Courage (Mark of Nexus) (3 page)

I didn’t know what I’d walked into, but I knew I wasn’t leaving.

Despite Rena’s flimsy excuse, she'd sent an undercurrent of emotion the moment our eyes met—anxiety, guilt, and embarrassment—all from the one place she couldn’t guard. Her heart.

I crossed my arms and leaned back against the wall, signaling Cole away with a jerk of my chin. He’d been right on my heels when I charged in, and I wasn’t about to tempt fate by letting him stay. My brother has no problem with bloodshed, warranted or not.

For months, he'd wanted to nip this whole operation in the bud. Go in guns blazing and eliminate the threat. But I’d convinced him to wait. The situation was too delicate; we didn’t have enough information. I stole a glance at Rena sitting on the edge of the exam table, her feet swinging high above the floor, and my heart squeezed.

There was too much at stake.

Somehow, I'd find a way to shield her from all of this. I
would
. Problem was, I knew she'd fight me to stay off the sidelines. Of all the humans in the world, I'd fallen for the most stubborn. I'd have to be firm. Unyielding.

Who am I kidding?

Before Rena, I didn't know weakness. For someone so small, so fragile-looking, she had an inner-strength I couldn't match. I mean, I grabbed the girl—God knows I didn’t mean to—but I did, and she didn’t even flinch. Talk about first impressions.

She knew the rumors, knew the supposed danger I posed, but she didn’t back down. For the first time in my life, I felt like a man.
Just
a man. And that stirred something inside me.

I refocused as Rena began strumming her fingers on the edge of the table, rocking back and forth. If she kept moving around, those little ties were going to come undone. Not that I'd mind. That gown was the only thing cov—

“So, what’re your superpowers?” she blurted out, raising her eyebrows at Elise.

“Excuse me?”

Subtle, as always…

“What she meant,” I cut in, “is you’re Gail’s mother and Faye’s daughter, right? You must carry the bloodline.”

“I do.” Elise frowned down at the chart she’d been reading. “Though, I’d rather not discuss that in a door-less room where my employees might overhear.”

“They don’t know?” Rena asked. “Even after working on Project ERA?”

“Only a select few.” The older woman shot me a sideways look. “Fortunately, not all of us possess such
obvious
abilities. It allows us to bide our time until we choose to reveal our lineage.”

Rena crossed her arms. “And when will that be?”

Baby, you're pressing your luck.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave, Mr. Blake.”

I nodded before her words registered, then froze. “What?”

“Leave,” Elise repeated, gesturing toward the hallway. “I don’t want you looming over me while I examine her.”

Heat crept over my neck as I pushed off the wall. “I don’t recall
looming
over anyone.”

Did she honestly think I was going to leave them alone together? I’d been in less threatening alleys.

Elise pursed her lips. “Please, Mr. Blake. It'll only be a moment.”

“But—”

Rena cleared her throat. “Wallace, why don’t you go, uh… hold the door?” She raised her eyebrows and shifted her gaze toward Elise, as if we needed to appease her. “I'm a little exposed here.”

I bit back a comment and stepped out into the hallway.
Fine.
I grabbed the stupid slab with one hand, balanced it against the broken doorframe, and turned away. Truce or not, these people had it in for us. I didn't care what anyone said.

“Took a little field trip,” Cole whispered, choosing that moment to emerge from the shadows. “Interested in some light reading?”

I matched his tone with gritted teeth. “Define light.”

He smirked like he’d just gotten away with something. “Oh, you know. Faxes, blueprints, confidential records…”

“How did you…?” I shook my head. “Never mind. You don’t have this stuff on you, do you?”

“Are you kidding? I made a few copies, kiped the rest, and threw everything in the Jeep.” He shot me an impatient look. “I’ve been doin’ it for weeks.”

“Okay?” My pulse quickened in anticipation. “So, what’d you find out?”

“What? No
thank you
?”

I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. My patience had already worn thin. “Just tell me.”

Cole crossed his arms. “No, I risked my ass for this.”

I reached for his collar and met nothing but air.

“I can’t believe you were gonna grab me,” he huffed over my shoulder, jabbing me in the kidney. “My own brother.”

I grunted and shifted the door to my other hand before turning around. “Cole…”

“Self-defense,” he insisted, palms up. “Now say thank you.”

My nostrils flared. “Thank. You.”

“There! Was that so hard?” He leaned back against the wall, exasperated. “First off, I know they hacked into Rena’s medical records for comparison.”

The door groaned as my grip tightened, and cracks branched out from my hand.
Calm…

“And they paid for Uncle Henry’s moving expenses,” he continued.

“What?” Up until a week ago, Grandma Clara’s brother had lived in Virginia. He had a successful neurology practice down there—one that helped him afford a live-in healthcare worker for our great-grandpa Edwin—but last week he’d just packed up and moved back to Ohio. No explanation given. “You think he’s caught up in this?”

Cole shrugged. “Haven’t gone through everything yet. Doubt it, though.”

“Me too.” I let out a breath. “Anything else I should know?”

“Yeah.” He lowered his voice and took a step closer. “ERA is making a virus.”

Well, that was awkward—and not just because I’d spent the better part of two hours in a hospital gown. Elise Frasier had officially touched me in more places than my boyfriend, and I was two seconds from shoving his hand down my pants to compensate. Or at least, I would be…if I weren't breakable.

Damn humanity.

“So, what now?” I buckled my seatbelt and leaned back. “We're free for another month.”

“Now you tell me what really happened,” Wallace suggested, throwing his arm behind my seat to back up. “How’s your head?”

I sighed. Nothing got past him.

“It's fine. Elise and Gail were talking in the hallway. I tried to eavesdrop, but I almost got caught. Jump, miss, bam. The end.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “That simple, huh? What were they talking about that had you so interested?”

“Oh!” I straightened, having nearly forgotten that part. “They’re getting a shipment next weekend. Something dangerous, because Elise told Gail to keep her distance from it. I think it's some kind of weapon.”

He blanched. “The virus…”

“Huh?”

"I’ll tell you in a minute. What else did you hear?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. “It's kind of weird, actually. Gail said they located the shipment after talking to Edwin.”

Wallace looked both ways and pulled out onto the street. “Edwin? Like, Great-Grandpa Edwin?”

“Maybe.”

Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder, he changed lanes. “Thought so. We need to make a quick detour.”

“What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Call Cole and tell him to follow us. I’ll fill you in on the way there.”

“Okay.” I settled into the seat and retrieved my phone without question. If Wallace was using his serious voice and suggesting Cole tag along, something had to be up. I just hoped it wasn't as bad as it seemed.

Twenty minutes later, we were circling Henry's fancy-pants neighborhood. I'd called Clara for directions, figuring we'd have to make a trip to Scion, but apparently Henry and Edwin had taken up residence outside of Cleveland—because
that
made sense.

And then there was the whole ERA thing. If Cole understood things correctly, they were working on a living, non-computer-dwelling virus. Why, God only knew, but it was a scary thought. Faye didn't do things on a whim.

Of course, neither of the boys thought Henry was involved. At least, not knowingly. But if you asked me, his sudden reappearance was a little fishy. I mean, he left his practice, his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Edwin's healthcare worker…

“This must be the place,” Wallace mumbled, pulling up in front of a three-car garage.

Cole slid into the space beside us, and we took our time getting out.

“So, we’re just going to barge in with questions?” I asked, hiking my bag up on my shoulder.

Wallace shot me a look. “We’re not barging in; we’re visiting. I wanted to introduce you, anyway.”

“S’bout time,” Cole added out of nowhere, the weight of his arm sinking onto my head as he leaned on me. “You’ve been dating for—”

“You have exactly three seconds to get your arm off of me.”

Cole snickered and mussed my hair. “Easy, killer.”

“One.”

“Cole,” Wallace groaned, rubbing his temples. “Don’t start with her now.”

“Start what?” Cole used that grating, innocent voice he always did when he wanted to wind his brother up. “I’m not starting anything.”

“Two.”

He clicked his tongue in disapproval, and my eye twitched. One look at his stance told me he'd braced himself for one of my usual attacks. An elbow, a knee, something he could evade without trying. I had to catch him off guard.

“Three.”

And I knew just how to do it.

When Wallace stepped forward, I smoothed a quick hand up Cole’s chest—like I wanted to stop them from fighting. He dismissed the gesture as usual, and I used the distraction to lock on target.
Gotcha.
A pinch and a twist sent the world’s fastest man crashing to his knees.

“Fu—ow!” he howled, swatting at my hand. “Damn it, Rena! A titty twister?”

A smirk curled my lips as I wrenched my wrist to the side, relishing his torment. “How’s that feel, AssCole?”

“Burns like a son of a—”

Someone cleared their throat behind us, and I froze.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Mechanically, I turned to look over my shoulder.
Don’t be the uncle, don’t be the uncle, don’t be the…

No such luck. A puzzled older gentleman stood on the path leading to the house, his weight resting on a gnarled, wooden cane. “Spirited little thing, aren't you?”

I jerked my hand away from Cole and spun around. “I, uh…”

“Henry, this is my girlfriend Rena.” Wallace edged the words out, caught between laughter and embarrassment. “Rena, this is my great-uncle Henry.”

There wasn’t a shade of red to describe how hot my face felt. I forced a smile and thrust my hand out. “N-Nice to meet you.”

Henry cracked a grin and hobbled forward to accept my handshake. “Same here, my dear. Same here.” He glanced down at Cole. “You all right over there, Nicholas?”

“Peachy.” Cole stood up and rubbed his chest with a sour expression. “Just taking a rest.”

Henry nodded and turned to make his way back to the house. “Well, come on, then. Dad will be happy to see you kids.”

Wallace wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders as we made our way inside, probably hoping to avoid another skirmish, but I didn't mind. It was colder than it should have been for April, and the wind still had that nagging chill. His heat was a welcome reprieve.

The entryway bore a beautiful pattern of stone, lit by a vaulted chandelier. Apparently, the medical profession had been good to Henry over the years. Not that I begrudged him his wealth. Because of him, Wallace has a neurologist to go to for his clusters.

“—ing nicely.”

“Huh?” I looked up to find Henry staring at me, his bushy eyebrows raised and awaiting an answer.

“I asked how your wrist feels.” He gestured toward my arm. “It seems to have healed quite nicely. Car accident?”

Guilt seeped through the Nexus, and I caught flashes of the night Wallace had shattered the bones. I lifted my wrist and trailed my fingers up the side. “Oh, um…different kind of accident.”

“I see.”

“It’s fine, though,” I added. “Did Clara tell you about it?”

“No.” Henry tilted his chin, throwing the twins curious glances. “They didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“My abilities?”

His abilities…his abilities…

“It’s been awhile,” Wallace jumped in, saving me. “And it was a lot to take in at once.”

Henry smiled, and his gray eyes twinkled. “Of course. I imagine it’s very taxing to keep up with the workings of another race.”

“Sometimes,” I admitted.
More like all the time.

“Well, don’t you worry. I don’t mind explaining it again.” He motioned over his shoulder as he turned the corner. “I sense the ailments of others. Where they are, the severity of the pain, that sort of thing. Even wounds inflicted in the past.” He paused outside a wooden door and leaned back. “It might sound helpful to someone in my profession, but I'm afraid it's quite frustrating. I have no way of knowing the cause or how to remedy the matter. Without a physical assessment, I'm just as much in the dark as anyone else.”

I watched as he took out a handkerchief and wiped at the shiny spot atop his head. “That’s pretty impressive.”

“Not as impressive as the girl who took out her assailants hand-to-hand. I do talk to Clara
sometimes
, you know.” He winked, reached back to twist the handle, and pushed the door open. “Dad’s in here. He should be ready for lunch, anyway.”

We followed him inside the dimly lit room, and I stifled a gasp. The man propped up in bed, watching some court show on TV, was a skinny, ancient version of Cole. When he turned to us, his sharp gaze narrowed, obscured by sagging eyelids. “Who’s that?” he yelled.

“He’s a little hard of hearing,” Henry explained, raising his voice as he crossed the room. “Look who came to visit, Dad. Wallace brought his girlfriend to meet you.”

“Girlfriend?” Edwin’s lips curled back in disbelief. “That little thing couldn’t carry his child!”

“I don’t think she’s planning on doing that anytime soon.” Henry fluffed the old man’s pillow and turned the blaring volume down. “This is Rena.” He stepped to the side and gestured for me to come forward. “Rena, this is Wallace’s great-grandfather Edwin.”

I clenched my fists in an effort to suppress the twitching bundle of nerves in my chest. “Hi.”

“What’d you say?” Edwin barely acknowledged me before turning to Henry. “What’d she say? Tell her to speak up.”

“Hi!” I repeated, trying not to flinch at the echo as I approached his bed. “It’s niiice to meet yooou.”

He frowned and reached for his glasses on the bedside table. “You feel funny.”

I blinked. “I what?”

“Grandpa.” Wallace’s hand settled on the small of my back as he neared. “I thought you might be able to tell us something about the Mark of Nexus.”

What happened to not barging in and asking questions?

“The what?” Edwin yelled, provoking a fit of coughs and wheezes. “I’ve never been to Texas!”

Henry’s eyes bugged out, and he glanced up at the clock. “Say, uh, why don’t you three help me make lunch? You will be staying, won’t you?”

“Sure,” Cole spoke before anyone else could object. “I never turn down free meals.”

Shocker.

Henry nodded and moved toward the door. “Dad, I’ll be back in a little while with your tray.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Edwin waved him off. “Shut the old man up. I got it.”

As Wallace took my hand and moved toward the hall, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something amiss in the Lawrence household. Something simmering beneath the surface. If it had anything to do with ERA, we needed to figure it out. Soon.

Thankfully, the meal itself was uneventful. It consisted of carrots, potato chips, and tuna salad sandwiches—most of which we ate without the company of our host. Henry spent a good twenty minutes in the restroom and came out looking worse than when he’d rushed in. Poor guy must’ve really struggled in there.

Not that it was the only thing off about him. From the stories I’d been told, Henry should’ve been a jovial figure, sporting a goatee and a Hawaiian-print shirt. The only things he sported today were dark circles and a constant sheen of sweat. Why?

The whole situation was suspicious. Faye had paid for his moving expenses, but he had yet to mention her—to mention anything about his reappearance, actually. Had he been compromised? Was he hiding something? If we were dealing with an ERA loyalist, I wanted to know ASAP.

Which meant I'd have to take a look around.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” I said, hopping off my stool. “I need to freshen up.”

Henry nodded and wiped his hands on a towel. “Go right ahead. It’s the first door on the left.”

Perfect. The hallway was around the corner and, most importantly, out of eyesight. If I worked quickly, I’d have a few minutes to investigate. Not exactly model guest behavior, but hey, desperate times.

The first door on the right was locked. I made a face and crept over to the second, this time holding my breath. The cold brass knob twisted with a satisfying click, and I peered inside.
Jackpot.

The darkened room was all beach wood and tropical prints. It had to be Henry’s. His father’s door was right across the hall, so he could get to the old man quickly if need be. That other room must've been his office.

I took a tentative step forward and felt the plush carpet mold around my foot.
Now what?
I didn’t know what I expected to find. Secret blueprints? A ribbon from R.S. Tobler Laboratories' company picnic? Maybe Wallace was right. Maybe I didn't have any sense of sel—

“Lost?”

Holy shit.
I spun around and found myself face-to-face with Edwin Lawrence.

“Y-Yeah,” I squeaked. “Just looking for the bathroom.”

He pointed a gnarled finger toward the end of the hallway, never uttering a word. Did he actually hear me?

A polite, if not dazed, smile stretched my lips. “Oh, I guess I missed that. Thank you.”

He didn’t reply. He just stood there, clinging to the door for support, staring at me like I’d crawled under his microscope.

“Did you need help getting back into bed?” I asked, trying not to squirm. “I can go get Henry or one of the boys to—”

Edwin frowned. “You feel funny.”

Somewhere inside me, an alarm blared. Heat spread across my cheeks, and I took a step back. “I’m…sorry?”

“You’re one of them, aren’t you?” His deflated features seemed to harden as he raised his voice. “Aren’t you?”

“I-I don’t know what you… uh…” My brain scrambled for an excuse to leave, but all that came out was, “I have to go.”

I power walked to the end of the hallway, heart pounding in my chest, and prayed he wouldn't follow. Why didn’t Wallace come to my rescue
this
time? He didn’t have a problem barging in earlier.

But when I turned the corner, I saw why.