again.”

“A lot of that going around these days.”

“Yeah,” I said, as I twisted my watch around my wrist. “So, you know this was my dad's right?”

She nodded, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

“When I wear it, it feels like he's still around to look out for me,” I explained, nerves tightening my throat. “I had it on when I met you, and I've worn it every day since. It just makes me want to—I don't know—make him proud of the decisions I make. And I think he would've really liked you.”

Rena's eyes glistened in the low light, and I froze. “What?”

She waved a hand in front of her face. “Nothing. That was just a really sweet thing to say.”

“Oh.”
Shit. Off script again.
“So, like I was saying, it's the only thing I own that really means anything to me. It's part of my past, but it also represents my future—and the kind of man I want to be…for you.”

Her emotions swirled together, but they were things I could work with.
Love, sympathy, curiosity, confusion…

“I spent all this time avoiding people,” I went on, my throat going dry, “and then I ran into you. Literally. And it was like I'd finally met my match. You were every bit as stubborn as I was, maybe even more, and that scared the shit out of me. The thought of someone like you getting close to me, close enough to hurt, was too much. And I couldn't deal with it.”

More thunder.
Better hurry.

I rubbed my neck, blew out a shaky breath, and looked up at the clouds pulling low in the sky. “But you didn't give up on me, and you reached me on a level no one else had before. Nexus or not, your soul is always going to have a hold on mine. I…I love you.”

She took a step back, her eyes widening in what I could only assume to be realization, but I grabbed her hand.
Gentle…

“You changed me.” My heart hammered in my ears, and I knew I had to be sweating hard.
Damn it.
“And you changed things I thought I knew.”

“What are you doing?”

“There are so many uncertainties in our lives right now.” I sank to one knee in front of her, breathing like I'd just run a marathon. “I don't want
us
to be one of them.”

Her mouth fell open.

“Look, I don't have a ring yet.” I tugged my watch over my hand and held it up in my fist. “But I'm hoping this means enough to—damn it, Rena! Why are you crying?”

Tears spilled down her cheeks in a silent stream, and her face twisted with indiscernible emotion. “I'm not crying!”

I chuckled under my breath, half from the nerves and half at the outburst. “Okay, well, what I'm trying to ask is…”

Just do it.

“Rena Collins, will you marry me?”

This isn't happening.

Wallace stayed knelt before me, his eyes more intense than I'd ever seen them, patiently awaiting my answer.

I must've opened my mouth a dozen times, but the words refused to surface. My heart pounded in my ears, mixing with the muffled beat from the Union.
Is
he serious?
The sky chose that moment to tear apart, littering the earth with hail, but neither of us dared to move. Or breathe.

Déjà vu…

With him on one knee, I stood nearly eye-to-eye with him. If I focused, I could probably get a feel for his emotions, but concentration escaped me. It was all I could do to lift my trembling hand. “I…”

His dark brows lifted as icy shards pelted us through the trees and bounced off the pavement.

“Yes.” My lips pulled back in a huge grin, and I shook my head, embarrassed at my hesitation. “Yes, of course I'll marry you.”

He had a grin to rival my own as he slipped the watch over my hand, its smooth links leaving behind a bitter chill. “Then, I'm going to have to ask you to hold onto this for a while.”

“I'll guard it with my life,” I told him.

Wallace slid the band up my arm until it settled below my left elbow—mirroring the Mark of Nexus on my right. “And I'll guard you with mine.”

The tears returned, but I launched myself at him before he could see. My arms wound around his neck and his pulled me close by the hips. I pressed a kiss into his hair, and then his forehead. His cheek. His jaw. His lips…

God, I loved this man.

My body reeled with ecstasy, but I couldn't wrap my head around what had just happened. Wallace had asked me to marry him. We were going to spend the rest of our lives together. And sex—there would be copious amounts of sex!

He chuckled and pulled back. “You're buzzing over there.”

“We're going to try it, aren't we?” I searched his face, waiting for him to falter. “The normal thing?”

“As best we can.”

“All of it?”

His lips twitched. “All of it.”

“Meaning—”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Often.” We both laughed at that. The hail had yet to burst our happy bubble.

“God, I'm so happy I can't think straight.”

“Well, get used to it,” he said, standing up. “It's about time life shifted in our favor.”

Can't argue there.

“So, when are we going to tell everyone?” I traced my fingertips over the watch on my arm, comforted by its weight. It was as if Wallace would always have a hold on me, marking me as his own. If he wanted to keep something this big under wraps, I was going to have a tough time staying quiet…

I trailed off mid-thought, blindsided by a bolt of realization. “My dad is going to kill us.”

Seriously.
Even if Faye showed up tonight, doused in pig's blood and spewing gonzo-smoke everywhere, the spectacle still wouldn't rival the scene at my house when my father found out. Wallace and I had only known each other four months. Granted, it felt like much longer, but no one else would realize that. I could already imagine the shitstorm of protests…

A loud clap of thunder boomed overhead, as if to accentuate my point.
Great.

“Somehow, I doubt that.” Wallace rocked back on his heels and shoved his hands into his pockets, smug about something.

“Why?”

“Because I already asked him.”

My heart stopped. “What?”

“I'm serious. I stopped by this afternoon and had a talk with your folks. They gave me their blessing.”

“What is this—1880?” I asked, struggling to envision it. “Did he offer you a goat and a handsome dowry?”

“Yes, while your mother worked the loom.”

We both snickered again.

“Okay, just so you know, you're my hero.” I wound his tie around my hand, urging him downward. “That was ballsy.”

“Grandma's idea.” He flashed me another grin. “You should've seen her.”

“That, I can imagine.”

It wouldn't have surprised me if Clara threw a piece of cardboard down and did a break dance in her living room. This lovey-dovey shit was right up her alley. And the possibility of great-grandkids…

I blinked, and a thought from last week returned.
Is there a possibility of great-grandkids?

“But yeah, we should probably wait until Faye makes her next move,” Wallace went on, oblivious to my train of thought. “As far as most people know, we're still broken up.”

“Good point.” I looked down, catching a glimpse of silver in the low light. “But what about your watch?”

“I'll say you mugged me.”

“Wallace…”

The wind picked up, starting to howl around us.

“I don't care.” He stole another kiss, looking happier than I ever remembered seeing him. “That watch is a symbol of us now. If it tips them off, it tips them off.”

I kissed him back, missing the ability to pop up on my tiptoes in heels. “True. It's not like we're being overly cautious right now.”

He sighed. “Yeah, we should probably get back.”

“Afraid of the storm, or are you missing your mistress?” I let go of his tie.

“Her dad offered me
two
goats.”

“Shut up.” I gave him an inconsequential shove as we made our way to the door. For the first time in ages, I felt light. There were good things on the horizon, again. We could breathe a little easier—even if it was only for a little while.

He opened the door, and I strode in ahead of him, patting my hair down. The lobby was deserted, so whatever conversation was happening in the darkened hallway seemed amplified.

“—about time, isn't it?” a familiar voice rasped.

Faye?
I froze.

“The two fronts are building as we speak,” someone I didn't recognize answered. “We should be in for it any minute now.”

“Excellent. Gail assures me Corynn is en route, and Maverick is safely tucked away for the time being. Scrambling the security cameras, shutting down the central air for our window of opportunity—you know, the little odds and ends he's so good at.”

“Mhm. But what about Elise?”

“Back at the lab. We can’t risk her getting hurt.”

I shot Wallace a look.

He held his arm in front of me, preventing me from rounding the corner, and put a finger to his lips.

“Just be sure to leave both release points intact,” Faye instructed. “We'll consider the rest collateral damage.”

What the—?

“Understood.” Footsteps, and then a pause. “And you'll be down here?”

“Someone has to make sure this operation goes off without a hitch.” Faye laughed under her breath. “Oh, don't look so glum, Jackie. We all agreed. Sometimes a step backward is needed to move forward. It's for everyone's benefit.”

“I know.”

“Show me you know,” Faye said, lowering her voice. “Your performance tonight will determine your rank within the organization. You understand that, don't you?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Then off you go.”

Wallace pushed me not so gently against the wall, melding into the shadows as a woman with big, quirky hair scurried past. Her shoulders were wide, her hips were wider, but she wasn't fat—just solid.

She made her way to the staircase without looking back, and Faye's footsteps echoed in the opposite direction. I waited until they were both out of earshot to speak up.

“They're talking about the virus, aren't they?”

Wallace nodded. “I'm not sure how that would create collateral damage, though. What do you think? Bomb?”

“Could be.” I let out a deep breath, trying to keep a cool head. “What should we do?”

“That one”—Wallace jerked his head toward the stairs—”is on her way up, so she doesn't have anywhere to run. Maybe I can head her off.”

“I'll go with you,” I said.

He took a few steps and stiffened. “No, we can't risk it. Let me take care of this. If I'm not back in five minutes, pull the fire alarm. We'll get everyone out of here before they can do anything.”

My heart quickened in protest. “You can't go up there alone. What if that woman's dangerous? Did you recognize her?”

Wallace shook his head. “No, but if Faye's staying down here, I won't have to worry about her smoke. And we know Maverick isn't around. We need to head this thing off while there's still time, and then I'll go pull my date out of whatever hot water she's gotten herself into.”

“Fine.” I hurried over and pulled him down for a kiss. “Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? You belong to me now.”

The corners of his lips quirked. “Same to you.”

I smiled.

He jogged over to the staircase and held a hand up. “Five minutes.”

“Got it.”

And just like that, we were a team back in action.

I pressed against the wall, cloaking myself in darkness in case Faye came around. How was I supposed to tell time, anyway? It was too dark to see Wallace's watch, and the nearest clock was around the corner in the danger zone. Maybe I should just count.
One, one thousand…two, one thousand…

By the time I got to fifty nine, I heard footsteps. With a rushed intake of air, I plastered myself to the wall. It was probably just someone stepping out. Maybe they left their windows down, and they were just now noticing the storm. Maybe they—

“So, you were hiding, after all.”

I snapped to attention. “Aiden.”

“Fifteen minutes later.” He stopped a couple of feet from me, arms crossed. “What are you doing?”

“Just…taking a break,” I lied. “It's storming, so I stayed in here.”

“Right.”

“You don't believe me?”

“Oh, I believe you.” He grabbed my arm and made for the backdoors—the ones vendors used near the alley. “I just wanna help you get the air you so desperately wanted.”