Nadia
She watched Jared as he moved outside, closing the door behind him so that they could converse in private. Her cheeks still burned from the shock of realizing not only had she been kissing him, but that someone had been watching! That was so embarrassing. She was not an exhibitionist by nature. She wasn’t shy about being with someone, but she preferred to keep it private.
The kiss in public earlier, while enjoyable, had not contained anywhere near the passion that she had felt—still felt—coursing through her veins right then. She hadn’t expected anyone to be a witness to this one, however, and her skin burned again as she realized they would have seen her hands digging into his back as well. His delicious, firmly muscled back…
“So, you and I haven’t had much of a chance to talk,” Madison said, slipping into the spot most recently occupied by Jared, though she did keep a bit more of a distance between them.
“Things have been a bit hectic,” she agreed.
“I’m Madison, the nominal head of the Underground,” she said, sticking her hand out.
“Nadia, human refugee,” she joked, though it wasn’t entirely inaccurate. “So you’re the boss of all of… of them?” she asked, not sure which terminology to use.
“Mostly,” Madison said. “I run—or ran, perhaps is the better term now with everything in disarray—the whole Underground. Field operations of any sort fell under Jared’s purview, as he has experience that I don’t. So for instance, he’s technically in command right now, though any big decisions will be approved by me first, if possible.”
Nadia’s head was moving up and down as the other woman talked, but she had one burning question that just sort of slipped out. “And they’re okay with that?” she asked.
“Okay with what?” Madison seemed confused.
“With you. Being their boss.”
“Of course. It wouldn’t work if they weren’t.”
“Even though you’re a human, and female?” Nadia asked, smacking herself internally for the lack of filter.
She had expected an outburst of some sort, something that would indicate Madison was angered at her question. But the other woman just smiled calmly.
“Do you consider yourself to be below men?” she asked instead.
“No,” Nadia answered immediately. “There are areas where men are proficient that I am not. And the reverse is also true. In those areas, perhaps, but I see that as due to skill or talent. Not sex. I do not see how me being a woman makes me naturally inferior to a man. I mean, yes, they are more naturally inclined to things such as muscle development, especially upper body strength, but that doesn’t make me less as a human being. I’m okay with us being different, but equal.”
Madison’s smile became a full-fledged grin. “I think we might get along okay, you and I,” she said. “I believe the same. There are differences in our sex, but I would not instantly submit myself to a man, nor would I expect him to do the same. So in that essence, the rest of the Underground is in agreement. They don’t care that I’m a woman, as long as I get the job done.”
Nadia felt a fierce rush of pride surge through her. She liked this woman. Madison was strong, confident. A natural leader, she could tell. Nadia knew she had her own strengths, but she didn’t find that they tended to run toward leading others in a command position. That wasn’t for everyone. Even commanders needed smart, able-bodied people around them to succeed.
“As for being human,” Madison said, looking very contemplative. “Well…” she reached out and hooked a finger under the nearby wooden coffee table.
“Oh,” Nadia said as she lifted it clear from the ground with ease, only her first knuckle underneath it. “I see.”
“The Extremis serum can work wonders,” Madison said. “I’m assuming Jared told you that much at least?”
“Yes. He even mentioned that he knew some people who had been injected with it. He neglected to mention you were one of them though.”
“I’m sure he did. The others usually leave it up to me to judge someone, to decide if I can trust them with my secret.”
“You decided to trust me?” she asked. “You just met me.”
Madison gave her a knowing smile. “Yes, I did. But Jared’s known you for a little bit now, and he’s not one prone to judgment mistakes in all the time I’ve known him. I trust his instincts.”
But his instincts are wrong. He has made a judgment mistake with me. I’m not trustworthy. Not after what I’ve done.
“Is something wrong, Nadia?” Madison asked.
“I’m flattered,” she said, trying to cover up the nervous flutter in her voice. How had Madison picked up on her thoughts? “I don’t know if I feel like I’m worthy of such a secret just yet, but I’ll do my best to prove that I am.”
That much, at least, she meant with the full conviction of her heart.
Madison’s eyes narrowed as she seemed to stare right through her.
“Yes, yes I do believe you will. Just make sure you come to a decision on your worthiness sooner rather than later.”
Translation: Own up for your sins now, before things get too serious with Jared. I understand. I will. I want to. But it’s going to be so hard…
“I will try,” she said seriously. “This is all new to me. It’s changed the way I see the world a lot. Jared has told me what you’re fighting for, and who you’re fighting. I never realized things were so serious before.”
Madison nodded. “Neither did I, until I got thrown into all of this. They came for my father, you know. Connor and the others, they saved him, and then me.” Her eyes unfocused briefly as she relieved the past.
“Your father was a shifter?” Nadia asked.
“Is a shifter,” Madison stressed. “Living safely in Genesis Valley now.”
Nadia frowned. “That’s the second time I’ve heard of that place. I asked Jared about it before, but now that I think over that conversation, he deftly steered me away from answering it. What is Genesis Valley?”
“It’s a shifter haven,” Madison answered. “A safe place for our kind to be, without fear of persecution by human or otherwise.”
“Otherwise?”
The leader of the Underground smiled humorlessly. “Not all shifters are as united as you might think. There are certain groups that think they are better than others. It is no different than the way humans treat each other.”
Nadia looked ashamed. “It’s true. We really do.”
“It’s not so long ago that I was human,” Madison told her with a wry smile. “So I know full well. It’s weird now, trying to find my place. I’m no longer human, but I’m so new to being a shifter that I don’t feel I fit in there either. It’s like I’m caught in no-man’s land.”
“It sounds like you need to go to Genesis Valley yourself.”
A dreamy looked crossed her face. “One day, after we’ve managed to defeat the Agency, I hope to do just that. To live out my life with Connor by my side—or me by his side, as he’d like you to believe.”
The two women shared a giggle. Even as they did though, Nadia pictured herself and Jared, finding a place where they could just be. Where she wouldn’t need to be scared of who or what she was, or had done, and where he wouldn’t always have to be worried about his team. She wanted that, for herself, but also for him. He deserved it after all that he had been through.
“How do we do that though?” she asked after a moment.
“Do what?”
“Defeat the Agency.”
Madison looked contemplative. “Unfortunately, we’ll probably have to kill them all. If we can get their leader, it should hopefully fall apart after that.”
“Jared said the same thing.” Her features narrowed. “When do we start?”
“You’re going to help us?”
She nodded. “However I can. I’m good with computers and data. Any need for that?”
Madison looked thoughtful. “Possibly. Not at the moment though. For now, stay close to Jared, and help him out as need be.”
“That’s the plan,” she said, trying to keep the smile off her face.
“I bet,” Madison teased, standing up as the men came back inside.
“Ready?” Jared asked, catching her completely off guard.
“Ready for?” she trailed off. Was he really asking if she was ready to finish what they started earlier, in front of everyone?
Connor snorted softly and moved to Madison’s side. She saw their fingers link automatically, without effort.
I want that.
“We have to go,” he told her.
“Go where?”
“Outskirts of town. Motel. We can’t stay here. The four of us here will draw too much attention. We need to split up until plans can be finalized for what to do next.”
“Are there any plans?” she asked, getting up from the couch and walking with him to the door. The other couple followed along behind.
“They’re being discussed,” he said with a look at the other two. “Nothing finalized just yet though.”
She nodded. “Okay. I just feel like we’ve been on the run a lot, without much sign of the Agency, except when we fucked up and went out in public.”
“True, but we don’t want to take chances. All it takes is one moment of carelessness and they’ll be all over us. We need to keep moving. Connor and Madison are going to do the same thing, heading out tomorrow, as are the rest of the Underground. Staying put is bad news.”
They said their goodbyes and headed out into the city. Night had begun to fall.
Without thinking, she took his hand as they walked. To her delight, he gripped it tight.