Chapter Three
Bruno cursed under his breath as he steered his motorcycle north along the rural road into southeast New York from New Jersey. He didn’t want to go back to Manhattan. The thought of facing the clamor of all those minds surrounding his penthouse filled him with dread. He didn’t want to visit any of his brothers, either, and especially not now, not when his first meeting with his paired mate was so fresh in his thoughts. He wanted peace. Silence.
Like that’s an easy wish to fulfill. He laughed, then slowed and eased into a turn, taking the road that led to Harriman State Park. There’d be hikers on the trails since it was mid-afternoon, but not so many that he would feel trapped by their emotions. He parked in the lot, then headed north along one of the lesser-traveled trails. When he reached the middle of the forest, he stopped and inhaled deeply. He’d told Eileen to clear his schedule for two weeks, but the truth was, that had only freed him from the daily meetings. He had a plethora of other tasks he’d been putting off for several years. When the Sentries had gone public, the opportunity to strategize and plan for long-term campaigns against probable Spider incursions had become more difficult to manage. And they needed his expertise, now more than ever. He planned on developing several possible scenarios they could use to protect Earth over the next few weeks. Right now, he only had a few hours to spare, and then he needed to get to work, but he’d learned to take what comfort he could, when he could.
He stared at the dirt mottling his shoes, and then took another deep breath, letting it out slowly. Gradually, the birds around him came back to life, no longer startled by his frantic movement. Green leaves rustled overhead. He released the iron control he held over his empathic ability and let his senses expand, gratified when he only encountered a few humans at the edge of the wood line. He rarely had the opportunity to be completely alone. The solitude soothed his mind more than he’d expected. His shoulders relaxed, and he closed his eyes, reveling in the quiet, until the sound of his cell phone ringing destroyed his fragile-won calm. Snarling, he snatched it out of his pocket and pressed the icon on the screen.
“What?” He gripped the phone tightly. Too tightly. Plastic creaked.
“Bruno, Isaac just contacted us. The Spiders at Alpha Centauri are swarming,” Solomon said, his voice hard and low.
Bruno went perfectly still as adrenaline crackled through his entire body. This was the news he’d never, ever wanted to hear. “When?” He didn’t bother asking why Isaac hadn’t simply contacted him directly. It was likely he’d sent a text message through the Stronghold net and Solomon saw it immediately since most of his work was done via their pillar technology. Sometimes a text message took a few minutes to filter from the net and into their cell phones.
“The message? Or the swarm?” Solomon asked.
“Both.” Bruno forced his fingers to relax. The last thing he needed was to break his cell phone, now of all times. He inhaled through his nose, holding his breath for a slow count of three before exhaling. He needed to calm down.
“The message came through a few minutes ago. When you didn’t reply, I responded. Isaac said the Spiders started swarming sometime in the last twelve hours. He was already on the way back, so the data from the sensors he’d just set up reached him first,” Solomon explained.
Bruno knew he should be heading back down the trail, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. “Did you implement Protocol A?” he asked Solomon, referring to the last plan he’d managed to cobble together, over a year ago.
“Yes. Greyson is already making more shield net anchors. I called him first so he could get started. I can program them as fast as he can manufacture them, however…” Solomon paused.
Bruno knew what his brother was going to say. He turned back down the trail, walking slowly. “But we don’t have the energy to embed them into the shield net, or the power to activate them.”
“Precisely.” Solomon sighed worriedly. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do, Bruno.”
Bruno stopped and rubbed the back of his neck. “We have time,” he said, knowing exactly what he had to do. The knowledge broke his heart. He’d foreseen this problem over a century ago, but he’d hoped that particular vision hadn’t been real. Not all of his foretelling visions came true, after all. But I have to work with the hand I’m dealt, and so will she, he reminded himself. She’ll understand.
“Yes, we have time, but not much. We can’t afford to waste it,” Solomon said reasonably.
Bruno nodded. “We won’t waste it. I’ll be home tonight, and we can discuss our options. In the meantime, can you continue to coordinate for me? My connection to the Stronghold net is spotty.”
“Of course,” Solomon said. “Where are you, anyway? I don’t think you’ve ever been out of reach of the Stronghold net.”
Bruno grimaced. “I’m in the middle of a state forest. I had an errand to complete, and decided to take a few hours downtime afterwards.” He laughed shortly. “Clearly, I should not have.”
“I’m sorry, Bruno,” Solomon said quietly. “You, of all of us, deserve some peace.”
“I will be fine,” Bruno replied.
Solomon sighed. “I know you say that, and I know you’re the strongest of all of us, but I worry. You spend most of your time up in that tower of yours, in the middle of Manhattan. I can barely stand it there for longer than a day before the weight of all those minds gives me a migraine.”
“I am used to it,” Bruno replied, already thinking ahead. “There’s no need to worry. I’ll contact you later. I have another task to complete before I return home.”
“A task? Why don’t you send your assistant to do it for you? If you need downtime—”
“No.” Bruno started jogging. If he was to convince Amy, he needed as much time as he could manage. “It is my task to complete,” he said firmly, not elaborating.
Solomon sighed again.
Bruno smiled wryly. “You will understand in due time.”
“I hate it when you get all cryptic like this, Bruno,” Solomon said.
“Worry about the shield net anchors. I will handle the rest. This is why we divide tasks. All of it would be more than one of us could handle alone, but we work together. We are a family,” Bruno told him. The trail widened, and he slowed his pace. It wasn’t far to the parking lot. Involuntarily, he glanced up at the sky, concentrating his energy. The electric green shimmer of the camouflage net wrapped around the planet reassured him somewhat, but he knew it wouldn’t keep the Spiders out if they came en masse. It was merely concealment, not a true barrier. The Sentries needed to boost its efficacy with a sturdy energy shield. To that end, he needed help. Special help.
“Yes, but you’re my brother, and you can’t stop me from worrying about you,” Solomon said, resignation in his tone. “But I will stop nagging you. Time is short. Take care of yourself, brother.”
“And you, also,” Bruno replied, tapping the End icon on the screen. He broke out of the tree line and headed for his motorcycle. It would take him an hour to reach Amy. He had no idea how many more hours it would take him to convince her to help them.
****
“You’re going on a cruise? Like, now? Today?” Amy asked her mother, hands poised over the dishwasher’s start button. She’d just finished loading the machine when her mother had casually mentioned that she planned to go on vacation at the last minute. For a month. Amy didn’t know whether to applaud her mother’s impetuousness or question her sanity. “That’s crazy. It’s already three o’clock in the afternoon!” She gestured to the windows. “And you’ll have to pack, drive to Manhattan, get your tickets—”
“I have the tickets, I’m already packed, and Judy’s picking me up in…” Her mother checked her cell phone display. “Ten minutes.” She looked up and smiled. “I haven’t done anything this spontaneous in years!”
Amy stared at her mother, and then shook her head. I should be glad for her, right? Not worried. She’s a grown woman. She honestly didn’t remember the last time she’d seen her mom look so happy. “A vacation, at the last minute?” she asked weakly. She could feel herself caving, dammit.
“Yes! Judy brought it up at lunch. She had an extra ticket because Lorinne backed out, and so, here I go.” She pursed her lips. “You’re not upset, are you?”
“No, I’m not upset,” Amy protested, not wanting to ruin her mother’s joy. I’m shocked. And I’m confused, she admitted privately. “This is just so unexpected. You caught me off guard.” She smiled uncertainly. “Well, um, have fun, I guess.” She pushed the dishwasher button and closed the door firmly. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Her mother laughed. “I know exactly what you did in college, my dear. Don’t worry, I’m not nearly as adventurous as you.”
Amy snorted. “I wasn’t that adventurous.”
“I know about that guy with the beard. And the other guy with the eyebrow piercing, my dear,” her mother pointed out.
Amy flushed. “They were just hookups. They didn’t mean anything.”
“I know. And I didn’t torment you about them, did I?” her mother asked, grinning, hands on her hips.
Amy rolled her eyes, face burning as she struggled to comprehend that her mother remembered her blathering about the guys she’d slept with. Why did I ever think telling her about them was a good idea? Oh, yeah. I was drunk. “No, Mom. You didn’t torment me.” She leaned back against the counter. “But you’re supposed to forget I ever did stuff like that in college.” She wrinkled her nose. “You’re not supposed to remember every last detail.” She scowled. “Heck, even I forgot about the eyebrow piercing dude, and I was the one who dated the guy.”
“Ha, as if you could keep a secret from me. You shouldn’t have drunk dialed me that one time.”
Amy frowned at her mother. “One mistake. Just one, and you hold it over my head for the rest of my life.”
“Of course! That’s what parents are supposed to do.” Her mom smiled. “Relax. My friends and I are going to drink watered down margaritas and sun ourselves by the pool on the ship. And we’re going to go shopping in the islands. It’ll be relaxing,” her mother said, tilting her head. “Don’t worry about me, sweetie.” She walked over and pulled Amy into a hug. “I’m more worried about you.”
“Me? Why? I’m fine,” Amy said, still vaguely unsettled. Her mother never did stuff like this. “You promise you won’t do anything crazy?”
Her mom laughed again, then released her. “Which one of us is the daughter in this relationship?” She pointed at Amy. “I should be asking you to promise me that.”
“You know my life is totally boring, Mom.” Amy snorted. “I’ll probably spend the next few weeks doing the same thing I’ve been doing for the past few weeks: job hunting and binge-watching reality television.”
“You know those shows will rot your brain.”
“Mom.” Amy rolled her eyes.
“Okay, okay.” Her mother grinned and held up her hands as if in defeat, but then her expression sobered. “You should keep an open mind. You never know what might happen. Maybe that handsome Sentry will show up again. He seemed to like you. And if he does show up, you should ask him out and take him to dinner. It’s not every day that the leader of the planet shows up on a girl’s doorstep. You always told me you were a feminist. Prove it.”
“Oh. My. God. Mom, stop!” Amy crossed her arms. “He’s Bruno Day. He’s not going to come back, okay? He just came by to get Saige’s ring, and that was already weird.” She frowned. “And he’s not the leader of the entire planet. He’s just the leader of the Sentries. It’s a totally different thing.”
“Mmm-hmm. If you say so. But I saw that he gave you another ring.” Her mother tapped a finger on Amy’s wrist. “Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
“I don’t know why he gave it to me. I’m only wearing it because I’ll lose it if I take it off,” Amy immediately said. “I’m going to give it back to him.”
“Uh huh. So you are seeing him again?”
Amy scowled at her mother for the second time in two minutes. “Mom.”
“Amy.” Her mother’s brown eyes twinkled.
“You’re killing me,” Amy said, face hot. She put her hands over her cheeks. Could her mother be right? Was she unconsciously hoping to see him again? If so, she had to get her head straight. He’d never see her as anything other than his sister-in-law’s best friend.
“If Bruno Day stops by again—and he will, I know men well enough to see the interest he had in you—you’re telling me that you’re not going to make a move on him?” Her mom snorted. “I raised you better than that.”
Amy gave in. Sort of. “Okay, so I think he’s cute.” She tapped her fingers on her arm and stared at the ceiling. Huh. Might need to repaint soon. A corner of the drywall near the window had a water stain on it.
Her mother scoffed. “Bruno Day? Cute? Are you serious? He’s cute like a shark. Or a wolf. There’s nothing cute about that man. He’s a predator. A handsome predator, but still.”
Amy shrugged. “He seems really kind.”
Her mother blinked at her. “What did he tell you in your room? Because I’ve seen him on television, and kind isn’t the word I’d pick. Scary. Confident. Powerful. Those are words that describe him.” She inhaled. “Not cute.”
Amy looked away. “I don’t know. He seemed tired. And worried. And he was very nice to me.” She shrugged. “I don’t think he’s interested in me.”
Her mother stepped closer and pried her arms open, then pulled Amy into another hug. “Honey, if I know one thing, it’s when a man is interested in someone. That man, that very powerful and unique man, is interested in you. You may not believe me, but I could tell.” She kissed the side of Amy’s temple. “And if he comes back, which I firmly believe he will, you should let him in. He looks like the kind of man who needs a good woman to lean on.”
Amy returned the hug. Her mom might drive her nuts, but she was also the best, most steady woman she knew. Her mother always had her back. And it’s time I had hers. “You really think so?”
Her mom stepped back. “Yeah. I do.” She cupped Amy’s cheek. “And if he needs help, it’ll be your duty to give it to him.”
Amy made a face. “Duty. As if I could help him do anything. I’m just a girl.”
“Duty is important,” her mother said, abruptly serious. “And even if all you do is give him a hug, it will be enough.”
“I know, Mom.” Amy would rather talk about anything else. The word duty always reminded her of her father. She swallowed. “I think you should go on this cruise and have a hell of a good time, by the way.”
Her mother dropped her hand and smoothed her long brown hair, so different from Amy’s short blonde locks, over her shoulder. “I intend on it.”
****
Two hours later, Amy paced the living room, wishing she had something to occupy her mind. The thought of Bruno Day being interested in her made her heart race.
“Ugh. Stop it,” she told herself, heading for the kitchen. “He’s the leader of the Sentries. He’s not interested in you.” She’d go out and pull some weeds from the back garden. Maybe the fresh air would help stop the thoughts ricocheting through her brain. Thoughts like how good he looked in that soft sweater. Thoughts about his piercing blue eyes. Thoughts about him maybe kissing her.
She put her hand on the back door, but before she could twist the knob, the front doorbell rang. “The hell?” she muttered, frowning. It rang again. “Shit,” she muttered, annoyed. “It better not be someone selling cookies, because I really do not need that temptation.” She smoothed a hand down her jeans as she hurried through the living room to the front door. She pulled it open. “Can I help you?” Her voice trailed off when her gaze landed on the man standing on the front stoop. What. The. Hell. I don’t understand my life. She forced herself to take a breath. “Bruno?”
“Hello, Amy. Can I come in?”
Amy blinked, and then stepped back, waving him inside. She couldn’t believe that her mother’s prediction of his return had come true so quickly. She eyed his expression. Bruno looked tired. Worried. She frowned as he closed the door behind him. This is the second time in a day that I’m confronting Bruno Day in front of a door, she thought nervously.
“I am not quite sure how to explain why I’m here,” he said, running a hand through his hair.
Amy stepped back. “Do you want your ring back?” She started to pull it off her finger.
“No. Definitely not.” He put his hands on top of hers, stopping her. “That’s the last thing I want.”
Amy couldn’t think clearly with him this close. He smelled good. His hands were so warm. She wanted to dive into his chest and snuggle up. With more effort than it should have taken, she shrugged off his touch and stepped back. “Um. Okay.” She took a deep breath, thinking of her mother’s words about help and duty. “Do you want a drink?” She gestured to the kitchen. “We have water. And lemonade. Or I could make coffee?” Stop talking and let him answer, you dummy, she berated herself mentally.
He nodded. “Lemonade would be fine.”
“Okay,” she said, leading the way. She pointed to the stools at the breakfast bar. “Have a seat.” She very carefully did not think about the weirdness of Bruno Day sitting himself at the small bar in their tiny kitchen. His presence dominated the room. Amy nearly tripped over her own feet on her way to the refrigerator. She could tell he was looking at her, and that made her clumsy. She took a deep breath and forced herself to concentrate on her task. Jumping on top of him will be counterproductive. Focus, girl.
“Here you go,” she said a moment later, sliding the glass in front of him. She stared at the second cup she’d poured for herself, then downed half of it in one swallow. For some reason, her mouth was dry as a bone.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here. Again,” he said, looking somewhat uncomfortable. He sipped at his drink.
Amy stared at his throat as he swallowed. He had just the right amount of stubble. She wanted to run her fingers across his jaw, but instead, she merely nodded as she leaned back against the counter. Behind her, the sink’s edge dug into her lower back. She knew the view outside showed the yard spangled with late afternoon sunlight shining down through the trees. She almost wished she were out there, instead of in the kitchen having a weird and awkward conversation with an insanely handsome Sentry. Almost. He’s really, really hot. I should be plotting ways to ask him to dinner, not stuttering like a little girl. “Yeah. Kinda.” She straightened up suddenly as a terrible thought hit her. “Wait, you’re not here because of Saige, are you? Is she okay?”
“No, no. Saige is fine,” he said, then paused. “I think.”
“Wait. What do you mean, you think?” Alarm raced through Amy. She put her glass down on the counter.
Bruno sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. He didn’t look like the composed man she was used to seeing in press conferences. He looked like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. “This is more difficult than I anticipated.” He looked up at her. “Saige and Isaac aren’t exactly on a honeymoon.” He grimaced. “Well, they are, but they combined it with some much-needed reconnaissance of a Spider infestation out by Alpha Centauri.”
Amy frowned. Why is he telling me this? She knew what the Spiders were. She knew where Alpha Centauri was. She also knew that Saige had been looking forward to learning how to pilot a starship. Spiders plus Alpha Centauri plus Bruno in her house meant… Shit. Her brain put the pieces together. “The Spiders are swarming.” She put a hand to her throat. Bile churned in her stomach. She thought about her mother who’d just boarded a cruise ship. No way to warn her, and even if I could, what could we do? There’s nowhere to go if the Spiders swarm the entire planet.
Bruno’s expression went from worry to approval. “Yes. I received word just a few hours ago. Isaac and Saige are on their way back to Earth after placing sensors along the Swarm’s path.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Amy said, mind racing. Duty indeed. If there was anything she could do to help, anything at all, she would. She’d scrub his floors. She’d file his memos. Anything. It would help keep the terror at bay, at the very least. “What do you need from me?” She had no idea what she could do. She was nobody. She didn’t work for the government. She didn’t have any power. She was a jobless fresh-out from college with a useless degree in politics.
“I need you to come back to Manhattan with me.”