5
Davey reluctantly left the sanctuary of her bedroom and went downstairs, trudging along as if headed to her own funeral. She couldn’t stop thinking about Ethan and the wretched look on his face when she’d confessed to having a boyfriend. Though they had mutually absolved each other of wrongdoing regarding their tragic separation, Davey couldn’t help feeling as if she’d committed some sort of betrayal. After molding both her studies and career in the sole pursuit of finding Ethan—even if it meant working for the monsters who enslaved him—somewhere along the way, she had lost hope. There was no other explanation for allowing herself to fall into the arms of another man, especially not while Ethan had still needed her. And Davey wasn’t sure she could forgive herself for that.
As soon as she opened the front door, Travis blew in like a summer wind and gathered her into his arms for a warm, lingering embrace. “Thank God, Davey. I was so worried. I saw the news reports, and when you didn’t come back to the lab, I didn’t know what to think.” Giving her one last squeeze, he pulled away and looked her over. The hickory-colored eyes behind his thick-rimmed glasses brimmed with concern and love. “I must have called a dozen times. Why didn’t you answer?”
Thinking back to the passionate encounter she’d shared with Ethan only moments ago, Davey almost became ill with guilt and barely kept her wits long enough to answer his question. “I couldn’t,” she explained feebly. “There was an accident. I wrecked my car…and left my phone.”
Travis frowned. “You got into a car accident?”
“Yes. On the way to get Hogan…I panicked…was driving too fast.” Davey swallowed and considered just telling him the truth, but she honestly had yet to understand exactly what was happening, and until she could pull her head out of her ass long enough to figure it out, half-truths would have to suffice.
“Where is Hogan? Is he okay?”
“Upstairs and yes, he’s fine.”
“So, the gunman was reportedly a disgruntled employee—the janitor. The guy had worked at that school for over decade and had a squeaky-clean background with no priors, not even a parking ticket. It’s almost incredulous. It’s difficult to accept that there are rational minds out there debased enough to take a bunch of children hostage. I’m glad the bastard was killed at the scene.”
Poor Mr. Wiggins, Davey thought. No one would ever know the truth of his death, how the last few hours of his life had not been within his control. The horrible crimes—the gruesome murder—had been committed by a madman. She then realized there had been no mention of the other dead body—the one in her wrecked and blood-stained BMW. That’s odd. No way the car hasn’t been discovered by now. And the news would have definitely run a story on finding another body so close to the school and on the same day as the shooting.
“Maybe there was more to it than we understand,” Davey said. Knowing the truth, she couldn’t join Travis in condemning Mr. Wiggins. There would be enough people doing that.
Travis shook his head. “Don’t play devil’s advocate. I hate it when you do that.” He sighed. “It really bugs me that you didn’t call. You experienced some pretty significant trauma today, but didn’t turn to me. If we’re going to move forward, you’ve got to learn to be more open with me.”
“I’m sorry, Travis. I told you, my phone…” she trailed.
“You could have borrowed a phone. Hogan’s seems to be working fine.”
Feeling her face flush, Davey fell silent. Travis was hurt and annoyed, and he had every right to be. What the situation didn’t need was for her to lose her temper.
“Oh hell,” Travis abruptly said and dragged one hand across his face. “I sound like my father.” He pursed his lips. “Babe, I’m sorry. You’re white as a sheet. You’ve been through hell today, and here I am being an asshole.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it isn’t.” Taking her hand, he led her to into the living room and noticed Ethan who had posted up in a corner across the room. Travis’ voice noticeably chilled as he asked, “Who’s this?”
“This is—uh—Special Agent Remington. He’s the officer who drove me and Hogan home.”
Travis knew the cliff notes about Davey’s complicated past. Omitting all the mad science and supernatural elements, she had revealed the tale of conspiracy and murder that rocked the town of Harpey during her senior year of high school. She had told him about Ethan, the rookie cop who’d been her first love. Davey was still healing from the breakup when she’d become an intern at TruGreen Labs. Introducing him as Special Agent Remington was an attempt to forestall the inevitable realization Travis would have about Ethan’s true identity.
“That was kind of him,” Travis acknowledged, but an undercurrent of suspicion tempered his words. Moving past Davey, he walked over to where Ethan leaned quietly against the sage-tinted wall. “Special Agent,” he repeated, while looking him up and down.
“That’s right,” Ethan said and extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Kane.”
Travis seemed to somewhat relax. Nodding, he shook Ethan’s hand. “It’s not every day that I find such an imposing, ruggedly handsome stranger lurking in my girlfriend’s house. So, at least she’s mentioned me.”
Ethan smiled tightly. “It wasn’t the first thing we talked about, but she did manage to eventually get around to it. And then Ms. Little only had the nicest things to say.”
Davey cringed at the subtle dig, while Travis beamed proudly. Pulling her next to him, he bent to kiss her. She endured the touch of his lips for about three seconds before pulling away. Fire burned Davey’s cheeks as she wrung her hands and stared at the floor. When she finally got the nerve to look up, both Ethan and Travis were staring. Ethan’s expression was unreadable. Travis seemed both worried and taken aback.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she answered hoarsely. “Would either of you guys like some coffee? Or vodka?” Not waiting to hear their response, Davey escaped to the kitchen. “I sure as hell need some,” she muttered.
Travis followed her into the kitchen. “Babe, sit down. I’ll make a cup of tea to relax you.”
“I don’t want tea,” she said, reaching into the cupboard that housed the alcohol. A more responsible guardian probably would have had a lock placed on the cabinet, but Davey trusted Hogan enough and had skipped that precaution. So far, she hadn’t regretted it. If he ever actually wants to have friends over, I’ll look into it.
“Well you’re pretty wired right now, so I don’t think you need any of that.”
“Wrong,” she said and set a bottle of Van Gogh on the counter. “Alcohol has a depressant effect on the brain. Which happens to be exactly what I need right now. So, unless you plan on dropping a Valium in that useless cup of fucking tea, I’ll stick to this.”
Travis’s eyes just about doubled in size. “What’s gotten into you?”
“I’m sorry.” Wrapping both arms around her torso, she leaned against the counter and said nothing further as Ethan walked into the kitchen.
“Davey,” he called in a soft, uncertain voice. “I’m going to leave now, but do not worry. I will remain close.”
She swallowed. “Sure,” she whispered. “Whatever.”
Nodding, Ethan turned, and Davey watched him leave with hot tears stinging the back of her eyes. It was only after the front door closed that she noticed Travis was quietly staring at her. He wasn’t happy.
Shit.
“What the fuck was that about?”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized again and decided to relent from her earlier stance. She would have to be more careful if she had any hope of hiding the truth about Ethan. Maybe yielding on one damn cup of tea would help lower the red flags she had already raised. “You’re right. It’s been a crazy day, and I need to relax. Make the tea, Travis. I’ll wait on the sofa.”
A few minutes later, an appeased Travis came from the kitchen carrying a pair of steaming mugs. Sitting next to her, he pushed a mug into Davey’s hands. The heat was comforting, as was the smell of lavender that wafted into her nostrils. She recognized the brand. One of Travis’s favorites, he swore by its detoxification and rejuvenating effects, routinely having a cup after sex or a long workout, and had started keeping a tin of the custom-blended leaves within her kitchen cupboards.
“Thank you,” she said and took a polite sip.
Travis took her hand. “Davey, I’m a man of science, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for the philosophical. Maybe everything that happened today is a sign. You and Hogan should stay with me tonight. We can come back and gather the rest of your things later.”
Swallowing too quickly, the hot liquid scalded her tongue and throat as Davey choked. Coughing to clear her lungs, she took a wheezing breath and coughed several more times before recovering enough to speak.
Travis pursed his lips. “Well that’s quite the reaction.”
The mug clutched within Davey’s hands began to shake. Scalding hot tea sloshed onto the triangle of skin between her thumb and index finger, but she didn’t feel anything. Travis wasn’t going to put off this conversation any longer. “I can’t move in with you,” she said.
“Then I’ll move in here,” he countered doggedly.
“No,” Davey whispered.
Crossing his legs, Travis set his mug aside. “You’re never going to be ready, are you?”
Biting her lip, she shook her head. “No.”
“I see,” he said quietly. “Is this about that guy—the one from your past?”
“I’m not ready to let him go,” she admitted softly.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Travis inhaled deeply and then exhaled with equal intensity. “Let’s not talk about this right now. You’ve been through hell today and arguing about a long gone ex-boyfriend isn’t going to be conducive to helping you relax.”
Davey stared down at her fingers, still wrapped around the mug of cooling tea, but didn’t speak.
“Okay then.” Travis sighed and stood up. “Just know that I love you. I’m here and he’s not. I’m going to keep being here…no matter how hard you try to push me away.” He finished by changing the subject with a question that completely caught her off guard. “Has Hogan had dinner yet?”
Shit. There was something else for her to feel guilty about. “No.”
“How about I order some pizzas for the three of us then?”
“Hogan would love that,” Davey said with a grateful smile. “Be sure to get the cheesy pepperoni bread too.”
“You know that’s essentially the same thing as pizza, right?”
“Try explaining that to Hogan.”
Travis grinned as the tension finally lifted between them. “I could see how that might be a losing battle.”
Davey mustered a small laugh. “And you wouldn’t be wrong,” she said.
∞∞∞
Outside, the sun had begun to set and Ethan had yet to return. Davey went upstairs to check on Hogan, collaborating with him to choose the toppings for the pizzas. Since he had finished his homework, Davey insisted that he join her and Travis to watch the latest big budget, action-adventure flick about two spies who were also lovers. It took a little convincing because Travis had a tendency to get a little handsy whenever the lights were turned down—no matter the company—and Hogan hated that. But an hour later, all three of them were lounging in the living room, fully invested in seeing the final outcome of the thriller, especially after a major plot twist. The doorbell rang twice before Davey paused the television and moved reluctantly from the sofa.
“Since no one else is moving,” she grumbled, and started for the door but stopped. “Travis, do you have cash for a tip?”
“Yeah,” he said and tossed her his wallet.
Making a clumsy catch, Davey uttered a begrudging thank you and answered the door. She was stunned to see Ethan standing outside. Without saying a word, he stepped in from the darkness, an effigy of cool serenity that electrified the room.
Ethan was a paradox in many ways. He was a machine—a weapon. Without remorse, he could execute calculated horrors that might trouble even the most debased conscience. But he was also guided by the tender soul of a man who felt love and hurt deeply, and was capable of jealously, passion, and anger. Dying in his early twenties and hosted within a body that never aged, Ethan would always have the visage of a young man, but this second incarnation of Seth Eleazar had walked the earth for countless years.
“I thought I made the situation clear,” he said, his voice low and furious as he placed the pizzas in Davey’s hands. “You were not to let anyone through that door unless I told you to.”
“Dammit. I’m sorry. I completely forgot.” Wincing, she awkwardly juggled the greasy boxes. “Everyone was hungry, and when Travis suggested that we order pizzas, I didn’t even think about it.”
“It could have been Drekker on the other side of that door. Then what?”
Taking a deep breath, Davey decided she’d taken all the shit she was going to for one night. Leaning in close, she lowered her voice to match Ethan’s. “Then you should have stuck around instead of running off again like you did five years ago,” she retorted in an icy hiss.
Before Ethan could reply, Travis inadvertently came to his rescue, leaving the couch to step into the role of protective boyfriend. Crossing his arms, he widened his stance and leveled a stare at Ethan that was just shy of hostile. “What’s going on here?”
“Nothing,” Davey said with a huff of annoyance. Balancing the boxes on one hand, she secured the front door and double-checked the locks. Then she stalked into the kitchen and set the pizzas on the counter. At the moment, Davey was beyond caring if Travis wanted to challenge Ethan to a pissing contest. She was in the mood to just let it play out. “Hogan,” she called. “Come and eat.”
He popped into the kitchen an instant later. “Is Agent Remington staying for dinner?”
“That’s up to him,” she replied coolly.
Coming up behind Hogan, Travis ruffled his hair playfully. “Gee, I dunno if we got enough pizza, buddy.”
Ethan had followed them into the kitchen and answered almost simultaneously. “Of course, I can stay.”
Travis rolled his eyes. He was facing Davey, so Ethan didn’t see. “I guess that means I’m having a beer,” he said and yanked open the refrigerator door. After taking a sip, he gestured the open bottle toward Ethan. “My apologies, man, would you like one too?”
Ethan answered with enthusiasm that almost sounded sincere. “Absolutely,” he said. “Toss me one of those craft brews you’re hiding on the bottom shelf.”
Davey looked back and forth between them, aghast at Travis’s behavior and subtly impressed by Ethan’s. The guy might have struggled with sarcasm, but even a toaster could have registered the antipathy practically radiating from Travis’s pores. Somehow, Ethan was handling it like a normal guy. Although, Davey suspected him of intentionally needling Travis’s aggression.
Travis graciously retrieved the beer, but then practically slammed it on the bar island between them. “Think you can handle opening it? Or do I need to take care of that for you too?”
Ethan smiled. “I can manage,” he answered easily as he reached for the beer and popped it open without the aid of a bottle opener. Taking a long drink, he winked at Travis.
Davey knew Ethan didn’t actually require food or drink for sustenance, but Global Cures had ensured that their creation could physically imitate a human in every manner. The perfect weapon had to blend in perfectly.
Obviously getting a kick out of the low-key war currently raging in their kitchen, Hogan leaned over the pizza box, munching away at a huge slice while grinning around his mouthful of food. “Hey, Remington, you should try the cheesy pepperoni sticks. I swear they’ll be the best thing you ever put into your mouth.”
He beamed in triumph when Ethan accepted the morsel and took a bite. “It’s awesome, right?”
Nodding, Ethan returned the smile. “I can appreciate your fondness for them.”
Hogan turned to his sister, beaming smartly. “See, he agrees with me.”
“Hey, I never implied that they weren’t good. I only said they were the same thing as pizza. That’s what makes them awesome, by the way.” Pointedly helping herself to one of the cheesy pepperoni sticks, Davey wondered how the hell she was going to make it through the rest of the night. Travis had to be one snarky comment away from exploding. Either she or Hogan was going to slip up and call Ethan by his first name. After that, it wouldn’t take long for Travis to fit the rest of the pieces together, and then Davey would have a lot to explain.
Finishing the beer, Ethan deposited the bottle in the recycle bin. Then his steel grey eyes locked on to Davey and wouldn’t let go. Underneath his stare, she felt the floor shift beneath her feet and desire stir in her belly.
“Davey, can we talk?” he said without releasing her.
Ever the discerning one, Hogan piled several slices of pizza onto a paper plate, tucked the entire box of pepperoni sticks under his arm, and disappeared into the living room. The surround sound of explosions and gunfire soon erupted as he resumed the movie without them.
Whatever lingering resentment Davey felt toward Ethan had vanished. “Y-yes.”
Ethan’s gaze cooled considerably as it shifted to Travis. “In private,” he added.
Travis turned about three shades redder. “Whatever you need to say to my girlfriend will be said in front of me.”
“Travis, please,” she said, touching his arm to soften the blow. “Just knock it off and give us five minutes.”
Travis gritted his teeth. “Fine.” Taking the empty beer bottle, he hurled it across the room and into the recycle bin where it shattered into pieces. Davey jumped at the sound, shocked even more by Travis’s outburst. This wasn’t like him.
“Davey,” he said, pulling the bourbon from the cabinet. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’m going to need an explanation very soon.” Turning to Ethan, he opened the bottle and held it up in the air. “Cheers,” he said and took an alarmingly long drink. “I’m going to go upstairs now and give you and my girlfriend some privacy. Davey, join me in the sack whenever it suits you.”
“Travis, I’ll come up soon,” she promised. When he was gone, she covered her face and groaned. “He’s never like this.”
“Crazy jealous?” Ethan raised an eyebrow. “I can’t blame him.”
“I can. There’s no excuse for that.” Davey rubbed her arms.
“You okay?” Ethan asked, suddenly looking rather guilty.
“I’m fine.” Davey waved one hand dismissively. “Just mortified. That’s not the guy I’ve been dating this past year.”
“It probably didn’t help that I was intentionally being an asshole.”
“I sort of noticed that. You surprised me, Ethan.”
“Are you mad?”
Davey almost laughed. “No.”
“I’m sorry, but when he kissed you earlier, I went a little crazy. I needed some air, but you were right, Davey. I should not have left.”
“Oh, Ethan.” She shook her head, abruptly on the verge of tears for the billionth time in twelve hours. “It’s okay. I know what it felt like to lose you all those years ago, so I understand.”
Flinching at her words, Ethan grew impossibly still. Then he moved closer, slowly invading her space until their bodies were only inches apart. He towered over her, eyes blazing with unsettling intensity. “Have I lost you, Davey?”
She crossed her arms in front of her protectively, resisting the urge to fall into him and pick up exactly where they’d left off just before Travis had arrived. To allow herself to do that would mean crossing a line that was the point of no return. Reminding herself how time worked differently for Ethan, Davey bit back her initial reply and discarded the second. There was no way she could answer his question. Not now. But if there was ever going to be a chance for them, there were definitely things that couldn’t wait any longer.
She touched the back of his hand, held on when the warm, buzzing sensation leapt from his cool skin to course through hers. Biting her lip, Davey took a deep breath and tried to strengthen her resolve. She seriously needed to put some distance between his body and hers. “Wait here,” she urged softly. Then she went to the living room, grabbed the remote, and muted Hogan’s movie.
“Hey!” he exclaimed.
“Go upstairs and do your homework.”
“I’ve already done my homework.”
“Then go work on your midterm project.”
“That’s not due until next week,” he said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “It’s not like I can hear what you guys are talking about.”
Davey wasn’t swayed. “Upstairs. Go. Now.”
Grumbling under his breath, Hogan collected a few of his things, took the rest of the pizza, and plodded up the stairs. After he was out of sight and had slammed his bedroom door shut, Davey unmuted the television and went back to Ethan.
“Okay, you wanted to talk. So, let’s talk. Ethan, if things can ever be like they were between us, then I need you to level with me.”
“Level?”
“I want you to tell me exactly what’s going on. Earlier, you said that your primary directive was to ensure Hogan’s safety and deliver him to your superiors. First of all, Hogan is not going anywhere. If you try to take my brother anywhere near a Global Cures facility, you will have to kill me first. Secondly, why does Mason Drekker want Hogan? And don’t you dare lie to me, Ethan Remington. No more classified bullshit.” Despite telling herself to stay cool, Davey felt her temperature rising as her protective instincts kicked in, and she couldn’t stop the heat she was feeling from creeping into her voice.
Expelling a short but forceful breath, Ethan winced. “Yes, acquiring Hogan was my initial directive, but it’s not anymore. Something has changed.”
“And what’s that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why does Drekker want him?”
Ethan shook his head. “I honestly do not have an answer for that. Global Cures only sent me after Hogan to stop Mason Drekker from getting him. Drekker went rogue two weeks ago. He’s writing his own missions now.”
“Is he like you?” she asked, almost afraid of the answer.
“No. Drekker was an even bigger mistake than I was.”
“Ethan, you’re not a mistake.”
He smiled, but it was a sad expression. “You’ve always believed in me, Davey Little.”
“No,” she said without hesitation and moved closer, willing to risk anything to lift the melancholy surrounding him. “At first, I thought you were a total creeper.”
The sudden light that sparked within his eyes told her that she had made the right choice. “Ah yes. I still don’t understand why you found it so odd that I could not stop staring at you.” Reaching out, he caressed her cheek, resting his hand in the cradle of her neck as he leaned in and pressed his cool lips against her forehead. Something between a whimper and a sigh escaped her throat and Davey closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his skin against hers.
“I think I loved you from the moment I saw you, Daveigh.”
“Ethan,” she whispered. Dull longing had become a roaring ache, one she desperately wanted to quell. Grabbing his hand, she tore it away from her body and planted a tender kiss in the center of his palm.
He closed his eyes and uttered her name in a voice burning with unfulfilled desire.
Two words. It only took two words to break her heart and shatter his. “I can’t.”